Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~

Chapter?41: Slime?2

Chapter 41

Slime 2

In accordance with Sven’s command, the hunters fired their attacks with perfect coordination.

Treasure hunters that dealt with gimmicks and various phantoms excelled in their ability to adapt.

Even in the event of an unexpected enemy showing up in front of them, they demonstrated that disposition.

Within the darkness, dazzling shining lights flew out at a terrific speed.

Attack magic was fired from a number of meters away ― the most basic magic attack 『fire arrow』 made a muffled sound impacting on the slimes head, arms, and torso. It didn’t make any moves to evade.

The slime raised a strange cry that made you want to close your hands over your ears.

From the impact, dust swirled up concealing the large body of the slime.

『Fire arrow』 was a low grade magic that most Magi could use. It was simple to control and the mana consumption was low. The invocation speed was also fast, it was a magic useful from skilled Magi down to beginners.

It’s might was low among attack magic, but it had the power to pierce through thin metal armour.

Even more, the enemy this time was a slime which held weakness against fire. After receiving the attacks of more than ten Magi it wouldn’t be strange for it to be completely obliterated.

Without confirming the enemies erasure, a second wave of fire arrows were released into the dust cloud.

The bursts of flame warmed the air, and the intense heat was transmitted to Sven nearly ten meters away.

The continuous attacks that could be called excessive ended, and the area returned to silence.

The brown haired hunter on the ground was drawing back with his eyes opened to their limit.

“...-, did we do it!?”

“Don’t get careless! Move back! This is 『one thousand tribulations』!” Sven shouted while he set the sight of his arrow on the cloud of dust.

After the attack ended, the relaxed air became tense once again.

The appearance of the slime was beyond bizarre. For the members of Footprints, this wasn’t their first encounter like this. But they wouldn’t grow used to it no matter how many times it happened.

Approaching an unknown enemy was too high of a risk. They slowly gained distance from the cloud of dust.

While ready to shoot at any moment, Sven finally checked in with the now standing brown haired hunter.

“Oi, what is that guy?”

“I-I don’t know. I ran into it on the way back after pissing, it was headed in the direction of the camp.”

Sven clicked his tongue.

Should they be happy not to receive a surprise attack? The brown haired hunter was evidently unable to fight.

Setting aside Magi, a swordsman without arms was useless.

Henrik’s healing was powerful, it could heal serious wounds in seconds. But it couldn’t regain lost body parts.

The brown haired hunter’s looks were distorted. He had a demonic expression. Fear and anger as well as though he was holding back some impulse, he grit his teeth and spoke.

“It, still hadn’t noticed me. It was full of gaps. From behind, I slashed it! Shit! My... arms were ―”

The dust fell. One of the Magi opened their eyes wide at what emerged.

The slime was alive and well. There were no traces left on the body dripping like mucus.

The slime moved it’s arm like growths up. From it’s movements it didn’t look like it held any rage from receiving the attacks.

At that ugly figure, Sven’s party member next to him Marietta, had wide eyes. “Huh...? It was attacked to that extent and it’s...un...harmed?”

Was it resistant to fire? Either that or perhaps magic itself was ineffective. Every possibility went through Sven’s mind.

The slime took a sluggish step forward. At that moment Sven released his arrow. “-!”

Stretched focus. A jet black arrow with energy loaded incomparable to a 『fire

arrow』 was aimed at the slimes head, and it went straight between it’s eyes.

It was an arrow of certain death that could even shoot out dragon scales. The attack that gave Sven his name 『Tempest Strike』 drilled into the Slimes head – and in the next moment it was blown away into the air.

There was a noise like a splitting crack. “Wha-...”

At the unexpected sight, Sven furrowed his brow.

The arrow that was blown away and shot off whirled in the air, and dropped among the trees.

The scene was too unnatural, and the brown haired hunters eyes were wide while his mouth repeatedly opened and closed. Henrik at the side also became speechless.

Behind the examiners, Gark groaned in a low voice.

Sven was calm. Since entering the clan he had experienced many opponents where his arrows were ineffective.

It’s not that it didn’t pierce. It hadn’t been evaded. It was repelled. Moreover the slime didn’t take any defensive actions.

It hadn’t been all his power, but he didn’t plan to relax.

Without shaking he pulled a new arrow from his quiver and speedily nocked it on his bow.

The slime moved forward with an uncertain stride.

His companions gathered together at the abnormal situation, and Marietta cried out.

