Chapter 4 - Bullseye

  It was only on the third day that he found the prey that he was looking for, well.... kind of. Instead of something that couldn’t fight back it was a horned rabbit.

  Horned rabbits were low levelled magical beasts, merely beginner realm, usually ranging from 1st level to 3rd, tough in some rare cases they could actually reach 4th level. They were carnivorous contrary to the regular rabbits, had high breeding rates and were highly adaptable, living throughout the entire world. By their colour and size, one could differentiate where they came from and how advanced their cultivation was. This one was a small one and had white fur with a small tint of grey, enabling Ryu to recognize it as a 1st level beginner realm Dark Forest horned rabbit. It was hypothesised that once regular rabbits started cultivating they would mutate into horned rabbits, though it was never proven.

  Horned rabbits were considered to be one of the weakest magical beasts of all, but at first Ryu considered running away, after all this was still a magical beast and it could kill him. Desire, though, made him stay. Greed pushed him forward. Hunger convinced him. This was the perfect opportunity for him. Horned rabbits only had one way of attacking, it was lunging forward and trying to stick whatever they wanted with the horn that protruded itself from their heads and right now Ryu was behind the rabbit. If he could approach it without alarming it, he had a great chance of actually killing it and so it started, a game of chicken.

  Ryu very slowly and very quietly inched forward, step after step, inch by inch. He could feel his heart beating faster and faster in his chest, the sweat drifting slowly down his back, he could hear the birds chirping all around him. He knew that if he was too slow the rabbit would eventually move, possibly escaping or worse see him, but if he made any noise he could alarm it, after all magical beasts had insanely strong senses.

  Luckily things went perfect for Ryu and he was almost upon the rabbit when he decided it was best to move to the next part of his plan.

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  Ryu clenched his fist tightly around the stone he was carrying, pulled his hand backwards and...

  “WOW”

  It was the most wondrous throw Ryu had ever seen. Not that he had seen many people throwing rocks or anything really before, but he was convinced that this must have been one of the most amazing throws ever. When he was readying himself to throw the rock, it suddenly and somehow jumped out of his hand and went flying hitting a tree at least fifty paces away, and leaving Ryu completely dazed.

  Of course, such an amazing throw wouldn’t go unnoticed and the rabbit quickly turned itself around and eyed Ryu with predatory eyes. Ryu caught completely unprepared didn’t know what to do. His fool proof plan had failed. He had no weapons and was weaker than the fricking rabbit. Stumped for answers he decided to run, but before he could even begin moving the rabbit was already flying toward him. It was only by instinct that Ryu managed to avoid getting gutted, quickly jumping out of the way of the rabbit.

  Seeing death coming so close gave Ryu new found energy and with a speed that surprised even himself, Ryu got back on his feet and started running.

  Ryu ran until all of his new found energy was spent, he ran until all of his old energy was spent and even his reserves were all spent, but he still didn’t shake the rabbit off his trail, mainly because he was slower. With all of his energy spent, out of breath and his muscles begging for mercy he still couldn’t stop or he would die.

  With his mind racing for answers and the rabbit lunging for him, Ryu dove behind a tree and heard a loud bang. He looked around and saw nothing. He then heard some soft scratches and curiosity got the better of him. Rising back up and painfully circling the tree he found that the horned rabbit had impaled itself on the trunk and was now trying to get free.

  This was how Ryu’s first live and death battle ended. With luck. Smiling bitterly to himself Ryu went over to the rabbit and strangled it. Out of strength and with hazy mind Ryu was now driven by hunger. He didn’t even try to skin the rabbit or cook it, hell, he didn’t even try to take the rabbit out of the tree, Ryu just bit into it and ripped a piece of its flesh. As soon as that hit his stomach and for a very brief moment, his hunger was gone. What followed after was hellish pain. He could actually feel the very small amounts of ki in the meat slowly but surely leave his body. It felt like a billion fire ants crawling inside of him just biting and ripping whatever they could find. The pain only lasted for a brief moment but it felt like an eternity for Ryu and afterwards came hunger. A hunger that came for the deepest parts of hell and left him once again feeling naked and utterly empty.

  So Ryu took another bite and another until the transition between pain and hunger was too much and he passed out.