The protective barrier around Julius flickered and vanished completely. The rabbits, sensing their chance, surged forward with renewed aggression, their glowing red eyes fixed on the now-vulnerable targets. It was like a floodgate had opened, and their sharp teeth glistened as they charged relentlessly.

  "Felix! Cover them!" Tom shouted, his voice firm amidst the chaos. Without hesitation, he repositioned himself, determined to intercept as many rabbits as possible.

  His fists moved in a relentless flurry, punching and dodging with an almost rhythmic precision. Yet for every rabbit he struck down, two more seemed to leap out of the fiery chaos surrounding them, their numbers seemingly endless. It was overwhelming, but Tom knew he couldn't afford to slow down.

  Felix moved quickly, positioning himself in front of Julius and Jenny. Drawing his short sword, he held it in a defensive stance, his movements lacking the confidence of a seasoned fighter. He glanced nervously at the encroaching horde. "I'm not a tank yet, Tom!" he shouted, his voice betraying his fear.

  "Just hold the line for a few seconds!" Tom barked back, not breaking his focus on the swarm. His hands moved like lightning, smashing into the rabbits and sending them flying. "Julius, how close are you to stopping that damn spell?"

  "I need at least another minute!" Julius yelled, panic evident in his voice as he clutched his staff tightly. His eyes darted between the flames and the approaching rabbits, sweat dripping down his face.

  In the midst of the chaos, something shifted within Tom. It was as though his body began moving on its own, finding a rhythm in the madness. Each punch landed with precision and speed, his movements fluid and unyielding.

  He had been relying on the balanced stance he was most familiar with, but instinctively, he switched to the offensive stance, throwing caution to the wind. His defensive posture was abandoned, replaced by raw, unbridled aggression.

  His punches grew faster and sharper. Every blow carried the weight of his determination. He began to notice the effects of his upgraded passive skill, "Punching Fury." Each time the skill's double-hit effect triggered, Tom felt a surge of speed, allowing him to quickly reposition and strike another rabbit within moments. The skill wasn't just accelerating his attacks, it was enhancing his entire movement.

  Despite the chaos, Tom's mind calculated every step. He used the brief speed boost from his passive to dart forward, closing gaps between enemies, delivering quick, devastating blows.

  Rabbits fell left and right, their bodies piling up as Tom whirled through the battlefield like a storm. His three teammates watched in awe, frozen by the sheer ferocity of his movements.

  Felix, who had been prepared to fight for his life, found himself lowering his sword. "I don't think I even need to fight," he muttered under his breath, astonished by Tom's speed. No rabbit even came close to their group as Tom intercepted every single one before they could reach them.

  At some point during the battle, Tom's hood, which usually rested at his back, was thrown up by the wind of his own movements.

  It fell over his head, concealing his face. The sight of him, shrouded in the hood, radiating an almost predatory aura, sent chills down his teammates' spines. Even Felix unconsciously took a step back.

  Jenny clutched her staff tightly, her eyes wide as she watched Tom's transformation. He wasn't just fighting, he had become something primal, something untamed. It was as though a wild beast stood in his place.

  Tom didn't know what came over him, but in the heat of the moment, he let out a deafening roar from deep within. The sound echoed across the battlefield, overpowering even the crackling of Julius's uncontrollable flames.

  Everything seemed to freeze for a moment. The rabbits, once fearless, stopped in their tracks, their glowing red eyes shifting from hunger to terror.

  And then, something miraculous happened. The rabbits turned tail and bolted, leaping back into the very flames they had come from. Their frenzied retreat left the battlefield eerily quiet. Julius's fire spell still raged, but the immediate threat was gone. No more rabbits emerged from the flames.

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  Seconds passed in stunned silence. Finally, Julius stamped his staff into the ground, the fire ring dissipating into smoke and ash. The four of them stood in the aftermath, surrounded by scorched earth and the remains of their attackers.

  Normally, they would have retreated at this point, but the danger was temporarily abated. Tom, however, let himself fall backward onto the ground, his body sinking into the dirt.

  It wasn't physical exhaustion. He hadn't felt that since his transformation into a golem. No, this was mental exhaustion, the toll of surviving the impossible. His chest heaved as he stared at the sky, a small smile tugging at his lips.

