Chapter 27: Chapter 27: The Bone Gauntlets
Krag broke his gaze from the carcass and pointed his thick finger at the snow-white kitten curled on Kellar’s shoulder.
"What about that thing?" said Krag. "Did you hunt that too?"
"No," said Kellar. "It just jumped onto my shoulder in the woods and refused to get down."
It wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either. Nobody else in the square paid the kitten any real attention. In the harsh northern wilderness, taming small forest animals was common among the tribes, and many hunters kept a beast or two as minor companions.
The elder of the clan, who was Tor’s grandfather, stepped forward onto the ceremonial stone platform. His ancient face was twisted in deep resentment, his eyes glaring at Kellar with malice. Krag ignored the old man’s glares, stepped up to the center table, and began reviewing the yields of the other participants before making the final announcement.
"The hunt is concluded!" shouted Krag. "The ultimate victory goes to Kellar and Mila!"
The crowd erupted into mixed cheers and bitter murmurs. Tor’s grandfather stepped up to hand over the rewards, his hands trembling with anger as he held a pair of masterfully crafted gauntlets. They were made from interlocking pieces of polished bone, reinforced with thick leather ties, looking durable and protective.
"A thin, pathetic weakling like you must have used underhanded tricks to steal this beast from a real hunter," said the elder, his voice dripping with venom as he handed them over. "You don’t deserve the blood of this tribe."
"Are you insinuating that I have favored this boy in some way, old man?" said Krag.
The giant instructor stepped between Kellar and the elder, his shadow engulfing the old leader. Krag’s hand rested on the hilt of his greatsword, his eyes cold as ice.
"If you have something to say about my judgment, we can easily resolve it right now in an ancient trial of combat, former hunt leader," said Krag.
The elder’s mouth slammed shut, his face turning an ugly shade of purple. He took a sharp step back intimidated by Krag’s overwhelming aura, while Kellar slipped the bone gauntlets onto his hands, feeling the massive surge of physical power settling deep into his knuckles.
*Ding!*
A clean, holographic screen projected itself directly before Kellar’s eyes, invisible to the glaring crowd around him.
[Main Quest Completed: The Castaway Champions]
[Objective: Complete the hunting quest in 1st place.]
[Rewards: +5 Strength, +5 Stamina, and +1 Technology Point.]
Below the success prompt, a glowing exclamation mark pulsed. Kellar mentally tapped the icon, prompting a detailed equipment status window to expand over his interface. The bone gauntlets he had just slipped onto his hands were highlighted in bright green.
[Red Bear Gauntlets]
[Description: Crafted from the dense skeletal structure and cured hide of a juvenile Red Bear. sturdy and designed to maximize impact force.]
[Attributes: +5 Strength, -2 Stamina]
Kellar flexed his fingers inside the rigid bone casing. The system-guided optimization was instant; he could feel a raw density settling into his forearms, even if the bulk of the armor restricted his fluid movement.
Kellar smiled as he reviewed his updated status screens.
[Host Status
Strength: 40 (25 + 10 + 5)
Stamina: 38 (20 + 20 - 2)
Intelligence: 45
Unused Tech Points: 1]
Noticing the -2 to his Stamina, Kellar slid the bone gauntlets off his hands. The interface updated his Stamina jumping back up to 40.
He slipped the gauntlets back on and frowned, wondering why his weapons didn’t seem to grant any active attribute points. He pulled out his ceremonial dagger, which was styled to match the gauntlets, crafted from the very same materials. The moment he held both items a new set of values flashed on his screen.
[Host Status
Strength: 37 (25 + 10 + 5 - 3)
Stamina: 48 (20 + 20 - 2 + 10)
Intelligence: 45
Unused Tech Points: 1]
Intrigued, Kellar opened the item description for the ceremonial blade.
[Red Bear’s Fang]
[Description: A ritual dagger carved from the primary canine of an adult Red Bear. Due to corrosion caused by the venom of a Black Pit Viper the wielder suffers a severe penalty while handling the weapon.]
[Attributes: -3 Strength, +10 Stamina]
Kellar stood in silence fascinated as he realized how the system calculated and balanced these gear attributes.
"You’re so distracted playing with your new toys that you’ve forgotten about your aunt?" said Maya.
Kellar snapped out of his thoughts as Maya walked up and pulled him into a tight, relieved hug.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was when I found out they were forcing all of you to stay out there through the freezing night?" said Maya. "Just look at the others. They look half-dead."
Maya wasn’t exaggerating. The rest of the young hunters were in terrible shape. They looked exhausted, paranoid, and jumpy. Without Kellar’s enhanced senses or a safe sanctuary, they had spent the entire night shivering in terror, waking up at every snapping twig and whispering wind fearing a lethal ambush. This test, far more than a physical challenge, had been a brutal filter for their mental fortitude.
"I’m fine, Aunt Maya," said Kellar. "Mila and I had everything under control."
Maya let go of him, her eyes scanning his body for wounds before landing on the tiny snow-white kitten sitting proudly on his shoulder. Her expression softened, a warm smile breaking through her worried face.
"And what is this beautiful little thing?" said Maya. "Did you find it in the woods?"
"It found me," said Kellar.
The kitten let out a soft, delicate meow, looking at Maya with wide, innocent eyes. To anyone else, it looked like a harmless, precious cub, but Kellar knew the terrifying power hidden behind that white fur.
Before Maya could reach out to touch it, Kellar stepped back, remembering the creature’s fierce jealousy.
"She’s a bit temperamental with strangers," said Kellar. "It’s best to let her get used to the village first."
Maya nodded in understanding, her attention shifting back to the massive Ring-Tailed Black Panther lying on the dirt. The rest of the tribe was still murmuring in hushed, astonished tones, staring at the beast that should have slaughtered any young hunter who crossed its path.
"You’ve done something incredible today, Kellar," said Maya, her voice filled with genuine pride. ""And who is this beautiful young woman?".
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