Raven leaned onto a lone pine tree and hid in its sparse shadow. He craned his neck and observed.

Using the benefits of this slightly elevated yet relatively distant and secure location, he scanned the vicinity. The pack of fluffy grey creatures was fully reflected into his eyes.

They were about the size of adult Australian Shepherds, with thick ashen hide, long perky ears, and well-developed, muscular hind legs. If it wasn't for the straight pointy horn growing out of the mids of their foreheads, these fellows could easily pass for a bunch of chunky runaway pets; harmless and lovely.

Horned-Rabbits. The name is aptly worded but lacks creativity. It doesn't fit my sense of aesthetics at all, Raven mused quietly and tried his best to gauge the monsters' antics while memorizing their traits, habits, and movement patterns.

They use their legs to bounce high upward or slide horizontally over the ground. Heh, the tall grass in this area acts as a good cover. They instinctively know how to use it to hide from prying eyes, and move stealthily under, only to emerge a couple of meters away. This needs to be noted. I should pay attention to attacks from my blind spots.

At this point, he couldn't help but once again praise the craftiness of Euclex. It had been three in-game days since the official release on the 21st of November. In this short time, countless players fell victim to supposedly weak monsters.

Logically this shouldn't have been a mind-blowing matter. What was so strange about newbies getting a taste of reality and having their ars kicked? It happened a lot.

The real problem lay in the fact that not only the noobs suffered. Too many famous players and professional gamers died in their first hunts! They didn't even know why or what happened before savoring their first penalty. These days the chat was ablaze with complaints.

Deducting from the comments and adding on his prior experience and encounters, Raven was certain the main cause was the monsters themselves. In Euclex, even the mobs possessed a certain level of intelligence, wisdom, and insight. They weren't rigid machines, nor did they follow predetermined patterns. They could act by themselves, call their 'friends' for assistance, run away when needed, ambush the players, and even use their surroundings and terrain to gain benefits! This made combat complex and unpredictable matter. One that heavily relied on your natural talents.

Overestimating yourself, while underestimating the enemy.

If I think from this point of perspective, the fate of those players makes sense. Fame and past glory are blinding. They prevent you from seeing the game as it is. I can't make the same foolish mistake.

Hehe, of course, part of the issue is related to the shabby equipment, the lack of visible stats, and the vagueness of the skills. The Origin skills are all passive. It makes it hard to utilize their effects in a fight; grasping the timing, blending them with your moves.

Indeed, Euclex is a brand new world. It can't be judged by common game knowledge. Negligence and confidence can be deadly...

Even though Raven was somehow lost in his thoughts, his gaze was firmly glued to the monsters. Through his prior analysis of their behavior and interactions and the humans' mediocre mana perception, he soon grasped their numbers. There were about seven rabbits ahead. At least two of which had been constantly hiding inside the grass. Not even once revealing themselves.

This makes it a medium pack. Can the two of us take them directly, or are we to circle and search for a different target instead? There should be plenty of solitary monsters in this field west of Lesotte. Find a Hog-Pog or two and call it a day?...

He gently rubbed the hilt of his sword, tucked in its sheathe, and rejected this notion. He exhaled and reprimanded himself, I can't act like a coward! Playing it safe all of the time is very different from being objective and not overconfident in your skills!

Yes, if we succeed in taking them by surprise, our chances will be fairly good. The risk is well calculated...

They haven't noticed us yet...

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His mind whirred and Raven motivated himself with a few logical reasons.

Besides we can't dilly-dally for months. We need to find a way to escape from Lesotte and enter a city. The stats are invisible and monsters don't provide numerical experience points, however, combat is the only way to improve both the body and skills.

Hmm, I wonder if players need to reach a certain threshold before the system triggers a quest for leaving the newbie location. The details aren't made clear. I can only make a guess and slowly verify my assumptions.

With this in mind, he was already inclined toward attempting this fight. However, he wasn't alone. He first had to discuss it with his elven companion.

Without glancing at the lady crouching beside him, he whispered, "Ren, how many rabbits are there?"

