A gentle breeze rustled the waist-high grass, stirring up the earthy scent of the wilds. Leo glanced around—nothing but open plains in every direction. Tufts of weeds swayed lazily in the wind, dotted with wildflowers and berries of various hues. The colors were bright and deceptively pretty, but they only reminded him of certain bad memories.
Beyond the tall grass were scattered shrubs forming tangled thickets, and further still, sparse trees and some old stumps—likely chopped down for fuel or building materials. In the distance, he could just make out the silhouette of a mountain range.
"That way lies Anshan City," Briggs remarked.
"Anshan City?" Leo turned to him with curiosity.
"A small fortress city nestled against the mountains. Solid walls, strict defense. I heard some Awakened are stationed there—tons of people dream of making it in," Briggs said, a wistful gleam in his eye.
Leo nodded. Awakened, huh. No wonder it was so desirable. But that probably meant getting in wasn't easy.
"If you ever awaken someday, you could get in—and even take your family with you. Wouldn't that be something?" Briggs chuckled.
Leo rolled his eyes. He might've been new to this world, but he wasn't clueless. From what he'd learned, awakening was easier the younger you were, and even then, only for those with sky-high Spirit stats.
He glanced at his own Status Panel.
Yeah. Let's just say, his odds weren't great.
They continued moving cautiously across the plains. The earlier relaxed mood gradually faded as fatigue set in and hours passed.
Then, something loomed ahead—a massive black silhouette, nearly the size of a freight truck.
"Stop!" Grant raised his hand.
Everyone froze.
"That's... an Armored Rhino?"
Someone whispered the words with disbelief.
Leo narrowed his eyes. The thing really did look like a living tank, wrapped in thick, plated hide.
"We go around," Grant said quietly. He leaned in toward Leo. "That thing's basically a walking fortress. Even among mid-tier beasts, it's a pain to deal with. If we run into one, just detour—don't engage."
Leo nodded quickly. Even with his new bow, he doubted it could pierce that thing's hide. If it charged, it'd be like getting hit by a truck.
The team circled wide, avoiding the rhino's territory. Only after the beast was completely out of sight did they exhale in relief.
"Actually," Grant added, "anytime we see a mid-tier beast, we avoid it. Even if we win, we'd take serious losses."
"Got it."
Leo nodded again.
Mid-tier beasts, as he understood it, referred to creatures that required several armed adults to take down—doable, but costly.
If they really had to fight something like that rhino, someone would need to hold the line. And being that guy wasn't something Leo was ready for. Even with a shield, you'd be lucky to survive the first hit.
Low-tier beasts, on the other hand, were those a single armed adult might handle alone. But even those came with risks—some would flee on sight, while others might go down clawing and biting.
"You'll get used to it," Briggs said casually.
The rest of the team nodded as if it was no big deal.
Leo gave a wry smile. He had to admit, he'd been pretty tense just now.
"Come on, let's check the first trap site. Fingers crossed," Grant called out, leading the way again.
The others followed, positioning Leo in the middle of the formation for safety.
A few minutes later, Grant suddenly stopped and pointed ahead.
Through a patch of tall grass, Leo spotted a plump, dog-sized rabbit happily munching on seeds.
"A plains rabbit," Briggs whispered. "Bad eyesight—can't see much beyond twenty meters. But its hearing's crazy sharp—thirty, forty meters, and it'll bolt."
Almost as if on cue, the rabbit raised its head, alert to something unseen.
"Damn, that thing's huge," Leo whispered. Looks more like a fat dog than a rabbit.
"Hand me your bow," Briggs said, low and serious.
"...Huh?" Leo blinked. "Uncle Briggs, you know how to shoot?"
"Nope. But at this point, what's the harm in trying? If I'm lucky, I might land a shot. Otherwise, that rabbit'll be gone in two more steps."
Grant glanced at Leo, clearly tempted.
"Let me try," Leo offered quickly.
Briggs looked surprised but nodded. "Be my guest."
Leo raised his bow and slowly reached back for an arrow. His heart thumped faster. First real hunt. First real shot. If he hit it, there'd be meat for the village, and system points for him. If he missed... disappointment and wasted opportunity.
His arm trembled from nerves.
The others noticed. A few shook their heads silently. Totally normal. First time out here? You shake. It's just how it goes.
Even Grant sighed quietly. Well, let him try. It's good experience.
Then Leo nocked the arrow.
And everything else disappeared.
No more nerves. No thoughts. Just him, the bowstring, and the target.
The draw was smooth. Steady. Perfect muscle memory.
"Thwip."
The rabbit flinched—then leapt.
Bad news for it: the arrow was faster.
A clean shot punched through its skull, dragging its limp body midair for a couple meters before it hit the ground. The rabbit twitched once. Then stilled.
Silence.
Everyone stared.
Mouths open. Eyes wide.
Like they'd just seen a miracle.