Chapter Four: [King Of Demonic Hares Stew]

"Well…at least there's sun." A small meadow surrounded by a forest glowed with the spirit of spring.

Dandelions danced. Trees swayed. Insects buzzed.

Thats going to activate my allergies, I swatted absentmindedly at a bug flying too close, and shivered. A thin icicle fell off my eyelashes in the process and I blinked the rest of them away.

Early morning sun melted the remnants of ice and snow adorning my cloak, while I trembled like a leaf. Every sense slowly switching gears back to a hundred.

Dispelling the numb debuff that had been working in my favor.

Being able to feel a gentle breeze graze exposed skin, meant I was in a world of achy-tingly pain.

[-35 HP]

What? What’s that from? Sneezing from unleashed pollen, I tried to wipe my nose with a semi-dry corner of my cloak.

Ding!

[-35 HP]

Give me a minute! You’re not giving me time to check! What is it? What is it now?

How could they shove me in a new corner of their psychotic playground and not adjust the thermometer?

At least give me a moment to get used to it! What’s hurting? What’s causing the drop in points?

[Dungeon Activation ETA 9:59]

The countdown began just like that, and I cursed with a sneer on my lips. “Fuck y…“

Stopping short of naming names—I cleared my throat and looked around for a menacing screen ‘asking for compensation’.

Rule 1: Let’s not cuss the powers that be outloud.

Nothing happened but I kept my mouth shut in case it did.

Hunching over a little I forced my brain to work overtime on figuring out the next obstacle, all the while my legs shook so hard, my kneecaps vibrated.

I should check my status. Losing points suddenly like that is a problem.

How many did I lose?

A quick check gleans a grim answer.

I lost over four hundred mental energy points. Which isn’t too many considering that I’m well within the thousands bracket.

But my health points are disappearing slowly over time instead of all at once. There’s even a little timer waiting for the next one to come into effect.

But it’s not saying why?

At least in a game you can see your buffs/debuffs. Someone should take notes.

Still. It can’t be the pollen. It’s got to be one of two.

I don’t know if that’s the head wound or shock. I feel like I’m going to pass out and that’s not a bad idea now that I’m…What was I saying?

The world turned a little too far on its axis and it got harder and harder to lift my head to the sky.

Should I learn how to use any of this stuff? I did use a lot of mana in the first battle. It’d be nice to just throw something at whatever monsters hiding in the grass and save some energy.

“I just want to lay down…” A needy whine pierces the sky at the same time, a corporate drone bemoans her work load.

A certain fur baby cries out again for food and I almost join him. Just think. Just try.

Well I am an Elf. That’s like the main avatar in every good RPG. That and Werewolves. Pity I don’t get to transform into a behemoth but Elves have a signature.

I grabbed the bow from the Inventory and played with its string. I’m a natural at this. It’s in my blood. Just picture the stupid grin on Niathe’s face whenever you fail at something.

Twang!

“Ow!” I brought my nail to my mouth and sucked on the tip. A bit sharp there.

How does this work? Bow. Stringie thingie. Arrow. Where’s the arrow? Not important. Visualize.

“Visualize.” Preferably within the next ten minutes.

What do I do now? A dull ache popped in my ears and my jaw locked up.

[-35 HP]

“…”

Right, right. Just like in the movies. Get an arrow. Shoot. Aim then shoot. I nocked an arrow and tried to shoot it at the tree like a pro. Proper stance and everything.

It fell straight to the floor. No hang time whatsoever.

“You asshole.” I stared at the tiny shaved branch. Spoiled and pampered by the world to think it was special. Special enough to deny its one purpose.

Learn.

Give up.

Learn.

Give up.

“Hmph.” The bow withdrew into pixels and I reached into a small hole in the void. Come on…Don’t make me look.

"Time to learn how to use a knife, then." Just like cooking.

Mincing onions.

Caramelized onions. Steak, fried chicken, a roller if I have one, pizza sounds good, anything sounds good. I’m starving and I can’t even eat because the stress will have it run straight through me.

Nevermind. It’s starting right now.

Boo meowed at me for attention and I shushed him. "Later Boo. I have to try to do something."

