Close to a crook, a bloodied figure struggled up, its fur stained with blood. Its left was twisted back, one of its ears cut deeply.
"Fuck! What the hell was that?!" Ren exclaimed in pain as he slowly stood up. His leg twisted first, slowly healing. Then came his ear and a few other scratches.
"Eh? I'm healing..." He asked in confusion. It seemed like being Tier 2 came with some beautiful perks. In a few moments, he was fully healed except for a bit of lingering pain in his joints and the blood staining his fur, making him look like a vampiric bunny with those red eyes that seemed to reflect the sunlight.
Looking around, he noticed the crook and hopped towards it... to wash himself in it. Although he was a rodent now, he still had his human tendencies.
Very soon, he was close and jumped inside, plunging deep into it only to jump out the next second. His movement caused the water to explode in different directions, something impossible for a creature of his size.
"Fuck!" Ren cursed, his fangs baring, his claws elongating as a red aura covered him. He was not a normal bunny to begin with... he was a Tier 2 beast without the Tier 2 true essence.
From the water, a beast shot out, its blue serpentine eyes glinting with hunger. It was long, about five feet long, with dark green scales, fangs bared, and dripping with venom.
A Water Cobra!
It straightened itself, baring its fangs and hissing at the small bunny, which was about the size of a stone to it. It was at Tier 1: Circle of Body, weaker than Ren, though it failed to notice.
It was clearly underestimating Ren because he was very, very small compared to it. It could devour him in one move, or so it thought.
The Water Cobra coiled back, its hood flaring wide like a deadly umbrella, venom dripping from those curved fangs in thick, glistening strands that sizzled faintly on the wet rocks. It struck first, lightning-fast, jaws unhinging to snap at the tiny, blood-matted bunny that dared invade its watery domain. But Ren was no ordinary fluffball. His aura flared brighter, turning his fur into a crimson storm of spikes and shadows.
"Fuck off, you slimy bastard!" Ren snarled, his voice a high-pitched growl that didn't match his size but carried the weight of a predator twice over. He dodged with impossible speed, his small body twisting mid-hop, claws raking across the cobra's underbelly as he passed. Scales tore like wet paper, green ichor spraying out in a foul arc, mixing with the brook's clear water and turning it murky red.
The cobra hissed in rage, whipping its tail around in a brutal lash meant to crush the pest. It connected... barely, smacking Ren's side and sending him tumbling across the pebbled bank, fur ripping in patches, fresh blood welling up from shallow gashes. Pain flared hot, but his healing kicked in almost mockingly fast, flesh knitting shut before he even hit the ground.
"That all you got? Pathetic!" Ren laughed, shaking it off like water, his red eyes glowing with that vampiric gleam under the midday sun.
He launched himself back in, a blur of fury, landing in the cobra's midsection with claws extended. Those crimson talons dug deep, piercing through the armored scales with a sickening crunch, hooking into muscle and sinew. The snake thrashed wildly, body convulsing in loops, trying to shake him off, but Ren held on like a demon possessed. He tore upward, ripping a long gash that exposed writhing organs, guts spilling out in sloppy coils, steaming and twitching in the open air. Venom sprayed from the cobra's mouth in desperation, but Ren twisted away, the droplets hissing harmlessly on the rock behind him.
The cobra reared up, eyes blazing with primal hate, and struck again... this time aiming to engulf him whole. Jaws clamped down, but Ren was faster, jamming his front paws into the maw, claws sinking into the soft palate. Blood flooded the snake's throat, its own venom mixing with the gore, choking it from the inside.
"Choke on this, you oversized worm!" Ren bellowed, yanking hard, tearing chunks of flesh free in wet, ripping sounds. The cobra's head jerked back, fangs snapping uselessly, a gurgling scream escaping as its tongue lolled out, severed and bleeding.
