-Black Wolf POV-

  The wolf blearily looked around. His eyes locked onto the movement at the corner of his vision. Prey, his instincts whispered. Upon recognizing her white fur, his gaze shifted to the owls chasing after her. The wolf rose from the dirt, then he jumped, crossing the entire distance in a single leap.

  [Due to the overwhelming difference in level, [Fear Paralysis] has been applied! Stats of all significantly weaker enemies will now be decreased by 30%.]

  The owl’s black talons stretched to grasp onto the white bunny. His gray wings unfurled as the owl pulled out of its dive-

  [Lvl 6 [Crushing Fangs] has been used! [Wingblade] has been broken!]

  The black wolf sunk his teeth into the owl's right wing. The owl shrieked in pain, crashing into the ground. The two of them skidded across the dirt, dust and feathers exploding in all directions. It was impossible for any creature to see, but the wolf hunted by scent. He shot forward, capturing the bunny between his teeth.

  He would not fail his pack again.

  ━━━━━━━ ● ━━━━━━━

  -White Bunny POV-

  Her plan had failed. Immediately, the bunny let her body go limp, playing dead. There was no use in being upset or second-guessing what she'd done. All she could do was adapt and carry out the next best plan.

  As the dust slowly cleared, the wolf stared down the remaining owl. The owl slowly backed away to leave. He unfurled his wings, then he hesitated. His gaze shifted to his injured mate. Splinters of bone jutted out from gray, bloodied feathers, and it was clear the other bird would never fly again. Still, the owl lingered for another long moment before flying off in search of other prey.

  The wolf cocked his head towards the remaining owl. She glared at the wolf, black eyes glittering with hate. Blood was splattered across the dirt, turning it a muddy shade of crimson.

  [Lvl 1 [Wingblade] has been activated!]

  The wolf looked away, refusing to answer the challenge. The owl screeched at the wolf in rage. When the wolf didn’t move, the owl glared bitterly at the wolf, limping away. She dragged her broken wing behind her, leaving bloodied streaks in the dirt. Once the wolf was satisfied that there were no more contestants for his meal, he let go of the bunny.

  The bunny fell lifelessly across the dirt. She tumbled a few times before going completely still. Dubiously, the wolf sniffed her. The teeth near her neck, fangs grazing on her throat... she stared ahead blankly, her tail not so much as twitching.

  A wolf who cared enough about fresh meat to capture her alive wouldn't go for a dead animal. This was the best gamble she could make to survive.

  That wasn't to say she just lied there and prayed- no, her thoughts spun, a snowstorm of white that wouldn't stop until it tore every piece of information apart.

  The wolf had let the owl go, even though the injured animal was easy prey. Last night, before he tried to kill the bunny… he had the strangest look in his eyes. Mournful, almost. Unlike most predators, he didn’t smell like rotten blood- because he groomed differently, or because of something else?

  That wasn't the only contradiction. [Fear Paralysis] had activated twice the day before against the eagle and the wolf. Yet this time, when [Fear Paralysis] activated against all significantly weaker enemies, nothing happened to her.

  Either she wasn't significantly weaker- impossible, just look at the sheer size of the wolf- or the [System] didn't consider the wolf as her enemy. It might just be the [System]'s fucked up sense of humor, but...

  [Your status cannot be determined! A suitable tutorial quest cannot be found!]

  ... it would explain the strange things that kept happening. So she was taken off-guard, but not completely surprised by the blue window materializing in front of her.

  [Lvl 1 [Communion] has been activated!]

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  [Black Wolf: You... alive?]

  His voice rumbled through her mind, a growl shaped into words.

  Unease flickered through her mind. It felt... wrong, abandoning years of experience based on pure guesswork. But her alternatives... she had no strength, no power. Her only choice was to rely on her mind.

  She mentally reached out toward the strange bond, and she sent the message.

  [White Bunny: Until you eat me, yes, I suppose I am alive.]

  Even though she had never heard it before, the voice was unmistakably hers, dry amusement ringing through it. It was too honest. If she wanted to survive, she needed a way to control it.

  His golden eyes widened.

  [Black Wolf: Eat...? No.]

  His voice sounded genuinely confused- too genuine. Her eyes narrowed a fraction. If he was lying, he was a damn good actor.

  [White Bunny: You tried to eat me before.]

