Chapter 78: Chapter 73: Hunting Time In Chillbound Wildwood!
Chillbound Wildwood...
In a suitable clearing deep within Chillbound Wildwood, the royal soldiers had set up camp, constructing a small stone settlement for their king, Ben, to stay in during the hunt.
Once the preparations were complete, leaving behind a group of elite guards to secure the camp, Ben, along with Charlotte, Nebra, and Mereoleona, ventured deeper into the forest in search of worthy prey.
With the assassins already dealt with and a system notification confirming that the remaining three attackers had been captured, Ben felt at ease—but not everyone shared his sense of relaxation.
For the royal guards, however, the mission was far from over.
They were spread across the area, watching for any suspicious movement, ensuring that no unknown entity approached their king.
As they moved through the frost-covered woods, the group stumbled upon a fierce confrontation—
A massive Iceborne Serpent had slithered up a towering tree, attempting to devour the frost-covered eggs of a Frostwing Hawk—but it had been caught in the act.
The mother hawk, a giant avian with wings of translucent ice and feathers that shimmered like falling snowflakes, let out a piercing screech and lunged at the intruder.
✨ With each beat of her wings, a violent snowstorm erupted, sending flurries of frost into the air.
The Iceborne Serpent, a serpentine beast with scales like polished ice and glowing blue eyes, hissed in response.
❄️ Each of its movements left a trail of frost upon the ground, while freezing mist leaked from its fangs, turning the air frigid.
The serpent fought cunningly, using controlled aggression to dodge attacks while skillfully using the tree as a shield against the enraged hawk's assault.
But the mother hawk was no fool.
Though blinded by rage, her attacks were precise, each one aiming directly at the serpent's vital points.
For a moment, it seemed like the Iceborne Serpent had the upper hand—
Until—
KEEAAAH!
A high-pitched screech echoed through the sky.
The serpent froze, its pupil narrowing to a slit in shock.
Then—
It tried to flee.
Abandoning the fight entirely, the Iceborne Serpent desperately burrowed into the snow, trying to vanish beneath the icy ground.
But it was too late.
From above—
✨ A larger Frostwing Hawk descended like a meteor, its frozen talons gleaming.
The male hawk, easily a size larger than the female, had returned.
Before the serpent could vanish, the male hawk's talons clamped down on its tail, stopping its escape mid-burrow.
❄️ With an explosive flap of its wings, the massive hawk yanked the Iceborne Serpent from the snow, sending a blizzard cascading through the air.
The serpent thrashed, hissing in fury—
But it was powerless.
Higher and higher, the male hawk dragged its helpless prey into the sky.
Then—
SLAM!
The serpent was slammed onto a thick tree branch.
And then—
The pecking began.
The male hawk's sharp beak relentlessly targeted the serpent's vulnerable spots, ripping into its icy scales with ferocious precision.
The serpent struggled, hissed, and thrashed—but it was already dead before it knew it.
With their meal secured, the Frostwing pair feasted, tearing into the lifeless body of their former attacker.
Ben and his companions watched in silence.
The Iceborne Serpent, once the predator, had become prey.
Just minutes ago, it had the upper hand, ready to feast upon the Frostwing Hawk's eggs.
Now—
It was the food itself.
A chilling reminder—🔥 The Iron Law of the Jungle: Survival of the Fittest. 🔥
After calmly witnessing the brutal end of the Iceborne Serpent, Ben and his companions moved forward, passing by the Frostwing Hawks, who were still enjoying their meal.
They travelled for nearly half an hour, encountering numerous beasts and insects along the way—
But none were suitable for hunting.
Then—
They stumbled upon something unexpected.
The Snowdrift Bunny Settlement
In a clearing ahead, a large group of Snowdrift Bunnies had gathered.
At first glance, they looked harmless—fluffy white creatures about the size of a dog.
But the scene before them was anything but cute.
The bunnies were ripping apart a deer, tearing its flesh with razor-sharp teeth.
The poor animal howled in agony, its body torn apart piece by piece.
🩸 Blood stained the snow, and the only sounds were the frantic chewing and the deer's fading screams.
GULP.
Ben instinctively swallowed.
'What the fuck is wrong with this forest?!'
His mind raced as he watched the horrifying sight unfold.
'Why the hell do cute little bunnies have fangs and claws—and why are they acting like a pack of piranhas?!'
Even though he had hunted Snowdrift Bunnies before, the ones he encountered were never this aggressive.
This was something entirely different.
The forest's environment, it seemed, had shaped them into something more savage.
"We're lucky…"
A whisper tickled Ben's ear.
Nebra crouched beside him behind a tree and spoke in a hushed tone.
"There are so many of them… Their meat is delicious—and very rare to find in such numbers."
Ben blinked.
"Wait, they're rare?"
"Yeah…"
Nebra nodded, her eyes still locked on the gruesome feast before them.
"Snowdrift Bunnies are incredibly slippery and fast. Normally, they travel in small groups, making them hard to catch.
But right now—
There are almost a hundred of them in one place."
Charlotte, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke—her voice calm but her eyes fixed on the bloodthirsty creatures.
"This is a rare opportunity."
