Slaying the Big Stupid Rabbit, Gaining a New Talent

Sheathing his sword, Parr slowly approached the Big Stupid Rabbit, focusing intently as his third clash with it officially began.

Squeak! Squeak!

The Big Stupid Rabbit showed no fear. Its deep-red eyes locked onto Parr, its hind legs coiled with power, waiting to deliver a fatal blow.

Huu...

After letting out a long breath, Parr drew in another deep breath and held it. He took two steps toward the Big Stupid Rabbit, gripping the hilt tightly, ready to draw his sword.

Bang! The Big Stupid Rabbit attacked first. It felt that it had reached its peak, in better condition than ever before!

It had broken through! At this critical moment, the Big Stupid Rabbit had broken through! Its charged hind legs kicked a small pit into the grass as it seized the initiative and rammed toward Parr.

"Upward Flick!"

The Black Short Sword instantly left its sheath. For the current Parr, this Black Short Sword was just the right fit for his hand. If he had used the One-Handed Sword Old Man Jack had given him, even drawing it would have been awkward.

Squeak! Squeak!

Just as before, under Parr's Low-level Elemental Vision, the Big Stupid Rabbit flashed with red light the instant he drew his sword. Then, as though it had foreseen the future, it adjusted its body and dodged Parr's Upward Flick.

Squeak! Squeak!

After avoiding Parr's attack, the Big Stupid Rabbit had already adjusted its body. This time, it kicked straight at Parr's little head in midair, intending to kill him in one blow! However, Parr used his full strength this time, and the second strike of the Wind Wolf Basic Swordsmanship followed close behind.

"Slanting Slash!"

Squeak! Squeak!

In an instant, the Big Stupid Rabbit sensed a life-or-death crisis. It no longer cared about attacking Parr. Preserving its life came first, or they would both end up badly wounded.

So, just as Parr's sword momentum shifted, the Big Stupid Rabbit twisted its body and swung its long ears again, changing direction in midair.

Whoosh! The Black Short Sword slashed down so close that it practically grazed the Big Stupid Rabbit's body. This strike did not hit even a single rabbit hair, yet Parr had used it to resolve his own crisis and completely disrupt the Big Stupid Rabbit's attack rhythm.

Squeak! Squeak!

The Big Stupid Rabbit's deep-red eyes shot Parr an unwilling glance as its body began to fall. But just when it thought this clash with the Two-Horned Beast was over, an intense sense of danger rose in its heart again. Then, unable to change direction in midair after exhausting its strength, it heard the final sound of its rabbit life.

"Horizontal Slash!"

Whoosh! A sword flashed, and the Big Stupid Rabbit was split into two. It fell to the ground, struggled unwillingly once, then bid farewell to the grass it loved most.

Huu...

Parr dropped directly to one knee, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Half of it was from the fear that hit him after the fact, and half from exhaustion after spending too much Stamina. That had been far too close. If he had only possessed the strength for one strike, the Big Stupid Rabbit that had broken through in battle really would have kicked his head apart.

Huu... huu...

After taking several deep breaths and recovering, Parr remembered why he had fought the Big Stupid Rabbit. Just as he turned to look at the blade of the Black Short Sword, the arriving John smacked him to the ground.

Bang! "Good kid! You've trained the Wind Wolf Basic Swordsmanship to the limit!"

John's face held equal parts surprise and admiration as he slapped the somewhat exhausted Parr to the ground. Of course, that had not been his intention. He was simply too excited and had failed to control his strength.

"Ptooey! Ptooey! I'm gonna fight you!"

Parr had never expected this! His battle with the Big Stupid Rabbit was already over, yet he still ended up with a mouthful of grass. He instantly sprang up, turned around, and pounced at John.

"Hahaha, I didn't mean to, hahaha..."

By the campfire, Parr lowered his head and stared blankly at his Black Short Sword. John knew Parr was not in good condition after such a fierce battle, so he did not disturb him. Instead, he squatted beside the fire and roasted meat by himself—the Big Stupid Rabbit's meat. Every so often, he tore off a chunk and tossed it into his mouth, eating until his mouth glistened with grease.

"..."

Of course, Parr was not spacing out. He was looking at his Status Panel.

Ding, detectable absorbable Life Energy Points. Absorb? Ding, detectable absorbable Mental Energy Points. Absorb? "Yes."

Ding, absorbing...

Ding, absorption complete. Obtained 10 Life Energy Points and 1 Mental Energy Point.

Ding, gained Talent: Danger Prediction LV1.

"The Big Stupid Rabbit really did have a Talent!"

Parr skipped over the Energy Points he had gained and looked directly at the final notification. A Talent—he had gained another Talent. A smile could not help appearing on his little face, but when he remembered John was beside him, he forcefully held it back. Still, that did nothing to stop the cheers in his heart.

"So it really is the effect of this Black Short Sword. How amazing!"

Suppressing his excitement, Parr glanced at the Black Short Sword, silently marveled at it, then looked at his Status Panel.

Name: Parr Tianxing
Gender: Male
Race: Human Race

Age: 10 (20)

Realm: Elementary Knight Apprentice (6/100)

Stamina: 10/100
Mental Power: 4/10
HP: 74/100

Talents:
Prompt Wake-Up LV2
Clear Eyesight LV2
Danger Prediction LV1 (Vaguely senses approaching danger.)

