Chapter 2: Hunting in the Desert
Chapter 2:
Hunting in the Desert
Part 1
AS I WOKE, I felt a strange tickling sensation around my belly. What was that? Was I having some kind of delayed reaction to the scorpion venom?
“Bpfeff! Bpfeff!”
Hey, that’s the noise the ballrabbit makes! It sounded so pitiful, like it was calling out for help. Was a monster attacking it? Where? I could hear it, but I couldn’t see it.
I used Psychic Sense and immediately felt a ping below me. I stood up swiftly, watching as the ballrabbit crawled out of the sand dune, its breathing ragged. It gulped air frantically. I must have changed positions while I slept and flopped down across the dune. My weight impacted the sand, blocking the rabbit from coming to the surface.
“Pfeff…” It finally caught its breath, shaking clumps of sand from its fur. It glared at me.
Hey, I’m sorry! I’m really sorry. I did it to protect you, but I guess it backfired. We came out okay though, right? Please forgive me.
The ballrabbit was cranky, but it went back to its old self when I fed it some cactus. This guy was so basic. All it ever thought about was food.
When it was finished, I put it on my head and continued on our way. Time to focus on leveling the ballrabbit and my next evolution. And tracking down some meat. If we found a D-rank monster, the rabbit might evolve in one go.
I walked for a while before coming upon a sleeping creature. It looked like the same species as the thing the giant centipede had been chasing. It probably wasn’t expecting to be disturbed first thing in the morning by something like me.
Its eyes weren’t quite closed; if I got too close it would wake up. Could I use View Status from this far away? I’d leveled that skill a lot.
Species: Garpanther
Status: Sleeping (Slight)
Lv: 27/48
HP: 123/123
MP: 98/98
Attack: 95
Defense: 84
Magic: 99
Agility: 164
Rank: D+
Special Skills:
Animal Instinct: Lv 1
Scent: Lv 2
Stealth: Lv 2
Psychic Sense: Lv 1
Crisis Sense: Lv 1
Resistance Skills:
Magical Resistance: Lv 3
Poison Resistance: Lv 1
Normal Skills:
Bellow: Lv 2
Bite: Lv 3
Mirage: Lv 2
Beast Tackle: Lv 1
Quick: Lv 3
Title Skills:
Feline Pride: Lv 3
Chaser: Lv 2
Swift Wind: Lv 2
Normal Skill “View Status” Lv 5 has become Lv 6.
Hey, I leveled it up! It was the skill I relied on the most. Without View Status and Roll I would have died a hundred times over.
This looked a little tough for the ballrabbit. The panther’s stats were exponentially higher. It wouldn’t make a dent no matter how hard it tried. Would it still get experience points if it just attacked a little? I might as well find out and get some meat in the process.
This thing’s got some guts calling itself “Swift Wind” when I’m around. My Agility is lower, but once I use Roll, I’ll smoke it. I’m taking that title from you, buddy!
Now…how to approach it? If it ran, I couldn’t catch it with the ballrabbit along for the ride. I needed to hit it hard and fast and let the rabbit get a hit in. Best option was to weaken it with the first blow.
Maybe it would be better if I gave up on sneaking and just slammed into it at full force with Roll? But I’d have to put the ballrabbit down for that.
Hey, do you think you could dig yourself a hole and hide for a little bit?
Oh, I know! Maybe I could hold the rabbit in my mouth? Then I could use Roll and not have to worry about leaving it behind. That’s the perfect solution! I’m a genius. That’ll make traveling way easier from now on too.
I put the ballrabbit on the ground and leaned in close. It began to tremble.
“Pfeff! Pfeff! Pfeff!”
It shook its head—well, body—back and forth, frantically trying to resist me. Did it know what I was trying to do? Maybe it was saying, “Don’t eat me, I promise I don’t taste good!”
Don’t worry, I’m just gonna put you in my mouth for a little while. It’s for your own safety. Promise!
“Pfeff! Pfeff!”
The closer I got, the more it cried. It whirled to run away, but I snapped forward and caught it in my mouth.
“Pfeff! Pfeff!!”
It sounded mad, but there was no going back now. Time to use Roll and attack the panther while it was still asleep.
