If I’ve decided to take it down, the rest is quick.
I mold a bow with 〖Replicant Form〗 and shoot an arrow.
“(〖Shoot〗)”
The arrow gouged into the monster’s reddish-black flesh.
But that was it. Even if the impact melted the point of impact a little, the wound closed immediately.
“(This isn’t going anywhere, 〖Slash〗)”
I slashed apart the root that came stretching out while dodging it. But it regenerated instantly.
I’ve attacked it so many times, but I can’t see the bottom of its 〖Life〗.
“(Guess I have no choice but to get closer)”
That’s why I started running towards the monster.
I weaved through the roots and red whips, slashing them away as I approached.
The monster had settled down in the center of the plaza when it started using the red whips, focusing on long-range attacks.
The distance was considerable, but at this speed, I could close it quickly.
“Sura…”
“(Whoa. What’s that 〖Skill〗?)”
Here, the monster unveiled a new attack.
It spat out a part of its reddish-black body as if launching it.
It was like a cannonball of blood.
It seemed to possess the power of a 〖Dissolving Liquid〗 type, as the area around the impact point melted, creating a large crater.
“(But the projectile speed is low. I should be able to avoid it—)”
I thought it would be fine since they weren’t being fired in rapid succession, but then my body was suddenly restrained.
The cause was at my feet. The slime’s wide field of vision caught the roots that had sprung out of the ground and were entangling me.
“(It can do that too?)”
Looking closely, I could see roots piercing the ground behind the monster.
It must have submerged them from there.
“Sura… (Swallow)”
The roots that I had been dodging until now rushed at me.
They sharpened their tips and pierced me with tremendous force,
—Crack.
And they bent without breaking through my 〖Toughness〗.
It seemed they had increased their thinness and hardness for penetration, but that had backfired.
“Sura…”
Immediately after, a blood cannonball rained down.
My body didn’t melt even a millimeter.
“(Guess it doesn’t work after all)”
I wasn’t surprised since I knew the result.
I had been focusing on evasion until now, wary of defense-ignoring 〖Skills〗, but… that’s no longer necessary.
“(〖Replicant Form〗)”
I changed the surface of my body into weapons for just a moment.
The swords and spears that shot out from my body surface cleanly severed the roots that were wrapped around me.
As soon as I was free, I resumed my 〖Charge〗.
“(〖Compact Slash〗, 〖Compact Thrust〗, 〖Compact Slash〗)”
I slashed away the approaching roots and red whips one after another, approaching from the front.
Evasion and 〖Cross Counter〗 were unnecessary. The 〖Combo〗 count had already accumulated considerably, and I could destroy even the sturdy roots and red whips with a normal attack.
Occasionally, stray attacks would hit my body surface, but they were meaningless before my approximately three thousand 〖Toughness〗.
The effectiveness of the 〖Combo〗 increased to the point where it thwarted the opponent’s attacks, making it easier to break the roots and whips.
“Su, su, ra…? (Why… Can’t I… Swallow…?)”
Confusion mixed with the monster’s madness.
It seemed to have finally questioned why I wasn’t hurt no matter how much it stabbed or hit me.
But even so, it didn’t show any signs of running away.
Perhaps it was thinking that it could just swallow me if I got close.
“(Twenty more meters)”
Since I was approaching in a straight line, the distance was rapidly closing.
I dodged the blood cannonball fired from the front with a 〖Leap〗, and then used an 〖Air Jump〗 to close the remaining distance in one go.
“Sura…”
An exceptionally thick root stretched out to intercept me.
This triggered 〖Blink〗, and I used 〖Air Jump〗 again to accelerate.
I jumped horizontally to dodge the thick root, and as I passed over the red monster, I swung a spear with Earth Affinity.
“(〖Slash〗)”
The slash, enhanced by various 〖Skills〗, deeply cut into the monster’s body.
The wound reached the center of the monster, and a considerable area was melted by the spread of damage.
“Su…ra… (Swallow…)”
“(How about this…!)”
I waited for the results of the attack to appear.
My aim wasn’t to cut through the monster’s 〖Life〗 with a single powerful blow…
Since the opponent has the characteristics of a slime, the damage dealt is the same whether I attack the red whip or the main body.
Despite this, I approached to cut off the source of the roots.
All the roots that were spreading around were extending from the center of the monster’s body.
The monster’s body was red and murky, making it difficult to see, but it looked like a plant seed.
I thought that if I destroyed that seed, the monster’s rampage might stop.
The destructive power of the slash enhanced by several 〖Skills〗 was extraordinary, and the seed was pulverized just by the impact of the blade.
