It was the morning after. And what a perfect morning it was. Birds chirping, sunlight streaming, the air crisp and damp with dew.
Me? Six feet underground, stuffing my face with rats.
Crunch. Chew. Swallow. Repeat.
Yep, I thought, gnawing through a rib. Living the dream.
Normally, I'd be gagging at how much I enjoyed the greasy, iron tang. Normally, it'd send me into that whole ugh, bunny taste buds versus human memories spiral. But not today. Today, I barely even noticed. My brain was too busy replaying last night.
That laugh. The pressure.
And the words that had appeared in front of me:
[You have been targeted by an Instant Death effect.]
[Passive: Death Ward — effect triggered.]
[Instant Death negated.]
[HP reduced to 1.]
I swallowed hard, staring at the status window in front of me.
HP: 35/40. The number crept upward, one point at a time.
…I shouldn't even be here. My ears drooped. I practically died. Straight up. And if not for some broken passive stapled to my title, that would've been it. Oliver Fielding, thirty years old, cause of death: I don't even know.
Every so often, I'd shuffle up the tunnel, poke my head out, ears twitching, nose twitching.
Nothing but birds and sunshine.
Still, I'd duck back in, back to checking my health.
I exhaled shakily, ears drooping.
…Hey, System. You told me this place was supposed to be a safe zone. How is something strong enough to use an instant-death skill lurking around here?
[Unknown: The presence you encountered was abnormal—far beyond what should exist in this area.]
I dropped the half-eaten rat.
…Great. Not even you have an answer for that.
I pressed my paws into the dirt, jaw tight.
Exactly what I needed to hear first thing in the morning — that not only was there something abnormal out there, but nobody knows what it's doing in the minor leagues.
And it wasn't just that. The clearing itself gnawed at me.
I didn't have proof — not yet — but from observation alone, it didn't seem natural. An ecosystem that neat, that cyclical… it looked so designed?
But there's just no way. I mean, something placing half-dead evolved monsters as bait? Helping weaker monsters grow stronger? It just didn't make any sense.
Who benefits from monsters feeding and getting stronger? Where does that presence from last night fit into this?
Too many questions. Too many unknowns. My head throbbed.
Aghhh.
Fine. Forget it. Let's just see what last night's near-death experience earned me.
I shoved the last of the rat into my mouth and looked down at my status window. Three new entries blinked at me. Titles.
At least this I get.
[Defiant]
Where others fall, you remain. You have faced certain defeat, yet endured. This is proof of those who rise when all else is lost, whose will carries them beyond their limits.
Effect: [Limit Break Lv.1] — When HP falls critically low, all attributes receive a small temporary boost for a short amount of time. Upon ending, the user suffers severe exhaustion.
…Okay, that's—actually kind of cool. My whiskers twitched. My first skill that has nothing to do with my bunny bits, and it's got hero material written all over it.
A temporary stat boost could come in clutch, especially since it doesn't take much to push me into the red. The heavy backlash sounded nasty, though — definitely a last resort.
I pictured using it against the Forest Snake only for the Gnawmites to stumble on my limp body afterward. Yikes.
Still, I couldn't complain.
Limit Break, huh? A joker for when things get ugly. Not a bad prize for someone who just told death to wait its turn. My ears perked. Sorry for anyone who has to earn this the hard way, though.
I shook off the flicker of guilt with a laugh and pulled up the next window.
[Fractured]
The brush of death left its mark upon your soul. A crack runs through you, loosening your tie to the material. Through that fracture, you now perceive the unseen.
Effect: [Passive: Spirit Sense] — Perceive spiritual entities, souls, and beings not bound to the material.
Effect Gained: [Passive: Veil Sensitivity] — Disturbances between realms tug at your awareness.
Disturbances between realms? Like… multiple planes of existence type realms?
See, this is what happens when the last boss shows up in the starter village — things get flipped upside down.
What good comes from a level-seven bunny still trying to survive woodland critters sensing holes in the fabric of reality?
Nothing. Nothing good.
And what was this, perceive the unseen?…So ghosts?
[Corr—]
Nope. Nope nope nope. I'm not doing that.
I went straight to the next one before I had to hear the word correct.
Hard pass.
[Marked]
Where death should have claimed you, it left a scar instead — a mark that binds you to its source.
Effect Gained: [Passive: Residual Awareness] — You are bound to the one who marked you. When they draw near, you will know.
My fur stood on end.
…Oh hell no.
Bound. That was the word that did it. Bound to whatever thing had tried to erase me.
On the bright side, at least I'd know if it was near. That meant I wouldn't get blindsided again. Maybe I'd even have a chance to run next time.
On the not-so-bright side?
Everything else.
Being soul-linked to Nightmare Breath was just about the creepiest possible outcome. First it punches a hole in my soul, and now it decides to mark its territory? Seriously?
I tried to laugh it off, but it sounded strained — like I didn't buy it myself.
I slowly peeked out of my burrow again.
Rationally, I knew it wasn't here. If it was, the skill would've told me.
…Right?
I swallowed, glancing around camp anyway. Just in case. The trees were quiet. Too quiet, maybe. Or maybe I was just hearing what I expected to hear.
