Zero woke up with a start, his breath caught up in his throat. His instincts were on high alert, his hand gripping onto Red tightly. He peered down into the darkness below, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.

And then, he saw it, a small creature, unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was a mutated rabbit. Its body was twisted and distorted, its fur matted and patchy. Its eyes were large and glowing, reflecting the light of the moon. The rabbit was drinking from the stream, its head bent low to the water.

Zero felt a strange sensation, a sixth sense almost, that there were no other monsters in the surroundings. He realized that the rabbit would not have dared to come drink from the stream if there were any dangers lurking nearby.

Without hesitation, Zero swiftly and sharply threw Red towards the rabbit, the sword piercing through its throat, skewering it before it could even make a noise. He watched as the rabbit's body twitched and convulsed before falling still, a small pool of blood forming around it.

He jumped down from the tree, landing silently on the ground. He removed the rabbit from the sword and cleaned both the rabbit and the sword in the water, removing any traces of blood.

He then took a moment to gut and skin the rabbit, his movements precise and efficient. He removed the rabbit's organs, discarding the inedible parts and keeping the rest for later use. He then prepared the rabbit's meat, slicing it into small pieces and keeping it aside, ready to be cooked over a fire later. Zero felt a sense of satisfaction- he’d finally obtained meat.

Wait, how do I store it? Zero stood there and stared at the rabbit meat silently. He knew that he had to find a way to store it, otherwise it would spoil and be wasted. He looked around, his eyes scanning the area for any solutions. He remembered his shirt, and without hesitation, he cut it off, using the fabric to create a makeshift pouch. With his sword, he sliced through the cloth with ease. He folded the fabric in half, creating a pocket, and then used the remaining fabric to create a tie, which he used to secure the pouch. He knew that this pouch would not last long, but it would have to do for now.

He then carefully placed the rabbit meat inside the pouch, making sure it was secure and protected. He looked at the meat, contemplating his next move. He thought about cooking it immediately, but he knew that using a fire would attract too much attention, and he couldn't risk it.

Zero remembered the stream, and an idea struck him. He carefully made his way to the stream, and with a bit of effort, he dug a small pit near the water's edge. Lining it with some rocks, Zero then filled it with water. He carefully placed the pouch containing the meat into the pit, making sure it was fully submerged.

Zero hoped that the water would keep the meat fresh for longer. Atleast, it would keep the smell to a minimum. He then covered the pit with some leaves and branches, hiding it from any potential predators.

He wanted to use a better method, but he couldn’t think of any. Either way, doing something to slow down the spoilage of the meat is better than not attempting at all.

Zero stood back, admiring his handiwork, when he felt a sudden vibration. He flinched and lurched back, his grip over Red tightening instinctively. He scanned his surroundings alertly when he realized that the source of the vibrations was none other than Red itself. He stared at the sword in confusion, his mind struggling to make sense of what was happening.

Red seemed to be alive- almost as if it was responding to his touch, the vibrations grew stronger with each passing moment. The very metal of the sword itself glowed dimly with an otherworldly red energy.

Although rationally, he knew he should probably drop the sword, his heart wouldn’t let him. The sword finally stopped humming after a few seconds.

What… was that? Zero wondered as his hands shivered ever so slightly.

Almost instinctively, he called out, “Red?”

The sword hummed lightly, as if responding to his call. He brought the sword closer, not sure how to react to the current situation.

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Zero felt goosebumps pop all over his skin as his instincts screamed to him- he was in danger.

A shadow loomed over him, and he looked up just in time to see a massive beast emerge above him. Its body was covered with dark fur, and it had two pairs of enormous arms, each one ending in three claws. The creature snarled, revealing rows of jagged teeth, and raised a clawed paw to strike.

Zero threw himself backward, crossing the stream and rolling across the grassy floor. He slammed into a tree. In an instant, he rolled onto his feet and slashed upward with Red. The dim red energy that had been present on the blade appeared once more. It gathered itself and hit the monster, leaving a deep gash in its aftermath. The monster stumbled back, and then turned and ran off into the darkness.