The roots were also severed halfway, and just as I was filled with hope—
“Sura… (Swallow)”
“(Damn it, 〖Shoot〗!)”
—One of the roots regenerated in an instant, restoring the seed to its original state.
As if it was their turn, the monster stretched out its red whips.
I fired the arrow I had prepared and avoided the monster’s counterattack by 〖Leaping〗 straight up.
“(…I’ve made up my mind)”
Looking down at the monster below, I repeated my earlier resolve.
I had stubbornly tried to find a way to save it, but that had also failed.
There might still be a way. Maybe I could remove just those roots.
But, no more. If I take too much time, it might escape.
So, I’ll switch my thinking. This time, to kill it.
“(〖Air Jump〗)”
I jumped even higher in the air.
By using it fairly frequently, I could now use 〖Air Jump〗 up to six times per minute.
So, I had three uses left.
“(〖Air Jump〗)”
My third jump. I’ve come up quite high.
If I turned my attention to the east, there was something that looked like a human town surrounded by walls.
I wondered if the chubby guy would be able to return safely.
It was just an escape from reality. What I should be focusing on is the opponent I’m about to kill.
I turned my attention back to the red monster that looked like a bean.
A little later, my ascent stopped.
Where I would have jumped up before, this time was different.
“(〖Air Jump〗)”
I kicked off the air. But this time, I jumped down.
I jumped towards the monster.
By using 〖Charge〗 in combination, my jumping power was enhanced.
With the effect of 〖Plunge Attack〗, I was accelerating rapidly.
“〖Provocation〗, 〖Bewitching Glimmer〗”
I didn’t forget to provoke its hostility. If it escaped, everything would be for naught.
The 〖Skills〗 seemed to have worked, and the monster gathered several red whips and roots in a defensive mode.
Confirming that, I felt relieved.
I was already moving at an uncontrollable speed. It would have been troublesome if it had chosen to evade.
“(Lightning Strike—)”
I finished with a lightning strike to increase the 〖Combo〗 count, and formed a long spear like a ram in front.
“(〖Thrust〗)”
And then, I thrust the giant spear forward, riding the momentum of the fall.
—Thwack!
I think that pierced the monster.
I say “I think” because I couldn’t even recognize what happened myself due to the sheer speed.
I can only surmise from my current situation, buried at the bottom of a large hole, that I must have torn through the intercepting red whips and roots like thin threads, pierced through the monster’s entire body without losing any speed, and ended up creating a large hole in the ground.
“(That’s insane)”
As I crawled out of the hole, I shuddered at the scale of the damage. The ground had been gouged out over a wide area.
That last attack might have had the power of a small meteorite.
“(What happened to that monster…?)”
I came out of the hole and searched the surroundings.
Then, I immediately found out where it had gone.
That’s because it was scattered everywhere.
Red liquid was splattered here and there, like a burst ketchup packet.
The roots were the same, with several of them falling on the ground mixed in with the red solution.
It was hard to tell since they were roots, but they seemed to have become slightly thinner and withered.
Immediately after confirming these, my 〖Level〗 skyrocketed, informing me that the battle was over.
~Unnotified Information Recording Area~
…
>> Fue Toukouya (Jewel Armory Slime) has acquired 〖Skill: Rampage〗. 〖Skill: Charge〗 has been integrated.
>> 〖Skill: Charge Thrust〗 has been acquired.
>> Sura-ta (Corrupted Fatty Bloody Slime) has died.
>> Fue Toukouya (Jewel Armory Slime)’s 〖Soul Accumulation Value (Level)〗 has increased to 76.
Nameless (Seed of Chaos) has died.
Due to ■■■■■■■■■■■, ■■■’s 〖Skill: Chaos Shift Soul〗, the Nameless (Seed of Chaos)’s 〖Soul Shard (Experience)〗 could not be plundered.
Due to ■■■■■■■■■■■, ■■■’s 〖Skill: Primordial Chaos〗 has been activated. The Nameless (Seed of Chaos)’s 〖Soul Shard (Experience)〗 is being reduced──
Fue Toukouya (Jewel Armory Slime)’s 〖Unique Skill: Earth Growth Thunderbolt〗 has been activated.
The 〖Chaosification〗 of the Nameless (Seed of Chaos)’s 〖Soul Shard (Experience)〗 has been canceled.
Fue Toukouya (Jewel Armory Slime) has plundered the Nameless (Seed of Chaos)’s 〖Soul Shard (Experience)〗.
The 〖Soul Accumulation Value (Level)〗 has increased to 92.
…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~