I blinked, still processing the flood of information. Beast Mastery? The idea sounded absurd — yet deep inside, something primal, something ancient, stirred and recognized it.
I could feel it now — the faint heartbeat of the forest, the rustling whispers of creatures hidden in the underbrush. It was subtle, like tuning into a frequency I hadn't even known existed. I could almost sense where the smaller animals were hiding, their wariness, their curiosity.
It wasn't full communication yet, but it was something more than simple awareness. It was a connection.
For a moment, I just stood there, letting the realisation sink in. The bow felt lighter in my grip. The air tasted richer. Even the earth beneath my feet seemed to pulse with hidden life.
I'm changing.
Not just physically, mentally, or spiritually.
The memories that had flooded into me earlier — flashes of a life not quite mine, of Eklavya the disciple who had given everything for mastery — they resonated differently now. Maybe I wasn't just living a new life. Maybe I was continuing a legacy. But this time, on my terms.
I wiped the blood off my arrow on the boar's hide and retrieved it carefully, not wanting to waste anything. I'd need supplies if I were going to survive — and more importantly, thrive — in this new world.
First, I had to prepare the boar. If my instincts were right, meat, hide, bone — everything would be useful.
I knelt, whispering a silent thanks to the fallen creature — a strange habit that felt natural, almost... sacred. Then I pulled out a small knife from my belt — I didn't remember picking it up, but somehow it was there, familiar, almost an extension of my will.
As I worked, the system chimed again:
[New Quest: First Hunt's Rite.]
• Objective: Properly field-dress your first kill and prepare it for use.
• Reward: Skill — Basic Survival Techniques (Lv.1).
• Bonus Objective: Utilize at least 90% of the beast's body. Bonus Reward: Hidden Trait Awakening Chance (???)
Quest rewards were tempting enough, but the second part caught my attention — Hidden Trait Awakening.
Hidden Traits sounded important. And the system seemed to reward thoroughness.
My hands moved with careful, practised motions I didn't remember learning, but my body knew. Every cut was precise. Every action efficient. Skinning, gutting, cleaning the meat — even sorting the usable bones and sinew.
It was messy, bloody work, but there was an odd satisfaction to it. Like I was forging something fundamental, something essential to who I was becoming.
By the time I finished, I had managed to salvage nearly everything — meat, hide, tendons, and even the tusks. Only the inedible organs and shattered bones were discarded respectfully into a shallow pit.
The system's voice rang out again, clear and proud:
[Quest Completed: First Hunt's Rite.]
[Reward: Basic Survival Techniques (Lv.1) acquired!]
[Bonus Objective Achieved: Hidden Trait Awakening triggered.]
[Hidden Trait Awakened — Feral Instinct.]
• Your senses sharpen in moments of danger. Reaction speed increases by 15% when facing predators or threats.
• Your survival instinct heightens, allowing you to better assess threats and escape routes in real-time.
I could feel it settle into me — Feral Instinct.It was like another layer of awareness peeled open. I could feel which direction the wind was shifting, sense the faintest vibrations in the ground.
I grinned.
This world wanted to test me?Good.I was ready to test it right back.
I gathered my supplies and slung the prepared hide and meat over my shoulder, It's time to go home.
With that, I scanned the surroundings for paths leading to the tribe.
A faint trail caught my eye — almost invisible to the untrained, but to me, it was clear as a river of footprints. Broken twigs, subtle disturbances in the underbrush, the pattern of animal trails — it all came together in my mind like pieces of a map.
The path home.
Or... whatever counted as home now.
I shifted the weight of the boar's hide and meat to balance it better, then set off, my steps light, confident. Every sense was alive, tuned to the forest around me. I wasn't just moving through the wilderness — I was part of it. The trees whispered overhead, the ground softened beneath my steps, and even the wary eyes of hidden creatures seemed to watch me with a sort of cautious respect.
As I moved, flashes of memory—or maybe instinct—told me about the tribe.Their faces blurred in my mind, but I felt the familiarity: rough hands, earnest eyes, bodies hardened by a life close to the land. Hunters, gatherers, warriors... survivors.
I belonged among them.
Or at least, I would soon enough.
After what felt like an hour of weaving through dense forest, the trees began to thin. Sunlight spilt more freely, dappling the ground with gold. I heard voices — distant, low, rising and falling like the hum of a living village. Smoke drifted upward beyond a hill, carrying the mouth-watering scent of roasting meat.
