"I'll give it a shot."
Leo reached for an arrow and nocked it with practiced calm. Another black rat had peeked out from the underbrush—glossy, twitching, unaware of its fate.
He wasn't just hunting now. He was testing a theory.
Last time, killing a beast had given him experience. Now, he needed confirmation. And this little rodent, dumb and still, was practically a gift.
This time, his movements were fluid, refined. No nerves. No distractions. As soon as the arrow met the string, Leo entered that focused headspace—clear as still water.
Thwip.
The arrow whistled through the air, a flash of silver in the sunlight—then struck with a sickening thwack, drilling straight through the rat's skull and nailing its squirming body to the dirt like a pinned leaf.
Another perfect headshot.
"Nice!" someone breathed behind him, awestruck.
----------------------
+1 Experience point
----------------------
Leo exhaled slowly. Bingo. That confirmed it—killing beasts earned him experience. Not much, but it was something.
He glanced at his Status Panel.
----------------------
Skill: Basic Archery – Lv.4 (6%)
— Trait: Reinforce Body Lv.4
— Trait: Iron Arm Lv.4
— Trait: Slowfire Lv.4
— Trait: Mounted Aim Lv.2
----------------------
Two percent gain in skill proficiency, all from a single shot.
"Decent return," he murmured to himself. "Definitely better than target practice."
One of the hunters came over and lifted the dead rat by the tail, grinning. "Look at this slick little thing—glossy and fat. That shot, Leo? Clean as hell."
"Dead-on through the skull. Not even the Wells brothers could've pulled off a streak like that," another added.
"Yeah, kid. You've got a talent."
The compliments flowed easily, but Leo just smiled, modest and quiet. He knew it was half flattery, half shock. Still, it felt… good.
"Alright, let's move," Grant called out, nodding to Leo with a proud smile tugging at his lips.
The team pressed onward.
Over the next hour, they encountered more low-tier beasts—some smart enough to flee at the first snap of a twig, others too slow or too bold. Leo handled each one as it came. Arrow after arrow found its mark.
By the time they slowed their pace, they'd added another two black rats and a plump prairie hare to the haul.
"That's got to be nearly two hundred pounds total," someone whistled.
"Closest we've had to a real haul since the last horned charger. What was that—three hundred pounds? Fed the whole village for days."
"If those bastards from Ravenshade Hold hadn't stolen yesterday's prey, we could've hauled in another one."
The moment the name was spoken, the warmth in the air cooled.
Briggs cast a glance at the speaker. "Let it go. Today's not half bad either."
"Yeah, thanks to Leo."
Everyone murmured their agreement and quickly moved past the sour memory. But Leo noticed the shadows that lingered in their eyes.
What if we run into them again? he thought. What then?
Give up the prey, or… fight.
He didn't like either option.
'I need to get stronger,' he told himself, his earlier pride settling into quiet resolve.
"That's enough for today," Grant announced. "Too much blood on the air and we'll have wolves sniffing at our heels."
"Yeah, and plains wolves don't mess around. Nasty buggers."
"I can't believe we're already heading back. Feels unreal," someone chuckled.
"Best kind of dream," Briggs added with a grin.
Leo nodded along. He didn't mind ending early. Better to survive and return stronger next time.
They hoisted their kills and began the trek home.
"You did good, kid," Briggs said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Whole thing's thanks to you. We'd probably be empty-handed otherwise."
"You're giving me too much credit," Leo said with a small laugh. "If you all hadn't spotted them, I wouldn't have had anything to shoot."
"Modest, too," Briggs chuckled. "I like this one."
The team laughed together, easier now, the tension broken.
Half an hour passed in light conversation, when someone squinted ahead.
"Charger!"
All eyes snapped forward.
Roughly thirty meters out stood a massive horned horse, muscles taut under its sleek hide. It raised its head and stared directly at them, bold and unafraid.
"It sees us."
"No shit. Look at it. That thing knows we can't catch it. Ballsy bastard."
"Yeah, wait till we step forward—it'll bolt like lightning."
Frustrated muttering spread through the group.
Leo's fingers twitched.
"What if I shoot it? Just for fun?"
The group turned to him.
He wasn't expecting to land the shot. But if he did? Jackpot.
"Go for it."
"All yours, Leo."
Leo sucked in a breath and slowly drew an arrow from his quiver. His fingers trembled for a split second—but the moment he nocked it to the string, something clicked. His vision narrowed, his heartbeat faded to a whisper, and all that remained in the world was the horned charger, standing thirty meters ahead.
Thwip!
The arrow screamed through the air.
At the very last second, the charger twisted—dodging cleanly.
"Close!"
"Damn thing's too quick. Fastest of the low-tier beasts for a reason."
Even Grant groaned in disappointment. One heartbeat slower, and that beast would've been theirs.
The charger turned and began to sprint—powerful hooves pounding the earth.
But just as it began to escape, a second arrow cut through the air.
Then a third.
The second struck its shoulder, staggering it. The third slammed into its gut and pinned it to the ground.
The beast let out one last screech—then collapsed.
"Holy—!"
Briggs didn't finish.
Leo stood there, chest heaving, heart slamming in his ribs.
Three arrows. In less than five seconds.
His body ached. His breath came in gulps. But the charger was down.
He did it.