Hunt

Chapter 10

"Arghhh, unlucky!" exclaimed an ordinary-looking youth as he lifted an empty wooden trap, devoid of any catch.

"Why aren't any of my traps working?" Ray frustratedly complained. It had been two hours since he woke up in the morning, and the young man had been inspecting the traps he had set the previous night.

Armed with the knowledge acquired from Earth, Ray confidently set up his traps. He believed that his experience watching survival videos in his past life would prove useful here. However, as he gazed at the ineffective trap in front of him, Ray couldn't help but sigh helplessly.

After reassembling the empty trap, Ray lazily made his way back to his camp. The ordinary young man had been too eager to check his traps and had skipped breakfast since waking up.

Ray had anticipated enjoying his first catch as breakfast, but unfortunately, things didn't always go as planned. Consequently, he settled for reheating the leftovers from the previous night's meal.

Once he finished his breakfast, Ray decided to explore the surrounding area to familiarize himself with the terrain. As he ventured, he collected random objects while mapping the surroundings. This activity helped ease his frustration over the unsuccessful trap.

Nonetheless, Ray exercised caution while gathering materials, ensuring he didn't come into contact with anything potentially poisonous despite its harmless appearance.

...

"Huhhhh, my body feels so tired! How could I be exhausted after just three hours of light walking?" Ray complained as he sat in front of his tent.

Ray had just completed a circuit around the forested area. Initially, he was perplexed by the topography and ecosystem, but after some trial and error, he began to grasp its overall layout.

The forest bordering the west wall of the city resembled a magical taiga forest. While similar to Earth's forests, the fauna and flora in this area possessed unique magical characteristics, likely a result of the profound changes that had befallen the world.

Ray was amazed to encounter brightly colored foxes, rabbits perched on trees, and many other peculiar sights. Although he desired to continue exploring, his small stature and empty stomach hindered his ambitions.

With that in mind, the ordinary young man proceeded to cook a simple lunch using the ingredients he had stored in his spatial ring, along with a few random items he had gathered earlier.

After finishing his meal, Ray returned to the forest. This time, his intention was not merely to acquaint himself with the environment but to hunt.

After the humiliation of his previous trap's failure, Ray devised an alternative strategy. He walked with purpose, clutching the modern bow he had purchased, along with other useful items.

The ordinary young man was now prepared for combat. In addition to the bow in his hand, Ray carried a tactical sword of moderate length and a modular spear that could be disassembled into three parts, secured on his back.

"It didn't take long for Ray to spot his hunting target—a rabbit larger than a cat, happily grazing on grass in a particular area. Although it resembled an Earth rabbit, this one was no smaller than a dog and had spiral-patterned horns, which left Ray even more astonished.

"Huhhhh, what a fantastical world!" Ray exclaimed in amazement. With his left hand raised, Ray steadied the bow and arrow, focusing on his breathing. His careful and poised stance revealed his practice and knowledge from Earth's survival videos.

Remaining still for a while, Ray's right-hand finger, pulling the bowstring, suddenly jerked before releasing it.

"Splat!"

With that, the arrow shot swiftly toward the fat rabbit, prompting a sweet smile to spread across Ray's face. The young man had successfully claimed his prize.

"Swoshhhh!"

Just as Ray expected his arrow to hit the rabbit's head, a peculiar vibration resonated through the bunny's adorable ears. After a moment, something unexpected happened before Ray's eyes.

"Ting!"

"Boom!"

The rabbit gracefully leaped, perfectly timed with the arrow embedding itself in the ground where the rabbit had stood moments ago. Ray felt irritated by this turn of events but swiftly adjusted his approach.

Once again, the young man drew his bow and rapidly shot at the rabbit without any hesitation, determined not to give the creature a chance.

"Swoosh!"

Observing the arrows in flight, Ray concentrated, hoping to avoid the impatience that had plagued him earlier.

"Ting!"

"Boom!"

Despite Ray's best intentions, the rabbit defied gravity, hopping through the air as if the atmosphere were a solid matter that served as a springboard.

Upon witnessing this, Ray's eyes narrowed, and his brows furrowed. He simply refused to accept it!

With determination, the ordinary young man advanced, brandishing his tactical sword, ready to strike down the fat rabbit. However, before Ray could deliver a blow, the rabbit leaped into the air several dozen times, finally perching on a not-so-tall tree.

Ray, witnessing this spectacle, couldn't help but be stunned.

"No wonder I saw numerous rabbits perched on trees along the way!" Ray exclaimed, enlightened by this revelation.

Initially perplexed by the sight of rabbits in trees, Ray never expected to witness such a miraculous phenomenon. Although still frustrated, Ray displayed a hint of forgiveness, realizing that his previous logical framework needed some adjustments after transmigrating to this world.

...

"Arghhh, unlucky! Is my first camp going to be this disastrous?" Ray shouted in frustration.

Several hours had passed since Ray's encounter with the flying rabbit. Despite coming across similar fat bunnies, Ray had been unsuccessful in capturing the horned rabbit, no matter what he tried.

Ray had inadvertently strayed far from his camp into the depths of the western forest.

"Scream... Scream..."

As Ray wearily made his way back to the camp, he faintly heard a peculiar sound emanating from a particular location. Though not particularly loud, the sound was distinct in the otherwise tranquil forest.

Curiosity piqued, Ray moved toward the source of the sound.

"Ahhh, shit! I take back what I said earlier!" Ray exclaimed, disbelief evident in his voice.

Ray's excitement grew as he discovered what lay before him. Suspended in the air was the familiar fat rabbit, thrashing about uncontrollably. Numerous wounds marred its curled-up body, indicating that the rabbit had fallen prey to someone else's trap.

Without hesitation, Ray swiftly approached the scene.

Upon closer inspection, Ray couldn't help but be amazed. The trap that ensnared the fat rabbit was a barely visible web, so thin that Ray wouldn't have noticed it had he not come closer. Surprisingly, the web appeared sturdy despite its delicate appearance, reminiscent of a fishing line.

"It seems this net is an abandoned nest," Ray muttered.

Such thoughts were plausible for an ordinary youth, given the net's extensively damaged state and the absence of any human traces in the area.

Fortunate circumstances led the rabbit to become ensnared in the relatively intact portions of the net. However, the net's lifespan seemed to be coming to an end, and the rabbit might break free after a few attempts.

Acting decisively, Ray exerted great effort to secure the dog-sized rabbit. It became apparent that the rabbit had been trapped for quite some time, evident from the numerous wounds caused by its struggle against the thin yet resilient strands.

While Ray busied himself with securing the rabbits, he suddenly heard faint footsteps.

Initially engrossed in his task, Ray lazily turned his head upon hearing the sound. At first, he wasn't concerned. However, as he laid eyes on the source of the approaching voice, goosebumps prickled his skin, and a bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck.

A dozen pairs of menacing eyes fixated on Ray intently.