By the end of the day, it seemed that Cut & Paste had limited practical use. Only as a tool for dismantling, perhaps…? But then a thought struck me—why not aim higher? I had finally increased my skill set after so much effort. Maybe it was time to try becoming a real hunter.
If I could make good use of Dagger – Extreme, Swift Feet – Small, Sight Enhancement – Moderate, and Leg Strength Enhancement – Small, I could hunt the small animals of the forest—rabbits, maybe even larger game.
…Alright, that's the plan.
If I kept to the forest alone, my secret would remain safe. Tomorrow, I would set out for hunting. With that decision made, I finished dinner and prepared for bed. My meal was simple: dried meat and rye bread, the kind I always ate when I hadn't had time to shop. Even so, it tasted better than usual. Maybe… it was thanks to Cooking? I made a mental note to increase my proficiency by practicing as often as I could.
I awoke while the sky was still dark. Excitement and nervousness prickled through me as I prepared for the hunt. Leather breastplate, gauntlets, shin guards, and the dagger for dismantling—everything was ready. Today, I wasn't setting traps for rabbits. Today, I was after forest mutton, a wild sheep.
The creature wasn't particularly fast, but it had sharp horns it could use to charge and a sleep-inducing ability that made it dangerous. Every encounter I'd had with these beasts in the past had ended with me running. But that danger also made it valuable. The meat, while pungent, could sell for a high price. Horns, hooves, and other parts were even more precious. A steady hunt could transform my livelihood.
With everything in place, I stepped quietly through the back gate toward the forest. My heart raced with anticipation. "This is it…" I whispered under my breath.
The gatekeeper gave me a wary look. "Up early, aren't you? Be careful."
I nodded, though my mind was already testing my skills. Swift Feet – Small. I ran lightly, almost gliding through the undergrowth, my speed far beyond what I could have achieved before. And yet, I wasn't even out of breath. It was exhilarating.
Moments later, I reached the forest's edge. "Alright… time for the real thing," I muttered.
The first prey I spotted wasn't the sheep. It was a forest rabbit, one I'd often relied on in the past.
Name: Forest Rabbit
Race: Rabbit Family
Gender: Female
Ability: None
Wait—"Ability"? A term I'd never seen before. Appraisal clarified: a monster's ability was like a Skill, based on its physique and traits. A Hume couldn't use it, and I couldn't Cut it.
Still, I had to test my new strength. I gripped my dagger and faced the rabbit. The creature leapt at me with a wild cry!
I activated Leg Strength Enhancement – Small, dodged nimbly, and struck with my dagger.
The rabbit let out a shriek as the blade sliced through, and its blood-stained body fell to the ground. I raised the dagger again and drove it into its heart.
"Yosh… defeated it!" I breathed, astonished at my own skill. Using Cut, I dismantled the carcass and stored it in the magical Storage Bag my father had left me, capable of holding up to fifty kilograms. Living creatures couldn't be stored, but it remained an indispensable tool.
With the rabbits handled, I focused on the real target: forest mutton.
Twenty minutes passed. I had already taken two rabbits, but the sheep remained elusive. Then, a massive black shape moved sluggishly in the distance. I activated Sight Enhancement – Moderate—and froze.
It wasn't a sheep. It was an orc.
The orc, a humanoid of the Demon Race, was notorious for its immense strength and nearly impenetrable skin. Worse, they were infamous for kidnapping women to breed, the scourge of nearby villages. Facing one in combat was usually suicide.
I appraised it carefully:
Name: Orc
Species: Demon Race
Gender: Male
Skills: Strong Arm
Ability: Roar
It had both a Skill and an Ability. I smiled grimly. If I could Cut its Skill and Paste it somewhere harmless, I could at least level the playing field.
Strong Arm: Voluntarily activated Skill. Doubles the user's arm strength. Cooldown: 30 minutes.
With its Skill gone, its tough skin was no longer an insurmountable problem. But rushing straight at it would be foolish. Then I remembered—I had Magic – Wind.
I circled behind the orc, raised my hands, and cast the wind spell. Branches snapped and twigs flew as a gust struck the orc's back, catching it off guard.
"Now!" I shouted in my mind, activating both Leg Strength Enhancement – Small and Swift Feet – Small. I leapt onto its chest and invoked Strong Arm, cutting through its massive abdomen in a single, devastating strike. The orc thrashed wildly, but I stepped back and sent another blast of wind magic to slow it further.
Finally, I plunged my dagger into its neck. The orc cried out one last time and collapsed.
I waited, tense, until it didn't move. Carefully, I used Cut to dismantle its body—an easy confirmation that it was truly defeated.
I did it. I had defeated an orc.
Even I, a fifteen-year-old apprentice hunter, had taken down a demon-class monster.