Hunter's heart thudded in his chest, the sole rhythm in the eerie forest silence. Backing further away, he stared at the gaping mouth of the bunny burrow, which seemed to have grown tenfold since he last saw it.
A sinking dread settled in his gut.
The burrow didn’t just belong to the Boomerang Bunny or the rampaging swarm of fuzzy bastards.
No, something much bigger called it home.
Scratching his head, he ran through his mental checklist of bunny behaviors to grasp any detail that would give him the upper hand. "They grunt when annoyed, paws up like they're in a boxing ring, and oh, don't forget the menacing teeth and back leg stomps. Classic bunny moves." He rolled his eyes at the simplicity of it all.
The monster bunnies he’d encountered weren't much different, just nastier and more claw-happy.
The ground trembled beneath him, scattering fist-sized rocks from the tunnel entrance. Hunter's eyes widened, and he backed further away.
Something big was definitely on its way, a monster far larger than any of the bunnies he had faced earlier. Small didn't mean harmless, as he had learned the hard way. Their sheer numbers had overwhelmed him in the confined chamber, making his speed useless.
The rumbling grew louder, echoing his own heartbeat.
Hunter half-hoped the burrow entrance would do him a favor and collapse on whatever monster he was about to face. He wiped his brow, his grip on the knife-broom handle white-knuckled.
A thought gnawed at him—if a monster met its end by some other means, like a cave-in or falling into a trap, would Hunter still get credit for the kill and claim the loot?
He was just about to voice his question to Tower when the rumbling ceased, only to be replaced by an oppressive silence—never a good sign.
A flicker of movement caught Hunter’s eye.
"Here we go." He exhaled, readying his weapon and falling into a fighter's stance.
A single bunny hopped into view at the entrance.
Hunter squinted, sizing it up. "Not so tough on your own, huh? Where are all your buddies?" His grip on his weapon eased, but caution was still etched into his shoulders.
This time, Hunter wasn’t taking any chances. He studied the bunny warily and fed chi into his eyes, sparing no time to identify the monster.
[Rampage Rabbit: Cute and cuddly on its own, harmless even. But team it up with its anti-social, adolescent buddies, and it transforms into a nightmare. They fear only one thing—their parents. Watch out!]
Hunter allowed himself a small sigh of relief. For now, there was no deadly bunny swarm in sight.
The little bunny fixed him with wide, amber eyes, and the burrow shuddered, as if mirroring Hunter's unease. He activated his aura sense, feeling the rich pulse of Earth chi around him.
The little bunny's ears twitched, drawing his attention.
He almost pitied the creature as it glanced over its shoulder and quivered. The rabbit’s ears twitched again before it turned back to face Hunter and bolted in his direction.
Hunter tracked the movements of the lone rabbit as it closed the gap, his grip tight on the broom, poised to strike. But a shadow rose in the burrow’s depths. The darkness at the entrance stirred, and a colossal figure emerged—an immense mass of black fur and lethal claws.
Its head lowered to clear the tunnel's roof as it lumbered into view.
With a swift motion, Hunter swung his broom like a polo mallet at the charging rabbit, only to realize it wasn't attacking him but fleeing from the monstrosity tearing out of the burrow entrance behind it.
Hunter’s jaw gaped open as he tried to wrap his head around the sight that greeted him.
Caught mid-swing, Hunter sent the terrified beast hurtling back toward the burrow entrance. It slammed into what could only be one of its parents. As the Tower Monster straightened up to its full height, a title floated above its ears—ears that could rival the length of a hoplite’s spear.
[Mega Rampage Rabbit XY: You thought the adolescent Rampage Rabbits were a pain in the ass? Time to meet the folks. Buckle up, buttercup.]
Hunter thanked the gods he was at full health after his recent respawn.
The air was thick with chi, and a thought struck him like a lightning bolt. He wouldn't have to worry about draining his chi down to his reserves if he could cultivate the abundant chi while on the move. Right now, he was limited to drawing chi into his core using the Earth Strider technique during seated meditation.