For a moment, Zero simply stared after it, wondering what the hell it was. Then he realized something else: the beast wasn't alone. More creatures were emerging from the shadows, all of them bearing claws and weapons. Too many.

Zero's heart leapt into his throat. Before he could even process what had just happened, he was already running, Red firmly gripped in his hand as he did. He dashed through the forest, leaping over fallen logs and ducking low branches. The monsters were gaining ground on him, even though he was sprinting swiftly. One of the beasts jumped onto a tree branch overhead, swinging downward toward him. Zero leapt aside, narrowly avoiding the attack. Another beast leaped from the side, landing on top of a fallen log.

Zero was forced to jump high to avoid the creature, and when he landed, he lost his footing. He fell backward, and the beast's claws caught him in the shoulder. Blood gushed from the wound, but he did not cry out loud. The pain felt oddly numbed, almost like it was a distant memory. He tried to stand up, but another beast pounced on him, knocking him to the ground.

This was not a fight. This was a one sided slaughter.

Zero struggled to get up again, but the beast holding him down was stronger than he was. He slashed at the creature with all the force he could muster, but it did not even flinch. He realized that he was trapped. There was nowhere to go. No way to escape. The beasts were surrounding him.

One of the beasts lunged forward, reaching for him with its claws. Zero continually lashed out with Red, slicing the beasts however he could manage. The beast that held onto him tightly relented due to the onslaught of pain, leaping away. But it was too late. The other beasts had already closed in, and he was unable to dodge the blows.

Blood spurted from the countless gashes, and Zero roared. He swung wildly, striking them in their faces with his sword. He lost grip of Red, and it fell to the side limply, along with the monster onto whose face it was entrenched. Darkness engulfed the corners of his eyes. He blocked the monsters’ attacks with his arms, punching holes into any who dared approach him.

Zero felt himself slipping away, drifting away from consciousness. He reached out for something—anything to hold on to. Just as he began losing consciousness, unable to even think straight, his eyes wandered to Red, lying close by him. It vibrated violently, violently enough that it looked like it would break.

He could tell that it was... sad—no, angry.

In that moment, something stirred within him. A feeling of power, a sense of familiarity. He reached out and grasped the sword, and as his fingers closed around the hilt, an immense red light burst out of the blade.

The light enveloped the beasts nearest him, and in an instant, they were vaporized. The remaining monsters, terrified by the power they had just witnessed, turned and fled into the darkness.

Zero sat up, his head spinning wildly. His vision was blurry, and he realized he was in bad shape. He was weak, exhausted, and he couldn't move very well. Still, he managed to get to his feet, clutching the sword tight.

His eyes swept across the area. All of the monsters were gone. The survivors hadn't even bothered to take their spoils. He remembered seeing some sort of bag in the hands of one of the beasts, so maybe they'd been planning on taking his stuff. But whatever they’d planned didn't matter anymore. They were gone. He was alive. And he still had his sword.

He stumbled through the dense, dark woods, his heart pounding in his chest. The stench of the monsters’ putrid breath still lingered in the air, tainting the very trees and earth around him. He knew they were out there, somewhere, lurking in the shadows, examining him carefully. He was sure that they would be back soon enough, though. Fear only lasted so long. Sooner or later, they would return, their eyes glowing with the hunger of the hunt.

As he trudged through the forest, Zero's ears pricked up at the sound of voices approaching. Instinctively, he darted behind a towering tree, its bark rough against his skin as he pressed himself against it. He tensed and gripped Red tightly, unsure of what to expect. He held his breath, listening intently as the voices grew louder and closer.

“What do you think is the source of that crash?” A male voice whispered, Zero barely catching it.

“I don’t know, but hopefully it's not a dungeon format-” The other voice suddenly paused. The group seemed to have stopped walking, the sound of their footsteps completely non-existent.

Suddenly, a stern voice echoed through the forest, cutting through the silence like a sharpened sword. "Come out," a stern voice commanded.