ITBFL | Chapter 8

Episode 8

Look at that attitude!

The Golden Lion Division seems like they’re recklessly pushing forward without any strategy—just look at that manner of speaking!

As Cassium and I were about to continue our conversation, Captain Denver slammed his sword onto the center of the table as if he were about to pierce it through.

The burning aura of the flaming sword was so intense it felt as if it could set the table on fire. Cassium and I instinctively turned our eyes toward Captain Denver.

“If both of you want this mission, then go together!”

“What?!”

Together?

“Are you saying we should carry out the mission as a team?”

“Think of it as a competition. You’ll have to find the base anyway, so the first one to locate it gets the credit.”

Cassium and I exchanged glances.

“Fine…”

Cassium seemed like he was about to say something, but I cut him off and shouted first.

“Understood! Let’s do it!”

I sharply turned my gaze back to Cassium. He raised an eyebrow, staring at me as if questioning my sanity.

“Let’s make a bet. Whoever finds it first wins.”

“What?”

“The winner gets priority in choosing missions for the next month. Does that sound good, Captain?”

The captain, with a tired expression, waved his hand dismissively, signaling that he didn’t care.

Cassium chuckled and remarked, “You’re quite the expert at digging graves, Rize Artiel.”

“That’s right. I’m great at digging—just not my own. This time, it’ll probably be yours.”

“Enough already! That’s settled, isn’t it? Now get out, both of you!”

Cassium and I both nodded and left the captain’s office simultaneously.

The moment we stepped outside, I went left, and Cassium went right. Neither of us looked back as we parted ways.

And that’s how it went.

“Good enough! It’s their fault for not showing up!”

“Beep!”

As I trudged through the underbrush, pushing forward with determination, a rabbit kept trying to pop out of my bag.

“No, Golden Rabbit. The forest is too harsh.”

The Bezen Forest wasn’t far from the capital, but it was still a dangerous place where monsters hadn’t been fully eradicated.

The magical energy emitted by the monsters made the forest bitterly cold and full of thorny undergrowth.

If the rabbit’s soft little front and back paws were to step on a thorn, it’d be disastrous.

As the forest grew denser, small monsters began to appear one by one.

I drew my sword and methodically dealt with them as I pressed forward.

“Beep.”

The rabbit called out persistently, as if complaining.

When I glanced at it after focusing on the forest for a while, it was using its tiny front paw to point at the sky.

I looked up in the direction it indicated.

The sky, now darker than before, was filled with thick storm clouds.

“The weather doesn’t look great.”

“Beep. Beep.”

The rabbit gestured toward the direction we had come from.

“You want to go back?”

“Beep.”

“We can’t go yet. We haven’t found Luxka.”

I had no intention of leaving without locating Luxka’s base.

Doing so would give me the satisfaction of finally one-upping Cassium, who had stood me up so many times.

‘I’ve even found traces of it now.’

My eyes fixed on the large footprints on the ground.

They belonged to Luxka, a monster resembling a bear carved out of stone.

Luxka typically moved stealthily, but it often spread its magical aura across the flora near human settlements, killing crops, or came down at night to devour livestock.

Finding its base and taking out the leader Luxka as quickly as possible was essential.

‘It’s freezing. I should’ve dressed warmer.’

The winter forest, filled with magical energy, was far colder than I’d anticipated.

“Beep.”

“Stay in the bag, Golden Rabbit. It’s too cold.”

But the rabbit ignored me and eventually jumped out of my pocket.

“Don’t run off.”

Hearing my firm tone, the rabbit raised a paw as if to say it understood.

It started walking beside me, matching my pace. Though much smaller than me, it seemed intent on being my partner, which was surprisingly reassuring.

Then.

I heard a metallic sound in the distance.

“…!”

It was Luxka’s cry.

Finally, I was nearing its base.

Luxka groups usually revolved around a leader Luxka.

Taking down the leader would weaken the rest, rendering them powerless.

That meant taking out the leader alone would complete today’s mission.

‘I’m close!’

Pushing through the thickening trees, I found myself in front of a stone wall overgrown with vegetation.

And beneath that stone wall lay a small cave.

From inside the cave, the metallic sound grew louder.

I sprinted toward it without hesitation.

As I approached the cave’s entrance, the rabbit dashed inside ahead of me.

“Golden Rabbit, it’s dangerous!”

I whispered urgently.

No matter how nimble the rabbit was, its small body wouldn’t stand a chance against a swipe from Luxka’s massive paw.

I quickened my steps. The moment I scooped up the leaping rabbit…

“Screeeech.”

The source of the metallic sound became clearer.

A shiver ran down my spine as something moved beneath my feet.

Whack!

A sound like a blade slicing through air followed, and something came flying toward me.

‘…!’

I reflexively leaned back.

The object missed me and crashed against the cave wall with an explosive noise.

