Boran looked around. The forest was full of thin branches, leaves, and natural materials. "I can make a simple trap... I should try a small prototype first," he thought.
He began collecting thin branches. Some were very fragile, while others were quite sturdy. "These will work," he said while selecting the strong branches. He tore off a few pieces of vine from the ground, thinking he could use them as rope.
He sat at the base of a tree and laid out his materials. "Now, I need something for the trigger mechanism..." He took a small branch and began sharpening its end. "This stick will be anchored to the ground, and when someone steps on it..."
For half an hour, he tied branches together and tested the mechanism repeatedly. Each attempt revealed a new problem. Sometimes the trigger was too sensitive, collapsing at the slightest touch; other times, it was too rigid.
He said, "Maybe like this..." and positioned the branches at a different angle. Using the vines, he tied two branches together at a right angle. He anchored the trigger stick to the ground and balanced the other branch on top of it.
After making one final adjustment, he carefully stepped back. He lightly touched the trigger with his foot. Click! The horizontal branch suddenly fell forward.
[Learned Profession Knowledge: Trapper Level 1.]
[Learned Trapper Knowledge: Simple Trap Construction]
[Note: Mechanical traps can be constructed using simple materials (branches, ropes, vines, etc.). At this level, only trigger-based and single-action traps can be made. Traps can be used for hunting, defense, or strategic purposes. The trap's effectiveness and damage depend on the quality of materials used and construction success.]
"A trapper?" Boran muttered. "Even a simple experiment can earn new abilities. Plus, traps can deal damage..." he thought. "Makes sense. And apparently, the better I make them, the more effective they'll be. I'll be able to make more complex traps in the future. For now, I just need to increase the size of this trap."
He immediately began gathering thicker branches and longer vines. This time his target wasn't a rat-sized trap, but one large enough for a human. "If I adjust the trigger correctly, even rats can set it off, but the falling barrier will be big enough to stop a human..."
He began working between two trees. He positioned a thick branch horizontally and secured it tightly with vines. "This is the part that will fall... Now for the trigger mechanism..." He placed the sticks on the ground with more confident movements, drawing from his experience with the small prototype.
As the sun was setting, the trap was almost ready. A thick branch positioned between two trees, a skillfully hidden trigger mechanism on the ground, and a few leaves covering it... "Time to test it," he said and carefully approached.
He extended his foot and pressed the trigger. BOOM! The thick branch fell with tremendous speed, even splitting the air as it fell. "Wow! This... this was much more powerful than I expected! Now I need to find a place to set the trap"
Boran began exploring the area. He was looking for a natural corridor — enclosed on two sides but open at both ends. If he could catch the rats while passing through such a place, he could trap them here. "It would be an ideal trap spot," he thought.
After a ten-minute walk, he found exactly what he was looking for: Two massive ruined towers stretched side by side, creating a passage about a meter wide between them. "Perfect!" he shouted excitedly. "This is exactly the place I was looking for!"
The passage between the ruins was about five meters long. Its walls were rough and steep, impossible for rats to climb. "I can set traps on both sides," he began planning. "When they trigger one, they'll try to escape to the other side and fall into the second trap."
He carefully examined both ends of the passage. The upper parts were at an ideal height for setting traps. "I need to make something big here," he thought.
He ran his hand along the surface of the ruins. They were solid, easily able to support the weight of a heavy trap. "Now it's time to gather materials," he said.
Boran first began collecting large wooden pieces from the ruins. Among the rubble were sturdy wooden remains that had resisted nature for centuries. Some were rotted from moisture, but the inner pieces were still solid.
"This job will need many more vines," he thought and looked at the surrounding trees. Vines had wrapped around almost every tree. Within a few minutes, he returned with an armful of vines.
First, he laid the wooden pieces side by side. "I need to make these into a single piece," he muttered. He separated the vines into thin strips and began binding the wood pieces together. He tied each knot carefully, pulling them tight.
"It has to be very tight," he said to himself. "The rats might be small but they move fast. The wooden piece shouldn't fall apart when the trap is triggered."
