Once there was this old saying,

'Time wait for no man'

And, that is right. The new year party probably still felt like it just yesterday.

But, now it is already in the mid of January.

This is the region of the North so of course, the snow is still as thick as ever.

To tell you the truth, in this region. The temperature is often so low that winter is counted as half of the year.

What does that mean for a blacksmith like me?

Well, it doesn't mean much.

But, for a farmer like Ben, it means basically his life.

Harvest can only be done once a year and if the harvest is bad it would affect them for the years to come.

So what would we do if this kind of situation happens?

Well, we should cover it through another means.

Cut your spending or use another way to get money.

Right now I'm helping ben in the North West forest to hunt for some animal.

If we are lucky we could catch deer and rabbits and if we are not there is always a plan b, like fishing.

The chain works great so why we don't catch another mountain bear?

Well because Ben already catches 4 of them over these past few months, if we catch more than this the population of another apex predator would rise like a wolf for example, on the other hand, the existence of apex predators like a bear is more beneficial for us. It will hunts another predator and monster for half of the year and spending the other half sleeping, so, less pain to deal with.

Unlike the other apex predator.

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On my hand, there is a simple wooden bow and a knife.

The same is true for Ben, this is the standard tool for hunting animals. 

It won't hinder your mobility so you can focus on chasing the animal or if in the time of need, run from more dangerous monsters.

In addition to that, I also created a bracelet with 2 layers of strengthening.

If it's only this much I could create ten of these things before exhausting myself.

It won't help much for fighting, but, my purpose is to help us caring stuff and run away from monsters. So, this much is more than enough.

Speaking of monsters what is the difference between monsters and the regular animal?

It is that, unlike the regular animals. Monsters contain magic stones within their bodies. The size and color may vary between species but one thing that is for sure, these 'stones' can not be found on regular animals.

Is a monster with humanoids form exist?

If a monster has enough magical energy it can turn into another form including humanoids.

But, if it's monsters with human-like features from the start, that kind of monster is none existence, well, except for undead, but undead doesn't have magic stones though so, yeah, I guess there is an exception...

But that is a topic for another day.

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"Well, we are not so lucky today, huh?"

"Yup, only 4 regular rabbits and one of this horned rabbit."

"Remember, we have a deal."

"Yeah, yeah. The magic stone will be yours, right? 

Well, for now, the only one who has the magic stone is the horned rabbit though."

"But, only 5 rabbits huh... Are you sure this alone can sustain your family? It's not like tomorrow will be better you know ?"

"Don't worry if this wasn't enough my big sister and my mother is fishing some fish and my father also hunting on his own so there will be no problem."

"I see. Good for you then."

"But this bracelet really helps a lot. We could go deeper into the forest than our usual hunting grounds."

"Well, I created this with that in mind. The deal is to 'help' you, after all, I won't do something half-heartedly."

"Well, then you sure help a lot."

"Heh, you're welcome."