Skills:
Wind Wolf Basic Breathing Technique LV5
Wind Wolf Basic Swordsmanship MAX
Dazzling Light LV1

Life Energy Points: 50
Mental Energy Points: 117

"So that's why that Big Stupid Rabbit could dodge my sword in advance. It was the effect of this Talent!"

After reading the Talent's description, Parr understood. Then he clenched his fists tightly, trying to ease the excitement surging up inside him again.

"This Talent is pretty good! It's perfect for staying alive. Let's see how many Energy Points it takes to upgrade." Thinking this, Parr looked at the glowing, upgradeable Talent, Danger Prediction.

Ding, consume 10 Mental Energy Points to upgrade Talent Danger Prediction LV1 to LV2?

"Of course!"

Seeing that it only required 10 Mental Energy Points, Parr hurriedly confirmed the upgrade. He only needed to keep 100 Mental Energy Points now, then wait until his Life Energy Points reached 100 to upgrade the Talent Prompt Wake-Up.

Ding, 10 Mental Energy Points consumed. Talent upgrade complete!

Danger Prediction LV2 (Clearly senses approaching danger and responds accurately.)

"Not bad! Just from the description, it was worth upgrading."

Parr nodded in satisfaction, then checked the cost to upgrade Danger Prediction to level three. It was 100 Mental Energy Points.

"As expected."

It was another unsurprising cost. Parr closed his eyes and sighed inwardly.

Mental Energy Points were not easy to get! If he had not killed that Bronze-level cultist, Parr's Mental Energy Points would practically be down to nothing by now.

"I can't spend any more for now. Mental Energy Points probably only come from killing people or Magic Beasts, so I need to use them sparingly." After giving it some thought, Parr formed a guess based on what he currently knew.

"Little guy, here!"

At that moment, John, who had already eaten half the Big Stupid Rabbit, patted his stomach. He was full, and only then remembered that Parr beside him had not eaten yet. So he pushed the remaining roasted meat in front of Parr, wearing an expression that said he definitely had not forgotten him.

"..."

Parr closed the Status Panel and rolled his eyes at John, who was picking his teeth. He had figured it out—his Knight guide was somewhat unreliable. Not only was he a scumbag, but he also liked bullying children.

"Are you eating or not? If not, we're leaving."

John noticed Parr's gaze and, for some reason, felt a chill run through him. He quickly raised a hand and vigorously ruffled Parr's short black hair.

"I'm eating."

Parr withdrew his gaze and slapped away the large hand that had messed up his hair again. He used a little stick to spear the roasted meat and began eating in big bites.

"Chomp, chomp... So delicious! It's even tastier than that last Stupid Rabbit!"

That afternoon, the drinking water John and Parr had brought with them finally ran out. Because the roasted meat they had eaten at noon was somewhat salty, by evening Parr's mouth was parched, and he felt like he was about to die of dehydration.

"Water! I want water! Uncle John, when are we going to reach that little river you mentioned?"

"We're almost there, almost there."

John looked listless as well. He was thirsty too! Logically, neither of them should have been in this state. They had calculated their water supply, and it should have been enough. According to John's plan, they should have reached a small river in the forest sometime that afternoon, long before evening. They could replenish their water there, then leave the Deep Forest in one push.

However, the Church Knight they had encountered yesterday and Parr's battle with the Big Stupid Rabbit at noon had delayed them considerably. As a result, they had run out of drinking water and were both dying of thirst.

"Uncle John, how much farther is it?"

After walking for a while longer, the thirsty Parr could not help asking again.

"We're almost there. We're almost there." John answered the same way. After that, they walked until night fell, yet still did not reach the planned little river.

"I can't take it anymore! I can't stand it!"

Parr stopped walking and pulled several green wild fruits from his pocket. Struggle filled his eyes, but in the end, his desire to quench his thirst won out. He no longer cared that these common wild fruits in the Deep Forest would only make him thirstier after eating them. He lowered his head and started gnawing on them.

These common wild fruits of the Deep Forest could only relieve thirst temporarily. Before long, they would make one even thirstier. Parr was in this state because he had eaten several when he had been thirsty before and learned a profound lesson.

As an experienced adventurer, John naturally would not make such a basic mistake. So, he was in slightly better shape than Parr. However, because he had eaten the most roasted rabbit meat at noon, he was also thirsty enough that he could barely stand it.

Rustle, rustle...

John quickly climbed to the top of a tall tree and looked in the direction they were heading. Delight appeared on his broad face. He flipped down, grabbed Parr with one hand, and started running. Parr's burden of weights was as light as a feather in his grip.

"Uncle John, what are you doing?"

Parr was utterly bewildered as he dangled from John's hand, and even dropped the wild fruits he was holding.

"We're here, we're here. That little river is right up ahead."

John explained briefly. Red Battle Qi rose around him, and he ran even faster through the forest. It also protected both himself and Parr in his hand, preventing branches and the like from scratching them.

"Uncle John, it's so dark and so far away. How did you see it?"

John ran for several minutes, covering at least five li, but they still had not reached the little river. Parr looked at the dim surroundings, and a question rose in his heart. As far as he knew, John did not possess Dark Vision. So how had John seen the little river from such a dark place and such an unknown distance away? Whatever the distance was, it definitely was not close.

"Hehehe, little guy, don't ask yet. You'll know once we get there."

John did not answer, instead leaving him in suspense. Parr was so curious that it felt like cats were clawing at his heart.

"Why are you being so mysterious?"