Codex of Predation: Is It Wrong to Steal Goddesses’ Hearts?

After hours of walking through the forest with extreme caution, Dante could feel exhaustion weighing down every muscle in his body. It wasn't just physical fatigue that troubled him—his mind was nearing its limit too. Being ambushed by a beast again was not an option.

Every step was calculated. He paid close attention even to the twigs and dry leaves beneath his feet, trying to avoid any unnecessary noise that might give away his presence.

"Huff... man, this forest never ends..." he muttered, breathless.

The sky was still bright, and when he looked up, an idea struck him. Scanning the surroundings, he spotted a tree that stood out from the rest—taller, broader, more imposing. If he could climb to the top, he might at least get a sense of where he was… and where he needed to go.

When he reached the base of the tree, his eyes examined the thick trunk, which had to be at least seven meters in circumference. Tilting his head back to gaze at the top, he swallowed hard. Falling from up there… at best, would mean breaking every bone in his body.

He took a deep breath and began the climb, moving carefully. He tested each branch before relying on it, making sure it could bear his weight.

After nearly forty minutes of silent, intense climbing, he finally reached the canopy. Panting, with his muscles tense and aching, he leaned against a sturdy branch.

"Haaah... finally, the top..." he whispered through heavy breaths, feeling the breeze cool his face and dry the sweat on his skin.

He looked toward the horizon. In every direction, the forest stretched like a sea of green, but to the south... he saw something. Buildings. Houses. A city.

"So it's to the south, huh..." he murmured, a relieved smile spreading across his face.

Unfortunately, the relief didn't last long. When he looked down, the excitement popped like a deflating balloon. Climbing down would be far worse than going up.

Even so, he didn't hesitate. Tracing his path with the same caution, he began the descent, gripping tightly and trying to maintain balance.

After a few minutes, his feet finally touched the ground again. He took a deep breath of relief and continued heading south, now with a clear destination in mind.

No matter how alert he was, though, the forest had plans of its own.

A soft rustling sound made him snap his head to the right. He grabbed a stone from the ground and took a defensive stance, ready to face whatever threat appeared.

But… it wasn't a fierce beast that emerged.

It was two rabbits. Small, white, with red eyes, silently observing him.

Dante eased his guard—slightly. They were adorable, with twitching noses and fluffy little paws scratching themselves. Even so, he didn't let his guard down completely. Appearances could be deceiving.

The rabbits kept staring at him, then gave a few small hops in his direction.

Dante tightened his grip on the stone, tense… but the rabbits merely approached and began sniffing him with their damp little noses. Harmless.

Cautiously, he crouched and extended a hand, petting one of their ears. He smiled, charmed, and soon scooped them into his arms. For a moment, he wondered if he could take them with him. As strange as it sounded… maybe he'd found some company.

But the forest was not kind.

Behind him, silent, a third rabbit emerged from the bushes. This one was different—larger, more muscular, with fur black as night. A single white horn protruded from its forehead, around fifteen centimeters long.

Without blinking, the rabbit fixed its yellow eyes on Dante's unguarded back. It hopped forward noiselessly. When it was just a meter away, it tensed its hind legs and lunged—aiming straight for the boy's neck with deadly precision.

But then…

Dante suddenly ducked, as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

The rabbit soared over him, its horn stabbing deep into the tree ahead.

The system had warned him at the very last second.

"D-damn… I almost died…" he muttered, stunned, staring at the scene.

CHOMP!

"AGH! SHIT!" he screamed in pain.

A sharp sting hit his arms. He looked down and saw the two white rabbits sinking their teeth into his flesh. Big teeth. Barbed. Razor-sharp.

With a violent motion, he threw them to the ground and stumbled backward, arms bleeding heavily.

The rabbits stared at him in silence. Then they quickly ran toward the black one, who was still trying to free its horn from the tree. The two positioned themselves in front of it, as if protecting it—glaring at Dante with an animalistic… almost sentient aura.

"Fucking rabbits… how could I fall for that so easily?!" he shouted, furious with himself.

But the worst was yet to come.

Bushes around him began to rustle. The trees, the shadows, the holes in the ground—rabbits emerged from everywhere.

Dozens of them. Some white. Some black. All with sharp horns.

At the front, a rabbit larger than all the others, with two long golden horns and sharp claws, growled at him.

Dante froze. Sweat ran down his temples. His heart pounded out of control.

"Shit…" he whispered, feeling his survival instincts scream inside him.

————-

**My Patreon is coming soon — stay tuned.**