He woke up with a crushing pain in his head, as if his eyes were about to burst from their sockets.
These were Karo's memories; sleep had charged him somehow, and now Karo's past, knowledge, and experiences surged into him like a river flooding its banks.
Memories he had never lived, women he had never touched, and places he had never walked all rushed into his skull and tried to fuse with him.
Faces he did not recognize flashed before his eyes, sounds echoed in his ears, and he felt the touch of hands that were not his lips he had never kissed; it all swirled together until he felt he might lose himself.
It was exhausting and overwhelming, but he knew it would help him survive.
After what felt like endless waves, the pressure faded.
Slowly, he understood: his quick adaptation to this world was not just his strength, it was Karo's guidance.
Karo was with him, and that life was now woven into his.
The thought both steadied him and frightened him.
Now that his mind was clear, it was time to take the boar.
He gripped his spears, tied a cord of bark and fibers around his waist, and headed toward the water.
Each step pressed deep into the earth, his body heavier but steadier than before.
His heart pounded like a drum, each beat echoing in his chest as he crouched low, slowing his breath until it came in measured bursts.
The silence of the morning wrapped around him, broken only by the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of unseen birds.
And there it was, the boar.
Massive, thick-shouldered boar, drinking at the water's edge.
The sound of its snorting rattled the surface of the pool, sending ripples outward as though the earth itself trembled at its presence.
The sight of that hulking body made him feel a surge of power within his own; his legs tensed, his shoulders coiled, and his new body radiated strength.
He crouched deeper, the wind brushing his skin like a cloak of silence.
His lips curled in determination.
He took the first spear, every muscle in his arm stretching taut like a bowstring.
His fingers tightened around the shaft, the rough wood biting into his skin.
He threw with all the force in him.
The weapon sliced the air and buried itself deep in the beast's neck.
A violent cry shook the air, low and guttural, echoing through the trees.
The sound made the ground beneath him seem alive.
But the monster did not fall.
Its body swayed, its eyes flared with rage, and panic stirred in him; it was stronger than he had imagined.
It turned toward him, foam and blood spilling from its jaws.
His throat tightened, but he refused to back down.
He seized another spear.
His body drew tight again, chest and arms working in unison, and he hurled it with everything he had.
The beast lurched, dodging with brutal speed; the spear grazed its thick hide and clattered to the ground, useless.
His heart raced, and sweat stung his eyes, dripping into his mouth with the taste of salt and iron.
It was powerful, but he refused to give in.
He snapped a branch across his knee, splitting it into a jagged edge that felt like a crude axe.
The sound of the wood cracking seemed to shake the air.
With a grunt, he flung it to the side, stealing the creature's attention for a heartbeat.
Its eyes darted, nostrils flaring.
That was all he needed.
He surged forward, every muscle burning, and drove the broken spear shaft into the opposite side of its throat.
The impact jolted through his arms.
A crunch, like fibers tearing, bones cracking.
Hot blood sprayed his arms, warm and metallic, coating his skin.
The boar screamed and thrashed, his tusks raking across his flesh.
A sharp sting cut into his arms, red lines forming, but he held on.
Pain seared, but adrenaline carried him, filling his veins with fire.
The beast staggered, foam mixing with its blood, its eyes rolling back.
His breath came in ragged bursts, his body trembling with exertion.
With a final heave, the animal collapsed at his feet, earth trembling beneath its weight.
He stood above it, chest heaving, covered in blood.
The metallic tang filled his nose, heavy and sharp, mixing with the musk of the beast.
His legs trembled, but he remained standing.
Victory was his, carved with blood and willpower.
[+90 XP]
Strength +3
Endurance +1
New Skill Unlocked: [Butchering Lv.1]
He dragged the carcass, binding it with the cord at his waist.
Each tug strained his arms, sweat dripping from his forehead, but pride flared in his chest.
The body was his, the victory was his.
Then, movement in the brush.
His eyes snapped up.
Two women stood there, half-hidden by leaves, watching.
They were naked, like him, but their presence was unlike anything he had expected.
Their skin glowed with the light, their hair was tangled but wild, and their eyes were wide and unblinking.
They were beautiful in a raw, untamed way, more alluring than anything from his old world.
Their gazes locked with his.
Fear and fascination warred in their eyes.
They did not approach, but they did not turn away either.
For a heartbeat, he felt their eyes strip him bare even more than his nakedness already did.
Desire stirred in him, sharp and urgent.
He imagined them trembling, yielding, their breaths mixing with his.
The thought burned like fire in his veins.
But not yet.
They stepped back into the shadows, still staring.
Their attention clung to him as he turned away.
Not yet.
Soon.
He hauled the boar back to his cave.
At Ako's Haven, he severed its head and placed it as a trophy at the entrance, a warning to any who passed.
Flames roared to life as he struck a fire, sparks crackling into embers.
He skewered slabs of meat on his spearheads, holding them over the flames.
The fat dripped into the fire, sizzling and hissing, the smell rising thick and heavy into the night air.
His stomach growled, and his mouth watered as the aroma surrounded him.
He carved out the stomach with care, fingers steady despite the exhaustion.
The flesh resisted, slippery and stubborn, but he persisted.
He washed it, turned it inside out, and scraped and rinsed until it was clean.
He would shape it into a pouch, a vessel for water.
The act felt instinctive, like he had done it before.
Perhaps Karo had. Perhaps both of them.
The knowledge slid into place naturally, a whisper of memory guiding his hands.
[+40 XP]
Intelligence +1
New Skill Unlocked: [Primitive Crafting Lv.1]
He ate until he was full, meat hot and savory, juices running down his chin.
The fire painted shadows on the cave walls, the light flickering across his skin.
He leaned back, stomach heavy, but his mind restless.
The faces of the two women returned to him, their eyes lingering, their bodies etched into his imagination.
The thought tightened his chest and filled him with a hunger beyond food.
His new body throbbed with vitality, each muscle alive, each breath thick with desire.
Not only for survival.
For more.
For everything.
Night came, wrapping the land in silence.
The fire faded into embers, glowing faintly.
He placed his spears across the cave entrance like guardians, their sharp edges catching the dim light.
He stretched out inside Ako's Haven, the stone cool beneath him.
His chest rose and fell, exhaustion tugging at him, but inside, ambition smoldered hotter than ever.
There was one last thing he had to do before sleep overtook him.
He sat at the mouth of the cave, staring into the dying embers, feeling the weight of the day pressing down on his shoulders.
His mind drifted back to the hunt, to the struggle, to the moment the boar finally collapsed at his feet.
Every muscle in his body still ached from the effort; every cut on his arms stung with the memory of survival.
He let the fire's warmth fade across his skin and listened to the silence of the night, broken only by the distant calls of unseen creatures.
He leaned back against the stone, chest rising and falling heavily, exhaustion seeping into him with every breath.
It had been a brutal day, one that tested both strength and will.
Tomorrow would demand even more new challenges, new dangers, and perhaps new enemies.
His eyes grew heavy as he wondered what lay ahead, and he fell asleep with the thought that this world was only beginning to reveal itself to him.