“Wake the others up!” He whispers. “We’ve got company.”

I spring into action, rushing over to Mom first as her input in battle is incomparable to Valka’s or even mine. I shake her shoulder and hold a finger to my lips as her eyes snap open. A nod toward Dad is all she needs to understand the situation, freeing herself from the bedroll with speed I never thought possible.

With Valka, I take more drastic measures. One ice-cold hand on her neck and another clamping down on her mouth for when she jolts up with a squeal. She’s a deep sleeper and I don’t have the time to mess around.

“Shhh! Enemies.” I explain and her vengeful eyes narrow, putting this grudge on a shelf for later.

By now even I can hear the soft rustling of the bushes in the distance, different from the regular noises caused by the soft breeze. We gather up with our backs together, peering into the shadows of the night, illuminated only by our dying campfire and the rays of the triplet moons.

Mana Perception comes to life as I peer through the darkness to relieve more than the eye can see. Colors flood the darkness, as nature, water, earth, and wind mana paint a picture, covered in the thin veil of darkness. During the day, light mana is dominant and everything seems brighter even in the realm of mana but at night a gray haze covers everything.

Actually… what is dark mana? I’ve sort of forgotten about that question for a while. Shadows are simply a surface with little to no light so there should be no such thing as dark mana, just the absence of light… Something to investigate in the Academy I guess.

The bright orangish yellow color of life mana catches my eyes, like a shimmering mist floating swiftly through the hazy grayish world. And it's not alone.

“Three of them.” I share my findings.

“Four.” Dad corrects me.

I deactivate the Skill, just in time to see him slot an arrow and let it loose with a sharp whistle into the thick of the underbrush. It hits… something, which is shortly followed by an ear-piercing, hoarse scream. The screech, similar to that of a fork against a pan, signals the attack and three… things emerge.

I’ve seen my fair share of bizarre creatures while wandering aimlessly in the forest and living among the beasts. Some with an incorrect number of limbs, others with comical proportions, and then some looking all weird and sometimes not even made of blood and flesh. These rabbit-like creatures embody all of that and somehow manage to make it all look even worse.

Their bodies are morbidly elongated, almost as if something tried to tear them in two and failed, with gnarly front legs similar to that of wolves, their back limbs that of a goat, and greenish-yellow puss oozing from countless wounds under their patchy fur. Those tiny bunny snouts, otherwise unbelievably cute, are open wide to an unnatural angle, filled with sharp fangs and a long dangling tongue. And those blood-curdling voices they make…

They look almost way more bizarre than frightening.

Since only three of them emerged, Dad probably dispatched one. He lowers his bow and sighs. “It’s okay dear, let the kids take care of them. They’re weak.” He steps back, leaving us up front against the horror bunnies.

[Rabbit lvl 112]

[Rabbit lvl 91]

[Rabbit lvl 105]

Weak my ass. And there’s no way those abominations are related to rabbits in any way, I must be imagining things.

I attack first before any of them can lounge or before Val dives head-first toward those fangs. Well, attacking in this case means putting those moves Martha taught me to work.

I’m talking about dancing, feeling the rhythm, and connecting my steps like someone actually engrossed in the moment and not just focused on killing. Low, monumental steps, minimal twirls, heavy and unwavering moves with my arms… The earth heeds my call, moving more smoothly and with much more purpose than before, crawling up the bodies of all… rabbits and crushing everything in its grasp.

“Nice.” Valka comments while running past me.

She sprints at the closest ugliness and instead of pulling her fist back as usual to pound until it no longer breathes, she lifts her leg. Above her head. The foot comes down with breakneck speed and her heel impacts the skull with a disturbing crack, denting the whole head in.

The beast collapses and dies, then and there.

Praise to Bennett. Previously Val would’ve literally just punched and grappled until killing the damn thing while healing whatever wound she suffered in the process. This… this is scarier.

The other two thrash around furiously after witnessing the death of their fellow nightmare bunny. Their hoofed back limbs do manage to slip out of earthen grip, something I didn't account for. No feet, not much to hold down. Some more kicking earns them their freedom but I really think staying put and accepting their fate would’ve been a little wiser.

