The Balyaas Rabbit and the Demon King’s Wrath

The Velsen Forest bordered the Norachi Kingdom to the east, the territory of the Dustless Alliance to the west, and Holy Heaven to the south.

Morgan City, being the closest settlement to both the Velsen Forest and Holy Heaven, thrived with remarkable prosperity. Its allure stemmed from the Velsen Forest, a realm teeming with treasures that drew mercenaries in an endless stream, earning Morgan City its renown as the City of Mercenaries.

After leaving the Mercenary Guild, Soronna, Kase, and Os first stopped at a shop to procure some provisions. Subsequently, they made their way to an armor store, where Soronna purchased a set of seemingly valuable Mithril chainmail for both Kase and Os.

Soronna’s money pouch now felt alarmingly light. She gently bit her soft, pink lower lip, thinly painted with gloss, and shook her head with a faint pang of heartache.

“Ah, ah… So-Soronna, I promise I’ll earn enough to pay you back properly.”

Kase, observing Soronna’s expression, spoke with a touch of embarrassment.

“My Lady! Th-thank you!”

“It’s nothing. As close-combat specialists, you two are inherently susceptible to danger. Moreover, this mission requires us to venture deep into the Velsen Forest. I’ve already conducted some research; the Velsen Forest harbors many incredibly powerful magic beasts, and among the most perilous is one known as the Balyaas Rabbit.”

Seeing Os on the verge of tears from excitement, Soronna awkwardly steered the conversation away from their previous topic.

“My Lady Soronna! Although I’m incredibly grateful, your stiff way of changing the subject is just so adorable!”

Kase, hugging his arms, wriggled with unrestrained joy.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the series of thunderous impacts subsided, Soronna cast a minor healing spell upon her fist. Completely disregarding the fresh blood dripping from her knuckles, she calmly swept her gaze across the curious onlookers.

The surrounding people instantly scattered, fleeing for their lives.

“Speaking of the Balyaas Rabbit,” Soronna continued as if nothing had happened, “don’t let its cute name deceive you. It’s one of the most formidable creatures in the Velsen Forest, possessing immense power comparable to a human Sword Master. Thankfully, it’s only rumored to operate in the forest’s core. It appears as a rabbit with three blood-red eyes and utterly detests having its ears touched by other creatures. Should its ears be grazed, it will immediately enter a berserk state. If we encounter one, we must try our best to avoid combat. However, as long as its ears are left undisturbed, the Balyaas Rabbit will not actively attack humans. If you accidentally provoke one, simply endure its enraged period, and it will eventually depart on its own. Old mercenaries say that the Balyaas Rabbit doesn’t use magic; it only employs slashing attacks. That’s why I spent so many gold coins to equip you both with Mithril chainmail, which offers extremely high resistance to slashing attacks!”

“Yes… yes, My Lady!”

Os affirmed, watching Soronna still awkwardly change the subject, while Kase lay on the ground, his fate unknown. He chose obedience.

The three departed Morgan City through its western gate and entered the Velsen Forest, cautiously moving deeper towards the forest’s heart.

“Soronna, speaking of which, what exactly is our mission this time?”

Kase inquired with a touch of curiosity.

“To investigate the cause of the unknown magical fluctuations emanating from the Velsen Forest.”

“Unknown magical fluctuations? Why would there be such a vague mission?”

Kase grumbled.

“My Lady mentioned it was a mission issued by the Royal Palace,” Os patiently explained to Kase. “They said it’s an unknown magical fluctuation that even Lord Parobia, who possesses the divine ability of ‘All-Sensing,’ couldn’t detect.”

“Huh? Could it be that incident from a few days ago? I thought it was an earthquake!”

“You just slept too soundly, Big Brother!”

“Shh!”

Soronna abruptly interjected, silencing their conversation.

“My Lady Soronna, did you find something?” Kase quickly crouched beside Soronna and asked quietly.

“This is… an unknown magical fluctuation!”

Soronna, her eyes tightly shut, furrowed her beautiful brows slightly. This unfamiliar, unknown fluctuation, though not particularly intense, felt as though it were probing her very soul, making her profoundly uncomfortable.

“It seems our luck is holding! We’ve only just entered the forest and already found a clue to our mission objective. Since it’s a royal decree, the reward must be substantial!”

Kase exclaimed cheerfully.

“Kase, Os, prepare for battle! Southwest!”

Soronna opened her eyes and cast Angel’s Blessing upon herself and her two companions—a fifth-tier blessing magic capable of significantly boosting the recipient’s physique, speed, and strength, a spell only high-ranking priests could cast.

