Chapter 22: Horned Wind Rabbits

As Ain delved deeper into the forest, the surrounding thicket became denser. The lush green canopy above obstructed most of the light, making the forest floor seem dim.

Cries of insects surrounded him, displaying the veiled vitality in this otherwise gloomy forest.

With reduced visibility, Ain became more alert and summoned Nox.

He had equipped his dagger at some point, carefully clearing out a small path in the increasingly thriving undergrowth. He wanted to avoid leaving any obvious marks to prevent being tracked, but sometimes it was unavoidable.

With light footsteps, Ain circled around some thick shrubbery. He didn’t question why the plants were still thriving under the canopy when spare light was available to them. He knew this was mostly due to spirit energy.

It had been another hour since Ain decided to head deeper into the forest. Duskfield City was established right beside the Duskfield forest. The forest extended for thousands of kilometers towards the south.

Therefore, although Ain was heading southward, he was still in the periphery of the forest.

Ain cautiously observed the surroundings while also searching for spirit plants.

Although the surrounding flora were bathed in spirit energy, they were not even Rank-0 spirit plants. They held no value to Ain.

Nox similarly floated above Ain’s head, keeping a lookout as well.

As they were passing by a tree with low branches, one of the hanging green vines abruptly shot out towards Ain’s neck.

But as it was moving towards Ain, it was met with a slash from his dagger.

Ain’s expression didn't change. This was already the third Creeping Snake he had encountered.

Creeping Snakes were poison-attribute spirit beasts. Their max quality was Noble. The three Ain had encountered so far were only Rank-0 with Common quality. Although the first one took Ain by surprise, one of his abilities, Premonition, had alerted him to the danger beforehand.

With Ain’s superior physique, his quick reaction was sufficient to kill the snake.

Although there was no hunting mission for these snakes, Ain had searched for information on common spirit beasts in the forest.

Creeping Snakes could be sold for around 500 star coins. Therefore, although Ain received a warning from Premonition, he still baited the snakes into attacking after the first instance.

Moreover, Nox was his extra assurance. As a Beginner Rank-1 Spirit Beast, Nox could easily dispatch these snakes.

After entering the forest, Ain noticed another of its abilities as a ghost-attribute spirit pet.

Nox could reduce its presence and was even sensitive to signs of life. With their cooperation, Ain could easily hunt the snakes.

These snakes weren’t his only harvest. The Threadleaf Grass in his bag had also reached fifty-two stalks. Since the herbs were small enough, Ain carefully put them away, awaiting bundling them together when he got the chance.

Other than the large backpack on his back, he also had several compact waist bags. He had specifically purchased bags that could isolate the scent of blood to store his harvest.

After hunting the three snakes, Ain decided to avoid further ambushes. He needed to preserve some storage space for the Horned Wind Rabbits required for the mission.

Of course, Ain’s figure was a little bulky due to the bags, but it couldn’t be avoided. The only alternative was to use one hand to carry a large bag or a sack. But that would further compromise his abilities.

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In these few hours, Ain felt a sense of thrill and liberation. He finally felt like a true spirit tamer.

His theoretical knowledge of survival was finally facing the scrutiny of the wilderness, which polished it further.

Ain checked the map and confirmed his position. As long as he was still in the vicinity of the city, his current location would be updated live on the map. He was about to reach his destination.

As he moved forward, Ain saw light peeking through the tree trunks in the distance. It seemed like the light at the end of a dark tunnel.

When he was close enough, he crouched behind some bushes and peeked at the sight before him.

What entered his vision was a clearing with sufficient sunlight. There was a large pond with sparklingly clear water. Seen from above, it resembled an opaque gem tucked between the surrounding green.

At the edge of the pond, Ain spotted a few white rabbits lazing about in a group. Some were munching on the grass while others were lying down. At a distance away, Ain spotted a large gray rock, covered in mosses and lichens, giving it an orange-green hue.

Several rabbit burrows were near the rock, and a couple of rabbits emerged when Ain's gaze passed over it.

