PHOENIX RISING (Book One In The Phoenix Hunter Series)

★CHAPTER 19★

    

    The Gem Bunnies stood around me in a circle, their shimmering fur reflecting the light of the dungeon light.  It was a sight that could easily be mistaken for some kind of ritualistic scene, a gathering of creatures around a central figure.  It was a ridiculous thought, but I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.  No one was around to witness this strange spectacle.

I sat cross-legged in the middle of the circle, my senses expanding outwards, reaching towards the bunnies.  I felt a faint resistance, a subtle pushback as I attempted to penetrate their minds.  It took several minutes,  but slowly, I began to feel it,  a connection, a thread of control.   I could feel their thoughts, their simple desires, their fear, and their instincts.

A surge of exhilaration coursed through me.  It worked.  I could control them.

Without hesitation, I willed the bunnies to spread out,  their movements fluid and silent, their bodies disappearing into the earth.  I had twenty seven bunnies under my control, and I sent them in twenty seven different directions, each one an extension of my will.

My plan was simple:  I would use my mental connection to lure more bunnies into my den.  I would use the Gem Bunnies I already controlled to find more,  to create a ripple effect, a chain reaction of control.

I followed their progress through my mind,  feeling their movements as they navigated the underground tunnels.  Two of them encountered other groups of bunnies.  One group, a cluster of twenty blue Gem Bunnies, the other a herd of thirty red ones.

I felt a growing strain, a pull on my mental energy as I reached out, attempting to control twenty five bunnies at once.  It was challenging, but I couldn’t stop now.  The further they moved, the more my control slipped.  I could feel my mental reach, the limit of my King's Command,  five hundred meters away.

There was only one option left.   I reached for the bottle of Mad Elixir,  a powerful concoction that boosted stats, but came with a dangerous price.   I took a sip,  feeling a surge of energy course through my veins,  a tingling sensation that spread from my fingertips to my toes.

My stats were increased, a boost to my mana, my strength, my agility, and my mental capacity.  I was no longer a level 2 hunter for now; I was boosted to level 20.

The bunnies that had been slipping from my control regained their connection.  I focused my will,  and the thirty seven red Gem Bunnies,  like puppets on strings,  joined the growing horde,  searching for more of their kind.

It was like a snowball effect.  More and more bunnies were drawn to my mental call.  Five more groups of bunnies were found and controlled.  The total number grew to one hundred and seventy five.  Thanks to the Mad Elixir, controlling them was effortless.

In less than an hour, I had an army of over eight hundred gem bunnies all under my command. I had lost count of the exact number a while ago.  It was almost impossible to comprehend.

I didn't want to push my luck further.  If a hunter discovered this trick, they would be horrified.

I sat back,  feeling the strain of my mental control,  the constant connection to so many creatures.  My throat was dry, my body buzzing with mana.  I was tempted to drink more of the Mad Elixir, to push myself even further,  but I knew it was a risky gamble.   Overdose was a terrifyingly real threat.

For 35 minutes, I sat there,   sipping on mana potions,  my mind focused on the army of bunnies that were slowly converging on my location.  I could feel their energy, their movement,  their presence.

And then,  they emerged from the earth,  a tidal wave of colored fur,  surrounding me.  It was clearly more than eight hundred Gem Bunnies,  a mini-gem Minecraft,  a dazzling array of colors.  They stared at me,  waiting for my command.

This was freaking awesome.

With a wave of my hand, a silent command, the Gem Bunnies fell.  It was a massacre, a symphony of death that echoed in my mind.   Their shimmering fur dulled, their eyes glazed over, their bodies slumping onto the ground.  A flood of notifications, a barrage of, [You have killed a level one monster. Loots have been condensed +1 Exp] alerts,  overwhelmed my screen.

Every 50 EXP,  a level up notification popped up.  It was a dizzying, exhilarating experience.

[Notification:  You have reached level 6.  All stats have increased 5 points.  MP and HP increased by 10%.].

[Notification:  You have reached level 7.  All stats have increased by 5 points.  MP and HP increased by 10%].

[Notification:  You have reached level 8.  All stats have increased 5 points.  MP and HP increased by 10%.].

And so it went,  level after level. The notifications kept coming,  a constant reminder of the sheer number of creatures I had brought down.

After 20 minutes, it finally ended.  I had leveled up 20 times, skyrocketing my level to 25 now. Twenty levels in just twenty minutes,  an impossible feat for most hunters.  It was exhilarating, terrifying,  and completely overwhelming.

A wide grin spread across my face.  It was time to reap the rewards.

I began gathering the loot, my senses focused on the details.  Each bunny had dropped a gem, their colors shimmering in the fading light.  I could feel the energy emanating from them, a raw power that pulsed with potential.

After an hour, I was done.  I had collected, 5025 copper coins, 1005 healing draughts, 1005 Mana crystals, 1005 bunny horn,  and 1005 Gemstones in total.  The sheer volume of them was staggering, the sight of them a feast for the eyes.  They were arranged in neat piles,  a rainbow of colors, It was an impressive haul,  much larger than my first bunny hunt.  I thought my first time was the best, but this, my second time, had totally eclipsed it.

I placed all the loots into my spatial box,  its vast expanse capable of holding it without any issues

I pushed on,  my steps lighter,  my senses more attuned to the world around me.  My level had skyrocketed,  I was now level 25,  but thanks to the temporary boost from the Elixir,  my stats were currently equivalent to a level 47 hunter, which it will be until it fades off in 8 hours time.

I was far ahead of the hunters who had awakened with me. 

The Hunt was far from over.  I still had much to earn.
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