Chapter 207: Rabbits

Atlas kept filling his basket with the ripe fruit, popping one into his mouth every few moments.

"Mmm! Big Brother, these are delicious!"

Leo glanced over at him. "Don’t eat too many."

Atlas paused with another fruit halfway to his lips. "Why?"

Leo shook his head. "Just don’t overdo it. We don’t know how your body will react to eating so many Spirit Fruits."

"Okay!" Atlas said with a serious nod.

A moment later, he quietly slipped the fruit into his mouth anyway.

Leo caught the move but decided not to waste his breath. The fruits weren’t particularly potent, so as long as Atlas didn’t gorge himself, he would be fine.

It took several more minutes to finish up. Atlas had gathered a massive haul of Dewveil Cherries, while Leo had packed multiple plastic containers with the rich, fertile soil around the roots. Once everything was stored inside his Void Pocket, Leo cast a final glance at the tree. Its branches looked bare compared to when they arrived, but plenty of fruit still hung from the higher boughs.

"Let’s go."

Atlas nodded, and the two turned back toward the main trail.

They had spent hours exploring the dense woods. With the sun now high overhead, past noon, Leo decided they had pushed far enough into unfamiliar territory for one day.

As they walked, Leo reached into his Void Pocket, pulled out a snack packet, and tossed it over. "Here."

Atlas caught it with both hands. "What is this, Big Brother?"

"Something to eat. You’ve worked hard."

Atlas tore open the wrapper, his eyes lighting up at the food inside. "Thank you, Big Brother!"

He happily munched on the treat as he matched Leo’s pace. Leo watched him for a second before focusing back on the path. It had been a productive outing—they had gathered rare Spirit Herbs, located a Spirit Fruit tree, and secured top-grade soil for his garden.

The calm, however, shattered without warning.

A harsh rustle broke from the brush.

Leo froze. His eyes narrowed as Atlas pulled to a stop beside him, glancing around in confusion.

Rustle! Rustle!

The noise echoed again, this time from the opposite side of the track. The surrounding foliage began to shake as if multiple bodies were forcing their way through the undergrowth.

Atlas stopped chewing. "Big Brother...?"

Leo raised a hand, signaling for absolute silence. His face hardened. Something was closing in, and judging by the surrounding commotion, they were outnumbered. He reached for the weapon strapped to his waist. "Stay close, Atlas."

Atlas swallowed his food and nodded, his cheerful demeanor instantly vanishing. He pulled closer to Leo and clenched his fists.

The rustling grew louder until a pair of crimson eyes flashed between the leaves.

WHOOSH!

Both men dropped into combat stances just as the bushes burst open.

Several creatures bounded out onto the path.

Leo stared. Rabbits. A whole pack of them.

Yet these were far from normal rodents. They were massive, built with thick torsos, heavy hind muscles, and gleaming red eyes. As their jaws parted, they bared rows of needle-sharp teeth, letting out low, guttural growls.

Their glare locked almost entirely on Atlas.

Leo looked down at the younger man and spotted the problem. Bright red juice from the Dewveil Cherries stained Atlas’s mouth and smeared across his shirt. To these beasts, he looked like a thief covered in the blood of their harvest.

Seriously? Leo thought.

What surprised him more was Atlas’s reaction. Far from being terrified, the young man was staring at the oversized pests with sparkling, adoring eyes. He clearly thought they were adorable. Leo could practically picture him trying to pet one.

This idiot... Leo sighed internally.

The lead rabbit stepped forward, snapping its teeth. Leo’s hand tightened on his hilt. He could wipe out the pack in a matter of seconds. But then he remembered what Atlas had revealed earlier—the white-coated researchers, the cramped cages, the endless pain of the laboratory.

Slaughtering these creatures right in front of him might trigger memories Leo preferred not to awaken. There was no need to take that risk when he had a cleaner option.

Leo activated Intimidation.

An invisible, heavy pressure flared outward from his frame. The instant the aura washed over the pack, their growls cut off. Their ears slammed flat against their skulls. Shifting their gaze away from Atlas, they stared at Leo with sheer terror.

Leo didn’t draw his blade or step forward. He simply held the crushing pressure steady.

