Aiden looked down at the quest slip in his hand.
**Quest:** Eliminate Five Horned Rabbits
**Quest Rank:** F
**Location:** Greenleaf Farm, three kilometers east of Westhaven
**Reward:** 8 Silver Coins
Below the reward was a short description.
*”A group of Horned Rabbits has been destroying crops and attacking livestock.
Eliminate at least five and report back to the Guild.”*
“…Horned Rabbits?”
Aiden couldn’t help blinking.
After surviving the Forbidden Forest and defeating a terrifying monster near the river, his first official quest sounded…
surprisingly ordinary.
The receptionist noticed his expression and smiled.
“Every adventurer starts somewhere.”
“Don’t underestimate F-Rank monsters.”
“To experienced adventurers, they’re weak.”
“But for ordinary villagers…”
“They’re dangerous enough to ruin an entire harvest.”
Aiden nodded.
“I understand.”
Protecting people wasn’t measured by the strength of the enemy.
It was measured by the lives you saved.
After having his sword sharpened by a nearby blacksmith, Aiden left Westhaven through the eastern gate.
The journey to Greenleaf Farm took less than an hour.
Golden fields stretched across the countryside.
Farmers worked beneath the afternoon sun.
Everything felt peaceful.
Waiting outside one of the farms was a middle-aged man wearing worn work clothes.
The moment he spotted Aiden’s guild badge, relief appeared on his face.
“You’re the adventurer!”
Aiden nodded politely.
“I’m here about the Horned Rabbits.”
The farmer sighed.
“They’ve been eating our vegetables every night.”
“They even injured one of my sheep.”
“If this keeps going…”
“We won’t have enough food to sell this season.”
He pointed toward a small forest nearby.
“Their burrows are just beyond those trees.”
Aiden thanked him before heading inside.
The forest was quiet.
Sunlight filtered gently through the leaves.
Aiden crouched near several fresh footprints.
“But there are many.”
Following the tracks, he soon reached a grassy clearing.
Several white creatures hopped between the bushes.
Each had bright crimson eyes.
And a sharp black horn growing from its forehead.
Without warning…
One noticed him.
Its ears twitched.
Then it charged.
“So that’s a Horned Rabbit.”
Aiden calmly drew his sword.
The monster leaped.
Its horn aimed directly for his chest.
With a single sidestep…
His sword flashed.
The rabbit collapsed before it even touched the ground.
At that exact moment…
A familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
**〈Status〉**
**Horned Rabbit Defeated**
**Experience +95**
**Current Progress to Next Level: 64% → 67%**
Aiden’s eyes widened slightly.
“So experience is shown like this…”
The remaining rabbits scattered into the forest.
Instead of chasing recklessly, Aiden quietly followed their tracks.
One by one…
He found them.
Each battle ended in a single strike.
Nothingness never appeared.
There was no need.
By the time the fifth Horned Rabbit fell…
The familiar notification appeared again.
**〈Status〉**
**Horned Rabbit Defeated**
**Experience +95**
**Current Progress to Next Level: 98% → 100%**
**Level Up!**
**Level 19 → Level 20**
**+5 Free Status Points Awarded**
A warm energy spread through Aiden’s body.
The fatigue from the battles disappeared.
His muscles felt slightly stronger.
His senses became even sharper.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“So this is what leveling up feels like.”
Remembering Gareth’s lessons, Aiden sheathed his sword before kneeling beside the monsters.
“Nothing goes to waste.”
Using his hunting knife, he carefully removed the valuable materials.
The horns.
The hides.
The meat.
Even the small mana cores.
Everything disappeared neatly into his Space Storage.
Not because he wanted to sell everything.
But because every monster deserved to be used properly.
An hour later…
Aiden returned to Greenleaf Farm.
The farmer immediately counted the five horns.
His face brightened.
“You really did it!”
He looked toward his untouched fields and let out a long sigh of relief.
“Our crops are finally safe.”
As promised, he handed Aiden the quest completion certificate.
Then he hesitated before speaking again.
“Most people think Horned Rabbits are just pests…”
He chuckled.
“But their meat is actually considered a delicacy.”
“Restaurants in Westhaven pay good money for fresh Horned Rabbit meat.”
Aiden looked slightly surprised.
“…Really?”
The farmer laughed.
“You’ve still got a lot to learn about this world.”
“If you hunted them properly…”
“You earned more from the meat than the quest itself.”
Aiden silently remembered those words.
Another lesson learned.
As the sun slowly began setting, Aiden walked back toward Westhaven.
The leather pouch containing the quest certificate rested safely inside his cloak.
His first quest had been simple.
No legendary monster.
No great battle.
Just helping a farmer protect his livelihood.
Yet somehow…
That made the accomplishment feel even more real.
Ahead of him, the city walls of Westhaven slowly came into view beneath the golden evening sky.
Tomorrow…
He would submit his very first completed quest.
And take another step forward…
As an adventurer.