After walking a kilometer, Alexander encountered a group of rabbits as big as wolves.
These rabbits, with their red fur, grazed on the lush grass, their teeth glinting sharply, looking incredibly fierce.
Seeing rabbits as big as wolves, Alexander couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
Are these still rabbits? They're too big, and they look ferocious!
Using his abilities, Alexander accessed some information about the rabbits.
Target: Demon Rabbit
Species: Magical Beast (Demon Corrupted)
Level: 4
Skills: None
Note: Wild beasts mutated due to absorbing demonic energy.
After reading this information, Alexander didn't take it too seriously. After all, the rabbit was only level 4, not a significant threat!
"James, go chop down that fattest rabbit. We're having it for dinner tonight!" Alexander eyed a particularly gluttonous, corpulent demon rabbit, thinking its large appetite would be its downfall.
"Yes, master!" James nodded vigorously upon hearing Alexander's command, then picked up his spear, with a resolute expression, and approached the demon rabbit.
Wait a minute, Alexander started to lose confidence. Is it really that challenging to kill a slightly fatter rabbit? Why did James have such a determined expression?
Watching James's resolute approach, Alexander began to doubt whether he could even defeat a rabbit.
"Crossbowmen, be ready. If James falls into disadvantage, provide immediate support," Alexander ordered.
Soon, James approached the particularly obese, gluttonous demon rabbit.
When the enemy got close, the rabbit didn't seem afraid. On the contrary, it stared fiercely at James with its blood-red eyes.
"Hiss!" The corpulent demon rabbit let out a sharp, ear-piercing cry, then leaped into the air at an incredible speed, baring its sharp, cold teeth.
"Damn, this rabbit is fierce!" Seeing the demon rabbit aggressively pouncing on James, Alexander couldn't help but break into another cold sweat.
"I'm going all out!" James thrust his spear directly at the demon rabbit.
James and the demon rabbit swiftly clashed.
James, level 5, versus the demon rabbit, level 4.
James's spear pierced through the rabbit's leg, quickly staining it with blood.
But this minor injury was merely superficial to the demon rabbit. Instead, this attack completely enraged it.
The demon rabbit, now ferocious, let out a sharp cry. Then, it suddenly lunged forward, biting James's thigh.
James immediately let out a series of painful screams.
Alexander frowned, using his skill to heal some of James's injuries, while also feeling puzzled, "Aren't you a soldier? Does getting bitten by a rabbit really hurt that much?"
The scene of the battle was somewhat disappointing.
Thomas and the others had been waiting nearby for a long time, ready to intervene at Alexander's command to help James out of his predicament.
Alexander's eyes were firmly fixed on the standoff between James and the demon rabbit, observing carefully.
While observing the battle, Alexander noticed a health bar indicator appearing above the heads of James and the demon rabbit during their attacks.
James's Health: 50
Demon Rabbit's Health: 120
Despite the demon rabbit being a lower level than James, its health bar was larger, causing a worried expression to appear on Alexander's face.
This rabbit had only absorbed a bit of demonic energy, yet its body had undergone such a significant change.
Logically, a level 5 spearman, even if unable to kill the rabbit, should not have been in such a dire situation.
Could it be the influence of the Inferno demon race?
Seeing James in pain, Alexander could no longer hold back. He issued an attack command to his subordinates.
"I refuse to believe it. What's so scary about a little demon rabbit? Let's go slaughter it together and make it tonight's side dish!"
Under Alexander's command, the other soldiers launched a joint attack on the demon rabbit.
"Hisss~"
Sharp cries continuously emanated from the demon rabbit.
Although it was strong individually, it couldn't withstand the simultaneous attack of ten soldiers and soon became a lifeless corpse.
In Alexander's information panel, he also saw a system notification:
[You have gained +2 experience points as your subordinate killed the demon rabbit.]
This was an unexpected bonus! Alexander hadn't anticipated that the experience points earned from creatures killed by his subordinates would also be credited to him.
