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 39: The Red Monster

Episode 39: The Red Monster

Once I decided to defeat it, I acted quickly.

I mimicked a bow with [Replicant Form] and fired an arrow.

“([Shoot])”

The arrow gouged into the red-black flesh of the monster. But that was it. Even though the impact caused a slight melting at the point of contact, the wound immediately closed.

“(This isn’t getting me anywhere, [Slash])”

I dodged the extending roots and sliced through them, but they regenerated instantly. No matter how many times I attacked, I couldn’t see the end of its |Life|.

“(I guess I’ll have to get closer.)”

With that, I dashed toward the monster. Weaving through the roots and red whips, cutting them down as I approached.

The monster, having begun using its red whips. It had taken a seated position in the center of the plaza, focusing on long-range attacks. Though there was a fair distance between us, at this speed, I’d close the gap in no time.

“Su, ra”

“(Whoa. What’s that [Skill]?)”

At this moment, the monster unveiled a new attack. It shot a part of its red-black body like it was spewing something out.

It was like a bullet of bl00d. It seemed to carry the power of [Dissolution Liquid], as the ground around where it landed melted, forming a large crater.

“(But its speed is slow. I can dodge this—)”

Just as I thought it wasn’t an issue due to the lack of rapid fire, my body was suddenly restrained. The reason was the ground at my feet. My slime’s wide field of vision caught sight of roots that had erupted from the ground and entwined around me.

“(It can do that too?)”

Looking closely, I saw roots extending from the ground behind the monster. It must have burrowed them into the earth from there.

“Su, ra… (Devour…)”

The roots that I had been dodging now surged toward me, their tips sharpened as they rushed at me with tremendous force.

—Crack.

But they bent and snapped without piercing my |Toughness|. It seemed it had increased their thinness and hardness for penetration, but that only backfired.

“Su, ra”

Without a moment’s delay, bl00d bullets rained down. They didn’t melt my body one bit.

“(I knew it wouldn’t work.)”

I wasn’t surprised; it was the expected result. I had been cautious of a defense-piercing [Skill], but avoiding attacks was no longer necessary.

“([Replicant Form])”

I transformed the surface of my body into weapons for just a moment. The swords and spears that shot out from my body cut the roots wrapped around me cleanly. Once I was free, I resumed with [Charge].

“([Compact Slash], [Compact Thrust], [Compact Slash])”

I cut down the approaching roots and red whips one after another, steadily closing in from the front. No need for dodging or [Cross Counters]. By now, I had stack a significant number of [Consecutive Hits], allowing me to destroy even the tough roots and red whips with ordinary attacks.

Occasionally, missed attacks struck my body. But against my nearly 3,000 |Toughness|, they were meaningless. The more I destroyed the monster’s attacks, the more powerful my [Consecutive Hits]] became, making it easier to tear apart the roots and whips.

“Su, su, ra…? (Why… can’t I devour you…?)”

Confusion mixed with the monster’s madness. It seemed to finally question why I wasn’t getting hurt despite being stabbed and hit.

Yet, it showed no signs of fleeing. Perhaps it thought it could absorb me if I got close enough.

“(Twenty meters left.)”

As I advanced in a straight line, the distance rapidly shrank. I avoided a bl00d bullet fired directly at me with a [Jump], then used [Aerial Jump] to close the remaining gap in one swift movement.

“Su, ra”

A particularly thick root extended toward me in defense. This triggered my [Instant Shift], allowing me to accelerate again with another [Aerial Jump].

Leaping horizontally to dodge the thick root, I passed right over the red monster and swung down my spear, imbued with a special attack against earth.

“([Slash])”

A strike, empowered by various [Skills], deeply slashed the monster’s body. The wound reached its core, and the spreading damage caused a large portion to dissolve.

“Su…ra… (De…vour…)”

“(How about that…!)”

I waited to see the result of my attack. My goal wasn’t to deplete the monster’s |Life| with a powerful strike. After all, since the monster had slime-like characteristics, attacking the red whips or the main body would yield the same damage.

The reason I got close was to cut off the source of the roots. All the roots spreading around originated from the monster’s core.

The monster’s body was clouded red, making it hard to see. But it resembled the seed of a plant. I figured if I destroyed that seed, the monster’s rampage would stop.

