-Black Wolf POV-

The wolf blearily looked around. One moment, he had been chasing the blue mushroom again, and the next- his eyes locked onto the darting movement at the corner of his vision. Prey, his instincts whispered. Upon recognizing her white fur, his gaze shifted to the owls chasing after her.

Anger surged through his veins. The wolf rose from the dirt. No one touched his pack. The wolf did not run towards her. No, his black fur rippled as he shifted his weight to his hind-legs, and then he jumped. He crossed the entire distance in a single leap, claws sharp and teeth bared.

[Due to the overwhelming difference in level, [Fear Paralysis] has been applied! Stats of all significantly weaker enemies will now be decreased by 30%.]

The owl’s black talons stretched to grasp onto the white bunny, gray wings unfurling as the owl pulled out from its dive-

[Lvl 6 [Crushing Fangs] has been used! [Wingblade] has been broken!]

The black wolf sunk his teeth into the owl's right wing. The owl shrieked in pain, crashing into the ground. The two of them skidded across the dirt, dust and feathers exploding in all directions. It was impossible for any creature to see, but the wolf hunted on scent. He shot forward, capturing the bunny between his teeth.

He would not fail his pack again.

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-White Bunny POV-

Her plan had failed. Immediately, the bunny let her body go limp, playing dead. There was no use in being upset or second guessing what she'd done- all she could do was adapt and carry out the next best plan.

As the dust slowly cleared, the wolf stared down the remaining owl. The owl slowly backed away. He opened his wings to leave, then he hesitated, gaze shifting to his injured companion. It wasn't that difficult of a decision- splinters of bone were jutting out from gray, bloodied feathers- but the owl's gaze lingered for a long moment before he finally flew off in search of other prey.

The wolf cocked his head towards the remaining owl. The owl glared at the wolf, black eyes glittering with hate. Blood was splattered across the dirt, turning it a muddied shade of crimson.

[Lvl 1 [Wingblade] has been activated!]

The wolf looked away, refusing to answer the challenge. The owl screeched at the wolf in rage. When the wolf didn’t move at anything the owl could do, the owl cast a bitter glare at the wolf, limping away. She dragged her broken wing behind her, leaving bloodied streaks in the dirt. Once the wolf was satisfied there were no more contestants for his meal, he let go of the white bunny.

The bunny fell lifelessly across the dirt, tumbling a few times before going completely still. Dubiously, the wolf sniffed her. The teeth near her neck, fangs grazing on her throat... she stared ahead blankly, tail not so much as twitching.

A wolf who cared enough about fresh meat enough to capture her alive wouldn't go for a dead animal. This was the best gamble she could make to survive.

That wasn't to say she just laid there and prayed- no, she plotted, furiously reviewing what had gone wrong. She had miscalculated the wolf's strength, yet the prickling at the base of her spine warned her it wasn't the only thing she miscalculated. Her thoughts spun, a snowstorm of white that wouldn't stop until it tore every piece of information apart.

The wolf had let the owl go, even though she was easy prey. Last night, right before he tried to kill her… he had the strangest look in his eyes. Mournful, almost. And unlike most predators, he didn’t smell like rotten blood- because he groomed differently, or because of something else?

That wasn't the only contradiction. [Fear Paralysis] had activated twice the day before- and been negated, for some strange reason- against the eagle and the wolf. Yet this time, when [Fear Paralysis] activated against all significantly weaker enemies, it hadn't affected her or been negated.

Either she wasn't significantly weaker- impossible, just look at the sheer size of the wolf- or the [System] didn't consider the wolf as her enemy. It might just be the [System]'s fucked up sense of humor, but...

[Your status cannot be determined! A suitable tutorial quest cannot be found!]

... it would explain the strange things that kept on happening. So she was taken off-guard, but not completely surprised by the blue window materializing in front of her.

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[Lvl 1 [Communion] has been activated!]

[Black Wolf: You... alive?]

His voice rumbled through her mind, a growl shaped into words.

Unease flickered through her mind. It felt... wrong, to abandon years of experience based on what was essentially guesswork. But her alternatives... she had no strength, no power. Her only choice was to rely on her mind.

She mentally reached out towards the strange bond, and she sent the message.

[White Bunny: Until you eat me, yes, I suppose I am alive.]

The voice was filled with dry amusement, unmistakably hers even though she had never heard it before. It was too honest. If she wanted to survive, she needed a way to control it.

His gold eyes widened.

[Black Wolf: Eat...? No.]

His voice sounded genuinely confused- too genuine. Her eyes narrowed a fraction. If he was lying, he was a damn good actor.

