Volume 2: Chapter 2 - First Boss
「We have confirmed that you have been killed 15 slimes, and you have been promoted from 10th Rank to 9th Rank.」
When I looked at the explorer tag returned to me, the display had changed to "9th Rank" and "Last Floor Reached: 1st floor".
I don't know how it works, but the guild can read the information about monster kills recorded on the explorer tag.
I had successfully become a 9th Rank Explorer.
「Please conquer up to the 5th floor and prepare your base before the end of the beginner's period.」
The beginner's period is the period of 30 days after arriving here, during which time you can use the beginning room.
So you need to be able to live here to some extent by then.
「It's not even noon yet, but let's have a meal.」
After leaving the guild, I visited a place that looked like a food court.
Among the menus that I could have found in a Japanese food court, I saw a rabbit bowl, so I ordered it.
「Here you go, 500 Auro.」
I took the bowl from the old man in an apron and sat down in an empty seat.
The meat looked like chicken.
It smelled like a beef bowl.
「Bon appétit!」
I put the rabbit meat in my mouth with the rice that had absorbed the broth.
Yep, it is delicious.
The taste of the sweet and spicy broth is similar to that of beef bowls often found in chain restaurants.
But the meat had a different taste and texture.
The more you chew it, the more the flavor comes out.
There was no peculiarity, and it was easy to eat.
「It was my first time eating rabbit meat, but it was pretty good.」
By the way, the rice was just plain cooked white rice.
「Now then, let's go back to the dungeon」
After finishing my bowl of rabbit meat, I returned the dishes and headed back to the dungeon entrance.
To check my strength, I decided to explore the dungeon as far as I can go today.
Once in the dungeon again, I walked through the grassy field, kicking away the occasional slime I encountered.
Looking at the notes, I went through the first floor and saw a red magic circle.
「Here we go!」
As I lightly jumped and got on the magic circle, my vision went into a whiteout, and when it subsided after a few seconds, the scenery had changed.
A large open space.
Tall grass surrounded me.
It was about the size of a playground.
I moved to the edge of the square and tried to wade through the grass, but I could not touch it.
It was a strange sensation as if there was a wall that I could not touch, from which I could not move on.
「You can't escape from the boss, huh?」
Yes, this square surrounded by grass is the boss area.
The red magic circle leads to this boss area, and once you enter, you basically have to defeat the boss monsters that appear to get out.
「Oh, it's here」
I turned around and looked at the center of the plaza and saw particles of light gathering there.
The light particles gathered and became a cluster, emitting a bright light.
Where the light settled, a rabbit with a horn appeared.
It was a monster called the Horned Rabbit.
It was about the size of a large dog, with long, sharp horns sprouting from its forehead.
It was snickering and staring at me with a downcast expression, the tip of its horns pointed at me.
「Then, here I go」
I took out a 【Mithril Sword】 and a 【Round Steel Shield】 from my inventory and equipped them.
Because no one else can come into the boss area.
「Gyuuig!」
With a deafening cry, the Horned Rabbit rushes forward.
As befits a beast, it was quite fast.
Normally, I would have said it was blindingly fast, but fortunately, I have improved my various abilities by leveling up.
「Naive!」
I followed its movement with my eyes, read its trajectory, and pointed my shield at it as it jumped up to stab me with the corner of its forehead.
「Gyuah!?」
Immediately after feeling the impact through the shield, I open my body while stepping forward.
Behind the shield, the Horned Rabbit, which had bounced back from its thrust, was swimming in the air with a lot of gaps.
Then I swung my sword down on it.
「Ggyiihh ......!」
A shrill, short scream.
Thanks to the level-up, <One-Handed Swordsmanship N+>, and the correction from the 【Mithril Sword】, the mithril blade easily sliced the Horn Rabbit in half.
The Horned Rabbit fell to the ground with a thud and convulsed for a moment before vanishing, leaving behind a silver coin, an 【Exp Crystal】, and a large horn.
「Easy peasy.」
At least for me, though.
If your level is low or you don't have the right skills or equipment, you'll have a hard time with dealing the Horned Rabbit.
Still, beginners have the 【Beginner】 series, and if you fortify yourself with it, you will hardly take any damage.
In addition, there are not many explorers who would take on this boss solo from the start, and most beginners usually form a party with other beginners or receive help from experienced explorers.
The biggest advantage of the clan is that they can receive such assistance.
If it weren't for Sera, I would have joined a clan somewhere.
「Now then, I have to take this one home with me.」
【Horned Rabbit Horns】 will be bought for around 1,000 Auro.
For me, it's just a little bit of money, but it's a lot of money for a regular explorer.
It would be unnatural for me not to bring it back, since it was the loot from the first boss.
After picking up the silver coin, crystal, and longhorn, a blue magic circle, and a white magic circle appeared at the back of the boss area.
The blue magic circle is for returning, the red magic circle is for going to the boss area, and the white magic circle is for moving to another floor.
One can go to the next floor, return to the previous floor, or jump to a completely different floor.
The magic circle at the entrance dungeon, whether to the first floor or to a designated floor, is white.
It is impossible to tell where it leads just by looking at the magic circle.
But the white magic circle that appears in the boss area goes to the next floor.
It is also possible to get on the blue one here and go back home.
If you get on the blue magic circle that appears in the boss area, you can also start from one floor further up the floor next time.
「Then, let's go to the next one.」
Still, I chose white.
After all, I still have a lot of energy left in me.
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