14 Six-Pack Attack (1/2)

The next thing I knew, I was lying on the ground face up. A cloudy sky with small traces of blue filled my view.

*What...*

The last thing I remembered was walking home after being attacked by a savage rabbit. Which meant I had pa.s.sed out in the middle of the day. The sun looked as if it had just risen, so, while still on my back, I pulled out my phone to confirm the time. The clock read 10:09 of the same day, the 3rd of January.

*Useless. Never looking at this thing again.*

I really didn't know what to expect after reading an incorrect time the first try. It wasn't like the clock was magically going to fix itself.

I traced my memory to figure out how I ended up where I was.

*I was going home, wasn't I? Did I not make it?*

I decided to sit up after a moment of laziness and contemplation. I surveyed my surroundings. Sure enough, I had collapsed in the middle of the road. Surprisingly, I wasn't injured from the fall. I was actually feeling quite good. In fact, the bite on my s.h.i.+n was relatively healed up. It was clearly still present, as it had scabbed up. But a wound of that depth would never have healed perfectly, if at all. I was even planning to amputate my left leg below the knee if it got too bad. Maybe it was just my catastrophic thinking, because there was most likely no need for an amputation. Regardless, I shuddered at the thought of amputation without anesthetics. So much for the thoughts of it just being a flesh wound.

I wondered how surgeons practiced in the pre-anesthesia era. I just a.s.sumed they tied people down? And cut them open while they scream incessantly. How pleasant. It's a good thing there was no need to think about that right now. Overreacting is my specialty. Where would I get the tools to amputate myself, anyway? The sharpest thing in my house is probably a spoon. But you never know. Some say there was a murderer who killed people using solely spoons. Digging out of prisons using spoons is another common stereotype. Maybe spoons are a hidden weapon that no one knows about, and I have to keep some on hand at all times!

*Although, I might be able to find some sharper stuff in the surrounding houses. Anyway, am I a superhuman? How did I gain this abnormal healing factor...*

This was the other reason I didn't even need to consider amputation. Despite the ”tough guy” att.i.tude I was putting on earlier, the bite was pretty deep. There was no way it should have been humanly possibly to heal within a day.

*But I have no clue how long I was out for. The clock says it hasn't even been three hours, but the sun's in a completely different position in the sky. I think. Stupid clouds...*

As I fantasized about having superpowers (and what time it really was), I realized a group of ent.i.ties were trying to sneak up on me from multiple directions. This was a perfect opportunity for them. I was sitting down in the middle of the road, completely vulnerable. There was probably only one way for me to escape. Running down the middle of the street, where there was nothing in view. But this was an unlikely scenario.

I was fairly certain who my foe was this time. The rustles of the bushes grew increasingly louder.

*What it is this time? Show yourself.*

When the answer revealed itself, I was somewhat relieved, and somewhat exasperated. Indeed, my nemesis had shown itself once again. But this time, I was almost surrounded. I had a hunch this would happen.

*I didn't kill it, apparently... Does that thing have a superb healing factor, too? And you've brought your friends, huh?*

I remembered the pain from having to face one rabbit clearly. Of course I did, since it was literally the last thing I remembered before pa.s.sing out. But even though there were six of them this time, I knew for sure that I wasn't going to have a problem against them.

Why?

I couldn't describe the feeling accurately, but it was like my body had become lighter. And stronger. I could already tell, even though I was merely moving from a sitting to a standing position. Even though it was barely a difference, I could notice it. Also, my opponents are only rabbits. If I couldn't beat up a rabbit with my physique, I probably deserve to die to them.

I untied the s.h.i.+rt, which was acting as the makes.h.i.+ft bandage and tourniquet, and kicked it to the side, so I wouldn't trip on it during combat. That would be the most embarra.s.sing way to go.

”Come at me.” I provoked.

As if they understood my command, the 6-pack of rabbits charged at me as if they had seen red.

*Well, their eyes are red, so... maybe they only see red all the time? That would make sense.*

As the bunnies on steroids rapidly approached, I realized I may have been a little too hasty with my call to arms. Taking six opponents on at once was probably going to take a toll on me.

