Squad Seven

Week 1, Day 1 — Evening.

What hunter? I used to spend all my time locked in my room; I don't even have a single kilo of muscle on me. Can't she see I look like a stick? Calm down, Aleks. Maybe you misheard.

"Excuse me, could you repeat that?" I asked Lydia, my voice trembling slightly.

"Yeah, I think I misheard too," said her assistant beside her, her face just as confused as mine. Some people would take that as an insult—that she thought I was too weak, that she underestimated me. But she was right—completely right.

"Why are you both looking at me like that?" Lydia said, glancing back and forth between us.

"Well, based on his answers, I expected him to be better suited for kitchen duty," the assistant said. YES! My eyes lit up—maybe I'd still get close to that delicious meat.

"Haha, no way I'm wasting this eager young man in the kitchen," Lydia grinned, giving me a thumbs-up, looking far too cheerful for someone assigning people's survival jobs. She's completely out of her mind.

"So, little man! We're short on time and need to move on. Go to Basha—she's the head of the hunting units. She'll tell you what to do."

"Alright, where can I find this Basha?" I asked.

"I like your ambition, young man," Lydia laughed. "Hey, Elena—take the boy to the hunter squad."

Damn it. I actually wanted to wait outside for the others. Elena, the assistant, was already heading for the exit, while Lydia stretched like she was in some relaxed office meeting instead of the most important tent in the world.

I let out a deep breath. It felt like I'd just exhaled every ounce of pressure that had built up inside my chest.

Shit, I'm proud of myself. I just talked to a woman like her without completely freezing up. I even managed a few seconds of eye contact. A single tear rolled down my cheek.

"You planning to stand there all day or are you coming with me?" Elena called from the doorway, arms crossed, patience clearly gone.

I must've been lost in thought.
"Sorry, I'm coming." I nodded toward Lydia. "Goodbye, Mrs. Reyes. Have a nice day."

"Goodbye," she waved, grinning. "You'll handle that role just fine."

Yeah, sure.

Outside, warm light hit my face. Elena turned, her shoulder-length black curls swaying side to side, leaving behind that oddly sweet, almost artificial perfume that lingered longer than it should have. She wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black suit pants. I'd have guessed Latin American—but maybe I was just smelling my own stereotypes.

"Follow me," she said confidently, and I did—like a dog on a leash.

At the hut, the others were still standing in line.
"Hey, Aleks, you done?" Amina called from the front.

"Yeah," I said, already walking past.

"Where are you going?"

I pointed at Elena. "I have to follow her."

She glanced at Elena, then at me, and nodded. "Ah, okay!"

We moved deeper into the camp. Huts sprouted on both sides like crooked triangles of branches and leaves. Ahead, something that almost looked like a road was taking shape: two orcs were dumping buckets of fine gravel, stomping it flat with their wide feet. As soon as one bucket was empty, someone swapped it for a full one. Rhythm, repetition, cycle—like a heartbeat made of buckets. Behind them, two more orcs spread larger stones along the edges to keep everything in place. Through the gaps, I could see where the empty buckets went—back to the river.

"Hey, anything I should know before I join the hunting squad?" I tried some small talk.

No answer. Either she didn't hear me, or she had mastered the art of letting words bounce off her like rain.

That familiar discomfort crept in. Did I say something wrong? Should I have spoken louder? Clearer? Why did I even say anything? Why do I need small talk at all? Get a grip, Aleks.

The huts grew fewer, the noise faded, and the sound of rushing water took over. At the riverbank, people knelt, scooping sand into buckets with their hands. Among them were dwarves working on a wooden frame built from pale-green reeds. The river ran through bundles of pressed fibers, dripping into clay pots below. Water filters—primitive, but smart.

"Here." Elena stopped and pointed along the river. "That's where the hunting unit is."

I followed the direction of her hand.
Water, stones, willow trees—and nothing else.

