He crouched behind the bush, rusty dagger in one hand, stick in the other, eyes shining with pure gamer hunger.
"Alright, bunnies. Time to see how strong I am now. What can I really do with the cheat?"
The five rabbits were still nibbling peacefully, completely unaware.
Rook stared hard at the closest one, the way he used to spam right-click in every MMO.
Forest Rabbit
Level: 2
HP: 18 / 18
Threat Level: Low
Same basic info he got with the first slime on day one.
"Not enough," he muttered. "In every game the inspect skill gives weak points, movement patterns, drop chances. I need more. Come on, system…"
He tried again, squinting harder, leaning forward like an idiot trying to read tiny text on a blurry monitor.
Nothing new.
He moved to a different angle. Tried staring at its eyes. Its legs. Its ears.
Still the same short line.
Rook sat back on his heels, frustrated but thinking like the 10,000-hour gamer he was.
"Okay. In every LitRPG the MC unlocks the advanced inspect by repeatedly trying or combining actions. So let's game this."
He started spamming it like a noob in a new game.
Stare.
Stare harder.
Whisper "Observe."
Whisper "Appraise."
Whisper "Analyze."
Stare while moving left. Stare while moving right. Stare while slowly standing up.
After the 27th attempt the air finally shimmered.
🎉 Skill Acquired: [Observation Lv.1]
The Player System rewards persistent and creative attempts to gather deeper information.Effect: Upgrades basic creature/object detection. Now reveals weak points, status, behavior notes, and hidden details.Higher levels unlock even more.Rook's face split into a massive grin."YES! Finally! Curiosity spam works! I knew it!"He immediately focused on the closest rabbit with the new skill.Forest Rabbit
Level: 2
HP: 18 / 18
Status: Calm
Weak Points: Eyes, underbelly, back of neck
Behavior Note: Will zig-zag left when panicked. Fast burst speed when fleeing to burrow 40 meters east.Drop Chance: Rabbit Meat (Common), Rabbit Fur (Uncommon)
Hidden: Easily startled by sudden loud noises or thrown objects."Holy shit," he whispered. "This is broken. I can actually plan fights now instead of just swinging and praying."He tested it on the other four rabbits. Same detailed info.Then he looked at a nearby rock and a bush just for fun.Sharp Stone – Good for primitive weapons.Tall Grass – Excellent for concealment. Movement speed penalty: -20% when running through it.Rook was geeking out hard."I'm basically running with cheat vision. This changes everything."He was about to stand up and start the hunt when another notification popped up while he stretched his sore back from crouching so long.🎉 Passive Skill Acquired: [Toughness Lv.1]
Repeated exposure to uncomfortable positions and minor physical stress has begun strengthening your body.Effect: +5% resistance to fatigue and minor impacts. Pain from non-lethal injuries slightly reduced.Rook stared at it and laughed quietly."Even bad posture gives me skills? This system is savage but fair. Everything counts. Grinding mobs, grinding skills, even grinding terrible sleep and crouching like a gremlin."He flexed his arms. The ache was still there, but it felt… duller."Okay. New rule. I'm not just going to kill things. I'm going to game the system itself. Full completionist run."Now he was ready.He looked at the five rabbits with fresh eyes, brain already running like a speedrunner planning a boss fight."Burrow is east. If I cut them off from the east and use the tall grass for concealment… distraction with thrown rocks… funnel them into a narrow path…"
He smiled like a villain."Time to see if ten thousand hours of grinding actually means something in real life."He picked up a handful of small pebbles, stayed low in the grass, and began moving in a wide arc to get behind them.The rabbits still hadn't noticed him.But their peaceful morning was about to end soon.He spent the next twenty minutes setting up his trap like a pro.First, he used the tall grass for cover to circle around to the east side, blocking the burrow entrance with a line of sharp sticks he quickly jammed into the ground at an angle — a simple but effective barrier that would force any fleeing rabbit to slow down or turn.Then he created two "noise zones" — one on the north side with a pile of loose rocks he could kick, and one on the west with a small branch he could snap.The plan was simple but deadly:
Create panic → force them into the funnel → finish them in the narrow gap.He tested the wind direction with a wet finger (old survival trick from YouTube videos he used to watch at 2 a.m.)."Perfect. Downwind. They won't smell me."He crouched again, heart beating fast with excitement.This wasn't just hunting anymore.This was a strategy game.This was him using every bit of gamer knowledge he had accumulated over years of grinding, theorycrafting, and watching speedruns.He took a deep breath."Let's do this."He kicked the pile of rocks on the north side.Clatter clatter clatter
The rabbits' heads snapped up.Then he snapped the branch on the west side.CRACK
The rabbits panicked.Three of them bolted straight into the funnel he had created.Rook was waiting.He stepped out calmly and stabbed the first one in the neck with perfect timing.[Critical Hit!][Damage Dealt: 16]
[Forest Rabbit defeated]
The second one tried to jump the barrier.Rook swung the stick like a bat, clipping its legs mid-air.It tumbled.He finished it with the dagger.[Damage Dealt: 12]
[Forest Rabbit defeated]
The third one froze in the narrow gap, confused.Rook simply walked up and stabbed it.[Damage Dealt: 14]
[Forest Rabbit defeated]
Two left.They were smarter. They huddled behind a thick bush, refusing to come out.Rook didn't approach.Instead, he started throwing pebbles in a tightening circle around the bush — creating pressure from every direction except one tiny gap he had deliberately left open.The rabbits' ears flicked faster and faster.After the twelfth pebble, they couldn't take it anymore.They burst out — straight through the gap he had left.Rook was already standing there waiting.He stepped forward and stabbed the first one cleanly in the neck.[Critical Hit!][Damage Dealt: 15]
[Forest Rabbit defeated]
The very last rabbit tried to dodge past him.Rook simply swung the stick like a bat, clipping its legs mid-air.The rabbit tumbled.He finished it with the dagger before it could recover.[Damage Dealt: 12]
[Forest Rabbit defeated]
All five rabbits dead in under ten minutes.Zero damage taken after the first failed attempt.Rook stood in the middle of the meadow, covered in dirt and blood, breathing hard, a huge grin spreading across his face."I just outsmarted five Level 2 rabbits using geometry, psychology, environmental traps, and my many hours of grinding. I feel like a god. A very sweaty, slightly evil genius."He looked at the five bodies and shook his head.But the notifications came anyway.🎉 Skill Upgraded: [Basic Footwork Lv.2]
🎉 Skill Acquired: [Basic Trapping Lv.1]
You have successfully used environmental traps and psychological pressure on prey. The Player System rewards creative thinking.
Rook pumped his fist.
"Yes! Trap skill already! I'm actually ng a real kit now."
He collected all the drops — five Rabbit Meat and five Rabbit Fur.
His inventory was starting to look respectable.
As he walked back toward camp, still grinning like a madman, he muttered to himself,
"Five rabbits. Zero damage after the first one. That was clean stage clear. As expected of me, pro player."
He allowed himself one last quiet laugh with a smirk.
"Rabbit season is officially open."