Chapter 10

※It's a bit long. It's about two episodes.

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010 - Parting, and an Encounter

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Early the next morning, Rudy and the others packed up their tents and prepared to set off. When Jun was about to go outside after finishing his preparations, he was stopped by Granny Shar.

"This is a parting gift."

Granny Shar held out a silver ring to Jun.

"I can't accept something like this when I haven't done anything to repay you."

"Are you still saying that? Forget about debts and grudges. It's no good to be bound by such things."

The parting gift Granny Shar gave was an item box. Although it wasn't very large for a magic item made by Granny Shar, it could still hold objects weighing up to about 200 kilograms.

"Such a nice thing..."

"It's not much. I have plenty to sell, you know."

This was a joke from Granny Shar, the master magician, but Jun, not understanding it, took it seriously.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it."

"…Take care of it. And take this with you."

This time, she brought out a crystal about half the size of Jun's fist.

"What is this...?"

"It's a magic crystal."

A magic crystal is a high-magic crystal that contains more magical power than a magic stone. A crystal of this size would likely contain a considerable amount of magical power.

"I can't accept something so valuable."

"This is made from the magic stones of the Big Mosquitoes you hunted. So, Jun, you should take it."

Jun had hunted over 2000 Big Mosquitoes. Granny Shar explained that since the magic stones were processed into a magic crystal, it belonged to Jun.

"If you sell this, you should get about five gold coins. If you run out of money, you can sell it."

"Thank you."

There are six types of currency: copper coins, large copper coins, silver coins, large silver coins, gold coins, and large gold coins. Their value increases tenfold, so five gold coins are equivalent to 50,000 copper coins, a considerable amount of money.

"Well, off you go. Be careful not to get hurt."

"Yes, thank you."

When they went outside, Maurice approached Granny Shar.

"Then, I'll visit again in two months."

"Sure, I'll have the magic item you requested ready."

"Thank you very much."

Maurice bowed deeply.

"Take care of Jun."

"Yes, I'll make sure to deliver him safely to the Dungeon City."

Maurice is a major merchant with his main store in the Dungeon City. Half of his guards are dedicated, and the other half are active adventurers, some of whom are well-known even in the Dungeon City.

"Maurice, thank you very much."

"Yes, the pleasure is mine."

Jun waved until Granny Shar's house was out of sight. The house where Granny Shar, who had given him the strength to live again when he was in despair, lived. He decided in his heart to return someday.

"What's wrong, are you crying?"

Lutz, one of the guards and an active adventurer, peered at Jun's face. Lutz is the youngest of the guards, but at 23 years old, he is 8 years older than Jun.

"I'm not crying. This is sweat."

"Hahaha, I see, just sweat running from your eyes. You're a clever one."

"Lutz, stop talking and keep a proper lookout!"

"Hey, got it."

Lutz, who seems a bit careless, is actually a reliable eldest son who raised his younger siblings after his parents passed away. That's why he can't leave the young Jun alone.

There are many children without parents in this world. For various reasons, they can lose their lives over small matters. That's the reality of this world.

The Forest of Demons is deep. It's so deep that it would take over a month to cross it. However, Granny Shar's house is relatively near the outer edge, and it's possible to leave the forest in about two days. Still, they would have to camp in the forest for one night.

Unfortunately, it started raining in the early afternoon of the first day. The rain gradually intensified and turned into a downpour by evening.

The dense branches and leaves of the trees provide some shelter from the rain, but it's still a heavy downpour.

"This is bad. The mud is slowing us down."

Gaz, the tiger beastman, complained about the slow progress.

The rain continued on the third day, and the fatigue was visible on the faces of not only Jun and Maurice but also the guards.

"At this rate, we won't be able to leave the forest today."

Gaz spat out that they wouldn't be able to leave the forest until the fourth day.

"Also, the sound of the rain makes it impossible to hear approaching monsters, and our noses aren't working. This is a hassle this time of year."

"Yeah, it's a hassle."

Rudio also supported Gaz's opinion.

As expected, they had to spend the night in the forest on the third day. And then, the incident happened.

"Hey, wake up! Everyone, wake up!"

Gaz, who was on watch, woke Jun and the others.

"Gaz, what's coming?"

"Slimes."

"Huh? You can take care of a few slimes with just the watch."

Rudio was exasperated.

"Idiot, I wouldn't wake you up for just a few slimes!"

"You just said slimes."

"These are not ordinary slimes."

"…Where are they?"

Rudio immediately headed towards where he could see the slimes.

"Damn, they're coming this way."

Gaz's frustration was understandable. The slimes approaching them were of an impossible size.

Normally, slimes are gel-like monsters about 30 centimeters in diameter. However, the one in front of them was about 3 meters in size, still maintaining the shape of a slime.

"Is it a King Slime?"

