Reincarnated as a Rabbit: Tales of Carrots and Chaos

The jagged passage gave way to something new. The walls smoothed as though carved by hands instead of nature, their surfaces etched with faintly glowing glyphs. They pulsed softly, like the dying embers of a fire struggling to stay lit. The air shifted, colder and sharper, with a faint metallic tang that scratched at the back of my throat.

Status

[Status]

Name: No NameRace: Red-Eyed LopLevel: 6 (EXP: 10/100)HP: 40/45Mana: 40/40

[Unique Skills]

Challenger

(The will to face overwhelming odds and rise above. Grants increased strength, agility, and stamina when facing enemies stronger than you. Activates a temporary combat boost when HP falls below 20%.)

[Active Skills]

Bounce Lv. 5

(Enhanced leaping ability with improved aerial control. Can chain into other attacks.)Kick Lv. 6

(A devastating strike with hind legs. Gains bonus damage against weak points.)Hypnotic Gaze Lv. 3

(Lock onto a target's eyes to disrupt or temporarily freeze their movements. Improved focus range.)Blood Sight Lv. 2

(Highlights life forces and weak points. Enhanced range and clarity.)

[Passive Skills]

Danger Sense Lv. 2

(A subtle alert to nearby threats. Improved reaction time in combat situations.)

[Titles]

None

The encounters with the dungeon monsters have been fruitful. Me and my skills have levelled up too which is great.

If I evolved after reaching the maximum level for my race, does that mean skills also has a level cap and might evolve? I don't know maybe I'll just find out in the future. It would be a nice surprise if that happens though.

Then again, being able to escape just being a normal rabbit is great. I wonder if the horned rabbit was once a regular rabbit too. Someone that just evolved into a horned rabbit and now has a chance to survive in the wild instead of just running around and never living our burrows.

Ahead, the horned rabbit hesitated, one paw raised mid-step. Her ears flicked toward the faint sound of rushing water below, and she glanced back at me—just once—before continuing.

I followed her through the threshold, my claws scraping against the smooth stone. The ground tilted downward into a broad, spiraling staircase carved into the rock.

It wasn't like the steps I'd seen in the overworld—these were too perfect, each groove etched with a precision that defied the roughness of the dungeon so far. Between the steps, small, faintly glowing symbols shimmered, their light fading in and out like shallow breaths.

A chill swept over me as I stepped onto the first stair, and the orb in my chest pulsed faintly, its warmth almost apologetic against the icy air.

"What is this place?" I muttered, glancing over the side of the staircase. Below, the darkness stretched endlessly, broken only by faint veins of light snaking through the stone like cracks in an ancient sculpture.

The horned rabbit didn't answer—obviously. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her horn catching the faint glow of the glyphs. She sniffed the air and then began her descent without a sound.

"Oh, sure. Just act like this is normal," I muttered, trailing after her. "You've been here before or something?"

She didn't even twitch. Typical.

The stairs spiraled endlessly downward, the faint hum of the glyphs pressing against my ears. My legs burned with every step, and I was pretty sure my ribs still hadn't forgiven me for the last fight. Every time I slowed, the horned rabbit paused—not looking at me, not encouraging me, just… waiting. Like it wasn't even a conscious decision.

"You're not as heartless as you look, you know," I said between breaths, wincing as my paws slipped on a slick step. "Or maybe you're just keeping me alive so I can take the hits for you."

She paused mid-step, her ears twitching. For a brief moment, I thought she might glance back, but she didn't. Instead, she resumed her quiet descent, her movements as fluid and deliberate as ever.

I snorted. "I'll take that as a yes."

The staircase ended abruptly, spilling us into a cavernous hall that swallowed sound and light alike. It was a place steeped in silence, so vast and still it felt like it had been abandoned by time itself. The air hung cold and heavy, carrying the faint metallic tang of mana. I shivered as my claws clicked against the smooth, polished stone floor.

Massive pillars stretched skyward; their tops lost in the shadows above. Each was etched with spiraling glyphs that pulsed faintly with light, shifting between hues of silver and deep blue. The patterns seemed alive, their glow rippling like veins pumping mana through the chamber's stone heart. Something about them prickled at the edge of my awareness, as though they were meant to be read—or felt.

Ahead of me, the horned rabbit moved silently, her figure dwarfed by the sheer scale of the hall. Her horn caught the shifting light as she passed the glyphs, its sharp surface gleaming like it belonged here, as though she were a piece of the dungeon itself.

"Creepy place," I muttered, more to fill the silence than anything. My voice echoed faintly, swallowed by the sheer vastness of the hall. The rabbit's ears flicked, acknowledging the sound but offering no other reaction.

We reached the center of the room, where the floor sloped upward into a circular dais. Its surface was covered with intricate carvings, more elaborate than any we had seen before. The glyphs lining its edges pulsed brighter than those on the pillars, their rhythm syncing with something deeper—something alive.

