Chapter 14: - Greater Rat
In the dungeon, while it’s not something I should discuss, I told Anneliese about the details of Appraisal. I can’t divulge my personal information, so there’s no need to worry about her leaking it to anyone else.
I’ve only known Anneliese for a week since we met, and I don’t know her well enough to trust her completely, but she shouldn’t do anything to put me at a disadvantage, even without the constraints of being a slave. What I mean is, Anneliese won’t betray me, even if she’s not a slave anymore. I have an unfounded confidence in that.
“I understand. Your unique skills are Item Box and Detailed Appraisal, correct? With that in mind, I’ll assist you to the best of my ability,” Anneliese replied.
Even when she was an old lady, there were moments when she displayed adorable gestures, but in her current form, it’s dangerous. I might fall for her.
Dangerous. Being close to such a cute girl makes my heart race. I could use my position to do all sorts of lewd things, but I absolutely won’t. I’ve decided not to do so, or else my hands might end up wandering toward Anneliese’s chest.
“Uhm, sure, go ahead. I’ll tell you,” I said, trying to keep my composure.
We resumed exploring the dungeon, but Anneliese’s walking speed was much faster now. Until now, I had been adjusting my pace to hers, but this time, she slowed down to match mine. People can really change.
As always, I handled the fighting. It’s my leveling up process, after all. Thanks to the Mithril two-handed sword, I wasn’t having any trouble. After defeating the fifth Gray Rat, I leveled up. Since the Gray Rats are only around level 2, I can’t make a direct comparison, but I think I’m leveling up faster than when I was a villager.
After defeating a total of twelve Gray Rats and continuing forward, we reached a dead end.
“A dead end?” I asked.
“No, this is the boss room,” Anneliese replied.
What I had thought was a stone wall adorned with scroll-like carvings turned out to be a door. When I approached within about two meters, the door slowly opened, as if it were an automatic door.
“No one’s here. Let’s defeat the boss,” Anneliese said.
It seemed that the door wouldn’t open if someone was inside the boss room.
“Can I defeat it on my own at my current level?” I wondered aloud.
“To be honest, your combat skills are amateurish, Master. Under normal circumstances, I don’t think you could defeat it,” she replied.
She’s being brutally honest…
“However, Master, I’m here with you. I won’t fall behind in defeating the boss on the first floor,” she reassured me.
Of course, I had expected that. A level 21 mage isn’t a joke. But, I wanted to defeat the boss on my own this time.
“I want to defeat the boss on my own. I need your advice to make it happen. If I can’t do it now, it just means I have to level up more,” I explained.
“That’s a wonderful idea!” Anneliese exclaimed.
“Really? I thought you might say that…”
Anneliese bounced up and down, repeatedly saying, “That’s amazing!” She was incredibly cute.
“Dangerous. If she keeps this up, I might fall for her.”
Anneliese was enthusiastic, likely because she had regained her youthful appearance and was now able to move her body properly. Until now, she hadn’t been able to move well, so it was understandable that she was excited.
Now, what should I do? Can I trust Anneliese’s words when she’s in such high spirits? It’s not that I can’t trust her, but I’m worried that she might be getting carried away.
“Alright, let’s fight the boss!” I declared.
“Yes!” Anneliese replied, her eyes sparkling. I hoped she wouldn’t look at me like that; she was just too cute.
Upon entering the room, there was no one inside, as expected since the door wouldn’t open if someone was present.
“Hmm? There’s something on the ground,” I remarked.
There seemed to be something at the back of the room. Was that the boss? No, it couldn’t be…
“It appears that the explorers who came before us met their end,” Anneliese explained.
“Huh?”
“What’s there belonged to an explorer who was defeated by the boss.”
“Really…”
When explorers are defeated by the boss, their bodies are absorbed by the dungeon, but their possessions are left behind.
“It might not happen on the first floor, but on higher floors, the possessions of explorers who were defeated by the boss can be left unattended for a long time, causing their weapons and armor to transform,” she continued.
“Transform?”
“For example, a steel sword could turn into a magic sword.”
“A magic sword…”
Wanting to acquire the classic fantasy weapon is not unique to me. Someday, I’d like to obtain a magic sword.
Particles of light rose from the floor.
“The boss is about to appear,” Anneliese informed me.
I readied my Mithril two-handed sword in preparation for the boss’s arrival.
As the particles of light dissipated into a mist, a Greater Rat materialized.
“It’s a Greater Rat,” Anneliese identified.
Its appearance was the same as the regular Gray Rats, but it was about twice the size. So, this was the boss?
