Chapter 10: The Village Holds its Breath
The air in Oakhaven crackled with a nervous energy Ren hadn't felt before. Old Man Hemlock's grim pronouncement about Direfang Wolves and Shadowscale Creepers had spread through the small community like wildfire. Doors were latched earlier, children were kept closer to home, and the usual evening chatter by the communal fire was replaced by hushed, worried conversations.
Ren found himself an unwilling center of attention for a brief period. After Hemlock had alerted the other de facto village leaders – Martha, who managed resources and was a formidable presence; Silas, the oldest and most experienced hunter among them; and Elder Maeve, whose knowledge of herbs and poultices was unmatched – they had summoned Ren.
They met in the communal hall, a large, smoky room usually reserved for seasonal feasts or when a rare traveling merchant passed through. Ren, standing before the four seated elders, felt very small, despite his recent level-up to 4. He recounted his findings again, his voice steady as he described the tracks, the kill site, and the samples he'd brought back. He presented the coarse fur and the black scale, which Silas examined with a grim expression.
"Direfang, no doubt," Silas confirmed, his voice raspy with age and countless hunts. He was a wiry man, his face a roadmap of wrinkles, but his eyes were still sharp. "And this scale… Hemlock's right. Shadowscale. A foul pairing. They haven't troubled Oakhaven in my father's time, nor mine. Something has pushed them from the deeper wilds."
Martha, ever practical, drummed her fingers on the rough-hewn table. "So, what's to be done? Our palisade is sturdy enough against common forest beasts, but a determined Direfang pack…" She left the sentence unfinished, but the implication hung heavy in the air.
"We reinforce it," Hemlock stated. "Sharpen every stake. Double the watch at night. Silas, your hunters will need to set more traps, further out, but closer to our known pathways. We need early warnings."
"And the children?" Maeve asked, her gaze soft but worried as it rested on Ren. "They must be kept within the palisade at all times. No foraging trips alone, no playing by the river."
Ren listened, his [Tracker's Gaze Lv. 1] idly noting the way Silas's eyes kept darting towards the forest edge visible through the hall's open doorway, the tension in Martha's shoulders. He knew their preparations, while sensible, were likely insufficient against creatures that bordered on 'magical beast' territory. His knowledge of HxH, of Nen-wielders who could topple giants, made these mundane defenses feel terrifyingly fragile.
"Ren," Silas said, turning to him. "You have a good eye, boy, and a steady nerve. You'll stay within the village for now, but keep those sharp eyes open. Report anything unusual, no matter how small."
"Yes, Elder Silas," Ren replied. He was dismissed, the weight of their adult fears settling onto his young shoulders. He was Level 4, with a spear and a crude buckler. Against a pack of Direfang Wolves and venomous Shadowscale Creepers, he was, as the system had so kindly pointed out, "Novice - Fodder."
The next few days were a hive of activity in Oakhaven. Men worked to strengthen the log palisade, adding new sharpened stakes and reinforcing weak points. Women gathered extra firewood and preserved what food they could. The usual sounds of children playing were muted, replaced by an anxious quiet. Ren helped where he could, using his [Basic Woodworking Lv. 2] to help shape new stakes or repair a section of wooden walkway. The tasks earned him small amounts of EXP and appreciative nods, but his mind was elsewhere.
His training became almost frenzied. He pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion daily. His spear and shield drills against the ironwood dummy were relentless, each strike fueled by a desperate urgency. He had to get stronger. He had to find a way to unlock his aura.
[Spear Proficiency (Basic) Lv. 3 (EXP: 90/300). Your attacks are faster, your form more solid. You're starting to anticipate the 'dummy's' non-existent counters.]
[Shield Proficiency (Basic) Lv. 1 (EXP: 65/100). Your blocks are becoming more instinctive. You've managed not to trip over your shield today.]
His physical conditioning was even more brutal. He added more repetitions, shortened his rest times, ignoring the screaming protests of his muscles. He focused on the image of the Direfang, the glint of the Shadowscale, and pushed harder.
[STR: 10 -> 11. Your muscles ache with a deep, abiding hatred for your training regimen. But they are growing.]
[VIT: 18 -> 19. Your resilience is impressive. Or perhaps you're just too stubborn to collapse.]
