This Isn't a Horse

"That's enough for today. I'm going to take another look around the Southern Forest," Zheng Yichen told Arno. As soon as he heard that, Arno put away the Beast Card.

"It's getting late. If you're staying over there, you'd better bring plenty of supplies."

"Got it."

Zheng Yichen nodded. Now that he knew the details of the commission, he wasn't holding out much hope for it. Still, there was no harm in trying his luck. He'd learned so much new stuff already—wouldn't it be a waste not to put it to use?

Back in the Southern Forest, Zheng Yichen looked over the woods shrouded in thick fog and set up his tent. There was a temporary camp here, a spot hunters and research institute staff had chosen themselves, so he was taking advantage of their work.

The other hunters weren't very interested in a Novice Hunter like him, but some people from the research institute were. They weren't drawn to his abilities, but to his strong physique.

They chatted with Zheng Yichen and made him all sorts of promises. They said it wasn't easy for a Novice Hunter to make a name for himself without exceptional abilities or an impressive record, like completing a lot of commissions.

As luck would have it, they could help Zheng Yichen build up that kind of record. They could even give him abilities beyond the ordinary. By that point, he knew something was off. He understood what they were after: they'd set their sights on his sturdy body and wanted him to try out some experimental enhancement drugs at their institute...

If Zheng Yichen agreed, the institute would arrange everything right away. They'd even set him up with a series of practical commissions, pitting him against powerful Abnormal Creatures so he could get used to his enhanced body.

It sounded wonderful, but in reality they were looking for a sturdy little lab rat. Those commissions involving Abnormal Creatures were probably just arranged by the researchers to test two sets of data.

The research institute staff left, disappointed. Zheng Yichen yawned, zipped up his tent, and set an alarm on his phone before getting ready to sleep for a while. He planned to take a look around the forest's outskirts in the second half of the night. Maybe he'd find something.

Later that night.

After waking, Zheng Yichen packed up and left the temporary camp. Even in the dead of night, the camp was lively, with fires and lanterns burning. A few night-owl hunters were up and about, and none of them thought twice about Zheng Yichen leaving.

Zheng Yichen planned to check out a less crowded area. Abnormal Creatures weren't all mindless—except for the ones whose brains had been transformed into something else by their mutations.

With so many people around, the Abnormal Creatures definitely wouldn't show up here. Judging from the brief information in the commission he'd taken from the bartender, the victims had all been people out on picnics. Thinking about the temporary camp, picnicking nearby should actually be pretty safe, right?

It was just that the recent picnickers had been unlucky enough to run into an Abnormal Creature that charged in headfirst. It ignored the nearby camp and attacked people some distance away, then escaped the hunters pursuing it.

From what he'd heard, the thing probably wasn't stupid. It had to be either exceptionally fast or exceptionally tough.

Zheng Yichen wasn't expecting much from this late-night excursion. He'd be happy to run into even some small Abnormal Creatures and use them to replenish his condition. After all, his skin had already begun to show faint signs of "withering."

The marks were subtle, but if he could help it, he wanted his skin to stay in peak condition. It wasn't vanity. Once those signs of withering appeared, it was like having a countdown clock hanging around his neck.

It wasn't a clock that told the time. It showed how much life he had left. That was a deeply unpleasant thought. His body withering meant the clock had started ticking.

As Zheng Yichen crept through the dark, he suddenly thrust out the Fishing Rod in his hand. He hooked a dark shape as it sprang up. Zheng Yichen took one look and gave a small, disappointed pout. It was a rabbit, an ordinary one. The blood of an Abnormal Creature could be absorbed through his skin.

Ordinary creatures were no use that way. Of course, if one was pierced by the Black Gun created by his abnormal ability, he could still "drain its blood." That just wouldn't do him any good. He might as well roast the thing instead of draining it dry.

Thinking about food made him a little hungry. He found a spot, dug a hole, and started a fire. He'd never prepared a rabbit before, but the general idea was to skin it and remove the innards. He also had seasoning, a gift from Hunter Arno when Zheng Yichen left the Twilight Chapel.

Now it would come in handy.

The aroma of roasting meat spread through the night. Zheng Yichen swallowed, and as soon as the meat was just about done, he dug in. The taste was merely ordinary, but there was something about eating food you'd cooked yourself that made it taste better.

Halfway through his meal, Zheng Yichen heard a faint sound. At first, he was puzzled. But when he looked toward it, a gray horn appeared in his field of vision, followed by the sound of fabric tearing.

Zheng Yichen hurriedly dodged the attack. He looked down at the torn fabric over his side. The gray horn had grazed his skin, leaving a shallow but noticeable gash. Blood ran from the wound.

Zheng Yichen stared at the grayish... horse? No, it was probably a mule. He was a little disappointed. He'd thought it might be the legendary unicorn, but it wasn't even a donkey. One thing was certain: it definitely wasn't a horse!

The Unicorn Mule parted its lips slightly and stuck out a sinister, snake-like tongue. It was over half a meter long. It licked the blood smeared on its horn, then ignored the half-eaten roasted rabbit on the ground and stared straight at Zheng Yichen.

"...It tastes better cooked." Watched by the Unicorn Mule, Zheng Yichen cautiously backed away two steps. The Unicorn Mule walked several steps toward him, making it clear that it wanted to eat its food raw. It also happened to position itself between Zheng Yichen and the Backpack on the ground.

The shotgun was over by the Backpack.

The thing was surprisingly clever. Zheng Yichen immediately let go of the Fishing Rod in his hand. A layer of black material quickly spread over its surface. When other people were around, the Black Gun was packed inside the Fishing Rod, but the rod's shape made it awkward to use.

When no one was around, he could just wrap the Fishing Rod in it, which also saved him some effort.

Hiss—

A snake-like hiss came from the Unicorn Mule's mouth. It charged at Zheng Yichen with incredible speed, its hissing carrying a force that could affect the mind.

Zheng Yichen didn't know enough to tell whether it was a native Abnormal Creature, but the hissing didn't affect him much.

He pulled out the Hand Cannon the Gun Store owner had recommended and fired at the Unicorn Mule's head. A shotgun wasn't easy to carry in his pocket, but this thing was!