First time fighting a beast

Crunch! crunch! Walking in the snow, August made his way through the tall trees. Only a small amount of sunlight passed through the dense canopy, creating a beautiful sight.

'This world leans heavily on cold elemental mana,' August mused to himself. 'That's why it's so cold, and most of its surface is covered in snow. Adventurers have dubbed it Glacia'

"Let's find some low-rank beasts to fight," August said to Aurora, who slithered in front of him through the white snow.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Aurora caught sight of a snow hare with an ice horn hopping around the area.

[ Snow horned hare ]

Rank: 1 (middle)

Bloodline: F+

Elements: ice

Abilities: Frost pierce leap F5, quick hop F9

Status: good ]

'So it has the ability to leap, and it's a rank one beast,' August noted to himself after using the inspect feature to gather information about the hare.

"Use ice spike, Aurora," August commanded.

Aurora gathered her mana and conjured an ice spike, but the hare sensed the mana disturbance, becoming alert and fixing its gaze on the area where Aurora launched her attack.

Suddenly, the hare agilely leaped sideways, causing the ice spike to miss its target and strike a nearby tree, rendering the attack useless.

The hare then activated its ability, causing its horn to glow as it fixed its gaze on August.

"Shit, this fucker's aiming for me," August cursed, bolting towards a nearby tree for cover. He knew facing the hare's ability directly could lead to a fatal outcome; he had to avoid it at all costs.

Reaching the safety of the tree, a sudden gust of wind brushed past him, sending a shiver down his spine. If that charge had struck him, the consequences would have been dire.

Meanwhile, the hare, now airborne, gracefully adjusted its position mid-flight, brushing against a tree with its hind leg before flawlessly landing in the snow. It then intensified its use of abilities, heightening the threat it posed.

"Aurora, use more ice spikes to distract it from using its ability!" August commanded, as he opened his inventory and retrieved his gun.

Aurora complied, launching a barrage of ice spikes in succession, causing the hare to halt its attempt to activate its ability and instead hop around to evade the incoming projectiles.

"Why is it so agile? I can't aim," August muttered to himself, recalling his training with firearms during self-defense sessions at school.

"Aurora, use mist veil!" August commanded, firing his gun at the hare in an attempt to hit it.

Aurora obeyed, spewing mist from her mouth to shroud the area in a thick haze, limiting the hare's visibility.

Taking cover behind a tree, August reached into his inventory and drew out the black sword. Channeling his mana, he unsheathed the blade, infusing it with power from the black beast core embedded within. As the blade runes absorbed the mana, it emitted a dark aura. He then began to approach the hare's location.

Unbeknownst to the hare, it stealthily moved through the mist, oblivious to the two blue eyes tracking its every move.

As Aurora launched another ice spike, causing the hare to retreat by hopping back, it unwittingly fell into August's trap. With a swift motion, August infused the blade with mana, unleashing a powerful slash that cleanly decapitated the hare. The black aura emanating from the blade continued, leaving a deep gash in a nearby tree.

"So powerful," August marveled at the sword's might, but he couldn't ignore the fact that it had consumed a significant portion of his mana. "But it consumes so much mana. I'll have to use it sparingly, only in dire situations."

[ Ding! You have received a new quest ]

Title: hunt down every beast you see

Description: you have hunted your first beast, making your second step in becoming strongest.

Objective: kill one thousand beasts

Progress: 1/1000

Reward: Super Special

Time limit: none ]

[Do you wish to accept the quest Y/N ]

"Fuck this system, after struggling and nearly dying to kill a rank 1 beast, now it wants me to kill a thousand of those?" August cursed under his breath.

'Ugh, I can't even decline this offer after seeing the reward labeled as 'super special',' August muttered, frustrated. "Fuck this, I accept the quest."

[ Ding! You have accepted the quest ]

The mist began to dissipate as Aurora ceased providing it with mana. August looked over to see the hare's decapitated body lying in the snow, staining it red. Nearby, Aurora stared at the body.

He reached out and touched the hare's body, intending to use the ability extract. However, he received a notification from the system.

[ Host, I should warn you that the extracted ability can only be applied to something your pet can use. For example, this beast has the ability Swift Hop, which cannot be applied to your pet because your pet doesn't have legs ]

"So there are more requirements to it," August noted to himself. "Go ahead, eat the body," he said, giving Aurora permission to consume it. With a swift motion, he grabbed the head by the horn and slashed it from the head, allowing it to drop to the snow.

"Eat this too," he instructed, offering the hare's head to Aurora, who eagerly devoured the remains.

He decided to collect the hare's horn because it could be used for crafting and alchemy purposes, which could fetch some money. However, he chose not to collect the core of the hare, as it was a treat for Aurora for her hard work.

"I'll have more opportunities to use beast cores for system points, but I can't neglect my pet's growth," August thought to himself. Balancing between enhancing his own abilities and nurturing his pet's development was crucial for their success in their adventures.

"Let's rest for a moment," August said, settling into the cold snow and circulating his mana technique to recover his mana more quickly.

After his mana had recovered up to 90 percent, he stood up and called Aurora, who had been guarding the perimeter to ensure no beasts could disturb her master. Beasts can replenish their mana while moving, without the need for meditation.

"Let's find some more beasts," August declared as they began to move deeper into the forest.