Ben, however, couldn't shake off his unease.
Because no matter how valuable these creatures were—
They looked more like pocket-sized predators than prey.
"Alright, guys. Let's start the hunt."
With that, Ben reached for his Omnitrix, clicking the dial as it rose up, displaying the silhouettes of different alien transformations.
His lips curled into a smirk.
"This one should do the trick."
He slammed down on the Omnitrix.
Immediately—
💚 A brilliant green light exploded around him, illuminating the snow-covered forest.
The sudden radiance caught the attention of the Snowdrift Bunnies.
The pack of carnivorous rabbits momentarily froze, their bloodstained mouths pausing as their predatory eyes snapped toward the source of the light.
Kukuku~
As the glow faded, Ben's form had completely changed.
In his place stood a small, black cylindrical creature—one that looked oddly like a battery with arms and legs.
If someone from the modern world saw him, they'd immediately recognize the resemblance to a living battery pack.
This was Buzzshock, a high-voltage alien capable of manipulating electricity.
The Omnitrix symbol gleamed brightly on his chest, while his sharp green eyes shimmered with pure mischief.
Kukuku~
Letting out a childish chuckle, Buzzshock spread his arms wide and grinned.
"BUZZSHOCK!"
"Is this another one of your transformations?"
Mereoleona raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed.
She had previously witnessed Ben transform into Panuncian, a ferocious, monstrous form—
But this one?
This one was smaller, almost playful—yet it radiated an unpredictable energy.
"Yup!" Buzzshock snickered, his small black hands crackling with electricity.
"Let's have some fun! Time to give these bunnies a little shock!"
Kukuku~
With a high-pitched laugh, Buzzshock pointed at the Snowdrift Bunnies, who were now staring him down like prey.
Their ears twitched, and their fangs gleamed under the winter sun.
But instead of feeling threatened—
Buzzshock only felt more excited.
⚡ FLASH!
In the blink of an eye, Buzzshock's entire body dissolved into a radiant green lightning bolt, zipping across the battlefield in a split second.
He reappeared right in front of the bunnies, his tiny mouth stretching into a wide, teasing grin.
"Lalala~"
Sticking out his tongue, he wiggled it mockingly at them.
The Snowdrift Bunnies—now fully enraged—instantly lunged at him with their razor-sharp claws.
But—
Too slow.
💨 ZAP!
Just before their jaws snapped shut, Buzzshock vanished again, turning into a streak of green electricity.
A split second later, he reappeared behind one of the bunnies.
Kekeke~
Rubbing his tiny hands together, his eyes gleamed with mischief.
"THOUSAND YEARS OF DEATH!"
💥⚡ ZAAAP!
With a childish cackle, Buzzshock formed his hands into a pistol shape, surging them with high-voltage electricity.
Then—
He thrust them forward, delivering a massive electrical jolt right into the unsuspecting bunny's rear end.
BOOM!
The Snowdrift Bunny was sent flying, tumbling through the air, its fur scorched and trailing smoke as it crashed into a nearby snowbank.
Buzzshock placed his hands on his hips, shaking with laughter.
"This is gonna be fun!"
Meanwhile, the other Snowdrift Bunnies—who had just witnessed their comrade get electrocuted—
Paused.
For a brief moment, they seemed to be processing what just happened.
Then—
A chorus of angry screeches filled the air.
The entire pack of bunnies turned their bloodthirsty eyes toward Buzzshock.
And just like that—
The real hunt began.
Two hours later...
Ben, accompanied by Charlotte, Nebra, and Mereoleona, strolled into camp with a satisfied grin on his face.
Behind them, soldiers carried an enormous haul of lifeless Snowdrift Bunnies, their soft white fur stained with battle marks.
Further back, several soldiers struggled to drag the massive body of a bear, which had attacked them on their return journey—only to meet its own demise instead.
As they stepped into the camp—
"Yay! Ben-kun! What took you so long?"
💨 Whoosh!
A cheerful voice rang out, and before Ben could react—
Dorothy suddenly appeared, floating toward him atop a small, fluffy cloud, her usual carefree smile beaming at him.
"Dorothy?! What are you doing here?"
Charlotte's eyes widened, her usual calm demeanour shattered by shock as she exclaimed in surprise.
She knew Dorothy well—
They were friends, but whenever they met, Dorothy loved to pester her endlessly for her own amusement.
And Charlotte knew exactly what was coming next.
Dorothy giggled, her violet eyes sparkling with mischief as she tilted her head playfully.
"Ara~ Charlotte, don't tell me you missed me already?"
Charlotte tensed.
She could already feel Dorothy peeking into her thoughts, reading her mind like an open book—Which was infuriating.
Damn it…
Charlotte quickly shifted her gaze away, desperately trying to clear her thoughts before Dorothy had a chance to pry any further.
But—It was too late.
Dorothy's grin widened, and she let out a mocking hum, clearly enjoying Charlotte's discomfort.
"Oho?~ What's this? Thinking about someone, are we?"
Charlotte's face twitched as she clenched her fists.
"...Tch."
Ben, watching the exchange unfold, simply laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):Thanks for reading the chapter!
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