Filled with great purpose and minorly concussed…I toppled over and accepted my fate.

“…”

The timer continued to tick but my mind soared beyond the trees to a place of relief. Acceptance. Surrender.

Let it all happen.

Angels collapsed as the field rumbled with the glory of the Lord. Or something else it did not matter.

A hand clenched tight around my knife pressed deeply into the ground. I’ve learned many things in life.

Perhaps the most important lesson I’d learned in all my years culminated to this. Dark liquid watered the budding flowers next to it as I succumbed to the feeling of surrender.

Lie down and accept it.

Yes. It’s perfect right? A breath of fresh air.

You’ll only hurt yourself in the process of ‘winning or losing’. Set to expire I let my mind go, be free and full of wisdom! Give up! Give in! Lie down while a sadist cooks up their big plan.

What are they going to do if you don’t play? Hint hint. You both lose. There’s no fun in a game with only one player. It’ll all work out.

I rolled over and my side to keep the pressure off the big fat bump on my head.

Courtesy of a bone knife. Creative, I’ll give them that but everything else is a ripoff. I hope they get copyright sued.

Boo meowed again, and I sighed before turning on my other side—Oh shit!

I backed up as three white little bunnies with adorable red eyes hopped forward.

And they would have been cute if not for the long tusks growing from their mouths and glaring red horns protruding from their heads.

[Demonic Hare LvL 5]

[HP: 500/500]

[MP: 2000/2000]

"..."

[Dungeon Activated]

"Son of a—"

The demon bunny blew FUCKING FIRE at me and I squealed before running away into the trees.

All the exhaustion and body aches disappeared under the threat of being barbecued.

Surprisingly, the three demon pests kept up without too much difficulty. Their agility must be off the charts. Not the time to appreciate it, though.

I hopped over a log, and they followed suit with ease. I ran into the meadow, and another one joined in on the hunt. “Gotta be kidding me.” I grunted out. Come on, legs. Work!

Can't run forever, I learned that lesson last time. Fuck it. I veered off course and climbed up the first branch I saw.

Legs swung overspent as I was, I could still manage to hoist myself over. The bunnies blew fire at my poor self, and I reared back.

No mercy at all for their elders. Who raised them?

What do I got here? Can’t shoot them. Obviously.

Still got a little magic in the tank.

Dodging little pillars of fire, I grabbed my ponytail brining the swinging to a stop and plastered myself to the trunk.

Although I would love to just crush them, I have to consider that I probably won't just get food handed out to me anytime soon. I’m guessing brain mush won’t cook out well.

Just think of it as a farming game. Open season. Hunt and be rewarded five experience points.

Just do it.

Maybe, I should just bring them a little closer. I grabbed my knife and used my other hand to mentally grab a rabbit.

I turned it around so it wouldn't breathe fire at me and inched it closer. Once it was close enough, I averted my eyes, steeled myself and dragged the blade across its neck. It just struggled harder.

Do it!

I plunged the blade in and the screams would haunt my bedchambers for a while. The blade continued traveling through the rest until it was done. Boiling hot spilled over my fingers and I released a few ragged breaths.

[+ 200 EXP]

Hot liquid and dying flames burned my hands, and I almost dropped the knife. Welts immediately started forming, and I breathed from the pain.

The remaining bunnies screamed at me, vexed by my retaliation, and I grabbed them too. With a quick slice their neck was slit open, my hand was burned again, and I forced my fangs to drop down.

This is so gross.

I don't have to eat them, but I should at least drink them. Ugh. It took a few tries and a hundred pep talks before I actually put my mouth–bleegh—on their necks.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.

Greedily, I gulped down their blood and tried not to focus on the way their bodies reflexively kicked at me.

My mouth and chin were covered in boiling hot blood when I was done.

Boo meowed from a lower branch and I told him to hold his horses with my glare. Where is it?

“…”

No floor clear message?

Which means there must be more.

I sat back on my branch and threw the corpses into the inventory for later. So what else is here? More rabbits or something else?

Perhaps attracted by the smell of blood, more rabbits hopped closer on tiny feet and breathed pillars of fire at me.

My eyes glowed with unfettered hunger, and I licked my lips.