“I’ll use a different magic! Don’t let it draw near! 『Thunder Storm』”

Holding up her large staff, a golden sphere clad in lightning appeared in front of it. It was mid range attack magic that overwhelmed with lightning. By all rights it wasn’t something that would be used on a single monster.

Vast amounts of Mana was converted to rapidly create a lightning sphere that headed towards the slime, the energy scattered.

A flash that wasn’t inferior to true lightning cut away the dark, tremendous thunder echoed throughout the area.

However after receiving the lethal blow, the slime only stopped walking for an instant.

Marietta took a short breath after exhausting so much mana.

As it approached again as if nothing had happened, one beat later attack magic from all directions was released.

A blade of wind, a spear of earth. Flame and wind enveloped the slime. The vegetation burnt and the ground was hollowed out.

Each attack that came was magic that had slaughtered many phantoms before. Sven knew the power well.

However, the red slime received them casually. It only took a step back from the impact.

“...Impossible...there was, no effect?”

The Magi’s expressions warped with despair. The attacks of various natures had exhausted a considerable amount of mana.

If they spent some time, a more powerful attack magic could be used. But what they had used so far should have been enough to slay a single slime.

It could be understood if it was repelled by strong armour. But the strange variant before their eyes was totally soft.

It could be understood if it repelled attacks using it’s limbs. But the slime in front of them received them without defending.

In the place of the disturbed Magi, Sven fired arrows giving a short spirited shout. Arrows released with unseen force fell down on the slime like a storm.

Head. Neck. Arms. Legs. Body. Regardless of the location, the arrows were snapped away and held no indications of piercing.

Invincible. The word crossed his mind.

The enemy’s movements were not fast. But if an attack couldn’t be connect, it would not be defeated.

One of the hunters gave out a roar as if unable to bear the situation. As he rushed out, he swung his huge metal hammer down onto the slime.

There was no time to stop it. A heavy blow from a high level hunter swept down from directly above the slime.

At the moment the hammer with a protruding metal spike smashed into the slimes head – Sven witnessed a strange sight.

The hammer made of metal became greatly cracked. It warped as if it was forcibly twisted.

And that force was transferred into both arms of the hunter holding the hammer. “Gaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

A painful voice like the roar of a beast.

Thoughtlessly holding onto the weapon so tightly made a turn in a bad direction.

The sound of breaking bones and crushed flesh. The arm protected by muscle was twisted easily.

At that sight, the brown haired hunter that had lost both his arms came to memory. This was – the origin of those strange wounds!

“Release your hands!”

Gark shouted out. The hammer shattered to pieces at roughly the same time. Barely released in time, the arms were still safe. They were bent in the wrong direction and hanging limply, but they were still connected

To the male hunter that stopped moving at the sharp pain, the slime leaned it’s body forward overhead.

It was a monster. It seemed emotionless, but it surely recognised Sven and the others as enemies.

He knocked an arrow at once. With a minute amount of time to aim, he released an arrow.

The arrow that had massacred phantoms up to now drilled into the ground, and with it’s footing destroyed the slime’s posture collapsed. Not missing the gap that was created, several more arrows were fired.

The aim wasn’t the slime itself, but at it’s feet.

The man staggered away from the slime.

Gark groaned. His breathing was rough. His eyes blazing with concealed fighting spirit glared at the slime.

“It’s a 『force field』. This guy, to use a force field... this is also why the magic was ineffective!”

At those words Sven looked closely. The surface of the slime was putting itself back in order, melting with sound.

The surrounding air was distorted. He thought it was traces from the 『flame

arrows』, but it was different to the effects of heat residue. “Force field....a magic....barrier....?”

It was one of a Magi’s most used techniques.

Putting out the mana within the body without forming it into magic, developing it into a boundary that enclosed the body, magic that couldn’t be called magic.

All energy – it prevented attacks but because of the inefficiency, it wasn’t practical unless you were a Magi with vast stores of mana. It was proof of a first class Magi.

If anything rather than human Magi, it was known to be used by powerful monsters with innately powerful mana such as dragons.

For a slime to use it was unthinkable. But, if that presumption was correct, it would be exceedingly difficult to break through with an attack.

He had to think about a new plan.

Should they put in enough energy to overcome the barrier, or wait for it to exhaust itself?

“Damn it, Cry you... so that’s why, Ark was-“

Ark’s power as a single unit was in the strongest class. Perhaps with his power, he could forcibly break through the barrier.

For that, Sven was far inferior to Ark in terms of pure offensive power.

In Sven’s opinion Arks power was excessive, but all he could do was make complaints now.

Should they buy time to try and break through with superior attack magic?

