A Bottom-Tier Adventurer Devoted to Supporting Their Idol Activities: Every Time, They Offer Rare Materials and Stir Up the Elites - Episode 7: Plan Change and Contact

Episode 7: Plan Change and Contact

There’s no way it would work, you idiot!! Like you could catch a Water Elemental Slime with just a single fishing rod in a lake this huge!!

I mean, I didn’t even catch a single normal fish! Are you kidding me?! Maybe I should just drain the entire lake, scoop it up with a net while it flops around on the lakebed, and laugh while I ship it off!! Damn it!!!!

“Hey, kid… You look like you’re losing it. You okay?”

The fisheries leader had moored his small boat at the pier. He looked at me from the boat with a worried expression.

“I didn’t catch anything… Mind if I turn this area into a scorched wasteland?”

“Don’t say scary stuff like that.”

The leader tied the rope to the mooring post, secured his boat, and casually hopped onto the pier. He walked up beside me, gave my shoulder a pat, and said, “It’s just fishing. Don’t let it get you down.” He was trying to cheer me up.

“By the way, Leader… Was the Water Elemental Slime only attacking Star Trout?”

“No, I think it also went after livestock grazing near the lake.”

“Wait, it comes out of the lake?!”

“There have been frequent sightings of it outside the lake at night.”

“You should’ve told me that *sooner*, Leader!!”

“I told you—I’m Ostar!!”

The fisheries leader gave me a look like he was staring at some incomprehensible monster. He then walked off the pier.

“Wasted a whole day. Time to change the plan.”

I quickly packed away my fishing and tea set into my backpack and walked back to the base of the pier. As I walked, I gathered my thoughts.

The Water Elemental Slime comes out of the lake at night to hunt. It doesn’t need fish—it’ll go for meat too. Actually, meat might be better.

During the day, it eats nothing but fish in the lake. That’s why it probably craves meat once in a while. Just like the fisheries guys. Probably dark-skinned and muscular too.

“In other words, I scatter the finest meat along the lakeside—within my field of control—and wait for nightfall.”

Plan set.

I pulled out fist-sized chunks of meat from my backpack. The vivid red color of the meat practically pulsed with life. It was *White Dragon* meat.

“Here you go!”

I tossed the chunks of White Dragon meat along the lakeshore.

Started with close range. Gradually moved to farther throws. I circulated magic into my arms, shoulders, and chest muscles for powerful throws. When the meat landed with a dull *thud*, it reminded me…

Would a human falling from a great height sound like that?

With such morbid thoughts, I silently continued throwing meat.

After about fifty throws, I had covered my entire perimeter of vigilance. All that was left now was to wait for night.

I found a good-sized tree near the lake and quickly climbed up.

I sat on a thick branch and leaned against the trunk.

Much more comfortable than the Snake’s Nest.

I pulled out a book from my backpack to read until nightfall.

The title was “Insects Living in the Frozen Lands.”

It was a book about people living in the far north of the Central Continent. Kind of insulting, comparing humans to insects. But… living underground during the long winters, hiding in holes—it *is* kinda bug-like. The author probably thought the same.

After reading about fifty pages, the tree I was in was swallowed by complete darkness. Not worth using magic to improve my night vision just to read this book. If it were an adventure story, I might’ve kept going. But this was more of a lifestyle account. I could save it for later.

I closed my eyes to wait for the right moment.

#

Midnight. Star Lake’s shoreline.

A red flame burned, even in the dead of night. Beside it, a man. His face looked bored.

The man tossed more dry firewood onto the campfire. He was watching absentmindedly as the flames grew.

The wind blew, making the flames dance. The man’s shadow swayed with them. The wind was still not satisfied. It tugged at the tent behind him. From inside, soft snoring answered back.

The man pulled a round watch from his belt pouch and muttered, “Still not yet.” He was annoyed by how slow time was passing.

Among the cracking of the firewood, a new sound joined—water.

The man looked toward the lake. The moonlit surface shimmered. It was stirred by the breeze.

*Splash, splash.*

The man noticed—there was no wind anymore. And yet the lake rippled.

Part of the lake surface swelled up. It was reflecting the moonlight even brighter.

No, not just a reflection. The surface itself was glowing faintly. The swell grew larger. The waves continued.

The man stood, stepped back.

He finally registered something was wrong and dashed into the tent.

“Tomage, wake up! Something’s coming!”

Inside the tent, two men were lying down. Both jumped up, grabbed their swords, and rushed out.

“…What the hell…”

Before the three of them stood a massive, gently glowing lump of water. It was shifting from the lake to the shore. It was as if it was seeking something.

“It’s definitely the Elemental Slime. Let’s do this. I need [Magic Barrier] and [Boost].”

The red-haired man—Tomage—gave the order in a low voice. The other two nodded and activated their spells. Two types of magical light wrapped around Tomage.

“Alright. Time to show them what a B-rank adventurer can do.”

Tomage unsheathed his longsword, rested it on his shoulder, and dashed forward—his leg strength gouging into the ground.

He moved with the speed of an arrow shot from a high-tension bow. He charged straight at the Elemental Slime.

The Slime, meanwhile, remained still on the lakeshore. Its body flickered rhythmically.

“Take this! [Slash]!”

Tomage’s body was enveloped in a blue light. He brought his blade down from high above. He was slicing into part of the Slime’s body.

The Slime’s form burst. A chunk was shaved off.

“Yes!”

“We’ve got this!”

His two comrades cheered. They remained at a distance, watching the fight. Seemed like a party with a frontline attacker and two buffers.

Tomage mixed in normal slashes and skills. He relentlessly carved away at the Slime’s body. He was aiming for the core at its center.

Suddenly, the Slime’s body trembled.

In pain? No. Slimes don’t have pain receptors. If anything, it looked like it was trembling… with joy.

The Slime stretched its body high into the air. It then swayed side to side.

It looked like a giant dancing under the moonlight.

“You mocking me?! [Fire Blade]!!”

Tomage’s longsword was engulfed in crimson flames. As he poured more magic in, the flames grew.

“Take this!!”

A massive flaming blade swung to cleave the towering Slime in two.

A deafening explosion rang out. And steam erupted.

One third of the Elemental Slime vanished in an instant.

“Heh. Serves you right.”

Tomage spat at the now-smaller Slime while catching his breath.

But the Elemental Slime suddenly stopped.

Then, the light in its body flared. Near its core—right next to a glowing blue gem—the light intensified and rippled throughout its form.

It looked like… it was quietly furious at having its dance interrupted.

“Let’s end this. [Fire Blade]!!”

Once more, Tomage’s sword burst into red flame. In response, the Slime’s glow surged.

*Chuun.*

A high-pitched, oddly goofy sound echoed.

At the same time, a single streak of blue light shot from the Slime.

It swept across everything.

Nothing remained standing in its path.

Not Tomage.

Not his two companions.

Moments later, even the large tree near the lake was toppled.

From that tree, a single human man leapt down.