I curled up my body and shot in a straight line toward the monster. Before I got there, its eyes opened and it stood up. An unobstructed landscape like this one was the ideal condition for Roll, and I was hitting my top speed.
“Pfeff! Pfeff!!” The ballrabbit flailed inside my mouth, but I couldn’t worry about it right now. No time to stop. The panther broke into a run. It could escape a giant centipede with that speed, but it wouldn’t escape me!
The distance between us grew smaller and smaller, but it didn’t give up. Credit where credit was due—this was harder than I expected.
Still, it was already running at top speed, but I could still accelerate. Only a matter of time before it exhausted itself. What now, Mr. Swift Wind?
“Pfeeeeeeffff!”
The ballrabbit was freaking out inside of my mouth. Just wait a little longer. Stay still or I’ll accidentally swallow you!
Part 2
THE PANTHER SPRINTED in a straight line, attempting to pull away from me. I was keeping up but no longer closing in.
Hmm, it’s faster than I expected. I wasn’t Rolling at top speed out of consideration for the ballrabbit in my mouth. Maybe I could go just a little faster? Before I could decide, I saw a flicker of light coming from the panther’s body. It sped up. I’d just seen its status, and I knew immediately what it used: Quick.
Dang it, I shouldn’t have gotten so cocky and just gone full power from the beginning. If a giant centipede spotted it now, I’d lose my chance. Okay, buddy. Time to get serious. The ballrabbit whipped its ears around wildly in protest inside my mouth as I picked up speed. Hang in there…just a little bit longer! I’m about to catch up to the panther. The gap between us is closing!
I can do this. I can launch myself closer and then use Paralyzing Venom Claws to knock it over and stop it in its tracks.
The panther looked back at me, finally beginning to panic. Hey, dude. If you keep glancing back at me like that I’m gonna catch you. I’d definitely learned that lesson when I ran away from the taranturouge.
The panther accelerated, following the curve of a large rock, but it was basically over. I’d grab it in front of that boulder.
But just when I thought it was in my grasp, the panther disappeared. And I was heading straight for the big rock.
But that’s impossible! That rock was further to the left!
Now the panther was running over to my right. I had a feeling it hit me with its Mirage skill, altering my perception of the landscape. Even if I’d been extra careful, I wouldn’t have been able to counter that one.
The panther halted and looked around cockily, taunting me. That’s why it kept glancing back before—it was preparing to use that skill. Now it was too late to stop. I crashed into the boulder at full speed, and the surface cracked violently, shards flying into the air. That slowed me down, but I didn’t give up. The panther froze for a moment before springing back into motion. It must’ve realized it couldn’t waste time changing directions.
Unfortunately for the panther, a huge chunk of the boulder was flying right toward it.
“Garoow!” The panther recoiled. I shoved the boulder shard in its direction, running it the heck over. I heard it make contact—that definitely broke a couple of bones. It wasn’t moving as well as before. I canceled Roll, then charged. I whipped it with Paralyzing Venom Claws—lightly, but multiple times. I made sure its status was “Paralyzed (Major),” then spit the ballrabbit out of my mouth and set it on my head.
“Pfeff…”
I felt something wet and sticky. It was covered in saliva. Ugh, I didn’t want that on my scales. I grimaced. The rabbit whipped my head with its ears.
Hey, I’m sorry. This sucks for me too, you know! You’re all sticky and smelly.
Maybe when I met back up with the black lizard, I could carry it in my mouth as well, though I didn’t want to risk it setting off a poison attack in there. The slime had swiped its Neutralize Poison ability, after all.
Speaking of which, I wondered how the orangurangs were doing. Occasionally the black lizard lost its patience and attacked them with its venom. Hopefully they wouldn’t have all killed each other by the time I got back.
I put the rabbit on the ground, then gestured for it to attack the panther. Instead, it crept close and whipped my legs with its ears. Don’t attack me, attack that thing! Then I’ll take you to the ocean and wash that spit off! I wanna wash my head too!
Once the ballrabbit had its fill of abusing me, it moved on to the monster. Finally! I was beginning to wonder if it would do it at all. Its opinion of me seemed to have plummeted.