But the might of attack magic was proportional to the skill of the caster. There was no prominent attack magic users among them.

Sven’s party member Marietta was an excellent Magi, but it’s doubtful whether she could break through a barrier capable of flicking away one of Sven’s arrows.

And if it failed, Marietta would become unable to move with the over consumption of mana.

The number of people was insufficient. Maybe if Footprints strongest Magi party

『Starlight』 were here it would be a different matter.

Or if the one that had foreknowledge of everything 『Infinite Variety』 was here, it was doubtless one way or the other it would get done.

As if planned, the necessary things to be sufficient weren’t there.

At the time Iron Cross was sent here Cry’s smile crossed his mind, and he shook his head.

The alchemist Talia ran over. In her hand she grasped the thin glass tube. “Sven-san. It’s already too much... use this.”

Slime killing potion. The trump card.

Without the arrows keeping it in check, the slime resumed it’s sluggish movements.

The mana boundary was strong. But it didn’t reject everything in it’s surroundings. If that happened it would be unable to walk.

The boundary only flicked away attacks with a fixed amount of energy. For example, it couldn’t defend against toxic fog.

Creatures with barriers tended not to be weak against poisons, and although it wasn’t a weakness this time it was a different story.

“From only one drop, it should disintegrate.” “Got it. ...I’ll do it.”

He received the potion from Talia. It was inside a container that would break easily if thrown.

If it defended with a mana barrier, the glass would probably get reflected away.

The slime looked at Sven with both eyes. The huge body seemed to stoop over as if being compressed.

Sven’s lips curved, and he set a smile on his face.

It was a monster. An absurd monster. But, it didn’t see Sven and the others as it’s opponents.

No, it held hostility, but it was in the manner of prey. At least it wasn’t being

cautious.

It wasn’t definite whether or not it had intelligence. That’s was the gap to take advantage of.

The body of the slime shrunk in as if it’s flesh and blood had melted, and like a spring it jumped into the air.

Up to now it was at an incomparable speed. It closed the distance in one breath. As it swooped down from the sky Sven laughed scornfully.

“Too bad, 『Infinte Variety』.”

They read it. Since Iron Cross was a first rate party.

The party members that were on Sven’s left and right, took Talia and separated as if reading Sven’s intentions.

Fast. It was certainly fast, compared to the movements it had been making previously.

It was a speed that could be seen through easily compared to the Phantoms that they were usually fighting.

The slime descended as if to crush him with it’s body.

Sven bent over, and at the same time he kicked himself away he placed the bottle on the ground.

It’s target Sven vanished, and as it hurtled through the sky it’s limbs stretched out. By that time Sven was far out of the Slime’s range.

The slime slopped down onto the ground.

Right onto what Sven left behind – the slime killing agent.

The faint sound of glass breaking was picked up by Sven’s ears.

Barriers were not invincible. The 『safe ring』 famed for creating strong barriers also had it’s gaps.

The movement of the slime stopped for an instant after taking in the potion. “Die...!”

Talia, Marietta, Lyle, the brown haired hunter, and Gark stared fixedly at it’s movements.

And then it’s arm suddenly extended, and Sven stepped back to avoid it with room to spare.

The slime started to move without incident. It’s viscous melted form was unchanged, but it’s movement was far smoother than when it had first appeared.

Talia who had provided the slime killing agent fell down as her lips trembled. Sven stamped his feet and he screamed out.

“Fuuuuuuuuuuck! Like I thought, it wasn’t a slime at allllll!” His scream reverberated in the dead of night.

.

He had expected it. Sven had a long relationship with Cry.

The creature in front of them clearly deviated from the category of slime. By all appearances it was a subspecies of Wolf Knight.

Lyle who had received the advice turned pale, as he recalled it.

“T-That reminds me, Cry...... didn’t say slime. He said slime kind of guy-“

“That man, cut it out already! Convey information accurately! Don’t base it on the standard of 『Strangry』! How many times are you planning to kill us!!”

The pseudo-slime began forward with agile footwork.

In front of everyone shocked by the fact, Sven lowered his body and barely avoided it.

He wasn’t sure what would have happened if he didn’t lean over, but it surely wouldn’t have been anything good.

In the tension cold sweat dripped. He heard the sound of something damp striking behind him.

“Shit, what the hell is this, Cry! Drop dead!” “B-but, for Cry, just halfway is fine...”

“Don’t mess with me! Kill him! I’ll do it myself!!”

Sven raised an angry voice while skilfully evading, in the confusion the magic attacks resumed.

