If it were true that a character called a "mob," who cks levels and isn't meant to fight, challehe boss at the deepest part of the dungeon, it would be no surprise if they were called reckless. Losing would be expected.

  Emerging from a space that makes you questioher a safe zone is even necessary in a dungeon filled only with non-active monsters, I choose to proceed further inward rather tharag my steps.

  As I walk normally, I e across a rge wooden door that seems out of p a cave.

  "This must be it."

  The boss lies ahead.

  Safe zones are set up to allow rest before a boss battle.

  As your css level increases, the dungeon's area expands, and the number of safe zones increases. However, beyond a certain difficulty threshold, the number of safe zones decreases.

  But even in such high-difficulty dungeons, a safe zone is always set up just before the final boss to allow for proper rest.

  In other words, there's no doubt that this is the boss room.

  My heart races.

  For a moment, I think I'm nervous.

  But then.

  "I don't dislike this feeling."

  I quickly realize it's something else.

  I'm recalling the excitement I felt when I first touched FBO.

  What kind of game is it? What enemies are there?

  It's more accurate to say I'm reminisg about the thrill I felt back then.

  It's fihe oppo isn't an uable monster.

  It's a monster I defeat if I deliver the right results.

  "Now, let's take it on!!"

  I was worried if a child's strength would be enough to open the door, but it swings open smoothly. I close it behind me and step inside.

  In lower-css dungeons, esg from the boss is allowed.

  Specifically, this applies to bosses up to around mid-tier Css 3.

  So, as long as you keep the door open, you escape from the boss.

  However, fulfilling a certain dition makes esg from the boss impossible.

  That dition is closing the door.

  It also signifies an unwavering resolve, but doing this slightly improves the rewards after the boss battle.

  "There you are, Kagami Mochi!"

  Since I have no iion of running, I prioritize the bonus without hesitation.

  Upoering the boss room, I see a monster resembling a Kagami Mochi (a traditional Japanese New Year's decoration made of stacked rice cakes) sitting in the ter.

  No, not just resembling—it looks exactly like a Kagami Mochi, and its name is Kagami Mochi.

  The bottom yer is the rgest rice cake, and as they stack up, they get progressively smaller.

  At the very top is an e-colored rice cake.

  A total of four rice cakes stacked together: three white and one e.

  This is the boss of the weakest dungeon, Kagami Mochi.

  I ready my bamboo spear and take a step forward, and Kagami Mochi moves toward me.

  As expected, a boss monster isn't a non-active monster.

  This is the first active monster I've entered sining to this world.

  It moves faster than the regur rice cakes and feels more substantial due to its size.

  The bottom rice cake carries the weight of the three above it without issue and charges toward me.

  "Strike first, strike hard!"

  Kagami Mochi's attack patterns are limited.

  The first move is always this body sm!

  So, my target is the rgest rice cake at the bottom!

  Using the reay bamboo spear, I sidestep slightly as the rice cake charges at me and take a step forward.

  "Hah!"

  Even with a child's frail body, the repeated motions allow me to execute this attack without issue.

  My target is the bottom yer!

  At first gnce, Kagami Mochi appears to have bined HP from all four rice cakes, but that's not the case.

  Each of the four rice cakes has its own HP, with the bottom one having the most.

  And if I attack the bottom Kagami Mochi with a certain amount of force as it charges at me...

  "Got it! It's down!"

  It colpses, scattering across the front.

  "Now, just reduce their numbers!"

  I haven't taken dowtom rice cake yet.

  But the most troublesome part of Kagami Mochi is its numbers.

  "First, you!"

  I target the te rice cake.

  This one is Kagami Mochi's aer.

  When scattered, it retreats to the rear and directs the white rice cakes to attack.

  If I switch targets during the brief moment they're immobilized and stab the e rice cake with my bamboo spear...

  "Kyu!?"

  The bamboo spear pierces the ter of the e rice cake.

  A cry echoes, and I feel the satisfa of a o kill.

  With the bamboo spear's maximum power, this is possible.

  As the e rice cake turns into bck ash, I quickly turn my attention to the rgest rice cake while cheg the remaining three.

  The sed and third yers have stopped moving.

  The fourth yer is still attag me, so it tio charge.

  Good, this is the ideal situation!

  This time, I retreat.

  I position the sed and third yers behind the fourth, and as the fourth yer moves forward, I thrust my spear. After that, I retreat regardless of whether the attads.

  Given the oppo's numbers a, it's better for me to retreat than to try to knock them back.

  The boss room is slightly rger than the previous pza.

  Seeing the fourth yer utack, the sed and third yers start to move, but I guide them in a clockwise dire by slowly pulling them.

  The most important thing is to avoid being surrounded and to keep all three in my line of sight.

  By repeating these small, precise attacks, the sed and third yers gradually move forward.

  Even if the sed and third yers overtake the fourth, my strategy remains the same.

  I tio lure them in circles, walking backward while attag, ensuring I don't get caught or ered.

  And then.

  "Two down!"

  First, the sed yer, which has the least HP, falls.

  "Three down!"

  Then the fourth yer, which I've been attag all along, falls.

  "Last one!"

  Finally, the third yer turns into bck ash and disappears.

  And then.

  "Skill: Spearmanship acquired."

  "Yes!!!"

  A ral voinounces in my head, and I raise both hands in celebration of my victory.

  "Since you acquired a skill at Css 0, stat restris have been lifted."

  Another annou follows.

  "Alright, alright, this is just like the game!"

  Normally, you wouldn't gain stats without leveling up.