The ballrabbit and its prey were still too poorly matched; no matter how many times it whipped the panther with its ears, it took no damage. It tried Illuminate three times, but the monster didn’t even bat an eyelid, just stared at the rabbit, unimpressed. Did I think too big? Maybe I should’ve picked a weaker monster.
No sense in waiting any longer. The panther’s paralysis would wear off soon. If I inflicted the finishing blow, maybe the rabbit would get some experience as well. Whoa! It started gnawing on it! How hungry is this thing?! Wait, I think it’s doing some damage!
Once the rabbit penetrated the skin, the panther’s defense would probably go down. Still…the ballrabbit was basically eating it alive. Absolutely gruesome. Should I really be helping this thing evolve? Its potential was terrifying.
As I watched, the monster’s status went from Paralyzed (Major) to just Paralyzed. I gave its neck a swipe with my claws, taking care of it.
Gained 108 Experience Points.
Title Skill “Walking Egg” Lv — activated: gained 108 Experience Points.
Plague Dragon Lv 20 became Lv 22.
Wow, barely any experience points. I wasn’t going to get anywhere fighting weak enemies. My MAX was level 75; evolution felt so far away. And the higher I climbed, the more experience points it would take to level up.
Well, I still had the Walking Egg Title Skill giving me double experience points. I just hoped my slow rate of growth and the Dragon Scale Powder wouldn’t force me to live in solitude for years. I might die of loneliness.
I could worry about that later. I didn’t get a chance to try out Disease Breath, but I’d achieved my first goal. I had meat, and salt from the ocean. I’d use the offer of food to get back on the rabbit’s good side. I needed to check its experience points too.
Part 3
FIRST ORDER of business was prying the defeated monster out of the rabbit’s jaws; it was still gnawing hungrily. Hey, that’ll taste better when it’s roasted, I promise! Get away from it for a sec! Oof, it’s glaring at me again.
H-hey, don’t turn on me! Your claws hurt!
Species: Small Ballrabbit
Status: Normal
Lv: 6/12
HP: 10/3
MP: 0/18
Attack: 12
Defense: 18
Magic: 25
Agility 20
Rank: E-
Special Skills:
Conceal: Lv 1
Food Regeneration: Lv 2
Resistance Skills:
Hunger Resistance: Lv 4
Poison Resistance: Lv 1
Binge Resistance: Lv 1
Normal Skills:
Burrow: Lv 2
Illuminate: Lv 2
Play Dead: Lv 1
Whip Dance: Lv 1
Swallow Whole: Lv 1
Storage: Lv 1
Charm: Lv 1
Gnaw: Lv 1
Title Skills:
Desert Darling: Lv 2
Cannibal: Lv 1
Parasitic Leveler: Lv 2
Ravenous: Lv 3
Ugh, only a few levels again. I figured it would either get all the way up to MAX, or it would get nothing, since it technically didn’t contribute to the battle. Walking Egg might have given me a skewed perception of level growth, but this just seemed way too slow. Though I’d skipped E rank—I went right from F to D. Maybe it worked differently for E-rank monsters?
Oh, wait…it could be receiving reduced experience points because of that Parasitic Leveler skill. Maybe it was the kind of experience that actually mattered. Even though the ballrabbit took on a monster much more powerful than itself, it really just gnawed on it a little bit. I should be grateful it even got as many experience points as it did.
I could carry it around until it hit rank D, but it would be slow going. I just hoped its next evolution was large enough to dig me my new house.
That was only if it was even still willing to help me out at all. I’d traumatized it with a scorpion, accidentally suffocated it in my sleep, and then drenched it with my spit. Not the best way to get on someone’s good side.
I pried the ballrabbit off the dead monster and began processing the meat. I cut off the head, removed the organs, and skinned it. I chopped the flesh into smaller pieces to make it easier to eat. I was an old hand at this. Perhaps eventually I’d get a skill like “Butcher” or something.
Before I could throw the inedible bits out into the desert, the rabbit began gnawing on the organs. Jeez, it really would eat anything.
Whoa, it just ate the head! The head was bigger than its entire body, and it just ate it! Disgusting! I’m gonna have nightmares. What the heck is going on inside of that rabbit’s stomach?
You know those people who can eat whatever they want and never get fat? This thing was on another level. I had no idea where it was all going.
