Den’s POV

Den stared at the girl awkwardly. Even though she just tried to murder him, Den was in a fine mood right now, since he was able to unlock a part of the system by being on the brink of death. So the happiness from getting skills overshadowed the murderous intent from the girl just a bit earlier. Actually Den was just watching the crying figure of the girl and had the urge to comfort her.

Den made the motions to pat the crying girl on the back and remembered he was strapped to a tree and couldn’t move his arms. Den struggled against the ribbons that tied him, and soon felt them loosening. After another couple seconds of struggle, the ribbons fell lifelessly onto the ground.

With the ribbons no longer inhibiting his movements Den rubbed his numb legs trying to return feeling to them. Once he was able to move again Den stood up. He looked at the girl at his would be murderer. She had stopped crying. Actually she wasn’t moving at all. Den cautiously moved closer to the huddled figure.

Even when Den reached the girl’s side she didn’t react. Den crouched down and gently nudging the girl. She toppled over from the gentle tap and fell onto her side a exhausted look on her face. Even unconscious the face was beautiful. With full lips, high cheekbones, and black hair draping across part of her face, enhancing her beauty to the point of otherworldly.  

She’s unconscious?

A blue text box suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Analyzing “Alice White”...

Analysis complete… Status conditions loading…

Alice White

Current conditions: Mana exhaustion

Mana exhaustion? What could have caused that?

Den’s eyebrows furrowed while he thought. Then a spark of revelation flashed through his eyes as he turned his head and looked at the ribbon laying lifelessly on the ground. Walked over and picked it up, hoping that the system would respond to his next command.

Identify?

Another blue box appeared, and the information within made everything crystal clear.

Ribbon Of The White Rabbit

A ribbon found by Alice White when she was a child. Mana can be infused to power the ribbon, causing the ribbon to follow the owner’s commands. Continues to drain mana until user stops the flow or mana exhaustion occurs. When user is weaker than the target mana costs will exponentially increase. Unbreakable.

Den glanced back at Alice’s sleeping form. Having used up all her mana and now she would be unconscious for a period of time. Den, being an adolescent, had his thoughts run wild. Den may have even attempted something if not for the rustling suddenly coming from a bush.

Den cautiously looked at the shaking greenery. The rustled again before a white object flew out, landing softly on the ground.Unexpectedly it was a white rabbit with dark red eyes and a single horn atop its forehead. Den felt a string of information stream into his mind as the system help rewards from his side quest activated.

So that’s a horned rabbit? Seems harmless.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

At least those were Den’s thoughts right up until the rabbit turned its head, its ears twitching. The rabbit glared at Den and started rapidly stomping its feet. Realizing that the bunny was about to charge, Den started backpedaling right as the creature lifted off from the ground and hurtled straight at him. Den barely managed to dodge the bunny torpedo as a scratch appeared on his cheek, the bunny rammed through the area where his head had been just moments before. The rabbit unable to change direction in midair kept going until it hit the tree. The damned thing had drilled through the entire tree with a single leap!

What?! Horned rabbits shouldn’t be able to do that! Identify!

A blue box appeared, and Den groaned in exasperation when he read the contents.

Monster: Horned Rabbit(Variant)

Title:“Little Tornado Of Death”

A rabbit infused with magic. The horn on its head can create a tiny windstorm able to rip through any puny hero body.

Level 12

Stats

Strength:25

Agility:18

Wisdom:2

Intelligence:8

Defence:14

Stamina:20

Den cursed.

Just my luck. The first monster I run into is a variant that can run through trees like a chainsaw.

Den looked into the fluffy missile’s eyes and saw that could be seen within the dark red eyes was pure bloodthirst. A chill ran down Den’s spine and he dodged to the side not a moment too late. A breeze seemed to brush past his skin, then a drilling sound was heard. He glanced the bunny’s newest victim, a tree. The tree had a hole about six inches in diameter, the gaping pit was cleanly gouged out with Den being able to see the other side as he retreated from the bunny again.

The bunny glared at Den as if insulted that he had the gall to escape his inevitable death. The bunny of death started making strange squeaking noises and something green seemed to be pulled from the air and began gathering around it. Den gulped and had a look of disbelief as he stared at the rabbit.

It isn’t doing what I think it’s doing, right? A level 12 rabbit can’t cast magic, right? Right?!

Den was about to run for his life before realizing that the girl, Alice, was still asleep on the ground. He hesitated for a moment before cursing under his breath and sprinted towards the unconscious body of Alice.Den noticed the air vibrating around the rabbit as he dived towards Alice’s sleeping form, and quickly wrapped his body around Alice to shield her. The vibrating air shot towards Den with a vengeance, but the rabbit being a rabbit couldn’t properly aim the spell and thus just fired it off in his general direction. The blades of wind grazed Den’s back, causing several cuts to appear on it.

Den gritted his teeth as he felt the wounds on his back start bleeding. The warm blood felt cold on his skin as he glared at the horned rabbit. The rabbit had started stomping its feet again, preparing another charge. Den looked frantically around for a weapon, any weapon. Then he remembered. Looking down at his hands he realized that the ribbon was still wrapped around his arm. His eyes then fell on the dagger, still wet with his blood lying a couple feet away from the vicious bunny.

The death tornado launched itself towards him again, and Den pushed Alice to the side, using the momentum to the propel himself to the side and avoided its assault, going into a half crouched form. He clumsily dived for the dagger while thinking to himself.

Going by its attack patterns, it should fire that drill shot thing again.

As Den went for the weapon, he felt something go over his head. The bunny’s drill shot hit the poor tree once more, gouging another hole in its trunk. Grabbing the dagger slick with his own blood, he turned to face the mightiest adversary he had faced as of now.

Den glanced at the rabbit while positioning himself away from fainted form of Alice. The rabbit was stamping its feet rapidly again, it seemed to have run out of the ability to use spells.

As the furry animal lunged at Den, he tried to recall the feeling he had felt when he survived the dagger strikes from earlier. Something inside of him seemed to leave and seep into the ribbon. He tried to convey his will, to bind the creature. The ribbon remained unresponsive, but a blue box popped up.

Player is not the ribbon’s owner. Item is unuseable.

You could have told me this earlier!

Den was a mess now. A tornado of death was hurtling towards him and the plan he had painstakingly created was crumbling apart. He decided to go to the unplanned plan B.

The bunny missile charged towards him as he raised the dagger still in his hands. Den struck down aiming for the bunny’s furry skull. The bunny collided with the weapon, and before Den could rejoice over this fact, the dagger shattered in his hands.

The weapon’s destruction however was able to deflected enough of the bunny’s charge that it only took a bit of meat and skin from his shoulder. Den still recoiled from the impact and was sent flying backwards along the rabbit’s charging path. Stunned and losing a large amount of blood. Den’s vision started to fade as he was unable to get back up. As his consciousness slipped away he saw the blurry form of the rabbit standing atop his chest. Its horn making a vibrating noise.

As if I can die like this! I can’t! I won’t!

He struggled against the overpowering darkness for the second time today. A blue box appeared, slowing the tide of encroaching blackness.

Player has activated the skill Will To Live

Den reached out and gripped the bunny’s neck. Surprised that its near death prey was still struggling it pause. For this moment of surprise the rabbit paid with its life. As the power of the chokehold got stronger and stronger the rabbit felt itself losing air. Realizing it was about to die, the rabbit made a squeaking noise with the last of its power and turned the mana around it into blades of winds, watching with the last bit of its life as the blades sunk into the human body from all sides. The battle was over. The rabbit had died.