A long run

[MOUNTAIN BEAST DETECTED!]

[Mandatory Quest: Defeat 10 Mountain Beasts, Become the Predator of the Mountains!]

[Time Limit: 14 Days]

[Rewards: +100 Soul Essence]

[Penalty: ???]

The notification from the system took Jack by surprise. He had expected it to come soon; this was the indication that his actual journey had begun. This was the first mandatory quest from the system, and he wasn't foolish enough to wait for a penalty. He didn't want to know what that would look like. Penalties were a no-go area for him.

Instead, he preferred the rewards. "Soul essence, huh?" he mused, a grim smile creeping onto his face. He had yet to discover the true purpose of the soul essence, but it definitely couldn't be useless, could it?

He sighed, feeling the weight of his curiosity. "I don't want to find out later; I've already pushed enough things aside." He was growing tired of the constant mysteries the system held.

But this was no time for contemplation. Jack refocused his attention on the beast. "The system couldn't even give me any information about it," he thought bitterly. He had spent countless hours gathering information about beasts from the royal library, preparing for the day he might encounter one. Unfortunately, he had miscalculated, and now he couldn't distinguish one creature from another since many looked alike. It was like trying to tell different breeds of an animal apart, each possessing its own distinct abilities and weaknesses.

Without knowing the characteristics or the name of the beast before him, Jack was at a disadvantage.

Indeed knowledge was power, but when not sufficient enough, it could be said to be useless.

Right now, he felt deeply frustrated, 'the system doesn't even tell me stats of my enemies' he had expected way much more from the system, yet he was left with disappointment.

"Well, thank you, system, for providing a wealth of information," he said sarcastically as he scrutinized the creature, hoping to match its features with any he had read about in the books.

The beast before him was large, resembling a mammal with thick brown fur covering its entire body. Jack struggled to find the right description. The best he could come up with was "a standing rat." He felt basic, to say the least.

This "rat" had claws as long as a polar bear's protruding from its paws and stood as tall as a large boulder. Its moist snout was visible even from a distance, sniffing the air as it caught the scent of something delicious—Jack.

His heart raced as the beast drew closer, but he took a deep breath and met its gaze indifferently. To his surprise, the beast paused, as if wary of Jack's unexpected confidence.

"I'm limited to flame spells and dark spells, and I only have a few of those," Jack thought, considering his options. He felt lucky to possess two magical cores—a rare gift among mages.

It made him wonder if that was the actual reason why Asriel still managed to weild magical powers later in the future, Jamiel had only succeeded in destroying one core!

But Jack still had the two, keeping him at a higher advantage.

A bonus point!

[Dark Cloak] was the spell that had kept him undetected by his father for five years. It masked his aura and concealed any signs of magic. Yet, as he recalled how he had obtained this gift, he found it annoying that the beast seemed unaffected by its effects.

"I had to press my mother's boobs for this, and it's still useless," Jack mused, flipping through his skill tabs. "It probably has no effect on the beast's natural senses; it sniffed me out from a distance."

Surprisingly, the beast had yet to attack. It simply stood there, staring at him, occasionally opening its maw as if trying to intimidate him.

"Trying to scare me, huh?" Jack smirked, taking a step forward. He moved without fear, boldly approaching the beast.

"I hate gambles, but let's find out," he thought as he inched closer. To his delight, the beast retreated, taking a step back.

Seeing the creature's reaction made a grin cross Jack's face. "I can have this as a free first kill," he thought to himself.

[Dark Blast!] A surge of dark energy erupted from him, gathering in the palms of his fists. The beast turned and dove deeper into the thick forest, startled by his sudden aggression.

Jack fired, but his aim was off, and the blast missed the beast by a hair's breadth. "Come back here, you bastard! You think you can get a free meal?" he yelled, pursuing it.

His anger bubbled over. It was the system's fault he had been forced into this quest, so if he was to kill anything, he would make sure to start with this creature.

The chase intensified as the beast scurried through the underbrush, propelled by its four legs. It initially felt lucky, thinking it had encountered an easy target. The human boy hadn't screamed or run in fear. Instead, he had shown a fierce determination, his earlier fear evaporating, replaced by a murderous resolve.

Which human child chases a beast twice their height? The beast had made a grave mistake. This kid was crazy.

Jack chased relentlessly, a smile creeping onto his face. He could feel something foreign awakening within him—an excitement he had never known in his past life.

Why was he feeling this way? "Is this how kids feel when they chase each other and play hide and seek?" he wondered, feeling his blood pumping with energy.

Rather than fear, he felt exhilarated, and it wasn't just because of the thrill. It was because he was on the verge of his first kill. He was finally going to have a chance to study the beast!

"It's better when they run; it makes it more fun." An overwhelming sense of joy surged through him. He knew it—the beast was going to die, and not just by anyone, but by him!

A surge of black energy connected with the beast's side, causing it to squeal in pain.