Chapter 55: Meat with a Nutty Aroma

Ren raised his bow. The bird perched on the branch ahead looked small at first glance, but its feathers were vividly colored.

Whoosh!

Flap flap flap!

He released the arrow, but it didn’t seem to hit. A whole flock of birds suddenly took off, streaking through the air like a band of light.

“Missed… And those feathers were so pretty. …But maybe it was too small… Probably not a Rainbow-Tail Feather Bird—maybe those were Prism Finches…”

▪️ Prism Finch

Traits: A small bird-type magical beast, about the size of a sparrow. Its feathers reflect rainbow colors like gemstones.

When flying in a flock, they appear like a streak of light.

Temperament: Highly cautious, moves in groups.

Muttering to himself as he recalled the description, Ren put away the item box containing the small fang rat and looked around.

“Chirp chirp…”

He heard birds calling. Burying a marker item box at his feet, he started walking toward the sound.

He spotted movement on a tree branch and quickly fired an arrow.

Thud.

“Gii!”

Even as he released the arrow, he already knew it wasn’t a bird-type monster.

What fell from the tree, writhing, was a squirrel-like creature with light brown fur and a large tail.

“Nuts Squirrel… that’s the one with meat that smells like nuts, right? I think…”

▪️ Nuts Squirrel

A large squirrel-type magical beast that grows by eating mana-infused nuts.

Its meat has a faint nutty aroma.

Although he was supposed to be hunting bird-type magical beasts this time, he couldn’t help thinking about food. The description of “meat with a nutty aroma” had stuck with him, and he had wanted to try it at least once.

“It doesn’t look like a nut… but… it’s probably a Nuts Squirrel. Probably…”

Since all he knew was that it was a large squirrel-type monster, he wasn’t entirely sure. Still, he went through the usual routine—placing it into the item box and finishing it off.

Rustle rustle…

He heard branches shaking above him. Hoping it might be a bird, he looked up—just as something dropped down.

What he saw was a long, spiky creature about as thick as a child’s arm.

“GYAAAH!”

Ren yelped and jumped backward.

It was about half his height in length, a vivid, toxic green with purple spikes growing from its body.

“…A caterpillar-type monster… yeah, no thanks…”

Ren wasn’t completely helpless with bugs, but caterpillars and grubs were something he’d rather avoid. It might yield a magic stone if defeated, but the thought of touching it was just too unpleasant.

Keeping his distance, he stayed alert as he put away the item box containing the Nuts Squirrel. Once he had enough space, he turned and ran.

After starting to run in a panic, he remembered to bury a marker item box.

When he reached a slightly more open area, he let out a deep breath.

“…Does something that big turn into a moth…? That’s terrifying!”

Still wary of his surroundings, he took out a water jug and cup from his item box and drank. He did carry a leather canteen, but he didn’t like the smell when drinking directly from it, so he kept a jug and cup stored away and used those unless it was an emergency.

After gulping down the water, he looked around again.

He had wandered quite far from the paths trampled down by other adventurers. There was no clear trail here, leaving him unsure which direction to go next.