Ren didn't let up. He scrambled up the length of its body, aura pulsing like a heartbeat, empowering every slash and bite. His fangs... sharp as needles, sank into the cobra's eyes, popping the orb in a burst of viscous fluid that splashed across his face. The beast bucked in agony, slamming its body against the brook's edge, rocks cracking under the force, but Ren rode it out, clawing deeper, carving furrows that peeled scales away in bloody strips. Guts looped out further, entrails dragging in the water, turning the crook into a slaughterhouse soup.
Finally, the cobra weakened, its movements slowing to desperate flails, Tier 1 essence no match for Ren's dominance. He hopped off, landing lightly on the bank, then coiled his hind legs... powerful bunny haunches enhanced by his aura.
With a feral yell, he unleashed the finishing kick, rocketing forward like a cannonball, his feet smashed into the cobra's skull with explosive force, his claws punching through bone in a shatter of fragments. The head caved in completely, brains splattering out in gray-pink mush, mixed with shards of scale and fang, the whole mess exploding outward in a gory fountain that painted the nearby grass red.
The body twitched once, twice, then went limp, collapsing into the brook with a heavy splash, blood clouding the water like ink. Ren stood there, panting, his fur matted and dripping, but that lingering pain in his joints fading fast.
"Heh, not even a snack," he muttered, shaking off the excess gore, his red eyes dimming back to their eerie shine.
"What the hell was that dude?!" A loud voice caught his attention as he turned to see a bloodied boy with long white hair with black streaks and a blindfold, his shirt tied around his waist, leaving his upper body naked.
"Tell me you killed those beasts..." Ren growled, his aura flaring again.
"Chill, dude! Of course I did. Why do you think I'm like this?" Bahamut exclaimed with his hands raised in surrender, though a smile tugged at his mouth.
"Better... Fuck! I'm exhausted..." Ren stated as he tried to move towards Bahamut. He tripped over a rock, almost falling face-first if not for Bahamut catching him.
"You did great, man. Remind me not to piss you off..." Bahamut said with a chuckle, causing Ren to pout in annoyance.
"System... what is his condition?" Bahamut suddenly asked the system.
[Replying Host..."]
[Ren is... okay. There are no complications.]
[Ren: Chaos Bunny
Condition: Stable (+20%)
It appears that Ren is healing slowly, even without your help.
Recommendations:
1. Reach Circle of Spirit to complete his healing.
2. Make Ren learn Beast Arts
You can choose to do one or both. They will all help in the long run.]
...
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Bahamut
Age: 17
Race: Half Beast (???)
Class: Tier 1 (Circle of Body)/ ???
Rank: Mortal
Titles: Psychopath (Lv. 1), Ruthless Killer (Lv. 1), Unknown, The BEAST (Lv. 2), Fox Bane -> Dog Bane
─
HP: 15 / 200
MP: 00 / 45 +1 -> 46
Level: 8
EXP: 10 / 600
─
Attributes:
Strength: 25 +2 -> 26
Speed: 25 +1 -> 26
Agility: 25
Endurance: 20 +2 -> 22
Perception: 38
Willpower: 30 +3 -> 33
Luck: 1.5 +0.5 -> 2
─
Skills:
• Pain Resistance (Lv. 3)
• Super Reflexes (Lv. 4)
• Super Senses (Lv. 5)
• Regeneration (Lv. 3)
• Death Intent (Passive – Locked)
• Beast Trait Manifestation (Lv. 2)
• Spear Mastery (Lv. 1)
─
Special Traits:
• Fragmented Soul (Effect Unknown)
• Past Lives Memory (Partial Dormancy)
• Madness Bloom (Dormant)
─
Followers:
• Ren (Chaos Bunny)
PATH OF THE BEAST
B - Brutality of the BEAST
...
A/N: I appreciate the support so far. We reached 100+ powerstones last week. Let's surpass it this week. I will be locking chapters after chapter 50. I hope I've given you enough to continue reading the book.
I have a lot of outlines planned out. Hopefully, this arc will end with the completion of the Sect Trials, also ending Volume 1: Brutality.
Thank you for the support once again.
PS: Drop some gifts and golden tickets for me ^...^