  The words were calm, without a trace of accusation. Better. She couldn't afford for her emotions to bleed into her voice. Even if the wolf seemed friendly, she wouldn't live for long if she pushed his patience.

  The wolf lowered his head. It was a strange gesture for a creature who could lie on the ground and still tower over her. She seized the opening.

  [White Bunny: We need to move. The sound of a fight and the scent of the owl's blood will draw predators soon.]

  It was the truth- or half of one, at least. Still, she delivered it with confidence, diverting the wolf's attention before he could decide to eat her again. The wolf dipped his head. Presuming it to be agreement, she started moving, heading toward the center of the forest.

  She started moving, and the wolf trotted after her. She waited for him to take the lead, but he didn't seem to mind following her.

  Another question, another clue. She had to decipher this situation correctly if she didn't want to be eaten.

  The forest was quiet, but never silent. There were always the rustle of small animals darting through the bushes, the sound of owls hooting softly in the distance. It wasn't long before she fell into a comfortable rhythm, adjusting to the atmosphere.

  [Black Wolf: I... sorry. Mistake. But... you. Pack. No eat.]

  The wolf said, finally, returning to a conversation he clearly had not enjoyed.

  [White Bunny: Pack?]

  She asked carefully, drawing to a halt. Her voice betrayed nothing. Coyotes hunted together, but the wolf walked alone. The vaguest inkling of understanding was beginning to form in the back of her mind, but she didn't dare to trust it.

  The wolf stared at the brown mushroom beside him like they hadn't already passed dozens of the same.

  [Black Wolf: Pack... stronger. I want... do right.]

  She didn't comfort him. What was she going to say, it's okay you tried to eat me? Survival was a stacked game, and the only ones who could “do right” were those strong enough to afford that choice. She wasn't, and she would never be.

  She nodded once to acknowledge she had heard him, then she started moving again. There was nothing to gain from standing still.

  [White Bunny: Do you know which berries aren't poisonous?]

  She asked, deliberately shifting the conversation in a different direction. The wolf perked up, and he excitedly described the plants he had tried eating. It was rather amusing to see such a huge creature be so passionate about eating plants, the bunny thought. She let the wolf ramble in hopes of learning more about him.

  The bunny quickly deduced that the wolf did not, in fact, know which berries were not poisonous, only which berries were extremely toxic and thus... gave him a minor stomachache.

  The blue mushrooms he was currently telling her about- she hadn't planned on eating them, but now she definitely wasn't going to. Ever.

  Her ears pricked up, sensing another bunny in the undergrowth. She followed the creature from a distance, relying on them to find something edible. When she caught the scent of spilled juice, she sprinted over.

  The other bunny bolted the moment the wolf got close. Perfect. It seemed the other bunny had survival instincts... unlike the overgrown beast looking curiously toward where the bunny had run off to. At least she could trust these berries weren't poisonous.

  The white bunny settled down to eat. There was no need to stay on guard for predators, not with the enormous wolf hovering behind her. His golden eyes scanned the trees, warning off predators. The wolf tore off a huge bite of both leaves and berries.

  [Black Wolf: Berry sweet.]

  [White Bunny: Berry funny.]

  The wolf tilted his head to the side, confused, and her tail twitched in amusement.

  [White Bunny: Forget it.]

  The bunny munched on the berries. The forest berries tasted different from those that grew in the grass, more tangy than sweet. Still, it was something she could get used to.

  She had swallowed the fourth berry when the taste in her mouth suddenly changed, turning sour. She stilled, recognizing that scent. Blood.

  [Sixth Sense has been activated!]

  The forest had grown quiet, too quiet. The sounds of birds chirping had disappeared, along with the sounds of animals moving through the undergrowth. Now, only the wind rustled through the leaves. When it died down, the two were left in complete silence.

  The wolf crouched into a defensive position, sensing it too. Normally, there were sounds that came with prey being hunted- trampled grass, the brutal crunch of a neck. It was never like this, silent until blood was already soaking into the air.

  She willed herself to think, racking her brain for any idea of what she could be up against.

  The scent of blood was close. At this distance, the creature couldn't be on the ground, or else she would hear it moving through the undergrowth... but it wasn't flying through the air either, or else she would be able to scent it on the wind.

  [Black Wolf: Can't see. Can't hear. Can't smell.]

  The wolf confirmed her suspicions. There weren't any other creatures nearby. That meant that some way, somehow-

  [White Bunny: The hunter kills from a distance.]