Without any calendar, James couldn't really tell when late autumn ended and winter began. He only felt it day by day—the air getting colder, the ground harder, the wind sharper. Even his body reacted to it. He was sleeping more now, sometimes fifteen or sixteen hours a day, only waking up properly in the evening when Mom and Dad took them out. "This body is turning into a lazy sleeper… like a house cat " he muttered once, stretching lazily before heading out.
Then one day, everything changed.
Snow.
It came quietly at first, then all at once. The entire world turned white overnight. The mountains, the forest, the ground—everything was covered. Snowflakes drifted down endlessly, soft and light, piling up into thick layers that swallowed sound and movement. The entire landscape looked different, almost unreal. Even James stopped for a moment just to look around. "…this scene is actually nice ."
Zack and Zoe completely lost it.
Zack immediately tried to eat the snow. Of course.
"…You're really going to eat that, huh?" James shakes his head in disappointment at his brother usual antics.
Zoe had her own idea. She rolled around in it, rubbing her body against the snow like she had just discovered the best cleaning method in existence.
James couldn't help it either. He ran across the snow, leaving clear paw prints behind, watching them stretch out in a straight line. It felt… oddly satisfying.
Mom and Dad, on the other hand, didn't care much. They had seen this many times. If they weren't hunting, they stayed in the cave and rested. No hibernation. Just the same routine—eat, sleep, survive.
But winter wasn't easy.
Food became harder to find. Snow covered tracks. Many animals moved south. Hunting took more effort, more patience, and more luck.
"…So this is where things actually get difficult," James thought.
A few days later, the weather eased slightly.
The sky cleared, and for once, the cold wasn't biting as hard.
That morning, Mom and Dad left early with Zack and Zoe to hunt.
James stayed behind.
He stood on a slope, wind brushing through his fur as he looked out over the snow-covered forest. Quiet Empty.
"… It's time."
He had already made the decision.
Hunt alone.
He had told them the day before. Mom and Dad clearly didn't like it. To them, he was still just a cub. But he didn't back down.
Hunting with them was easy. Too easy.
Most of the time, he just helped while they did the real work.
"…That's not enough for me."
If he wanted to get stronger, he needed his own hunt , mistakes and wins.
In the end, they allowed it.
So now—
He was on his own.
James moved through the forest slowly, keeping within familiar territory. He wasn't stupid enough to wander too far yet. Every step was controlled, ears alert, nose picking up every scent.
After a while, he opened his system panel.
---
[Status Panel]
Host: James
Species: Smilodon (Male)
Age: 8 Months
Strength: 50 (+)
Agility: 42 (+)
Endurance: 47 (+)
Gene Points: 250
Fused Genes: None
---
"…250 already."
He had been saving most of it recently, only increasing his stats a little.
"Alright… let's finish this today."
A small goal.
300.
"No going back until I hit it."
He exhaled slowly and kept moving.
Then—
"hou… hou…"
A strange sound.
James froze.
"…Snoring?"
His eyes narrowed instantly. He lowered his body and moved forward carefully, pushing through bushes without making a sound.
A few steps later—
He saw it.
A large, ugly head sticking out of a hollow tree.
"…What the hell is that?"
The thing was huge. Thick body, rough skin, fat head.
Then—
"Hum!"
The ears twitched.
Its eyes snapped open.
The snoring stopped instantly.
" looks like I've been spotted."
The creature burst out of the hollow tree, landing heavily on the ground.
James didn't move.
He watched it carefully.
"…That's not a normal boar."
He quickly checked through the system.
Flat-headed peccary.
Bigger and Meaner.
"…Great what a luck. First solo hunt and I find this out of all animals."
The thing was over a meter tall at the shoulder and easily a few hundred kilos.
It's not a weak prey.
The peccary stared straight at him, small eyes locked in.
Then it bared its teeth.
"Hum!"
A clear warning.
Or maybe—
A challenge?
James didn't move either.
"…Alright."
He lowered his body slightly.
"Let's see what you've got Ugly boar."