For a few tense seconds, the pack faltered. The lead rabbit took a cautious step back, and the rest followed suit. Though reluctant to abandon their territory, the threat was too great. They turned and sprinted back into the thick brush.

Leo let the aura fade and turned to Atlas. "They probably came after us because we stripped their food source."

Atlas looked down at his juice-stained shirt, a flicker of guilt crossing his face.

There goes my plan to hoard everything, Leo thought, looking down at his collection. He set the Herb Gatherer’s Basket on the dirt, opened it, and pulled out half of the harvested cherries, arranging them in a clean pile on the grass.

Atlas tilted his head, watching intently. "Which rule, Big Brother?"

"Finders keepers," Leo said, pointing to the pile. "I’m leaving half for them. They should be grateful."

Atlas nodded dutifully. "Okay, Big Brother."

Leo slung the basket back over his shoulder and tapped Atlas’s back. "Come on. Let’s go."

They resumed their walk, their figures fading down the shaded trail.

Minutes after the footsteps died away, the brush rustled once more.

Glowing red eyes emerged from the shadows, followed by another pair, and another. The rabbits crept onto the path, cautiously surrounding the left-behind cherries. Once they were certain the dominant predator was gone, they swarmed the pile and began tearing into the fruit.

Yet a closer look at their feast revealed a disturbing detail. Their long, jagged teeth didn’t just slice through the sweet skin of the cherries—they snapped and crushed with a force built for tearing flesh.

These were not the teeth of plant-eaters.

Leo urged Atlas to hurry.

They picked up their pace, moving through the forest as fast as their legs could carry them. Yet Leo’s mind lingered on the rabbits they had passed earlier. Something about the creatures felt off—an unsettling tug in his chest he couldn’t quite explain. He had no desire to stick around and figure it out. The sooner they put this stretch of woods behind them, the better.

They were halfway back when a deafening blast tore through the trees.

BOOOOM!

Both stopped dead in their tracks, turning toward the noise. Leo narrowed his eyes. He knew that direction well—it was the spring where he had fought the Ice Snake.

Without a word, he pulled the Mutant Beast Encyclopedia from his storage and shoved it into Atlas’s hands. "Atlas, get ready to record the details of any beasts we find today."

Atlas grabbed the book, nodding with eager eyes. "Alright, Big Brother!"

"Catch up with me," Leo called out over his shoulder, bursting into a sprint. Atlas scrambled right behind him.

They raced toward the blast site, but before they reached the spring, a group emerged from the shadows of the trees ahead. They were coming straight from the direction of the explosion, and as they drew closer, Leo slowed his steps.

Every single one of them was coated in thick black soot. Their clothes were shredded and filthy, and their faces looked as though they had just been pulled from a furnace.

Leo caught the tail end of their argument as he approached.

"What happened, Nina?" Valentine’s voice snapped with clear irritation. "You said that cannon could definitely take down that beast. Why did it explode before it even fired?"

Nina threw her hands up defensively. "Big Sis, don’t you understand science? When the cannon charges, it generates heat. But that beast’s ice ability rapidly cooled it down. That sudden temperature change caused the cannon to explode!" She shook her head, looking away. "And the cannon was made using ordinary materials. How was I supposed to account for that?"

Valentine let out a heavy sigh. She glanced over at their third companion. "Whatever... Thankfully, Aldina reacted quickly. Otherwise, we might not have walked away from that explosion so easily."

Nina rubbed the back of her neck, awkwardness settling over her. "Well... I didn’t expect it to explode."

The three women froze as they spotted Leo and Atlas approaching. The tension cut off their conversation instantly; Valentine snapped her mouth shut, Nina ducked her head, and Aldina simply watched the pair close the distance.

Leo halted in front of them, his gaze scanning their soot-stained clothes and blackened faces.

He frowned. "What happened? Are you guys alright?"

The three women froze as they spotted Leo and Atlas approaching. The tension cut off their conversation instantly; Valentine snapped her mouth shut, Nina ducked her head, and Aldina simply watched the pair close the distance.

Leo halted in front of them, his gaze scanning their soot-stained clothes and blackened faces.

He frowned. "What happened? Are you guys alright?"