Chapter 3 - I Never Want to Look at a Bunny Again

Blue flames floated above us like ghostly will-o’-wisps, drifting lazily through the trees. Their glow washed the clearing in cold sapphire light, making everything look like it had been dunked underwater.

I shivered. My dress was still soaked from the fountain, clinging to my legs with every step, and the wind kept slicing straight through the thin fabric like I wasn’t wearing anything at all.

“So,” I muttered, teeth chattering, “what now?”

Snow lifted a paw sharply. “Shh.”

A rustle cut through the silence.

I braced myself, mentally preparing for some horrific forest monster. But instead of some monstrosity, a small, grey bunny hopped out of the bushes. Long floppy ears. Round puff tail. Nose twitching like it smelled carrots and sunshine instead of death.

It blinked at me with wide red eyes, froze and stared for a heartbeat before it casually turned away and started chewing on a tuft of grass.

I blinked a couple of times, then I turned to the fox and glared. “You’re serious? My first mission is to murder a rabbit?”

“Murder? No.” The fox's lips curled into a smug little smirk. “But killing, yes. Though I doubt you’re capable.”

I scoffed. “Fine. What do you want me to do? Strangle it with my bare hands? Because spoiler alert, I’m slightly underdressed for slaughter.”

The fox let out a dramatic sigh. His body began to glow, dissolving into floating shards of white light. They swirled together like a tiny blizzard, folding in on themselves until a dagger floated before me—sleek, white, and humming faintly.

I grabbed the handle, letting the cool metal settle into my palm. It was the perfect weight as I moved it from side to side, but that didn't matter. I couldn't believe it was real.

The fox's voice echoed inside my skull. “So what’s the plan?”

I laughed. “What else? Stab the damn thing.”

“Wait—” the fox tried to tell me, but I didn't listen to him.

I kicked off the ground, sprinting straight at the bunny.

It lifted its head. Those red eyes locked on me, not with fear or curiosity, but with anger.

Then it vanished.

“What the—” I skidded, windmilling my arms to stay upright. My head whipped around. Nothing. No movement. No sound. Just the blue flames flickering like they were waiting to watch me die.

Every hair on the back of my neck shot upright as a sense of dread washed over me.

“DODGE!” Snow barked.

I threw myself sideways, but not fast enough.

A tiny foot slammed into my ribs like a cannonball. The impact hurled me across the clearing. I hit the ground hard, grass and dirt scraping my skin. My lungs screamed as the air was knocked out of me, and warm copper filled my mouth.

I spat blood.

A shrill alarm exploded in my ears, so loud it rattled my skull.

“Congratulations,” the fox said dryly in my head. “Your HP is critically low.”

“Wonderful,” I wheezed, dragging myself to my feet. My legs were jelly. My ribs screamed every time I breathed. "Tell me something I don't know."

“You’re insufferable,” the fox muttered.

The alarm blared on, drilling into my brain. I squeezed my eyes shut for a second, trying to block out the noise ringing in my ears.

I heard movement coming from behind, approaching me fast.

I spun and thrust the dagger forward with everything I had left.

A jolt shot up my arms.

The bunny hung impaled on the blade, twitching once before going limp. Its tiny body began to glow as it disappeared into particles that surged into my body. Well, that was unexpected. But just like a game.

The alarm snapped off. Pain vanished. A rush of icy energy surged through my limbs like I’d just inhaled ice.

Shimmering text appeared in front of my eyes.
CHOOSE A SKILL:
• Quickstep
• Thunder Kick

“Uh…”

“Congratulations,” the fox said, suddenly chipper. “Level up.”

“So I get a skill.” I stared at the list. “Yeah, not really much of a choice." There was no way in hell I was going to go around kicking things.

The instant I tapped Quickstep, new information surged into my brain, telling me about my skill and how to use it. So, this was a speed skill that made me just a little bit faster. Still, it's better than nothing.

“Open status,” I said, already eager to see what a level-up meant.

The white text formed in front of my eyes, revealing my stats:
Name: Raven Vidier
Age: 17
Level: 2
VP (Villain Points): 0
HP: 29
MP: 12
STR: 7
DEF: 4
MAG: 3
INT: 8
AGI: 7
CHA: 10

I squinted. “Why is my VP still zero?”

“You earn those by acting villainous,” the fox said, sounding far too pleased about it.

I narrowed my eyes. “And what exactly do Villain Points do?”

“Oh, you know. You can buy skills and boost stats. Allows villains to skip the grind. A good way to gain strength quickly.” A pause. “Not that you’d be good at earning them. Villainy doesn’t seem like your strong point.”

I bit back the urge to argue—he wasn’t entirely wrong—and tapped the little sword icon instead.

The stat panel dissolved. A new one appeared.

QUICKSTEP ☆☆☆☆☆

A grin split across my face. I actually pumped a fist before I caught myself. My very first skill—

Rustling.

I froze.

Slowly, I looked up.

