Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 29: The Cave

Episode 29: The Cave

“(So this is the Hobgoblins’ stronghold…)”

After tailing them for a while, the Hobgoblins arrived at a certain cave. The cave was situated below a high cliff, and two iron-armored Hobgoblins stood guard by the entrance.

Are they acting as lookouts?

The guards became wary upon seeing the Hobgoblin return alone. However, after hearing the situation, they allowed it to pass smoothly.

“(They even have lookouts…)”

I had planned to storm in from the front. But with lookouts present, it felt emotionally challenging to barge in.

Given my size and abilities, stealth was somewhat limited. But I decided to give it a try.

“(Let’s start the operation.)”

So, I took a distance and began to move sideways, flattening myself.

Creeping along quietly. Thanks to [Stealth], I was not easily detected.

After getting sufficiently far from the lookouts, I approached the cliff. I extended my whip to test the nearby ledges and lightly exerted force.

“(Alright, the firmness is perfect. Probably.)”

Having confirmed it, I attached myself to the cliff.

I made my body as thin as possible to reduce the weight per unit area.

“(Come on, [Climbing], do your best!)”

With hopes pinned on my long-time [Skill], I climbed carefully.

I grabbed the protrusions of the cliff. I couldn’t find a hold, so I sharpened part of my body like a spear tip and stabbed it in.

“(Phew, phew, made it to the top…)”

Reaching the clearing at the top of the cliff, I sprawled out flat on the ground, feeling relieved.

It was quite strenuous, so I quickly reverted to my cubic form.

This shape is the most comfortable and restful for me.

“(Time to set up an ambush.)”

After resting sufficiently, I lowered my whip to check the situation below the cliff.

Then I ascended to the lookouts, wrapped my whip around a nearby rock to use as a safety line, and slowly descended.

It was a gamble whether [Stealth] could completely hide the Grand Beast’s |Mana|. 

I was prepared to react immediately if detected, but approached overhead without any particular incidents. The distance was about three meters.

I detached the safety line and jumped down.

Immediately, I spread my body sideways to include both lookouts.

Thud.

A visceral splash sound echoed, and a red stain spread beneath me.

I used the [Impact] acceleration for the fall, which was quite powerful. If I hadn’t consciously tried to minimize the shock during landing, it might have made a considerable noise.

―――Non-Notification Information Recording Zone―――――――――――――

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>> Fuwa Katsu {Jewel Armory Slime} has acquired the [Skill: Ambush].

>> [Skill: Landing] has been acquired.

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Absorbing the fallen Hobgoblins and storing their equipment in [Weapon Storage], I faced the cave entrance again.

After descending a bit, the cave turned completely dark, creating an illusion that it led to an abyss. It seemed that deep.

The width was such that I couldn’t walk side by side with two of me. It didn’t seem like my body would get stuck, but it was somewhat cramped.

Well, I can always manage by transforming.

“(But still, don’t the Hobgoblins find this inconvenient?)”

Looking at the pitch-black darkness, I wondered if goblin-type monsters had the ability to see in the dark or had skills that made it easier.

However, since I lack such abilities, I need to take precautions.

Testing whether I can learn skills will be for another time.

“(Activate, [Thunder Strike – Weak])”

I activated my [Unique Skill] at low power.

A thin lightning bolt extended from my body to the ceiling, making the cave slightly more visible.

“(Let’s go!)”

I promptly entered the cave and headed deeper at a brisk pace.

Even though I was reducing output to save on |Mana|, consuming |Mana| was still unavoidable.

After repeating {Evolution} and learning [Storage], my |Mana| was at 825/500, but the storage amount was gradually decreasing, so I wanted to wrap things up quickly.

After moving a bit, I found a small room-like space beside the path.

Peeking in, I saw several Hobgoblins loitering there.

“([Thrust]!)”

Before the Hobgoblins could react to the lightning, I thrust my spear at the one on the left edge.

Despite being newly learned, [Thrust] was the most useful in tight spaces.

As I heard the dying scream of the first Hobgoblin, I switched my spear to a whip sword and made a horizontal sweep.

“([Slash]!)”

“““Gigyagyagyah!?”””

Half of the Hobgoblins had their torsos slashed, with the rest pressed against the walls. While not all received fatal injuries depending on their position, most were heavily wounded. Soon after, all the Hobgoblins in the small room were wiped out.

“(So this place is… some kind of temporary storage for loot?)”

Looking around the room, I saw parts of monsters and what appeared to be weapons scattered haphazardly. Some Hobgoblins had even been munching on pieces of meat, so this guess wasn’t too far off.

I avoided focusing on the severed human heads as much as possible, quickly storing all the weapons and leaving the room.

“(Here they come.)”

It seemed that the screams of the Hobgoblins I had killed in the small room had alerted others. Reinforcements appeared from the depths, and they weren’t just a few—they kept emerging from the darkness incessantly.

“[Slash]!”

I called out as they approached, activating [Throwing]. I hurled the weapon I retrieved from [Weapon Storage] with force, impaling two Hobgoblins at once.

“(It’s nice that it doesn’t take much time to deploy the weapons.)”

I continued throwing the remaining weapons, trying to push back the Hobgoblins. However, this alone wasn’t enough to wipe them all out.

“(I’ll save the remaining two weapons and figure out what to do with the rest of the Hobgoblins…)”

Then, I had a brilliant idea. This should allow me to efficiently move and annihilate at the same time.

To execute it, I first curled my body into a ball.

“([Charge]!)”

I leaped out with force!

My spherical form rolled down the slope with great speed, crushing enemies along the way.

“““Gigyahhhh!?!”””

“(Gyaaahhh!?)”

The sensation of spinning rapidly in the darkness also made my vision spin.