After casting the spell, Kael immediately noticed something.
It wasn't just his mana that had decreased.
His mind felt slightly fatigued as well.
The drain was subtle, but real. Casting a spell required more than just mana—it also consumed mental focus.
At the same time, Kael discovered another method of casting.
Aside from building the spell structure manually, there was something else.
A Quick-Cast.
It felt like a button had appeared in his mind.
The moment he pressed it, a fireball rapidly formed in front of him.
The entire process took less than one and a half seconds.
The fireball was stable, with no signs of flickering or collapse.
Under his control, it shot forward and struck the ground.
Boom.
A small crater formed where it hit.
After using Quick-Cast, the "button" in his mind could no longer be pressed again.
Cooldown?
Kael tried constructing the spell manually once more.
More than ten seconds passed before a crooked, unstable fireball barely took shape.
Sweat formed on his forehead.
He immediately threw it out.
Boom!
The explosion spread across the ground.
So manual casting had no cooldown.
But without experience, the casting time was far too long.
"The village errands only gave me a staff. Aunt May sells black bread for 2 Copper Coins each. If I don't want to starve, I need at least 2 Copper Coins today."
Even so, Kael didn't immediately start hunting rabbits.
Instead, he sat down and tried to meditate.
It took a long time before he managed to calm his mind.
Only then did his mana slowly begin to recover.
Rabbit Plains wasn't completely flat.
The terrain rose and fell slightly. The grass carried droplets of moisture and a fresh scent, as if it had rained not long ago.
Holding his staff, Kael moved carefully across the field, stepping lightly.
He was trying to avoid leaving obvious traces.
Soon, he slipped into a dense patch of grass.
The blades brushed against his skin through his clothes, making him uncomfortable, but he didn't move.
He even lowered his breathing.
Rabbits that granted EXP were clearly not ordinary creatures.
Kael had no intention of searching recklessly.
And he definitely wouldn't team up.
If another player turned hostile or used him as bait, he would have no way to survive.
Time passed.
Before long, a three-person party appeared on the plains.
A male Warrior.
A female Archer.
A male Cleric.
They looked young—likely students like him. That made Kael slightly less worried.
Inexperience meant they were less likely to notice him.
The Warrior walked at the front, sword resting on his shoulder. The Cleric followed behind, and the Archer stayed at the rear.
"Derek, take this seriously," the Archer said, frowning. "The instructor said Aetherion is dangerous."
Derek shrugged. "Relax. It's just rabbits. Nothing to worry about."
"I won't let anything get past me."
The Cleric, Owen, said nothing, but didn't seem concerned either.
At that moment—
A black blur shot out of the grass.
It slammed straight into Derek's chest.
He was knocked back more than a meter.
The blur flipped in midair and landed lightly.
It was a rabbit.
Much larger than a normal one.
Gray-black fur. Blood-red eyes.
There was nothing harmless about it.
Derek wiped the blood from his mouth and rushed forward.
The rabbit was fast, but still visible to the naked eye.
Owen raised his large cross, using it as a shield to block another charge.
Derek's sword came down.
The rabbit kicked off the cross, dodging the strike and creating distance.
The Archer released her arrow.
It missed and struck the ground.
"Use your skill!" Derek shouted.
"I did!" Lena replied, her voice tense.
The rabbit charged again.
Derek met it head-on.
Behind him, Owen raised his cross. A glow fell onto Derek, and his condition visibly improved.
Derek continued attacking.
His swordsmanship had structure, but lacked precision. Only a few strikes landed.
The rabbit countered, occasionally striking with its ears.
With the Cleric supporting him, Derek maintained his health, but his frustration grew.
"Die! Die already!"
"Double Cleave!"
His sword paused briefly, then struck twice in rapid succession.
This time, the rabbit failed to dodge.
The blade cut into its throat.
The rabbit collapsed.
With a crisp sound, its body turned into light, leaving behind two Copper Coins.
The three of them picked up the coins, rested briefly, and continued deeper into the plains.
Only after a long while did Kael step out from the grass.
He felt fortunate he hadn't rushed in earlier.
The rabbit's speed was not something he could easily react to.
Seeing so many players forming teams earlier had already made him cautious.
Now, that caution felt justified.
These rabbits were clearly enhanced, but not beyond what new players could handle.
And Derek's final attack gave Kael an idea.
The rabbit still had biological weak points.
It wasn't purely data.
Where you hit mattered.
If he targeted a vital point, he might be able to kill it in one strike.
With that in mind, Kael crouched into the grass again.
Rabbits didn't appear frequently here.
That suited him perfectly.
Time passed.
His legs grew numb.
But his eyes remained fixed on his surroundings.
Rustle—
The sound of grass shifting instantly put him on alert.
A black rabbit emerged.
It looked around cautiously before lowering its head to eat.
Kael didn't move.
Too far.
Closer…
The rabbit continued forward, unaware.
Closer…
"This distance is enough."
His heartbeat quickened.
He began constructing Firebolt.
The moment it formed, he launched it.
The rabbit reacted, but too late.
Boom!
The explosion blasted it into the air.
Parts of its body blistered from the heat. Its head took the brunt of the impact, leaving it dazed.
Kael rushed forward.
He didn't use Quick-Cast.
He needed to keep it as a backup.
Instead, he raised his staff and struck down.
The rabbit tried to move, but its body didn't respond.
Kael struck again.
And again.
Until—
The rabbit collapsed into light.
It left behind one rabbit leg and one Copper Coin.
[System Notification]
+5 EXP
Kael picked up the items and moved on.
The explosion would have scared away nearby rabbits.
Staying here wasn't efficient.
His first battle wasn't impressive.
It was clumsy.
But Kael was smiling.
The tension during the hunt.
The uncertainty.
The moment of impact.
The feeling of victory.
These were things he had never experienced before.
And he didn't dislike them.
On the contrary—
He wanted more.
Kael gripped his staff tighter, looking ahead.
"This…"
"This is what I wanted."