About an hour later, I had my answer.

There were only rabbits on this floor.

Carnivorous demonic rabbits. Their leader, the [King of Demonic Hares], had run away after I caught its scent and crawled into a burrow.

“Coward.” Tsk.

I was still coming up with ways to kill it when out of nowhere Boo jumped out of my backpack and crawled inside after it. I screamed and tried to pry it out.

A little while after, the sound of a fight commenced, and a winner emerged slightly injured but victorious.

"Boo, don't you ever do that again. You scared me!" It carried out the larger animal within its teeth and jutted it out towards me with a puffed-up, pride-filled chest.

I tilted my head, and he placed it at my feet and made a hissing sound. Blinking, I tried to understand what it meant when it nuzzled the neck of the dead animal.

Oh…Oh, that's so sweet!

A grin split my face, and I picked up the precious baby.

Boo pushed my face away with it's jelly paws as I smothered it in kisses. After I was done giving him enough praise, I made a show of drinking from the carcass.

Boo yelled at me and meowed at it. Just for that. I picked up the prey and threw it in the inventory. Boo cried and I brought out one of the smaller hares for him to eat.

One that I had caught.

He tilted his head and then bit the rabbit's head. He spat out fur and then went to town on the remains. Enjoy, little buddy.

[Floor Two Cleared]

A circle appeared in the meadow, and I eyed it with hesitation.

If I leave through that thing…I probably won’t get another break. Just a mindless grind with no time to recover or recharge.

Maybe I should stay for a while. Just so I can cook and get enough rest. It’s not like there’s a specific rule against me taking my time.

I’m willing to risk it.

"Boo, do you want stew?"

He meowed and I scratched him behind his round furry ears. Yeah. Let's have some stew.

I grabbed a couple of branches, threw them in a pile with some hay from the rabbit's burrow, and used my knife to scrape against a flint rock I found in the forest.

Fine, Dad. It is pretty useful. A decade later. I grumbled in my mind as memories of my last famous camping trip gone wrong came to mind.

Sparks flew and landed in the pile of kindling.

It lit on fire, but it seemed pitiful. I am not blowing on that. Fanning it with a little fan made of straw it didn’t seem to grow anymore. There’s a slight breeze now.

Maybe something flammable? I don't want to waste real oil. Hair oil! Any oil will do. Besides I have more than enough and I’m due for a haircut anyway.

[Inventory]

I dripped a few drops on it, and it roared with more intensity. A few more stacks of hay later, and I had a blazing, delicious-smelling fire.

Alright.

The cauldron sat on top of the fire and I rung out my clothes for more water. It barely covered the bottom, but I had wrung out enough to be satisfied.

Adding some water from one of the few bottles I had to make up for the rest.

The rabbits. Using my knife, I skinned three of them and tried to take out anything that wasn't supposed to be in there.

No bones for now, definitely no fur, guts should come out, I think, and that's it, right?

The skull was left aside, and I chopped up the skinned rabbits and prepared the meat with the same knife.

Then I lightly sprinkled it with seasoning and dropped it in the pot when I was done. Using my knife, I stirred the concoction around and added some egg fried rice to the mixture.

Just so I have something more to eat. Golden rice and vegetables swirled around in the stew, and I added some oil.

Things started smelling better from there. Boo sat in my lap while I kept an eye on the fire and the glowing teleportation circle.

It's not disappearing. That's good. It seems like once I clear a floor, I'm allowed to take a little break on the same floor.

It's not clear how long, though. So I probably shouldn’t take too much of an advantage. Nor should I explore beyond what I can see.

Boo yawned and his poor tummy grumbled. "I know. It's ok. Almost done."

Thankfully, one of the boxes of rice had a non-stick metal spoon in it, so I used it to test the flavor.

Huh. Tastes like really gamey chicken, fried vegetables, and egg soup. It's not that bad. I sipped it a bit more and decided it was ready.

”Let’s eat!”

•••••

Acquired [Hidden Recipe]

“She’s resting on the second floor.”

“It’s not against protocol. Do not interfere upon matters beyond regulation. This one is under close scrutiny.”

“Does it matter?” The far away voice finished. “It’s not like any of them are leaving.”