424 – Level Difference (side: Thermal)

I chase the red-eyed girl, masked spider and Miria.
They were able to buy some time through the surprise [Dark Sphere], but due of the difference in our stats, I can close this gap in no time.
Soon, their backs come into view again.

I’ve repaired the damage I took as I ran with [Autoregeneration].
But then, the damage wasn’t so much that I needed to hurry to heal it.

It hurts that I’m not able to pin down what type of monster the red-eyed girl is.
She shouldn’t be a human.
Irushia brought her, and if I pay attention to the atmosphere around her, it seems a little mysterious.
That is a property of the magic power of monsters.

I raise my speed and leap over them, then turn around.

“It’s unfortunate for you.
Did you really think you would be able to shake me off with legs that slow?”

The masked spider carrying Miria immediately turns ninety degrees and begins to run down a different passage.
Intent on buying time, the red-eyed girl comes towards me.

“You’re splitting up to slow me down? Red-eyed girl, as long as you aren’t there, I’ll be able to kill that masked spider as soon as I get in reach, so I think that’s a bad move for you.”

Of course, it’s only a bad choice if the alternatives aren’t worse for her.
However, even though I know that, I try to deny her decision to unsettle her.

But neither disorientation, nor impatience appear on her face.
She shows no hesitation at all.
She’s quite the fighter, to not waver under these circumstances.
It’s normal to try and hide any upsets so that they don’t show on the surface, but this is no act.
For her to be so unperturbed is unexpected.

“[Clay]!”

As she shouts, she raises a white hand towards me.
The phosphorescent magic power transforms into earth, forming into an enlarged statue of her, about two metres tall.

It’s not just earth magic.
The earth produced by Clay is being moved by another skill.

The earthen statue moves almost like a living thing, and rushes forwards to attack me.
That’s not all, as the girl takes her distance from me, closes her eyes, and adjusts her breathing.
She’s kneading magic power together.
She plans to hit the earthen statue along with me with something big.

The earthen giant is a decoy.
Her real objective is to earn damage with the next magic she uses.
On top of wielding powerful magic, the interval between her attacks is short.
She’ll probably be able to shoot it in just a moment.

“But, you’re too naive!”

I bend my arm.
It’s the [Tentacle Whip] skill.
My arm stretches out and easily pulverises the earth puppet.
It even attacks the red-eyed girl further behind.

The power is reduced from having to pass through the earthen puppet, but it should still deal a significant amount of damage to her.
It hits her shoulder and flesh is sliced out―but, not a single drop of blood scatters from the gouged out flesh.

As I thought, she’s a monster… But, what is her body? Even though she’s imitating a human, for no body fluids to be exposed when she’s hit, she has to be quite a unique type.
Even us slimes scatter liquid when we are hit.
Is her true identity some sort of monster with a thick carapace?

But, that is irrelevant.
By the time she’s recovered from being knocked back from my attack, I have already closed the gap.
I reach her just as she’s about to raise her arm.

“Ah…”

A despairing sound leaks from her mouth.

“You’re too naive.
You really thought you would be able to get away from me with stats that low?”

Her attack won’t deal decisive damage to me.
In addition, I am far faster than she is.
I have plenty of ways of dealing with her.

“Well done in lasting this long I guess.
[Sleepis]!”

I stab a finger at the red-eyed girl.
Blue light expands out and envelops her.
It’s magic that produces an intense drowsiness.

I won’t kill her here.
I’ll have her become food for Demon Lord-sama.
Demon Lord-sama, who is preparing to evolve to legendary class, wants experience points.
This red-eyed girl is convenient, and seems like she’d be worth a decent amount of experience points.
If possible, I want to capture her alive.

After a momentary blank look, she quickly extends her arm towards me.
The [Sleepis] didn’t work.
She’s a magic user type, so did she resist it? But even so, there’s no sign at all of her consciousness becoming distant.
Is she a monster similar to a golem…?

“[Gale]!”

