Chapter 33: First Hunt
The forest was alive with sounds that didn't exist on Earth.
Lin Feng led Team Seven through the undergrowth, moving parallel to the outpost boundary at a distance of fifty meters. Close enough for quick retreat if needed, far enough to encounter the beasts that avoided the walls. The Analysis Protocol tracked their progress, updating the map in his mind with terrain features and threat positions.
Analysis Protocol: Navigation update.
Distance from outpost: 94 meters.
Terrain: Dense forest, visibility 15-20 meters, multiple concealment positions available.
Threat tracking: Primary target (Tier 1 Rabbit Beast) bearing 045 degrees, range 246 meters, stationary.
Secondary threats: Two additional signatures detected at 410 and 520 meters, species classification pending closer observation.
The team moved in practiced formation. Chen Hao's Iron Wall led the way, his defensive mecha's sensors sweeping ahead for threats. Li Xin's Blazing Fury covered the right flank, weapon ready. Wang Min's Swift Shadow drifted left, using her speed-type's superior mobility to check blind spots. Tang Yue's Healing Light stayed center-rear, close enough to support anyone who needed it. Lin Feng coordinated from center-forward, his Analysis Protocol processing data from all five positions.
They'd run this formation hundreds of times in VR. But here, every shadow could hide death. Every sound might be a beast stalking them. Every breath of alien air reminded them they were far from home.
"Contact ahead," Chen Hao whispered through the team comm. "Something big, thirty meters."
Lin Feng raised his fist—the signal to stop. Team Seven froze instantly, years of training turning the command into muscle memory. He activated the Analysis Protocol's enhanced scanning mode.
Analysis Protocol: Enhanced scan initiated.
Target acquired: Tier 1 Rabbit Beast confirmed.
Range: 28 meters bearing 042 degrees.
Current activity: Feeding behavior detected.
Energy signature: 98 units (within normal parameters for species).
Threat assessment: Moderate - territorial but currently distracted.
Recommendation: Observe before engagement, gather behavioral data.
"I've got it," Lin Feng said quietly. "Tier 1 Rabbit Beast, twenty-eight meters northeast. It's feeding on something. We observe first, gather data, then decide on engagement strategy."
"Rabbit?" Li Xin's voice carried skepticism. "The name makes it sound harmless."
"Trust me, it's not," Tang Yue replied. "I saw one in a documentary once. The name is misleading."
They crept forward, using the massive tree trunks and dense ferns for cover. Lin Feng's programmer mind was already working, comparing what his Analysis Protocol detected against the database he'd coded during preparation week. The energy signature matched. The movement patterns matched. But data wasn't reality—he needed visual confirmation.
At fifteen meters, they could see it clearly.
Lin Feng's first thought was that "rabbit" was the worst possible name for the creature.
The beast stood two meters tall at the shoulder, easily the size of a large horse. Its body was built for explosive power—massive haunches packed with muscle, rear legs like coiled springs designed for devastating jumps. The front legs were shorter but ended in claws that scored deep gouges in the tree trunk it leaned against.
Its fur was mottled brown and green, providing natural camouflage against the forest floor. But the coloration was the only thing remotely rabbit-like about it. The head was elongated, almost reptilian, with a mouth that currently gaped wide as it fed. Rows of sharp, serrated teeth filled that mouth—teeth designed for tearing flesh, not nibbling vegetation.
The beast was feeding on something that might have been a smaller creature once. Now it was just meat, and the Rabbit Beast tore into it with savage efficiency, each bite accompanied by the sound of bones crunching.
Analysis Protocol: Visual analysis complete. Database comparison 94% match.
Species: Tier 1 Rabbit Beast - Carnivorous variant (confirmed).
Physical specifications: Height 2.1 meters, estimated weight 95-110 kilograms, primary weapon systems: powerful legs, clawed front limbs, dentition optimized for flesh consumption.
Observed behavior: Active feeding state, attention focused on prey, situational awareness reduced by approximately 40% per behavioral models.
Visual range: Approximately 270 degrees, poor forward depth perception (eyes positioned laterally).
