Gacha Addict in a Matriarchal World

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,

“It’s 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.

“Don’t let its appearance deceive you. There’s a reason it resides deeper than the Wandering Goblins.”

“I have some information on Horn Rabbits, so don’t worry.”

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. That’s 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 wouldn’t 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 wasn’t wrong; it immediately dashed forward, kicking off the ground.

It’s definitely fast. But if you asked whether it was too fast for the eyes to follow, it wasn’t to that extent.

“Ugh.”

I dodged slightly and slashed the Horn Rabbit’s 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.

“That’s it?”

I did expect this to be an easy match, but I didn’t expect it to be simpler than a goblin.

As I tilted my head and approached to take care of the Horn Rabbit’s corpse, that’s when it happened.

“Kyuuiik!”

“Kyuaaak!”

“Kyukyukkakka!”

The cries of Horn Rabbits were coming from all around.

“M, Miss Lydia? What’s happening?!”

“Jonah. I thought you said you knew about them. Horn Rabbits move in family groups.”

“I know that! But there weren’t any around, so I thought it was alone!”

“Horn Rabbits are so fast that if they’re too close, they collide with each other. That’s why even within the same group, they maintain a certain distance.”

“I didn’t expect it to be to this extent….”

Horn Rabbits were set as minor mobs, so I didn’t add much detail when planning them. ‘Horn Rabbits that are incredibly fast and often move in groups.’ That was about it.

I knew I wouldn’t be familiar with many of their detailed habits, but I didn’t expect the reality to deviate so much from my expectations.

With goblins, the only difference was their increased interest in me, which was manageable… but this incident was a wake-up call.

The information in my memory should only serve as a reference.

“Ugh! I’ll need to check out that monster guide the guild sells when I get back!”

Gritting my teeth, I braced myself. Not only was I unsure of where they might come from, but several were charging at me simultaneously. Even for me, this was perilous.

After a moment of hesitation, I subtly moved closer to Lydia, so I could use her expensive-looking armor as a shield if necessary.

…I know it was somewhat disgraceful, but it really was the best option.

As I grumbled to myself, Lydia, with a calm demeanor, patted my shoulder.

“Yes. Well said. Studying is crucial for adventurers. And it was wise of you to seek me out when things seemed dire.”

“Huh? Oh, I didn’t mean to ask for help just now…um… never mind, please do help.”

“Leave it to me.”

Her tone was as straightforward as ever. However, Lydia had a faint smile on her lips as she summoned a large sword from seemingly nowhere.

There must have been a weapon storage artifact integrated into her armor…but the fact that this sword looked completely different from the twin swords I had seen at the Clan House before intrigued me.

The one I’d seen before was a sleek black longsword. And the one she had just drawn was so bulky and heavy it seemed it could double as a shield.

Could she really be planning to use it in that way?

The idea of wielding a greatsword as a shield was something I’d only encountered in comics or games, so I watched, heart racing, though only for a brief moment.

Then, the rustling sound of something charging grew rapidly louder.

“Jonah. Duck.”

“Yes ma’am.”

I instinctively ducked down… And then I witnessed something far more incredible than I had imagined.

Kwaang!

A roar loud enough to deafen the ears erupted. A fierce wind, making it hard to open my eyes, swept through our surroundings, and a beat later, something resembling a lump of blood dropped to the ground.

Thud, thwack.

“Uh….”

So, just now, she swung the greatsword at its face to create a wind current, and that wind pressure turned the group of Horn Rabbits into a bloody mess?

“Hieee! Miss Lydia, you’re amazing! So strong!”

“Ahem.”

As usual, she wore an expressionless face and spoke in a monotone voice. But with her hands on her waist and her chest puffed out, it was clear she felt proud.

“As expected of a high-ranking adventurer who has received a title! So you can handle this much without even using aura!”

“Praise me more.”

“That weapon just now was different from what I’ve seen before, right? You’ve prepared various weapons for different situations! Amazing!”

“Indeed.”

“Plus, you’re beautiful, kind enough to be titled ‘Noble’, and though you have a large chest, you’re also called ‘Pure Lydia’ for your strong sense of chastity!”

“…That last one didn’t seem like a compliment.”

She tilted her head in confusion, to which he responded with a bright smile.

“Wow… I thought you were the epitome of a reckless adventurer, spending every last penny on food and weapons, living a mayfly life, but if you’re this strong, that’s okay! Yes! Do whatever you want, Miss Lydia!”

“…As expected, that wasn’t a compliment.”

Lydia, with her eyes sharply narrowed, drummed the top of my head. It felt like a series of painless knocks.

I wasn’t really trying to tease her, but when someone who usually doesn’t act all high and mighty does, it makes you want to tease them.

Eventually, after enduring her beatings(?) until Lydia’s 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. It’s fortunate that some magic stones were left. The horns have turned to dust, though.”

“Magic stones from living monsters are quite durable. They’re 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, isn’t this the first time Miss Lydia has helped me?”

“That’s right. You’ve fought well on your own until now.”

“Since this is the first mistake I’ve made, I’ll do even better from now on! Let’s 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, I’d try shooting the crossbow toward the trajectory of the oncoming charge, or quickly killing the Horn Rabbit so it couldn’t 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.

-…uh…guy…ah!

-…is……over!

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 it’s 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 wouldn’t stand a chance before meeting their end.

I had just witnessed Lydia’s strength today, after all. No matter what a mere adventurer from the first floor could attempt, they wouldn’t be able to touch even a single hair on Lydia’s 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 b—hes were the ones being attacked.