The rabbit meat tasted worse than it smelled, but I forced myself to eat. My stomach protested the raw flesh, but this body seemed built for it—instincts I didn't recognize took over, showing me how to tear away the fur, which parts were safe to consume.
I checked my status screen while I ate.
HP: 12/15
Better. Not great, but better. At least I wasn't bleeding anymore.
I was halfway through my meal when I heard it again—rustling in the undergrowth. Louder this time. Multiple sources.
Four rabbits hopped out from behind different bushes, spreading out in a loose semicircle. Each one had that same spiraling horn, that same predatory gleam in their eyes. They weren't fleeing. They were hunting.
"Shit."
The word came out before I could stop it. One rabbit, I could handle. Four? At twelve HP with one skill that only worked once per attack?
I ran.
My claws tore up dirt as I bolted into the forest. Behind me, I heard the thump-thump-thump of multiple bodies hitting the ground in unison. They were chasing me, and from the sound of it, they were fast.
Think. There's no way I can fight all four at once. But maybe I can separate them. Maybe—
One of them caught up.
I twisted at the last second and the horn that should have punctured my spine instead grazed my shoulder. The rabbit shot past me, moving too fast to stop, and slammed horn-first into a tree trunk.
The horn stuck. Buried three inches into the bark.
The rabbit squealed, thrashing, trying to pull free.
"Chomp!"
I didn't know if I had to say the skill name or not, but it felt right. Power flooded my jaws—I could feel my teeth sharpening, strengthening. I lunged forward and bit down on the rabbit's body with everything I had.
The crunch was sickening. The rabbit went limp immediately.
+20 XP
One down. Three to go.
I didn't have time to celebrate. The other three burst through the undergrowth, already repositioning. They'd seen what happened to their companion. They spread out wider this time, triangulating on me from different angles.
No way I get that lucky again.
I needed a plan. Fast.
The trees. If I could get them to hit the trees like the first one did, maybe I'd have a chance. But that required more trees—dense enough that they couldn't just go around, tight enough that I could use them as obstacles.
The rabbits attacked in sync. Two from the front, one from behind. I barely dodged, feeling horns pass inches from my scales. I had to move. Now.
I ran deeper into the forest, scanning for what I needed. The trees here were older, thicker, their trunks massive and their branches low. The rabbits followed, moving like they shared one mind, cutting off escape routes before I even thought to take them.
There. Ahead. A section where the trees grew so close together their roots intertwined, creating a natural maze.
I put on a burst of speed I didn't know I had left and dove into the maze.
The rabbits followed without hesitation. I weaved between trunks, using my smaller size—small for a dragon, anyway—to slip through gaps they had to go around. I could hear them behind me, their movements getting more frantic as I stayed just out of reach.
A horn slammed into bark to my right. I spun, saw the rabbit struggling, and lunged—
Pain exploded across my back. The second rabbit had anticipated my move, was already there, its horn raking across my scales.
HP: 8/15
"Damn it!"
The stuck rabbit pulled free just as I turned. They were learning. Adapting. The third rabbit appeared on my left, boxing me in.
They're getting smarter. They're actually coordinating.
I couldn't afford to commit to a kill anymore. The moment I tried, the others would punish me for it. I needed them to mess up on their own.
So I danced.
Around trees, over roots, under low branches. I kept moving, kept dodging, waiting for one of them to make a mistake. My stamina was draining fast—I could feel it in my legs, in my lungs. Every breath burned.
A rabbit lunged. I dodged left, using a tree trunk as cover. Another came from above, jumping off a low branch. I rolled, felt the horn graze my wing membrane. The third tried to cut me off and nearly succeeded.
HP: 5/15
Another hit. I was slowing down. They knew it.
I needed an opening. Just one.
There—the leftmost rabbit overextended, its jump carrying it past where I'd been. I changed direction mid-dodge, putting a tree between us. The rabbit tried to course-correct but its momentum carried it forward.
Into another trunk.
Not stuck this time, but stunned. Half a second of disorientation.
"Chomp!"
My jaws clamped down and the rabbit went limp.
+20 XP
Level Up!
Level 2 → Level 3
HP: 8/20 (+5 Max HP)
Mana: 30/35 (+5 Max Mana)
Strength: 8 → 9
Defense: 11 → 12
Agility: 7 → 8
Magic: 4 → 5
The power surge was immediate. My muscles felt stronger, the burning in my lungs eased slightly. Not much, but enough.
Two left.
But I was done. My HP was critical, my stamina nearly gone. The remaining rabbits circled me, and I could see it in their movements—they knew they had me. It was just a matter of time.
No. I didn't survive that bear just to die to rabbits.
I feinted right. They moved to intercept. I went left instead, broke through their formation, and kept running. They gave chase, but I'd bought myself seconds. Precious seconds to think.
The tree maze wasn't enough. I needed something better. Something that would force them to—
A fallen log, massive and rotting, created a tunnel beneath it where the ground had eroded away. Barely big enough for me to squeeze through.
I dove into it without thinking.
The space was tight, claustrophobic, forcing me to crawl on my belly. But it was too small for the rabbits to follow easily. I heard them at the entrance, squealing in frustration. One tried to squeeze through and got stuck halfway.
I didn't hesitate. I turned and bit down on its exposed head.
+20 XP
HP: 6/20
The stuck rabbit had gotten one more hit in before dying. One left.
I dragged myself out the other side of the log, every muscle screaming. The final rabbit was already there, having gone around. It looked at me and I looked at it.
We were both exhausted. Both at our limits.
It charged.
I used the last of my energy to dodge, spinning away from its horn. The rabbit's momentum carried it past me and into—finally—a tree trunk. This time it stuck properly, horn embedded deep.
"Chomp."
My voice was barely a whisper. I bit down and the rabbit went still.
+20 XP
Level Up!
Level 3 → Level 4
I collapsed next to the rabbit's corpse, my sides heaving. My vision swam.
HP: 5/25
The screen continued scrolling.
HP: 5/25 (+5 Max HP)
Mana: 35/40 (+5 Max Mana)
Strength: 9 → 10
Defense: 12 → 13
Agility: 8 → 9
Magic: 5 → 6
Title Acquired: Rabbit Killer
Skill Acquired: Dragon's Breath
I pulled up the skill description with trembling thought.
Dragon's Breath: Exhale a concentrated stream of flame. Mana cost: 10 per use. Damage scales with Magic stat.
Fire. I could breathe fire now.
A laugh bubbled up from my chest, coming out as a weak, raspy sound that was half-cough. "Finally," I wheezed. "Finally, I'm a real fantasy dragon."
I lay there among the corpses, barely conscious, but alive. Four rabbits. I'd killed four rabbits in one fight and survived.
And now I could breathe fire.
The title "Coward" was still on my status screen, but somehow it felt less important now. Yeah, I'd run from the bear. But I'd fought these rabbits when I could have kept running. I'd nearly died, but I'd won.
That had to count for something.