Attack pattern analysis: Preparing predictive model based on musculature and stance indicators.
Beside him, Tang Yue inhaled sharply. Lin Feng glanced over and saw her face had gone pale. This was her first time seeing a Land of Origin beast in person—VR simulations didn't capture the visceral reality of watching a predator feed.
"You okay?" Lin Feng whispered.
Tang Yue nodded, swallowing hard. "Yeah. Just... different from the VR versions."
"Very different," Chen Hao muttered. "That thing is nightmare fuel."
The Rabbit Beast raised its head, ears twitching. For a heart-stopping moment, Lin Feng thought it had detected them. But then it resumed feeding, tearing another chunk of meat from its kill.
Analysis Protocol: Behavioral pattern analysis updating.
Feeding cycle observation: 3.2 seconds per bite average, 1.8 seconds awareness scan between bites.
Territorial markers detected: Claw marks on surrounding trees, scent marking evident.
Territory radius estimated: 180-220 meters (standard for species).
Threat response prediction: If approached during feeding, 87% probability of aggressive territorial defense.
Combat capabilities assessment in progress...
Lin Feng watched the beast's movements, his Analysis Protocol cataloging every detail. The way it shifted weight between its powerful rear legs. The angle of its spine when it lowered its head to feed. The timing of its awareness scans. The positioning of its ears tracking ambient sound.
All of it was data. All of it was patterns. All of it could be used.
"Lin Feng," Li Xin said quietly. "Are we engaging or moving on?"
Good question. They were here to hunt, to gather equipment drops and combat experience. But they were also here to survive, and their first rule was conservative engagement. Did they need to fight this beast?
Lin Feng ran the calculations. The team was fresh, all at full energy. The beast was distracted. They had tactical positioning and the element of surprise. The Analysis Protocol had finished building a predictive model of the creature's likely combat behavior.
Analysis Protocol: Combat simulation complete.
Engagement analysis: Team Seven vs Tier 1 Rabbit Beast.
Success probability: 78% with optimal coordination.
Estimated casualties: Zero with proper execution, possible minor injuries if beast lands successful attack.
Energy expenditure: Approximately 180-220 units total across team.
Time to completion: 35-55 seconds estimated.
Recommendation: Engagement viable. Optimal window: during feeding distraction.
Tactical approach: Chen Hao initial engagement to draw aggression, flanking attack from Li Xin during first jump, Wang Min harassment from optimal range, Tang Yue energy support as needed, coordinate timing through tactical network.
Seventy-eight percent success rate. In VR training, they'd only engaged targets when success probability exceeded seventy percent. This met their threshold.
But this wasn't VR. This was real. Failure meant actual injuries, actual pain, actual damage to their soul mechas that could take weeks to heal. The statistics didn't capture the weight of that reality.
Lin Feng looked at his team. Chen Hao waited for orders, his defensive mecha ready to tank damage. Li Xin's assault-type hummed with barely contained aggression. Wang Min's speed-type shifted nervously but held position. Tang Yue's support mecha glowed with prepared healing energy.
They were ready. As ready as they'd ever be for their first real combat.
"We engage," Lin Feng decided. "This is what we came here for. Standard approach—Chen Hao draws initial aggression, Li Xin strikes during the first jump recovery, Wang Min harasses from range. Tang Yue, stay ready for emergency support but conserve energy unless someone takes damage."
"Understood," four voices replied through the comm.
"Chen Hao, you know the drill. Thirty-degree angled deflection, not a direct block. When it bounces off your shield, it'll have a one-point-two second recovery window where it can't change direction. That's when Li Xin strikes."
"Got it," Chen Hao confirmed.
"Li Xin, target the right flank—the beast has a seventy-three percent tendency to turn left when flanked based on the database. Hit it during the recovery window, then retreat before it can respond."
"Understood."
"Wang Min, you're on harassment duty. Stay at range, hit and run, keep it from focusing too hard on any single target. Your job is to create openings, not to tank damage."
"I can do that," Wang Min said, her nervousness fading as she fell into the tactical framework. She was good at following clear instructions.
