The juvenile Forest Deer grazed, oblivious to Kael's scrutiny. The narrow game trail he'd spotted seemed the most promising avenue for an ambush. But how to drive the deer towards it without simply scaring it off into the dense forest? And how to ensure he could make a killing blow when it passed? His axe was for close quarters, and he doubted he could throw it with any accuracy or force.
His 'Keen Mind', still subtly amplified by the Sylphwing Quill, raced through possibilities. He needed a chokepoint, and a way to be there, ready, when the deer arrived.
He carefully backed away from the glade, circling wide to approach the game trail from a different angle, well out of the deer's sight and scent range. The trail was indeed narrow, flanked by a thick tangle of thorny bushes on one side and a steep, rocky outcrop on the other. If the deer came this way, it would have limited room to maneuver.
His plan began to form, audacious and risky. He would need to create a subtle disturbance on the far side of the glade, something to gently nudge the deer towards this trail without sending it into a full-blown panic. Then, he needed to be positioned on the rocky outcrop, above the trail, ready to strike downwards with his axe as it passed beneath.
It was a plan fraught with potential failures. His STR was still only 3 (4 with the Well-Fed buff), and dropping accurately onto a moving target from even a low height would be incredibly difficult and dangerous. If he missed, or if the deer bolted in the wrong direction, he'd have wasted precious time and energy.
But the potential reward – a large supply of venison, a durable hide, and a significant XP boost – was a powerful lure.
First, the setup. He spent nearly an hour carefully, quietly, piling some dead branches and loose stones on the far side of the glade, creating a crude, unstable barrier. His hope was that if he made a noise from the opposite direction, the deer would shy away from this new obstruction and naturally move towards the familiar game trail.
Then, the ambush point. The rocky outcrop was only about six feet above the trail at its lowest point. Climbing it with his low STR was a struggle, but he managed, scraping his knees and hands in the process. He found a relatively stable perch, partially concealed by a stunted bush, directly overlooking the narrowest part of the trail. He tested his footing, his axe held ready. The drop was short, but if he landed awkwardly, he could easily injure himself.
Now for the riskiest part: startling the deer. He needed to get back to the opposite side of the glade without being detected, make a noise, and then race back to his ambush spot before the deer passed through. It seemed almost impossible.
Unless… he didn't have to race back.
He looked at his surroundings. The wind was blowing gently from his current position towards the glade. If he could create a delayed disturbance…
His eyes fell on a cluster of loose, round stones at the top of the outcrop. He carefully gathered a few. His plan solidified: he would throw these stones from his perch, aiming for the dense bushes on the far side of the glade, near where the deer was grazing. The sound of the stones crashing through the undergrowth should be enough to startle it, hopefully in the direction of his prepared trail and the subtle barrier he'd made.
It was a long shot, both literally and figuratively. His throwing arm was untested.
He took a deep breath, the Sylphwing Quill clutched in his non-throwing hand, trying to focus its subtle amplifying effect on his perception, his aim. He picked up a stone, estimated the distance and trajectory. The deer was still grazing peacefully.
He threw.
The stone arced through the air, a little wobbly, and landed with a rustle in the bushes, a few yards wide of his intended target. The deer's head snapped up, its ears swiveling. It looked nervous but didn't bolt.
Kael threw another stone, correcting his aim. This one landed closer, with a louder crash. The deer flinched, took a few skittish steps away from the sound, and looked around wildly. It was now angled more towards the game trail.
One more. He threw it with all his might, aiming for the base of a large tree near the deer. The stone struck the trunk with a solid thwack.
That did it. The deer leaped, startled, and galloped away from the sound. Kael held his breath. Would it choose the game trail? Or bolt into the open forest?
For a heart-stopping moment, it seemed to hesitate. Then, shying away from the crude barrier of branches Kael had erected, it veered towards the narrow game trail.
It was working!
Kael's heart hammered. The deer was moving fast. He gripped his stone axe, his knuckles white. He had only one chance. As the deer entered the narrowest part of the trail directly beneath him, he pushed off from the outcrop, aiming for its neck and shoulders.
The drop was jarring. He hit the deer with a solid thud, a tangle of boy and animal. His axe, guided more by luck and desperation than skill, struck the deer's neck, but it wasn't a clean blow. The deer thrashed wildly, letting out a pained cry, its hooves flailing dangerously close to Kael's head. He clung on, trying to drive the flint axe deeper, his low STR a severe handicap against the animal's panicked strength.
It felt like an eternity, a chaotic struggle of adrenaline and fear. Finally, with a last shudder, the deer collapsed.
Kael rolled clear, gasping for breath, his body bruised and scraped. His axe was still embedded in the deer's neck. He lay there for a moment, the coppery scent of blood filling his nostrils, his muscles screaming in protest.
[System Notification: You have successfully hunted 1x Forest Deer (Juvenile) (Level 2).]
[Critical Hit (Lucky Strike)! Damage Multiplied!]
[XP Gained: 60 / 150 for Level 3.]
[Current XP: 115 / 150 for Level 3.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Axe Proficiency (Rank F). Effect: Slightly increased damage and accuracy when wielding axes. Small chance to inflict bleeding on hit.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Stealth (Rank F). Effect: Slightly reduced noise made while moving. Slightly harder to detect when stationary or moving slowly in cover. (Unlocked due to successful stalking and ambush).]
Sixty XP. Two new skills. He was only 35 XP away from Level 3.
He had done it. He had hunted and killed prey larger and stronger than himself, not through brute force, but through planning, patience, and a desperate, risky maneuver.
But as he looked at the fallen deer, a profound wave of exhaustion, and a somber understanding of the price of meat in this wild world, washed over him. This was survival, raw and unforgiving.