West Forest, near the Rock Cave entrance.
As the sun began to set, long shadows were cast across the forest.
Scrape, scrape.
Rina skillfully wielded the 'Standard Steel Sickle' she had pulled from her waist. It was a cheap tool she bought for two silver coins at the general store, but perhaps because she had sharpened it well, it was more than enough to scrape off the moss.
"This is Moonlight Moss. It glows softly at night, so it's popular as an alchemy ingredient. I've already gathered this much!"
Rina packed the collected moss tightly into a glass bottle and closed it with a cork stopper. Then, she opened the worn leather bag hanging at her waist.
From the outside, it looked like an ordinary shoulder bag that would be full after putting in a few books, but the inside was different.
[Spatial Expansion Magic (Low Rank)]
[Capacity: Approx. 3.3m² (1 Pyeong)]
[Weight Reduction Rate: 70%]
It was Rina's Treasure No. 1, purchased with money she had gathered through blood, sweat, and tears over three years as an adventurer. Although it was only the size of a tiny closet room, the difference between having it and not was like heaven and earth.
"Heave-ho. Is it about half full now? The harvest is good today."
While Rina was beaming and arranging the glass bottles in the corner of the bag, Pero was sitting on a rock, yawning.
He thought it was a peaceful evening...
[System: WARNING!]
[Hostile lifeform detected.]
[Distance: 500m... 450m... Approach speed is extremely fast!]
Pero's ears perked up.
'What the? What is this speed? It's definitely not a rabbit.'
A bloody scent carried on the wind. Pero's senses pierced through the forest. One beast was rushing madly with its red fur fluttering.
[Target: Red-Maned Wolf (C-Rank)]
[Status: Extremely Starved]
'C-Rank? They said only D-Rank and below appear around here. The intel was wrong.'
Pero clicked his tongue. The beast, which was 500 meters away, closed the distance to 300, then 200 meters in an instant. Rina, busy organizing the moss, hadn't noticed anything.
'Should I step up and intercept it? No, if I do that, Rina might faint from shock.'
But if he stayed still, Rina would be bitten.
After contemplating, Pero decided to choose the most 'natural' method.
Rustle!
The bushes 100 meters ahead shook violently. Only then did Rina sense something was wrong and looked up.
"Huh...? What's that sound?"
ROAR!
Bursting through the bushes was a red wolf as big as a house. Without stopping, it accelerated and rushed toward Rina.
"Grrrrrr!"
"Hiek?! R-Red-Maned Wolf?!"
Rina's face turned pale. It was too sudden an ambush. There was no time to even draw her staff. The wolf had already finished preparing to jump.
The muscles in its hind legs swelled tautly.
"Kuaaang!"
The wolf soared into the air. Rina screamed and threw herself toward Pero, curling up.
'Now.'
Held in Rina's arms, Pero stared straight into the wolf's eyes.
[Skill Activation: Psychokinesis — Ankle Trip]
A hand of transparent mana very gently snatched one of the wolf's front paws floating in mid-air.
It was a very subtle intervention, but combined with the speed of its full sprint, the result was fatal.
"K-Keng?!" (Yelp?!)
Lost balance in mid-air, the wolf's body spun around. Missing its landing, it rammed its head straight into the giant boulder standing next to Rina.
CRACK!
A dull sound of impact echoed through the forest. The wolf couldn't even scream; its eyes rolled back as it sprawled on the ground. The foam at its mouth trembled for a moment before going still.
"...?"
Rina, who had squeezed her eyes shut, cautiously opened one eye.
In front of her was a C-Rank monster that had head-butted a rock and fainted (or was on the verge of death from a concussion).
"Uh...? W-What? Did it trip on its own?"
Rina looked back and forth between the wolf and the rock with an unbelieving expression. There was a crack the size of the wolf's head on the rock.
"Oh my god... It must have misstepped because it was too hungry. To think a Red-Maned Wolf could be such a klutz..."
Rina swept her hand over her chest in relief. Then suddenly, her eyes sparkled.
"Wait a minute... This is a C-Rank, right? The fur and magic stone... Isn't this a total jackpot?!"
Fear vanished in an instant, and the fire of capitalism blazed in Rina's eyes. She immediately opened her bag.
"I have to take this no matter what! Tonight's dinner is beef steak!"
Rina grunted as she lifted the unconscious wolf. She shoved the wolf's head into the entrance of the 3.3m² magic bag.
"Get in there... Hiyah! Heave-ho!"
Thanks to the spatial expansion magic, it went in, but the wolf was simply too big.
The bag bulged out as if it were burping.
"Phew... Thankfully, it fit."
Rina wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled proudly. But soon, she looked at Pero at her feet with a troubled expression.
"Umm... Pero."
Rina showed him the inside of the bag. A wolf filled the space so completely that there wasn't even a crack for a mouse to squeeze in.
"As you can see... it's fully booked?"
'...'
"Sorry! It's not far to the village, so shall we go for a walk, Pero? Hmm? It's good exercise too!"
Rina pleaded with her hands together in a cute voice. Pero looked back and forth between the packed bag and Rina's expectant eyes.
'Ha... I caught the wolf to save her, and now my seat is stolen by that very wolf.'
It was absurd, but what could he do? Tonight's menu was 'Beef Steak'.
Pero sighed as if resigned and wagged his tail gently.
"Bark!" (Got it, butler.)
"Kya! Thank you, Pero! You really are a good boy!"
Rina adjusted the now-heavy bag and excitedly took the lead.
Following behind her, trudging along, was a white cotton ball.
Pero's shadow stretched long as he walked under the setting sun.
A D-Rank adventurer hit the jackpot, and the strongest Divine Beast in the world was suddenly forced to do cardio—it was a strangely mixed happy ending.