Rin: "Cute."
Tris: "Kill it."
Their voices rang out at the same time.
Rin: "Wait, is that really a Magical Beast? It just looks like an ordinary rabbit… maybe a bit bigger."
Rin was startled by Tris's words.
Not far ahead of them sat a plump gray rabbit, its body round and heavy—likely close to ten kilograms.
With such a cute appearance, it was the kind of animal children would adore.
Tris: "That's your target. Rank E—Big Mouth Rabbit."
Rin: "Big Mouth?"
She looked closer, but no matter how she examined it, nothing about the rabbit matched its name.
Tris: "Just wait and see."
They watched. Nearby, a small bird pecked at the ground for food.
The rabbit crept closer, then suddenly leapt toward the bird.
The bird flapped frantically, trying to escape.
But at that moment, the rabbit's entire head suddenly split into four sections. Inside each section was crammed with sharp, grotesque teeth.
From its throat shot out numerous long, thin tongues, lashing forward to snare the bird mid‑flight and drag it into the creature's gaping maw.
The head snapped shut again, chewing slowly, crunching bones and flesh.
Witnessing the hunt from start to finish, Rin declared firmly:
"Then Rin will kill it."
Ugly creatures, wherever they exist, are often despised and denied any privileges.
It is a cruel reality, but life is like that—humans are drawn to beauty and repelled by ugliness.
Gripping her weapon, Rin crept closer.
But the rabbit's long ears easily detected her presence.
She had yet to learn any skills for stealth or concealment, so this outcome was inevitable.
Instead of fleeing, the rabbit seemed to judge Rin as prey it could handle.
It charged at the girl aggressively, attacking with its head full of sharp teeth.
Between those jagged fangs, traces of fresh blood and bird feathers could still be seen clinging.
Before the grotesque jaws lunged at her, Rin calmly shifted aside with precise footwork to evade, then swung her warpick hard into the rabbit's body.
A heavy thud echoed as the creature was hurled away, crashing against a nearby tree.
The strike shattered bones and severely damaged the organs of the Magical Beast.
It twitched only briefly before its life slipped away.
Seeing the ugly beast lying motionless on the ground, Rin advanced cautiously, her buckler still raised to shield her body.
After getting close enough, Rin raised her warpick high and smashed the prey's head, ensuring that every remaining threat was eliminated.
Carefully guarding against the enemy feigning death and striking back, Rin remembered Tris's constant reminder during training: even when the opponent seems defeated, always deliver the finishing blow.
Clearly, Rin had taken his lesson to heart and executed it flawlessly.
Watching her performance, Tris nodded in satisfaction.
Then came the tedious part— gathering materials.
Unlike in games, where you can collect all dropped items with a single click, reality demands a great deal of time to accomplish the same task.
Even if the gathering is done carelessly, or if the prey was killed improperly, the materials may end up damaged—or even destroyed.
'Reality really is a trash game,' Tris cursed inwardly.
Though he didn't have to dirty his hands this time, waiting and enduring the stench was unpleasant.
From the Big Mouth Rabbit, its magic crystal, meat, and fur could all be sold.
But to save time, Tris had Rin extract only the magic crystal—the most valuable item and proof for the guild.
As for the rabbit's hide and fur, rather than wasting time for just a little extra money, they would rather spend that time hunting a few more targets.
Of course, this way of thinking only works if you are strong enough and confident in both finding prey and successfully bringing it down.
For ordinary hunters or adventurers, they would much prefer to squeeze every coin out of the prey they've already killed, rather than abandon it and risk spending time chasing another target that might not even be caught.
Though reluctant to leave parts behind, Rin obeyed Tris, pocketed the crystal, and moved on.
Soon, they encountered another Magical Beast.
Tris: "Rank D—Gray Wolf. Same kind we saw on the road earlier."
Rin: "Aren't wolves supposed to move in packs? This one seems alone."
Tris: "Sometimes individuals are cast out for various reasons."
Rin: "It doesn't look injured or old at all—it still seems very strong."
Her eyes, enhanced with spiritual energy, studied the beast.
Tris: "Did you know wolves have incredible senses? They can detect prey from kilometres away."
Rin: "So it already knows we're here?"
She was startled. They were still far from the wolf, and it hadn't reacted, so she thought they were unnoticed.
Tris: "It likely sees us as prey, too. This is also one of the foremost dangers for anyone daring to enter the forest. With creatures that can detect prey from afar, it remains uncertain who is the hunter and who is the hunted."
Remembering the adventurers slain on the road earlier, Rin felt the weight of danger anew.
Tris: "I've scouted the area—no other wolves nearby. You can safely take it one‑on‑one."
Rin: "( °Д°) Rin is the one fighting the wolf?"
She had assumed her Master would handle a Rank D beast. Learning that it was her battle left her shocked and afraid.
Tris: "Exactly. If you can't defeat a Rank D Magical Beast on your own, don't think you can truly hunt in the forest."
He nodded firmly.
Rin realized she couldn't avoid the fight. She quietly encouraged herself as she stepped forward toward the wolf.
Gripping her weapon tightly, Rin's eyes gradually sharpened, turning cold and dangerous.