Rudio's expression was grim.

Ordinary slimes, being level 2, could be easily defeated even in large numbers. However, a King Slime is a level 50 monster with high resistance to physical attacks. Even Rudio, a former A-rank adventurer, couldn't defeat it alone.

"Damn, we need to run."

"Agreed."

Rudio made a quick decision.

Rudio's response to the decision to flee from the King Slime was swift. He had the tents and other items thrown into Maurice's magic item, the item box.

Although Maurice was the employer, in emergencies, Rudio's judgment took precedence. Even if he was the employer, it was a matter of life and death, and Rudio's authority was unchallenged.

Jun, who also had an item box, offered to help.

"Jun, you have an item box too?"

"Yes, I got it from Granny Shar."

"Then throw everything into yours."

"Understood."

Thanks to Jun's help, the cleanup was completed faster than expected.

"Lutz, take the lead."

"Aye!"

Following Rudio's orders, Lutz took the lead, and Gaz was assigned to the rear.

"Jun, this way. Let's hurry."

"Yes."

Jun and Maurice hurried after Lutz.

"Damn, it's speeding up!"

The King Slime increased its speed, and Gaz reported that it was catching up to the group.

The King Slime's movement speed was so fast that it seemed to pass through the trees. It was definitely faster than the group, and Gaz said they would be caught if they continued at this rate.

"Lutz, keep going. Maurice, follow Lutz. Salm, Jend, Ald, and Hassen, come with me. Gaz, keep the rear."

"Got it, don't die."

"Like I'd die here."

Rudio stopped and turned around, high-fiving Gaz and entrusting him with the leadership of the guard team.

"Salm and Jend, use magic. Fire away."

"Understood."

The characteristic of a King Slime is its high resistance to physical attacks, making magic attacks effective. Slime-type monsters are weak to fire and lightning, but the rain reduces the effectiveness of fire magic.

Still, Jend is a fire mage. If he had dual attributes, it would have been better, but such mages are rare. With only fire magic as his attack method, he used his most powerful spell.

"Burst, fire!"

When Jend, a C-rank adventurer, shouted, Rudio, Ald, and Hassen, who were fighting close to the King Slime, retreated.

The intermediate fire magic, Burst, exploded, scattering the gel-like body of the King Slime.

"Take this, Typhoon!"

Salm, a former B-rank adventurer, knew the advanced wind magic, Typhoon. An advanced magic user like Salm would be more suitable working for the state rather than as a merchant's guard.

When Salm cast Typhoon, the flames from Burst grew larger, and the combination of the two increased the fire's intensity.

The King Slime, burned by the fire and cut by the wind, had an incredibly high vitality.

"Ald, how's the vitality?"

"About 10%, it's going to be a long fight."

Ald, a cat beastman, had risen to B-rank as a dual swordsman. Although he had retired as an adventurer and now worked as a guard, his skills as a scout were excellent, and he had a skill to sense vitality.

"Hassen, let's go!"

"Right!"

When the magic stopped, the front-line fighters moved in for close combat. Magic is powerful but takes time to reuse, so the front-line fighters had to buy time.

Rudio attacked the King Slime with a spear, and Hassen with a greatsword.

The King Slime wasn't just taking hits. It extended tentacle-like appendages from its gel-like body to attack, or spread out like a wave to try to engulf them.

Ald, the fastest among them, never got hit by the King Slime's attacks.

However, for Hassen, a C-rank adventurer, it was a tough fight. Rudio skillfully supported Hassen while dodging the King Slime's attacks, but it was a battle that drained his concentration.

Salm and Jend's magic reduced the King Slime's vitality, and the three front-line fighters protected the back-line. After about 30 minutes of this, the King Slime's vitality was reduced to nearly half.

However, Rudio and the others were also exhausted. They weren't injured, but their stamina was running out.

The three front-line fighters were breathing heavily, and the two back-line fighters were also running low on magic power. They had used mana potions several times to recover, but they were running out.

"This isn't good, Rudio."

"I know. But if we don't defeat it here, even if you and I are fine, Hassen and the others will be caught."

Maurice and the others should be far enough away to be safe, but the five people here, including the human Salm and Jend, and the boar beastman Hassen in heavy metal armor, would be caught by the slimes.

It would be better to defeat the King Slime here.

"Hassen, fall back. Take a break."

"I'm still okay!"

"No, you need to rest while you still have the energy!"

Hassen, though reluctant, understood Rudio's point and retreated.

"Ald, let's hold it off with the two of us."

"Fine, it's a hassle, but we have no choice."

At that moment, Ald's whiskers detected the presence of something approaching.

"Damn, now?"

"What is it?"

The two moved while talking to avoid being caught by the King Slime.

"Something is coming."

"Of all times, now? This is a pain!"

Rudio warned Hassen to be cautious of the approaching presence.

