Hans arrived at the Black Forest he mentioned, and during his exploration, Kuang Xin spotted a little creature covered in black fur, roughly the size of a domestic Golden Retriever.
Not knowing what species it was, but guessing the NPCs probably wouldn't care much as long as it was meat.
So he quietly drew closer while raising his handgun, loaded with all 5 bullets, ready to fire at any moment.
I'm aiming!
Aiming!
Aiming!
Huh? Where's my scope?
Oh~ right, I don't have one...
No crosshairs, no assisted aiming system, it's all manual aiming.
Quite the naughty setting.
But I like it.
It was Kuang Xin's first time interacting with the combat system, and he was excited. Coming to this realistic game world, any exploration was interesting.
Creak~
Creak~
The sound of dry leaves and broken branches crackled underfoot.
When he got to within about 10 meters, the little creature seemed to notice something and began to move its body warily.
Not wanting to disturb it and turn his stationary target into a moving one, Kuang Xin stopped in his tracks and held his breath.
The Black Forest was silent, and he felt as though he could sense the breathing and pulsing of nature itself.
The ground under his feet was soft and muddy, and the moisture in the air could be felt on his exposed skin.
Everything was so real and wonderful.
Taking a deep breath of the slightly moist air, Kuang Xin held the pistol with both hands, aiming at the target in a pose he had seen on TV as best as he could.
"Bang!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Four consecutive shots rang out, the thrill of shooting unmatched.
Low-quality bullets fired through the crude gun barrel with a twist, in the dim light, two splatters of blood could be faintly seen.
-8
-9
[Successful hit on target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +1]
[Currently at Light Firearms Mastery experience 1/100, reach 100 points to master "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization".]
[Dealt 8 damage to the target!]
[...+1]
[Currently at Light Firearms Mastery experience 2/100...]
[Dealt 9 damage to the target!]
The combat information flowed across the panel like water.
But Kuang Xin had no time to pay attention to it, his target information became clearer after successfully hitting it.
[Badger (Wild): Health 33/50; Defensive Power 8; Movement 63%.]
The wild animal's first instinct upon being frightened and injured was to flee, its mobility clearly compromised after unexpected damage to its legs.
Kuang Xin didn't care, the wild forest was calling him, and the branches whipping across his face left bloody marks.
A little pain couldn't stop his pursuit,
Experiencing such a realistic hunt for the first time, he felt like ancient instincts were awakening in his veins.
He chased, it fled, it couldn't fly away.
With the last bullet remaining, Kuang Xin didn't want to use it.
A single bullet only inflicted eight or nine points of damage, and the opponent still had 33 points of health remaining, which meant he needed to get close for the kill.
The small creature took advantage of its petite size to flee through the complex forest, but it couldn't ultimately escape the hunter's pursuit.
Stepping on one of its meaty legs, Kuang Xin used hands and feet, smashing wildly.
He mindlessly threw stones, sticks, and whatever else he could find.
Until the kill notification appeared on the panel.
[Using melee attack hit the target, Close Combat Mastery experience +2, Brute Physique (Unlocked) unlocking progress 4%.]
[Currently at Close Combat Mastery experience 7/100, reach 100 points to master "Level 1 Close Combat Specialization".]
[Dealt 3 damage to the target, health depleted to 0.]
[Target's breathing ceased, basic vital signs lost.]
"Huff~ Huff~"
Kuang Xin breathed a sigh of relief and sat down on the ground.
In the real world, that amount of physical activity would certainly have left him gasping, but although his body didn't feel fatigued now, his spirit felt like it had reached its limit.
However, he didn't sit for two seconds before the damp coolness from the ground soaked through the thin fabric of his pants, and the chill that crept up his spine made him jump up again instantly.
"Not tired."
Kuang Xin shook his arms, as if they didn't belong to him, and spoke with surprise.
Squatting down again, he rummaged through the carcass of the beast, and Kuang Xin got the precise information.