“We might encounter combat at any moment. Soronna, protect yourself. Let’s go!”

Kase’s entire demeanor turned serious. He and Os exchanged a nod before swiftly advancing towards the southwest.

They encountered no enemies along the way, a fact that left the rapidly moving trio feeling a mix of joy and apprehension. Surely, some strange phenomenon must have occurred at the heart of the Velsen Forest to transform its normally perilous interior into this eerie state.

The closer they drew to the forest’s center, the more intensely the three felt a primal dread slowly crawl up their bodies, starting from their soles and winding along their spines. Despite seeing nothing and discovering nothing, this sensation grew stronger with every step they took.

At this juncture, should they retreat to Morgan City? Considering the magical fluctuations they had sensed, the complete absence of any creatures, and this unshakeable, unknown fear, the mission’s progression had surpassed Soronna’s understanding and control. All these strange omens indicated that the task was far more complex than she had imagined. Yet, the stubborn resolve within her prevented Soronna from voicing her doubts.

“My Lady, perhaps we should turn back while we still have the chance. Although I don’t know what’s happening in the forest’s center, it’s likely beyond our current capabilities to handle.”

Os, whose hands and feet had grown cold from fear, offered this unusually lengthy suggestion.

“He’s right, Soronna. Maybe we should go back. As much as I hate to admit it, this aura is truly repulsive. Whatever has appeared in the forest, judging by this aura, it doesn’t seem to be a benevolent creature!”

Kase chimed in, echoing his agreement.

“Hmm… should we return…?”

Just as Soronna was about to agree to her companions’ suggestion, a little girl’s cry suddenly reached them from ahead.

“There’s a child’s voice ahead! Perhaps a villager who got lost. I’ll go check!”

Ignoring Kase’s attempts to stop her, Soronna dashed forward.

“W-wait, Soronna! How could an ordinary little girl possibly be in the Velsen Forest?”

Kase frantically tried to grab Soronna, calling out softly with a headache. Deep down, he wished Soronna wouldn’t be so impulsive.

“I’ll go protect My Lady!”

Worried for Soronna, Os quickly followed.

“I say… sigh… You two are impossible!”

Kase sighed helplessly, drawing the greatsword from his back with one hand before following them.

The trio pushed through the dense jungle, revealing a vibrant green grassland adorned with butterflies and flowers. Everything appeared idyllic, yet they found themselves utterly unable to appreciate the beautiful scenery. Instead, their eyes were wide with shock, fixed on two small figures not far ahead. There stood a remarkably cute little girl with long, snowy-white hair, appearing to be only five or six years old, who was intently poking a fluffy, adorable, three-eyed rabbit on the ground.

A little rabbit? Three eyes! Berserks if its ears are touched! One of the Velsen Forest’s overlords? A Balyaas Rabbit?? The three held their breath, terrified of provoking the forest overlord before them. Although they couldn’t fathom why the Balyaas Rabbit, a forest overlord, would docilely lie there, allowing a little girl to poke it with her finger, at least the child hadn’t grabbed its ears. For now, rescuing the ignorant little girl without enraging the creature seemed feasible.

In the next instant, the three watched in horror as the cute, white-haired little girl attempted to tug the forest overlord’s ears with both hands!

In the blink of an eye, Kase lunged towards the little girl, scooped her into his arms, then spun around and gently tossed her in Os’s direction.

“How was that? Leave it to your Big Brother Kase; it’s foolproof! Even if it’s a forest overlord, as long as you don’t touch its ears, it shouldn’t get angry, right?”

Kase felt a surge of genuine pride, believing he had just saved a little girl’s life!

“Kase! Behind you! Run!”

Os, cradling the little girl in his arms, screamed at Kase, his face contorted with terror.

“Huh? I didn’t touch it, no need to worr—”

Kase’s words died in his throat. He saw the little girl in Os’s arms, her hands covered in rabbit fur, as if she had pulled an entire tuft from the creature’s ears. Then, a colossal black shadow fell across the grass before them.

“Divine Sanctuary!”

Soronna quickly cast the protective spell on Kase. Divine Sanctuary, a sixth-tier blessing magic, summoned the power of light to shield the recipient.

Bang!

A deafening crash erupted from Kase’s position. Subsequently, a figure shot out like a cannonball, tumbling seven or eight meters across the ground before finally coming to a halt.

“How… how are we supposed to withstand such a terrifying monster?”

Kase, who had clumsily scrambled to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He stared glumly at the creature before him, which stood three meters tall with three enormous, blood-red eyes and massive, razor-sharp claws.

“Don’t be afraid, little one. Once we defeat this monster, big sister will take you home!”

