Matt and Sophie are walking alongside the river, their soft footsteps trampling the grass. Suddenly, a large gray rabbit leaps out of the nearby foliage and bounds towards the water. Halfway to the water, it pauses, and after clocking the two humans, it bolts back into the forest.

  Matt rubs his stomach and sighs. “I don’t know about you, but I’m getting quite hungry. Do you think we could hide up a tree and wait for something else to come by?”

  Matt watches Sophie’s expression visibly brighten, a sudden energy replacing the earlier fatigue. “That’s a great suggestion! Yeah, let’s do that, I’m starving too. Have you seen any good places to wait?”

  Matt nods his head before pointing at two nearby trees with plenty of low-hanging branches. One tree leans slightly to the side, but both trees look sturdy with enough leaves to camouflage them from anything that isn’t looking too closely. “I think those trees there would be perfect.”

  He grabs a branch and gives it a quick tug, satisfied it will hold his weight, he hauls himself up. Unfortunately his foot slips on a particularly slimy patch of moss and sends him hurtling unceremoniously to the ground.

  “Ouch…” He groans. His face flushes as the air is filled with Sophie’s light laughter. With renewed determination, he seizes another branch and manages to scale the tree without another embarrassing moment.

  Matt shifts around for a bit as he attempts to find the least uncomfortable position for the wait. “I hope this doesn’t take too long.”

  After a few minutes, Sophie breaks the awkward silence that has descended. “You said you’ve watched a lot of anime like this, didn’t you? Me too…” Her branch waves as she repositions herself. “It’s just weird,” She hesitates, before adding “and scary… I’m still shaken up about the wolf,” she admits with a soft voice.

  Matt stares into the distance, his jaw tightening. “Same here. It’s normal to feel like that. It was… well, scary.” His voice carried a mix of conviction and lingering unease.

  Sophie twirls the dagger she looted from the goblin, the blade catching glints of sunlight through the leaves. “It isn’t all bad though, it’s kind of thrilling to feel so athletic and strong. You must feel the same with your magic right?”

  Matt’s face breaks into a wide grin, and he leans back on his branch. “Oh yeah! I’ve always dreamed about magic, and fantasy worlds and stuff. It’s way more intense than I imagined, but I admit I have had fun at times.” A sheepish look crosses his face. “I hope you don’t think I’m weird for thinking that…”

  “No I don’t! In fact I feel the same way- oh look!” Her voice drops to an urgent whisper as she gestures to the ground below.

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  A young deer slowly emerges from the underbrush, its sleek chocolate-brown coat dotted with white spots. It gracefully strolls towards the water’s edge, pausing to dip its head and drink.

  The forest seems to hold its breath. The ever-present wind softens to a faint whisper, and the buzzing of insects fades into silence.

  A twig snaps. The animal jerks its head up. Matt reacts, launching a spike of ice. The deer lets out a high-pitched bleat as the projectile strikes its hind leg with a sickening crunch. Blood pours from the wound as the limb is twisted unnaturally. Its chest rises and falls as it takes pained breathes.

  Sophie hurriedly ends the creature’s suffering, the blade slicing cleanly through its slender neck. The deer’s soft fur darkens with blood.

  Sophie (LVL 5) and Matt (LVL 5) have slain Deer (LVL 3).

  Matt has gained 40 EXP and levelled up! (LVL 5 → 6)

  Sophie has gained 25 EXP and levelled up! (LVL 5 → 7)

  Sophie fist-pumps the air in celebration. “I levelled up twice from that! Four agility points please!”

  Matt grins, brushing off his tunic. “Not bad. Endurance for me.” He opens his menu, assigning the points with a satisfied nod.

  The pair’s elation fades as they glance at the bloodied corpse. Sophie’s enthusiasm falters, and she awkwardly glances at Matt, a hopeful expression on her face. “So… you wouldn’t happen to know how to butcher an animal, would you?”

  Matt scratches the back of his head. “Not a clue.”

  “Well,” Sophie sighs, drawing her dagger. “Guess I’ll give it a shot…”

  Minutes later, uneven chunks of crimson meat lie atop a flat rock. Sophie rinses her hands in the river.

  Matt crouches in front of the stone, and pokes at a piece of meat with his finger. It wobbles. “No offense, but that doesn’t look appetizing.”

  “I know,” Sophie dries her hands on her tunic. "Is it even safe to eat?”

  “I’ll check, did you forget I have a skill called appraisal?” Matt points dramatically at the meat and calls out in a grand voice. “Appraise!”

  Nothing happens. Matt’s brow furrows as Sophie stifles a laugh. “You don’t shout your spells—why would you do it for appraisal?”

  “I knew that.” He clears his throat and focuses on his skill.

  Raw Venison: A chewy meat with a rich taste. It is safe to eat raw for humans with 10 VIT.

  “It’s fine,” Matt announces, biting into a piece. He winces at the bloody taste but chews through it. “Tough, though. Like leather.”

  Sophie grimaces but follows suit, the two slowly working through their meal. Despite the taste, hunger drives them to finish. They hastily leave the area after their feast and follow the river, aware that the scent may attract unwanted guests.

  Sophie’s hand grips Matt’s shoulder. She points ahead, excitement lighting her face. “Wait—smoke! That’s smoke! We’re close to civilization!”

  Matt’s gaze follows her finger and for a moment, he just stares. A few thin tendrils of smoke rising above the tree canopy in the distance, barely visible against the dull gray sky.

  A breath he hadn’t realized he was holding escapes in a shaky laugh. “Finally,” he turns to Sophie, a grin breaking onto his face despite his exhaustion. “I don’t know if I could handle another deer.”

  With a jubilant expression, Sophie’s warm hand clasps his own. “Come on!” She urges, tugging him along.

  They break into a jog. As they run, a serious expression crosses Matt’s face as he warns, “Let’s just be careful, we don’t know if they are friendly yet.”

  Her smile falters as his words land. “Right,” she murmurs. “It could be a goblin village or something…”