BXBX NOVEL Chapter 361 360: Boss Time?
Kat PoV
A giant rat - roughly my height - turned its beady black eyes towards me, its whiskers twitching as it stopped gnawing on the bones scattered under its large paws, before it started to bound over to me, gnashing its large front teeth.
Raising my daggers, I waited for it to be a foot or so in front of me before I dodged off to the side, avoiding its chomp as it tried to bite my head clean off my shoulders.
It looked at the spot I was in moments earlier in confusion, only to squeal in pain as my dagger scored a cut on its hind leg.
However, even though I damaged the monster, I frowned as I noticed how shallow the cut itself was, meaning this monster was a tad more resilient to physical damage, or at last slashing damage.
Piercing damage was something I had tried yet, and if that failed, then I would begin to use magic.
Jumping back, I avoided the swinging of its tail as it turned, the long, spindly pink appendage whipping towards my skull at shocking speeds.
Gnashing its teeth at me in anger, the rat lunged forwards, its maw wide open as it feinted another chomp, only to swing one of its paws towards my face, the razor sharp claws gleaming in the harsh orange light.
Ducking under its swing, I scored another shallow cut on its front leg, wanting to get some damage in when I could.
Squealing at me once more, the rat pressed forwards, biting the air above my head as I narrowly rolled away, only to slam both of its front legs into the ground, trying to break me under its weight.
With its paws sunk slightly into the rocky floor, the rat needed to wrench them free, providing me a moment to attack.
Lunging forwards, I raised my Protective Fang high into the air before stabbing it downwards, into the knee of its hind leg.
My heavy dagger sunk deep into the rats flesh, tearing through it with ease before chipping the bone.
Twisting it, I tore the muscles around its knee before pulling the dagger free, listening to the rats pained squeals as it tried to turn, only to squeal louder as it put weight on its now lame leg.
As I prepared to lunge forwards again, I frowned as I instead backed away, noticing that its black eye had shifted to red, and that the tips of its fur had begun to emit a red hue.
Still squealing in pain, the rat glared hatefully at me for a few moments more before taking a deep breath.
Letting out a high pitched, echoing shriek, the rat stared at me triumphantly as squeaks sounded out around us, and I cursed softly as I heard the sounds of more rats scurrying towards us.
Deciding to take it a little more serious, I activated a Wind Cloak and dashed forwards, sheathing the dagger in mana as well.
Slipping under its paw once more, I stabbed up into its elbow, piercing the flesh easier this time as I dragged the blade towards its shoulder, the rat squealing the entire time.
Yanking the dagger free, I cursed again as the summoned rats made themselves known, scurrying into the room and leaping between me and the boss rat.
Nursing its bloodied arm and hind leg, the boss rat squeaked, and the assembled rats lunged forwards.
Frowning, I sheathed my dagger in more mana and created a longsword of coalesced wind, which I used to slice through the attacking rats.
Severing them in half, I worked on the second wave of rats before turning back towards the boss rat, which I duly noted was much more red than before.
Also, it no longer squeaked nor squealed, but growled.
Oh, and those long, flat teeth had shifted into curved, sharpened fangs.
Opening its maw once more, I rolled away - through the now dissipating rat guts and corpses - and winced as the room began to heat up as a fireball splashed harmlessly on the ground beside me.
Shooting another towards me, it swiped forwards with its uninjured paw, trying to corral me into being hit.
Sadly for it, I had water magic, which I used to protect myself from the fireball before bursting forwards, surprising it.
Clenching my blade, I stabbed upwards and pierced through its jaw, shutting it closed as my dagger sunk deep into its skull next, cutting into its brain and killing it.
The red fur it had begun to sprout faded away, while the red hue dissipated.
Blood seeped onto my hands, and I yanked the dagger out and stared at the slimy blood that clung to the steel.
Flicking it off, I sighed as I summoned a sphere of water, cleaning myself off as I waited for the monster to dissipate as well, taking this moment to recuperate and acknowledge the system.
[Dungeon Rat (S) killed - 320 XP x 10]
[Dungeon Rat (M) killed - 540 XP x 6]
[Dungeon Rat (L), Fire Variant killed - 2,130 XP]
Watching as my experience bar slowly filled up some more, I smiled softly before glancing at the dissipating corpse.
"You were only a large one huh? Damn, wonder what a boss version of you looks like... You\'re kind of like a boss though aren\'t you..? For this floor, anyways... interesting. Seems rather fun."
Nodding to myself, I looked around and grinned as I approached the Minka Carrots that I needed, inspecting them and making sure they were the ones I needed before harvesting them.
With bundles of herbs and gels attached to my pack and hip, I brushed off my armor before finding the nearest symbol, walking in the opposite way it told me to go.
Slinking silently through the floors, I avoided the other adventurers as best I could, and when I did need to walk past any of them I made sure to keep my cloak was draped loosely over my figure and head, keeping me hidden from them.
Most just stared at me warily, while others nodded to me as I passed.
Reaching the surface didn\'t take long, and I emerged into the cool, crisp air of night, the sky a deep violet dotted with thousands of stars.