Respawning at the Fiend boss flag was a mixed bag for Hunter. On the plus side, he racked up a heap of coins—copper for the swarm and a hard-earned gold coin for the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY. This time, the big bunny didn't sprint after him to the trap-filled clearing. To aggravate it, Hunter had to poke it with his knife-broom while sidestepping its thunderous stomps.

But the stubborn boss bunny wouldn't budge or give chase. Not until Hunter gave it a new belly button with his Dust Storm Whip.

This time, as he sprinted towards the clearing with the trap, the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY charged behind him, causing the ground to quake with every bounding leap. Hunter, with chi coursing through his legs, hurdled over the Soulvine tied between two trees. He chucked himself to one side and rolled until he skidded to a halt, just as the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY did a face-first dive right beside him.

[Fiend Boss Monster Health: 27/100]

Thrashing its forelimbs, the XY bunny failed to right itself. It’s life was Hunter's for the taking. He surged towards it, Divine Durability empowering his knife-broom. He drove it into the monster's eye socket, pushing until he met resistance. The Mega Rampage Rabbit XY slumped, its body lifeless.

Only then did Hunter notice a nasty gash on his shoulder—damage he'd brushed off earlier when running for his life.

Damage taken. [Health: 35/100]

Damn, the Tower Monster had nearly one-shotted him with a single paw swipe. Fueled by adrenaline, he'd barely noticed it then, but now...

Assessing the injury, he winced in pain as he tried to rotate his shoulder, blood gushing from the wound. From his inventory, he retrieved his Golden Blush Apple healing elixir. Pulling the cork, he was a little dismayed to find there was little left—just a bit of juice and pulpy remains.

Drinking it down, he relished its sweetness and the warmth spreading out from his core.

The Mega Rampage Rabbit XY disappeared in a rainbow haze, leaving behind a monster core. Hunter snatched it up along with the gold coin. He had absorbed chi from the smaller monster cores but still had a number in his inventory for trading with Orcus the Alchemist.

Before he moved on to the final boss, Hunter checked his status.

[Health: 100

Stamina: 5/5

Physical: 26

Mental: 27

Weapons Mastery: 20

Armor Mastery: 1]

At full health, his stamina had recovered. He was confident he could use Dust Storm Whip at least twice more, as long as he watched his chi use in the early part of the final boss battle. He doubted his current weapon would deal much damage, and he was concerned that he no longer had any healing elixir. But if he could aggravate the boss and lure it to the trap, he would increase his chance of success. Victory was his; he could almost taste it.

Then came the thump.

A ground-shaking, heart-stopping THUMP.

The silence that followed was deafening, amplifying the thunderous beat of his own heart. Another earth-quaking thump, this time accompanied by the creaking, groaning, and bone-chilling crack of trees being uprooted. The sound grew louder, and Hunter could see the tops of the trees quivering.

Above him, the impossibly blue sky turned to dusk as a murder of crows fled the unseen monster.

Hunter took a step back as the trees bordering the clearing parted like a curtain, revealing the monstrous form of the final boss—Mega Rampage Rabbit XX. She was a mirror image of their last encounter, but her aura was different.

Beneath her titan form, woodland creatures scattered like ants, some scampering across the clearing towards Hunter. She tracked their flight until her fierce amber eyes locked onto him. A warning grunt echoed from her, her hind foot pounding the ground like a war drum.

Her eyes blazed like twin suns, giving no quarter.

Without warning, she opened her mouth and belched a geyser of flames that hurtled towards him. Hunter dove with everything he had to dodge the inferno, the intense heat searing his side as he slammed into the ground.

The smell of burnt hair filled his nostrils—it was his own, singed and smoking.

If he’d reacted a second later, he'd be nothing more than a pile of ash.

Hunter knew this was it. This was kill or be killed time. He had to hit hard, hit fast, and make it count. He was a goddamn firecracker ready to explode, and the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX was his target.

But getting close without proper armor? He'd be a crispy critter before he got within striking distance.

Cycling his chi, he activated Dust Storm Whip. With a target as big as a barn door, power was his focus, not precision. The whip lashed out, catching her across the face and splitting open one furry cheek.

