The clearing opened up before Zeph like something from a fairy tale, complete with dappled sunlight filtering through impossible leaves and the gentle sound of a babbling brook somewhere in the distance.
And sitting in the center of it all, looking like it had wandered out of a children's book, was the most adorable bunny rabbit he'd ever seen.
It was maybe a foot tall, covered in pristine white fur that practically glowed in the green-tinged light. Its ears were perfectly proportioned pink triangles, and its little black nose twitched with curious innocence as it noticed his approach.
For just a moment—the briefest fraction of a second—Zeph felt his combat instincts relax.
'Seriously? This is the mini-boss? What am I supposed to do, die from cuteness overload?'
But three years of survival in the ruins had beaten one lesson deeper into his bones than any other: nothing in a dangerous place was ever what it seemed. The prettiest flowers were usually the most poisonous. The most harmless-looking humans were often the cruelest predators.
And innocent woodland creatures didn't show up as dungeon guardians.
So when the bunny's adorable black eyes suddenly flashed with predatory intelligence and its cute little body tensed for a pounce, Zeph was already moving.
The creature exploded from its sitting position like a furry missile, covering the thirty-foot distance between them in a blur of motion that should have been impossible for something with legs that short.
Zeph activated Force and threw himself sideways, feeling the bunny's claws whistle past his face close enough to ruffle his hair. Where those claws struck the tree behind him, they carved deep gouges in the bark with effortless precision.
'What the actual fuck?'
He landed in a roll and came up with Phantom drawn, just in time to parry a follow-up attack from the bunny that hit his blade with the force of a sledgehammer.
The impact nearly tore the katana from his grip, and he realized with growing horror that this adorable little death machine was matching his Force-enhanced speed!
Which was insane.
Force at D-rank doubled his capabilities. His baseline Agility of 9 became 18 when the skill was active—fast enough to give most level 3's trouble. But this bunny, this tutorial dungeon mini-boss supposedly designed for level 0 rookies, was keeping pace with him easily?!
'No wonder the death rate in these places isn't zero,' he thought, dodging another swipe that would have opened his throat.
'Most awakened don't have maxed speed stats. Most awakened don't have upgraded skills. They're walking in here with baseline capabilities and facing this nightmare fuel in a cute package.'
The bunny landed from its missed attack and immediately launched into another assault, this time trying to go low and hamstring him. Zeph leaped over the attack, bringing Phantom down in a Force-enhanced strike that should have split the creature in half.
Should have.
The bunny twisted in mid-air with impossible flexibility, letting the blade pass harmlessly through the space its body had occupied a microsecond earlier. Its counter-attack came as a spinning kick that caught Zeph in the ribs and sent him tumbling across the clearing.
'It's not just fast,' he realized, rolling to his feet and spitting blood. 'It's skilled. Like, actual martial arts skilled.'
The next five minutes were a blur of hyperkinetic violence that would have looked like a cartoon if not for the very real gouges being carved in trees, ground, and occasionally Zeph himself.
The bunny fought with the vicious efficiency of something that had evolved specifically to kill awakened humans, combining impossible speed with precise technique and an arsenal of natural weapons that included claws, teeth, and a surprisingly effective headbutt.
Zeph, meanwhile, was learning the hard way that being faster than your opponent didn't automatically make you better at fighting them.
The bunny had decades of muscle memory encoded in its movements. It knew exactly how to handle someone with his capabilities.
But Zeph had something the bunny couldn't account for: three years of absolutely ruthless and real survival experience. He'd learned to fight dirty in a world where fair play got you eaten, and he wasn't about to start following Queensberry rules now.
When the bunny committed to a leaping attack aimed at his face, Zeph didn't try to dodge or counter. Instead, he grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it directly into the creature's eyes.
The bunny's attack went wide as it instinctively flinched away from the debris. Zeph used the opening to drive Phantom's point toward its heart in a thrust that carried all his Force-enhanced strength.
The blade punched through pristine white fur and found the vital organs beneath.
The bunny landed hard, black blood spreading across its chest, but it wasn't dead yet. It looked up at Zeph with those enormous black eyes, and for a moment, its expression transformed completely.
The predatory gleam vanished, replaced by something heartbreakingly innocent and pleading. Its little paws came up in what was unmistakably a begging gesture, tiny digits pressed together in supplication.
Its ears drooped with theatrical sadness, and if Zeph hadn't known better, he would have sworn he could see tears forming in those impossibly large eyes.
The bunny even went so far as to tilt its head to one side in the universal "cute animal" pose, probably hoping to trigger whatever mercy circuits humans had evolved for protecting small, helpless creatures.
Zeph's expression didn't change as he twisted the blade and drove it deeper.
"Yeah, no," he said conversationally. "I've seen this movie. The moment I show mercy, you're going to sprout tentacles or breathe acid or something equally horrifying. Plus, you literally just tried to disembowel me for five straight minutes."
The bunny's cute facade cracked. Its expression shifted from pleading innocence to frustrated rage, then to something that could only be described as offended indignation.