This was unusual for Alexander. Logically, he and his subordinates were two independent entities, and one should not affect the other. However, now, when his subordinates killed creatures in the wild, the experience points were his.
The reason behind this was hard to explain. Alexander guessed it might be related to the life force granted to him by the man in the grey robe.
Haha, there's strength in numbers. When personal power is insufficient, quantity can compensate!
A sense of hope welled up in Alexander.
Hope City, though a ruin, was filled with the remains of countless fallen soldiers. Using the power of Basic Soul Summoning, he could resurrect these spirits and turn them into his subordinates.
Given enough time and resources, Alexander could build a massive army.
"You, split into groups of five and hunt solo demon rabbits. We'll all enjoy rabbit meat from now on!" Alexander surveyed his subordinates and commanded.
Although these reborn subordinates were somewhat weaker than the demon rabbits, a group of five attacking a single rabbit shouldn't pose any problems.
"Understood, master!" A group of soldiers, clad in tattered clothes and wielding worn weapons, cheered upon hearing Alexander's plan to feast on rabbit meat.
After instructing his subordinates, Alexander climbed a withered tree, standing on a branch to look into the distance.
Surveying the area, he noticed many demon rabbits, at least 200 of them.
Alexander jumped down from the tree and approached a demon rabbit, striking it with a punch that used 10% of his death force.
The rabbit emitted a hissing scream as it was instantly killed, despite have 120 health points.
"Wow, that's powerful!" Alexander thought jubilantly.
He glanced at his "Undead Amulet" and "Soul Cloak," feeling increasingly impressed by these extraordinary items.
These items are incredible. Why should I give them to others when I can keep them for myself?
Contemplating this, Alexander launched an attack on another demon rabbit.
With a punch, the ferocious demon rabbit was killed instantly.
A notification sounded in Alexander's ear: "You have killed a demon rabbit, gaining +16 experience points."
Alexander, alone, ventured into the territory of the demon rabbits, continually harvesting their lives with his death force.
Although efficient, after multiple uses of the death force, Alexander felt weary due to his low mana.
Once his mana was depleted, Alexander engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the demon rabbits.
His attack power was greatly reduced, but he could still kill a demon rabbit; it just took a bit longer. Moreover, his practical combat skills improved considerably in the process.
Two hours later, over a hundred demon rabbits were killed by Alexander and his subordinates.
Alexander gathered the rabbit corpses, instructing his subordinates to skin them, clean their innards, and cut the meat into large pieces.
While they were busy, Alexander foraged for wild herbs and edible vegetables in the wilderness.
These ingredients not only effectively removed the gamey taste but also greatly enhanced the flavor of the meat.
When Alexander returned, he found his subordinates had not only processed the rabbit meat but also set up a large pot for cooking.
The rabbit meat bubbled in the pot, emitting a rich, meaty aroma.
Alexander added the herbs and vegetables to the pot, covered it, and let the stew simmer.
Before long, an enticing aroma wafted from the pot, making James and the others swallow their saliva.
After waiting for a while, Alexander lifted the lid, revealing the delicious stewed rabbit meat inside.
He tore off a piece of rabbit meat to taste. It was good, but something seemed missing.
After pondering, Alexander realized what was needed. He sprinkled some salt into the pot, adding the final perfect touch to the stew.
"Come and eat everyone!" he said.
Upon receiving Alexander's permission, his subordinates eagerly rushed forward.
They grabbed the stewed meat and stuffed it into their mouths without any concern for appearances, savoring every bite.
As they ate, they couldn't help but praise the flavor.
"Master, what seasoning did you use? The taste is amazing!"
"I swear, this is the best flavor ever! It's better than any meat I've ever had!"
...
Alexander's culinary skills were lauded by everyone. He sat on a large rock, tasting the roasted meat, and reveling in a sense of satisfaction he hadn't felt in a long time.
Night fell.
After a busy day, everyone gathered around the campfire and drifted into a deep sleep.
Feeling drowsy, Alexander glanced at the crystal bracelet on his wrist before falling asleep.
Tomorrow, he would receive a precious crystal. How should he make use of this crystal?