Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~ Chapter 41: Slime 2

Chapter 41

Sli 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 ters away ― the most basic magic attack 『fire arrow』 made a muffled sound impacting on the slis head, arms, and torso. It didn’t make any moves to evade.

The sli 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 sli.

『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 tal armour.

Even more, the enemy this ti was a sli 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 fla ward the air, and the intense heat was transmitted to Sven nearly ten ters 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 beca tense once again.

The appearance of the sli was beyond bizarre. For the mbers of Footprints, this wasn’t their first encounter like this. But they wouldn’t grow used to it no matter how many tis 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 mont, 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 so impulse, he grit his teeth and spoke.

“It, still hadn’t noticed . 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 erged.

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

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

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

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

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

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

arrow』 was aid at the slis 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 na 『Tempest Strike』 drilled into the Slis head – and in the next mont 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 beca 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 sli 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 sli 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 overwheld with lightning. By all rights it wasn’t sothing that would be used on a single monster.

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

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

However after receiving the lethal blow, the sli 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. Fla and wind enveloped the sli. The vegetation burnt and the ground was hollowed out.

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

However, the red sli 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 so ti, a more powerful attack magic could be used. But what they had used so far should have been enough to slay a single sli.

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 sli 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 sli 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 movents 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 tal hamr down onto the sli.

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

At the mont the hamr with a protruding tal spike smashed into the slis head – Sven witnessed a strange sight.

The hamr made of tal beca greatly cracked. It warped as if it was forcibly twisted.

And that force was transferred into both arms of the hunter holding the hamr. “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 ca to mory. This was – the origin of those strange wounds!

“Release your hands!”

Gark shouted out. The hamr shattered to pieces at roughly the sa ti. Barely released in ti, 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 sli leaned it’s body forward overhead.

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

He knocked an arrow at once. With a minute amount of ti 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 sli’s posture collapsed. Not missing the gap that was created, several more arrows were fired.

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

The man staggered away from the sli.

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

“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 sli was putting itself back in order, lting with sound.

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

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 sli 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 overco 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 ti 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 mber 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 beco 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 ti 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.”

Sli killing potion. The trump card.

Without the arrows keeping it in check, the sli resud it’s sluggish movents.

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 ti 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 sli looked at Sven with both eyes. The huge body seed 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 sli shrunk in as if it’s flesh and blood had lted, 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 mbers 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 movents 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 sli descended as if to crush him with it’s body.

Sven bent over, and at the sa ti 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 ti Sven was far out of the Sli’s range.

The sli slopped down onto the ground.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Fuuuuuuuuuuck! Like I thought, it wasn’t a sli 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 sli. 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 , Cry...... didn’t say sli. He said sli kind of guy-“

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

The pseudo-sli 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 sothing damp striking behind him.

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

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

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

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

So 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.

Sothing had gone wrong, or perhaps it was growing, but the pseudo slis movents were getting faster.

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

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

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 movents 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-sli back to town with them.

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

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

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 mont, Sven noticed the pseudo-slis body had beco slightly smaller.

The sli 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 volu was reduced.

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

It was as if it had evaporated.

If they stalled for ti... 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 so hope to wish for. This was a trial. He had the will to overco 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 ant the man had read through everything and judged it so.

“Buy ti! Look closely, it’s beco 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 slis current movent was random, and by attracting it’s attention in turns, they may be able to gain ti 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 sohow.

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 beca calm.

It was at that ti. The pseudo-sli 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 sli dragged it’s body along quickly. Hunters along the way tried to induce it’s attention, but the sli bounced around in it’s movent.

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

“Stop it!”

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

The arrow flew at the pseudo-sli’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 beca empty.

However, that much could only delay the pseudo-sli for a short mont.

The pseudo-sli 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 fra dressed in crimson armour, and a giant halberd wedged into the space between them.

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

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

sli.

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