Episode 5: Who Is This Guy?! / Episode 6: Cooking... OR SURVIVAL?!

Episode 5: Who Is This Guy?!

Kulastog lay on the ground, still shaking from his near-death experience.

The boar was down, thanks to the mysterious hunter standing above him on a tree branch.

The guy had long messy hair, a bored expression, and a sleek bow that looked way cooler than Kulastog’s.

"Hmph. You fight like an idiot," the hunter repeated.

Kulastog, still half-dead, raised a finger weakly.

"I… I don’t fight like an idiot. I fight like… a beginner idiot."

The hunter sighed.

"Same thing. If I didn’t shoot that boar, you’d be pig food by now."

Kulastog sat up, dusting himself off.

"Hey! I totally had it under control! I was just… testing its strength first."

The hunter blinked.

"By letting it throw you around like a ragdoll?"

Kulastog pouted.

"…It was a very effective test."

Meet The "Mentor" (?)

The hunter jumped down from the tree, walking toward the defeated boar.

"Anyway, I don’t have time to babysit some weakling. I’ll be taking this boar."

He grabbed his arrow and was about to pull it out of the boar’s body.

Kulastog’s survival instincts kicked in.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! I NEED THAT FOOD!"

He jumped onto the boar and hugged it like a lifeline.

"I almost died for this meat! You can’t just take it!"

The hunter raised an eyebrow.

"And? I actually killed it."

Kulastog pouted harder.

"Yeah, but I softened it up first!"

The hunter squinted.

"…By getting stomped into the ground?"

Kulastog nodded.

"Exactly! Teamwork!"

The hunter sighed, rubbing his temples.

"You’re really annoying."

Kulastog grinned.

"Thanks! So, what’s your name, Mr. Annoyed Hunter?"

The hunter groaned.

"It’s… Rei. Now get off the boar."

Kulastog gasped.

"Rei! That sounds like the name of a super strong, legendary warrior! You must be an elite hunter, right?"

Rei smirked.

"You could say that. I’ve been hunting monsters since I was a kid. Unlike you, I don’t get beaten up by wild pigs."

Kulastog clenched his fist.

"Then teach me!"

Rei frowned.

"…What?"

Kulastog’s eyes burned with determination.

"Teach me how to fight! Teach me how to be a real hunter!"

Rei stared at him for a long time.

Then he laughed. Hard.

"PFFFFT! AHAHAHAHA! YOU?! A HUNTER?!"

Kulastog crossed his arms.

"Hey! What’s so funny?!"

Rei wiped a tear from his eye.

"Dude. You just got your butt kicked by a boar."

Kulastog flinched.

"…Okay, yeah, but—"

Rei smirked.

"And you still want me to train you?"

Kulastog nodded aggressively.

"Yes! I’ll do whatever it takes!"

Rei sighed.

"Fine. But I have one condition."

Kulastog’s eyes sparkled.

"Anything! What is it?!"

Rei grinned.

"You have to carry this entire boar back to my cabin. Alone."

Kulastog blinked.

Then he looked at the giant, 300-pound boar.

Then back at Rei.

"…You’re kidding, right?"

Rei’s smirk widened.

"Nope. Have fun!"

Kulastog screamed internally.

Boar Delivery Service (A.K.A. Kulastog’s Suffering)

Kulastog grabbed the boar’s legs and tried to lift it.

Nothing happened.

"Ugh… maybe if I use my legs—"

He squatted deep and pulled with all his strength.

Still nothing.

Kulastog wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"Okay, okay… plan C."

He turned to Rei.

"Hey, what if we both—"

"Nope."

"I mean, technically, if you just grab the—"

"Nope."

"Okay, but hear me out, what if I carry the front legs and you just—"

"Nope."

"YOU HAVEN’T EVEN LET ME FINISH MY SENTENCE!"

Rei crossed his arms.

"Because I already know what you're gonna say. And the answer is still nope."

Kulastog groaned.

"Fine. I’ll do it myself. But just so you know, this is a very stupid training exercise."

Rei smirked.

"Oh, it’s not training. I just don’t wanna carry it."

Kulastog mentally exploded.

The Struggle Begins

Kulastog dragged the boar inch by inch, sweating buckets.

After five minutes, he looked back to see how far he had gone.

He had moved exactly two meters.

"This is impossible…"

He turned around and saw Rei casually walking beside him, eating a snack.

"WHERE DID YOU EVEN GET FOOD?!"

Rei took another bite.

"Oh, I packed some dried meat. Want some?"

Kulastog reached out desperately.

"YES PLEASE—"

Rei walked faster.

Kulastog gasped.

"YOU MONSTER!"

Rei shrugged.

"I don’t train weaklings for free. Move the boar, and I’ll consider feeding you."

Kulastog clenched his fist.

"This is emotional abuse."

Rei grinned.

"No, this is motivation."

Kulastog groaned but forced himself to keep pulling.

His arms screamed, his legs wobbled, and his stomach growled like an actual beast.

"I swear… I better get some EXP for this…"

After Three Hours of Suffering…

Kulastog finally reached Rei’s cabin.

He collapsed, face-first, onto the ground.

"I… did it…"

Rei casually stepped over him and opened the door.

"Cool. Now skin and cook it."

Kulastog screamed into the floor.

Skill Unlocked: ENDURANCE!

+5 Strength

+5 Pain Resistance

+50% Resistance to Unfair Training Methods

Kulastog raised his head weakly.

