Standing before the bunny behemoth, Hunter had never felt so small. The scant cover he once used as part of his strategy had all but turned to ash. He thanked the gods that the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX’s fierce amber eyes were reduced to a dim glow after her fiery attack, giving him time to think.
A drop of blood darkened his leather bracer. He wiped his nose, smearing the crimson like war paint along the back of his hands. Even with twenty-nine points awarded to his mental attribute, Hunter had yet to find the cause of his poisoning. Even if he did, he’d need a powerful cure, something his Second Star Refiner body could handle. Glancing at his health bar, he sighed.
[Health: 80/100]
He grabbed his healing elixir from his inventory and took a thirsty gulp. Shaking the bottle, not even a drop remained. Empty.
[Health: 100/100]
His symptoms faded as warmth coursed through him. He stowed the empty bottle away, knowing he’d need to conserve his last remaining elixir for his showdown with Nastes and Aspa.
Stepping slowly over the scorched earth, Hunter kept his knife-broom spear leveled at the Tower Monster. He circled around her titanic form, reemerging into the clearing.
She gave a warning grunt and thumped the ground, cracks spreading toward him at a rapid pace. Hunter leapt over one of the yawning cracks before it swallowed him whole.
There was no way in Hades he was going to rush her with his makeshift spear. That was a bad idea, even if he used Wind Fall and Divine Durability to power the attack. The size difference was too great, and he was only a Second Star Refiner.
The Mega Rampage Rabbit XX could easily one shot him with a simple paw swipe. It wasn’t worth the risk given the slim chance that his aim would be true, and he’d hit her most vulnerable part—her eyes.
He stole a glance at the incinerated Soulvine trap. He wouldn’t be able to bring her down to size as he did with her mate, the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY.
Hunte’s gaze swept past the collapsed burrow entrance, recalling his first encounter with the Shadow Boss Tower Monster and its deadly offspring, the Rampage Rabbits. He’d assumed the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY was female because males are not typically protective of their young. In fact, they were more likely to eat them.
Recounting his knowledge of other animals in the wild, he knew bucks only ventured near does when mating. Tower must have known this, given the details in the archives about beast mating behavior, like those ducks with corkscrew dicks and female frogs feigning death to avoid a mating frenzy.
Tower created Tower Monsters from its encounters with beasts. What if the male bunny was displaying territorial behavior against Hunter and not there protecting the bunnies, who seemed to run rampant in fear of the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY?
He tightened his grip as he observed the Tyrant Boss Tower Monster. It was the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX before him that was responsible for creating the burrow. The male bunnies, at best, could only muster a scrape, a shallow depression in the ground used for scent markings as a form of territorial display.
The females dug extensive tunnel systems like warrens with multiple exits and bolt holes to keep them and their young safe from predators.
Was this true in the Refiner Gate simulation, given these rabbits didn’t look like they’d have many natural predators? If they did, Hunter was in no rush to meet them.
A tugging on his core as he moved reminded him of his body's yearning to break through. Gritting his teeth, he focused on the chi surging through his energy channels, holding back the tide in his core that wanted to shatter free of its confines.
He turned his attention back to the most imminent threat—the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX. With a quick shift of his gaze, he glanced at the treeline on the far side of the clearing where she always first emerged after he defeated the Shadow Boss Tower Monster.
Her eyes were no longer dim; she was ramping up for another fiery attack.
Hunter let the chi surge through his limbs and out through his hands as he unleashed a Dust Storm Whip. It tore through the air towards her and lashed across her belly. She didn’t flinch, her raging eyes fixed on him as she growled.
[Tyrant Boss Monster Health: 90/100]
“Just great, only nine more Dust Storm Whips and she’s a goner.” Of course, the problem was Hunter could only unleash the Dust Storm Whip two more times before he’d be down to his reserves. He was in no doubt that she could still easily kill him when her health was at 70/100. He breathed out, hoping the plan he had in mind would work.
Backing up towards the treeline, his headache returned, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before his nosebleed started again. As he backed up, she fixed him with a murderous gaze. Her eyes, no longer dim, were growing bright, ready for another fiery attack, and that was a big problem because Hunter was still in range.
If he could just make it to the treeline before...
She reared up and let out a warning grunt as if she was going to charge. Opening her mouth, a geyser of flames shot towards Hunter.
There was no dodging it this time.
Throwing everything he had into the Dust Storm Whip, he unleashed it at full force, dropping him to his knees. The air hazed like a mirage as his attack hurtled towards the fiery geyser.
With explosive force, the two attacks clashed. Hunter fell back from the aftershock and wasted no time scrambling to his feet. He kept his eyes on the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX as a notification appeared above her head.
[Tyrant Boss Monster Health: 70/100]
He thanked the gods for small mercies!
While the backdraft of her own attack didn’t burn a single fur, it doubled his attack strength.
Sweat trickled down his brow, but it wasn’t from the heat of her attack. Hunter was burning up from the inside as he resisted the urge to break through. Piercing sensations stabbed his abdomen as though his core would split apart. All he wished for was the sweet release of the pressure. If he did breakthrough, he’d be a sitting duck. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold out.