I pulled a light grenade from my pocket and tossed it to the ground. It burst into light, illuminating the cave instantly.

Luxka came into full view.

The massive monster had rough, thick gray skin.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction as Luxka squinted against the light, I darted forward and stabbed my sword into its leg.

“Roarrrr!”

Luxka’s movements slowed slightly.

‘The legs, behind the knees, the waist—those are the vulnerable spots.’

Remembering what I had learned about Luxka, I targeted those areas one by one.

But Luxka didn’t go down quietly.

Instead, it let out a monstrous roar and thrashed wildly, swinging its limbs like a whip.

‘Why is it so fast?’

Even injured, its speed exceeded my expectations.

I narrowly avoided one of its legs, but at the same time, another came crashing toward me.

Boom!

I ducked just in time, and Luxka’s leg smashed into the cave wall, shattering it to pieces.

“…!”

A chunk of the broken wall tumbled down and struck my sword.

Clang!

The sword was knocked from my hand.

The sword was the only tool I could use to protect myself at that moment, so I instinctively reached out toward it.

But then.

“…Ugh!”

Luxka’s foot came flying toward me again.

I managed to dodge it, but its sharp claws grazed my arm.

A sharp pain shot through me, reverberating all the way to the top of my head.

A pounding sound echoed in my skull, as if someone had struck me over the head.

But there wasn’t even time to fully process the pain.

As if to silence that sound, Luxka’s other foot was already flying toward my head.

I quickly leapt and rolled my body away.

But I realized it: Luxka’s foot was already too close.

It was clear that its strike would reach me before I could fully evade it.

“I can’t die here.”

A bitter groan escaped through my gritted teeth.

Even if it wasn’t as meaningless as my death in the original story, this wasn’t a death that held any significance.

And to make matters worse, if I died trying to defeat Luxka here, how much would Cassium mock me?

But still…

“Rabbit, tell Bryce. My knight division’s vault code is 0316…”

Bryce, I’m sorry I can’t stay until you’re older.

Without realizing it, I shut my eyes tightly.

“…”

But something felt off. Nothing happened.

In that fleeting moment, a thought flashed through my mind.

“Gold Bunny!”

I opened my eyes and turned my body at the same time.

I saw the rabbit leaping high, its feet firmly planted on the ground.

The rabbit was stabbing Luxka in the eye. In pain, Luxka staggered, and the trajectory of its attacking foot shifted away from me.

It was a split-second chance created by the rabbit.

I grabbed the sword and jumped toward Luxka’s heart.

The sharp blade pierced through the thick skin.

A screeching sound, like metal being scraped, exploded right above my head.

Before I could lose strength from the overwhelming sound, I drove the sword in deeper.

Finally, Luxka went still.

Its massive body fell with a heavy thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

“Golden Bunny!”

Where was Golden Bunny?

“Bunny!”

At that moment, I heard a faint, “Beep.” I urgently ran toward the sound.

“Beep.”

The rabbit emerged from behind Luxka’s fallen body.

“Golden Bunny!”

I hurriedly scooped up the rabbit with one hand.

“Beep.”

The rabbit seemed distraught as it noticed my wounds.

It tried to jump out of my arms immediately, but I hugged it tightly, nuzzling its cheek.

“Thank you.”

“…Beep.”

“Thank you, Golden Bunny.”

I had survived because of this little rabbit. Thanks to this small creature.

Throwing yourself to save someone else—it wasn’t an easy task even for a knight.

But Golden Bunny had done just that.

I looked into the rabbit’s eyes and, holding back tears of gratitude, said:

“When we get back, I’ll treat you to some meat, Golden Bunny!”

I had known from the original story that it was brave, but I hadn’t realized it was this bold!

Golden Bunny was undeniably more lovable and admirable than I had ever imagined.

On the way back, no more monsters appeared.

The problem was…

“Argh! Golden bunny, hold on tight, okay?”

What kind of forest had weather this unpredictable?!

Just moments ago, it was merely cloudy, but now a storm had rolled in out of nowhere.

The rain drenched me, making the path slippery. The wounds on my body stung painfully as they came into contact with the harsh rain and wind.

“At this rate, I won’t make it through.”

Judging by the sudden weather shift, it was impossible to predict how much worse it might get.

Even now, every step was a struggle. If I kept moving while injured…

“At best, I’ll slip and fall.”

I quickly headed toward a nearby cave.

Using flint, I lit some branches to illuminate the cave.

Thankfully, it seemed empty, and the narrow entrance kept most of the wind out.

“It’s a bit cold, but…”

For now, I sat down and made myself as comfortable as I could. The rabbit hopped out of my bag and sat across from me.

“Beep.”

It made a noise, continuously observing me.

I spent a moment trying to understand its intention, only to realize it was staring at my arm.

The arm I had injured while fighting Luxka.