Chapter 1 | Mountain Forest Morning Mist

The morning of the eighties always carried the scent of dampness and earth.

Chen Ye, carrying a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle, stepped out of the courtyard gate with steady steps. The gun body had long been wrapped with old cloth, protecting it from moisture and rust. His father, fifty years old, sat on the threshold smoking, his eyes deep and calm; his mother, forty-eight years old, was busy boiling water in the yard, and the cooking smoke gently drifted with the wind. Sixteen-year-old sister Chen Xue stood to the side, her eyes flashing with worry and curiosity.

"Brother, are you really going to Lao Jieling? There are many wild animals there, and many snakes," Chen Xue asked softly.

Chen Ye turned his head and smiled, "Don't worry, I'll only walk along the mountainside, not go deep." His tone was steady, carrying the composure that came from experience in the mountains and forests. His parents nodded silently, their eyes conveying trust and silent exhortation.

The sky was slightly bright, the mountain mist had not yet dispersed, and the damp air was mixed with the scent of earth and pine needles. Chen Ye walked on fallen leaves, his steps almost silent, as if merging with the forest.

Just as his foot landed, a low, solemn prompt sounded in his mind:

【Contract Space Activated】

【Current Contractor: Chen Ye】

【Space Capacity: 10 cubic meters】

【Skill Proficiency Acquisition Methods: Survival Behaviors, Resource Gathering, Risk Confrontation】

No light, no sound, as low-key as the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves. Chen Ye nodded and switched the shotgun to his hand. The shotgun had great close-range power, suitable for dealing with wild boars and roe deer in the mountains; the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle was a trump card; the pistol was at his waist for emergencies.

After walking for about half an hour, he found fresh hoof prints on the soil. Three adult wild boars, weighing at least a hundred catties each. Crouching down, he brushed aside the grass, his eyes calm and sharp.

"Not bad," he murmured to himself. Although the system did not directly prompt, he felt a potential power growing - storing resources, making accurate judgments, and reacting quickly.

At noon, a muffled shot from the shotgun brought down a wild boar weighing over a hundred catties. A flock of birds in the forest took flight, and the air was filled with the smell of blood. Chen Ye skillfully cleaned the prey, and with a wave of his hand, the whole wild boar disappeared into the contract space.

【Resource Gathering: Wild Boar × 1】

【Proficiency +3】

He was not greedy and turned to the river bend. The river water was clear, the sunlight reflected on the surface, and the stones were clearly visible. He cast a fishing line, sat on the bank, and his movements were steady and precise. Half an hour later, the float suddenly sank, and he pulled up the rod, and a carp of more than three catties jumped out of the water, flashing golden scales.

The system did not directly reward him, but Chen Ye could feel his judgment and feel for the fish were subtly increasing - precision, stability, and naturalness.

In the afternoon, the three brothers met at the river bend. Wang Hu was carrying a shotgun, and Zhao Yan was carrying a fishing basket. Seeing the full basket of fish, Zhao Yan exclaimed: "You're having such good luck today!"

Chen Ye smiled, "Just luck."

Wang Hu lowered his voice, his expression somewhat nervous, "Lately, things haven't been peaceful in the mountains. People from the black market are buying wild goods, and the prices are ridiculously high."

Chen Ye was silent. He understood that this mountain forest was not only a place to survive, but also a testing ground for strength. The system was quietly observing, and his space was quietly strengthening, and every hunt, every fishing trip, was an accumulation of proficiency.

He looked at the distant mountain shadows, and knew in his heart: the real hunt was only just beginning today. Resources, space, contracts, would gradually form his confidence.

In the evening, the sky darkened, and the cooking smoke in the village slowly rose. Chen Ye carried the prey on his shoulder, and the three brothers walked together on the mountain road back to the village. The wind blew, bringing the scent of pine needles, and also bringing a vague tension - the black market, the forest, the contract system, all the changes were brewing.

Sister Chen Xue stood at the courtyard gate, seeing them returning from afar. Her eyes were bright, but she didn't know that her brother had already taken the first step in the forest and the contract space, and a path of survival and strength belonging to him had just begun.