Enraged by his attack, the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX shook herself off and charged.
Hunter whipped around and bolted for the treeline, his feet pounding the dirt like he was trying to outrun his own shadow. He leapt over thickets and brambles, the minor scrapes along his shins a brush of soft hair compared to the torturous sting he experienced in his core.
Lucky for him, he spotted those big, fat pawprints she'd left behind—like breadcrumbs, but way more useful for tracking where the heck she came from.
Behind him, the earth shook like it was scared, trees falling as she plowed through them as if they were nothing more than sheaves of wheat.
Hunter's heart pounded as he dashed through the forest, the bunny’s thunderous steps closing in fast. Splitting his attention between the tracks that lay before him and the surge of chi in his core, he willed it to flow faster through his energy channels.
If the situation wasn’t so dire, Hunter would conserve the remaining chi coursing through his channels. With little choice, he used it to power the Wind Fall movement technique, sending chi into his legs, lightening his steps, and giving him a burst of speed.
But in his haste, he almost stumbled over a fallen tree trunk.. Sharpening his senses helped his reflexes catch up to the much faster speed he was moving. He could feel the strain on his core.
With great relief, he saw a break in the treeline where he burst out into a small clearing with knee-high grass dotted with flowers that looked like daisies but were as large as sunflowers.
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Pushing through them, he came to a burrow entrance, which was exactly what he was hoping to find. A quick look over his shoulder confirmed the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX was still giving chase.
Her monstrous form broke through the treeline, sending trees crashing to the ground. As soon as she laid eyes on Hunter, she charged. Her mouth opened wide, ready to spew her damn inferno.
Hunter spun around and sped off, still under the power of the Wind Fall movement technique. He lunged through the entrance and into the cool, damp confines of the burrow tunnel just as a fiery geyser lit up the entrance behind him.
Scorching heat prickled the back of his neck as he raced on through the tunnel until darkness engulfed him.
From his inventory, he pulled out a handful of Glowspire mushrooms, allowing their dim blue glow to light the way. Spectral shadows danced on the walls surrounding him as he searched for what he was looking for.
Losing his footing, he tumbled into the first chamber that smelled of bunny shit.
Given their size, it was no surprise the rabbit droppings were the size of pumpkins. Hunter dodged a large pile and raced on, nearly slipping on straw bedding that served as a nest for the young that had long left and formed the bunny swarm he’d faced many times before.
A loud grunt came from behind as the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX crashed into the chamber. Dropping to all fours, she swept a paw out, and the stale burrow air whooshed around him, intensifying the stench. He released a breath at the near hit.
Hunter found a tunnel leading out of the chamber and dashed through it, almost clambering on hands and knees. He found his feet and sprinted onwards, coming to a fork in the warren.
He sniffed the air, connecting with his dominant Earth affinity, and let his hand trail the wall as he sensed which direction would lead towards an exit hole and not another chamber.
His aura flared at a sensed connection to the mini-beasts within the warren. The subtle movements seemed like worms wriggling towards the surface, and somehow he knew the way to escape.
He took a right at the fork in the tunnel and followed its twists and turns as it rose on a steady incline and straightened out. Never more thankful, he ran towards the welcoming light, a pinprick up ahead. As he raced on, it grew brighter and larger along with the smell of fresh pine wafting on a breeze.
Again, the tunnel quaked, signaling the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX wasn’t far behind. Hunter shielded his eyes as he dashed out of the entrance and into the light, maintaining his pace until he'd put a good distance between him and the tunnel entrance.
The quaking intensified behind him, accompanied by an enraged grunt—another fiery outburst a mere heartbeat away. Time slowed as he spun around, draining chi down to his reserves. He unleashed a Dust Storm Whip just as the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX reached the burrow entrance.
She opened her mouth, glowing a fiery orange, ready to expel an inferno he wouldn't escape at that distance. The maelstrom of his attack shredded grass and earth, tearing towards her, but she wasn’t his main target—the cave entrance was. The burrow couldn’t resist the Earth chi fueling the attack that brought the stone and earth cave entrance crashing down with violent force.
Muddy brown dust clouds flew up into the air, clouding the entrance. And for several heartbeats, all was silent. When the dust cleared, all he could see were her glaring amber eyes, fixed with pure hatred despite her grave injuries.
A health notification flashed above her dust-covered head, the rest of her body buried beneath the ruins of the burrow entrance.
[Tyrant Boss Monster Health: 30/100]
"Damn, how is she still alive?"
If he timed it a little earlier, she might've been completely crushed.
No point in dwelling on it.
A tremble alerted him that she was trying to break free from her premature burial. Steel-sharp claws appeared as she began to claw her way out, the weight of the collapsed tunnel on top of her slowing her movements but not stopping her forever.
The tell-sign of her eyes were dim, so there’d be no fiery attack yet. Hunter had to act fast.
Sharp pain pierced his gut like Gypas, the harbinger vulture of death, was feasting on his core. He fell to his knees, hot liquid pouring from his nose, red drops spattering the ground looking like poison poppies.
