Chapter 14: Looking For Small Prey And Finding Big Prey Instead (1/2)

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At last! Time to hunt.

I really could not deny that I was rather nervous.

I have not walked out of the cave other than a few meters to grab some grass, so I have become rather accustomed to my little cave home.

I guess my shut-in nature was kicking in there, even in my previous life I really didn't like to go out that much.

Well, and when I finally went out after a month of staying at home, I was buried in an avalanche.

Maybe I was right all along? I should have stayed in my home!

Ugh.

Well, that is the past.

I may come back here whenever I get some food, so I am not saying farewell or something.

Alright, time to get going.

I slowly walk out of the cave, my paws gently touch the snow, as I begin to stealthily walk around.

By using Camouflage (which costs 1 Mana every minute), I can camouflage in the snow a bit, but I am sure that a monster with enough perception (such as a freaking wolf) might detect me anyways, so I have to be extra cautious.

My Mana regeneration is pretty good, I regenerate 10 Mana every minute, so I can keep up the camouflage skill indefinitely, but it is not like I become completely invisible through it, it only gives me a slight help in being less discernible while walking through snow.

I make sure to lower my head and thank the gods that I am small, so it is even harder to see my figure.

After a few minutes of sniffing around and trying to find something, I reach the pine tree forest.

This place…

I really do not want to get in.

I am sure as hell that there are wolves here and bears too, I hear both of these creatures roar through the days I spent in the cave.

If I meet one… I do not know what can happen, I am not sure of the power of a wolf nor a bear, but I am sure that I could escape (or maybe win) against one wolf, but not against a pack of them.

And a bear… no, I am definitely dead, I would have to escape for my life with everything I have.

Maybe I should surround it instead.

…Yes, this is safer.

I begin to walk around the forest, but it seems that I will not be able to surround it so easily, it's a giant forest, surrounded by the peaks of these enormous mountains.

I think I was born in the biggest one there, and from a cliff is where I fell here.

To cross this ”hole” as I call it, I have to either surround the forest (which will take way longer) or cross it directly (where I risk my life a lot).

Both options are bad, but I prefer the one where I could die out of starvation than dying by being eaten alive, thank you very much.

…Well, it is not as if I am completely safe by surrounding the forest and walking around it.

The forest seems to be surrounded by the mountains, so it is enclosed with three natural walls.

I was in the cave at the back of the forest, and now I am walking to the left, surrounding this giant forest.

The snow is fluffy, and it barely makes a sound when I touch it, also, it seems that due to being quite light, I do not leave any footprint, which is good.

I use my senses which I enhance a tiny bit with Mana, as I begin to sniff around.

Only the smell of the pine trees and grass, which I munch around as I go.

At least, this can give me some calories, but it is almost nothing, I need a sizable and meaty (if possible) meal.

But this grass is also incredibly bitter, ugh.

Well, whatever.

Hm?

Suddenly, I sense the smell of something.

Something kind of stinky, like the fur of a wild animal.

A rabbit, maybe?

Or a rat?

I quickly move my head upwards, as I begin to analyze everywhere.

</pine>

<snow></snow>

<snow></snow>

</ice>

</pine>

</ice>

</pine>

<snow></snow>

</ice>

<snow></snow>

</ice>

Hmm I see…

Eh?!

I quickly find between the trees I have been evading that a wounded Ice Rabbit is running away while being chased by a Wolf!

An Ice Wolf, to be specific.

This thing is… huge.

Well, I think it has the same size as an adult wolf on Earth.

Maybe a bit bigger.

It is fur is completely blue, and it has two ice horns poking out of its head.

I also had long, sabretooth-like fangs made of ice poking out of its upper jaw.

It is eyes are aquamarine, and it seems concentrated on hunting this rabbit.