Within an hour, the first large wooden piece was ready. It was approximately two meters wide and one meter high. "This is enough for one side," he said and began working on the second piece.
While making the second piece, he applied what he'd learned from the first. He positioned the vines more systematically, tied the knots at more strategic points. "This turned out better," he thought when the work was finished.
It was time to set up the traps. He carried the first large wooden piece to one end of the passage. It was heavy, and he had to be careful with each step. "Slowly, slowly..." he muttered, out of breath.
He tied the wooden piece to the ruins on both sides with vines to keep it upright. "Now for the most critical part," he said and began installing the trigger mechanism.
Drawing from his experience with the small prototype, he designed a more complex trigger system this time. He placed three sticks on the ground, all connected to each other. "When any one of them is stepped on, they'll all move," he explained to himself.
He connected the upper part of the trigger system to the vines holding the wooden piece. "When triggered, the vines will break and the wood will fall," he reviewed his plan. "Now it's time to test," he said and carefully approached the first trap. He touched the trigger with his foot.
BOOM!
The wooden piece fell with a tremendous noise and completely blocked the passage. It hit the ground so hard that even the earth shook. "This... this was much more powerful than I expected!" he shouted excitedly.
"Great! If this works, the other one will too. Now anything trying to pass through this passage will be trapped."
Resetting the traps took some time. Each time, he had to lift the wood pieces, replace the vines, and readjust the triggers. "Constantly renewing such large traps will be tiring," he thought. "But if I can get what I want... it'll be worth it."
Hours had passed while making the final adjustments. In the moonlight, the shadows of the traps looked eerie. He threw about ten fish he had collected into the middle of the passage. He also scattered a few fish along the path. "Now it's time to wait," he said and hid behind a nearby tree.
[Your Trapping level has increased!]
[New Level: 2]
[New Ability Unlocked: Spiked Traps]
[Note: If you have a sharp object in your hand while setting traps, this object will automatically be added to the trap.]
"So what I did was more than just a simple trap," he thought while reading the notification. "I must have leveled up because I set up multiple systems. This means I can do even more complex things..."
Suddenly he heard a piercing squeak that cut through his ears. From a distance, nearly twenty rats were approaching rapidly, presumably having caught the scent of the fish he had laid out. "Isn't this a bit too many?" he thought anxiously. He hadn't planned on dealing with so many rats.
The rats first began quickly devouring the fish scattered on the path. Each attacked greedily, some fighting with others. Under Boran's watchful eyes, after finishing the fish, they noticed the larger bait group inside the passage.
Fifteen rats rushed into the passage without thinking. The rest were more cautious, waiting outside. Just as the rats inside reached the fish, Boran's sensitive triggering mechanism activated.
BOOM!
The heavy wooden piece fell with tremendous speed. Five rats were caught beneath it before they could escape. A notification appeared before Boran's eyes:
[+50 XP]
As the panicked rats rushed toward the exit, the second trap was triggered. Two more rats perished under the falling wood. The rest were now completely trapped.
[+20 XP]
"This is it!" thought Boran, seeing his plan work successfully. Thirteen rats were trapped between two massive wooden walls. They were running frantically back and forth, trying to climb but failing.
This scene both excited and troubled Boran. He had killed seven rats and trapped eight more. This was quite impressive for a first attempt. However, he felt some discomfort — killing so many creatures at once had shaken him a bit.
He looked at the trapped rats. They were running back and forth in panic. They were looking for a way to escape but couldn't find one. "Now what should I do?" he thought. "Should I hunt them one by one? Or should I find another method? I haven't used my Shield Strike ability for hours, my mana might be full."
He examined the upper part of the passage. Maybe he could attack from above. Or he could loosen part of the trap and make it fall on them. He was carefully considering each option.
He thought about the spiked trap ability. "Next time I can make more lethal traps. Maybe I won't need to capture so many rats alive." Still, he was satisfied with the current situation. His first major hunting attempt had been more successful than expected.