Chapter 19: Hunting Horned Rabbits for EXP and Mana Cores!

As Ruby jumped over the grass and the ground and glanced at the huge trees towering towards the sky and covering the forest from sunlight, Frank decided to glance at the Quest that had been generated when he entered the forest.

Ding!

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[Hunt Horned Rabbits!] (Side-Quest)

Grade: F

Gwendolyn has given you the task of catching Horned Rabbits for dinner!

Prove your worth and surprise her with your talent! If you do, you might increase your relationship with her and Annabelle and Cathyl!

However, a single rabbit will not do, impress her with ten!

Hunt ten Horned Rabbits! 0/10

Mission Rewards: A Small Amount of EXP, Increased Affection with Gwendolyn, Annabelle, and Cathyl, 10 App Points.

Mission Failure: Affection with Gwendolyn, Annabelle, and Cathyl reduced.

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"Oh? I see how it is… Even things as relationships are treated through some kind of game-like element, is it? Sigh… Well, I think I found out the way I will be able to complete the other quest that can unlock the App Shop for me" said Frank as he moved away from the holographic window and stretched his arms, glancing at his surroundings.

"Ruby, come here girl, let's go explore and hunt some meat, I can give you a rabbit when I complete the quest," said Frank, as Ruby stopped sniffing the trees as she rushed towards his side like a loyal puppy, although she was enthusiastic and energetic, she did not seem to be disloyal, and would obey simple orders or requests such as staying at Frank's side.

"Grawr!" she said, as Frank and Ruby set into a small exploration around the forest.

As they walked around, a question arose inside Frank's head.

"Wait, how do I even use a spear?" he thought.

He had never used weapons before, and he was now walking leisurely with a spear, a magic spear, as if nothing.

How would be able to use it without proper mastery? Will he simply try to stab the rabbit?

Did Gwendolyn assume that he knew how to handle a weapon, or did she thought that even someone without mastery over it would be able to kill a monster as weak as a Horned Rabbit?

"I will just try and… stab the little creatures. Ugh, now I feel a bit bad about what I am going to do. But is better to think that they are simply monsters from a game… as long as disassociate my morality from what I am about to do, I should be fine…" thought Frank, as he prepared himself to take the life out of the little monsters.

Although Frank had traveled around the world with his mother, he never developed particular psycho tendencies, nor he enjoyed taking away the life of little animals for pleasure… He had also never experienced hunting animals, aside from fishing once with his uncle.

"As long as… If I think they are fish, maybe it is okay for my head? Man, it's hard to set my mind on the task, Earth's society nurtured me into a sensitive baby" Frank said nonchalantly, he seemed to have a great sense of self, to the point of realizing how much of a baby he was being at this moment.

"Grawr!" said Ruby.

"Maybe if I leave everything to you I won't nasty my hands and I won't feel as guilty afterward? No… I cannot let you do everything, Ruby. If I want to grow strong, I have to hunt them on my own. Though I do not mind getting your help in the task. I hope that these Rabbits give me Experience Points, just gaining from Quest will make leveling too hard, and I do not even know what my level cap is even… Will I be a farmer my entire life? I hope not…" said Frank.

He passed through an odd-shaped tree, finding a small clearing inside the forest, where a pair of cat-sized rabbits with gray fur, crimson eyes, and a long, five-centimeter-long horn in the middle of their foreheads were feeding in the large bright, green-colored grass.

"Horned Rabbits… They look like… just rabbits but with a horn… Okay, calm down. I think I can do this…" muttered Frank as he glanced at Ruby who had fallen silent and still, as she saw the rabbits as her prey s well.

"Grawr…" groaned Ruby in silence.

"Okay, this is the plan, slowly walk around the trees and surround spook the rabbits, I will try to catch at least one with my spear, go it, Ruby?" asked Frank as Ruby seemingly understood his words perfectly through the bond they possessed.

Ruby slightly nodded as she did just as Frank told her, appearing right behind the rabbits and roaring while throwing flames from her mouth, spooking the rabbits as they hastily escaped from her through the direction where Frank was hiding.

"Now!" said Frank, jumping out of the bushes and finding the rabbit right in front of him!

"Here goes nothing!" said Frank, using his Mana and infusing it into the spear as it momentarily turned lighter, pointing the tip right towards the rabbit with great speed, just barely surpassing that of the Horne Rabbit at his left, while the other managed to escape in time.

