We left the store, and I found myself staring at the two daggers in my hands. I ran my thumbs over their black blades, then sighed inwardly.
I'd spent everything I had on them… and worse yet, the old man wasn't satisfied. I had to apologize to him dozens of times and promise him that I'd make it up to him someday, until he finally agreed.
I turned to Miro and said in a low voice:
"We're out of money… We don't have enough left for a place to stay or even to buy food."
Silence fell for a moment, then I continued, staring straight ahead:
"We have only one option… We'll go out and hunt monsters. Tell us where to find them."
Miro looked at me, her eyes widening as beads of sweat began to form on her forehead.
She said hesitantly:
"Are… are you sure about that?"
I kept my gaze fixed ahead and replied calmly:
"We have no other choice."
My voice was steady, but my expression betrayed the truth; my face was grim, and my eyes held the look of a man walking toward his death.
Zoe took a step closer, then smiled faintly and said:
"Don't worry, Siraj… You won't face this alone. We'll all help you."
Miro nodded quickly and added:
"Yes… we'll be with you."
Half an hour later
Miro was walking ahead of us on the road flanked by dry, yellow plains, while the forest loomed on the horizon.
Pointing calmly ahead, she said:
"The forest is about seven hundred meters from town, and we'll reach it in a few minutes. All kinds of monsters live there, so we'll start by hunting the weakest ones." Then she turned to me and added:
"As for the plan… that's up to you, Commander."
I was lost in thought, so I didn't catch most of what she said. I heard her call out to me again: "Commander…" Then she raised her voice slightly:
"Commander!"
I finally snapped out of it and found Miro and Zoe looking at me in surprise. I said apologetically:
"Ah… Sorry, I was distracted. What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly." She replied calmly: "As I said before, the plan will be your responsibility."
I nodded slowly and said: "All right."
I muttered to myself:
I need to be more careful… This is our first time going out to hunt monsters, and any mistake could cost us our lives. At that moment, the voice of that drunk man from the Monster Traders' Guild came back to me, mocking me:
"People like you are fit to be prey… not hunters." The veins in my neck bulged, and my grip tightened without my realizing it, then I said to myself:
We'll see… who ends up as the prey.
A few minutes later,
the forest appeared before us. The trees were dense and intertwined, while towering mountains surrounded it on all sides. Orange rays of sunlight filtered through the branches, casting long shadows on the ground,
and deep within the forest, the intermittent howling of wolves echoed.
We stopped at the edge of the forest. A carpet of green grass stretched out before us, and a deep silence hung over the place—so much so that even the slightest breeze could be heard clearly. I bent down, picked up a dry twig, and drew a small circle on the ground with it.
Pointing to the mark, I said, "First, Miro, you'll lure a beast to this spot. Use whatever method you want—the important thing is that you succeed in bringing it here."
Then I pointed to the dense trees nearby and continued, "Second, Zoe and I will hide here. As soon as the beast gets close, we'll attack it immediately and finish it off with a single blow. Understood?"
Miro raised her hand hesitantly and said, "I object… Why do I have to be the one to lure it?"
I looked at her coldly and said, "Do you see anyone else who can do it?"
Silence fell for a moment. Then she looked at Zoe, turned her gaze back to me, and said in a low voice, "No… there's no one else."
I nodded and said, "All right… let's get started."
I drew two daggers as a strange sensation from them coursed through my body.
Meanwhile, Miro gripped her sword tightly.
I turned to Zoe and saw sweat pouring down her forehead; she was staring at her trembling hand. A faint, barely visible aura appeared around her, then quickly vanished.
Could it be that she's afraid of her own power? I wondered to myself. Why is she trembling like that?
If she used her ability, she'd be a huge help to us… so what's stopping her?
I said calmly, "Don't worry… Miro and I will take care of this."
But no sooner had the words left my mouth than doubt crept in. Was my decision the right one? Or had I made a mistake by excluding her from the fight?
Miro interrupted me, pointing into the depths of the forest: "Let's go."
We followed her in silence.
I pushed the tangled branches away from my face, while fallen orange leaves covered the ground and moisture filled the air. After a few steps, I spotted it among the bushes.
Amid the thick grass, a white rabbit was grazing peacefully, though its eyes were an unnatural red, and it had two small horns on its head. It was the size of a normal rabbit.
I whispered softly:
"That's our target."
A system notification appeared before me.
[System]
Name: The Demonic Rabbit.
Class: E.
I turned to Miro and said, "We'll head to the designated spot… lure it there."
Her body trembled, and her eyes involuntarily drifted toward an old scar on her arm. She swallowed hard, then took a deep breath and said, trying to compose herself: " "All right… I'll try."
She whispered to herself:
I have to focus…
Zoe and I stepped back and hid behind tree trunks, our eyes fixed on her.
Miro stepped out into the open, raised her sword nervously, then began moving erratically, trying to attract the rabbit's attention.
I sighed inwardly.
You're so stupid… What kind of plan is this? The rabbit is going to get away from us.
But, contrary to my expectations, the rabbit suddenly raised its head, then darted swiftly between the trees.
Miro ran after it, trying to guide it toward the path we'd laid out.
Everything is going according to plan… Now it's your turn, Siraj.
I muttered to myself as I watched him approach:
I did it.
As soon as the rabbit entered the designated area, I lunged with all my strength,
swung my dagger in a swift motion, and it sank into the rabbit's body, bringing it down motionless to the ground.
Its body began to convulse violently, while a pool of blood gathered beneath it. And before it breathed its last breath, it let out a piercing scream that shattered the silence of the forest.
At that very moment, flocks of birds rose from the trees in panic, and a sharp ringing echoed in my ears until I felt as if my head were about to explode.
Zoe covered her ears with both hands, her eyes wide with terror, while Miro took a step back, feeling the ground shake beneath her feet.
Even the trees around us trembled, and their leaves fell as the echo continued to reverberate through the forest.
Then… in an instant, everything fell silent again.
[System]
Target eliminated.
Name: Demon Rabbit.
Rank: E.
Daily mission completed:
Eliminate a demonic source.
Remaining: 2 missions.
Points added: +3.
+1 Strength.
I walked over to the corpse and bent down to pick it up, a faint smile playing at the corner of my mouth.
I looked up at Miro and saw her stammering, her lips trembling as she tried to say something I couldn't make out.
"Sar… Saraj…"
Then her eyes suddenly widened, and she screamed with all her might:
"Siraj! Behind you!"
I spun around quickly.
I caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye.
It looked like a rabbit standing on two legs, but its size was terrifying—nearly twice my size. White fur covered his entire body, while his red eyes glowed ferociously. His sharp fangs protruded from between his lips, and thick strands of saliva dripped from them, while a suffocating pressure emanated from his body, making it hard for me to breathe.
In just a single second...
its claws sank violently into my stomach, before it swung its other paw and delivered a massive blow to my face.
All I felt was my body being hurled through the air like a torn ragdoll, crashing through one tree after another, until my back slammed hard against the trunk of a giant tree.
The ground shook from the impact, and wood and leaves scattered in every direction.
My vision began to fade gradually, as warm liquid pooled around me,
and the scene before my eyes turned into a blurry haze. As for my hearing, I could no longer make out anything but distant, intermittent sounds...
Zoe...
Miro...
They were screaming and running toward me, but
their voices gradually grew fainter, until they vanished completely.