I crested the rise — and there it was.
A settlement, modest but sturdy, built around a shallow river. Huts made of wood, hide, and stone clustered together like a fortress against the wilds. Children darted between the buildings, their laughter light and free. Hunters sharpened spears and tended fires. Elder women sorted herbs and dried meat on racks.
This was the tribe.
My tribe.
Something inside me clicked into place, as if I had always belonged here, even if my memories said otherwise.
Before I could step forward, a shout rang out.
"Halt!"
A figure broke away from the nearest hut, striding toward me with a spear in hand. He was young — maybe a year or two older than me — with a lean, wiry frame and sharp, suspicious eyes. His hair was braided with feathers, and scars crisscrossed his arms like a warrior's tapestry.
"You're not supposed to be out alone, Yuvraj (Prince)!" he barked, using a title that felt... almost right. "Where have you been? Maharaj (King) was ready to send a search party!"
I opened my mouth to answer — but what could I say?'Hey, sorry, I just woke up with a magical system and killed a boar by instinct alone?'
Probably not the best first impression.
Instead, I tightened my grip on the boar's hide and meat, lifted it high, and grinned.
"I got dinner," I said simply.
For a moment, the warrior just stared. Then, slowly, a grin of his own spread across his face, wide and a little wild.
"By the ancestors... You did, didn't you?" he said, half in disbelief. "A boar, and you alone?"
The villagers nearby started to notice. Heads turned. Whispers rose like a gust of wind.
Before I knew it, a small crowd gathered — men, women, even children craning their necks to see. Their gazes flickered from the boar to me, back and forth, like they were trying to fit two impossible things together.
A laugh rang out from the crowd — a hearty, booming sound that filled the air with warmth. The young warrior's disbelief melted into pride, his chest puffing up with something between admiration and amusement.
"My son?!" the voice came again, and this time I recognised the owner — an older man with a broad chest and a commanding presence. He was tall, with greying hair tied back in a warrior's knot, and his arms were covered in tattoos that told stories of battles fought and won.
Hiranyadhanus.
The King of the Nishada tribe.
And my... father.
I stood there, frozen for a moment as the weight of his words hit me. My father?
The man who had just called out to me, the one with the presence that seemed to fill the air, took slow, deliberate steps toward me. His eyes were sharp and piercing, and his expression contained warmth of a father with pride, blustering out like an unspoken torrent of emotion.
He reached me, pausing just a few steps away, and then his gaze softened, as if contemplating something deeper. His eyes scanned the boar's remains, the meat and hide still slung over my shoulder, and then looked back at me—not with surprise, but with a kind of knowing.
"I see you're ready," he said, his voice low but carrying a weight of authority that made the crowd fall silent. "Ready to prove yourself. Your training will start from tomorrow, I personally will ensure it is the hardest you've ever faced. But know this, Yuvraj — there is no easy path to greatness, especially not among the Nishada."
He gestured to the crowd with a sweep of his hand, his voice rising for all to hear.
"Everyone, make way. The prince has returned — stronger than when he left. Tonight, we feast in his honour."
The crowd erupted into applause, their faces lighting up with excitement and approval. It was as if my return from the forest had validated something that had been left unspoken, something that had lingered in the air, waiting for me to claim it.
I stood tall, feeling a surge of pride well up inside me. The adrenaline from the hunt still thrummed in my veins, and the presence of the tribe, my tribe, filled me with a sense of belonging I hadn't realised I'd been seeking.
The man who had called me "son" — Hiranyadhanus, my father — slapped me on the back, nearly knocking the breath out of me with his strength. He looked at me, his eyes gleaming with pride.
"You've done well, boy. But remember, this is only the beginning. Tomorrow, you face the trial of the warriors. Prepare yourself."
I nodded, trying to match his gravity with my own resolve.
"Thank you, Maharaj," I said, the title feeling foreign yet oddly fitting. The word rolled off my tongue with a surprising ease, as if it had always been mine.
The crowd cheered again, and someone started the fires. The scent of roasting meat filled the air, mingling with the earthy smell of the forest. The villagers began to gather around, and before I knew it, a bowl of meat was thrust into my hands, along with a mug of something warm and fragrant. It wasn't wine or ale, but something herbal, with a hint of spice.
I took a bite, savouring the rich, smoky flavour, and for the first time since I woke up in this strange new life, I allowed myself to feel the weight of the moment.