  But in the game, defeating a boss at Css 0 with no levels guarantees you acquire the passive skill of the equipped on.

  This bonus disappears once you level up.

  When this was discovered, even I was genuinely furious.

  FBO limits the number of skills you acquire.

  We called these "skill slots."

  Iy, when you gain levels, you're initially granted ay slot, and from there, you embed various skills using differehods.

  That's why the earliest pyers focused on leveling up to acquire skills as quickly as possible.

  As the game progressed, the maximum number of skill slots was frequently updated, aually, it was discovered that you could acquire skills at Level 0.

  I have to bow my head to the analysis team for that.

  By the time FBO's servided, a total of 50 skill slots had been discovered.

  Two of those were discovered at Css 0.

  And wheh skill slot was discovered, the official annou firmed that the total number of skill slots was 50.

  "Status open!"

  It's like a reward for fully disc everything, as all pyers received various perks at that time.

  Lost in nostalgia, I t the long-awaited phrase.

  "Liberta, Css 0/Level 0.

  Basic stats:

  HP 0, MP 0,

  BP 0.

  Skill 1/Skill Slot 1.

  Spearmanship Css 1/Level 1."

  "Yes! It's there!"

  The earlier annou wasn't a dream—I've truly gained power.

  I 't help but strike a triumphant pose, I'm so thrilled.

  Still riding the excitement, I tap the skill se of the status s.

  "Spearmanship, Css 1/Level 1.

  Activates when equipped with a spear.

  - Spear attack power increased by 0.01%.

  - Spear skill attack power increased by 0.01%.

  - Spear attack accuracy corre increased by 0.01%."

  "Good, it's the one I know."

  It only activates when equipped with a spear, and the increase is so minimal that others might call it negligible.

  But sidering the future, I fidently say this is fine.

  "Now, what's ..."

  The status se isn't the only thing. The status s has tabs beled "Status" and "Equipment." Tapping the "Equipment" tab reveals:

  "Equipment:

  Head: Cloth Bandana.

  Body: Cloth Clothing.

  Right Hand: Weakling's Bamboo Spear.

  Left Hand: Weakling's Bamboo Spear.

  Lower Body: Cloth Pants.

  Feet: Leather Shoes.

  Accessory 1: Training Bracelet.

  Accessory 2: Training Bracelet.

  EX Slot: Empty."

  This shows which ons and accessories are equipped and active. In my case, the oy slot is the EX Slot, which is for exceptional equipment, probably including duel pieces.

  "Alright, there's not much to see here."

  The system also allows you to tap on equipped items to see their details, and it works perfectly.

  "But why is this so simir to the game?"

  There are simirities and differehings that are the same and things that aren't. There's plenty to nitpick, but seeing this system s makes me even more puzzled about what this world really is.

  "Well, there's no point in w about it."

  It's not like I do anything about it.

  It just adds to the list of suspicious elements.

  All I do is enjoy the process of steadily growing stronger.

  "Now, now, let's check the final reward."

  After acquiring the skill, cheg my stats, and firming everything, it's finally time to check the boss's reward.

  The boss is no longer in the room, repced by a grand treasure chest in the ter and a glowing magic circle behind it.

  "Just one woode? What's going on with my real-life luck sining to this world?"

  The magic circle at the back is for dungeo, and the chest in front tains the boss's reward.

  "Well, I won't know until I open it."

  Boss chests e in several types, starting from the lowest-tier woode, up to bronze, silver, gold, and rainbow. The higher the chest, the better the items inside. Rainbow chests even tain rare and useful items.

  Sometimes, multiple chests appear. My earlier resolve to close the door was also to increase the ces of that happening.

  "...Yeah, I get it. It's the bare minimum guarantee, huh?"

  My efforts weren't rewarded, as the chest tained only one slightly rger magic stone. Suppressing the urge to pin about why it even needed a chest, I gently pick it up and pce it in my leather pouch.

  This magic stone is from the boss. Naturally, it's better than the ones dropped by the regur rice cakes wandering around.

  It's worth about 10 zeni if sold, and it's a guaranteed drop from the boss.

  Having a guaranteed 10 zeni periodically is a big deal.

  Plus, with skill development now in py, I actively take on more boss battles.

  "Hmm, one run takes about 30 minutes effitly. Including dungeo time a, it's about 45 minutes. I've finally broken the 1,000 zeni per hour mark."

  Gradually increasing my ine is holy satisfying.

  Calg daily, with eight hours of work, I challehe dungeon about ten times, so 100 zeni is a solid goal. That's assuming my stamina holds, but it's still better than relying on random drops from the hills.

  "Now, I'll check if the recast time has passed and if I use it again..."

  Ohe chest is emptied, it's just a regur box. It doesn't disappear, and it's firmly fixed to the ground, so I 't take it with me.

  So, I have no further business here.

  It's time for the grind.

  I head toward the magic circle behind the chest and step onto it.

  In an instant, my vision turns pletely white.

  "The loading time is shorter here."

  In the game, the transition took a bit longer, so the fact that it's almost instant here is a pleasant surprise.

  "Alright, it seems I 't use it immediately."

  I ahe tents of my leather pouch.

  The magic stones I picked up go into the basket, and I also toss in some herbs.

  Sihe loot is meager, anizing doesn't take long.

  I spend the remaining time cheg my status to kill time.

  "Good, it's w fine."

  The dungeon key is ready for the run.

  "I tell if the recast time is up by cheg if it's slightly glowing. Well, if it's activated, I might as well not waste time ao it!"

  Making excuses in my mind, I end up staying up a bit ter than usual tonight.