Nathan ran as fast as he could, his breath ragged, sweat streaming down his temples. The heavy footsteps and vicious snorts of the boar kept getting closer… and closer.
"How the hell can an animal that big run this fast?!"
Meanwhile, his mind worked quickly, searching for a way out. And just as his gaze fell on something ahead—a large hole in the ground, hidden behind bushes and tree roots—a crazy idea flashed through his head.
"If I can jump over it and it falls in..."
No time to hesitate. Nathan leaned forward and poured the last of his strength into his legs.
No Physical Enhancement, no buffs, no system aid whatsoever—just pure willpower and adrenaline—Nathan jumped.
His body hovered in the air for a moment, just long enough for him to realize how insane this idea was.
"I must be out of my damn mind..."
But his feet landed on the ground on the other side of the hole. He stumbled and rolled twice before crashing into the trunk of a small tree. His knees ached, his back felt like it had been punched by a bear, but—
"I'm alive?"
THUUDDD!!
A loud crash from behind startled him.
Nathan turned, eyes wide.
The boar had fallen straight into the hole, slamming into the bottom with a thunderous impact. Branches and rocks flew up. The monster thrashed and struggled, but couldn't get out. The walls of the pit were too steep, too slick.
Nathan slowly got to his feet, still panting. He walked to the edge of the hole and peeked inside.
The boar glared back at him furiously, its eyes red and its breathing rough, but clearly… it wasn't going anywhere.
Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Hah. Got yourself trapped, huh…"
Then he picked up a small stick and tossed it at the boar's head.
"Stubborn pig."
The boar just growled loudly in response.
Nathan sat by the edge of the pit, holding his now-swollen knee. No notification from the system. No EXP. No level-up. Just exhaustion and soreness creeping through every inch of his body.
He lowered his head and sighed.
"...So this is what fighting for life with my own phisycal power. God, it sucks."
But before he could think of his next move—
[ DING ]
Nathan flinched. "Shit..."
A transparent window appeared in front of his face. The text was clear, written in an elegant but slightly annoying font—like someone being overly chill in the middle of chaos.
[ Tower Manager ]
Why so surprised? Weren't you just looking for me?
Nathan stared at the screen, then glanced at the boar still thrashing in the pit like a rhino stuck in a bathtub.
"I was looking for you when I had questions," he grumbled, leaning against the tree. "Now you show up after I almost died to that ugly-ass boar, you jerk."
[ Tower Manager ]
You didn't die, did you? So, it seems help wasn't necessary.
Nathan gave a tired grin. "I nearly lost a knee, if that counts."
His hand trembled as he touched his knee. The pain was sharp, and his body felt like it was about to collapse.
"My spine feels like it took a gorilla's uppercut…"
[ Tower Manager ]
Hmm. Very well, to improve the survival rate of soft humans like you, I'll add an 'Emotional First Aid Kit Package' to the system shop.
Nathan stared at the sky. "Your sarcasm… is truly breathtaking."
He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes. The boar in the hole was still growling, occasionally slamming against the dirt walls, but it couldn't escape. Safe—for now.
Suddenly, a new notification appeared, this time with a lighter tone.
[ Tower Manager ]
Well then, what are you waiting for?
Nathan opened one eye. "...Huh?"
[ Tower Manager ]
The boar can't run anymore. Why don't you finish it off?
Nathan blinked. He looked at the pit, then back at the window. "Seriously?"
[ Tower Manager ]
Seriously. You want to level up, don't you? Or would you rather sit there and write poetry about how hard life is?
Nathan glanced at the boar again, then at his own hand. His hand trembled. His body was drained. His mind screamed for rest.
With a scrunched-up face and ragged breath, Nathan slowly stood up. He looked around, searching for something to use as a weapon.
"Kill it with what? A motivational speech?" he muttered, limping around.
He kicked at leaves, lifted sticks, checked small rocks—all of them too flimsy or too light.
"Why can't a legendary sword just pop out of the ground? Like in anime."
[ Tower Manager ]
You're expecting too much from miracles. This is inside the tower, not a fairytale.
Nathan snorted. "This system didn't even bother giving a tutorial on how to kill a monster with bare hands."
[ Tower Manager ]
Because we assumed humans would use basic logic.
Nathan stopped and stared straight at the window. "Okay, basic logic. I'm up against a giant pig that, if I had tripped even once, could've turned my ribs into cracker dust. And now you want me to... use basic logic?"
[ Tower Manager ]
You could use a rock. A big one.
Nathan went silent for a few seconds. He scanned the area and spotted a melon-sized rock not far from where he stood. He stared at the rock, then at himself. Then back at the rock.
"...Am I really about to do this?"
He picked up the rock and slowly lifted it. Heavy, rough, and utterly unaesthetic.
[ Tower Manager ]
You look quite fitting now. Like… a caveman.
Nathan froze.
He let out a long, very long sigh, one that drowned out even the boar's snorts in the background with pure existential frustration.
"I wanted to be a badass Hunter," he muttered as he walked to the edge of the pit, rock in hand. "Wearing high-tech armor, wielding giant swords, firing energy blasts, pulling off cool moves, with a nickname that struck fear into all monsters…"
He looked at the boar, which still glared at him with pure hatred.
"But now... I'm a caveman trying to hunt dinner."
He raised the rock high.
"If someone records this, I'm definitely ending up in a lazy content creator's reaction video."
And with a yell that sounded far more dramatic than the outcome warranted—he hurled the rock at the Steelback Boar's head.
THUUDD!!
A loud smack echoed as the rock landed square between the boar's eyes.
The beast let out a brief roar, then its body went limp, head hitting the ground with a thud.
Nathan stood still, his body trembling from exhaustion.
[ DING ]
[ +20 EXP ]
[ +0.50 TP ]