The first few rabbits were nothing special. They jumped at him with beady eyes and sharp front teeth, but they died easily — almost too easily. One well-timed swing from Renji's makeshift blade and their bodies dissolved into glimmering fragments, leaving faint blood splatters behind.
[System: You have slain your first monster — "Feral Rabbit."]
[Reward: 2x Basic Healing Potions added to inventory.]
"...Healing potions? Not bad," Renji muttered, wiping rabbit blood off his arm. "Guess they really treat life-or-death situations like a game."
The forest within the gate had a surreal stillness to it. Short, crooked trees and oversized mushrooms made the place feel like a twisted wonderland. And the rabbits — dozens of them — weren't afraid. They hunted in packs. They circled. They tested his reactions.
At first, Renji's moves were stiff. He swung wide. He hesitated. He got clipped — twice — on his left arm and thigh. But he learned quickly. He started to anticipate. Sidestep. Counter. Kill.
One by one, the bunnies fell.
Ten… then twenty…
By the thirty-fifth kill, Renji was panting, drenched in sweat, and slightly bloodied — but his grip was firmer, and his steps more assured.
He leaned against a tree, gulping one of the healing potions down. The cool liquid burned in his throat for a second, then numbed the pain in his arm.
"Alright," he whispered. "That should be enough warm-up."
He stood, eyes scanning the area. Something had changed. The wind stilled. The remaining bunnies fled into the underbrush, as if they knew what was coming.
Then, he felt it.
Heavy footsteps. Not thuds — but thumps. Sharp. Rhythmic.
From the far end of the glade, a figure emerged. It looked like a man — but with long rabbit ears, digitigrade legs, and fur covering his limbs. Its eyes glowed red, and its arms were longer than they should be, tipped with claws that looked forged from bone.
The creature cracked its neck and growled low.
Renji exhaled slowly.
"Boss fight, huh?" He stepped forward, gripping his weapon. "Let's see what you've got."