Regan, who had been perplexed, gave a small smile at her explanation.

“To receive food made by you as an offering—he’s overflowing with blessings even in death.”

Despite his rough sentiment about the dead Rel, his gaze was relatively softened.

“Now that we’ve given him a funeral, there’s nothing more to do. Having left this world, he won’t feel hunger anymore.”

“Well, even if he’s not hungry, it’s meant for him to enjoy something tasty on his journey. There’s probably nothing but rotten bones to be found inside this Rift, right?”

Haniel poked Regan with her elbow, wearing a playful smile.

For some reason, though it shouldn’t have hurt, he looked down at her for a moment with an indescribable expression, as if something deep in his chest had been stabbed.

“That’s… true. I think you’re right.”

…Which part of what Haniel said had moved Regan?

As they left that place and walked beyond the cave, she constantly felt Regan’s gaze fixed on her.

At first, she thought he might want cookies, but when she looked back, wondering if perhaps he wanted to mate again, there was Regan with strange eyes that sparkled purely without such intent.

By the way, a thought suddenly occurred to her…

‘There’s chocolate in it… I wonder if that’s okay?’

The cookie placed in front of Rel’s grave was a chocolate cookie. A chocolate chip cookie made from cocoa beans she had found by chance in the forest and cultivated.

Perhaps Haniel was like someone who had placed peaches on an ancestral altar?

But since Regan had eaten chocolate well when she gave it to him, she thought it might not matter for a Hume grave.

Scratching her head, Haniel suddenly opened her eyes wide.

‘No, snap out of it! What’s important now isn’t chocolate chip cookies!’

What did it matter to Haniel now whether a dead animal’s soul munched on chocolate chip cookies or not?

Would the soul dislike it if placed on a Hume altar? What nonsense… If anything, it might pant happily at the delicious snack it had never tasted in life.

In any case, none of that mattered. Wasn’t something tens or hundreds of times more important than otherworldly altar arrangements approaching Haniel?

That was the ‘Rift’ that had suddenly approached the unprepared Haniel. And the special materials unique to the Rift!

If Haniel’s otherworld life so far had been a continuous series of arduous farm work, hunting, and gathering, now the grand finale of the Rift awaited her.

Haniel’s eyes gleamed as she imagined the countless things she could create with materials flowing with the Rift’s mana.

Until now, she had been able to create beautiful and magnificent clothes fit for high nobles with her sewing skill (999), and also roughly produce armor suitable for hunting and gathering expeditions.

But unfortunately, unlike her other crafted items, the armor Haniel had made didn’t contain any special ‘functions.’

She had always been curious about this point and had done much research… but had half given up, thinking it was fine anyway since she wouldn’t be attacked by living beings.

Now, as the status window said, she could make special armor and weapons from creatures appearing in the Rift and various byproducts!

Fire blazed in Haniel’s eyes.

‘It’s time to show the status window that farming isn’t simply growing crops.’

Did it say the reward is unknown? Status window. That statement was wrong.

Because Haniel now intended to create her own rewards.

Splendid armor suitable not only for herself but also for Regan and Nasir. Rare uniforms exclusively for tenants of Haniel’s territory. Specially crafted furniture. Functional appliances.

All of that was inside the Rift!

Click, click!

“!”

As they moved along the wall, another spine-chilling sound came from ahead of them.

Haniel quickly shared a glance with Regan.

What soon revealed itself was another three or four ‘mixed’ creatures.

“Oh my goodness!”

When Haniel sighed at the uniquely repulsive appearance, Regan raised one eyebrow and glanced at her.

Would it be a mistake to think that somehow her sigh seemed to blend with a strange expectation and exclamation?

In any case, Regan had no time to be distracted.

Like the previous ‘Wanderers,’ the new hybrids also started rushing toward Haniel as soon as they saw her, like moths drawn to a lantern.

Regan transformed both his arms into his true form and said to his mate:

“These are stronger than the ones we killed earlier. Please step back further.”

“No, I’ll help this time.”

“…?”

Haniel was taking out an axe with a blade gleaming blue that had been hanging at her waist.

What is this… Just as Regan was about to say something at the sight, the hybrids that had approached within reach lunged and swung their spines toward the man’s head.

Crash! Kigigik! Regan blocked it easily by raising his arm, baring his teeth and growling.

“In such a hurry…”

The man’s killing intent burst forth toward these disgusting things that shamelessly revealed their l*st for his mate.

Regan’s pupils contracted to dots, and he swung his threatening claws like lightning to split the head of a [Jumbled Flesh Limbs] approaching from behind.

Splash! An unpleasant liquid that seemed like a mixture of insect fl*id and flesh burst out.

As the smell of blood brushed his nostrils, Regan’s hands became even more cruel.

The familiar sl*ughter that followed.

Haniel was watching his flawless martial display from behind when she noticed one creature turning its attention toward her and raised the axe she had taken out.

I can do this. With all the gathering and hunting skills I’ve built up. Haniel, steeling her resolve, finally threw her axe at the [Mixed Wanderer] that was making movements to rush at her.

Whoosh! Crack!

“!”

The flying axe embedded itself in the center of the Wanderer’s neck. It hit exactly! Haniel let out a big breath.

But what was surprising was what happened next.

Although the axe she threw was small like an accessory compared to the Wanderer’s body size, perhaps because it was embedded in the neck that the system had indicated as a weakness, the Wanderer’s movements noticeably slowed.

Haniel realized this was her opportunity.

The first might have been luck, but what followed depended entirely on what she did.

Haniel hurriedly searched through her inventory and took out something else.

Clunk…

It was a ‘crossbow.’

‘I’ve never used it before because no animal has attacked me until now… but I made it just in case.’

Crossbow. Arbalest.

Haniel’s crossbow, created through human creativity, relentless persistence, and advanced technology, was lighter, smaller, and more efficient than ordinary crossbows.

Like the various devices and structures within her territory, this item was also a product of highly developed human civilization.

Add to that her blacksmith skill (999) and the system’s blessing.

In any case, while the Hume Regan had a body that was a weapon itself, the human Haniel had tools.