Azrael's body still ached from the previous floor. Every joint complained, every muscle throbbed, but the dungeon didn't care.
Each step reminded him that survival meant moving forward, no matter how stiff or sore he felt.
But on the bright side, his minor regeneration was slowly working wonders on his body.
Olivia kept pace beside him, her pink eyes scanning the shadows, blade at the ready, her presence both grounding and reassuring.
The mouth of the next floor opened before them like a frozen maw. Icicles clung to the walls, jagged and sharp, reflecting the dim light in fractured patterns across the ice-crusted ground.
A cold breeze swept past, carrying with it the faint metallic tang of frozen blood—or perhaps just the bitter chill of the dungeon itself.
Every inhaled breath burned in their lungs, but it was invigorating in a way, awakening them from the fog of pain and exhaustion.
Azrael's stomach growled loudly, sharp enough to echo against the frost-coated walls. He glanced at Olivia, a grim smile tugging at his lips.
She gave a soft laugh, shaking her head. "We've gone too long without food," she murmured. "I could eat… well, anything."
He clenched his fists, a spark of amusement mingling with hunger. "Then let's see what this floor has in store for us."
Before either of them could step further, a flash of pure white caught their attention.
As they laid their eyes on it, the system was quick to react.
[New Subject Identified: [Frostbond Hare]
Mana Core: ★ Feral
Threat Level: C (extremely elusive and fast)
Description: A man's nightmare given a whimsical twist. While not as horrifying as imagined, this rabbit is far from ordinary. Its pristine white fur shimmers with frost, and icy blue icicles sprout delicately from its ears. Its piercing blue eyes seem to calculate every movement, making it unusually cunning for a creature of its size.
At first glance, it seemed innocuous, small, fluffy, almost laughably innocent, but the tips of its ears glinted sharply in the icy light, and a subtle tension coiled in their chests.
It was both absurdly cute and unnervingly unnatural. A fluffy white rabbit, perfectly round and soft, with icicles of clear blue jutting from its ears like frozen daggers.
Its eyes were a shimmering, unnatural blue, pulsing faintly in the dim light. Its tiny form seemed harmless—until they noticed the faint frost forming and breaking under its paws.
The hare wasn't just fast. It was like lightning incarnate. With a pulse of cold air beneath its feet, it launched itself in bursts, to push forward impossibly fast.
Even from a distance, they could see the faint shimmer of ice forming, cracking, and splintering with each step.
And its teeth, small, sharp, perfectly terrifying, gleamed faintly, capable of gnawing through steel if necessary.
Azrael's stomach growled again, a sharp reminder that they weren't here for glory or treasure.
They were here for freedom and to get that freedom they needed sustenance, something warm, something satisfying, something that reminded them they were alive.
The hare twitched, ears flicking, eyes locking onto them with an almost mischievous intelligence.
Then, like a white streak of frost, it shot forward across the snowy floor. It was gone before their eyes, leaving only the faint trace of cold behind.
Every instinct screamed at them to chase, and they didn't hesitate. Blades drawn, bodies tense, they lunged after the hare, the thrill of the hunt mingling with the sharp pang of hunger in their guts.
The frozen ground blurred beneath them, each footfall sending shards of ice scattering, each breath misting into the frigid air.
The Frost-Bond Hare darted and weaved, a living, flickering blur of white and blue, leaving trails of frost that marked its passage.
With every agile leap, it became clear that catching this creature would demand more than brute strength, it would require patience, strategy, and every ounce of focus they could summon.
Azrael's teeth clenched, his eyes narrowing. The creature might have been small, but it carried the energy of the floor itself: cold, sharp, untouchable.
The wind whistled through the spires of ice as he and Olivia advanced, each step bringing them closer to the creature and to the meal that waited at the end of the hunt.
His stomach growled again, insistent, reminding him that they had a very practical reason to win this chase.
He glanced at Olivia, matching her determined gaze, and for a moment, they shared the same silent thought: survive, hunt, and eat.
And somewhere in the icy expanse of the next floor, the Frost-Bond Hare waited, watching, testing, daring them to try.
Azrael's eyes narrowed, tracking the Frost-Bond Hare as it zigzagged across the frozen floor.
Each flicker of its white fur against the pale blue ice made his pulse quicken. Hunger gnawed at his gut, but he forced himself to focus.
He raised a hand, fingers curling, and the subtle hum of his gravity control pulsed around him.
The air itself seemed to thicken, pressing down like invisible hands against the hare.
The ground beneath it compressed as if the weight of the world had shifted, forcing the tiny creature to adjust mid-leap.
The hare froze for the briefest of heartbeats, nostrils twitching, its shimmering blue eyes narrowing.
Then, almost mockingly, it darted to the side, leaping out of the zone where the gravitational pressure had increased.
Its tiny claws barely touched the ice, and yet each landing sent shards of frost scattering as though the floor itself obeyed its will.
Azrael's jaw clenched. "Fast little shit," he muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips despite the frustration.
He adjusted, switching tactics. Instead of pushing the hare down, he tried gravity attraction, pulling it toward him, forcing it into a slower, more predictable path.
The frost-coated air thickened around the hare, pulling at it subtly. For a heartbeat, he thought he had it. The creature slowed, its body tilting as if struggling against some invisible force.
Then it leapt.
And leapt again.
The Frost-Bond Hare seemed to fold the air beneath its paws, springing higher than any rabbit should, moving away from him in midair with impossible precision.
Each jump left faint streaks of freezing wind, making it look like a ghost dancing across the frozen floor. Azrael's pulse hammered in his chest.
He adjusted again, subtly increasing the attraction, but the hare's awareness was almost supernatural.
Every time the pull intensified, it pivoted midair, landing safely beyond his reach.
He growled, a low, predatory sound that matched the hunger in his gut. "So clever…"
The hare twitched its ears, letting out a soft, almost teasing squeak. It was cute. Infuriatingly cute.
Azrael crouched low, readying his next move. If brute force and gravity control couldn't catch it, he'd need speed, anticipation… and perhaps a little luck.
Olivia's voice broke through the tension, calm and sharp. "Don't let it get too far. Focus on predicting its next landing."
He glanced at her, a brief smirk crossing his face despite the frustration. "You mean… where it's heading instead of where it is?"
Her eyes glinted with determination. "Exactly."
He grunted "why didn't I think of that"
Azrael inhaled sharply, the icy air burning his lungs. The hare was fast, clever, and lethal if underestimated, but it was still prey. And prey, no matter how agile, always left a pattern.
He flexed his fingers, feeling the pull of gravity thrumming beneath his control, ready to adjust at the moment the hare's next jump faltered.
And somewhere above the frozen plains, the Frost-Bond Hare arched in the air, unaware that its brief dance of freedom was about to come to an end