When Cute Turns Deadly
When Esperança Chicana opened the chest, everyone tensed and held their breath. A faint bronze glow emerged from within. Moments later, three items materialized before them: a scepter, a skill book, and a golden slip of paper.
Holy Spirit's Scepter [Bronze]
+10 Intelligence
+15% Holy Power
Skill Book: Sacred Shield
Summons a shield that protects allies for 1 minute.
Consumes 30 Mana.
Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Ticket to the Land of Opportunities
A hidden realm where resources are abundant and rare.
The chosen one has 10 minutes to gather what they can.
The realm closes forever afterward.
As they looked at the items, their reactions were mixed. The atmosphere was light, but Danilo felt a sting of disappointment. Deep down, he had hoped for a sword-related skill — something that boosted raw strength, something that could give him more certainty in protecting his sisters. But setting his selfishness aside, the Sacred Shield was undeniably the most useful for now.
When he held the ticket to the Land of Opportunities, his heartbeat quickened. Instinctively, he knew this might be his one chance.
— Wow! — Augusta exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. — Is this the legendary skill book?
— Since when have you ever heard of skill books? — Danilo asked, puzzled.
— From the global notification, when they explained about the Divine Domain. They mentioned them there — Augusta answered, looking at him as if he were an idiot.
— Ah… I skimmed it. Once I saw the monster rankings and crystal values, I lost interest — Danilo said with a shrug.
— Always the same… never changes — their mother muttered, shaking her head.
— So… who's going to keep the book? — Maria asked.
— I want it! — Augusta said quickly.
— Mother will take the book — Danilo declared firmly. — Of all of us, only she has the Chaotic Heart. And the Shield is a sacred-type ability — it will be far more effective in her hands.
— But I really wanted to use it… — Augusta pouted.
— I also wanted beautiful, cute sisters. I didn't get them, so I just accepted it. You should do the same.
All eyes turned to their mother. She opened the book, which dissolved into particles of light and surged into her body.
They stared in anticipation.
She closed her eyes, raised her hand, and suddenly, all of them were wrapped in a thin, radiant layer of holy protection. She then picked up the scepter, glanced at the golden ticket, and tucked it away in her pocket.
— I know you're all eager to use this opportunity, but we should first explore the surroundings. Maybe later, when it's safer, we can claim what we need.
She handed her old rusted sword to Danilo. With that, they all set out from the village.
Beyond the village lay a vast forest. The path was narrow, lined with towering trees. Just a few meters ahead, animals appeared.
Fluffy rabbits, leaping squirrels, and colorful butterflies fluttered in the air, painting a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
— Ah, they're so cute! — Maria exclaimed, delighted.
— Yes, very cute. I'll try to catch one and raise it — Fátima said, already preparing to move forward.
The others agreed, excited. But before they could take a step, Danilo raised his hand in a firm gesture, his eyes deadly serious.
— What's wrong? — Fátima asked, confused.
He pressed a finger to his lips for silence, then turned to his mother.
— Mom, use the Sacred Shield.
— What for? — she asked, surprised. — That skill consumes a lot of mana! It nearly drained me last time.
— That's because you used it on everyone at once. Now cast it on me alone.
— But… why on you?
— Just do it.
Still uncertain, she raised her hands and chanted. A golden glow wrapped around Danilo's body, forming a thin barrier of light.
— Get behind me — he ordered, leaving no room for argument.
They stepped back. Danilo picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it at one of the rabbits lingering at the edge of the group.
The tiny creature dodged easily — but instead of running, its eyes flashed a deep crimson. In an instant, the adorable rabbit's gaze turned blood-red, filled with hatred, its teeth sharpening into fangs, its speed suddenly explosive.
— What the hell!? — Maria cried, stumbling back.
The rabbit shot forward like an arrow, aimed straight at Danilo.
He tightened both hands on his sword's hilt and braced himself. As the rabbit leapt, he swung the blade sideways like a club, smashing it midair.
THWACK!
-16
The creature's body hit the ground but quickly rose again, snarling with sharp teeth. Its movements were fast, chaotic, and relentless. It lunged again.
Danilo stepped forward, calm and focused. As the rabbit pounced, he slammed it down with the weight of his sword, then drove the blade mercilessly into its small body, again and again.
-16
-16
-16
-16
One thrust, two, three… by the sixth, the red glow in the rabbit's eyes faded, extinguished forever.
Silence.
The air grew heavy.
— That… that was just a rabbit… — Fátima whispered, trembling.
Danilo wiped his blade clean, staring at the bloody corpse.
— There's nothing "cute" in this place — he said firmly. — Everything here can kill.
For the first time, his family grasped the true nature of the world they had been thrown into.
Danilo turned to his family. Even though they had followed him home, their heads now hung low with shame.
— The world has really changed — he said, his tone hard. — And in this place, I promise you: everything, except for the six of us standing here, will try to use us or kill us. The sooner we change our mindset, the better.
His gaze fell on the shield's glow, already thinning as its duration waned. He grabbed another stone, hurled it — and again, the same pattern repeated. Sword in hand, he struck down the creature like a club, then stabbed mercilessly until it stopped moving.
This time, however, the skill's glow faded completely. His mother tried to cast it again, but nothing happened. Startled, she muttered aloud:
— The skill didn't work…
Danilo frowned.
— Must be the cooldown. Every skill needs time to reactivate. And from what I saw, this one takes about five minutes… or four minutes thirty, thanks to the Sacred Heart talent.
— Then… what do we do? Wait? — his mother asked, hesitant.
Danilo shook his head.
— No.
Kneeling down, he severed the rabbit's head and split its skull with precision. Inside, something gleamed. A small, transparent crystal. He carefully plucked it out and held it up.
— What do you think this is? — he asked, scanning their faces.
Everyone remained silent until their mother finally answered, hesitantly:
— It must be a spirit crystal…
Danilo smiled faintly.
— Bingo. This tiny gem is what will make us evolve.
— So small… — Maria whispered in surprise.
— Yes, very small — Danilo replied, turning it in his fingers. — But incredibly valuable. That's why, from now on, we drop the childishness… and fight to survive.
He looked each of them in the eye, his words striking like a vow.
— And it seems you'll all have to kill a lot of these "cute little things."