Lie

Aru woke up early that day. The sun was just peaking over the mountain. He felt rejuvenated after a good night's sleep. 

Without wasting any time, he decided to train his body. 

If he was going to live in this world, he had to train and develop his body. There was no other option. Even if he had cheat abilities, without proper training, he realised that he would not be able to use them. 

His survival rate depends on how strong he could become. That was why he decided to train early in the morning. 

After washing his face, he brushed his teeth with some tree leaves and charcoal. Then he emptied his bowels by squatting using a 'different' method while pinching his nose. It was a different and torturous experience for Aru. 

That day, he also decided to improve the living conditions of this world. 

Now he had two things on his to-do list. 

Improve the living conditions and improve the cooking recipe and technology. Both were near and dear to Aru. 

Before beginning his morning training, Aru visited the oak tree. For some reason, it looked happy. 

Ignoring that, he munched on a piece of dried meat before running towards the training ground.

The training ground was located on the west side of the village. From the north residential area, Aru began to run towards the training ground.

Suddenly, he felt a person blitz past him. It was a younger man in his teens. He was coming from the northern gate of the village and running towards the village centre. Aru could see a glimpse of panic in the youngster's face as he passed him. 

'Is it some kind of sign? A bad omen.' Aru thought as he ignored the youngster and continued his run. 

What Aru had seen was Dam, the scout who came bearing bad news. Still, he ignored him and decided to do his own thing. 

To maximise his training effectiveness, Aru needed to push his body to its limits and engage in meditation after a meal. The morning meal was on the horizon, and Aru had to finish his training before then to ensure he had time to eat. Missing the mealtime would leave him with nothing but hunger. 

Hunger was something that Aru desperately wished to avoid. So, he quickened his pace.

'Only if I had plenty to eat.' He wished. 

If he had a lot of food, he wouldn't have had to depend on the meal time specified by the tribe to train. 

In his past life, it was money that dictated his life. Now, it was food. There was little change in his life. One way or another, he didn't have the freedom he wished for. 

'One day, I would become the person with the most freedom. The freest person in the world.' His ambition was growing as time went by. 

—

While Aru was immersing himself in his training, Dam reached his home. His mother was preparing breakfast as he walked into the house. 

"Dam, you are back?" His mother asked seeing his son. He was supposed to be on a scouting mission. So, she was surprised to see him return early. 

"Yes, mother." 

"What happened?" 

"Nothing much. The hunt will begin early this year. Have you seen Father? I have some messages from the chief that I have to pass on to him." 

"He was working all night yesterday preparing the arrows for the hunt. Let me wake him up for you." Speaking up to this point, Dam's mother poured some soup into a bowl and handed it over to him. "Eat it." She said before walking into a room to wake up Dam's father, Dal. 

The atmosphere in the house of Dam was completely different from Aru's. It looked warm and comfy. 

Dam patiently waited for his mother to wake up his father. That's when a child walked out of another room. The child limped slightly as he walked up to the table while rubbing his belly. 

He was drowsy and lethargic. He moved as if he was dragging his body towards the table in the centre of the hall. 

Even though he was sleepy, hunger forced this child to walk like a zombie towards the food that was placed on the table. 

"Dal, what happened to your leg?" Dam asked. 

"Uh! Big brother!" Suddenly, Dal noticed the person sitting near the table. His eyes widened and his drowsiness completely disappeared. "You are home?" He asked with a smile. 

"Yes. I just reached home. But don't try to change the subject. What happened to your leg?" Concerned, Dam once again asked. 

"Ah!" Dal gulped. After all, he couldn't say the real reason why his leg was injured. The bully Dal thought as he remembered the face of Aru. 

"I injured it while playing with my friends." He lied. 

Lie, it was a lie and Dam knew it.