He took a step back, putting some space between him and the mother of all rabbits. He really needed to learn how to cultivate on the move—it was part of the strategy he'd need to beat titans of this size.
He remembered his father and uncle talking about cultivating on the move. That advanced knowledge was key to not only surviving in their war against the demon scourge but also crucial for successful breakthroughs at the Core Former stage and beyond.
The Mega Rampage Rabbit thumped the ground, causing more of the cave entrance to collapse. It didn't deter the smaller Rampage Rabbits, those feisty teenagers, from pouring out of the entrance. They formed a semicircle around their parent, keeping a safe distance but ready to strike like coiled vipers.
The monster rabbit reared up on its hind legs, each as thick as an ancient oak tree, exposing a chest as wide as two chariots side by side. Its talon-tipped paws, big enough to flatten a man, were poised for a killing strike.
This was very bad news. Its massive hind leg alone could punt a stallion across the clearing with ease.
Hunter's heart skipped a beat—this monster could reach him in one leap and end him in an instant. It let out a low growl that sent a bone-rattling hum through Hunter’s chest.
The smaller rabbits twitched in response, breaking formation and bounding towards him like a furry swarm of black death.
Hunter shot a glance at the surrounding woods, weighing his options: make a run for it or face the swarm in the clearing.
Making a break for it might scatter their attack, and the Mega Rampage Rabbit couldn't easily follow him into the forest. However, losing his clear line of sight to all attacks was a risk he didn’t want to take.
Hunter couldn't shake the feeling that a few trees wouldn't stop the Mega Rampage Rabbit from pursuing him either, and knowing his luck, he’d likely get crushed by a falling tree.
He edged toward the treeline, broom at the ready, swinging at the first attack wave. He spun in a circle, smashing through the bunny swarm with ease. Those he missed met his swift punch-choke-kick combinations.
Shifting to a two-handed grip, he swung at the second wave of killer bunnies, his strikes almost as effective as before, thinning their numbers before they could sink their gnashing teeth into him.
A few broke through his defenses, leaving biting marks that burned like Hades hellfire. But he seized those bastards by the scruff and hurled them like fluffy cannonballs at their ferocious comrades that flew toward him.
His chi-infused limbs kept him one step ahead of the swarm, but as their numbers grew, he had to move closer to the trees. He circled around a large trunk, using it as a shield, before using his broom to vault himself into the air.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Grabbing a low-hanging branch, he swung from tree to tree, ridding himself of the swarm below.
Out of sight, out of mind. That seemed to be the rule with these bunnies.
Dropping back to the ground, his eyes gleamed at the sight of the shiny loot strewn across the clearing. There was just one problem: the giant, enraged rabbit whose offspring he'd slaughtered. Collecting the monster cores and coins posed the risk of being within the monster's striking range, but leaving it meant losing the loot.
Waste not, want not, my folks used to say.
Ignoring the monster’s obvious power, Hunter dashed into the clearing.
Scooping up cores left and right, a twinge of fear struck him like an arrow to the heart. His body didn’t absorb the chi from each monster core as he’d expected.
His gaze lifted to meet the demonic eyes of the Mega Rampage Rabbit.
It unleashed an angry growl that reverberated through the clearing, and a chill ran down his spine as he sensed the return of the bunny swarm from the forest's edge.
He raised his makeshift spear with defiance, though his weapon looked pitifully small against the towering furry beast before him. Swallowing hard, he hurled the weapon like a javelin, aiming for the creature's moon-sized eye.
He damn near wept with relief when his aim proved true.
With a sickening squelch, the blade plunged into the rabbit's large eye. The beast squealed like a pig to slaughter, swatting at the weapon, which came loose and fell to the ground.
[Shadow Boss Monster Health: 42/100]
He drew forth his pulpy healing elixir, but it was already too late.
Hunter gulped air, bracing for the world of pain coming his way as the Mega beast flew at him with a vicious claw strike.