The rabbits were on the smaller side, but this wasn’t a reason to underestimate them. On their tiny white foreheads was a long and sharp horn. These horns were pastel green with swirling patterns.

This was all Ain needed to see to identify them as his mission targets: the Horned Wind Rabbits.

Contrary to regular rabbits, Horned Wind Rabbits were omnivorous. Their max quality was Noble, and they could reach Rank-2 at their strongest, allowing them to hunt some weaker spirit beasts.

Of course, the ones Ain targeted this time were only Beginner Rank-1. These ones would seldom hunt and only feast on plants.

When they had sufficient strength, they would move deeper into the forest, where more prey was available.

Looking at the rabbits, Ain's thoughts churned quickly. Although he believed that he could defeat them individually, or even a few at once, he couldn’t fight their entire colony. If he were to jump out at this moment, he would be heavily surrounded.

At Rank-1, Horned Wind Rabbits could use skills and even an innate skill. It was unwise to fight them in a large group.

With the increase in his cognitive abilities, Ain only needed a second to devise a plan.

Ain retraced his steps a little and arrived at a tiny clearing. It was only about five meters wide.

He retrieved a Creeping Snake carcass from his bag and sprawled it on the ground. Although the lighting was dim, it was not difficult to spot the carcass on the forest floor.

Next, Ain moved towards a nearby tree and crouched behind some bushes. He had already confirmed the safety of the immediate vicinity. Nox only sensed some small insects nearby.

After his preparation, Nox received its instructions and floated towards the pond. Now, it was just a waiting game.

Not long after, Nox quickly flew back and disappeared into the nearby foliage. A Horned Wind Rabbit was hot on its trail. It seemed more curious than aggressive.

After reaching the small clearing, it immediately spotted the snake carcass. Its simple mind was instantly drawn to the free meal. Although spirit beasts possessed higher intelligence, it was still relative.

The rabbit glanced around for signs of danger before approaching the carcass. Then, it began to nibble on it hastily.

Seeing this, Ain knew that his plan had succeeded. He sent another thought to Nox, who was hiding in the tree next to him.

Its ghostly body quietly floated down and circled around to the rabbit’s rear. When it was at a sufficient distance, it pounced on the rabbit with Phantom Claws.

Sensing the disturbance in the spirit energy, the rabbit instantly reacted and tried to hop away. But it was a little too late.

Nox’s claws slashed at the Horned Wind Rabbit’s neck, dispatching it cleanly and efficiently. It never got to display its abilities. For Ain, this was for the best.

“Wooo…” Nox immediately floated over to Ain to claim credit.

“Good job.” Ain smiled and praised his pet sincerely. He didn’t expect Nox to succeed so efficiently. Ain finally became aware of its exceptional stealth abilities.

He approached the dead Horned Wind Rabbit and sprinkled a clear powder in the vicinity with a wave of his hand.

This powder was one of the means used to mask the scent of blood in the wilderness.

Then, he retrieved a tube from his backpack and applied a layer of clear gel onto the rabbit’s wound. This immediately stopped the bleeding, allowing Ain to store it away in his bag.

The whole process was completed in under ten minutes. After masking the blood traces on the ground, Ain moved the snake carcass a little further away from the previous spot and repeated the process.

This time, the wait was a little longer. It was only twenty minutes later that Nox finally lured another rabbit over.

It was difficult to find a lone rabbit, as most of them were in small groups. Nox had to play some tricks to separate one from the group and bring it over.

Nox enthusiastically explained to Ain. “Wooo…”

It first rustled some nearby bushes, which attracted the attention of the small group. Seeing no movement, the rabbits looked away and continued whatever they were doing.

It kept rustling the bushes until some of them became wary and decided to investigate.

Then it moved to another nearby location and repeated. Eventually, the small group was split up, and one of them ended up alone. Nox then sneaked over and attracted this lone rabbit over.

Listening to its tale, Ain was impressed. This spirit pet of his was very smart.