"Tang Yue, you're our safety net. If anyone takes a hit, you're ready immediately. But don't commit energy unless necessary—we don't know what else we'll face today."
"Ready," Tang Yue confirmed, her voice steadier now that she had a clear role.
Lin Feng took a deep breath. Analysis Protocol: Combat initiation sequence armed. All team members positioned. Beast distraction optimal. Engagement window open.
"Execute in three... two... one... go."
Chen Hao burst from cover with a roar, his Iron Wall mecha charging forward. The sound echoed through the forest—a deliberate noise designed to draw the beast's full attention to the obvious threat.
The Rabbit Beast's head snapped up, its feeding forgotten in an instant. Lin Feng saw its muscles coil, saw its weight shift backward onto those powerful haunches, saw every indicator that his Analysis Protocol had predicted.
Analysis Protocol: Beast response pattern Alpha-3 confirmed. Jump attack incoming in 0.8 seconds. Chen Hao trajectory optimal for deflection.
The beast launched itself forward with terrifying speed. Two meters of carnivorous muscle and claw became a projectile, covering the fifteen-meter gap in less than a second. Its mouth gaped wide, teeth aiming for Chen Hao's mecha's core.
But Chen Hao's shield was already positioned—not perpendicular to the attack, but angled at exactly thirty degrees just like they'd practiced a hundred times in VR.
The Rabbit Beast hit the shield and physics did the rest. The angled surface redirected its momentum, sending the creature tumbling to the left instead of impacting directly. The beast crashed into the forest floor in a tangle of limbs, its coordination disrupted by the unexpected deflection.
Analysis Protocol: Deflection successful. Beast recovery window opening. Duration: 1.2 seconds. Li Xin strike window: NOW.
"Li Xin, strike!" Lin Feng commanded.
Li Xin's Blazing Fury was already moving, his assault-type mecha crossing the distance in a blur of motion. His weapon—a energy-blade that glowed with concentrated power—came down in a precise arc aimed at the beast's exposed right flank.
The blade bit deep. The Rabbit Beast screamed—a sound like metal tearing mixed with an animal's shriek of pain and rage. Blood sprayed across the forest floor, steaming in the alien air.
The beast rolled away, faster than it should have been able to move while injured. It came up in a crouch, ears flat against its skull, teeth bared in pure hatred.
Analysis Protocol: First blood successful. Beast injury assessment: moderate damage to right flank, mobility reduced by approximately 15%, aggression level increased significantly.
Warning: Injured beasts exhibit higher unpredictability. Adaptation protocols active.
Pattern recognition updating based on pain response behavior.
The Rabbit Beast's eyes locked onto Li Xin—the source of its pain. Lin Feng saw the muscles coiling again, saw the intent to attack, saw the trajectory forming.
"Li Xin, retreat! Wang Min, harassment now!"
Li Xin backpedaled as the beast lunged, but it was faster than before, driven by pain and fury. The creature's claws raked across Li Xin's mecha's arm, scoring deep gouges in the energy field that surrounded him.
"Damn!" Li Xin grunted, feeling the feedback through his synchronization link.
Wang Min's Swift Shadow appeared from the left, her speed-type mecha's weapon firing a concentrated energy bolt that caught the beast in the rear haunch. The Rabbit Beast spun, confused by attacks from multiple directions, its predator instincts struggling to prioritize threats.
Analysis Protocol: Multi-target confusion successful. Beast decision-making compromised. Recommended follow-up: sustained pressure from multiple angles, prevent focus on single target.
"Chen Hao, pressure from front! Li Xin, recover and circle right! Wang Min, keep it turning!" Lin Feng's commands came rapid-fire, his Analysis Protocol feeding him optimal tactics faster than conscious thought.
The team executed flawlessly. Chen Hao's Iron Wall charged forward, shield raised, forcing the beast to acknowledge the defensive wall. Li Xin circled right, his injured arm held close but his weapon still active. Wang Min danced at range, firing precise shots that stung but didn't commit her to close combat.
The Rabbit Beast was trapped in a tactical nightmare—threats from three directions, unable to commit to any single target without exposing itself to the others. It tried to jump away, to escape the coordination that was slowly overwhelming it, but Chen Hao was there, shield positioned to deflect again.