As death took Hunter once more, a numb emptiness wrapped around him like an old friend.
Standing in a black void, he shook his head, regripping his knife-broom, ready to finally defeat the Refiner Gate.
His vision scroll appeared.
Tower: You have an inspiring fighting spirit about you. Would you like to continue or take a break to recover and reflect?
“Take me back to the respawn location.” Hunter readied his stance to attack the Boomerang Bunny.
Tower: May the best contender win.
The quick slap from the white flag filtered through his ears as it faded into view.
Hunter didn’t hesitate to dive through the trees and attack the Boomerang Bunny with his Earth chi-enhanced strikes. Its rainbow haze still left behind no more loot. But he grinned anyway with the speed at which it took him to defeat the Tower Monster. He’d more than hoped his skills had advanced by fighting it for a third time.
He stepped toward the direction of the burrow, but stone walls rose around him, barricading him inside a small room with a lone tree.
Gripping his weapon, he glanced up, the birds still chirping overhead in the blue sky. “What’s going on Tower!”
Hunter’s view faded as Tower's text scrolled across his vision, the words cutting through his frustration like a blade through smoke.
Tower: Perhaps I have not made myself clear. I think it is time we talk about your second major flaw, the one that’s slowing your progress in all areas, not just the Refiner Gate.
Hunter flung his hands up in frustration. “We can talk after I've taken down the mega monster and earn my first Divine reward.”
Tower: I fear you will not make it that far if you don’t listen to what I have to say. Your second major flaw is your tendency to abandon tasks halfway, picking and choosing only what interests you. This impairs your progress not only in the Refiner Gate but across the board.
“Now is not the time for a heart-to-stone heart conversation, Tower.” Hunter clenched his jaw, staring in defiance at the walls around him. “I know what you're trying to say. Nic used to nag me about this too, but this situation is different. There's a deadline looming, and the Refiner Gate has to be my priority. You should know that, your rules, remember?”
Tower: They are not my rules; they were laid down by my creators. I am duty-bound to enforce them. That is all. And you, First Initiate, are bound by the pact you made with Claude. If my once-magnificent form is still shambles by the time you complete the first gate, I will be forced to activate a debuff against you once you unlock the Founder Gate.
Hunter's arms dropped to his sides, the mithril knife clunking against the grass. He scoffed, his mind racing for a solution. "You never mentioned this before. Why the sudden revelation?"
Tower: That is because it wasn’t a pressing concern. You made progress gathering the materials for the bathhouse. Perhaps it was an oversight from me that I didn’t make my needs clearer.
Hunter stowed his weapon and crossed his arms. “Damn big oversight if you ask me. I'm not a mind reader. Nic used to set clear expectations for me, and that helped. I need that clarity here too. When I tackled the Trial of Worth, having clear, straightforward options—yes or no—eliminated guesswork, letting me concentrate on the vital tasks. You think you could do that for me? It'd make my life here a lot less complicated. Claude’s NDA had one; you need an example to work off?”
Tower: One moment.
Hunter drummed his fingers, his old enemy impatience whispering sweet nothings in his ear. He ignored it, as he had done a thousand times before.
Tower: I understand your concern. Delving back into my archives, I recall that I used to serve a warrior who dealt with quests and side quests during the ogre invasion. What I suggest is you rest and recover. That will improve your stamina and increase your chances of success. Meanwhile, I'll compile a list of renovation quests, prioritizing them by difficulty. This way, you'll have clear tasks and some flexibility with the yes and no options. How does that sound?
Hunter frowned, checking his stats. "The second part sounds great—exactly what I need. But telling me I need to rest and recover when my stamina is at an acceptable level to re-enter the Refiner Gate feels like you're trying to wrap me in cotton wool. Fine, if there wasn’t a time crunch to complete the Refiner Gate in 0.38 tradaka moments. Because I’m gaining experience even when I die, I’m getting faster at dispatching the Tower Monsters I've encountered before. I can almost taste success beating my first boss; taking a snooze now feels like it will rob me of the momentum I have right now.”
