Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 32: The Path to Power

Daisuke swiftly moved behind a thicket of shrubs and crouched down. He reached for a handful of dried leaves, crumpled them, and nodded when he verified that the direction of the wind wouldn't have given away his scent, compromising his location.

In a clearing to the left of his hiding spot, a small mound of Celestia Flowers beckoned. The «Monster Guide» had noted them as a longtime favorite of Horned Rabbits.

The flowers were also listed as a gathering quest on the bulletin board, an assignment for which he had already prepared a batch to bring back to town.

His patience bore fruit when a pair of Horned Rabbits emerged, lured by the tempting scent of their preferred meal. Their small pink noses flared as they sniffed the suspicious heap, their whiskers twitching as they contemplated what to do.

They were not used to their hard-earned food being neatly prepared in a convenient bundle, but it wasn't long before hunger gave way to their better judgment. As they began to feast, the ground beneath them gave way, causing the balls of fluff to tumble into a deep pit.

Before the creatures could contemplate bouncing off the walls to escape their tomb, Daisuke was upon them like a starved barbarian, dropping a heavy boulder to swiftly end the life of one.

Ignoring the creature's fleeting shriek, he reached for a crudely made bow on his back, notched an arrow from his quiver, and ended the life of the other.

Daisuke looked on without a shred of remorse as blood pooled at the bottom of the hole. It was his very first victory against a monster since entering the game, but instead of feeling a sense of triumph and celebration, he yearned to further the slaughter.

SWOOSH-SWOOSH.

Daisuke's head snapped around, his visage dark and expressionless. From a rustling bush, he could see a pair of menacing red eyes, and he didn't hesitate to put an arrow between them.

CLANK!

But instead of the pained shriek of a dying creature, the sound of the stone-tipped arrow colliding with a hard surface echoed through the forest. Daisuke quickly notched another arrow, pulled it until it was taut, and held his breath. His pulse hammered in his ears as he waited for any sign of movement.

RUSTLE-RUSTLE.

The bushes shifted once more, and then a beast sprang out with the velocity of a bullet. Daisuke released his arrow, but it was effortlessly deflected by a dagger made of bone. Time seemed to slow as the crude blade carved a long red line across Daisuke's cheek, the creature passing over his shoulder in a burst of speed.

Ignoring the wound, Daisuke turned on his heels to capture the creature in his gaze.

A Bullet Hare, he muttered, his frown deepening.

No sooner had the thought formed in his mind than the monster, roughly twice the size of a Horned Rabbit, vanished into the trees once more. Daisuke broke into a sweat as it darted from the canopy of one tree to the next.

Bullet Hares were notorious for their swiftness. Wielding weapons made of bone, they used tree trunks as platforms to bounce around at incredible speeds, carving into their enemies until there was nothing left.

Daisuke grunted as the cold caress of the blade touched his arm, forming the second wound. Then came the third, fourth, fifth, sixth—all within a few seconds. As the beast slingshot from one tree to the next, its silver form traced a zigzag trajectory that whispered of death.

The wounds were shallow, suggesting either the weapon wasn't particularly sharp or the monster was merely toying with him. Regardless, Daisuke recognized that he couldn't prevail in a battle of speed or strength.