The fireball shot out from the rabbit's mouth, blazing toward Lin En. He had no time to dodge. Instinctively, he raised his longsword to block in front of him.
"Boom!"
The fireball exploded on the sword's blade, bursting into a basin-sized blaze that surged toward his arm and chest.
"Ahhh!"
Lin En let out a cry of pain as the intense heat scorched his arm. Flames licked at his clothes, and he panicked, dropping to the ground and rolling frantically. After a few rolls, he managed to extinguish the flames on his body. Fortunately, the fireball's power was limited—more like a standard fire attack—easy enough to put out. Still, blisters had already formed on his burned arm, the pain nearly unbearable.
Staring at his scorched arm, Lin En winced in pain and anger. He had thought the rabbit was just prey—but now the tables had turned. Who would've guessed he'd be injured by a rabbit's fireball? This was a magical world, and clearly, rabbits couldn't be judged by Earth's standards.
A fireball-spitting rabbit? Looks like today's dinner just got more complicated.
At that moment, the Mythical Zoan: Phoenix Fruit within him activated automatically. Lin En's wounds began healing on their own, and the pain quickly subsided. He blinked, suddenly remembering—he was now a Devil Fruit user! Immediately, he focused and actively channeled the power of his fruit. Azure-green flames ignited along his injured arm.
As the healing flames engulfed him, the pain vanished, and the blisters disappeared. In moments, the burn had completely healed—only the sleeve, burnt to tatters, remained as evidence.
Lin En stared at his fully restored arm and laughed heartily. "So, little bunny, you've got magic? I've got a Devil Fruit. Mine's better!"
With the Phoenix's healing ability, Lin En felt fully confident again. "So what if you can use magic? Your fireball's weak compared to that fire mage Schroeder's attacks. I've got a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit. Your little fireballs are no match for me!"
Reinvigorated, Lin En charged at the rabbit, swinging his longsword. "Come here, little bunny! Into my bowl you go!"
The rabbit looked confused as Lin En shouted and charged. It didn't sense any fear from the human. Why wasn't he afraid of its fireballs?
It spat another fireball at Lin En and quickly leapt to the side.
This time, Lin En was prepared. He sidestepped the fireball and dashed after the rabbit. But despite its large, dog-like size, the rabbit was surprisingly agile. It nimbly dodged each of Lin En's attacks and continued to spit fireballs to disrupt him. Several of them landed, burning Lin En's clothes to rags. Though the Phoenix Fruit kept healing his wounds, he looked like a wreck.
After more than ten minutes of chasing, he hadn't even touched a single rabbit hair.
"Damn it! This rabbit's not just magical—it's basically a freaking spirit beast!" Lin En gasped for breath, frustration growing.
In this magical world, even the weakest beasts—rank-one monsters—possessed intelligence. Calling it "spirit-like" wasn't an exaggeration.
"Wait, I have the Navy's 'Soru' from the Rokushiki!"
As he racked his brain for a solution, Lin En suddenly remembered the 'Soru' movement technique he received as a system reward. This rabbit was relying purely on speed and agility—just perfect for "Soru" to counter.
His eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he activated the technique. Though he'd only practiced it a few times, the system had fully integrated the skill into his memory. It was just a matter of practice.
"Soru!"
Lin En vanished with a burst of speed, reappearing beside the rabbit in an instant, sword raised high.
The rabbit had no time to react. Lin En's sword slashed down, slicing a deep wound across its back.
"Screech!!"
The rabbit howled and bolted, no longer daring to fight. It darted into the forest, desperately trying to escape.
"You're running now? Too late, little bunny—Soru!"
Lin En used Soru again, catching up in a flash. His sword pierced the rabbit's neck cleanly. The beast spasmed a few times, then went still.
"Ha! Got you this time, little bunny. Into the pot you go!"
Looking at the defeated rabbit, Lin En felt triumphant. His first real battle on the Divine Grace Continent: Rokushiki vs. Magic Rabbit—Victory!
Behind a tree in the distance, Lin Rongfu watched Lin En's battle with surprise and satisfaction before quietly turning to leave.