Soronna gently reassured the little girl, taking her from Os’s arms. She then placed the child behind her and turned to join the battle.

Through their practiced coordination, the trio managed to withstand the forest overlord’s berserk attacks, even gaining a slight advantage. As Os cleaved one of its razor-sharp claws, Kase seized the opportunity, plunging his greatsword into the overlord’s abdomen. The forest overlord slowly retreated a few steps. Kase and Os did not pursue, knowing they had reached their limits and were utterly exhausted.

To their despair, the wound on the forest overlord’s abdomen visibly healed, returning to its pristine state in mere moments. Kase, without a word, propped himself up with his greatsword, positioning himself in front of Soronna and Os.

The forest overlord’s three enormous blood-red eyes stared at the trio before it, then shifted to gaze at the little girl standing a short distance behind them. Subsequently, it slowly transformed back into the adorable little rabbit, hopping back into the jungle.

As the forest overlord vanished into the distance, Kase seemed to lose all his strength and collapsed onto the ground, his greatsword cast aside. He gasped for air, breathing heavily.

“Ha, haha, hahaha~~~”

The three burst into laughter, overcome with the joy of surviving a harrowing ordeal.

“Waaah! Stinkbugs bullied little bunny! Dove hates you! Waaah~~”

A soft, tearful wail reached them. The trio, still seated on the ground, watched dumbfounded as the little girl ran off into the distance.

“Why do I feel like… we’re the villains here?”

Kase scratched his head, utterly bewildered.

“This is all your fault! You were so rough with the girl, tossing her around like that! Go chase her down now! This forest is dangerous; if anything happens to her, I won’t forgive you!”

Soronna, for once, lost her temper with Kase.

“She said her name is Dove,” Os mused, recalling Dove’s appearance and words. “And she doesn’t look like a local villager’s child; she seems more like a noble’s child who accidentally got lost.”

Without time for further thought, the trio quickly rose from the ground and chased after Dove in the direction she had run.

“She’s right across this stream, uh…”

Soronna, who had followed Dove, suddenly perceived another wave that felt as though her soul was being laid bare. For a moment, she swayed unsteadily.

“Soronna! Are you alright?”

Kase asked, supporting Soronna with concern.

“I’m fine…”

Soronna replied, rubbing her temples with her fingers.

“It seems… we’ve reached the center of the Velsen Forest?”

Os said, his voice laced with uncertainty.

Suddenly, the three felt as though they had plummeted into hell itself. Though they had never witnessed hell firsthand, they could no longer control the terror in their hearts, their legs trembling incessantly. If not for their mutual support, they would have surely collapsed to the ground in an instant.

“Unknown creatures, I ask you: are you prepared to endure the heartfelt wrath of a father who saw his daughter cry?”

They heard a gentle, melodious voice descend from the air, interrogating them with an icy tone.

As their vision slowly cleared, the trio watched in disbelief as an exquisitely beautiful white figure floated in the air before them.

There, a stunning beauty with long, snowy-white hair was clad only in scanty black undergarments. The white-haired woman possessed perfectly proportioned limbs, a high, full chest, long, slender legs, and feet as white as jade, exuding an endless, intoxicating allure.

“An… angel…”

Kase collapsed to the ground, a nosebleed streaming, mumbling incoherently, “Angel… hehe… angel…”

Os merely stared, dumbfounded, at the sight. His legs no longer trembled, his hands no longer shook; his eyes were vacant and unfocused, as if he had lost consciousness.

‘Angel? No, this woman is likely an incredibly powerful Demon King.’ Soronna’s mind raced. ‘That terrifying aura, coupled with the earlier magic fluctuations, must have been a ritual to summon her.’

Her face flushed, Soronna gazed at the alluring white-haired woman before them. She had to admit, this was the most beautiful person she had ever seen.

Yet, Soronna fiercely suppressed her inner dread, fixing her gaze on the woman’s sparkling, ruby-like eyes. She forced her vocal cords to remain steady, ensuring her voice would not tremble as she spoke.

“Spare that child. If you require a sacrifice for some wicked ritual, then take me instead. Do not harm an innocent child. For a demon, a body with potent magical power would surely make a superior offering, wouldn’t it? My body is that of the only Sage blessed by the gods in a century. If you release that child and my two servants behind me, my body is yours! How about it, Demon King!”

Soronna fought back tears, convinced her life was drawing to an end. She only hoped this shameless Demon King would spare Kase, Os, and the little girl. She likely wouldn’t have the chance to be recognized by her mother now…

The Demon King before them showed a hint of surprise, slightly raising her beautiful eyebrows before speaking.

“Human?”