The fish trap took all morning.
Ren chose a spot in the stream where the water slowed, forming a quiet pool between two mossy rocks. He'd seen silvery shapes flashing there yesterday—always too fast to catch. But now, with the new knowledge sitting quiet in his mind, building the trap felt like remembering something he'd known all along.
He used thin, flexible branches and tough vines, weaving them into a cone shape—wide at one end, narrow at the other. His fingers knew how to tie the knots tight, how to leave gaps just big enough for fish to swim in but not out.
It wasn't pretty, but it felt solid.
He weighted it down with smooth stones and set it between the rocks, letting the current hold it in place. Then he stepped back, wiping wet hands on his jeans, and watched the water flow around it.
Nothing happened right away. But that was fine.
Ren had already learned something about this place: survival didn't care about hurry. It cared about doing things right. It cared about waiting.
He left the trap and went back to camp. Thin smoke still rose from his firepit. The strips of meat from the day before had dried into tough, leathery jerky. He wrapped them in broad leaves and stored them carefully in a nook near his shelter.
He was getting the hang of this.
His world was still small—just this clearing, the stream, the traps. But it was his. And for the first time, the knot of fear in his chest had loosened into something else—watchfulness.
Big questions were still there, of course. Why was he here? What was this system? Were there other people? But those could wait.
For now, he had a plan: fish, better tools, and maybe, soon, moving on.
He wouldn't leave until he was ready. Until he knew he could survive out there.
---
Around midday, the sun got hot. Ren splashed cool water on his face from the stream and sat under a tree near his trap. It was still quiet. No movement.
But he wasn't worried.
He'd also made a fishing line—a braided cord of plant fiber, a sharpened bone hook, and a piece of jerky for bait. It was simple. Maybe too simple.
He cast the line into a calm part of the water and leaned back, watching the clouds through the leaves.
Time passed. The wind rustled the trees. A bird called somewhere.
Then—a tug.
Ren sat up straight.
Another tug, harder this time.
He pulled gently, felt weight on the other end, then yanked sharply. A small silver fish flew out of the water, flopping wildly on the grass.
He grabbed it, holding it firm until it stilled.
It wasn't big. But it was real.
A real smile touched his lips this time.
---
[You have caught your first fish. Efficiency bonus +2%. Manual fishing will now consume less energy.]
[Field Knowledge: Basic Fish Cleaning unlocked.]
---
"Good," he said softly. Already reaching for his sharp stone.
He cleaned the fish by the stream, the system's knowledge guiding his hands. He cooked it on a flat, heated rock near the fire. It tasted clean. Simple. Better than tough rabbit.
He ate it slowly, right off the bone.
After, he checked the trap again. Still empty. But it didn't matter. The line had worked. The day was already a win.
---
That evening, he caught one more fish with the line. It wasn't much, but it was steady. And right now, steady was everything.
When the stars came out, he leaned against his shelter and looked up. His eyes were tired, but his mind was calm.
This world owed him no answers.
But it was giving him skills.
And that was enough.
Ren slept deeply that night, no dreams troubling him.
He woke at dawn, the air chill and damp. He sat up, blinked, and pulled up his status screen without really thinking.
---
Status: Ren Hoshikage
Condition: Rested
Energy: High
Abilities Unlocked:
Basic Firestarting
Improvised Shelter Construction
Water Source Identification
Basic Field Butchering
Trap Crafting
Lesser Beast Affinity
Basic Fish Trap Crafting
Hand Line Fishing
Basic Fish Cleaning
---
No magic. No super strength. But a list was growing. He was building something.
He stood, stretched, and went to the stream. Mist hung over the water like a ghost. And there, half-hidden between the rocks, was his trap.
This time, something was inside.
He bent down. Two small fish swam in frantic circles inside the woven branches. He reached in, hands steady, and lifted the trap. Water streamed out between the vines.
He'd done it.
He cleaned them quickly by the bank and carried them back to camp. As he worked, he realized he was humming—some old song from home, something he hadn't thought of in years.
The sound, so small in the quiet forest, reminded him. He hadn't heard another person's voice in days.
It was starting to feel loud.
He had fire. He had food. He had water. He could survive here.
But that wasn't enough anymore.
He looked east, toward the rising sun. Light cut through the trees in long golden blades.
Soon, he would follow it.
Not because the forest was unsafe.
But because staying in one place forever was its own kind of danger.
---
[Milestone Reached: Sustained Survival – One Week]
[New Ability Unlocked: Pathfinder's Sense]
You can now instinctively sense safe paths, fresh water sources, and potential shelter within a 1-kilometer radius. Your connection to this world is deepening.
---
Ren read the message, a new kind of quiet settling over him. "Time to go," he whispered.
He didn't pack up right away. But he knew what came next.
The shelter had been good to him.
Now it was time to see what else was out there.