After the rabbit was secured, she placed a bucket on the ground, in line with its head, and used a short blade to slit the rabbit's neck. Once the flesh was broken, she had easy access to the flesh underneath and proceeded to slice through the veins and muscles around the neck, making the process of beheading the creature easier.

She then used a larger blade to remove the head from the body, placing it in a bucket. It wasn't for eating, and by evening someone or the other would come and take the scraps from the bucket to feed their hunting hounds. Calvin kept none.

Amelia waited for the blood to drain from the rabbit's carcass. It would make for good bait or fertilizer,

'Wait, why am I so familiar with butchering a rabbit again?'

Once the blood was halfway drained, she took up a pair of shears and cut off the front two feet of the rabbit. Again, these went into the dog food pile. After the blood was drained properly, she took up a smaller knife and began to cut the skin from around the back leg.

*PUCHI*

A spray of blood landed on the apron. Amelia felt the oats violently churn in her stomach...

Inserting the blade in the carcass' leg skin, she gently angled it towards where the belly button would be located. Once she was done with making the incisions, she walked over to the other side of the table and proceeded to cut the skin off the rabbit's body.

It was a gruesome procedure. One that involved grabbing under the rabbit's skin and pulling downwards. The skin slid off easily enough once the front paws and head were no longer there.

The skin was of good quality, and she had done a competent enough job not to ruin it, so, they would be keeping it. The skin, blood, and other inedible parts belonged to the butcher... technically speaking, the whole creature belonged to the butcher since they bought it off the hunter, but they sold most of it otherwise they would have to place it in the cellar and cleaning that place was a chore.

Once she was done skinning the rabbit, it was time for more delicate work. Taking a small knife she began to locate the muscle lines on the creature's shoulders and began removing them from the body. The meat from the shoulder, followed by severing the ligaments using a larger blade to pry the leg from the body and placing both the limbs aside for keeping... they could be eaten.

The next few minutes were spent cutting the bones and removing straps of meat off the inside of the rabbit's body. Removing both the straps connecting the backbone and ribcage was important... but she had to stuff her hands deep within the carcass and that made for a very bad on-hand experience.

With a sigh, she finished setting aside the straps of meat when,

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

[SKILL ALERT!]

[Through repeated actions, a new skill has been created.]

New Skill: Novice Blade Mastery(LV.1)

Description: Allows the user to handle bladed weapons more skillfully. Increases damage dealt by bladed weapons.

Damage +1%

'That's nice...'

"What are ye gawking at, lass? Ya' still have to take out the innards."

'Right... the innards.'

Pinching the stomach covering the rabbit's stomach, she cut a small hole in the stomach linings and inserted a finger into the hole to ensure the stomach content was kept away from the blade. She then proceeded to slice the membrane down to the ribcage, gently moved the intestines and other organs away from the ribcage, and dumped the organs in the scrap bucket.

Finally removing the leg stumps, she took a large knife and inserted it into the ball sockets, severing the leg ligaments and prying the bones apart. Once the leg was removed from the body, she used a sear to size the leg stumps and repeated the process with the other limbs.

"Ma! I'm done."

Hallbera turned to look at Amelia, a pike blade in one hand and the dark, jewel-like eyes of the doe in the other,

"What da'ya mean lass? There are still two more left! Hurry now, it's already noon and the meat will spoil!"

Hallbera admonished her daughter, speeding up the butchering of the doe.

Amelia sighed, looking down at her bloody hands and the crimson-stained apron, she couldn't help but groan,

'It's the first day of my new life and I'm butchering rabbits...'

*URGH*

"LASS! The Bucket!!!"

***

By the time she finished the third rabbit, her arms ached and her stomach grumbled for she had emptied it twice already. The blue screen flickered before her eyes but it gave her no joy,

[Quest Complete!]

[Reward: +10 XP, Basic Butchery (Level 1)]

Much to her horror, her brain was once again assailed by a steady stream of information on how to butcher animals. Starting with small prey like chickens, ducks, rabbits, and hares, ending in larger games like deer, wolves, and even bears. Bloody images clouded her mind. She would have fainted had it not been for the system's intervention,

[Special Passive Skill: Gamer's Mind Activated]

As if by some miracle, the nausea died down in her throat, and she managed not to collapse on the floor. Instead, she found a seat near the fire, for the sun was dipping below the horizon and nights at the foot of the misty mountains were cold.

Hallbera sat beside her, a mug of some cheap liquor in her hand,

"You did well today, lass."

She said in a gruff voice, but her tone didn't altogether lack the warmth of a mother's voice,

"Aye, ya 'ave yer father's hands, strong and steady."

The Gamer's Mind must have been a skill that dulled all emotions for she really couldn't feel anything at the moment. Amelia stared into the fire, wondering what to do now that she had some free time on her hands,

"Ma, ya' reckon there's anythin' else I can do other than butchering to help out?"

Hallbera raised an eyebrow, and taking a drink from her mug, she chuckled,

"Plenty, lass. Butcherin' ain't the only work around here. We've got herbs to gather, traps to check, nets to mend. Aye, and speakin' of ventures, come morn, yer father sets out to track the boar's lair. He might need a hand with the lookout."

Amelia nodded understandingly, there wasn't going to be another chance to escape her mother's butchery if she didn't follow her father out tomorrow,

"I'll go with the da come morn,"

Hallbera shrugged,

"Alright, lass. Just mind ye don't slow yer Da down none."

Amelia smiled broadly, but in the end, tomorrow never came...