I put the saliva-covered ballrabbit on my head and headed for the ocean. Ugh, I wish I could just put it in my mouth and use Roll. I mean, why not? We were on the way to wash, who cared if it got a little dirtier? The ballrabbit must have predicted this, because it began whipping me in the head with its ears. Okay, okay! I won’t use Roll.
Eventually, we reached the ocean. God, we were right next to water, so why was it so dry here? This was a magical world; I figured logic from my previous life was worthless. But also, I vaguely remembered hearing about a huge river that ran through a desert somewhere…and it never rained there because of something having to do with air currents. Maybe this place was the same way?
I put that aside and went back to my meal. I’d brought a scrap of the monster’s skin, and I lay out all the bits of meat on top. Now my food wouldn’t get any sand on it.
I dug a hole in the beach and filled it with ocean water I’d scooped up with my hands. Once it was nearly full, I used Scorching Breath. The water began to steam, quickly evaporating and leaving behind powdery white crystals—salt. It stank a little, though.
Maybe if I raised the heat a notch it would get rid of the smell? I should just try it first.
I spread the salt, still smelling of sea brine, on the raw meat, then used a higher temperature of Scorching Breath until the flesh began to change color. I stopped when it was cooked to about medium—nice and brown on the outside but still a little pink and tender on the inside. Perfect.
I shoved a piece of the meat into my mouth. A little tough but workable. My only regret was that without piperis, the gamey taste was evident. I never cared about the smell back when I was eating bugs, but now I was accustomed to the luxury of cave life and my tastes had changed.
I added some sea water to try to cover up the funk. Maybe I could use the salt as a rub? If this was the forest, I could pick some tasty herbs, but now I had nothing but prickly cactuses. It was only now dawning on me how crucial piperis had been to my happiness.
Title Skill “Mr. Chef” Lv 3 has become Lv 4.
Oh hey, it had been a while since that skill went up. Hopefully I would still be able to use it once I locked in my human form.
I tried a couple more things to improve the taste of the meat as I roasted it, and the scent drew the ballrabbit in. Its long ears were covered in sand from where it continued to drag them along the ground.
Eh, I’m sure the sand will brush off eventually. Can’t sweat the small stuff.
The ballrabbit sniffed the air, looking up as if to ask, “Can I eat that?” with a glint in its eyes.
I’d had a feeling I’d win it back with food. Perfect, now I could keep using Roll, the fastest way to travel. If the rabbit got mad at me, I’d just salt up some more meat and buy back its love.
The ballrabbit was still staring at me. While it was eating the meat. Wait, it couldn’t have caught on to what I’m thinking, right? It didn’t have any mindreading skills…but m-maybe I’d just save Roll for emergencies, like getting away from those giant centipedes. Going by just our stats, I could probably take them out no problem, but I didn’t want the rabbit getting caught in the fray. It would absolutely get killed.
Once it’s finished eating, I’ll take it to the water and wash the saliva off its head. Then I’ll get back to leveling and testing out Disease Breath.
Part 4
AFTER WE FINISHED UP dinner, I picked the ballrabbit up and went in search of our next desert conquest. A D-rank monster needed to be paralyzed before I could let the ballrabbit go at it, so I was thinking an E+ would be just right. That way it could eke out a victory on its own.
From its stats, the rabbit specialized in magic. Unfortunately, its MP was 0. I thought about letting it rest for the day, but I didn’t want to waste any more time without testing the Dragon Scale Powder.
Still, pushing the rabbit too hard might end in disaster. I had no idea if separation from me once the Powder’s effects began to show would even make a difference.
Fine, fine. The rabbit could train another day. Either way, I couldn’t just leave it alone. I resolved to run my tests, and if the opportunity presented itself, I’d level the rabbit up.
Speaking of the rabbit, it was currently devouring meat on top of my head, savoring every bite of my last kill. That was fine, but I didn’t want grease on my scales.
I was jealous that it could just kick back and relax. If it ever got big in a later evolution, I’d make it carry me.
I moved carefully to avoid disrupting its meal, and eventually I caught sight of one of those three-headed camels in the distance. Looking at its lumpy body was still unpleasant. I slowly closed in, taking care for the rabbit’s sake.
