It might just be an illusion.
Haruta Motono tried to reassure himself.
The moment he stepped out of the Safe Zone, a chilling sensation washed over him. It felt as if dozens of malicious eyes were glaring at him from the shadows.
Yet, when he looked around, there was nothing.
Only the faint rustling of leaves stirred by the breeze broke the silence. The dimming twilight cast distorted shadows of trees, creating an eerie atmosphere reminiscent of a horror movie.
"I'm already a Level 5 Mage. This area around the Novice Village is just for low-level mobs. There's nothing to be afraid of," Haruta muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning his surroundings. Suddenly, he spotted a wooden chest nestled in a patch of low shrubs.
"Huh? Another chest? Is the spawn rate for these really that high?"
Haruta was pleasantly surprised but quickly grew cautious. Could it be one of those traps where a slime jumps out halfway through opening it?
Whatever. It's just a slime.
The wooden chest didn't require a key. Haruta pried it open with his fingers, and with a click, the chest emitted a flash of white light. Out popped a piece of smoked beef.
[Acquired Food: Dried Copperhide Beef. Consuming 500g or more for the first time grants +1 Strength.]
"Nice! But what the hell is this buzzing, fist-sized wasp? A bonus gift?!"
[Level 1 Wasp King]
Haruta yelped, his hand trembling as he instinctively tossed the wooden chest aside.
"Fireball! Fireball! Burn them to ashes!"
He wildly swung his staff, launching three Fireballs into the air. Two of them hit their mark, incinerating a pair of tightly clustered Wasp Kings.
[Defeated Wasp King. Gained 5 XP x 2.]
Seeing his successful attack and glancing at his dwindling mana pool, Haruta forced himself to calm down.
"I didn't expect monsters to spawn from the chest, but you're nothing special."
Haruta smirked confidently. A single Fireball could take out two Wasp Kings. The remaining three were just trash mobs.
The outcome was clear!
He steadied his staff in front of him and cast Fireball again. This time, the spell followed his gaze, striking a Wasp King that was charging straight at him.
"I'm not a loser! I'm going to become strong!"
Haruta shouted, his momentum building. As a seasoned gamer who had played countless virtual reality games, he quickly got into the zone.
With two more Fireballs, he dispatched the remaining Wasp Kings. Breathing a sigh of relief, he glanced at his nearly depleted mana bar.
"Good job, Motono-kun!"
Haruta chuckled to himself, crouching down to search for the piece of dried beef he'd tossed into the bushes earlier.
"Huh? It was here just a moment ago..."
"Did some wild animal snatch it?"
He frowned, sifting through the underbrush. Suddenly, a pair of furry rabbit feet entered his field of vision. They were small, pink, and oddly adorable.
[Fireflame Rabbit Leader: Bugs 5]
"Just a rabbit. Gave me a scare for nothing."
Haruta straightened up, but something about the Fireflame Rabbit Leader seemed off.
Normal rabbits moved on all fours, but this one stood upright on its hind legs, arms crossed. Its half-human height revealed faintly visible muscles.
The rabbit's face was now level with his, its large, white buck teeth and defiant gaze unnerving him. Its two upright ears pointed skyward like spears.
Something's not right with this rabbit's eyes!
But it should still be killable.
With 5 points in Strength, Haruta figured he could bash this Level 5 mob to death with his staff if needed. The advantage was his!
Grinning, Haruta raised his staff and swung it down at Bugs.
But the rabbit caught the staff with a loud smack, then delivered a resounding slap across Haruta's face.
[-53]
"Ugh—"
A tooth flew out of Haruta's mouth. Thankfully, the pain settings were adjusted, so he didn't feel much.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"
If Haruta could understand rabbit-speak, he'd know Bugs was saying, "To learn the Way in the morning, to die content in the evening."
"Damn it! This rabbit hits way too hard! It's only Level 5!"
Haruta spat out a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva, his eyes flashing with determination.
"I won't be humiliated again. This is a game—my domain!"
"Die, rabbit! Fight me like a man!"
Haruta stood his ground, staff at the ready, legs planted in a sumo stance. He was prepared for battle.
But Bugs had other plans. The rabbit eyed the much taller human and clapped its paws lightly.
With a rustling sound, a horde of over a thousand upright, defiant-eyed rabbits emerged from the bushes, much to Haruta's shock.
One rabbit approached Bugs, placing a rolled cigarette in its mouth. With a small puff of flame, the cigarette was lit. The rabbit then respectfully stepped back.
Bugs raised an eyebrow, exhaled a smoke ring, and fixed its ferocious gaze on Haruta. With a high-pitched squeak, it issued the command to attack.
...
A minute later, Haruta stumbled out of the Respawn Point, bewildered. Moments ago, he had been beaten to death by a mob of upright, violent rabbits, each delivering a slap that felt like a truck.
The humiliation was unbearable, rivaling the beatings he'd endured from bullies in the school bathroom.
"Am I destined to be a loser, even in a game?"
Haruta muttered to himself.
No, something's not right. Definitely not right!
It's not me; it's those rabbits.
Their damage was absurdly high, far beyond what you'd expect near a Novice Village.
The Fireflame Rabbit Leader's slap dealing over 50 damage was bad enough, but the regular Fireflame Rabbits averaging 30 damage per slap? That was insane!
"This makes no sense!"
"Well, well, if it isn't Motono-kun. How'd you manage to die? Dying in the Safe Zone—you're such a loser, huh?"
Yamamoto Nanjirou happened to be near the Respawn Point. Seeing Haruta emerge, he sneered. "Trash is trash, even in a game."
"..."
Haruta said nothing, his eyes dark as he glared at Yamamoto before walking away silently.
He wouldn't tell Yamamoto about the rabbits. This game wasn't as simple as it seemed. He was waiting for Yamamoto to suffer the same fate. """
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
New chapter live! Patreon updated to Chapter 67
Join for exclusive content: patreon.com/BZDXG
Thank you for your support!