Great, I thought. New passive: chronic anxiety.
I flicked the window closed before my brain could come up with more reasons to panic.
If ever there was a sign that it was time to pack things up and get out of dodge, this was it. The clearing had become too hot for this little bunny. Nope, it was time to set out for greener pastures.
Wait—was there even a level below tutorial?
Ughhh.
System, this part of the Grandforest — you called it The Green, right?
[Correct.]
There's more to it than the clearing, isn't there?
[Correct: The areas you have been occupying amount to only 10% of The Green.]
Okay, so our little 'beginner zone' has some size to it. What's past the clearing?
[The path beyond the clearing leads to Lake Wyrdwell — its waters are said to carry blessings.]
Blessings, huh. Creepy name aside, heading to a blessed lake doesn't sound too bad. If anything, that sounds like the most adventury thing I've heard these last few days.
And I mean, raw fish beats raw rat, right? And anywhere was better than here right now.
Alright then, System — Lake Wyrdwell it is.
With my location now set, it was time to finish off with my stats.
[Status]
Species: Lesser Horned Rabbit
Level: 7/10
HP: 40 | MP: —
Stats: Vit – F+ | Str – E | End – E+ | Agi – E+ | Int – C- | Wis – E | Lck – E+
Skills:[Thrust Lv.3], [Greater Hop Lv.2], [Appraisal Lv.6], [Burrow Lv.1], [Stealth Lv.2], [Hop Step Lv.3], [Bite Lv.2], [Listen Lv.2], [Parry Lv.2], [Flash Horn Lv.3], [Limit Break Lv.1]
Titles: [Guardian], [Novice Exterminator], [Outnumbered], [Marked], [Fractured], [Defiant]
[Attribute points available: 2]
[Skill points available: 1]
Whew~ come a long way since being level 1 with only two skills and a row of F's for stats.
I'm feeling a little proud of myself here.
Well then, let's start with these attributes.
Agility and Luck had been my bread and butter so far — hit-and-hop: hit fast, hit hard, hop out before anything could hit back. And with Parry, I could now duke it out when escape wasn't an option. This worked against the rats. Heck, it worked against the snake. It worked perfectly.
Except when it didn't.
The memory of that suffocating presence pressed down on me, claws of fear dragging through my chest. I'd been spared — let go, whether by accident or choice — and that thought made my stomach churn.
Next time, there might not be a "let go."
I exhaled sharply.
No. I can't just trust speed. I need insurance. If something breaks through, I need the strength to stay breathing.
And with endurance already capped at this form…
Two into Vitality. Insurance against the unknown.
[Attribute: Vitality → E]
The moment I confirmed it, it hit me — a tidal rush of heat, power, and energy bursting through my little rabbit frame. My chest ballooned with air like I'd just upgraded to premium lungs, and my legs coiled tighter, stronger, like someone had wound springs into the bone.
Then my body moved.
W-whoa—!
The force shot me up the tunnel like a cannonball. I burst out of the burrow, did an accidental hop-twist-spin combo, and landed flat on my back in the grass.
I lay there panting, paws in the air, ears flopped across my face.
…Oh yeah, I breathed, a goofy grin tugging at my whiskers. That's the good stuff.
Then I blinked. Grass. Open sky. My burrow behind me, wide open.
My ears shot straight up. Wait—I'm outside!?
I scrambled upright and bolted back down the tunnel like my tail was on fire. The second I was safe in the dirt again, I pressed my back to the wall, heart hammering.
Okay. Nobody saw that, I thought. System, you saw nothing.
[Query: Are you referring to the display of cowardice?]
…Cold.
As for the skill, my mind wandered back to the clearing — the snake's massive tail, the Gnawmites' armored bodies. I'm so far behind in raw strength it isn't funny. Their biological advantages were showing, and I needed to double up on some of my own.
I opened the Skills tab and scrolled. Then I saw it.
[Wall Hop Lv.1 — Kick off vertical surfaces to change direction or gain height.]
The power I felt in [Thrust] when I fell on that snake was real. Proper use of the bonus momentum from my mobility skills could make them powerful weapons just as easily as defensive tools.
The Grandforest is nothing but angles — trunks, roots, rocks — vertical cover everywhere. I'd been taking it to them in the open clearing, but if I were to use the terrain to my advantage, I wouldn't have to be stronger; I'd just have to be smarter.
I confirmed the purchase—
—and immediately dropped to the floor clutching my head.
Argh—Every. Single. Time!
I slumped forward, paw to forehead.
Pleasure then pain… If this awakens some kind of new kink in me, I'm blaming you, System.
Okay. It was time to go.
But first—[Listen].
I closed my eyes and let the skill stretch out like sonar. Shapes forming in my mind. Nothing but wind and creaking wood. No laughter. No breathing. No slither.
I peered out of the burrow and gave the clearing a slow sweep—roots, trunks, shadows. Nothing obvious.
Aaand… nothing.
I sighed.
That one was definitely overkill, even for me.
Not a good look for the Guardian, Olly.
Alright then… onward to Lake Wyrdwell!