[AGI: 14 -> 15. You're quicker on your feet. Useful for running away, or towards an early grave.]
The system's sarcasm was a constant, but Ren barely registered it. He was chasing something, a feeling, a breakthrough. He'd read enough stories in his past life, played enough games. Sometimes, pushing past your limits, enduring extreme hardship, or facing imminent danger was the catalyst for unlocking hidden potential. He was trying to force that catalyst.
One evening, after a particularly grueling session that had left him sprawled on his hut floor, gasping for air, his HP and SP critically low despite his increased Vitality, a new notification shimmered into existence, different from the usual skill updates.
[System Alert: Extreme physical and mental duress detected. User operating at peak sustainable output for current biological parameters.]
[Analyzing… User's focused intent on 'Power Beyond the Mundane' and 'Aura Awakening' has reached critical threshold.]
[New Main Quest Line Initiated: The Spark Within]
Objective 1: Achieve a state of True Meditation (Uninterrupted focus, body at rest, mind clear of distraction) for 30 consecutive minutes.
Objective 2: Attune to your body's natural life energy flow during True Meditation.
Objective 3: Perceive your Aura Nodes (even if only faintly).
Rewards: +250 EXP, [Skill: Meditation Lv. 1], [Skill: Aura Sensing (Rudimentary) Lv. 0], Unlocking of AP (Aura Points) Bar.
System Note: This is the first step on a very long path. Patience and discipline are paramount. Failure to maintain focus will reset meditation timer.]
Ren's breath caught in his throat. This was it. This was the beginning of the path to Nen. The system wasn't just going to hand it to him; it was going to make him earn it, to understand it from the ground up. True Meditation. Aura Nodes. This was far more intricate than just having someone forcibly open his pores.
Fear and elation warred within him. The quest was daunting. Thirty minutes of uninterrupted focus for a ten-year-old (even one with an adult mind) was a monumental task, especially with the threat of giant wolves and venomous lizards looming.
That night, Oakhaven's fragile peace was shattered.
Ren was attempting his first session of True Meditation. He sat cross-legged on his floor, eyes closed, trying to follow the system's vague instructions to "clear his mind." It was incredibly difficult. Every creak of his hut, every distant night sound, every throb of his still-aching muscles was a distraction. His meditation timer had reset seven times already.
Then came the sound that made his blood freeze: a long, mournful howl, closer than any wolf howl he'd ever heard from Oakhaven. It was deep, resonant, filled with a chilling hunger. It was answered by another, then another, from different points around the village perimeter.
Direfang Wolves.
Shouts erupted from the village. Men's voices, sharp with alarm. The clang of a pot lid being used as a makeshift alarm bell.
Ren scrambled to his feet, his meditation attempt forgotten. He grabbed his spear and buckler, his heart pounding. He peered through a crack in his shutter. Torches were flaring to life around the palisade. He could see figures moving, hear the panicked bleating of tethered goats.
Then, a series of sharp, reptilian hisses, followed by a man's scream of pain, quickly cut off.
Shadowscale Creepers. They were attacking. Together.
His system interface flashed with a crimson alert.
[WARNING! Village Under Attack! Threat Level: HIGH!]
[Ambient 'Danger Level' for Oakhaven has spiked to 85%!]
[New Urgent Quest: Defend Oakhaven (Phase 1)]
Objective: Survive the initial assault.
Sub-Objective (Optional): Assist in repelling at least one attacker from breaching the palisade near your sector.
Rewards (for survival): +200 EXP, +1 Stat Point.
Rewards (for sub-objective): Additional +150 EXP, [Combat Acumen (Minor)] - temporary boost to reaction time in current engagement.
System Note: Your survival is paramount. Do not engage recklessly. Your [Old Carving Knife (Steel, Worn, Dull)] is ineffective against these threats. Your spear and buckler are your best chance.]
Ren's hands were clammy on his spear shaft. This was no drill. This was real. The creatures he'd warned them about were here. His training, his levels, his meager skills – they were about to be tested in the crucible.
He looked at the [The Spark Within] quest, its objectives seeming almost serene compared to the chaos erupting outside. The path to Nen was clear, but first, he had to live through the night. And Oakhaven had to survive with him.