CH.12: SPARTA 3

A group of rats attacks us.
Pochi jumps into the group.
Pochi jumps into the groups and caused disorder in the movement of the rats.
Pochi immediately jumps out of the group taking advantage of the disturbance.
Then, jumps into from another direction and jumps out immediately.
It’s the Hit and Away tactic.
Alternatively, rats are heading towards me.
There are three rats rushing out.
The rat of the middle is coming straight.
Apparently, its aim seems to be my legs.
The rats on the left and right leap and aim at my upper body.
On another hand, I gave a soccer kick in the face of the rat that aimed at my legs.
I heard a dull ‘boki’ at the moment I kick.
This is not the sound of my leg bone broking.
Apparently, the bone of the rat’s neck wasn’t able to endure the impact of the kick.
As it is, the rat is blown away involving the others.
For the rats that jumped over, I use the side of the Tsuruginata and slapped it lightly.
Since I didn’t put much strength, I think that the damage won’t be so much, but it will hurt because I hit it with the Tsuruginata made from iron.
The rat shifted its trajectory due to the shock of the Tsuruginata’s hit and passes by my side.
I going forward aiming to the rat which collided with the kicked rat, whose posture has collapsed and stab with the Tsuruginata.
One, two or three other rats attack from the place I stabbed.
Rats come jumping one after other from the left and right of the front.
I repel it with the Tsuruginata
At that time, if I can cut it skillfully, I cut it, if it’s impossible only repel it or dodge it bending the upper part of my body.
As the time advance, the rats that have been around attack not only from the front but also from behind.
As expected, rats that attack from behind are hard to deal with.
I sharpen my senses, read the timing of the attacks, and slash as passing each other.
However, when I can’t dodge at all even if I concentrate on it so much, I hit its body and send it flying.
I was doing something like a body blow using the back from the Chinese Kenpo or something.
Depending on the location, it may be a shoulder tackle or an elbow strike.
By doing so, I shifted the timing of the rat’s biting, and I was able to suppress the damage.
Figuring out that doing this, give damage to the rat little by little, without damage to me.
Although I have to do so for a while, the movement of the rats begins to become dull over time.
This is the opportunity for counterattack.
I go ahead without stopping and slash at the rats.
The rat with dulled movement isn’t able to follow my movements and is cut successfully.
Even if isn’t possible to kill with the first slash, the movement becomes duller for the wound and it’s possible to slash for a second or third time.
I gradually reduce the number of rats, and, finally, there are no rats that attack.
I could see in the corner of my vision that Pochi was fighting hard, I wasn’t worried because at that time Pochi had also finished fighting.
Because there was blood here and there on Pochi, I confirm whether he got injured, but there was no injury, apparently, it seemed like spurts of blood of the rats.
I was relieved to see that.
After that, I searched for rats that weren’t completely killed and gave the decisive blow.
A considerable amount of time passed when everything was over.

“You are done, right?”

When everything was done, the captain called out to me.

“Yeah, somehow”

“But, I really didn’t think you could beat this number of rats”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I was preparing to go help at any time, but it was a useless worry”

“Is that so, I wanted you to reduce their number even a little”

“Well then, it wouldn’t be good for you, isn’t it?”

This guy, is really Spartan.
When I looked at the other members, they were saying “give up” or “he’s that kind of person”.

“Can the number of rats be a little more?”

“Ah-, about that? I don’t know until I try it”

“How did you feel when you finish it?”

“I was pretty tired. If you told me to do it again, it would be impossible unless I take a rest”

“I see, is that so?”

What’s that “I see”?
No way, would I do it once again?
I want you to forgive me.

“Well, long time has passed, so let’s return soon”

When the captain said that, I honestly thought that I was saved.
We decided to aim for the second floor when returning from our current location, going to the second floor and using the magic formation is faster than going as it is.

While going to the second floor, the captain called out.

“Takuya-san, can I have a minute?”

“Yes, what do you want?”

“How are you going to capture this dungeon after this?”

What is this guy asking suddenly?

“Right. I’m thinking about going against the rats on the first floor for a while?”

“Is that so? I think that’s fine”

Eh?
It was different from what I expect.
I surely thought that he wanted that I’ll go against the rabbits on the second floor?

“You have a strange look on your face. Was it unexpected?”

“Ye, Yeah. I surely thought that you wanted that I’ll go against the rabbits”

“I also thought that you have to do so at the beginning”

“Then, why?”

“That’s because I found out that you can take a large crowd of rats as an opponent”

“……Ah?”

“Rabbits are stronger between rats and rabbits, do you understand this right?”

“Yes, I understand”

“But, rabbits don’t crowd much. Even if it crowd, is it about two or three, at most five? On the other hand, rats can considerable crowd as you know. There are times when there are more than one hundred. Then, it’s a large crowd of rats which is difficult”

Indeed.
In the beginning, the rabbit’s movements puzzled me, but if you get accustomed it’s much easier than opposing the large crow of rats.
Of course, even so, it isn’t an opponent you can be careless.

“And if you can defeat the crowd of rats, you gain much more power than hunting a small number of rabbits. Well, the power you get when you defeat it, if a rat is 1, a rabbit is about 1.5 to 2, and even if you estimate a lot it won’t go to 3. Although it seems that rabbits are more efficient if you look at it, rabbits are almost one per encounter, but there are dozens of rats. It’s more efficient to defeat a crowd of rats than to search and defeat rabbits in that time”

I can’t refute when he says that.
Even if you can defeat 10 rabbits in a day, the power you get it’s from 15 to 20, however, the smallest group of rats for the moment is at least 30.
You gain over 30 in power if you can beat it.
Thinking that way, it’s more efficient to level on the first floor than to level on the second floor.
And, Pochi can do it with me.

“Normally, if you want to defeat a group of rats, you form a team. Of about ten people. Nevertheless, you can defeat it with Pochi, although having a hard fight. It’s clearly abnormal, this”

Is it so?
I didn’t know it, because I don’t know how other Seekers are working, but what I did seems to be strange.
But, I think that anyone can do it if they scatter bait.

“But, I was satisfied. I wonder how you were able to get that power in a short time”

I was told that and understood it.
It seems that I was able to acquire power considerably efficiently.
Oh, by the way, power isn’t only a physical improvement.
It’s power in general including the technique to fight.
There is a physical improvement, but it’s not that much yet.
If you see these people you will think that.

“Oops. It became a little late while we were talking. Let’s go ahead”

Following behind the others, I left the dungeon via the second floor.