[Tyrant Boss Monster Health: 78/100]

He barely registered the damage when she retaliated with another flaming attack. Hunter had been halfway to his feet when the flames came roaring. Thankful for the strength in his chi-empowered legs he leapt clear of the inferno. The third time, he might not be so lucky.

But with that last leap, he’d seen an advantage. The mother of all bunnies had a ‘tell’—her eyes glowed brighter before she unleashed a blazing attack. And if there was a timed interval, as he suspected, he had a few seconds before she could use the attack again.

Her amber eyes dimmed as she tracked his circling movements. Raising his knife-broom, he executed thrusting diagonal slashing strikes through the air to keep her attention.

He stayed just outside her reach, which was a fucking country mile given her size.

With her paw, she wiped the blood from the open wound on her cheek, then licked it with her huge pink tongue. Her brows snapped together, and her lip curled up, giving her an almost human look of disgust. Except her mouth was now covered in blood, and the gnashing of her teeth seemed to promise she’d bite his head clean off.

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With so many ways to end him at her disposal, there was no doubt the odds were stacked heavily in her favor. Hunter was the underdog, but he’d never let that stop him before.

Allowing chi to course through him, he unleashed another Dust Storm Whip with devastating power. At closer range, the whip tore towards the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX, ripping up the ground and reforging itself with dust and muck. The bunny reared up on its hind legs, swiping at the attack, but it struck her lower body, cutting across her belly and hind leg.

[Tyrant Boss Monster Health: 46/100]

The bunny let out a roar of pain that rattled his bones. Her amber eyes flared up, promising a fiery end. Hunter started backpedaling, then spun around and took off like a bat out of hell towards the gap in the trees.

Mega Rampage Rabbit XX was hot on his heels, a paw swipe whooshing through the air behind him. He zigzagged and stumbled over the Soulvine traps, which had gone slack.

He cast Divine Durability, but missed the Soulvines and hit a tree.

He didn’t wait to see if the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX tripped on the Soulvines. His instincts screamed at him to keep running and to take cover. He sped towards a cluster of thick trees and rounded one, his chest heaving from the burst of speed that carried him there.

As he'd suspected, the Soulvines snapped, but not before throwing the Tower Monster off balance. Hunter unleashed a final Dust Storm Whip, draining his core down to his reserves. The whip cracked against her skull with brute force, stunning her.

Mega Rampage Rabbit XX stunned.

[Tyrant Boss Monster Health: 40/100]

Hunter clutched his gut, dragging himself out from behind the sanctuary of the tree trunk as the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX hit the dirt and rolled onto her side. Her round belly heaved up and down, a testament to the fact that her health was holding steady even under the stun effect. A countdown timer materialized, making Hunter's breath hitch in his chest.

[Stun Effect: 5 seconds]

He had to move, and fast. Gripping his weapon, he took aim at her eye, the only weak spot on this final boss.

She stared back at him, her eyes no longer ablaze with rage but filled with something else... a grim resolve. Suddenly, a hot white searing pain exploded across his vision, turning his world into a blank canvas.

Blinking hard, his sight slowly returned, but it brought with it a stabbing pain between his eyes. Warm liquid trickled from his nose. He swiped at it, staring down at his blood smeared fingers. That was the last thing he saw before his world plunged into darkness.

Pain, intense and all-consuming, slammed into every inch of his body. A flurry of notifications popped up in his field of view.

Damage taken.

[Health: 0/100.]

You died.

***

"What the hell just happened?" Hunter couldn’t shake the confusion or the splitting pain in his head. One minute he was on the verge of beating the final boss…. And then the next… "The mother of all bunnies was stunned for godssake. I was about to..."

Tower: Most unfortunate timing, indeed. Your little episode has me concerned. The nosebleed seems unrelated to the battle. Any history of this?

Hunter stared at his dried, blood-caked fingers. He could feel the sticky residue on his face. As his senses returned he realized he was sprawled out on the ground, just outside the Refiner Gate.

Tower: Take it easy getting up. You lost a fair amount of blood, and you might be dizzy. Last thing we need is you knocking yourself out. Unfortunately, at my current stage, I can't physically help you stand or provide first aid.

Hunter blinked. "At what stage can you do that?"

Tower: One moment... According to my system requirements, I can do this at Magnifico! assuming my Earth core is fully functional.

Slowly, using the gate for support, Hunter pushed himself up.