Its stats showed a high AGI. As Anneliese had mentioned, it seemed quite fast. However, its ATK and DEF were significantly lower than mine. This meant that I should be able to defeat it with a single blow from my Mithril two-handed sword.
In an attempt to gain the upper hand, I quickly closed the distance between myself and the Greater Rat.
“Take this!”
I swung my Mithril two-handed sword, but the Greater Rat leaped sideways to evade it.
“What!?”
The Greater Rat lunged at me.
“It’s so fast!”
I managed to block its attack with my Mithril two-handed sword, but its speed made it a challenging fight.
I adopted a defensive stance. My plan was to get used to the Greater Rat’s movements.
Buying armor had been the right decision. My HP only decreased by 1 or 2 points with each grazing attack. I could endure this. Armor was indeed crucial.
The minor scratches continued to accumulate, but I could still hold out. I needed to become accustomed to its movements and bide my time. I was waiting for the moment when I could deliver a single, decisive blow. I didn’t need to match its speed; one well-timed hit was all I needed.
I played the role of the shield-bearer, observing the Greater Rat’s movements.
My eyes gradually adjusted, and I grew more comfortable with its movements. Nevertheless, it remained incredibly fast. I just needed to endure until that one opportunity arose. I had to keep accumulating my strength.
“You’ll be fine, Master! You can definitely defeat the Greater Rat!” Anneliese cheered from the sidelines. I wished she’d cheer me on in a cheerleader outfit instead of her robe.
No, no, I shouldn’t be thinking about that right now.
“Hehehe,” I chuckled involuntarily.
I even had the leisure to glance at Anneliese while she cheered for me.
I attributed this newfound composure to the reassurance that Anneliese was there to support me. Although I knew she would come to my aid if things got dangerous, I had no intention of relying on her.
I continued to endure and endure, and finally, the moment arrived. The patience had paid off.
The Greater Rat’s movements were repetitive. Up, down, down, up, middle, down, up, middle. Its attack pattern repeated in this manner. While my attacks and its counterattacks differed, when I focused on defense, it consistently used this pattern of attacks.
I couldn’t easily grasp its movements due to its speed, but once I recognized this pattern, dealing with it became straightforward.
Among the Greater Rat’s attack patterns, there was a charge-up during its middle attack on the first occurrence. It seemed inviting, but the likelihood was low. Not impossible, but unlikely. It made for a bit of a gamble.
“It’s a game of my luck versus your intelligence. Now, which one will prevail?” I muttered.
Up, down, down, up… It’s here, this is it!
It’s difficult to grasp its movements due to its speed, but once I understood this pattern, dealing with it became easy.
Among the Greater Rat’s attack patterns, there’s a charge-up during its middle attack on the first occurrence. It might seem inviting, but the probability is low. Not impossible, but unlikely. So, it was somewhat of a gamble.
“My luck versus your intelligence. Now, which one will prevail?” I muttered.
Up, down, down, up… It’s here, this is it!
Without hesitation, I kicked the floor. If this was a lure, I would likely suffer significant damage. But fearing that would mean missing the opportunity for victory. Summoning my courage, I launched an all-or-nothing attack, a move to secure my victory!
“Hyaaaaah!”
The Greater Rat’s eyes widened. It tried to dodge, but too slowly. My Mithril two-handed sword plunged deeply into its forehead.
A shattering sound, like glass breaking, filled the air. Simultaneously, the Greater Rat’s form disappeared.
“I…I won…”
“As expected of Master!”
“Oops.”
Anneliese jumped at me. I caught her, but we both fell on our backs.
Right now, my face was buried in Anneliese’s chest.
I felt so content that I wouldn’t mind dying in this moment.
“………..”
“Master, Master, Master, Master. You’re amazing.”
I take back what I said earlier. I’m going to die! I can’t breathe!
“…”
I tapped her with both hands to communicate that I need to breathe and not die in happiness.
“Oh!? I’m so sorry.”
“Huff…huff… It’s alright. In a way, it was a blissful moment.”
“What…what do you mean?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
Desires can sometimes kill people. Note to self.
“Master, here’s the drop item.”
Anneliese picked something up and showed it to me.
“Is this a tail?”
“It’s the tail of the Greater Rat. It can be used as an ingredient for making medicine.”
“Medicine ingredient?”
▼Detailed Appraisal Results▼
Greater Rat Tail: Used as an ingredient for antidotes. A common drop item from Greater Rats. Can be exchanged for 1500 guild coins at the guild.