Chapter 18: Back To Floor 1 (3)
Goblins were no longer a match for me.
Therefore, we ventured deeper and encountered a white mass. Though we could only see its back, it stood out starkly in a forest that was entirely green.
Lydia, leading the way, extended her arm to halt us, announcing,
Its a Horn Rabbit.
Unlike goblins, they at least look cute.
They were somewhat large for rabbits, about the size of a medium-sized dog. Its white fur was fluffy, and the expression it wore while nibbling on grass was the epitome of harmlessness.
Except for the horn on its forehead and its slightly larger size, it looked no different from an ordinary rabbit.
Dont let its appearance deceive you. Theres a reason it resides deeper than the Wandering Goblins.
I have some information on Horn Rabbits, so dont worry.
Alright.
Lydia nodded with a complex expression. Did she doubt me? In these situations, actions speak louder than words.
Gripping the dagger, I approached the Horn Rabbit.
If cowardice and cruelty were the defining traits of a goblin, then speed was the hallmark of a Horn Rabbit.
Being originally a rabbit, it was incredibly fast. In terms of burst speed, it was considered the fastest on the first floor. Darting around at such speed and stabbing into the stomachs of other creatures with its horn was the hunting style of a Horn Rabbit.
Given such characteristics, the orthodox method of capturing a Horn Rabbit was well-known. Block the charging Horn Rabbit with a thick shield and kill the creature as it staggers from the impact. Thats the end of it.
Its skin is no different from that of an ordinary rabbit; even a poor hit would quickly kill it.
But that strategy was irrelevant to me, who had no shield, and even if I did, I wouldnt have been able to manage it due to its weight
The important thing here was that an adventurer from the first floor could respond to its speed if they remained fully alert.
And I was confident that my instantaneous speed was even faster than theirs.
In other words, it means that the monster, which relies solely on speed, is outpaced by me!
Rustle.
Kyu-it?
The Horn Rabbit turned around at the sound of me stepping on the grass. Though it cried out in a cute voice, that was its own way of declaring war.
My prediction wasnt wrong; it immediately dashed forward, kicking off the ground.
Its definitely fast. But if you asked whether it was too fast for the eyes to follow, it wasnt to that extent.
Ugh.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com
I dodged slightly and slashed the Horn Rabbits flank with my dagger.
Perhaps because both of our speeds were so fast, the impact felt in my hand was so strong that I ended up dropping the dagger.
I aimed my crossbow at the Horn Rabbit that swiftly passed by me To put it short, there was no need for that.
Because the Horn Rabbit, with its side deeply torn, was already dying.
Kyuuit!
Its tragic final words. The creature, struggling with its intestines spilling out, soon went limp.
Thats it?
I did expect this to be an easy match, but I didnt expect it to be simpler than a goblin.
As I tilted my head and approached to take care of the Horn Rabbits corpse, thats when it happened.
Kyuuiik!
Kyuaaak!
Kyukyukkakka!
The cries of Horn Rabbits were coming from all around.
M, Miss Lydia? Whats happening?!
As expected, that wasnt a compliment.
Lydia, with her eyes sharply narrowed, drummed the top of my head. It felt like a series of painless knocks.
I wasnt really trying to tease her, but when someone who usually doesnt act all high and mighty does, it makes you want to tease them.
Eventually, after enduring her beatings(?) until Lydias mood lightened, I was able to look around us.
The grass lay sideways as if trampled by a giant. Scattered atop it were chunks of red meat.
Wow. Its fortunate that some magic stones were left. The horns have turned to dust, though.
Magic stones from living monsters are quite durable. Theyre just weak to power.
By power you mean like holy power?
Yes. Aura and mana are included as well.
Indeed. Strictly speaking, both were the powers of a dead god.
I nodded inwardly and picked out the magic stones from among the blood clots. Along with them, I harvested the horn from the first rabbit I killed.
Watching the monsters bodies turn to dust and scatter, I steeled my motivation.
Eutcha! Come to think of it, isnt this the first time Miss Lydia has helped me?
Thats right. Youve fought well on your own until now.
Since this is the first mistake Ive made, Ill do even better from now on! Lets move to the next area quickly!
Positive attitude. Commendable.
Lydia smiled, then led the way again, and I followed her to start hunting once more.
Knowing that I could drop my dagger from the recoil, or that they could call their pack before dying, I added a bit of variation to the combat accordingly.
For example, instead of swinging a dagger at the right time, Id try shooting the crossbow toward the trajectory of the oncoming charge, or quickly killing the Horn Rabbit so it couldnt call for its group even if it died.
Or even if it did, I would have my back against a thick tree that not even a Horn Rabbit could penetrate and narrow the directions that I needed to guard.
As if to make up for the initial mistake, I proceeded to clear out the goblins and Horn Rabbits without any mistakes.
Whether it was good luck or bad, I encountered a lot of monsters today and quickly filled up my backpack.
Having caught enough to be satisfied, we were on our way back.
-uhguyah!
-isover!
Clang! Cl-chang!
Huh?
A faint voice from afar. And the unmistakable sound of metal clashing.
Miss Lydia. This is.
Over there. Someone is being attacked by another adventurer.
Perhaps its because she possesses far more sensitive senses than I do. Lydia, having overheard a conversation I had almost completely missed, quickly grasped the situation and turned from the direction she was heading without hesitation.
This was our first encounter with another adventurer in the labyrinth, and it just so happened to be at the scene of a raid.
Quietly hunting monsters in the labyrinth qualifies one as an adventurer. However, killing such adventurers and stripping them of their magic stones and equipment makes one a raider.
Naturally, no one complained about the immediate execution of raiders. The raiders who have survived so far were either lucky beginners, cunning, or unbelievably strong. They had to be at least one of these three.
But with Lydia going, they probably wouldnt stand a chance before meeting their end.
I had just witnessed Lydias strength today, after all. No matter what a mere adventurer from the first floor could attempt, they wouldnt be able to touch even a single hair on Lydias head.
With such optimism, we arrived at the scene. But there, unexpected figures were present.
Huh?
The two thug elves who had stolen my 8 copper.
Those two bhes were the ones being attacked.