In a group of ten moving objects, the average human can only track four of them accurately. For ten seconds. Of course, when said objects are isolated, that number goes up slightly. Out of curiosity, I had experimented on myself to see how many moving objects *I* could keep track of at once. The number was eight. In other words, if you labeled eight circles on a screen A through H, hid the labels, and moved them around for ten seconds, I would be able to locate all of the labels with 100% accuracy. I didn't only do the test once, of course. My pride didn't let me have it. But eight was the highest I could go. Any more than that, and I couldn't handle the numbers.

Even though there are only six items I need to keep track of here, the circ.u.mstances are slightly different.

1. They're not on a screen or a static surface. Every time I tested this, I would always use objects on a screen or items shuffled under cups. They're in a three dimensional world, which means there's an added element of depth. This also means they could be behind me. And in no way was I fit to keep track of all of these enemies at once. Of course, when there's three of them behind me, I can't rely solely on sight to locate them. How many things could I keep track of solely by hearing them? Or relying on my other senses, for that matter? I had yet to test that, much less train it.

2. Every one of them poses a threat. Of course, when you're shuffling items under cups, those items are not likely to be spiders or something. There's no stress or unnecessary tension involved. Here, failure means small injury at best, death at worst. For me, who gets nervous easily, this is just another hindrance to my abilities - my ability to fight and react properly. That's right. In addition to having to keep track of six items that I may or may not be able to see, I have to respond accordingly. Not a simple response like placing labels, either. I need to attack and dodge correctly.

*Now isn't the time to be nervous, but that's easier said than done... focus up!*

I had to come up with a plan in less than three seconds.

*... alright, I guess I'll try this.*

I took a deep breath and charged to the side of the road, where three of the six rabbits were approaching me.

*Like this, I'll only need to pay attention to these three for now. I'll deal with the other three later.*

With that thought in mind, I focused on the task I a.s.signed myself.

*Well, even if I can focus on three targets at once, I only have two hands...*

So I decided to dash towards the one on the left side.

*This makes my job much easier. Let's get rid of you first.*

As it noticed my gaze, the already aggressive rabbit seemed to kick into overdrive. As it crossed onto the pavement from the gra.s.s, it leaped into the air to attack my face. As I was running at nearly full speed towards it, it was flying at full speed towards me. If we were both driving a car at this speed, the head-on collision would most likely be fatal. In this case, it would be undoubtedly fatal for the rabbit, since it was so smaller than me. I raised my right fist against it, and just as it was about to close in on me, I swung through with a light jab. I heard a familiar crinkle of small bones as my fist collided with the rabbit's head, which didn't even have the chance to open its mouth.

The thing was definitely dead this time. I didn't even need to inspect it to confirm the kill. Because the moment the rabbit started flying backwards, I could see that its head was somewhat caved in, and its neck was snapped at an unnatural angle.

I suddenly heard a short digital jingle in my head, as if a computer were indicating something of relevance had occurred. I was surprised, but whatever it was, I didn't have time to pay attention to it at the moment.

Another thing that surprised me was my strength. Although I knew my body had gotten stronger, I didn't realize the implications of the feeling until now. The rabbit I punched flew back over ten meters and collided with the garage door of the closest house with some force to spare. If my punch didn't kill it, the collision with the garage door definitely did. The crash alone would have disrupted the functions of many internal organs, with a concussion not out of the question.

*Well, that was perfect. My sudden increase in strength is definitely a blessing.*

The two other rabbits approaching me from the front had jumped at the same time as the first one. Thanks to my forward momentum, the two whizzed by my right side without even touching me. They landed in the middle of the street, right where the other three were approaching me from.

I admired my handiwork for a half second and turned around.

At this point, there were five remaining. And I had a clear visual on all of them.

*This is perfect.*

I knew where any possible threat could come from, and I didn't need to worry about my back since there was a wall there. I mean, it's a garage door, but it doesn't really make a difference.

*Despite seeing one of their comrades murdered in front of their eyes, their mental state doesn't seem affected at all.*

They were still charging at me with their beady red eyes, although they were in a different formation this time. Three of them were leading the charge, while the two that needed to switch direction after jumping at me followed in tandem.

*Uh... how am I going to do this...*