Come on, stop eating! If we get into a battle, I’ll need my head back. Hold on tight or you’re gonna fall off, Ballrabbit!
I gave myself a little shake, trying not to let it get too comfortable.
“Pfeff?!” It dropped a piece of meat on my nose, where it sat, tickling me. I licked it off and gulped it down. Hmm, maybe less salt next time? It would probably be better as jerky, honestly.
“Pfeff…” The rabbit made a dejected noise. I guess that was its last piece of meat.
I spread my wings, flying in close to the camel to circle behind. I landed and checked its status.
Species: Motaricamel
Status: Normal
Lv: 8/31
HP: 78/78
MP: 67/67
Attack: 52
Defense: 48
Magic: 23
Agility: 28
Rank: D-
Special Skills:
Belt Buckle: Lv 4
Conceal: Lv 1
Automatic HP Recovery: Lv 1
Twin Heads: Lv —
Split Personality: Lv —
Resistance Skills:
Poison Resistance: Lv 2
Fire Resistance: Lv 1
Normal Skills:
Clay Wall: Lv 2
Sandstorm: Lv 1
Aqua: Lv 1
Rest: Lv 1
Title Skills:
Cactus Eater: Lv 2
Rank D-, huh? It doesn’t have any offensive skills either; this is a perfect chance to help the rabbit level up. Perhaps it was due to the multiple heads, but it had some Special Skills that reminded me of the twinheads. Thinking back, the twinheads’s left and right sides used different skills. I wondered how they split those up. Maybe they just had different specialties from birth? I had absolutely no intention of ever becoming a dragon with multiple heads—I was just curious.
“Naaaaaaaarggggh!”
All three heads bellowed at once. I blew out a breath and focused my magical energy in the back of my throat. It was my first time using this skill, but I instinctively knew how to do it. I blew out the collected magical energy in one great gust, the cloud of noxious air drifting toward the camel. It tried to dig its legs into the ground to brace itself, but knocking it down wasn’t my goal. I just wanted to test my abilities.
If I did end up blowing it away, I wouldn’t be able to see those effects. Brace yourself, buddy! Help me out. Dig even deeper.
The wind stopped, and the camel relaxed. It certainly looked normal.
Species: Motaricamel
Status: Cursed (Slight)
Lv: 8/31
HP: 73/78
MP: 67/67
I was far more powerful than the camel, but I’d barely done any damage. That was fine. This skill definitely worked over time. Cursed (Slight)? That was a new one.
If it was a status condition, I could ask Divine Voice. It refused to explain Poison α to me, but that was because its level was so low. But this was one of my skills. It had to answer me.
Status Condition: Cursed
Hey, there it is.
A status condition that gradually drains life force and weakens physical abilities. Its effects act slower than Poison, but fewer remedies exist.
A minor Curse weakens with increased distance between the cursed being and its caster and will eventually wear off.
Hmm, so the Plague was a Curse. Disease Breath caused a slight case, and it followed that the same should be true for any ambient effect from my wings. If I noticed anything on the rabbit’s status, leaving it behind should let it recover.
Regardless, there was one thing I now knew for sure. Not only did skills like Dragon Scale Powder and Disease Breath get in the way of me making friends, but they were pretty crappy offensive skills too. I Cursed that three-headed camel and it looked perfectly healthy. From the description, it was much better suited for an extended battle—only useful for the long haul.
Part 5
THE THREE-HEADED CAMEL changed trajectory, turning its back on me. It thought it could escape. I used Paralyzing Venom Claws on its back, raking shallowly into its flesh.
“Naaaaargh!”
Its three heads screamed all together. Its legs buckled and it hit the ground, still trying to pull itself along pitifully.
Normal Skill “Paralyzing Venom Claws” Lv 3 has become Lv 4.
I made sure that its status condition showed “Paralyzed” and then let the rabbit down.
“Pfeff.” It waddled across the ground, making its way closer to the three-headed camel. It must’ve realized its job, because it immediately hopped on top of it and started nibbling.
Since their stats were so disparate, I didn’t expect it to do damage, but Gnaw must be a good skill. It was really tearing into that camel. Before long, the camel groaned in triplicate.