Every movement he made was pure agony. He struggled to his feet but didn't make it an inch.
Crawling on hands and knees, Hunter moved as fast as he could, clods of dirt rolling towards him as she tried to break free. One paw and then a shoulder becoming more visible as she struggled to free herself.
Hunter withdrew his knife-broom and stood it upright, using what strength he had to anchor it into the ground. He reached up with one hand, gripping tight, hauling himself up as the muscles in his arms burned. He repeated with the other hand, reaching up and grabbing onto the broom, which almost fell over from an imbalance.
He caught his breath and tried again, this time placing one foot on the ground, he hauled himself up, soon dragging his other leg underneath him until it could bear his weight.
Even though he was on the verge of straining his core, he couldn't back down.The Tyrant Boss Monster had to die in order for him to earn the Divine reward. And once he broke through, he doubted it would cause any strain to his core so long as he didn’t completely crack it.
A foul stench hit him as the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX opened her mouth, spewing ashes that choked the air. Hunter wrapped his silver cloth over his nose and mouth, steadying himself.
Coming into strike range, he ducked under her swiping paw attack. Activating Divine Durability and Wind Fall, he leapt into the air with the mithril knife end of the broom gleaming with chi before it pierced her eye with full force.
Using his momentum, he drove the makeshift weapon halfway along the shaft, the eyeball splattering everywhere like translucent blobs of slime. Blood sprayed like a fountain as he hit a blood vessel, the warm liquid coating the ground where he fell as he heaved to catch his breath.
His health plummeted.
He couldn’t protect himself from the fall at that height. The sharp sensation made it feel like his bones were made of glass as tiny shards shattered inside him, splintering his muscles.
His vision flashed red.
Damage taken. [30/100]
A notification appeared above what remained of the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX’s body as it bled out, its health dropped at a steady pace.
[Tyrant Boss Monster Health: 10/100]
The Tower Monster looked at him with one good eye, like it was accusing him of a great injustice, and gasped a final breath.
[Tyrant Boss Monster Health: 0/100]
Hunter’s vision flashed red again.
Damage taken.
[Health: 10/100]
He rolled to the side, his gore-covered knife-broom dropping to the ground beside him as the Mega Rampage Rabbit XX disappeared in a rainbow haze.
Again, he used his weapon to haul himself to his knees. Exhaustion weighed his limbs down like anvil shackles underwater. If this victory were to be worth any of his efforts, he had to loot the rewards before he died.
He mustered the last of his strength, reaching out with trembling hands. His eyes went wide as the notification popped up and the Divine reward appeared beside the orange and silver core of the defeated Tyrant Boss.
It may have left him on death's door, but he’d finally defeated his first Tyrant Boss. Wrapping his fingers around the rewards chest, he was too weak to identify its contents. Instead, he stowed the chest in his inventory.
It was his sweetest victory yet, and his spirits soared, knowing he now had the means to save his sister.
Another warning flash and his health dropped.
[Health: 0/100
You have died.
Hunter found himself outside the Refiner Gate. He took out his second and final bottle of healing elixir, gulping it down like a fish. He still felt like his insides were tearing apart, but the poison symptoms ebbed away. His headache was still there, but the pounding reduced to something manageable, now feeling like waves crashing against rocks instead of someone driving nails into his skull.
Certain he looked like a bloody mess, he did his best to wipe his face clean, now that blood had stopped pouring from his nose.
“Hey, Tower,” Hunter’s voice creaked like a rusty hinge, “I think the healing elixir is becoming less and less effective against the poison each time I take it. How much longer do you think I have until it stops working at all?"
Tower: Let me run a quick calculation. With the time between elixir dosing and the return of symptoms reducing by half each time, the current elixir will lose effectiveness in eleven hours. Expect your symptoms to worsen.
Hunter placed his hands on his knees and took a deep breath before straightening up. “I have to go to the Black Temple to find Jo.”
A wave of dizziness washed over him, and his sight grew dim. The pain in his core intensified a hundredfold.
A flurry of notifications flooded Hunter’s vision.
[Refiner Gate is Complete.]
[Loot Rewards available.]
He ignored them. As much as he would have liked to celebrate, he had more pressing matters.
“Would a break through to Third Star Refiner buy me more time to counter the symptoms of the poison?”
Tower: Perhaps, but I doubt you can do that and rescue your sister.
“Okay I feel like I’m about to split apart at the seams but I’ve suppressed it this long, what’s another few hours?”
Tower: You are talking like all you have is a full bladder. I told you before it is nothing like a core on the verge of break through.
Hunter shook his head. “Thanks for the reminder but I know the risks.”
He broke out into a light jog exiting the guild room, heading straight for Tower’s exit as he skimmed Tower’s last message.
Tower: I admire your spirit but be careful you do not want to damage your core by delaying it at this point.
A sharp pain coursed through his abdomen, and sweat beaded at his temple. “Did you turn up the temperature in here?”
I have to get out of here now!
Tower: I’m afraid you’re not going anywhere…
Oh Shit!
Falling to his hands and knees Hunter knew Tower was right, and he didn’t have to ask why.