The golden horse emblem on the gate stood proud, exuding an unwavering confidence that Hunter was supposed to embody. Right now, he felt like a joke. But Tower’s revelation gave him hope. They both had untapped potential, and together, they could be unstoppable.

With a shaky sigh, Hunter leaned on against the stone wall. "I was so close to defeating the final boss, to being the first initiate to complete the Refiner Gate."

Tower: I sincerely hope you're not thinking about jumping right back inside the gate.

Hunter shook his head. "Not this time. I feel like I've been run over by a herd of elephants. I need a proper healing elixir. The plan I had in mind was to visit Orcus after I cleared the Refiner Gate. But maybe it's best I go sooner. You know, err on the side of caution like I usually do."

He let out a hollow laugh.

Tower: It's encouraging to see your sense of humor is intact despite your setback in the Refiner Gate. I'm confident you'll defeat the boss next time. But you're right to head to that alchemist now. With all the coin and monster cores you've got, you can drive a hard bargain.

Hunter nodded. "How much time do I have left to complete the Refiner Gate?"

Tower: 0.232 tradaka moments or 73 hours and 15 minutes.

Hunter swallowed hard. "It's fine. Everything's fine!" He tried to sound convincing. "I would've beaten that final boss if not for this goddamn nosebleed. You're right, Tower. One more go, and I know I can beat it... But I can't afford another blinding headache or nosebleed sabotaging my win.”

His face clouded over with concern. He also needed a plan to cut down the time he spent outside the tower.

“Tower, I really should think about all the places I need to visit before I leave here. I’m thinking Orcus the Alchemist is top priority, so that will be my first stop. After that, I need to check in on Mercos to see if he has any news…”

Tower: I agree, but hold that thought. There is a non-native bird raising hell outside the tower.

"Got a visitor, have we?" Hunter mused, his thoughts immediately darting to Monty. "What's the bird look like?"

Tower: About twice the size of the local seagulls, big round eyes with a large beak that could crack a walnut. And it’s squawking up a storm. Seems like it wants in, and it's none too pleased about being kept out.

A knowing smile tugged at Hunter's lips. "Sounds like Monty alright. Can you open the main arch and guide him to the guild room or do I need to go meet him?"

Tower: No need for you to intervene. I can grant him entry and guide him here. As long as he poses no threat, he's free to enter the guild room.

"He's a feisty one, but unlike the Night Mare, I don't think he's here to kill me. He's got a message; that has to be why he's here."

A ripple of anticipation coursed through him as he pushed open the guild room door, waiting for Monty's grand entrance.

Before long, Monty swooped in through the open archway, settling on an empty shelf with all the grace of a sack of bricks. He shook out his wings, droplets of water scattering across the room before presenting his left foot, talons gleaming under the dim lighting.

Hunter reached out, carefully untying the message scroll from Monty's foot while offering some seed with his other hand. Monty, the little glutton, gobbled it up.

Tower: Quite the specimen, this gray parrot. Highly intelligent creatures, they are. Ever heard it speak?

Hunter shook his head, unrolling the scroll. "No, haven't had the honor of hearing my fine feathered friend speak. Isn't that right, Monty?"

The bird cocked his head to the side, his beak clacking as if in mockery.

Tower: He likes you, but not enough to speak to you yet. Give him time, I'm sure he'll come around.

Hunter chuckled. "Perhaps…” He wondered what the first words out of Monty's mouth would be.

Probably curse or insult me as a term of endearment.

His father's friends had been like that, rough around the edges but true as steel. Not like his uncle, Xuthos, or Vassilus and their goons.

Monty flapped his wings with impatience, squawking loudly, as if urging Hunter to read the note.

His eyes widened as he scanned the message.

"Nastes and Aspa have been snooping around, talking about Jo." He tapped the parchment and looked up at Monty. "And something about more children going missing... Young girls around Jo's age.”

What if Aspa is somehow involved? What if she's after Jo? The chilling thought sent Hunter’s heart racing.

Monty squawked again, a sharp, piercing sound that echoed Hunter's worst fears.

He exhaled, trying to calm himself while he read the last of Monty’s note, a special message from Nic. It was in answer to Hunter’s question he sent through Monty: ‘I received your message but can you explain to me what it really means?’

The single word reply only added to Hunter’s dread:

Regret.