The orb in my chest pulsed sharply as we approached, its warmth blooming through me. It wasn't a warning, exactly, but an insistence—a quiet urging to pay attention. I hesitated, the faint thrum of the dais making the fur on my neck bristle.

"Alright," I muttered, glancing around the chamber.

"I don't suppose you have any idea what this thing is?"

The horned rabbit didn't answer, of course. She hopped onto the dais, her light steps barely disturbing the faint glow. Her blue eyes scanned the glyphs with unnerving focus, as if she understood their significance. She sniffed at the air, her ears swiveling as though catching a sound I couldn't hear.

I followed hesitantly, my claws skidding lightly against the smooth stone.

Up close, the glyphs were impossibly intricate, their patterns spiraling into one another like flowing rivers. They looked… familiar, though I couldn't place why.

A soft vibration thrummed beneath my paws, growing stronger the closer I got to the center. The orb in my chest pulsed again, sharper this time, its warmth spreading like a whisper of warning.

"Feels important," I murmured, crouching to get a better look.

Looking at the glyphs and the carvings, it all felt ancient and unnerving to say the least. Something about this magnificent carvings make my heart palpitate.

My claws hovered just above the carvings, tracing the grooves without touching them. The lines shimmered faintly in the dim light, alive with a purpose I couldn't decipher.

The horned rabbit pawed at one of the glyphs near the edge of the dais. Her movements were deliberate, but not careless. She crouched low, her ears twitching as if listening to something below us. Then she turned to look at me, her gaze sharp and expectant.

"What?" I asked, straightening.

"You think I know what to do with this?"

She tilted her head, her blue eyes glinting faintly in the glyphs' glow. Then, without warning, she prodded the glowing symbol with her horn.

The reaction was immediate. The glyph brightened, its light racing outward like water spilling across the dais. A low hum filled the chamber, deep and resonant, vibrating through the air and stone alike. The orb in my chest flared, its rhythm syncing with the glyphs' pulse.

"Hey, hey—careful!" I snapped, stepping back instinctively. The fur along my spine bristled as the light surged around us, the dais thrumming like a heartbeat.

The horned rabbit didn't flinch. She stood still, her focus unbroken, as though she had expected this. Her horn caught the light, its sharp edges glowing faintly as the glyphs rippled with energy.

"OI! What did you do?!" I growled, my claws scraping against the stone. The air around us grew heavier, the glyphs' hum growing louder until it reverberated in my chest.

Then the light converged at the center of the dais.

A circular pattern emerged, glowing brighter than the rest. It wasn't a glyph—it was a seal. The light twisted and swirled, forming the unmistakable outline of an eye.

It stared back at us, unblinking, its iris a deep, menacing red. The hum in the chamber stopped, replaced by a low, guttural rumble that seemed to rise from the very stone beneath us.

The horned rabbit stepped back; her ears pinned against her head as she lowered into a defensive stance. I swallowed hard, my claws digging into the stone as the seal began to pulse, each beat sending a wave of pressure through the room.

Whatever was behind that seal… it wasn't friendly.

I glanced at the horned rabbit, who remained tense but calm. Her gaze darted between me and the glowing eye as though silently urging me to prepare.

"Right," I muttered, my legs coiling instinctively.

"Guess we found our next challenge."

The eye flared, and the rumble became a roar. The glyphs on the dais erupted with light, and the chamber around us began to shift. Stone groaned and cracked as roots shot up from the floor, their jagged edges glowing faintly with the same red light as the seal.

The orb in my chest pulsed one final time, a rush of warmth flooding through me. This wasn't just a fight—it was something else. Something bigger.

Its body slithered forward, a massive, serpentine frame made of dark stone and glowing, pulsing veins of mana. Four multi-jointed arms unfurled from its torso, each ending in talon-like appendages that scraped against the floor with a sound like grinding stone.

The crimson veins coursing through its body pulsed brighter as it moved, illuminating the cavern with an eerie light.

And then there was its eye.

A single, massive orb sat embedded in its chest, its surface rippling like liquid fire. The pupil was a pinprick of molten red that locked onto me instantly, filling my body with a primal, suffocating fear.

This thing… I think it would be better to call it a watcher with eyes that seem to be able to watch every step of you take and every move you make. It feels like it will be watching you.

The creature let out a grinding, guttural sound, its talons flexing as it rose higher on its coils. The glyphs etched across the floor and pillars surged to life, casting an unholy red glow across the entire chamber.

I barely had time to shout a warning before the Watcher's eye flared.

A crimson beam exploded from its eye, tearing through the air with deafening force. I leapt to the side with [Bounce], the heat searing past me as it scorched the stone where I'd been standing.