"Eight," Renata answered with confidence. Her race bragged a powerful mana perception. Therefore, when she wasn't busy with anything else, all the nearby monsters were laid bare in front of her 'eyes'. She then grumbled unhappily, "Don't slap me with nicknames! Ren sounds too masculine. What will you do if a passing-by hunk overhears you? What if he thinks I am a dude and I miss the chance to hook up with a handsome, rich, and well-endowed hottie? Can you even bear the consequences and my wrath when that happens?!"

Raven listened to her outpour of questions and his lips visibly twitched. For a moment he didn't know how to proceed with this conversation. This long-eared acquaintance of his was never going to change. She was still reading too many romance novels! Her mind was already irreparably rotten.

Cough

After some thought he cleared his throat and feigned deafness. He nodded and without any qualms said, "Then I missed one. What do you think? Should we give it a try?"

Casting a side glance over, Renata noticed his serious expression and slightly tense muscles. She heaved a sigh and dropped the previous topic, "Raven, you are overthinking too much. Since when did the guild master of Prosperity, a top ten guild in Sword of Oblivion, turn into a scaredy cat?"

Then knowing him well, she didn't wait for an answer and added, "I am not underestimating those cute fluffers. However, eight Horned-Rabbits shouldn't pose a threat if we fight them together. You may be a musclehead, unable to live without the aid of your vice, but your Origin Skills and years of diligent training do pay off. As for me, your beautiful and intelligent deputy, heh, when have I not wiped your butt clean?"

Your meaning is that you will assist me from up here...Why can't you speak normally and have to disparage me all the time? Beautiful and intelligent...You damn glasses-loving fiendish woman. Your looks may be passable, but with this attitude finding a boyfriend will be just a dream in a daydream, Raven thought in amusement and exasperation. He said, "Fine. Then I want you to cast an area of effect spell first. One that will hinder their movements and reduce their speed. After that, take care of yourself. I am no babysitter hired to take care of you. Please do your best with your cheap magical skills."

"Cheap magical skills?" Renata narrowed her eyes and the air around her turned colder. "Swordsmen are truly foolish and blind species. You have no fucking idea how complex and what pain in the ass is Euclex's magical system. I have not crammed so hard even for my university entrance exam!"

Seeing that she was about to blow up, Raven cut her speech short, "I got it. Will you do me the honor or should I just go by myself?" He rolled his eyes and took a step back. When Renata flared up it was best to pretend to yield and let her just be. Otherwise, his head may explore from her nagging long before they started this battle.

Humpf

Harrumphing in anger, Renata tucked a long lock of red wavy hair behind her ear and hissed, "I have long since prepared the spell." She wasn't idle all of this time!

As her words fell, her eyes glazed slightly like they were colored in a thin layer of transparent ice and her eyelids drooped down.

In her mind, a complex structure of runic symbols and magical labels appeared. Then with her willpower, she pushed the structure forward, expelled it out of her head, and "saw" it take shape in an unperceivable manner. The natural power in the vicinity was stirred as a result. It resembled a stone dropped in a lake. The calm surface undulated and mystical energy waves disseminated in all directions, interfering with the material world.

The moment when mysterious power, language, and knowledge, were translated into a visible worldly phenomenon was eerily silent. There wasn't even a whisper at first.

Whoosh

Suddenly a zephyr took shape. It grew stronger and colder and brought with it the scent of winter. The viridescent grass swayed and danced in a chaotic but beautiful rhythm.

Squeak?

The nearest rabbit finally sensed the unrest. It jerked its head back and instantly locked on the enemy. Its small black eyes glimmered and reflected the human and elf couple. Yet it didn't act rashly. An instinctual thought passed through its small and smooth brain. Call the allies.

Following on this thought, it didn't attack. Instead, it opened its maw, inhaled deeply, and screamed.

SQUEAK~

Hight-pitched and ear-piercing sound; dense and protracted. In less than a second it travelled throughout the vicinity and snapped all of the nearby rabbits into attention.

Squeak!

Squeak!

Squeak!

Like trained soldiers, every Horned-Rabbit followed with its own short and crisp cry. In a moment, numerous voices blended together in an incomprehensible cacophony of noise. And with the last rabbit expressing its honest opinion, like one, all closed their maws and dived under the green carpet. They hid under the stalks and ran swiftly to shorten the distance.