Donna's first instinct was to count the injured.
Only one.
Considering the circumstances, that was almost good news.
Her second was to assess the extent of the damage, and what she saw was anything but encouraging. Mark's leg was twisted and crushed below the knee.
"What happened?" Donna asked, her deep voice cutting through the murmurs beginning to form around them.
Before any of the men could put together a coherent answer, Kenny, who had just arrived, draped Mark's arm over his shoulders, replacing Paul, while another resident took the opposite side.
Donna instinctively glanced across the lawn, but Daniel's motorhome was nowhere in sight.
"Get him into the van. Quickly." She pointed toward the parked vehicle.
With Mark's weight finally off him, Paul rested his hands on his knees and took a deep breath.
"It was a bull," he began, swallowing hard. "The thing was furious. When it charged, Mark couldn't get out of the way in time and got trampled."
"Anyone else hurt?"
"No." He shook his head. "We managed to bring the animal down with the shotgun. It's still alive, but barely. Dale and the others are still out there waiting."
A pain-filled grunt drew everyone's attention.
Still being supported on his way to the van, Mark turned his sweat-covered face toward Daniel.
"This... this is your fault," he hissed through clenched teeth. "We only went into that damned forest because of the water."
The accusation hung in the air.
As if someone had lit a fuse, whispers immediately began spreading.
On the opposite side of the lawn, Dilan made no effort whatsoever to hide his smile. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned one shoulder against the side of the house, savoring the growing hostility around him.
Daniel didn't move.
Click.
The metallic click of a lighter cut through the whispers.
Click.
Only then did he raise his eyes to Mark.
"I don't remember holding a gun to anyone's head," Daniel replied, his voice perfectly even. "But if blaming me makes your leg hurt less, feel free."
The lawn fell silent.
No one had the courage to argue with the logic of that statement.
"Daniel, they're waiting for you."
Paul tried to ease the tension, worried that Daniel might change his mind and make the entire hunt pointless.
Daniel started down the steps.
Just as he was about to continue, he felt a gentle tug on the sleeve of his jacket.
"Be careful," Julie said softly.
"Always am."
He winked at her, a small gesture that softened his expression for a brief moment before he turned away and followed Paul.
The forest swallowed the last traces of daylight as they advanced.
A few minutes later, they reached their destination.
Dale was leaning against a tree with a double-barreled shotgun pressed against his chest.
The two men beside him looked ready to jump at the slightest sound coming from the woods.
"About damn time," Dale grumbled when they emerged from between the trees. The irritation in his voice couldn't quite hide the lingering adrenaline. "That thing almost got us killed."
Daniel ignored the complaint and walked into the small clearing.
The bull lay on its side atop the damp earth, breathing with difficulty.
It was enormous, its dark coat now stained red around the abdomen, where the shotgun blast had opened a fatal wound. Its curved horns looked capable of skewering a person without effort.
One of its front legs had been completely destroyed by a second shot.
"You got lucky that only Mark got hurt."
Dale grunted in agreement.
"How much water is this thing worth?"
Daniel crouched down to get a better look at the wounds.
Blood had already soaked the soil around the animal, forming a dark puddle. Its breathing was growing weaker by the second.
"I need to take a proper look before I can tell you anything."
Which was true. Just not for the reason Dale imagined.
The System was still updating. Without active communication, there was no way to check the value before killing it.
Improvising was the only option.
Daniel stepped several meters away and moved around a thick-trunked tree, leaving the group's line of sight.
He opened the shop. Thirty silver coins vanished from his balance.
When he returned, he was carrying a large canvas bag.
The men stared wide-eyed.
"Where the hell did that come from?" Dale pointed at the bag, completely baffled.
"I'm a prepared guy." Daniel shrugged. "Now stop asking stupid questions and help me set this up."
They exchanged suspicious looks, but no one argued.
A few minutes later, a camping tent completely covered the dying bull.
Daniel opened the shop once more. Another hundred coins disappeared.
A talisman appeared in his pocket.
He had no intention of risking being watched by the crows.
"Stay outside." Without waiting for a response, he unzipped the tent and stepped inside.
The entrance closed behind him. Dimness filled the interior.
Daniel hung the talisman from the tent's fiberglass frame.
The sound of the bull's ragged breathing echoed through the confined space.
Not for much longer.
Using the handheld console's screen as an improvised light source, he approached and put the animal out of its misery.
The next instant, he activated the mental command.
Dark mist burst forth from the tattoo on his forearm.
It wrapped around the colossal carcass and began devouring it.
Everything vanished within seconds.
[Reward: 3,000 silver coins. 7 attribute points. 10 skill points.]
