Hunter’s Vengeance: The Rise of the Predator

   Fortunately for Kara, beasts like the ones that made her retreat were not common in the area she was in now and after moving a few kilometers away from the place where she witnessed an example of the terror of The Great Moonshadow Forest, she began to see beasts whose danger level is maximum E, such as Dagger-Clawed Rabbits and Kale Birds, a kind of large flightless birds, armed with a strong beak, which always traveled in a group of at least 10 individuals.

   'If I attack a Kale Bird, the rest of the group will immediately come to its aid. My only option is to start with Dagger-Clawed Rabbits. I believe that if I hunt 4-5 of them, I will have enough material to create the first magic formation.'

   It may seem like five rabbits are too few, but these rabbits were the size of a large dog, and their threat level was E, equivalent to that of an ordinary wolf. The Great Moonshadow Forest is not an ordinary forest. It is a place full of magic, or rather, an open-air dungeon. Here, all creatures were nourished by the forest's energy, which transformed a harmless rabbit into a formidable adversary.

   'No matter how big it is, a rabbit is still a rabbit. A rabbit capable of defeating me has not yet been born. The problem is whether I can catch up if it runs away.'

   But it seems that Kara underestimated how appealing she is to the beasts in this forest. Her smooth, fully exposed skin played the role of a perfect lure. Approaching a Dagger-Clawed Rabbit as quietly as possible, it not only did not flee when it noticed her a few meters away but also turned toward her excitedly, with a mouth full of drool.

   'What's happening? Is the whole forest filled with perverse creatures? Heh. Look as much as you can, you foolish rabbit, because soon you won't have any eyes left to see...'

   Both Kara and the perverse rabbit accelerated at the same time. When the rabbit raised its sharp claws to strike, Kara leaped into the air and landed on the rabbit's back, evading its attack as its claws sank into the ground. Kara immediately grabbed the rabbit's large ears with her hands and wrapped her legs tightly around its body. 'Let's see how you'll be able to salivate while looking at the bodies of young maidens.' Kara didn't give the rabbit a chance, and in less than a second she stuck the thumb of her left hand into the rabbit's eyes one after the other.

   Seeing pitch black in front of its eyes (well, it didn't have eyes anymore) the rabbit began to struggle with all its might, trying to shake Kara off its back. But she held onto it tightly with her legs, just like a constrictor snake. Seeing that the rabbit couldn't get her off, Kara released the rabbit's ear she was holding in her right hand and started hitting the rabbit's head with both fists until both the rabbit's head and her hands were covered in blood. After almost a minute in which the rabbit tried everything it could, it found its eternal peace.

   Realizing that the rabbit's heart had stopped beating, Kara dismounted and began to catch her breath.

   'Damn! It was more resilient than I expected. It struggled until the very end. I thought it would pass out and then I would strangle it. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Shit! My hands are covered in blood. I have no idea how much of it is the rabbit's blood and how much is mine...'

   Fortunately for Kara, she didn't break any fingers. If that had happened, collecting another 4 rabbits would have been in question.

   'I've rested enough. I need to take the rabbit to the designated spot to create the magic formation as quickly as possible, so as not to attract other beasts. Initially, I wanted to leave some carcasses several kilometers away from where I plan to create the magic formations, but now I realize that I need to use my energy as wisely as possible. A better option would be to drain all the rabbit's blood into the pool, select everything important for creating the magic formation, and then scatter the remaining parts in different directions to confuse any opportunists.'

   The path to the crevice in the mountain rock was not easy because she had to carry a 50-kilogram carcass for about 4 kilometers. Moreover, the path could not be considered straight. Thousands of roots and bushes made Kara exert all her strength to bring the rabbit to its destination.

   After nearly two hours without taking a break longer than a minute, Kara finally reached the crevice in the mountain rock.

   'At least the beasts that fought before drove the weaker beasts from this area, otherwise, I don't think I would have made it back without interruption. Phew! My hands! When I go out here I will have biceps like my father.'

   Let's hope that won't happen, and Kara's arms will remain forever well-proportioned. Anyway, Kara concluded that her initial plan of hunting 5 rabbits is completely unrealistic.

   'If someone else were carrying them, and I was only responsible for the hunting, that would be possible. But that's not the case. Mmm... I think I overestimated my endurance. Plus, I'm hungry. I wonder if raw rabbit meat is tasty. I don't have to wonder too much... I'll find out soon...'

  In the end, Kara decided to create a magic formation using only the materials offered by the rabbit's body, and this time the blood pool would be more like a puddle where she would stand. After tearing the rabbit's throat with her bare hands, she hung it above the cavity in the rock, holding onto its hind legs to drain all the blood. Then Kara removed the organs necessary for creating the magic formation and ate a piece of raw muscle. After satisfying her hunger, Kara broke the rabbit's legs and, carrying them in her arms, she started a short quarter-hour sprint to throw them at a considerable distance in various directions around the spot where she would create the magic formation, hoping they would attract other beasts and leave her in peace.

  Once back in the crevice in the mountain rock, Kara dipped her finger into the rabbit's blood and began to create the magic formation. After finishing the inscription, she immediately placed the rabbit's organs in their proper positions, and then she stepped into the blood pool, or rather, the blood puddle, as the blood barely reached her toes.

   'Huh. And now, how long do I have to wait? Unfortunately, I don't have any other information... this is all that was written. I hope there's enough blood in the pool. But from what I understand, the blood pool's purpose is to capture the energy of the magic formation and amplify its effect, so it should probably work.'

   Fortunately for Kara, she didn't have to wait long to see if the magic formation had an effect. One minute after Kara stepped into the blood, the magic formation began to glow in shades of red and green, and the organs started to dissolve into black energy. When the organs completely dissolved, the black energy began to converge towards the blood pool, which started boiling and radiating the same colors as the magic formation. The effect of the ritual was not long in coming. Kara immediately felt all the accumulated fatigue disappear, and her body began to heal rapidly from any wounds. Moreover, a sensation she had never experienced before started to encompass her entire body. No, not just her body, but her soul as well. It was a feeling of quenching a thirst she wasn't even aware of until now. A thirst that Kara knows she will never be able to ignore again.

   The entire process lasted less than 5 minutes. When Kara emerged from the blood pool, not only did she feel rejuvenated, but she also noticed a significant difference in her physical abilities.

   'The result is truly beyond expectations. I feel much more agile and much faster. But the most impressive thing is that my physical strength has almost doubled. I have a feeling that now I could smash a rabbit's head with a single blow. Yes, it's perfect. I can get to work immediately. This time, the pool will undoubtedly be much fuller.'