That's Where The Best Meat Is

The spiders let out an enraged screech from the other side, its eyes gleaming with hunger, but Raegar pushed on, driven by the raw need to survive. Finally, he hauled himself over the edge and collapsed onto his side, gasping for breath.

His body burned with exhaustion, but for a moment, the only sound was the river rushing beside him. While lying there, he summoned his daggers that appeared in his hands, causing him to smile.

''At least I can't lose these,'' Raegar muttered with a tired smile. ''The enchantment is worth the gold.''

Ten minutes later, he climbed to his feet before scanning his surroundings and noticed it was just more forest. 'It's like something out of the dinosaur books back on Earth.'

But that's when his eyes landed on a massive tree with thick branches, causing him to climb up to one of them. Once he was off the ground, he noticed there was ample space between the branches to set up his tent.

'I'll rest here for now and gather Aether after I've eaten,' he thought while staring at it.

A few moments later, Raegar grabbed several large stones and stuffed them into his magic bag before climbing the tree, ascending until he reached a branch at least twenty meters above the ground.

Once he reached it, he set up the tent Griffin had given him. 'This is big enough for one person,' he thought with a smile. 'Now, to collect some wood.'

Raegar spent some time gathering sticks before returning to the tent. He arranged the stones into a ring, then stacked the wood in the center. Using the remaining Aether, he ignited the pile and slumped down in front of the growing fire, letting its warmth wash over him.

Ten minutes later, he sat up, pulled out a smaller bag, and began rummaging through it. To his delight, he found the bag filled with food. Raegar chose a loaf of bread that smelled heavenly and eagerly ate, savoring each bite.

As he ate, Raegar gazed out over the forest, his ears catching the distant echoes of monster noises that reverberated through the trees. A primal feeling stirred within him as he savored the sweetness of the bread, his mind wandering.

'I wonder what creatures are nearby,' he thought, the sounds heightening his curiosity.

Following that, Raegar put more wood in the fire before pulling out the Monster Compendium and went to the southern part, where he searched for the spiders he fought. A while later, he found out they were Forest Widows and the nests were full of thousands of angry monsters.

This caused him to gulp when finding that out. 'At least I got out of there in one piece.'

Raegar continued reading until the fire died out, forcing him to crawl into the tent with a cup of tea he made. He set up the Everlight Lantern and had it dimmed so he could sleep while hidden.

The following morning, he woke up to a loud roar shaking the tree he was in. Raegar crawled out only to see an Allosaurus-looking monsters passing by, 'There's a dinosaur! This is awesome!' he internally celebrated.

After that, he started to gather while falling into deep meditation and filled up his Aether pools before packing up to continue trekking through the forest while fiddling with the gold plate Vlad the vampire king gave him.

'Where is this Dreadshade Castle? The old man never told me,' he pondered, furrowing his brow.

Moments later, he shrugged, deciding to figure it out as he went. Just then the nearby bushed erupted as Forest Widows lunged out and started attacking Raegar, who yelped. He started dodging their fangs and sharp legs while countering with Lightningfire Blast that incinerated them.

Once the surprise attack was over, he went to work and started slicing the spiders up with his daggers. The black metal carved through the monster's carapaces just before he used Flash Step to clear some space.

Raegar counted ten more than they rushed toward him, but he was quicker. He started jumping around like a rabbit while slicing at the Forest Widows before they all dropped dead when he spammed Stormfire Bullets into their bodies.

As the battle was finished, he suddenly remembered what he read in the compendium, 'The guild buys the fangs, eyes, and cores while maybe spider silk drops.'

Raegar moved swiftly, cutting away the materials he needed from the fallen goblins while keeping an eye out for any valuable silk. As he searched, his gaze landed on two crystal-like objects, each about the size of a tennis ball.

Their shimmering surface reminded him of mana cores from the games he used to play back on Earth. Curious, he picked them up, rolling them in his palm before deciding to store them away for later.

Turning his attention to the Tier One Monster Core, he recognized its faint brown glow, feeling the energy pulsing within. ''Earth Aether,'' he muttered before throwing it into his bag along with the loot. ''Now let's continue.''

Days passed by as he battled with the Forest Widows and fled from the bigger ones that came. To him, it seemed like the nest now held a grudge against him. By the fifth day, he was growing tired of killing spiders, but they soon stopped chasing.

He was sitting on a branch overlooking a giant lake in the middle of the forest while eating some smoked meat that Griffin had given him. Raegar felt his Aether Pools were getting full, which forced him to extend them when he got the chance.

'Tonight, I need to hunt some monster meat before resting,' he mused while finishing his snack.

While sitting there, the water below came to life as a crocodile monster breached the surface and snatched a flying bat. Following that, Raegar jumped up with glowing eyes as the beasts sunk down.

''Swamp Crocodiles,'' he muttered while being careful not to fall in. ''The book says they're Tier Two monsters, but they are too strong for me.''

Afterward, Raegar continued traveling through the forest until coming to a clearing where he spotted a monster he knew thanks to his years of studying, 'Bramblehares, this could be an excellent source of food if I can kill enough,' he internally debated.

They were larger than ordinary rabbits, their fur a deep brown and their eyes glowing an eerie yellow. Some cautiously scanned their surroundings, while others nibbled on the grass, looking like the perfect targets.

After a moment of consideration, he decided to use his Stormfire Bullets to take a few down before using his daggers to kill more. A few seconds later, he readied his spell before popping out and casting his spells.

A dozen reddish bullets sliced through the air and hit a half a dozen Bramblehares just as his blades missed their targets. Raegar got angry but calmed down when seeing the six corpses he ended up gaining.

''Well, that was worth it,' he muttered before collecting all of them as he remembered a lesson with Saki.

***

''Young master! Pay attention now,'' the older cat woman suddenly said, bringing him back to reality.

She gestured toward the rabbit's corpse, carefully explaining which parts were edible and which to discard. Though Raegar felt a bit puzzled, he paid close attention, eager to absorb any knowledge that could prove useful in the future.

He observed as the maid deftly sliced through the rabbit's hide, her movements deliberate. ''We need to skin the creature to access the tender meat underneath,'' she explained.

Following that, Saki handed Raegar a sharp knife, guiding his hand to the rabbit's belly. ''Start here,'' she instructed. ''Make a shallow cut along the stomach. Too deep, and you'll puncture the organs. We don't want that.''

He nodded, carefully sliding the blade as she directed, causing the cat woman to smile proudly as she spoke. ''Good. Now, use your fingers to separate the skin from the muscle. It should peel away if you're gentle but firm. Like this.''

She demonstrated on one side, her hands steady, then watched as he mirrored her movements on the other side. ''Not bad,'' Saki said, her eyes glinting with approval. ''You've got steady hands. Once the hide is off, we'll cut away the legs. That's where the best meat is.''

Raegar followed her instructions, the process slow but satisfying. ''This is harder than it looks,'' he admitted.

Saki chuckled softly. ''It gets easier with practice. Soon you'll be able to do this in your sleep.''

***

After storing away the Bramblehare bodies, Raegar resumed his journey through the forest. Along the way, he successfully hunted a few Forest Stags, carefully harvesting their skins, meat, and antlers.

These resources would fetch a good price at the castle, and he felt a sense of satisfaction at his growing haul as he muttered to himself, ''It won't be much, but it's free coins, so I won't complain.''

Raegar stumbled upon a massive tree perched near a rushing river and made it to his home base while he continued gathering loot. The location offered both a commanding view and a sense of security.

However, his food supply was dwindling, aside from the monster meat he had been carefully storing in his magic bag for emergencies.

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