The Hunt

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Leo picked up a rock and hurled it toward a cluster of horned rabbits. The sharp thud caught their attention, and some turned to chase the sound.

"Good thing they're stupid," he muttered.

With his Mana Blaster in one hand and Windcutter Sword in the other, Leo positioned himself near the wired trap. Then, he whistled—a sharp, taunting call that echoed through the air.

That was all it took.

The rabbits snarled and charged straight at him.

10 meters.

5 meters.

3 meters.

Now!

Leo jumped back at the last second, and the first wave of rabbits tripped over the steel wire, tumbling over one another in a chaotic pile. Before they could recover, he raised his Mana Blaster and fired.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Precise shots tore through the fallen rabbits.

Then, Leo grabbed a burning branch from the fire pit and hurled it straight at them.

The dry grass ignited instantly.

Thick smoke curled into the air, blinding the horned rabbits. They screeched in panic, their keen senses overwhelmed.

Leo didn't waste a second.

He rushed forward, swinging his Windcutter Sword in a wide, lethal arc—decapitating two rabbits in one fluid motion.

More blood. More corpses.

But they just kept coming.

Leo gritted his teeth, his breaths ragged. He had taken down dozens, yet their numbers didn't seem to shrink.

And now—they were learning.

The remaining horned rabbits didn't charge recklessly anymore. They moved cautiously, their red eyes flickering with something dangerous.

Leo downed a Mana Potion and a Healing Potion in quick succession. The sudden surge of energy rippled through him. His wounds closed, and his mana replenished.

Some horned rabbits flinched, sensing the power rising around him.

They hesitated.

Leo smirked. "Oh? So you do feel fear?" He cracked his neck. "What a coincidence. Me too."

Then, the ground trembled.

A large horned rabbit—twice the size of the others—stepped forward. Its muscles were thicker, its single horn gleamed under the setting sun, and its growl was a deep, guttural rumble.

Leo's smirk faded. "Of course. A boss fight. Because why the hell not?"

The Alpha Horned Rabbit.

Its strength and intelligence far surpassed the others. Unlike the horde, it wouldn't be tricked easily.

Leo tightened his grip on his sword. This was going to be rough.

Then—they both charged.

5 meters.

3 meters.

The Alpha lunged, its massive horn thrusting forward at blinding speed.

At the last possible moment, Leo spun to the side, narrowly avoiding being impaled.

He slashed downward, his Windcutter Sword cutting deep into the beast's flank.

The Alpha howled, stumbling back from the pain.

Leo didn't stop.

He leaped onto its back, using his momentum to drive the sword in deeper.

The Alpha thrashed violently, trying to throw him off. Leo held on, gritting his teeth against the force.

He pressed the Mana Blaster's barrel against its skull—

BOOM!

A direct shot to the head.

The Alpha's body convulsed.

Then—it collapsed.

Silence.

The remaining horned rabbits froze.

Then—they screamed.

Their leader was dead.

Instead of running away, the entire horde entered a berserk state. Madness. Bloodlust.

Leo sighed. "Right. Of course. 'Mad Beasts'—should've seen that coming."

He reached for his gun—then paused.

A slow smirk spread across his face.

"Enjoy the rain of rocks, you little monsters."

He aimed at the small rocks near the entrance—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The smaller rocks crumbled.

Then—

BOOM!

The larger boulders lost their support and came crashing down.

The horned rabbits shrieked. Some tried to run, others jumped, but—too late.

The rockslide crushed them all.

Leo exhaled heavily. His entire body ached. His mana was nearly drained. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the blood-soaked ground.

"Hah… ha… I am never… doing something this stupid again… at least… not anytime soon."

Then—

Silence.

Leo closed his eyes. He had won.

He waited for the system notification—

But nothing came.

His eyes snapped open. "Hey, System. Why am I not leveling up?"

[ Ding! Host has muted notifications. ]

[ Host has already leveled up multiple times. ]

Leo's eye twitched. "…Are you KIDDING ME?"

[ Ding! Host is cursing at the system. Does Host wish to unmute notifications? ]

"YES, YOU STUPID SYSTEM! DO IT NOW!"

For the next hour, Leo ranted at the system while lying in the grass, exhausted but victorious.

The first night in the Tower was over.

But the real challenge was just beginning.

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