Analysis Protocol: Beast behavior pattern deteriorating. Coordination overload detected. Optimal kill window opening in 4... 3... 2...
The beast made a mistake. In its desperation to escape, it turned its back on Li Xin for a full second—an eternity in combat time.
"Li Xin, finish it!" Lin Feng commanded.
Li Xin's Blazing Fury struck with everything he had. The energy blade caught the Rabbit Beast across the spine, cutting deep through fur and muscle and bone. The creature's scream cut off mid-sound, its body going rigid as critical systems failed.
The Rabbit Beast collapsed, twitched once, and went still.
For three heartbeats, nobody moved. The forest seemed to hold its breath, processing the violence that had just occurred.
Then the beast's body began to dissolve, breaking down into particles of light that drifted upward like glowing snow in reverse. Within seconds, nothing remained of the creature except three items lying on the blood-soaked ground where it had fallen.
Two Colorless-tier Chaos Crystals—small, rough gems that pulsed with faint inner light.
One White-tier component—an energy capacitor that gleamed silver in the filtered sunlight.
Analysis Protocol: Combat complete.
Duration: 37 seconds from initial engagement to termination.
Team performance: Optimal coordination, zero casualties, tactical recommendations followed 100%.
Energy expenditure tracking:
Chen Hao: 42 units (6.5% capacity, two deflections plus movement)
Li Xin: 67 units (8.9% capacity, two major strikes plus sustained combat)
Wang Min: 38 units (8.4% capacity, harassment fire plus high-speed positioning)
Tang Yue: 15 units (3.8% capacity, passive support readiness)
Lin Feng: 60 units system overhead (12% capacity, Analysis Protocol active operation)
Total team expenditure: 222 units across all members.
Result: Successful first hunt. All predictions within acceptable variance.
Lin Feng slowly released the breath he'd been holding. They'd done it. Their first real combat in the Land of Origin, and they'd won without taking serious damage. The training had worked. The Analysis Protocol had worked. The team coordination had worked.
"Everyone okay?" he asked, voice shaking slightly from adrenaline.
"I'm good," Chen Hao replied, though his voice was tight. "That thing hit harder than the VR versions. I could feel the impact through my shield."
"Caught me with its claws," Li Xin said, examining his arm. The mecha's energy field showed minor damage, thin lines where the beast's claws had scored. "Not deep, but it stings. That feedback is unpleasant."
"I can help with that," Tang Yue offered. She moved forward, her Healing Light extending a tendril of soft green energy toward Li Xin's mecha. The energy wrapped around the damaged area, and Lin Feng watched the scratches slowly knit closed, the mecha's field repairing itself.
But Tang Yue's hands were shaking.
Lin Feng moved to her side. "Tang Yue?"
"I'm fine," she said quickly, but her voice was tight. "Just... that was different from VR. Watching it die. Hearing it scream." She swallowed hard. "Seeing the blood."
"Hey," Lin Feng said gently. "You held your position, stayed ready for emergency support, and you're healing Li Xin right now. That's professional. That's doing your job under pressure."
"I know." Tang Yue took a deep breath, forcing her hands to steady. "I know. It's just... I knew intellectually that we'd be killing living creatures. But knowing and experiencing are different things."
"Yeah," Chen Hao agreed quietly. "They are."
They stood in silence for a moment, processing what they'd just done. They'd taken a life—even if it was a monster's life, even if it was necessary for survival, it was still a death they'd caused. The reality of being a mecha pilot wasn't just glory and equipment drops. It was violence and blood and the weight of ending things.
Analysis Protocol: Team psychological status assessment.
Chen Hao: Elevated stress, processing combat experience, recovery expected within normal parameters.
Li Xin: Minor physical discomfort, elevated adrenaline, functioning within optimal range.
Wang Min: Elevated excitement mixed with relief, no concerning indicators.
Tang Yue: Moderate stress response, first-kill psychological impact, requires brief recovery period.
Lin Feng: Analytical detachment active, emotional processing delayed, monitoring required.