The pseudo-slimes movements were stopped from the impact, and he was able to distance himself in the gap.

Some advanced attack magic was able to be fired off, but they were also reflected off the surface.

The key to the solution, hadn’t been found.

Something had gone wrong, or perhaps it was growing, but the pseudo slimes movements were getting faster.

It’s target changed from Sven and it indiscriminately rushed down hunters.

An agonising cry was raised like the embodiment of hell. The hunters desperately distanced themselves from the attacking slime.

Although it hadn’t made any unusual attacks, the Magi had been considerably exhausted of mana due to their continuous attacks.

It would be difficult to defend like this if their mana was cut off and they fell down.

Sven frantically thought while keeping it’s movements in check with arrows. His number of arrows remaining was also low.

“Sven-san, lets retreat...” One of the hunters shouted.

But, there were still others inside the shrine. If they withdrew like this, the ones left

behind would be put at risk.

In the first place, if they retreated they couldn’t pull the pseudo-slime back to town with them.

A hunter holding a shield was hit by the slime and blown away.

He had been planning to release it from the beginning, and seemingly undamaged he got back up immediately.

It’s attacking capabilities weren’t that high, but it’s defence was tough.

Limbs. Head. Front or rear, no matter where you attacked, it was repelled. Rather than defence, it was closer to a counter.

And if they could get an attack through, they could defeat it.

And at that moment, Sven noticed the pseudo-slimes body had become slightly smaller.

The slime sprung up into a jump. It’s body had an indeterminate form so it was hard to grasp, but certainly you could see that it’s volume was reduced.

The pseudo-slimes body was liquefied, and when it gathered together it raised fumes, and nothing remained on the ground.

It was as if it had evaporated.

If they stalled for time... would it destroy itself?

Although it moved around wildly, it’s change in size wasn’t very large. There was no way to estimate how long it would take to reach zero.

But now he had some hope to wish for. This was a trial. He had the will to overcome this tribulation.

Cry was a man with depths that were hard to perceive, but the clan master wouldn’t drive them into a hopeless situation.

If he said that it could be done with half the amount here, that meant the man had read through everything and judged it so.

“Buy time! Look closely, it’s become smaller! Magi should preserve their mana and stamina! Party units should rotate to keep it contained!”

As Sven raised his voice, the expressions of each person changed. Hope rose amidst despair.

As he ran around he collected arrows that had been flicked away.

The total number of hunters was close to a hundred. The slimes current movement was random, and by attracting it’s attention in turns, they may be able to gain time by being able to control it’s target.

Taking a single blow wouldn’t be a problem.

Sven and the others part of Iron Cross, they all could use restoration magic. They couldn’t recover stamina, but they could heal wounds.

If their arms weren’t swallowed up, they would manage somehow.

Even more, this was one of Cry’s tests. Everyone of Footprints would have brought along more supplies than usual.

Having no way to win was one thing, but if there was a chance then they would do whatever they could.

Under Sven’s instructions, everyones expressions became calm.

It was at that time. The pseudo-slime that had been pursuing a thief changed it’s target.

It’s target was the two examiners furtherest away from camp. The gold eyes turned towards the two hidden behind a tree.

The slime dragged it’s body along quickly. Hunters along the way tried to induce it’s attention, but the slime bounced around in it’s movement.

It gathered enough speed to approach the ordinary civilians, and the examiners screamed out and broke into a run.

“Stop it!”

Sven sucked in a deep breath, and released an arrow.

The arrow flew at the pseudo-slime’s feet with a thunderous roar. With it’s posture collapsing, more arrows were fired in succession to keep it contained.

From firing rapidly his fingers ached with a tingling sensation. Just like that, his quiver became empty.

However, that much could only delay the pseudo-slime for a short moment.

The pseudo-slime made a great leap. As if in an attempt to eat it’s prey, it fell spreading itself to cover over the two examiners.

――In front of them, a huge shadow stood in the way.

A large frame dressed in crimson armour, and a giant halberd wedged into the space between them.

The leaping pseudo-slime fell onto the giant black-blue blade with it’s abdomen.

The arm holding onto the halberd shook with the impact. But, the hand holding onto the weapon never separated.

“-!? Branch chief!?”

“Oi, you bastard, go run back to Sven.”

A tattoo was engraved on the left side of his face, and on his cheek was the trace of an old wound.

The man once called the 『War Ogre』 smiled. His armour rung out in front of the

slime.

The slime knocked to the ground slowly got back up, and it’s eyes turned towards Gark.