Tower: Going against my recommendation is not advised. You have noticed that you could not absorb more chi particles even though you looted many before the Mega Rampage Rabbit pounded you into oblivion. Your judgment was off then and it’s off now. In the real world, that will get you killed.
Hunter arched his brow. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience. You mentioned there were others before me, and given your encounter with the ogre, I’m taking it the warrior that entered here failed.”
Tower: That is a story for another time. Please go to the library, practice your cultivation techniques from your Wyld Stallyn Style. Prevention is the best medicine; using the Stallions River Run technique prevents blockages in your channels or meridians, as I used to refer to them a long time ago.
“I’ll go to the library when I’ve killed my first boss. You say I only work on what I’m interested in and deflect the conversation; I can’t see how you're any different, oh mighty Tower."
Tower: You are acting like a stubborn bull. If you must know, I was a tower of ascension for a god who shall remain nameless. All the warriors that came before you, a long, long time ago, progressed much faster through the Refiner Gate, but none made it past the final gate boss.
Hunter slowly nodded, piecing together Tower's enigmatic past. So much information, so much Tower hadn't shared, an almost human trait.
“That explains why you’re hovering over me like a mother hen. You think I will make the same mistake as the others by rushing through. You mentioned a nameless god, the one that left you to gather dust in some forsaken corner of the universe or whatever exists out there. I bet you were lonely and bored. Now you have my fine self for company, and you don’t want to lose that.”
Tower: Your keen perception often surprises me, especially for someone so young and inexperienced. You are indeed the youngest initiate to tread these sacred halls, and also the weakest. When no warrior passed the Refiner Gate, my god saw me as a failure and stowed me away like Pandora’s box. Then he forgot about me for a long, long time.
Hunter let the weight of Tower's revelation sink in, his silence filling the space as he digested the information. A part of him wanted to commiserate with Tower; he’d faced exile of his own, been ripped from his family, and sent to Death Island.
But he’d had Nic.
Growing stronger so he could find his sister gave him a reason to get up every day. Tower had nothing and no one for far too long. But coddling him wouldn’t help; he learned that from Nic.
“Listen, Tower, that god was a prime asshole. Most of them are. Claude is the exception, and we're damn lucky he brought us together. I might not be as powerful as the warriors who preceded me, but Claude chose me because he knows I won't back down. Being a clean slate means I don't carry the same risks in cultivation. When it comes to the Refiner Gate, trust me, I can handle it.”
Tower: You are not experienced enough in the Refiner Gate, or well-practiced enough in your cultivation techniques yet to go against my recommendations. Now I think we’ve expended enough time. Please return to the library for the next 0.038 tradaka moments. That’s twelve hours for you to keep count.
Hunter growled. “You must be a past-less wonder devoid of any meaningful memories if you think I’m going to waste that much time cultivating when I could be destroying a gate boss.”
Tower: When I was a young tower, with less knowledge and experience, I was a harsh taskmaster. I pushed the initiates hard until they broke. When the ogres came, they insulted me just like you did. I learned what it was like to feel invaded. They took everything from me, including the memories that made me who I was. You told me before that I cannot feel pain, but that is simply not true. Those memories were stolen, but the ghost of the torturer still lingers just out of reach.
Hunter burned with shame. He’d made so many assumptions about Tower. He had no words, and he couldn’t take back his thoughtless insult. He hung his head. “Tower, I…,”
He trailed off, letting the dreadful silence drag on. When Tower's message appeared, it cut through him like a knife.
Tower: Do as you wish, young initiate. I will busy myself preparing the renovation quest details so that you can access them in a clear and meaningful way. If you choose to enter the Refiner Gate, you are on your own.
Hunter clenched his fists, a mixture of determination and frustration swirling inside him. With a snarl, he whispered to himself, "Fine, Tower. Let's see who breaks first."