The destructive power of the slash, imbued with numerous [Skills], was extraordinary. The mere impact of the blade shattered the seed into dust. Even the roots were torn halfway through, giving me hope—until…

“Su, ra… (Devour…)”

“Damn it! [Shoot]!”

One of the roots rapidly regenerated, restoring the seed to its original form. The monster, as if it were its turn, extended its red whip in retaliation. I released the arrow I had prepared while leaping upward to dodge the monster’s counterattack.

“(I’ve already made my decision…)”

As I looked down at the monster below, I reaffirmed my earlier resolve. I had clung to the faint hope of saving it. But that, too, had failed. There might still be a way, perhaps by removing only those roots. However, any more time spent could result in the monster escaping.

I shifted my thoughts—to kill it now, for real.

“([Aerial Jump])”

I leaped higher into the sky. Having used this technique frequently, I had trained myself to perform [Aerial Jump] up to six times in a minute. I had three uses left.

“([Aerial Jump])”

A third leap. I was quite high up now. If I looked east, I could see what seemed like a walled human town. I wondered if that chubby guy would make it back safely.

A fleeting distraction. What I needed to focus on was my target, the red monster I was about to kill. I shifted my attention back to the red creature, now a speck far below.

Soon after, my ascent stopped. In past encounters, I would have kept rising, but this time was different.

“([Aerial Jump])”

I kicked the air, but this time, I descended. I leaped directly toward the monster.

Combining it with [Charge], my leaping power increased. With the added effect of [Impact], I accelerated rapidly.

“[Challenge], [Bewitching Gleam]”

I didn’t forget to stir up its hostility. If it fled now, all of this would be for nothing. The [Skills] seemed to work, as the monster gathered several red whips and roots, entering defensive mode.

Seeing that, I felt relieved. I was moving too fast to stop now. If it had chosen to dodge, things would have been troublesome.

“([Lightning strike]—)”

As a final touch, I unleashed lightning to boost my [Consecutive Hits], forming a massive spear at the forefront like a battering ram.

“([Thrust])”

With the momentum of my fall, I drove the massive spear forward.

────!!

I think I pierced the monster. I say “think” because the speed was so overwhelming that I couldn’t fully register what had happened. The monster’s red whips and roots were shredded like threads. The spear must have pierced through its entire body, as I shot through it without losing any speed. It created a massive crater in the ground. At least, that’s what I deduced based on the fact that I was now buried at the bottom of the crater.

“(That was… intense.)”

As I crawled out of the hole, I was struck by the scale of the destruction. 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 the monster?)”

I climbed out of the crater and scanned the surroundings. It didn’t take long to find the monster’s remains.

After all, they were scattered everywhere.

Like ketchup that had exploded, red liquid was splattered all over the place. The roots were similarly scattered, mixed with the red liquid, and had fallen to the ground in several places.

Though hard to tell with the roots, they seemed thinner and withered. Shortly after confirming this, my <Level> skyrocketed, signaling the end of the battle.

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

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>> Fuwa Katsu {Jewel Armory Slime} has acquired the [Skill: Frenzied Charge]. [Skill: Charge] has been integrated.  

>> Acquired [Skill: Charge Thrust].  

>> Sla-ta {Corrupted Fatty Bloody Slime} has died.  

>> Fuwa Katsu {Jewel Armory Slime}’s Soul Accumulation Level has increased to 76. 

>> Nameless {Seed of Chaos} has died.  

>> Due to [Skill: Chaos Shift Soul] of ■■■■■■■■■■■, the <Soul Fragments> of Nameless {Seed of Chaos} could not be absorbed.  

>> [Skill: Primordial Chaos] of ■■■■■■■■■■■ has activated. The <Soul Fragments> of Anonymous {Seed of Chaos) has been returned—  

>> Fuwa Katsu {Jewel Armory Slime}’s [Unique Skill: Earth Growth Thunderbolt] has activated.  

>> The [Chaos Transformation] of Nameless {Seed of Chaos}’s <Soul Fragments> has been dispelled.  

>> Fuwa Katsu {Jewel Armory Slime} has absorbed the <Soul Fragments> of Nameless {Seed of Chaos}.  

>> Soul Accumulation Level has increased to 92. 

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