"There's no one there," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"Yeah, they're probably out hunting. Go sit down and wait until they return." The smile she gave me was as real as plastic. "I have to report back to Lydia. I wish you a successful first day as a hunter. Goodbye."

"Thanks… goodbye," I muttered, mostly to myself.

I walked along the riverbank, not really sure what I was looking for, until I found a spot that looked like a "camp." A circular patch of ash, three logs arranged as benches, footprints pressed into the soft ground. I sat down. In front of me stretched the landscape—an endless ribbon of water, and beyond it, a dense green forest glowing faintly under the sunlight.

And honestly, since I'd arrived on this strange planet, I hadn't had a single moment truly alone with my thoughts.Alright, Aleks, what's the plan? Hunter squad. What do hunters do? Hunt animals. But… how? Bows? Spears? I can't use either.

I stood up again and began picking up sticks—long ones, half straight—to practice throwing them like spears. It was clear I was going to embarrass myself today since I had no idea what I was doing. But at least I wanted to make it less of a disaster.

Since coming to this fantasy world, I'd started to feel like a completely different person. Almost everyone here was starting from zero, so I actually blended in pretty well. And somehow, I had friends now—Cealith, Daisuke, Nikita, Amina, Carmen—people who looked at me like I could become something, even if I didn't believe it myself.

I was just inspecting the third stick when a shadow fell over me. I turned around.

A woman stood there, taller than me, one side of her head shaved, the other side covered in thick braids tied with leather straps. She wore a leather vest over a dark tunic, and at her hip hung a spear—not like the ones back on Earth, but a shaft of dark, fibrous wood with a flat, milky stone tip that looked almost wet, like it had never fully dried.

"You're new," she said.

"Uh… yeah."

"Name?"

"Aleks."

"Basha," she said, introducing herself. "I'm in charge of the hunters. Squad Seven is your team. Before we start, I'll explain the structure." She gestured upriver. "There are several squads. One through three take on the hardest jobs—long tracks, bigger prey, sometimes defense missions. Five and six rotate as needed. Seven is our entry squad. They handle scouting, light hunts, and support. We use it to test who's suited for what."

"Alright," I said. "To be honest, I've got no experience with hunting. But I learn fast and follow instructions well."

Yeah, better to tell her upfront that I have no clue what I'm doing.

"Good," Basha said shortly. "Then today you'll meet the people in your unit."

Four figures stepped out from the greenery near the riverbank.

"This is Ben," Basha said. The man was older, with a gray beard and calm eyes. "He learns the terrain fast and remembers paths precisely. If he says a trail is safe, it's safe."

Ben gave me a small nod. "Hello, Aleks."

"Rafi," Basha continued. The young man was lean, dark-haired, with a thin scar on his chin. "He doesn't talk much but pays attention to details. He often takes the lead."

Rafi spoke evenly. "Hey. If you don't understand something, say it right away. We fix problems before they happen."

"Mirae," Basha went on, motioning to a slim young woman with a small leather pouch on her belt filled with needles, thread, and hooks. "She can make something useful out of almost anything and handles small injuries. She doesn't like fighting, but she's reliable when it counts."

"Hi," Mirae said softly. "If your clothes tear or you cut your hands, please come to me right away. It gets worse faster than you think."

"And this is Jonas," Basha finished. A fit guy with bright eyes and a wide smile stepped forward. "He's enthusiastic and hardworking. Loves to argue but always does what's agreed in the end."

Jonas grinned. "Welcome to Squad Seven. We start at the bottom, but we don't stay there if we work hard."

I nodded. "Glad to be here."

Basha turned her gaze down the river. "It's too late for a hunt today. We'll spend the rest of the day preparing—checking gear, practicing hand signals, and going over a simple maneuver. Tomorrow, we move out."

"Where to?" Rafi asked.

"Northeast ridge," Basha said. "Flat ground, lots of hoof prints from smaller grazers. There were sightings of hornrunners, possibly young ones too. If we're lucky, we'll bring back two."

