Status
The familiar panel opened up before me.
[Status]
Species: Lesser Horned Rabbit
Level: 3/10
HP: 35 | MP: –
Stats: Vit – F | Str – F+ | End – E- | Agi – E | Int – C- | Wis – F+ | Lck – E
Skills: [Bash Lv.7], [Minor Hop Lv.7], [Appraisal Lv.4], [Stealth Lv.1]
Titles: [Guardian], [Novice Exterminator]
Heh… heh-heh… aha-ha…AHAHAHA—tremble before me!
It was the next morning, and I was still riding high off my recent victory. I spent half of it staring at my status screen and—
System, System, in my head, who's the bunny most to dread?
[Query. How will this aid in your defeat of the demon lord?]
I stomped a paw.
System, that's not your line.
[But logically—]
System!
[You are the bunny most to dread.]
Yes! I'm the best! Mwah-ha-ha-ha!
—basically going full evil step-mother with the System.
Not my best look, but hey, what else is a man trapped inside a bunny supposed to do for entertainment? I needed something to take my mind off the dead rat I just throated and I had a lot to celebrate.
All jokes aside, the progress was real. A successful hunt, another level under my belt, skills sharpening, and even a brand-new one added to the list. Oh, and a shiny new title. Which reminded me…
Hey System, what even is a title?
[Titles are achievements earned through your actions. Some grant effects, others alter perception, and all reflect who you are becoming.]
I flicked open my new title.
[Novice Exterminator]
Proof that you've cut your teeth on the lowest rung of adventuring by ridding the world of its vermin.
Effect: +5% damage against vermin-type monsters.
So this means I kicked rat butt so hard it's permanently tattooed onto my identity?
[Correct]
…Great. Exactly the legacy I always dreamed of leaving behind.
Still though, that bonus damage against not only rats but all vermin monsters, which I'm guessing includes mice and insects and things like that, could come in clutch.
Looks like I'll have to add grinding for titles on my to-do list.
And since we're on the topic of titles, it's about time I had a look at this guy -
[Guardian]
A chosen soul tasked with defeating the Demon Lord. Upon victory, one wish shall be granted.
Effects:
System Authority – Grants access to the System interface.
Death Ward – Negates instant death effects (HP reduced to 1).
Adaptive Growth – Experience, attributes, skills, and titles progress at an accelerated rate.
Unique Presence – Your nature is unlike any native being. Others instinctively recognize this difference, interpreting it in ways beyond your control.
So this is the source of all my new troubles, huh? I can't believe I never checked you out sooner. Guess I've just been that busy… surviving.
Blame the old man who thought It'd be a good idea to start me off as a bunny for that.
I blinked at the screen.
…Okay. System Authority. Sure, got that one. Death Ward? Yeah, that sounds like a late-game cheat. Because let's be real—if I ever meet someone who can "instant death" me this early, I'm clearly doing something wrong.
Adaptive Growth—ah, now that's what I'm talking about, this is giving total main character vibes. This effect must explain why I've been improving so fast.
Then my eyes dropped to the last line.
Unique Presence.
…What the hell does that even mean? People just… look at me and think I'm special? Why would I need something like that?
I vaguely remembered the old man asking if I was "good with people" before I got tossed in here. System, was this connected to that?
The System stayed silent.
…Okay. Weird.
Still, a little accidental popularity probably wouldn't kill me.
Alright, time to raise a stat. Last time I went with Endurance, and it paid off—no more concussions from [Bash], and I didn't collapse after three kills. Nice.
But today? It has to be Agility. Faster hops, sharper dodges, more chances to play the only way I know how: hit, hop, vanish. Rats are one thing, but bigger monsters? One slip-up and I'm roadkill.
I glance at my health stat. Thirty Five HP. That's it.
…It's not like I want to be a glass cannon, okay!? But tossing a point into Vitality right now would be like pissing into the ocean. Better to double down on what's working… right? Right!?