Recommendation: Brief pause for psychological adjustment before proceeding.
"We'll take five minutes," Lin Feng announced. "Tang Yue finishes healing Li Xin, everyone processes what just happened, then we collect the drops and continue."
Nobody argued. They'd just crossed a threshold—from students training for combat to actual combatants who'd killed their first beast. Five minutes to adjust seemed reasonable.
Wang Min approached the dissolving corpse site and picked up the drops. She held the two Chaos Crystals up to the light, watching them pulse with inner energy. "These are real," she said with wonder. "Actual Chaos Crystals from the Land of Origin."
"Who gets them?" Chen Hao asked.
"We'll pool resources for now," Lin Feng decided. "The crystals go to whoever needs them for tier advancement. The White-tier component..." He examined it—an energy capacitor that could be installed in any mecha to improve power efficiency. "Tang Yue should take it. Her support-type has lower energy capacity, and better efficiency means she can heal longer."
"Are you sure?" Tang Yue asked, her hands finally steady as she finished repairing Li Xin's mecha. "You coordinated everything."
"I'm sure. Support types need every efficiency boost they can get." Lin Feng smiled slightly. "Besides, keeping you operational keeps all of us alive."
Tang Yue took the component, turning it over in her hands. "Thank you."
Analysis Protocol: Equipment distribution logged.
Chaos Crystals (Colorless x2): Team pool, reserved for tier advancement.
Energy Capacitor (White-tier): Tang Yue. Installation recommended at outpost after mission completion.
Current hunt statistics: 1 beast defeated, 37-second engagement, 222 units total team energy expenditure.
Net efficiency: 88.9% (high efficiency for first real combat).
The forest around them had returned to its normal sounds. Whatever scavengers lived here would find nothing when they arrived—the Land of Origin's beasts dissolved completely upon death, leaving only their drops behind. No corpse to rot, no evidence they'd ever existed except the blood slowly soaking into the alien soil.
"Time," Lin Feng announced after five minutes. "Everyone good to continue?"
"Yeah," Chen Hao said. "I'm good."
"Ready," Li Xin confirmed, testing his repaired arm. "Thanks for the healing, Tang Yue."
"No problem," Tang Yue replied. She looked steadier now, her professional demeanor restored though Lin Feng could still see traces of stress around her eyes.
"Good," Wang Min added, back to her quiet observation mode.
Lin Feng checked his communicator. They'd been in the Land of Origin for eighteen minutes. First check-in was at 1000 hours—one hour and forty-two minutes away. They had plenty of time to hunt more, to gather more drops, to build more combat experience.
Analysis Protocol: Mission status update.
Time elapsed: 18 minutes.
Energy status: All members above 85% capacity.
Combat effectiveness: Proven in actual engagement.
Psychological status: Stable with minor adjustment period completed.
Recommendation: Continue conservative hunting strategy. Pursue 2-3 additional Tier 1 targets before first check-in.
Warning: Do not allow success to create overconfidence. Maintain cautious approach.
"We'll continue parallel to the boundary," Lin Feng said. "Move deeper into the forest gradually, look for our next target. Same formation, same tactical approach. We've proven the system works—now we refine it."
Team Seven reformed their positions. Chen Hao on point, Li Xin and Wang Min on flanks, Tang Yue center-rear, Lin Feng coordinating. They looked more confident now, moving with the knowledge that they'd faced a Land of Origin beast and won.
But Lin Feng kept the Analysis Protocol's warning in mind. One successful hunt didn't make them experts. Overconfidence killed pilots far more often than bad luck.
They had five hours and forty-two minutes left in their authorization window.
A lot could happen in that time.
As they moved deeper into the forest, Lin Feng took one last look at the blood-soaked ground where the Rabbit Beast had fallen. Their first kill. Their first real proof that they could survive in this dimension.
One down, he thought. How many more before we make it back safely?
The Analysis Protocol didn't answer. Some questions couldn't be solved with data and algorithms.
Team Seven disappeared into the alien forest, five teenagers hunting monsters in a dimension that didn't care if they lived or died.
Behind them, something howled in the distance—answering the silence their first kill had created.