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NOTIFICATION
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* Quest Completed: Bow & Arrow
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+ XP Gained: 25
+ 2x Common item material
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| Current XP: 50 / 100
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| Progress: ██████░░░░░░░
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Mox grabbed the rabbit by its hind legs and slung it over her shoulder with ease. Its limp body dangled, swaying slightly with each step. Blood seeped from its wound, staining the fabric of her clothes and leaving small, dark droplets on the ground every few paces.
"Here," she said, handing the arrow to me while her eyes scanned my face.
I stared at the arrow, hesitating for a moment before taking it. The faint warmth of fresh blood lingered on the shaft. I rubbed it clean against my pants, sighing as I did. My gaze shifted briefly to the spot where the rabbit had fallen. The earth there was dark, the leaves scattered with little splashes of red.
I didn’t feel as bad as I thought I would. No tears. No stomach-turning nausea. It was just… still. Quiet. The kind of quiet that follows you even when you're surrounded by noise. It wasn’t guilt exactly, but there was something heavy in my chest. I wasn’t sure if I’d feel it every time or if this was just the first one.
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* Rabbit Hunted!
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+ XP Gained: 10
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| Current XP: 60 / 100
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| Progress: ███████░░░░░░
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The translucent notification hovered in front of me, as crisp and clean as always. I blinked, eyebrows raising slightly. Ten XP? That was more than I'd gotten from fighting the bear near the cabin. It didn’t make sense. One would think hunting a rabbit would be worth less than surviving a fight with a giant beast, but apparently, the box didn’t see it that way.
Not that it mattered. I had bigger things to think about. Like the dinner with the Queen. I exhaled slowly, my gaze drifting to the dirt road ahead. Why didn’t I just run when I had the chance? Dealing with her again felt like poking a sleeping lion. Every instinct I had was screaming to stay out of her way, but somehow, I’d found myself in the exact opposite position. I’d have to stay sharp tonight. If I made one wrong move…
"You’re awfully quiet,” Mox said, shifting the rabbit on her shoulder. “Thinking about your fancy dinner with the Queen, huh?"
“Yeah,” I muttered, stuffing the arrow back into my quiver. "Trying to figure out how to survive it."
She smirked. “With that crazy woman? Good luck. You’ll need it.”
We walked on, moving past the old well where the bottles still sat neatly atop the stone. The wind had picked up, whistling softly through the branches, but it wasn’t cold enough to be uncomfortable. Just breezy. The kind of weather that feels like it could go in any direction—calm one moment, stormy the next.
I glanced at the rabbit’s body again. Its head lolled to the side, fur matted with blood. The sight didn’t make me queasy, but it did make me think. It wasn’t like the meat I’d seen wrapped in plastic back in my world. This was raw, messy, real. Very real…
“You said the rabbit was poisoned,” I said. “What’s the point of keeping it?”
“Not for eating,” Mox replied, eyes on the road ahead. “Gonna skin it for the pelt. Hate doing it myself, though. I’ll sell it to a butcher and let them deal with the mess.” She glanced back at me, a sly grin tugging at her lips. "Think of it as payment for the bow and arrows you wasted.”
“How generous of you,” I muttered, my tone as flat as ever.
She snickered, her wings twitching as if in amusement. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or just naturally that dull.”
“Take a guess.”
Her grin widened. “You’re a weird one, Axel.”
“Hmm.”
We reached the main road, stepping out of the forest’s shadow. The path stretched ahead, wide and mostly clear, with only a few shallow puddles scattered along the way. Mud still clung to my boots, and each step made a soft squelch sound that grated on my nerves. I tried to shake it off as I walked, but it didn’t help much.
Mox glanced at me as I slowed my pace, my eyes flicking to the translucent box that appeared in front of me. I pulled up the map, scanning for anything useful. The city of Kinowa was just up ahead, but something else caught my eye—a small yellow exclamation mark to the east. A quest marker?
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Curiosity tugged at me. I had no idea what it was, but the idea of checking it out was already rooting itself in my mind. It could be something useful. Or dangerous. Either way, I had to know.
I stopped walking.
“Hey,” I said, eyes still on the map. “You go on ahead. I need to check something.”
Mox tilted her head, frowning as she turned to face me. “Check what?”
“Just… something,” I replied, still focused on the map. “I’ll catch up.”
Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. “I can come with you. I’ve still got time.”
“No,” I said firmly, closing the map. “It’s better if I check it alone. I won’t be long.”
Her gaze lingered on me for a moment, sharp and searching, but she shrugged it off. “Suit yourself.” She turned away, the rabbit swaying with her stride. “Don’t get eaten or whatever. See you in Kinowa.”
“Yeah,” I muttered, already walking in the direction of the marker. "See you."
I headed east, back into the forest, following the slope downward. The air grew damp, and the soil became softer with each step, clinging to my boots in thick clumps. The trees around me bent into strange "S" shapes, their roots snaking across the ground like veins. It wasn't long before the faint stench of stagnant water hit my nose. Another swamp. Great. Just what I needed.
Mud sucked at my boots, making every step feel heavier than it should have been. I opened the map again, eyes locking on the yellow marker still ahead of me. With a quiet breath, I pressed on, keeping my eyes sharp.
Then I heard it—faint at first, but unmistakable. A strained voice carried by the wind, broken up by wheezing breaths. I slowed my pace, ears straining to catch it again.