  Felix and Jenny approached cautiously, concern etched on their faces. They exchanged glances, but when they saw Tom smiling, they both let out a collective sigh of relief. The tension that had gripped them began to fade.

  "What was that all about!" Felix barked, rounding on Julius with a mixture of frustration and lingering fear. "You almost killed us, you idiot!"

  Julius looked down, clutching his charred staff like a lifeline. He avoided Felix's piercing gaze. "It wasn't my fault," he mumbled weakly. "I didn't expect the spell to spiral out of control like that. I just… didn't have enough mana to stop it."

  Felix threw his hands in the air, exasperated. "You didn't have enough mana? That's your excuse? Then why the hell would you cast something you couldn't handle in the first place?"

  Jenny, still shaken, interjected softly, "Maybe we should calm down. We all made it out alive, didn't we?"

  Felix scoffed, his frustration unabated. "Barely! And only because Tom went berserk and scared them off. Otherwise, we'd all be rabbit chow right now."

  Tom, still lying on the ground, raised a hand lazily. "Guys… can we save the yelling for later? I think I've earned at least five minutes of quiet."

  Felix sighed and stepped back, crossing his arms. "Fine. But this isn't over, Julius. You need to get your act together if we're going to make it through the tournament."

  Julius said nothing, his face pale as he stared at the scorched battlefield. Jenny knelt down beside Tom, her hands trembling slightly. "Thank you… for protecting us," she said softly.

  Tom opened one eye and gave her a small grin. "Don't mention it. But next time, let's try not to piss off an army of rabbits, okay?"

  Jenny nodded, her expression softening. Felix, meanwhile, sat down heavily on a nearby rock, muttering under his breath. Julius, still clutching his staff, stared at the ground, clearly shaken by the events.

  For now, they had survived. But Tom knew that this was only the beginning. If they were to face tougher opponents in the upcoming tournament, they had a lot of work to do.

  After a few minutes of peace, Tom sat up, brushing dirt off his clothes and facing his teammates. His breathing had steadied, and though he still felt mentally drained, his focus was already shifting to the next step.

  "How much experience did you guys get?" he asked, breaking the silence.

  Jenny's face lit up. "I reached level 35!" she said, her excitement evident. Gaining three levels in one session was a huge leap for her, considering she typically managed one level per day, even on a good day.

  "That's great!" Tom said, genuinely pleased for her. He turned to Julius, who had been uncharacteristically quiet. Julius rubbed his nose awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

  "Spit it out already," Felix said, crossing his arms and glaring at him.

  "Uh… well, I reached level 35 as well," Julius admitted, his tone uncertain as if bracing for backlash.

  Felix's eyes narrowed. "Don't joke with us. There's no way you, of all people, gained that many levels."

  "I'm not joking! I'm serious!" Julius said, his voice defensive.

  Tom held up a hand to stop Felix from launching into another tirade. "Hey, calm down. It might actually be true," he said, considering the situation. "Think about it, experience in a party is distributed based on how much you contribute to killing the monsters.

  We don't know exactly how much health the rabbits lost when they charged out of the flames, but given the sheer number of them and how long we fought, Julius could've racked up a lot of experience just by being there."

  Felix frowned but didn't argue. "Well… at least one good thing came out of this mess," he muttered.

  Tom nodded. "Yeah, but we should call it a day for now. Jenny and Julius are completely out of mana, and if we keep going, they won't be able to contribute. That means they won't get much experience from the kills."

  "I agree," Felix said. "We'll regroup tomorrow and try again. Hopefully with fewer… fiery accidents."

  Jenny and Julius nodded in agreement, both visibly exhausted. Julius, in particular, looked like he'd been hit by a train mentally, if not physically. Jenny, despite her drained mana, seemed more optimistic, buoyed by her unexpected progress.

  "We should also work on our teamwork," Tom added. "I don't think we did badly today, considering the chaos, but there's definitely room for improvement. We've got a few days left before the tournament. Let's make the most of them."

  Everyone nodded, their expressions a mix of relief and determination. Each of them pulled out a teleportation scroll, ripping it in sync.

  A flash of light enveloped them as they teleported back to the city, leaving behind the scorched battlefield littered with the remains of countless rabbits.

  Unbeknownst to them, a pair of red eyes watched their every move from the shadows.