Zane crouched low near the creek bed, where moss clung to rocks like forgotten memories.
The forest here was quieter—not silent, but hushed, like a beast holding its breath.
He had spent the last hour rearranging vines, spreading ash, planting thorny twigs behind a shallow slope. A crude trap. One false trail. And an escape path he'd memorized by heart.
And yet, as he finished setting the last snare, he heard it.
A soft crunch. Grass. Small, fast steps.
He froze.
Then slowly turned.
There, not ten paces away, nibbling on a glowing red mushroom, was a mutant rabbit.
At first glance, it looked like any woodland creature: furred, floppy-eared, twitchy-nosed.
Then it looked up.
Its eyes were violet. Unnaturally large. Its teeth were slightly jagged, stained dark. A dull crimson aura pulsed around its body—wild mana, leaking like steam from a cracked kettle.
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: Mutant Forest Rabbit – Classification: E-Rank Beast
Temperament: Aggressive
Threat Level: Low to Moderate if underestimated
Mana Source: Corrupted herbivore aura.
Zane blinked.
"A rabbit."
He whispered the word like a curse.
"Of course it's a rabbit. Because why not. Magical world. Monsters. And I get murderous Bugs Bunny."
He stayed low. His limbs were still sore, and this thing was faster.
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: You are physically superior, but not significantly. A frontal attack is not recommended.
Zane narrowed his eyes.
Then he smiled.
He slowly picked up a piece of the bread crust from earlier—the part he had thrown aside because it was too dry—and slid it down the hill, letting it land near the bottom of the embankment he had scattered thorns behind.
The rabbit's nose twitched. It hopped toward it.
One hop. Two. Sniff. Crunch.
The moment its front paws touched the slick moss patch, Zane moved.
Not with grace—but like a desperate man throwing a rock at fate.
He rolled down the side, kicked the rabbit with both legs—not hard enough to kill, but enough to make it tumble backward.
Right into the thorns and mud trap he had dug.
There was a screech, high-pitched and sharp. The rabbit flailed, half its body impaled on jagged underbrush. Its aura flared, and for a second, it looked like it might recover.
Zane grabbed a nearby stick and stabbed down.
Once.
Twice.
Until it stopped moving.
He stood there for a moment, panting, heart thundering in his ears.
Blood trickled slowly down the thorns. The rabbit's violet aura dissolved into the air like smoke caught in the breeze.
And then—
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: Monster defeated.
Mutant Forest Rabbit – Aura Assimilation complete.
EXP Gained: +18
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: Progress toward next level: 18 / 100
Zane blinked. "…Wait."
He stared at the glowing text, dumbfounded.
"Wait."
Another beat of silence.
"WAIT—EXP?!"
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: Correct. Experience Points. A common mechanism in both archaic magic and gamified systems. Yours included.
Zane threw the stick into the grass.
"You—WHAT?! I could level up by killing things this whole time?!"
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: Affirmative.
"…And you didn't tell me?!"
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: You never asked.
Also, to be fair, your odds of defeating anything before this were mathematically equivalent to being slapped to death by your own shoelaces.
Zane opened his mouth. Closed it.
Then screamed into the trees: "YOU SYSTEM SCAM! I NEARLY DIED FIGHTING A KID FOR POTIONS!"
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: Yes, and now you've defeated a rabbit. Progress. Character growth. How inspiring.
Zane kicked a stone into the creek.
Then slowly sat down beside the dead rabbit, staring at the fading mana threads still floating in the air.
"…Eighteen points," he muttered.
He looked at his hands. Still shaking slightly, but not from fear this time. From energy. From realization.
He could grow stronger by farming aura.
Every creature out here was a source. A stepping stone. An opportunity.
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: Let it be noted: The host has finally realized basic system mechanics. Shall we order cupcakes?
Zane rolled his eyes.
"No. But we're going hunting."
> 🔵 [S.A.S.S.]: Excellent. Please refrain from attacking large carnivores, glowing birds, or anything with more eyes than you.
Zane stood.
He dragged the rabbit's corpse into a shallow burrow, burying it partially with leaves. Not to honor it. Just to avoid attracting bigger things.
Then he turned.
Eyes sharper now. Focus restored.
He had no sword. No spell. No training.
But now he had a target.
Not just to survive.
To grow.