[Attribute: Agi → E+]
The rush hit instantly—heat buzzing through my muscles, legs twitching like they'd been plugged into an outlet.
Hop!
Before I knew it, I'd launched into the air and landed with a thud.
Woah—almost forgot about that.
[Agility has reached its cap.]
[Evolution required to further raise stat.]
…Damn. I blinked at the screen. Agility capped out? Guess this is as fast as my legs are gonna carry me until I hit whatever comes after lesser horned rabbit.
Fine. If I can't get faster with raw stats, then I'll need to get creative—new skill time. And I know exactly what I'm looking for.
I open the menu and scroll down until I see it—there!
[Hop Step Lv.1] – Channels explosive leg power into a swift, low bounding dash. Prioritizes speed and precision over distance.
This! This is what my Hit-and-Hop style is missing right now.
Against a single, hand-picked rat, vaulting in and going for a one-hit kill is a risk I can take, but against something that could tank it? Maybe even dodge? I don't even want to think about what would happen to me if I find myself stuck in close quarter combat and my only means of mobility is a long, easy to track arc.
No, Minor Hop is still best for engaging and disengaging: get in on a target, strike, hop out of range.
But Hop Step? It would allow for dodging and rapid repositioning inside combat: sidestepping into blind spots, weaving between enemies, keeping the pressure up and setting up the perfect finish.
Yeah…this is it.
[Skill Acquired: Hop Step Lv.1]
The notification flashed—and then came the pain.
Ghhk—every time! Why does learning feel like someone's jamming a fork straight into my brain!?
I flopped onto my side, ears twitching, vision buzzing. The headache burned for a few long seconds before it turned into something… clearer. My legs tingled, thrumming with potential, like they wanted to move differently.
I could feel it already—short, sharp bursts of speed just waiting to be unleashed.
Grinning through the lingering ache, worth it, I thought.
Alright, Oliver. You're faster, sharper, meaner. Time to hit the road and show the world what a rabbit can do.
…Also, try not to die. Very important. Let's not forget that part.
*
*
*
The triumphant roar hit me before I even reached the clearing.
I peeked through the underbrush and, sure enough, there was the Bramble Bear cub, muzzle deep in yet another wild boar.
How come this guy gets the good stuff while I'm stuck eating furry vomit?
I Appraised it out of habit—
[Status]
Species: Bramble Bear Cub
Level: 5/10
HP: 136 | MP: –
Stats: Vit – D- | Str – D | End – D | Agi – E+ | Int – E | Wis – E- | Lck – F
Skills: [Maul Lv.4], [Bite Lv.3], [Briar Ram Lv.3]
—Oh, come on!
It had grown. Again.
The numbers staring back at me were already scary, and the way it tore into that carcass didn't exactly help my nerves.
Thankfully, after gorging itself, the cub lumbered off into the trees. Good. One nightmare down.
I crept forward, ears twitching, and activated [Stealth]. My presence melted away. The rats would be here soon. I could already hear them skittering closer.
Here comes the fun part—
But then… something else moved.
Low. Subtle. Tucked into the grass by the boar's corpse. If not for the faint ripple of blades shifting, I would've missed it entirely.
What is that?
The rats swarmed in, a hungry tide, squealing as they rushed the meat—
And that's when it revealed itself.
A serpent, scales gleaming green. Six meters if it was an inch. It uncoiled, head rising high, and before the rats could even squeal, it struck.
FWUP!
Its jaws clamped down, swallowing five whole rats in one snap.
W-what was that!? And how fast was that attack!?
The rats exploded into chaos, screeching and scattering in every direction. My stomach dropped. The familiar rhythm of the clearing—the cycle I'd come to count on—shattered in an instant.
I don't like this. I need to get ou—
Too late.
A chunk of the swarm came pouring out of the bushes straight toward me, ten pairs of beady red eyes locking on, drool dripping from their jaws.
My ears flattened.
…You have got to be kidding me.