"Ding! Host successfully used 'Soru'. Skill proficiency +2.""Ding! Host has slain a Rank 1 magical beast. +100 EXP. Level up! Host is now Level 1. Dao Power +5."
The system prompts popped up, and Lin En felt a surge of strength rush through him. The exhaustion from the earlier battle faded, replaced by revitalized energy. His body felt stronger, tougher, more agile.
So killing monsters really did grant experience and power-ups. Just like a game! It was... awesome.
"System, show me the status panel!"
Character: Lin EnLevel: 1EXP: 0/200Dao Power: 30Class: None
Skills:
Basic Swordsmanship (Beginner, 2/1000)
Soru (Beginner, 2/5000)
Life Return (Beginner, 0/5000)
Devil Fruit:
Mythical Zoan: Phoenix (Beginner, 6/5000)
Combat Techniques: NonePhysique: NoneTalents: NoneSpecial Items: NoneEnergy: 0Inventory: Empty
Main Quest:
Max Level Dream: Reach max level
Stage 1: Reach Level 20 (Reward: Upgrade Pack x1)
Finally, the panel wasn't so empty. Three new skills, a Devil Fruit, and doubled Dao Power. Lin En could feel it—he was definitely getting stronger.
He glanced at his Dao Power. Starting at 5, now it was 30. That meant the Phoenix Fruit alone had boosted him by 20 points. Too bad most of that power had gone into healing. Otherwise, it could've been even more.
Leveling up to 2 would now require 200 EXP. One rabbit gave 100. Should he go hunt two more and get another level?
He hesitated. Though his stamina had recovered, the hunger was real—worse after the battle. Plus, Lin Rongfu was still waiting back at the tree cave for food.
Forget it. Let the other bunnies live... for now.
Feeling generous, Lin En slung the rabbit over his back and headed home. Time to solve the real problem: his growling stomach.
"Grandpa Fu, I'm back!"
A while later, Lin En returned with the rabbit and dropped it on the ground. Grinning, he said, "Grandpa Fu, look! Big, fat rabbit—enough for both of us to feast!"
"Young Master, I didn't expect you to actually catch a Flame-Spitting Rabbit. I'm in for a treat tonight," Lin Rongfu said in mock surprise.
"It's called a Flame-Spitting Rabbit? Hah, fitting name," Lin En replied, glancing at the corpse.
"Yes. It's a Rank 1 magical beast. Other than spitting weak fireballs, it's not much threat."
Lin En scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. That "not much threat" had burned him into a mess earlier. If not for getting "Soru" yesterday, he probably wouldn't have caught it.
With meat secured, it was time to cook. Lin En and Lin Rongfu cleaned and skinned the rabbit, set up a campfire, and began roasting the meat.
Half an hour later, the delicious aroma filled the air. Lin En, starved and drained from the fight, couldn't wait any longer. He tore off a rabbit leg, handed one to Lin Rongfu, and started devouring the other himself.
Even without spices, the rabbit meat was tender and flavorful. Maybe it was the magical energy—this meat was far tastier than anything from Earth.
"Life Return!"
As he activated the Life Return skill, the food in his stomach rapidly digested, converting into energy that nourished his body. Lin En could feel his body getting even stronger.
It was just a Rank 1 beast, but its energy was surprisingly potent.
Thanks to Life Return, Lin En's appetite skyrocketed. Every bite was instantly absorbed and converted to strength. Aside from the one leg Lin Rongfu ate, Lin En devoured the entire rabbit—all several dozen pounds of it.
"Burp."
He dropped the rabbit's skull and let out a satisfied belch. Then, he noticed Lin Rongfu staring at him like he'd just grown a second head.
Scratching his head with a greasy hand, Lin En awkwardly asked, "Grandpa Fu... did I eat a bit too much?"
"Young Master… is your body okay after eating that much?" Lin Rongfu asked worriedly, his eyes drifting to Lin En's flat stomach. "You ate enough for five people, but your belly didn't even bulge. Where did it all go?"
He was curious, sure—but above all, he was concerned. If something happened to Lin En, how could he ever face the young miss?
Lin En was stunned by the question. True, his sudden appetite was a shock—and until recently, he'd eaten like a normal person.
How should he explain this?