“And that’s a hundred!”
The hundredth killer rabbit turns to smoke and disappears.
Ten were enough for me to level up, so now I’m at level four. That gives me six SP, but I decide to save these. I’ve been pumping these precious points into Luck, but I want to be able to use them without hesitation if there ever comes a time when I have to use them in battle or I die.
“…”
Use them… Kuh…
I feel like I would hesitate even if that time came. It just feels like a waste…
And as I’m thinking that, much like before, the smoke rises like it has a mind of its own, and moves.
“S-so fast!”
Unlike the first floor, there aren’t any twists and turns here. And I guess since it doesn’t need to control its speed, it moves at top speed right from the start. But I’ve grown too, and my Agility is at sixty-six, so I can keep up!
The smoke crosses a river and rushes through the plain, showing no sign of stopping.
There are some goblins along the way, but strangely enough, they all run away like they’re scared of the smoke.
“I’ve never seen them scared like that. And I’m pretty sure there aren’t any dead-ends here, so where is it going… Tch, now it’s going into a forest!?”
The smoke ignores the few young trees and weeds, and keeps on heading deeper. But I’ve never been inside a forest here, so I’m not used to the weeds and trees, get my foot caught, and end up losing sight of the smoke.
“Dammit… But it’s heading straight ahead. I should reach it if I keep running straight too!”
Strangely, as I run through this forest with no monsters, I suddenly reach an open area. There are no flowers or any sort of vegetation, it’s a completely empty space.
And it looks like in the time it took me to get here, the smoke cleared.
A stout rabbit that could be described as a giant boar is glaring at me. It has two horns on its head that look sharper than a killer rabbit’s and are twisted like screws, and its blood red eyes are filled with pure bloodlust. It’s like all the resentment from all the killer rabbits I’ve beaten is bottled up inside it.
“Appraisal.”
＊＊＊＊＊
Name: Murder Rabbit
Level: 20
Equipment: None
Skill: Swift
＊＊＊＊＊
“Gyuu…!”
“Swift? I don’t know that skill, but the name tells me… It’s gone!?”
Where did that thing go? Wait….”
“There!?”
“Gih!”
Thump!
I point my sword to the side, and the murder rabbit’s horns are already right in front of me.
I manage to quickly move to block it with my sword, but that surprise attack means my position isn’t good.
I just barely block it with the iron sword, and I take the full impact on its blade. My arms sting from the strong impact, and a loud metallic sound echoes from the sword, that sounds like death.
This isn’t good!
“Kuh… Oryah!”
“Gih!?”
I raise my sword to let Physical Strength do the talking, and when it turns its head, I kick it and take some distance.
Crack crack, crack!
I manage to get away from it, but my sword shatters at the base.
I guess that headbutt can shatter iron. Also, I just sort of felt it was coming from the side and used my sword, but was that thanks to the Foresight skill? Honestly, I’d probably be dead without it.
“If one attack destroyed my sword, I can only imagine it’d be fatal even through the armor. So my weapon and my armor are useless… Should I run?”
Thankfully, there are trees around us. And that big body won’t be able to pass through them so easily.
Right now, I really want the steel equipment those stalkers and that hobgoblin had. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have a problem using it with my higher stats, and I feel like I’d actually be able to fight that thing if I had it.
“I’m unprepared.”
Honestly, I underestimated rare monsters. I figured I beat one on the first floor, so I should be able to do it again on the second floor. It looks like I got too conceited.
That’s enough reflecting. I have to do what must be done.
“Live to fight another day!!”
“Gigih!?”
I turn my back to the murder rabbit, and run as fast as I can as I dive into the forest.
“Gii! Giiiii!!”
It’s yelling something behind me. I guess a guy he hates running away is pissing it off.
“Sorry. I’ll take you on again with better equipment…”
Bam! Crack crack crack!
“Ah?”
Bam! Crack crack crack crack!
Bam!! Crack crack crack crack crack!!
“You’re kidding… That thing’s charging this way!”
And it’s accelerating quickly with its skill and mowing trees down. And when its momentum is weakened, it backs down to get a running start and keeps on charging.
Doing that over and over is closing the distance between us!
“Kuh.”
Gigiih!!”
Bam!! Crack crack crack crack crack!!!
I immediately dodge to the side, as it sends trees flying and passes right through. It looks like once it gets going, it can’t stop. It really is like a boar.
But I don’t have time to feel relieved, as I hear the sound of trees going down again.
“Dammit, I can’t escape like this. And even if I make it out, the trees are the whole reason why it can’t run at full speed. Once I get out into the plain, it’s gonna catch me for sure!”
Then I just have to do it…!
“I can’t use my sword, so the only weapons I can use are magic and…”
I open my bag as I run, and they pop out.
“…Can I use these? Well, depends on how…”
I keep running while formulating a plan, and heading towards a place where I can put it into motion.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
I’m back in that open area. Apparently I’ve lost that thing after playing tag without a break.
From what I can tell from looking at the map, it’s still wandering around in the forest. Can it not leave the forest? Or does it have some abnormal grudge towards me, and is still looking around trying to find me…
In any case, the stage is set for me to beat it. Everything is ready, including my heart, so now I just have to take it on and blow it away!
“I’m here, big bunny! I’m ready to face you!!”
I yell loudly towards it. I have a plan to use its anger, but first I have to get it to come here!
“Gigi!? Gigii!!”
It yells, and I hear the shrieks from the trees again. It took the bait, and I see on the map that it’s heading this way in a straight line. The first phase of my plane is a success.
I hold the weapons I’ll use in both hands, and keep reserves on the ground near me. I put my bag aside because it’d get in the way.
Anytime you’re ready.
“Gigiii!!”
Bam! Crack crack crack!
“Almost here?”
I see some trees going down nearby. It’s almost here.
That thing is really doing a number on the trees here. And so, I estimate where it will appear… No, I know it, and stretch my arm towards it.
“Fireball.”
A Fireball appears in front of me, and the monster appears diagonally.
Bam! Crack crack crack!
“Fire!”
Bam!
“Gigih!?”
No matter how agile it is, it’s bound to hit when it can only run in a straight line. And it can’t stop either. I planned this based on what it showed me.
If I did this in the forest, I might end up caught in a fire, but I’m safe here in this open area.
But rare monsters aren’t as soft as to go down to one Fireball. It gets burned, but keeps running towards me, so I switch over to Throw.
Woosh woosh woosh!
I’m throwing killer rabbit horns.
Judging by how it broke my sword, I don’t think iron knives would do. But thanks to my Physical Strength and the Throw skill, the killer rabbit horns sink deeper into its head than I expected.
“G-gigi…!”
It loses its balance and falls, but there’s still life in its eyes.
It’s trying to put strength into its legs to get up.
“You’re still alive? I still have plenty of your friends’ horns. Take this, big bunny.”
Woosh woosh woosh woosh woosh!!
“Gi…”
Just as I’m running out of the horns I left on the ground, it finally goes down. And then, smoke comes out of its body.
“Buha, I did it somehow…”
I see my level go from four to twenty-five, and fall on the ground facing up, exhausted.
Join my patreon to support me and read ahead.
21 levels?! That seems like a bit much considering that the rabbit is only level 20, but I won’t question it. We don’t know how the level up system in this world works anyways.