Ren looked back at the corpse. The hide was still there. So were the horns and meat. He could probably hack some of it loose with the spear, but after what he had just done to the ears, he doubted anyone would pay much for the result.
A proper knife. Add that to the list.
His HP had not recovered yet.
85/100.
Nine rabbits remained. Ten copper was starting to feel insulting.
The first fight had at least taught him something. Trying to stab a rabbit while it was free to dodge was stupid. Letting it come to him was less stupid.
That was progress.
Ren continued along the wall. He passed two players arguing over a corpse.
"You stole my kill."
"You hit it once."
"That is how tagging works."
"You hit me."
"Collateral tagging."
Ren kept walking.
A rustle came from the long grass beside the irrigation ditch.
The rabbit that stepped out was much larger than the first. One horn had snapped off near the skull, and a pale scar ran from its shoulder across the left side of its face. The eye on that side was gone.
Ren focused on it.
Scarred Horned Rabbit
Level 3 · Elite
HP: 110/110
The first rabbit had forty-two health.
Ren looked at the Elite.
"Naturally."
It lowered its head and charged.
Ren had already learned not to chase a rabbit with the spear. He waited for it to come to him and aimed for the remaining eye.
The Scarred Rabbit swerved before the point reached it, and slammed the stump of its broken horn into Ren’s left thigh.
-14 HP
HP: 71/100
His leg buckled, and Ren caught himself against the stone wall.
The rabbit was already coming back.
Faster than the first one.
He got the spear between them, but the Elite jumped over the point and caught his forearm in its teeth.
Keen Bite
-18 HP
HP: 53/100
Ren pulled on instinct.
The rabbit held on.
Its teeth dragged deeper.
-6 HP
HP: 47/100
Ren stopped pulling.
That was clearly making things worse.
Instead, Ren stepped forward. He drove his bitten arm toward the rabbit instead of pulling away, forcing it backward long enough to ram it shoulder-first into the wall.
-14 HP
Scarred Horned Rabbit: 96/110 HP
Its jaws opened.
Ren ripped his arm free and backed away.
Blood ran warm down his sleeve, disturbingly real, but the rabbit gave him no time to think about it. It landed, shook itself once and charged again.
This time Ren aimed for the body instead of the head.
The Elite tried to dodge, but the spearhead still cut across its scarred shoulder.
-16 HP
Scarred Horned Rabbit: 80/110 HP
The rabbit stumbled when it landed.
Ren noticed, then saw how it kept its wounded side farther from the spear as it came again.
"You learn too."
That was inconvenient.
He backed toward the narrow strip between the irrigation ditch and the stone wall. There was barely enough room for him to move there, but that meant the rabbit would have even less.
The Elite followed. When it charged again, Ren planted the butt of the spear against the ground and held the point in front of him.
The rabbit tried to twist aside.
There was nowhere to go.
The spear punched deep into its wounded shoulder.
Critical Hit
-35 HP
Scarred Horned Rabbit: 45/110 HP
The impact drove Ren back a step, but he kept hold of the weapon.
The rabbit tore itself off the point and dropped to the grass. The foreleg beneath the wounded shoulder barely supported it now.
Ren moved in before it could recover.
He thrust.
The rabbit jerked away from the spearhead.
Ren had expected that.
Instead of finishing the thrust, he swung the shaft sideways and cracked it across the side of the rabbit’s head.
-12 HP
Scarred Horned Rabbit: 33/110 HP
The Elite staggered.
Ren stepped after it.
He feinted with the spear again. The rabbit shifted away from the point, protecting its good eye.
Ren kicked the wounded shoulder instead.
-9 HP
Scarred Horned Rabbit: 24/110 HP
The rabbit rolled across the grass.
For the first time, it took longer than a second to get back up.
Ren’s forearm throbbed where it had bitten him, and putting weight on his left leg hurt.
47/100 HP.
The rabbit had 24. This was getting way too close for a fight against a rabbit.
And the game trailers showed giants and dragons. Not beating that tomorrow.
The Scarred Rabbit lowered its head one last time and charged.
He waited until it committed, stepped aside and drove the point down behind its wounded shoulder as it passed.
Critical Hit
-27 HP
Scarred Horned Rabbit: 0/110 HP
The rabbit hit the ground, twitched once, then died.
Ren remained beside it for a moment, breathing harder than he wanted to admit. Then the system chimed.
Scarred Horned Rabbit defeated.
XP gained: 21
A second window appeared above the body.
Direct Drops: None
"Of course."
Ren lowered his spear. Then another sound interrupted him. It was deeper than the normal notification chime.
A black window appeared in front of him.
Ren froze for a second.
Black again.
His assessment crystal had turned the same color before going dead. He had no idea whether that was a coincidence.
Victory condition satisfied.
Eligible target detected.
Scarred Horned Rabbit · Level 3 · Elite
Ren’s eyes widened.
The window expanded.
────────
[Plunder]
Available ability candidates: 1
Keen Bite — F
Type: Combat Passive
Plunder has translated the target’s predatory ability into a compatible form.
Physical attacks against exposed weak points deal 8% increased damage.
────────
Ren looked at his bleeding forearm. Then at the dead rabbit.
"Oh."
A final prompt appeared.
Plunder Keen Bite F?
[YES] / [NO]
Ren selected [YES].
The black window flashed.
[Plunder successful.]
Acquired: Keen Bite F
Ren read the notification again. For the first time since the Talent Assessment, the knot in his stomach loosened. He had spent the last hour wondering how far behind everyone else he had started. No talent. No class. No equipment worth mentioning.
Now he had something he hadn’t seen anyone else get. Something that could take abilities from the things he defeated.
Ren looked at Keen Bite F again, and a slow grin spread across his face.
Maybe making rent through Pantheon was not quite as ridiculous as it had sounded.
The system had given everyone else a talent.
His column had been empty.
Apparently empty wasn’t the same thing as powerless.