Jonas pointed upriver. "Mind if I show something real quick?" He motioned toward a group of animals on the far side of the meadow. They were much larger than horses, with two forward-curving horns and flat backs covered in short, coarse bristles. "Those are Grivars. If we could tame one of those, we'd have a solid mount. I want to try that someday."

Rafi let out a quiet snort. "Let's learn to hunt first, then talk about taming."

I raised a hand. "Hey, quick question—what exactly are Grivars?"

Basha glanced at me. "This planet has different species than Earth. We had to come up with new names for them—ones agreed on with the other humanoid races."

Ben added, "Grivars are basically horses, just bigger, stronger, and with two horns."

"Got it, thanks," I said.

Ben nodded toward the meadow. "Look over there, where Jonas was pointing. How many Grivars do you see?"

I squinted. "Eight. Five large, three small. Two of the big ones have dull patches on their right flanks. The smaller ones don't have visible back stripes."

Ben smiled. "Good observation. Remember details like that. They help us decide whether to approach or stay back."

Basha looked at me with approval. "Good first impression, kid."

Mirae unclipped a small pouch from her belt and handed me another one just like it, only smaller. "Here. Inside are needles, thread, two hooks, and three wooden wedges. Keep it on your belt. If something tears or gets loose, fix it right away—but still tell me afterward, okay?"

"Thanks," I said.

"Gear check," Basha continued. "We're using spears today—no bows. For you, Aleks, a light shaft. Ben will show you grip, stance, and basic thrusts. We also use ropes, hooks, and simple snares. Rafi will go over hand signals with you. Jonas cuts rods, Mirae checks the knots."

"Understood," I said.

Ben adjusted a spear for me. "Hands farther apart. Front hand leads, back hand steadies. Feet shoulder-width. Move the tip only as far as you can control it. We don't need big moves—just clean ones."

We practiced at a steady pace.
Rafi went through the hand signs with me afterward—stop, down, left, right, quiet, retreat, split, regroup. No showing off, no unnecessary movements, just clear signals.

During a short break, Jonas pointed back at the Grivars again. "I mean it. If we pull that off, everything here changes. Transport, patrols—everything gets easier."

Mirae raised her hand. "Please, only after we've got proper hunting routines. We don't even know how those creatures react. Trying to tame them could be dangerous. Not a criticism, just saying."

"Yeah, alright," Jonas muttered. "I'll stick to the plan."

Basha came back over to us. "Aleks, Lydia asked me to give you this message. Two of your friends are also in the hunting division. Your elf friend—I saw him in the third division. But your friend Nikita… everyone's talking about him. He's been assigned to the first division. Daisuke, Amina, and Carmen aren't hunters—they were placed in other sectors. You'll stay here with Squad Seven. We focus on realistic goals and improve step by step."

Why the hell were they assigned to higher divisions already? Do I really look that weak?

I nodded. "Thanks for telling me."

"One more thing," Basha said. "I tell every newcomer this: out there, we talk little and clearly. Ask questions directly. If I say 'down,' you go down. No exceptions. Everyone is responsible for the whole group."

"Understood," I said.

She looked around at all of us. "Plan for today: gather materials, harden spear tips, check cords, review hand signs, short patrol by the forest edge, then return. We hand over everything to the kitchen tonight. Tomorrow, we hunt."

"How early?" Rafi asked.

"At first light," Basha replied. Then her eyes landed on me again. "Tomorrow's your first hunt. There's no separate training beforehand. We need protein, and our supplies are running low. We'll move carefully, but we're going."

My mouth went dry. I nodded. "Got it."

"Good," Basha said. "Then let's begin."

Ben handed me my spear back. Jonas gathered the next bundle of rods from the ground. Mirae tightened her strings until the knots held firm. Rafi took the lead, checking the path along the riverbank. We started moving.

Tomorrow would be my first hunt. Hopefully, it wouldn't turn into a disaster.