Munch, munch...

The Spring Rabbit chewed the delicious fruits thoroughly before swallowing. Then, it raised its head and twitched its ears, listening for any movement nearby. If it sensed danger, it would flee immediately and hide in the nearby green grass! But when it heard nothing, it returned to its meal, though it remained alert. Just by coming to this grassless area, it was already taking a risk.

Thanks to its green fur, it could camouflage itself within the grass, making it difficult to spot. But here, in this open patch, it was completely exposed. And yet, it couldn't resist… The fruits before it were simply too tempting! What could make a creature risk its life other than greed? Dozens of fruits, each with different shapes and flavors, were scattered before the rabbit—was this not the dream of every herbivore?

But it was unaware that it was being watched.

Not too far away, a Sharp-Toothed Deer stood still. It was as tall as an elephant, with a lean yet powerful body and massive, crown-like antlers branching from its head. It gazed at the rabbit, observing its every move with precision. And yet, it did not move a single inch—it looked like a frozen statue. The rabbit wasn't a filling meal, but it would make for an excellent dessert after devouring all those fruits!

In the shadows, the Sharp-Toothed Deer concealed its body, which was covered in old, partially healed scars, behind a massive tree with a wide, cracked trunk, filled with dark, sinister fissures. This tree was a predator as well! It couldn't act in this moment, but it longed for the small rabbit to come closer…

But these were not the only predators here!

Above, on a branch of a tree near the rabbit, two sharp eyes locked onto the Sharp-Toothed Deer. They monitored its every movement, never straying for even a second.

As time passed, the rabbit's caution gradually faded. Feeling safe, it began to fully enjoy its meal. And in that moment, the deer's gaze sharpened—while the gaze upon it remained vigilant.

Without a sound, the Sharp-Toothed Deer shifted its body and stepped out of the tree's shadow.

It lowered itself, gathering power in its hind legs as its spiritual energy surged to enhance them.

Boom!

The ground shattered beneath its feet as it launched itself like a missile toward the little rabbit! The moment of predation had arrived!

The air exploded, dust rose, and the ground cracked under the sheer force of its charge!

Mid-air, the Sharp-Toothed Deer tucked its legs beneath its belly and opened its ferocious mouth, revealing enormous, razor-sharp, metallic teeth—the very reason behind its name: Sharp-Toothed Deer!

At that moment, the rabbit finally realized what was happening. Terror exploded within it! It hadn't expected a sudden attack, and that mistake was fatal. It reacted too late. It was too slow to run toward the grass… perhaps, too slow to escape at all.

But… was this truly its end?

In an instant, the Sharp-Toothed Deer was nearly upon the rabbit. At that moment, its position aligned with the tree where the sharp-eyed observer had been hiding.

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Boom!

A sudden movement!

A faint explosion in the air!

The branch above the tree shattered, and a figure shot out like lightning. It was time to hunt! This was the long-awaited moment!

The Sharp-Toothed Deer never expected to become the prey! It had already begun to react, but there wasn't enough time… A figure was already descending upon it at deadly speed!

Schink!

In an instant, two long daggers pierced its neck!

The mud-covered man, who had been hiding all along, had used the deer's own charge against it, driving his weapons deep into its flesh! Not stopping there, he pushed off the deer's neck, keeping his distance in case of retaliation.

The Sharp-Toothed Deer crashed into the ground, letting out a savage roar of fury.

It rose immediately, charging madly at its attacker. It did not care about its pain—it only cared about vengeance! It was already furious from its recent losses and the invasion of its territory.

Exploding forward, it launched a deadly attack, aiming its massive antlers at the mud-covered man.

Swiftly, the man reinforced his legs and leaped over the deer, narrowly avoiding the charge. But it wasn't that simple this time. Now, the deer was fully focused on the battle! It twisted sharply and lunged at the man mid-air!

Its mouth opened. Its teeth were enormous, sharp, and terrifying—so much so that traces of old blood still stained them.

At the last moment, with flawless agility and unwavering focus, the man grabbed onto one of the Sharp-Toothed Deer's antlers and used its momentum to execute a smooth aerial flip, narrowly dodging the deadly fangs.

Boom!

The Sharp-Toothed Deer crashed into a tree ahead, shattering its trunk completely.

But it didn't give up! It turned in rage, ready to charge again. But… something was wrong.

Its breathing grew heavier. Its steps became unsteady.

On its neck, where the daggers still remained, a river of blood had formed, pouring onto the ground in red streams.

The blades had severed a major artery. Its strength was fading.

Its death was only a matter of time.

The Sharp-Toothed Deer's eyes darkened, filled with rage… but a trace of hesitation flickered within them.

"So… you've finally noticed."

A voice as cold as ice came from the mud-covered man, who stared at the staggering deer before him.

The deer had been so engrossed in battle that it hadn't paid attention to the wound on its neck. But now, realizing the truth, it hesitated for a brief moment before directing its spiritual energy to heal itself.

But…

"You think I'll let that happen? After going through all this effort to hunt you down?"

With a chilling expression on his mud-covered face, the man had already lunged at the Sharp-Toothed Deer, refusing to give it a chance!

The deer had no choice but to redirect its spiritual energy to enhance its giant legs.

Whoosh! It instantly dashed to the side, trying to escape!

"Hahaha!" The man burst into laughter and gave chase. With the deer's injury, its speed had dropped—catching up was no challenge.

No matter how far the deer ran, there was no hope. It had reached its limits. It could not continue…

In the end, it stopped. It had made a decision—to launch one final, desperate attack and take its enemy down with it!

Pouring the last of its spiritual energy into its body, it exploded forward in a final assault. Its eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve!

But…

It collapsed before it could reach the man.

Its life had come to an end.