A violent vortex of wind bursts from her hand.
I crouch down on the spot and endure it.
She’s released the wind magic with as much force as she can.

I won’t let her retreat.
I’m still fine, but I didn’t think I’d be taking more damage like this.
Her stats are low, but she’s quite adept at using her skills.
I had thought she could be a high level B- or a low level B+, but it was the latter it seems.
That is what my experience and knowledge is telling me.

Even without the Demon Lord’s divine protection, she’s reached the same rank as me… It’s said that the Demon Lord’s divine protection raises the possibilities of evolution.
Even though I have that blessing, I have come to a stop at B+ rank.
Rogueheil has looked down on me, and Demon Lord-sama has lamented our weakness, resulting in me developing an inferiority complex.

Although it’s not certain, if the red-eyed girl before me was the Demon Lord’s subordinate, she might have been able to evolve to Rogueheil’s rank.
She possesses potential far above my own.

“…When I think that, you really are irritating.”

I lift my head and glare at her.

“You still can’t make me budge.”

The face becomes dyed the colour of bewilderment.
She’s finally realising the difference in our power.

“Did seriously think you would not only be able to get away, but that you might be able to defeat me? That’s quite the bold idea, but you’re dreaming too big.
Against a higher level opponent, and a slime that possesses high health and recovery ability, that is.
You should have tried to fight me after building up some more strength.”

As I try to step forward, the earth produced by [Clay] and scattered by [Gale] forms into countless arms that wrap around me.
I try to lift my leg, but it doesn’t separate easily.
The arms have wrapped around my joints several layers deep and interlocked their fingers preventing me from putting much strength into my legs.

“I see, it’s an interesting skill and strategy, but I’m a slime, so…”

If I loosen the solidity of my body, I can easily slip out of the earthen arms.
It won’t even serve to buy her time.

“[Dark Sphere]!”

Trying to use what little time she has, she shoots her next magic out.
But this isn’t much of an opening.
Even if shot from directly in front of me, I can dodge any number of her attacks now.

I prepare myself for the [Dark Sphere].
Drawing a helical trajectory, the sphere of black light flies in a different direction from me.
With irregular movements, it suddenly flies up into the air, and crashes into the ceiling.
Cracks run through the ceiling, and rubble begins to fall.

“Ugh!”

This was her objective from the beginning.
She attracted my attention to the ground with her arms of earth, then relied on my wariness of a frontal attack from the [Dark Sphere] that hit me once before and then, using its unsteady trajectory, she hid her real intention of a rubble attack until the last second! Attacks that ignore stats and rely on the weight of objects in the battlefield are certainly the best way of overturning a difference in abilities.

The rubble falls towards me.
I swell up both my arms, using them to block the falling rubble, and then tilt to the side to drop them.
One of the advantages of us slimes being able to freely change our shapes is that we can absorb the impact of attacks that we receive.
And, depending on the circumstances, the damage can be entirely avoiding off like this.

“It’s unfortunate for you.
If I wasn’t a slime, you might have been able to deal some serious damage.
I’m seriously glad you’re low level.
Now then, are you out of ideas?”

As I lay my eyes on the red-eyed girl after fending off the falling rubble, I see her soaring upwards in a movement that seems to defy gravity, as she moves to the floor above.

“Hah…?”

From the floor above, the masked spider with Miria on its back peeks down, and its mask rattles as though laughing at me.
The red-eyed girl runs away with the masked spider.

I understand now why she wasn’t at all shaken by my provocation earlier.
They had split up, but probably had intended to meet up again in just a moment.
My provocation was misplaced, because their plan had always been to pull her up with the masked spider’s thread later.

“They keep moving and are looking down on me…”

I stretch out my arms and grip the ceiling, pulling myself up to the floor above.
I listen for the sound of their footsteps and estimate their location.
I draw a map of the castle in my mind and narrow down their possible routes.

“It’s useless.
Not only do I have an advantage in speed, but an advantage in terrain.
There’s no benefit in drawing it out by running around like this.
If you seriously think you can get away from me, you’re far too naive.”