[White Bunny: You tried to eat me before.]

The words were calm, without a trace of accusation. Better. She couldn't afford for her emotions to bleed into her voice. Even if the wolf seemed friendly, she wouldn't live for long if she pushed his patience.

The wolf lowered his head. It was a strange gesture, for a creature who could lie on the ground and still tower over her. She seized the opening.

[White Bunny: We need to move. The sound of a fight and the scent of the owl's blood will draw predators soon.]

It was the truth- or half of one, at least. Still, she delivered it with confidence, diverting the wolf's attention before he could decide to eat her again. The wolf dipped his head. Presuming it to be agreement, she started moving, heading towards the center of the forest.

She started moving, and the wolf trotted after her. She waited for him to take the lead- it was his territory, she would expect nothing less- yet he didn't seem to mind following her.

Another question, another clue. She had to decipher this situation correctly, if she didn't want to be eaten.

The forest was quiet, but never silent. There were always the rustle of small animals darting through the bushes, the sound of owls hooting softly in the distance. It wasn't long before she fell into a comfortable rhythm, adjusting to the atmosphere.

[Black Wolf: I... sorry. Mistake. But... you. Pack. No eat.]

The wolf said finally, returning to a conversation he clearly hadn't enjoyed.

[White Bunny: Pack?]

She asked carefully, drawing to a halt. Her voice betrayed nothing. Coyotes hunted together, but the wolf walked alone. The vaguest inkling of understanding was beginning to form in the back of her mind, but she didn't dare to trust it.

The wolf stared at the brown mushroom beside him like they hadn't already passed dozens of the same.

[Black Wolf: Pack... stronger. I want... do right.

She didn't comfort him. What was she going to say, it's okay you tried to eat me? Survival was a stacked game, and the only ones who could “do right” were those strong enough to afford that choice. She wasn't, and she would never be.

She nodded once to acknowledge she heard him, then she started moving again. There was nothing to be gained from standing still.

[White Bunny: Do you know which berries aren't poisonous?]

She asked, deliberately shifting the conversation in a different direction. The wolf perked up, and he excitedly described the plants he had tried eating. It was rather amusing to see such a huge creature be so passionate about eating plants, the bunny thought, letting the wolf ramble in hopes of learning more about him.

The bunny quickly deduced that the wolf did not, in fact, know which berries were not poisonous, only which berries were extremely toxic and thus... gave him a minor stomachache.

The blue mushrooms he was currently telling her about- she hadn't been planning on eating them, but now she definitely wasn't going to. Ever.

Her ears pricked up, sensing another bunny in the undergrowth. She followed the creature from a distance, relying on them to find something edible. When she caught the scent of spilled juice, she sprinted over.

The other bunny bolted the moment the wolf got close. Perfect. It seemed the other bunny had survival instincts... unlike the overgrown beast looking curiously towards where the bunny had run off to. At least she could trust these berries weren't poisonous.

The white bunny settled down to eat. There was no need to stay on guard for predators, not with the enormous wolf hovering behind her. His golden eyes scanned the trees, warning off predators. The wolf tore off a huge bite of both leaves and berries.

[Black Wolf: Berry sweet.]

[White Bunny: Berry funny.]

The wolf tilted his head to the side, confused, and her tail twitched in amusement.

[White Bunny: Forget it.]

The bunny munched on the berries. The forest berries tasted different from those that grew in the grass, more tangy than sweet. Still, it was something she could get used to.

She was just swallowing the fourth berry when the taste in her mouth suddenly tasted changed, turning with sour. She stilled, recognizing that scent. Blood. More specifically, the kind of blood she had learned to identify for her own survival. Rabbit's blood.

[Sixth Sense has been activated!]

The forest had was grown quiet, too quiet. The sounds of birds chirping had disappeared, along with the sound of animals moving through the undergrowth. Now, only the wind rustled through the leaves. When it died down, the two were left in complete silence.

The wolf crouched into a defensive position, sensing it too. Normally, there were sounds that came with prey being hunted- grass being trampled, the sound of a scuffle, the brutal crunch of a neck. It was never like this, silent until blood was already soaking into the air.

She willed herself to think, racking her brain for any idea of what she could be up against.

The scent of blood was close. At this distance, the creature couldn't be on the ground, or else she would hear it moving through the undergrowth... but it wasn't flying through the air, either, or else she would be able to scent it on the wind.

[Black Wolf: Can't see. Can't hear. Can't smell.]

The wolf confirmed her suspicions. There weren't any other creatures nearby. That meant that some way, somehow-

[White Bunny: The hunter kills from a distance.]