Of course, neither Val nor I just stood still, twiddling our thumbs and making it all fair. Her leg with the impact of a hammer is already on course to crush the windpipe of one, while a blade of wind lashes out from my hand, cutting the other’s stomach open and spilling its contents.

To my biggest surprise, neither of them goes down right away. Mine staggers and claws its way towards me. The other bites onto Valka’s legs, snarling and clinging on to her even when half dead. We finish them off swiftly because the only thing more unsightly than the creatures is the same bunnies looking like moving corpses.

[Your group has triumphed over the enemy [Agonized Rabbit of Many Bodies - Life lvl 105].]

[You have triumphed over the enemy [Agonized Rabbit of Many Bodies - Life lvl 91].]

This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

[You have triumphed over the enemy [Agonized Rabbit of Many Bodies - Life lvl 112].]

[Your Class [Dancer of the Elements] has reached lvl 112, +4 Free Statpoints, +3 Free Points, +8 Speed, +4 Endurance, +15 Intelligence, +16 Focus, +2 Dexterity, +14 Mana, +16 Willpower, +2 Fortitude.]

[Your class Skill [Arcane Mastery] has reached lvl 98.]

[Your class Skill [Action for Reaction] has reached lvl 92.]

“That was…”

“Easy?” Valka finishes it for me.

“That too, but they looked uncomfortable in their own bodies.” I walk closer to the corpses. “As if they were barely functioning.”

Dad crouches down beside me and starts looking not just over but into the body without a hint of disgust on his face. As a hunter, he must’ve done this a thousand times before.

“What are these?” Mom asks poking another body with her spear, an approach I can stand behind.

“Trouble.” Dad answers, brushing over the fur. “We can’t stay for the night.”

The area where he parted the fur reveals that not just the fur is different on the legs, the skin beneath is also separated by a line, like two different cloths sewn together.

Just as we’re about to pack another shriek, similar to the one we silenced not even a minute ago reverberates through the woods. Judging by its volume it can't be far.

“Girls, kill anything that moves!” Mom issues the orders without looking up.

“Why-” I try to object.

If we’re in trouble, or more accurately these things mean trouble, shouldn’t it be them fighting?

“Because you pack with the speed of a blind dwarf and we’re here for you to murder things in the first place. Now up and at it!”

Valka and I take up position, her a little to the front and me right behind her, almost like second nature.

“So, you’re kicking now?” I ask.

The wild, animal-like fighting she called style was refined almost beyond recognition. It’s still rough but the guidance is there.

“Oh I still punch, don’t worry. Just wanted to test what I’ve learned.” She glances back with an excited grin.

Looks like a test that short wasn’t enough for her.

Martha had little insight into what I should do differently, which is partly the reason why she advocated sending me to the Academy. Besides teaching me how to dance a little, the rest is up to me. Magic is about knowledge and imagination. I’m unbeatable in one and let’s be honest, there are no two people who imagine a snowflake the same, let alone something as complex as magic.

Maybe I’m just too good already…

With the soft sound of crackling fire and furious packing… we wait. Valka with the hearing and nose of a hound and me looking into the world of the arcane very few things could avoid being detected. Scratch that, very few things about as strong as us could avoid being detected. Thankuflly the uninvited guests are not part of that elusive group.

One, four, six, fourteen.

“Uhm, Dad?” I ask without explaining anything, he probably knows just by hearing them move.

“Don’t worry, just do your thing. Also, try not to burn down the whole forest.” He encourages me, although I don’t feel encouraged.

This isn't my first dance against something stronger, or rather higher level, or greater in number for that matter. What I’m concerned about however is the unknown. We killed them too fast, we have no clue what they’re capable of.

A deep breath and a quick sigh later the worries are no more. because this time I can pull a card that was rarely if ever in my hand. Call mom and dad. The ultimate rescue card in case of disaster.

Despite Dad’s warning, my first move, even before anything reveals itself, is lighting the forest on fire. This time the reason is not my disdain towards nature or any hypno-fruits. No, I simply wish to funnel the enemy and let us see what we’re fighting.