Clash!

"Gyyyhh…!"

The Rabbit released a small cry as it died almost instantaneously, the spear had crossed right through its neck, a swift death which Frank, who had no mastery over the spear at all, managed to do.

Ding!

[You acquired a Small Amount of EXP!]

It seemed that killing monsters did net experience points, but the amount of one rabbit was not enough to level up yet.

"Sorry," said Frank, feeling a bit bad but deciding to move such thoughts away, he was reaching seventeen years old already, and such things should not cloud his mind any longer as it would make him weak and immature.

"Grawr!"

Ruby ran towards Frank as she opened her jaws towards the rabbit, however, Frank touched the Horned Rabbit's corpse just before that, teleporting it inside of his Inventory.

"Wait! Ruby, you should not try to eat it! I told you that I will give you one when we reach home, okay? Be a good girl and endure, for now, I will make sure to compensate you well enough" said Frank with a mild smile, petting Ruby as she groaned in an understanding tone.

"You learn very fast, good girl, good girl," said Frank, relieving the slight guilt on his heart by giving a bit of love to Ruby.

"Though, I want to do something before continuing…" muttered Frank as he recalled the rabbit corpse back, this time Ruby only endured as she averted her gaze from the corpse and glanced at the surroundings instead.

"This is a bit gross, but I have to try…" Frank said as he used the blade of the spear to open the stomach of the rabbit and inserting his hand inside, he moved it around the slimy and bloody innards until he felt a hard, non-bony structure inside the corpse.

"Is this it?"

Grabbing the piece, Frank pulled it out with great strength, as it seemed to be stuck into the monster's veins and flesh. However, such a disgusting task gave Frank a nice surprise.

"A Horned Rabbit Mana Core…" he said, glancing at the purple-colored crystal covered in blood, which shined brightly when it received the light of the sun.

However, as Frank thought about what to do with it, such as uses in alchemy, a sudden system window popped out of thin air in front of his sight.

Ding!

[Mana Core has been Detected, do you want to absorb it?]

[>Yes No]

"Absorb…? What do you mean by absorbing? I don't have any Skill that absorbs things!" said Frank in surprise, as the System, which would often not answer questions, decided to answer this one as it was related to the System itself.

[As the World Traveler, Frank James, you are capable of absorbing the energy of the worlds you travel into, this is an effect of the 'World's Traveler Body' Skill]

[Mana Cores are a type of energy that exist in the world of Terra, but crystallized]

[Absorbing it will grant you benefits, it is recommended to do so if possible]

Ding!

[Mana Core has been Detected, do you want to absorb it?]

[>Yes No]

"I… So it is a part of the World's Traveler Body Skill… now that I recall it, it did had such a description about letting me use any energy from the worlds I traveled into… So I suppose these Mana Cores are considered one, huh? Very well then, Gwendolyn said that I could keep them, so let's absorb this one for now. YES" said Frank.

Flash!

Suddenly, the Mana Core in Frank's hand shined brightly, becoming particles of magic that entered inside of his body through his hand.

"This…"

Frank felt the slight amount of mana fill him, giving him great vigor.

Ding!

[Mana Core absorbed!]

[Mana Core Creation can be started after the required amount of Mana Cores is absorbed]

[Mana Cores absorbed required for Mana Core Creation: 01/20]

"I didn't gain any stats though… but my Mana recovered. And what is this? I can create my own Mana Core if I absorb twenty? Does that mean that… I can actually cultivate in this world then. I wonder what the limits are doing this. And what effect will they have after getting a Mana Core?" wondered Frank out loud, as the System fed his curiosity.

Ding!

[You can only create one Mana Core]

[After creating one, you will be able to increase your Cultivation Rank through absorbing more. However, the more Mana Cores you use, the higher quality ones you will require]

"So I can only create one… Not two as Gwendolyn think I have? But wait, will I be restricted in the magic I can learn…?" wondered Frank.

However, the System did not answer this question whatsoever, he will have to find out on his own whenever he reaches that point.

"Not going to answer now, huh? Fine, Ruby, let's continue"

"Grawr!"

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Author's Note: If you like the story please give any powerstone you could spare, if we reach a nice number there will be bonus chapters at the end of the week, it all depends on you!

Thank you very much for reading!