It actually gave him what looked like a tiny middle finger with one paw before its eyes rolled back and it went limp.
"Yep," Zeph agreed with the dead bunny. "Heartless, practical, and still breathing. That's how I like it."
The bunny dissolved into motes of light, leaving behind only a small pile of crystallized energy that his System automatically absorbed.
[Special Mini-Boss Defeated: Vorpal Bunny]
[+200 EXP]
[+300 Skill Points]
[Achievement Unlocked: Cuteness Immunity]
'Cuteness immunity,' he snorted, wiping Phantom clean. 'Apparently the System has a sense of humor.'
The exit corridor had opened while he was fighting, leading deeper into the temple complex. Zeph followed it through a series of increasingly elaborate chambers until he emerged into a vast circular room dominated by a massive set of double doors.
The doors themselves were works of art, carved from what looked like solid marble and decorated with towering figures that made him pause in confusion.
Angels. Winged, robed, classically beautiful angels with flowing hair and serene expressions, their hands raised in benediction or prayer.
'Why angels?' he wondered, studying the intricate carvings. 'This whole place has been ancient temple meets nature dungeon meets medieval fantasy. Where do angels fit into that aesthetic?'
It made him wonder about the System's origins. Had whatever force created this framework drawn inspiration from human mythology? Were there alien archaeologists somewhere studying Earth's religions and building dungeons based on what they found?
'Questions for later,' he decided, shaking his head to clear it. 'Right now, I've got a final boss to face.'
The room behind the doors would contain his last challenge—the main boss of the tutorial dungeon. Everything he'd faced so far had been preparation for this moment.
He settled into a meditation position and focused on recovering his resources. MP and SP regeneration was normally glacial outside of safe zones, but tutorial dungeons were designed to be educational rather than purely punitive.
His energy pools refilled themselves over the course of ten minutes, bringing him back to full fighting capacity.
'Time to see what passes for a tutorial capstone in this world.'
He pushed open the massive doors and stepped into the chamber beyond.
The space was enormous—easily the size of a football field, with a vaulted ceiling that disappeared into shadows far overhead. Torches lined the walls, casting flickering light across what was clearly designed as an arena.
And standing in the center of that arena, motionless as a statue, was a figure in elaborate stone armor.
It was humanoid but massive—at least eight feet tall and proportionally built like a professional bodybuilder. The armor was intricately carved with geometric patterns that seemed to shift in the torchlight, and a massive two-handed sword rested point-down in front of it like a monument.
As Zeph approached, the figure's head turned toward him with the grinding sound of stone on stone.
Then it straightened to its full height and performed what was possibly the most ridiculous salute Zeph had ever witnessed.
The knight brought its sword up in a formal guard position, then swept it down and to the side while simultaneously dropping into what looked like a curtsy.
At the same time, its free hand performed an elaborate flourishing gesture that ended with the knight pointing dramatically at the ceiling, head thrown back in a pose that suggested it was either proclaiming victory or having some kind of seizure.
Zeph's mouth twitched as second-hand embarrassment washed over him.
'Did... did whoever programmed these things base their combat protocols on anime fight scenes? Because that was physically painful to watch.'
But before he could fully process the cringe-worthy display, the sound of grinding stone filled the air from all sides.
Eleven more figures stepped out of alcoves he hadn't noticed before—knight-shaped statues identical to the first, each one performing the exact same ridiculous salute in perfect synchronization.
Twelve stone knights, all frozen in the same dramatically awkward pose, pointing at the ceiling like they were about to break into some kind of medieval boy band routine.
Zeph's eyes widened as he realized he wasn't facing one boss.
He was facing twelve.
'Well, shit.'
But even as that thought formed, another sound echoed through the chamber. Heavier footsteps, moving with the deliberate cadence of something truly massive.
From the shadows at the far end of the arena, a thirteenth figure emerged.
This one was different. Taller, broader, wearing armor that actually looked intimidating instead of decorative. Its sword was proportionally larger, and when it moved, there was a sense of barely contained power that made the air itself feel heavier.
The figure approached the center of the arena with the confident stride of something that had never known defeat. Its presence dominated the space, making the other twelve knights look like cheap imitations by comparison.
It was genuinely impressive. Imposing. The kind of final boss that would make players pause and consider whether they were truly ready for this fight.
Right up until it stopped and performed the exact same ridiculous salute as all the others—sword flourish, curtsy-guard stance, dramatic ceiling point, and all.
Zeph closed his eyes and sighed.
'I'm going to die fighting a synchronized knightly dance troupe. This is not how I imagined my first boss raid going.'
When he opened his eyes, all thirteen knights had settled into combat stances, their stone faces somehow managing to convey grim determination despite being literally carved from rock.
His Force skill was ready. His PP reserves were 'substantial'. His katana was sharp and his resolve was absolute.
But he was also outnumbered thirteen to one by opponents that probably barely shared the tutorial's usual level restrictions.
'Time to find out what I'm really made of.'