I have to say, it works like a charm. A rare instance where things go according to plan.

The same messed up rabbit abominations burst forth with just as much reason in their eyes as before. Rage, pain, and hate are the only things those tiny red beads radiate. The task is simple, kill as many as possible while staying alive and if possible letting the parents do their thing undisturbed. Not that they need much protection.

Again I grasp the right of first strike as it is my right as a ranged combatant. Something that I mostly fucked up in the past because of hesitation and overthinking. If only I created an advantageous field at the start instead of thinking about the best move… many things could’ve ended differently.

Now that things are on fire and I have a few seconds and the trusty old meatshield before me, it's time for some serious magic. Valka knows the drill, already a few steps up and muscles coiled ready to unleash punishment. One of the rabbits does try its luck, the strong back legs launching it forth with maw open wide to strike. Valka’s leg whips out from behind her, drawing a wide arc and impacting the incoming threat. The body bends around the feet before flying off somewhere to suffer for maybe a minute before its mushed insides shut down.

I can’t be outdone, not again.

I turn to fire as it has spread around us wildly, providing me with ample fuel. A slow and methodical dance unfolds, one of grace and focus. The flames gather around me in a vortex slowly enveloping my arms and turning into a crimson dress. Another thing I learned from Martha besides fancy steps is breathing. A simple unconscious function of our body yet perhaps the most important one. Important for a dance, for movement, and crucial when handling fire.

One last deep breath, then I form a claw with my hand and gather the inferno. When released the ray of fire bursts forth, melting everything in its path while causing a blast of wind and blowing my hair into my face. I keep feeding into the beam while sweating it across the line of enemies. Valka sensed the doom gathering behind her and dropped flat on the ground to avoid friendly fire.

In the end, the result of my attack speaks for itself. The fire doesn’t necessarily finish all the rabbits off but sears the flesh and blackens the bones, basically crippling all who get caught in the beam.

While I gape and cool the suffocatingly hot air around me, Valka springs into action. She strikes the rabbits writhing on the ground, dispatching them swiftly. I soon join in on the massacre and with a few well-aimed shards of ice send three more to Malor’s embrace.

The uninjured ones and those still driven by… whatever created these rabbits to be this broken, scampered away fearing for their lives, looking for a window of opportunity.

“Okay girls, let's head out!” Mom calls out to us and not a second later a hail of ice shards pelts the rabbits, unaliving all of them in the blink of an eye.

That’s so unfair, and kinda defeats the whole purpose. Not very motivational either.

A quick check on just how effective my move was reveals that the answer is so-so. Wherever the fire hit it caused tremendous damage and likely decided the outcome of the fight. On the other hand, as I swiped the beam horizontally almost a third of the entire output was wasted on the empty space between the rabbits. Conclusion? A good, albeit very situational attack.

“Don’t sulk and get moving!” Mom speaks again before putting out the fire and mostly disappearing out of sight in the shadows.

The echo of yet another blood-chilling howl somewhere in the distance urges me to move and I oblige. I really, really don’t want one of those ugly things to pop out near me in the darkness of the night, with only those crazed red eyes visible. Good material for the solid horror chronicles around a campfire.

We tread in the agreed-upon line of Mom, Val, me, and Dad. The squishiest, aka me, in the middle, floating a tiny ball of flame to be our guiding light. We proved to be able to detect the rabbits way before coming in contact with them but that doesn’t mean we’re lowering our guard. None of us are amateur enough to do that.

“Where now?” I ask, trying to repress a humongous yawn.

“As far away from here as we can, preferably somewhere inhabited.” Dad helps me before I trip over a stupidly grown root. “Hang in there Eli.”

There’s really not that much more hanging in me left. The second watch got a few hours of shut-eye and Dad probably operates with ten times my Endurance. It sucks. Like a sheep I just follow the back of the person in front of me, putting one leg in front of the other just to not fall face first.

“We might’ve chosen the wrong gig, huh?” Asks Mom with both irritation and smugness in her tone.

She was right and we will be reminded of that for a whole week, at the very least.