The horned rabbit darted in the opposite direction, landing on a nearby pillar with a grace that made my frantic dive look pathetic.

The beam ended, leaving a molten scar across the floor. My breath came in ragged gasps as the orb in my chest throbbed painfully.

"That thing's not playing around," I muttered.

The Watcher turned, its glowing eye swiveling toward the horned rabbit. She crouched low on the pillar, her horn angled sharply forward. The talons reached for her, their glowing veins snaking down their lengths as they scraped across the stone.

I wasn't about to let it catch her.

With a burst of energy, I activated [Kick], aiming for one of the Watcher's glowing arms. My legs coiled, muscles screaming as I struck the stone limb. The impact sent a jolt up my spine, but the Watcher recoiled slightly, its talons narrowly missing the horned rabbit.

The serpent-like body twisted toward me, its massive eye locking onto my frame. A cold wave of dread flooded my chest.

The Watcher reared back, its talons rising high before slamming down. Glowing chains erupted from the glyphs, snaking across the floor toward me like living things. I barely had time to react, activating [Bounce] to vault over one chain, only to land awkwardly as another coiled around my hind legs.

[HP: 40 → 36.]

The searing heat of the chains burned through my fur, pinning me in place. I thrashed, claws scraping against the stone as I tried to free myself.

"Fuck! Get off me!" I growled, my breath coming in short, panicked bursts.

The Watcher's eye flared again, the light growing blindingly bright. My pulse raced. If it fired now, I was done.

Then, she moved.

The horned rabbit darted across the floor, her small frame weaving between the chains with impossible precision. Her horn glowed faintly as she struck the energy binding me. The chains shattered, and I stumbled free, gasping for air.

"Thanks," I muttered, though my voice shook.

The Watcher hissed, its talons scraping against the floor as it summoned another wave of chains. This time, they snaked toward her, faster and more coordinated. She dodged expertly, leaping between the glowing lines as they lashed out, but the Watcher was learning, its attacks growing more precise.

I had to act.

The orb in my chest flared up, its heat spreading through my limbs. My [Blood Sight] flickered to life, painting the Watcher's massive frame in crimson hues. Among the pulsing veins of mana, I saw it—a weak point, just below its central eye.

"Gotcha," I muttered, crouching low.

I launched myself toward the Watcher, claws scraping against the stone as I closed the distance. Its talons lashed out, faster than I'd expected. I twisted midair, narrowly avoiding a swipe that could've sliced me in half. Pain lanced through my side as I hit the ground hard.

[HP: 36 → 28.]

The horned rabbit seized the opening. She darted forward, her horn slashing through one of the glowing veins on the Watcher's tail. The beast howled, its serpentine body thrashing violently. Stone fragments rained down as the dais cracked beneath its weight.

The Watcher turned its attention back to her, its massive eye flaring with rage. The crimson beam fired again, cutting through the air like a sword. She leapt clear, but the beam's shockwave sent her tumbling across the floor.

I pushed myself upright, my legs trembling. My chest burned with every breath, but I wasn't about to let her face this thing alone.

"Come on, you overgrown glowstick," I growled, locking eyes with the Watcher.

Its gaze snapped to me, the molten red pupil narrowing. It lunged, its massive body coiling as it struck with terrifying speed.

I activated [Bounce], leaping over its sweeping tail and landing on its coiled torso. My claws dug into the stone-like surface as I scrambled toward the weak point below its eye. The heat from its glowing veins burned against my pads, but I forced myself to move.

The Watcher reared back, its body thrashing violently. I held on, claws scraping against the slick surface as it tried to shake me loose. The horned rabbit struck again, her horn piercing another glowing vein on its tail. The Watcher roared, its movements faltering for a moment.

That moment was all I needed.

With a burst of strength, I drove my hind legs into the weak point, activating [Kick]. The impact reverberated through my body, and the Watcher howled, its eye dimming briefly before flaring brighter than ever.

The Watcher lashed out in a frenzy, its talons carving deep gouges into the floor. The glyphs around the dais pulsed erratically, casting jagged shadows across the room. The air grew hotter, the oppressive heat sucking the breath from my lungs.

"We need to end this!" I shouted, my voice hoarse.

The horned rabbit darted toward me; her movements still sharp despite the chaos. Her blue eyes met mine for a brief moment, and in that unspoken exchange, we understood.

Together, we moved.

She leapt high, landing on the Watcher's back and stabbing her horn into one of its central veins. The beast thrashed, its eye flaring wildly. I darted in from below, aiming for the same weak point. My legs burned, every muscle screaming as I struck with everything I had.

The Watcher let out a deafening screech, its body convulsing as the light in its eye flickered violently. The glyphs on the floor dimmed, their pulsing rhythm slowing.

The fight wasn't over—but the Watcher was weakening.

We had a chance.