We had just defeated a unique monster and were taking a break together.
Setrina noticed a monster approaching the barrier—a slime.
“It’s touched the edge of the barrier and rammed into it over and over.”
Hearing Setrina’s report, I paused to think for a moment.
Slimes were a type of monster added to the game today.
Since we had no information on unique individuals, one could hide among the slimes that had attacked us.
So leaving it alone was not an option, but…
”…Can we let just one through for now?”
“Of course.”
“Alright. Everyone, sorry, but our break is over.”
Once I confirmed everyone had stood up, I stored the glass, table, and chairs.
“Setrina, count on you.”
“Mm—it’s coming from over there.”
Sure enough, it came from the direction Setrina pointed to.
It oozed forward, crawling toward us.
Its design wasn’t the kind you’d see in a mainstream RPG; it looked like something you could only describe as “crawling sludge.”
It resembled a giant jellyfish beached on the shore, thrashing about as it struggled to adapt to land.
Its color was a semi-transparent gray.
If I remember correctly, its color changed depending on what it ate.
Looking closely, I could see a sphere floating inside its body.
…Could destroying that thing kill it?
“Kageboori. Can you crush that sphere using your shadow power?”
I spoke to Kageboori, the literary girl with braided hair who had been on the library committee with me last year.
“H-Hai! B-being asked by… Ku-no-kun… f-heh… ah, y-yes, I can do it!”
Startled by being addressed so suddenly, Kageboori let out a strange noise but agreed to the request.
Her shadow took on a human form, transforming its arm into something like a sword as it approached the slime.
And then, she lunged forward, stabbing at the sphere.
The sphere shattered perfectly in two, and the slime burst into fragments like a broken water balloon.
”…I see.
So that must be something like a heart for a slime,” Fukami murmured with a serious expression.
“Looks that way. Inzawa, thanks for the save.”
“D-d-don’t mention it. I’m glad I could be of help, eehehe…”
Inzawa fidgeted, blushing with shyness.
“Sojusuke, what do we do? There still seem to be a lot of them nearby.”
“I know how to take them down now. I also want to find out what changes based on the color differences, and there might be a unique individual among them. Let’s fight here.”
“As for me, I’d like to enslave a few before heading back. It’ll come in handy, being able to digest anything, won’t it?”
Inubo placed her index finger against her chin, smiling eerily.
You couldn’t mistake this for the same child who had been jumping around excitedly over sparkling water just a moment ago.
“Sojusuke, shall we wipe them out from the sky?”
What a grim way to put it—‘wipe them out.’
Despite letting out a helpless chuckle at my childhood friend’s choice of words, I nodded.
“Yeah, let’s do that. But I want a few people, including myself, to stay on the ground. We need to collect materials from the slimes too.”
“Well, then I’ll stay behind.”
“I’ll help out as well.”
“I’ll transform into Fennril and fight too…!”
“Momo’s staying!”
”…Me too. I have to be of some use.”
“A-And I… if it’s not too much trouble”
Sena, Fukubō, Genchū, Momo, Shippū, and Inshin volunteered to stay.
“Healers are safer in the safe zone, so I’ll provide cover from the sky.”
“I’m going to command a few slimes and watch over things from up there as well.”
“Then I suppose I’m staying too. I’ll support you as an archer.”
Chia, Inukai, and Matoba would provide aerial support.
“Sena, please release the barrier now.”
“Mm—released. Also, once the three of them take flight, I’ll protect them with the barrier. I’ll make sure we can still talk to each other.”
If sound passage was permitted, even if we couldn’t see inside the barrier from outside, words could still be exchanged. “Thank you. Please, rely on that arrangement.”
The slimes that had been unable to approach due to the boundary line moved in, surrounding us.
A few of them quivered violently before lunging at their fellow slimes.
“Alright, up you go, all three of you. Mikron, Highrow, I’m counting on you.”
Two phantom beasts carried the trio into the air, soaring upward.
“Wind Blade!”
Deep Hō unleashed a wind spell at the azure slime closing in on him.
As if cutting through jelly, a portion of the slime was severed off, and I immediately stored it away.
Checking my [Inventory], I saw it listed as a “Slime Fragment.”
I’d have to look up what I could use that for later.
“Ku… I’m glad I can be of help, Mr. Kukino!”
Inbatsu also controlled the shadow warriors from earlier, slashing through the slimes.
“A chance to repay Sōsuke, huh?”
Yorina used small barriers to slice through the slimes’ bodies.
“Hah…!”
A Gale Spinning Kick sent a slime flying, and a follow-up stomp crushed its core, causing the ground to sink.
He appears to have mastered 『Leg Strength Enhancement』.
“—Ah!”
The Genchu who had transformed into Fenrir swung his massive claws, cleaving the slimes in eight.
Tsunaha, unable to dismember the slimes’ bodies with explosive force, deftly shot their cores through with arrows, racking up kills.
“Sousuke-kun, could you lend me something that looks like a weapon?”
While everyone fought with great effort, Momo placed her hand on my shoulder and spoke.
“Are you okay?”
“If I do well, I can sit next to Sousuke-kun next time, right? Momo can do it too!”
It would be a shame to dampen such enthusiasm.
“Don’t push yourself.”
I retrieved a spear from my 『Inventory』 and handed it to Momo. “Thanks! Here I go!”
With that shout, Momo multiplied into five copies, all charging at the slimes simultaneously.
Her movements weren’t exactly refined, but her lack of hesitation gave them raw momentum.
She thrust her spear wildly, missing the core several times before managing to take one down.
“Yes! Slimes aren’t gross, so maybe Momo can handle these!”
Momo looked my way, flashing a smug grin that clearly said see, I told you.
“Wow, Momo, you’re amazing.”
“Right?!”
She puffed out her chest like a kid.
“But try not to stick your neck out too much.”
“Sousuke-kun, stop worrying. But don’t worry, Momo’s fine because we’re all avatars.”
“Even so, that doesn’t mean you can just get hurt.”
”……Oh, thanks.”
When I spoke with a serious tone, she unusually replied with a meek voice.
“I-I mean, no matter what, Momo will do her best!”
It was in that very moment that she stirred into action.
“Kyaa!”
One of her avatars was hanging suspended in mid-air.
Looking closely, it seemed like she’d been caught by some semi-transparent tentacle… but what on earth was that?
No, since the only enemies here were slimes, that was a certainty.
Yet somehow, a massive body, several times the size of dozens of slimes, had appeared in my field of view.
Had I not noticed it until now? That huge thing?
No, since it was a viscous creature, it likely leveraged that nature to flatten its massive body and close the distance. “Huh? Huh? What’s going on?”
One of the uncaught clones let out an anxious voice.
“Momo, what are you doing? Dissolve your clones immediately!”
A voice from above—Inui’s voice.
“I… can’t.”
”…Momo?”
“I can’t dissolve them!”
Clones can be dissolved at any time by the host’s will.
It is precisely because of this trait that Momo is able to extricate herself before encountering truly terrifying danger.
It was a distinct strength inherent in her ability.
But if it wasn’t working, and she were dissolved by the slime like this, due to the memory sharing between clone and host, she would end up experiencing her own death.
I have to save her immediately.
Next chapter scheduled for update on April 15th!
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