[Badger's Corpse: 15.23 kilograms, collectable items include Fresh Meat Chunks*6~10, Fur*0~1 (determined by the level of "Knowledge: Dissection"). Trait: The body is decaying, please process it quickly.]
[You have completely killed the target and gained 5 experience points in combat.]
"The most I can get is 10 chunks? So I need to kill at least five or six more?"
Not much!
But I need to deal with this one quickly; otherwise, the corpse will be eaten by bacteria and insects, and that's the real trouble.
Dissection?
No clue!
But I've seen people butcher rabbits in reality; the difference shouldn't be too significant.
First step... skinning!
Finding the wound pierced by the bullet, Kuang Xin dug his hand in.
The greasy fat and blood instantly covered his fingers, slippery and unusual.
[You are attempting to perform a dissection; dissecting...]
The linking between the fur and muscle was exceptionally tough; Kuang Xin exerted all his strength but still couldn't tear even a small opening.
[Dissection failed.]
"I refuse to believe this!"
Reaching out to the side, he felt a sharp stone amidst the dead branches and decaying leaves and decided to use brute force to create a miracle.
First expand the wound, then tear it open completely.
Smash smash smash smash!
Tug!
Pull!
Yank!
Rip!
"Huff~ Huff~"
Kuang Xin panted, his breath turning into a mist that slowly dispersed into the air.
Predators attracted by the smell of bodily fluids silently moved in the darkness, skillfully avoiding noisy dead branches…
"Dissection is even more exhausting than killing!"
He barely picked out a few muddy blood-soaked chunks of meat from the bloody mess.
[You have completed one dissection and received Fresh Meat Chunks*4, Dissection Experience +4.]
[Current Dissection Experience 4/100, at 100 points, you will master "Level 1 Dissection."]
Job well done!
"I truly am a genius!"
Kuang Xin wiped the sweat off his face with hands smeared in mud and blood fat, feeling a sense of relief as he weighed the chunks of meat in his embrace.
Feeling a strong sense of accomplishment.
[Fresh Meat Chunk: Can be eaten after simple processing, each piece can restore 5 points of "Action Energy Reserve." Trait: Currently not preserved, continuing to decay rapidly; the fresh scent of blood may attract unknown desires, please handle with caution (Current risk: Extremely low).]
Still decaying?
Damn it!
First, I'll submit these chunks! I knew this damned task wouldn't be easy.
As for the risk?
It's said to be extremely low, so I'll just ignore it!
[Carrying weight 4 kilograms, Maximum Movement Speed Reduced 2%.]
Smiling with a face full of satisfaction, Kuang Xin handed the bloodied and sloppy chunks of meat to Hans, despite his filthy appearance.
The mud all over his body, along with those careless bloodstains, made the dried black blood on his smiling face look even more chilling.
Hans stepped back half a step, his eyes filled with wary surprise as he stared at the "madman" before him.
Even for a "wanderer," this guy seemed a bit too careless.
But... he was reliable.
Looking at the muddled flesh in his hand, Hans pursed his lips, feeling a slight prick of conscience. Hesitating, he pulled out a small knife from behind and handed it to Kuang Xin.
"It seems you used a very primitive method to get this raw meat. Take this knife; it might make things easier for you in the future."
With the aid of a tool, this fool could work more efficiently for him.
His conscience settled instantly as he thought about how considerate he was being for others.
[Because of your outstanding performance, you have received an early item reward for the task "Winter Provisions."]
[Rusty Small Knife — Quality: Grey (Light Weapon)]
[Basic Parameters: Blade Attack Power (Type: Slashing): 3~5; Output Level 5; Durability 9/10]
[Usage Requirement: None.]
[Trait: Lacking polish, Attack Power -1; lacking oil, blade rusting, if it hits a wound, it might carry some additional special effects...]
I got equipment!
Holding the small knife in his hand, Kuang Xin's face lit up with ecstasy.
The decision to return and hand over the task items first was absolutely the right one.
Woohoo! Take off!