Wow. Pretty disgusting. The ballrabbit was such a violent little thing. Maybe I’d been raising it wrong. Was its strength in battle becoming unstoppable? I just hoped neither of us would get another weird Title Skill out of it.
The camel’s status had gone from Cursed (Slight) and Paralyzed, to Cursed (Slight) and Paralyzed (Slight). High time for the finishing blow.
“Naaaaarrgh!”
Just as I was about to push the rabbit aside, one of the heads let out a really loud cough. Was that a side effect of Disease Breath’s Curse?
“Raaaaar!” I bellowed, shouting for the ballrabbit to get away. I stepped between them and released Scorching Breath. The three-headed camel’s body went up in flames.
Gained 32 Experience Points.
Title Skill “Walking Egg” Lv — activated: gained 32 experience points.
I didn’t hold back. All that remained were cinders.
“Pfeff…”
The ballrabbit looked disappointedly at the scorched three-headed camel. It probably wanted more to eat, but we didn’t have time for that. I had my answer. Disease Breath caused Curse. I couldn’t let my guard down with the Dragon Scale Powder.
Still…thinking about how the camel’s head started coughing—wasn’t that more of a sickness than a curse? Did it infect the rabbit while it was close? God, what if eating it was dangerous?
Should I make it throw the meat up? I checked the rabbit’s status.
Species: Small Ballrabbit
Status: Normal
Lv: 10/12
HP: 39/39
MP: 0/28
Attack: 16
Defense: 22
Magic: 30
Agility: 24
Rank: E-
Special Skills:
Conceal: Lv 1
Food Regeneration: Lv 3
Resistance Skills:
Hunger Resistance: Lv 4
Poison Resistance: Lv 1
Binge Resistance: Lv 1
Normal Skills:
Burrow: Lv 2
Illuminate: Lv 2
Play Dead: Lv 1
Whip Dance: Lv 3
Swallow Whole: Lv 1
Storage: Lv 1
Charm: Lv 1
Gnaw: Lv 2
Rest: Lv 1
Title Skills:
Desert Darling: Lv 2
Cannibal: Lv 1
Parasitic Leveler: Lv 2
Ravenous: Lv 3
Well, it seemed fine for now. Next time I did experiments with Disease Breath I’d just be more careful. Or I could just never try it again. That might be safer.
But hey, the ballrabbit learned Rest! I’d worked so hard to learn that skill, and then I lost it when I evolved. Rest regenerated HP. If the ballrabbit could master Rest, it would have a much easier time in the desert.
The rabbit puffed out its cheeks and began thwapping its ears on the ground, throwing a tantrum. Looked like it really wanted to eat that camel meat.
Didn’t it realize I was just worried about it? Well, it was my fault, really—I should have been more careful with this whole test idea.
The rabbit licked up some camel ash, then spit it out with a “Peh! Peh!” Well, what were you expecting? You can’t eat that. You’d be better off eating a mouthful of sand! I laughed internally, but the rabbit still glared at me.
Was I being obvious again? I poked at my cheek. I didn’t think I was showing my emotions on my face. My scales were so thick you shouldn’t have been able to tell if I was frowning or smiling. Maybe it could tell just by looking in my eyes.
I gently caressed the rabbit’s head. It turned its face away huffily, as if to say, “You can’t trick me with that!” But then it settled back into contentment, eyes softening, enjoying the attention. When I caressed the tips of its ears, it let out a little sigh. “Pfeff!”
I guess when you drag your ears around all the time, they tend to get pretty itchy.
They’d just end up getting covered in sand again, but I brushed the dirt off them anyway. The ballrabbit seemed to be enjoying itself. After a while, it fell asleep.
Guess this guy is happy to go wherever the food is. That makes it easy to handle. I didn’t want to wake it up, so I scooped it up carefully and placed it on my head.
We fought the panther and the camel back-to-back; no wonder it was tired. And we walked a long way today. Well, I’m the one who did all the walking, but being a passenger can still be tiring. Despite how careful I was, it was a bumpy ride.
I returned to the cactus field. Time for a rest.
“P-pfeff!” The rabbit complained a bit when I moved it. Did I wake it?
“Raar?” I asked, but it didn’t respond. What the heck…? Was it talking in its sleep?