"This is the worst training of my life…"

Rei smirked.

"Congrats. It’s only gonna get worse."

Kulastog screamed internally.

Episode 6: Cooking... OR SURVIVAL?!

Kulastog lay on the ground, defeated, gasping for air.

He had just dragged a 300-pound boar across the forest for hours. His arms felt like wet noodles, his legs were barely attached to his body, and worst of all… HE WAS STARVING.

But instead of getting a reward, Rei smirked and said:

"Cool. Now skin and cook it."

Kulastog screamed into the floor.

First Time Cooking... WITH NO EXPERIENCE?!

After recovering from emotional damage, Kulastog finally stood up.

"Alright, Rei. Teach me how to cook!"

Rei raised an eyebrow.

"Teach you? No, no, no. You’re cooking. Alone."

Kulastog blinked.

"…You’re joking, right?"

Rei yawned.

"Nope. Have fun."

Kulastog’s soul left his body.

Step 1: Skinning the Boar

Kulastog stared at the massive boar.

"Alright… so, how do you skin a boar?"

He poked it.

Nothing happened.

"Hmm… Maybe if I just…"

He grabbed the boar’s fur and pulled.

Nothing happened.

"Uh… okay, what if I—"

Rei, sitting on a log, eating more dried meat, spoke up.

"You’re supposed to use a knife, genius."

Kulastog blinked.

"OHHHHH. That makes sense!"

Rei sighed.

"I’m scared for your future."

Step 2: Cutting the Meat

Kulastog held the knife awkwardly and started cutting.

Five minutes later…

The meat looked like it lost a battle.

"Uhhh… it’s supposed to look like this, right?"

Rei took one look at it and burst out laughing.

"WHAT IS THAT?! A MONSTER?! HAHAHA!"

Kulastog pouted.

"HEY! Meat is meat! As long as it’s edible, who cares how it looks?"

Rei smirked.

"Oh yeah? Then eat it raw."

Kulastog froze.

"…Okay, let’s cook it first."

Step 3: FIRE!!

Kulastog stacked some wood and grabbed two rocks.

"Alright, just rub these together and…"

Thirty minutes later…

"…WHY ISN’T IT WORKING?!"

Rei casually walked over, grabbed a flint stone, and struck it once.

WHOOSH! Fire.

Kulastog stared at the flames in betrayal.

"…You knew I was doing it wrong this whole time, didn’t you?"

Rei smirked.

"Yep."

Kulastog’s soul left his body again.

Step 4: ACTUALLY COOKING IT

Kulastog threw the meat onto a stick and held it over the fire.

"This is it! A delicious meal made with my own hands!"

Five minutes later…

"Okay, it should be ready—"

BZZT.

Kulastog froze.

A fly landed on the meat… and instantly died.

Rei squinted.

"Uhhh… why did that bug just drop dead?"

Kulastog frowned.

"…Maybe it's just a weak fly?"

Then suddenly—

The wood under the meat MELTED.

Kulastog: "..."

Rei: "..."

Rei took a deep breath.

"…DID YOU JUST MAKE POISON MEAT?!"

Kulastog panicked.

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! MAYBE IT JUST LOOKS WEIRD—"

A bird swooped down, grabbed a piece, flew away…

…then instantly crashed into a tree.

Kulastog: "..."

Rei: "..."

Rei took a step back.

"Bro… WHAT DID YOU PUT IN THAT?!"

Kulastog sweat bullets.

"Nothing!! Just meat and fire!!"

Rei rubbed his temples.

"You are actually a danger to humanity."

Step 5: Kulastog’s First Meal…

Kulastog stared at the meat.

"…I worked hard on this. I have to eat it."

Rei took out some dried meat.

"Good luck, bro. I value my life."

Kulastog took a deep breath… and took a bite.

Silence.

Rei stared at him.

"Well? How is it?"

Kulastog’s eyes widened.

"…Wait. It’s actually… kinda GOOD?"

Rei blinked.

"Huh? Are you serious?"

Kulastog nodded.

"Yeah! It’s weirdly tasty! Like… the flavor is INTENSE!"

Rei hesitated… then grabbed a small piece and took a bite.

BOOM.

Rei’s eyes widened.

"HOLY— IT’S SPICY BUT DELICIOUS!!"

Kulastog gasped.

"Wait… did I just invent SUPER SPICY BOAR MEAT?!"

Rei nodded.

"Bro, this is FIRE!!"

Kulastog teared up.

"I DID IT. I MADE SOMETHING EDIBLE!!!"

DING!

-SKILL UNLOCKED: COOKING!-

+5 Cooking Skill

+10 Resistance to Food Poisoning

+50% Chance to Accidentally Make New Recipes

LEVEL UP!

Kulastog has reached Level 10!

+5 Strength

+5 Endurance

+3 Intelligence (Finally)

New Skill: Cooking Unlocked!

Rei’s Final Thoughts

Rei leaned back, impressed.

"Okay… maybe you’re not completely useless."

Kulastog jumped in excitement.

"HA! SEE?! I’M GETTING STRONGER!"

Then suddenly—

BOOM!

The entire cooking pit exploded.

Rei and Kulastog dodged the flying fireball.

Rei stared in horror.

"Bro… HOW THE HELL DID YOU MAKE AN EXPLOSIVE MEAL?!"

Kulastog screamed.

"I DON’T KNOW!!"

The forest animals ran for their lives.

Rei shook his head.

"…This is gonna be a long journey."

Kulastog just cried.

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