He wanted to let Hassen rest, but the two fighting the King Slime had no room for it.

"Rudio!"

"What, Jun!?"

"I'll help too!"

"Don't be ridiculous! This isn't a game!"

"I can use Thunder. Even if it doesn't deal much damage, there's a chance to shock it."

"Rudio, Thunder might work."

"Damn, Jun, I'll lecture you later!"

"What!?"

"Not 'what'! Salm and Jend, sync with Jun!"

"Got it!"

"Understood!"

Salm briefly explained the timing of the magic to Jun.

"Got it, after Jend's Burst, I'll cast Thunder."

"Right!"

The experienced Salm had Thunder in mind and adjusted the timing based on the casting time.

"Burst!"

When Jend shouted, Rudio and Ald retreated.

Burst burned the King Slime, and then Salm's Typhoon enhanced its power. The King Slime was burned and cut, but the damage wasn't significant.

"Thunder, fire!"

As the effects of Typhoon were subsiding, Jun cast Thunder.

The thunder, accompanied by a loud noise and a flash of light, reduced the King Slime's vitality. However, Jun's Thunder wasn't powerful enough to reduce the King Slime's vitality by even 1%.

The real goal was the additional effect of shocking it.

Despite its high level, the King Slime is weak to lightning. It shouldn't completely fail to shock it.

This idea came from reading monster books. Jun felt that knowledge was more useful than magic.

It didn't work this time. However, the chance of shocking it is random, and the opponent is a high-level King Slime. He didn't expect it to work on the first try.

It happened on the third try.

"Got it, it's shocked!"

The King Slime, emitting a tingling light from its body, was shocked.

Responding to Rudio's voice, Ald also attacked the King Slime. Since it was shocked, it couldn't counterattack.

Even if it only happens once in a while, being shocked allows a moment of mental rest.

High-rank adventurers can manage to stay alert while resting, even in such a situation. Even though they had retired, their old skills didn't fade easily. However, this time, they didn't rest.

"Go for the core, aim for the core!"

Slimes, including King Slimes, have a core.

Destroying the core can instantly reduce their vitality to zero, but since the core is also a magic stone, destroying it means losing the magic stone after the battle.

However, in this case, survival took precedence. Rudio told everyone to aim for the core, saying they would get a reward from Maurice.

"Quadruple Strike!"

"Sixfold Slash!"

"Gravity Sword!"

The three aimed for the core.

Rudio used the spear skill Quadruple Strike, which delivered four thrusts.

Ald used the dual sword skill Sixfold Slash, which delivered six rapid slashes.

Hassen used the greatsword skill Gravity Sword, which delivered a powerful strike.

The core of a slime is always moving, making it difficult to destroy even when aimed at. Especially for a large slime like a King Slime, the thick gel-like body slows down the attack speed, and the core moves before the attack reaches it.

However, the current King Slime was shocked, and the core was not moving.

Seeing this as their last chance, the three launched their full attacks.

Ald's Sixfold Slash was the fastest. However, the speed gradually decreased due to the slashing.

Hassen's Gravity Sword had tremendous power, but the gel-like body reduced its effectiveness.

Rudio's Quadruple Strike, a sharp thrust with a spear, was well-suited for the gel-like body and maintained its effectiveness.

The first attack to reach the King Slime's core was Rudio's Quadruple Strike.

The precise thrust that pierced the core caused the King Slime to shudder and lose its shape, spilling a large amount of gel.

"Ugh!?"

The three front-line fighters, covered in a large amount of slime gel, looked like dead fish.

"Don't come near us."

Salm's words were met with a vigorous nod from Jend. Jun, though he didn't want to say it, also hid behind Salm to avoid getting closer.

"You guys..."

"Rudio... can you do it?"

"Right, Hassen, let's go!"

"Right!"

The three front-line fighters lunged at the three back-line fighters.

"Hey, you guys!?"

"Ah, don't come near me!?"

"Ughhh!"

It was a scene of six men engaging in a lube play. If there were women involved, it might have had some appeal, but with six men, it was just awkward.

"What are you doing?"

Maurice, who had returned to chase after Jun, looked at them with a half-lidded gaze.

"Hehe... This is a victory dance after defeating the King Slime."

Rudio said confidently, believing that it's best to be decisive in such situations.

"Well, that's fine... but, Jun."

"Y-Yes?"

"Jun is a precious person entrusted to me by Sharmane. Please be more careful about acting on your own."

"S-Sorry..."

Jun, who received a lecture from Maurice, was then thoroughly lectured by Rudio. Despite feeling quite down, the joy of everyone being saved seemed to outweigh it.

"It's already morning, let's move on."

Following Rudio's order, everyone moved forward. Even with the rain, the slime gel didn't come off easily.

Jun, with his body covered in gel, headed for Melt Town.