The familiar voice did not return. The information simply surfaced in his mind.
He ran his tongue across his lips. The reward was absurd.
The amount of coins brought him much closer to the coveted five thousand, while the attribute points would increase his strength even further.
Outside, the atmosphere was tense.
"It's really weird how he made that tent appear out of nowhere. I can't believe he just happened to leave it behind that tree," one of the men muttered.
"I don't get why he set it up in the first place either," Paul replied. "And he wouldn't let anyone go inside."
"No idea," Dale admitted. "But we'll ask him when he comes out."
After storing the talisman and the handheld console in his Inventory, Daniel unzipped the tent.
"You can take it down."
They immediately began removing the poles and folding up the canvas.
When the fabric finally collapsed and revealed the ground beneath, the color drained from their faces.
There was no bull. Not even a drop of blood.
Only disturbed earth.
Dale unconsciously took a step back, his fingers tightening around the shotgun.
The other three remained frozen.
The human mind has limits when it comes to processing the impossible.
Watching a creature that large vanish without leaving behind a single trace was pushing those limits to the extreme.
Even so, they forced themselves to finish dismantling the tent.
"You guys did a great job, my friends." Daniel gave Dale a friendly pat on the shoulder.
The man nearly jumped as a chill ran down his spine.
"We... we're happy to help," he replied, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace of suffering.
Faced with all the strange things surrounding Daniel, not even the loaded shotgun in his hands provided any sense of security.
The others merely nodded, stiff as statues, their eyes begging for the conversation to end.
"Alright, let's head back. You just earned fifteen hundred liters of water from this hunt."
For a few seconds, the news completely overshadowed their fear.
Their eyes widened.
"You... you're serious?" Paul asked.
"Of course." Daniel nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I saw how much effort you put in. I'm not some heartless monster."
Dale and the others exchanged a quick look.
None of them believed that last part.
But nobody present possessed enough suicidal tendencies to question it.
They remained completely silent on the way back.
Daniel, meanwhile, strolled along the trail without a care in the world, quietly humming a tune while carrying the bag in one hand.
When they reached the area around Colony House, Julie was already waiting near the porch steps.
"So, how did it go?"
Her gaze swept over Daniel from head to toe, discreetly checking whether he had been injured.
"Everything went wonderfully."
He answered while watching, amused, as the men hurried away almost as fast as they could without looking desperate.
Julie followed the scene for a moment.
She didn't ask where the animal was. She assumed he had already stored it in his Inventory.
"That's good." She made a small face. "But even after what you said to Mark, people haven't stopped talking. They're still blaming you."
"And did you say anything?"
"That nobody forced anyone to go into the forest."
A smile appeared on Daniel's face.
"Word for word the same as me. Now that's intellectual compatibility."
She huffed, but the corner of her mouth curled upward before she could stop it.
Daniel waved a dismissive hand. "Let them say whatever they want. It's not worth wasting energy arguing."
He left Julie on the porch and walked toward the side of the sheriff's station, where he had parked the motorhome.
A short while later, he drove the vehicle over to Colony House.
Dale was already waiting for him.
Paul and the other hunters stood nearby with several plastic containers.
Daniel connected the hose to the tank and began filling them.
A hundred liters later, the problem became obvious.
Looking at the filled containers, Dale turned toward Paul.
"Go get more."
Paul glanced around with an awkward expression.
"There aren't any."
"What do you mean there aren't any?" Dale frowned.
"The others are being used to collect and store water from the Brundles. There aren't any empty ones left."
Dale rubbed his head forcefully, as if friction alone might produce a solution.
"Then..." He turned back to Daniel. "How do we get the rest?"
"You can come get it later." Daniel casually leaned against the cool metal frame.
The men exchanged glances. Their suspicion was almost visible.
Their fear was that Daniel might suddenly decide he didn't want to provide the remainder anymore, or worse, suddenly claim there was no water left.
"And how do we keep track of the amount?" one of the hunters asked cautiously. "So we know how much is left."
"I won't forget." Daniel pointed at his temple. "Photographic memory. But if that's not enough for your paranoia, write it down somewhere. Makes no difference to me."
The hunters nodded.
Paul found a piece of charcoal and quickly scribbled on the side of one of the containers: 1400.
The moment they lifted the filled containers, the group's posture changed almost instantly.
Their backs straightened. Their chins rose a little higher.
They returned to Colony House displaying a newfound confidence, drawing envious stares from the other residents.
Daniel watched the scene for several seconds.
It was impressive how human beings could turn one hundred liters of water into social status.
Shaking his head, he stepped into the motorhome and sat down on the couch.
It was time to distribute the rewards from the most profitable hunt since arriving in this town.
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