“Back... off!” the voice barked, each word gasped out like it cost him everything to say it.
I crouched low, eyes darting through the thick foliage. Peering through the gaps, I spotted a clearing ahead, where a wide, circular pool of water lay still and murky. In the center, a large, gray boulder jutted up like an island. Perched on top was an old man, hunched and panting, his white hair wild and matted.
At the base of the boulder, a crocodile clawed at the stone, its jaws snapping with terrifying precision. It lunged, gripping the edge of the rock with its claws as its powerful tail thrashed in the water. The old man swung a cane at it, his arms trembling with the effort. The cane struck the crocodile’s snout with a dull crack, but it barely flinched. Its beady eyes stayed locked on its prey.
“Help!” the man gasped, his voice weak but desperate. “Somebody, please!”
His cane swung down again, but this time, the crocodile caught it between its jaws. Its teeth sank into the wood, and with a sharp crunch, the cane split in half. Panic surged across the old man's face as he stumbled back, his gaze darting around for another weapon.
My heart sped up. I reached for the bow slung over my shoulder, but as I nocked an arrow, doubt settled in. One wrong shot and I’d hit the old man. Too risky.
I let out a slow breath, fingers twitching away from the arrow. My hands rose instead, the familiar warmth of mana swirling in my palms. Sparks flickered to life, growing into a small ball of fire hovering just above my hand. Fireball. The one spell I actually knew how to cast with some level of control.
I focused on the crocodile's broad flank. No chance of hitting the old man if I aimed there. With a flick of my fingers, I sent the fireball flying.
The spell streaked through the air and struck the crocodile's side with a flash of orange light. Heat rippled through the air, and the beast let out a low, guttural hiss. Its claws scraped the boulder as it pushed away, splashing back into the water. Ripples spread outward in slow, deliberate waves.
I kept my hands up, eyes locked on the water’s surface. Another fireball swirled into existence in my palms, the faint hum of mana vibrating in my fingers.
The swamp was too quiet. The water settled unnervingly fast, smooth as glass. My breathing slowed, my eyes scanning for any sign of movement. Then, a surge of water exploded upward.
The crocodile lunged, jaws wide, its eyes locked on me. Its entire body shot from the water with terrifying force, mud and water trailing behind it. My heart jumped into my throat.
“Shit.”
My hands moved on instinct. I poured every ounce of mana I had into the fireball, making it glow brighter, hotter, until the heat singed the air around me. With a shout, I launched it straight into the crocodile’s open mouth.
The blast lit up the swamp in a flash of fiery orange. The force of the explosion sent a shockwave through the air. Chunks of charred flesh and shards of bone scattered in every direction. I barely had time to react. Blood and bits of crocodile came flying toward me.
“Damn it—”
I threw my hands up, an icy shimmer formed just in time. The blood and debris splattered against the ice barrier, painting it red. Droplets slid down its surface before it melted away into mist.
The swamp grew quiet again. The only sounds were the faint drip of blood and the soft crackle of dying flames. I lowered my hands, breathing hard, my eyes fixed on the wreckage.
What was left of the crocodile lay scattered in pieces across the water's edge. Its head was gone. Most of its body was charred black, the air thick with the acrid stench of burnt flesh. The only part still recognizable was its tail, resting a few feet away.
I stared at it, chest heaving. "Overkill..." I muttered, wiping my hands on my tunic. My heart was still racing. "Definitely overkill."
“Oh, thank you!” The man yelled. “Thank you, young man. Thank you! You saved my life!”
“No problem.” I said with a dull voice. “Are you okay?”
“Yes… I’d give you something but I lost my pouch thanks to that monster.”
“No need. It’s---”
“Quite the spectacle,” a familiar voice chimed from behind me.
I turned sharply, muscles tensed. Mox stood there, one hand on her hip, the other resting lightly on her sheated dagger. Her grin was smug, her eyes sharp as ever. She glanced past me, her gaze settling on the blood-soaked swamp.
“Cries over hunting a rabbit,” she said, a slow grin spreading across her face. “But he’s perfectly fine blowing up a crocodile into chunks. Love the consistency. Where’s the double standards?”
I shot her a flat look. "Thought you left."
"Nope," she replied, stepping past me. Her eyes lingered on the crocodile's tail. She kicked it lightly with the tip of her boot, watching it roll a few inches. “Big guy, too. You’re full of surprises, hotshot.”
“Hmm.”
Her eyes shifted back to me, gaze sharp as a blade. “So, how’d you know there was a man out here?”
“Just luck,” I muttered, not even bothering to make it sound convincing.
Her grin faded into a slow, skeptical smile. “You’re a terrible liar.”
“Doesn’t matter.” I replied. My boots crunched through the dried bits of bone and mud beneath my feet. “I’m headed back to Kinowa. You coming or not?”
Mox glanced one more time at the bloody swamp, then at me. Her eyes lingered a moment longer than usual, as if she were sizing me up. Then she shrugged, her wings shifting on her back as she fell into step beside me.
“Yeah, yeah,” she said, flicking a glance over her shoulder at the old man still climbing down from the boulder. “Why not. Sure.”
We walked side by side, the road coming into view just ahead. The soft hum of wind passed through the trees, carrying with it the faint scent of smoke. I didn’t say anything, and neither did she. But I could feel her watching me, waiting.