The clearing was full of bunnies. Dozens of red-eyed bunnies surrounded me, glaring at me like I’d kicked their king.

“…oh, come on.”

The fox snorted. “Looks like you’ve got trouble. Probably here to avenge their fallen comrade.”

“You don’t say.” I waved the menu aside and tightened my grip on the dagger. My smirk crept back. “Fine. Who wants to be next?”

Well, it looks like I get to test the new skill. I activated Quickstep and the world blurred around me as I shot forward like I’d been launched from a slingshot.

Time to grind.

By the time the last bunny hit the ground and then disappeared, my arms were trembling, and my heart was hammering like it was trying to punch its way out of my chest. Not from fear. Not even exhaustion.

Pure, chaotic adrenaline.

"I swear,” I muttered, “I never want to look at a bunny again.”

Morbid victory aside, I’d learned a few things: One, level-ups reset pain and fatigue. Two, skills weren’t guaranteed drops; I had only gotten a skill choice size times in over a dozen bunnies. Three, bunnies only had the two stupid abilities. And four, best of all, I could stack skills.

I stared at the shimmering skill selection that had appeared after the final bunny had fallen.

CHOOSE A SKILL
– Quickstep
– Thunder Kick

Yeah. Easy choice.

“Quickstep,” I said, tapping it instantly.

A surge of energy snapped through me. My muscles felt spring-loaded. My vision sharpened. God, this power-up thing was addictive.

“That makes six,” I said with a grin. “Open status.”

The stats appeared:
Name: Raven Vidier
Age: 17
Level: 6
VP: 0
HP: 36
MP: 20
STR: 15
DEF: 12
MAG: 10
INT: 19
AGI: 25
CHA: 15

Not bad for someone who got pummelled by a bunny fifteen minutes ago.

I hit the sword icon. The stats dissolved, and my skill list popped up.

Quickstep: ★★★★★ +

My eyebrows shot up. A plus sign?

I tapped it.

A branching skill tree unfolded beneath the Quickstep label.

Blink

The name alone sent a thrill down my spine. And the moment it appeared, understanding blossomed in my head. Short-distance teleportation. With this, I could teleport to any destination within my line of sight.

Holy shit, that was cool.

“So… uh… Fox?” I said, suddenly very aware I’d been talking to the fox but didn't know what to call it. “Do you… have a name?”

The fox's voice echoed in my mind. “My programmer didn’t give me one.”

I winced. “Wow. That’s… depressing.” I tapped my chin, pretending to ponder deeply. “Hm. You sound male-ish. So—you’re Snow now.”

A noise rumbled through him. Somewhere between offended and resigned.

“…Fine,” he grumbled.

I smirked.

Then hesitated as a thought bubbled up. “So, Snow… who programmed you?”

Snow fell silent, and I didn't think he was going to answer, but then his voice sounded in my head. When he finally answered, his voice was flat. “I can’t say.”

“Alright then. New question. Do all convicted murderers get saddled with an annoying animal sidekick?”

“No.” His tone turned smug. “You’re just lucky.”

I opened my mouth to argue.

Then froze at a noise behind the trees. The sounds of fighting echoed around the forest.

I crept toward the noise, brushing branches aside—then froze.

A boy tore through the trees like a living blade, locked in combat with a tiger-shaped monster easily twice his size. Its fangs scraped the ground when it lunged.

But the boy—

God.

His movements were almost hypnotic. His sword flowed rather than swung, each arc smooth and deadly. Black lightning curled around the silver blade as if it adored him. His messy black hair whipped around his face, and when he turned just enough, violet eyes flashed beneath it—sharp, focused… thrilled.

My stupid heart decided that was a great time to start sprinting.

He lifted his sword overhead, black lightning spiralling up the length of it. The tiger opened its jaws, white lightning gathering at its throat. Both attacks fired at the same time.

The forest exploded with light.

The shockwave rattled my bones, but the boy didn’t slow—he launched himself upward, twisting through the fading sparks like gravity was just a suggestion. He landed on the tiger’s back, driving his blade deep into its throat in one smooth strike.

The beast bucked, roared, and thrashed as if fighting until the last moments of its life. Then collapsed beneath him. After two spasms, the beast fell silent and still.

The boy stood there for a heartbeat, chest rising and falling.

I took a step forward without thinking—

“RAVEN! BACK!” Snow’s panicked shriek echoed through my head.

The dagger in my hand went blisteringly hot. I yelped and dropped it just as Snow burst out of the weapon, fur bristling, tail fluffed, growling as he stood in front of me.

A bubble of shimmering light snapped around me like a shield.

A split-second later.

CRACK.

Something slammed into the bubble hard enough to knock me backward. Black lightning crawled across the surface like veins before it shattered, exploding into glittering shards that reflected the world around me.

“I don’t like nosy little birds,” a voice, low enough to vibrate through my spine, snarled behind me.

I spun—

Violet eyes met mine up close. Before I could breathe, the boy raised his sword.

“Now die.”

The blade came down.