F*ck!

Alec's heart stopped for the brief moment of a second when the tiny bunny launched himself at the hulking beast that was three times the height of a normal human.

It would have been funny, except that it was *his* bunny that had launched itself towards the monster instead of something else.

That stupid idiot!

Before he could think about it, Alec was already leaping off the tree's branch, kicking off harder so that he darted towards the falling bunny quicker.

He gritted his teeth, grabbing the angry bunny by the nape and furiously shoving him into his shirt.

Stupid Bunbun!

When this was over, and it would be over, mark his words, he would have some choice words for the bunny. This was in no way acceptable behaviour!

Unfortunately, with the way that the bunny had so straightforwardly charged at the monster, even if Alec had been slightly stronger than he was right now, there was no way for him to avoid the monster's detection at all.

Instead of trying to figure out a way to avoid the monster completely, he would have to do some quick thinking since his body's capabilities just couldn't keep up with his mind. Alec gulped as the monster's gaping maw opened as Alec's form approached.

Evidently, it had already noticed the bunny when he leapt off the tree but had chosen to disregard him. However, now that Alec was here, along with said bunny, it changed its mind.

The monster that looked like a strange mix between a horse and a wolf salivated as its prey came towards him. This was prime prey, after all. It had never seen such a thing before, but the smell that it gave off made its stomach rumble in hunger.

Rarely was there such prey that smelled this divine. Its main diet consisted of other monsters it fought to the death.

Without another thought, the monster opened its mouth as wide as possible. The prey was jumping to him, so who was it to resist the gift that sent itself to its mouth?

Alec shivered in disgust seeing the massive number of sharp teeth on display. Luckily, he was not about to directly jump into the monster's mouth. It seemed like the monster was not too gifted in the intelligence department, so he still had a chance.

The moment he was about to land into the monster's mouth, Alec shifted his weight, causing him to avoid it instead, kicking off hard on the monster's forehead, he launched himself into the air in a different direction.

Dropping to the ground and rolling, Alec picked himself up out of the smooth roll, immediately darting off into the expanse of trees that he had already Awakened.

Behind him, the monster made a low, confused sound as its mouth filled with sharp teeth closed around nothing. Then, the slight tickle from Alec's jump caused it to roar in anger, lumbering after Alec.

Alec tried to maintain his calm as he ran. The feedback from the trees allowed him to monitor the monster's movements even as it was behind him.

What did he say, huh?

He should have shut his big mouth. Why was he raising flags like that?

He paused. Actually, why was his bunny behaving like an idiotic Main Character!? No, this just wouldn't do!

He refused to live a life like the Main Character's 'little brother' and pick up after them. He didn't fucking think so!

Luckily, the monster was a stumbling, lumbering thing that tripped over the roots of the trees. Though it was big, it was not fast, and to boot, it seemed clumsy.

However, Alec knew that this would only work in the midst of trees blocking its way. In no circumstance was he to throw himself into an opening where the monster could potentially speed up.

Ugh. He should have just ditched the bunny and dusted off his hands, but he just had to get attached to it. This was why he tried not to get attached to things!

The monster's roars died off after a while, but Alec knew that it wasn't because it had lost him. Instead, it was likely being quiet because it might attract other monsters that would want a share of the food. Said food being him, the prey.

The adrenaline was pumping through his veins as he ran. Unfortunately, he was unable to moderate the state of his fatigue because even though the monster was slow, Alec was just as slow as it was!

Alec cursed the slow state of his puny, pathetic body as the monster audibly gained on him. In a distant part of his mind, he could sense that the trees were doing something to try and aid him, but they were only newly Awakened and had no strength to do anything.

The blood thundering in his ears accompanied the sweat that beaded on his forehead, even as Alec pushed himself harder and harder.

If he stopped now, he would die. There was no other outcome where the monster would spare him.

Alec held back the urge to curse Bunbun as he ran for his life. Why? Whyyy did he leap towards certain death!??!

His lungs were burning, and his muscles were aching, but the monster behind them seemed not to feel any fatigue. Alec didn't know if it was playing with them, or just conserving its energy, but he was thankful for the presence of all the trees around.

Unfortunately, he soon left the expanse of trees that he Awakened, so there was nothing else for him to rely on to spot the monster's motions.

Since he was running his hardest in a straight line, changing directions would cause a drop in speed. He was already doing his best to avoid the various roots and rocks that came his way, not to mention doing the smallest manoeuvres to avoid any trees.

The thudding of the monster's footsteps echoed in his ears, and Alec slipped into a state of mind that wasn't all there. The rhythmic sounds of the monster's footfalls, along with his own thumping heart, suddenly caused him to calm down.

Unfortunately, when he tried to Awaken the monster earlier as they had a brief moment of contact, it had failed. He had been hoping to perhaps cause it to submit to him, but he supposed he wasn't so lucky.

It had been a shot in the dark, trying to do something he didn't know was possible, but he had tried it anyway. He was so severely outclassed by the monster that it wasn't even funny.

Ah, this was all the Mainframe's fault!

If the Mainframe would just spare some of that Main Character's plot armour for him so that he could finish his mission before getting out of dodge, that would be amazing!

But no!

He was a System!

Not the Main Character!

Alec plastered the widest smile he could muster onto his face. Fucking hell! He still had to maintain his smile even now. Goddammit! If he wasn't so sure that he Mainframe would consider the monster as an outsider and deduct points from him, he wouldn't be smiling like a maniac as he ran from the monster!

Ah! He was being driven insane!

If they got out of this alive, he was going to discipline that bunny so hard!

On cue, Bunbun's nose popped out of Alec's shirt collar, thumping his little paws on his chest.

Alec accordingly shifted left a little, not having any strength to dispute with the bunny right now.

A few more steps, and the monster would have them in its maw. Alec could practically feel the breath of the monster as he ran. Its heavy breaths sounded like a starving person sat in front of a whole table full of food.

With a burst of hidden strength he didn't know he had, Alec pushed himself to new speeds and tore away from the close monster. The harder he ran at new speeds, the further he pulled away.

Just as he was about to congratulate himself both for breaking into the elemental early transitional stage as well as being able to survive, the ground gave out from under him, and he stumbled, the feeling of weightlessness enveloping him.

Fucking common plot point number four!