Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunter Dreams of a Hero ~-Chapter 42，Part1: Slime 3

Slime 3

It was an unknown lifeform to Gark that was once a Level 7 certified hunter.

He swung the 『Blizzard War Fang』 in revolutions to shake off the numbing impact on his arms, and turned the point towards the pseudo-slime.

The pseudo-slime shook it’s fat arm-like feelers while observing Gark. Conflicting with it’s appearance it had rounded gold eyes. The eyeballs showing through it’s faintly transparent body made it awfully sinister.

He had slaughtered many monsters. Golems. Phantom imitations of ancient knights, and renowned as the strongest monster, a dragon.

As well as nauseatingly hideous undead.

But the creature in front of him was different. If Gark was forced to put the creature into words, he could really only call it something like a slime.

Of course, he didn’t believe it was actually a slime.

“What are you...? Which 『era』 have you been pulled from?”

The examiners he had protected while they were fallen, were desperately fleeing to Sven.

He didn’t expect the thing to answer him in words, he was only stalling for time.

When Sven and the other hunters had been keeping it company, he had been observing.

A mana barrier strong to the point that it distorted the air. It was a type of force field.

It repelled Sven’s deadly arrows, and magic attacks could not pass through.

The field could destroy a hunters armour with only a touch. It particularly didn’t match well with close combat roles – the great majority of hunters.

A mana barrier was strong because it was simple. It was exceedingly difficult to break through using an inferior amount of power.

After some short breaths and refocusing his mind, Gark checked on his own weapon with a fleeting glimpse.

Gark’s halberd was a relic. It was a reproduction from a heightened civilisation. It’s quality was superior to any existing metals.

A weapon he had carried with him through countless battlegrounds without a scratch wouldn’t receive one from the likes of the pseudo-slime.

If Gark had maintained his power from at his peak, perhaps he may have been able to pierce through the barrier and destroy the pseudo-slime.

But the present Gark had a time of absence that was fatal. Even if training kept his physique from declining, it could not prevent the loss of accumulated Mana Material.

His former experience could compensate to some extent, but there were limits.

Gark wasn’t so senile as to think a hunter of average power could pierce a barrier that Sven’s arrows could not.

He delivered mana to the old friend in his hands.

It had been a long time since he had felt the sensation. At the unexpected strange lethargy that ran through his whole body, Gark frowned.

Due to the deterioration of Mana Material, Gark’s total amount of mana had decreased.

However, the relic still met the call of it’s wielder.

The halberds blade became clad in a chill air, and glowed a dull blue.

“You aren’t an ordinary Phantom. Did you come from the outside? What happened? Cry – what did you see?”

The first time Gark met Cry was a story from five years prior.

It was an ordinary party. No, at least just the leader looked ordinary. But that judgement was immediately overturned from their results.

『Strange Grief』 was always blood stained.

While there were many ornately named parties, that oddly named party constantly visited harsh battlefields that would usually be unable to be encountered.

The essence of Cry’s true nature lay in his transcendent foresight. It was the most essential ability for a leader.

And as the strength of his party members grew, that ability was sharpened.

Gark held a long relationship with Cry, but didn’t know how he was able to read the future.

It wasn’t by magic. And it shouldn’t be the ability of a relic. Of course it was unthinkable that it was something like chance.

There was only one remaining answer.

Cry Andoric wasn’t anything particularly special. Like an ordinary hunter that collected information in advance to be extremely prepared, he made predictions from the slightest grains of sand like clues.

In this case, when Cry had been to the location of Gark’s emergency request, he had noticed 『something』.

And responding to that, he sent Iron Cross ahead.

One thing he couldn’t carelessly forget, was that when Gark went to consult him, Cry had said he was 『busy with a separate matter』.

The pseudo-slime before him was a formidable enemy.

By the nature of the mana barrier, Liz that specialised in speed was a bad match for it.

But, with 『Infinite Variety』 that held innumerable cards up his sleeves as tactics,

he could do it one way or the other.

But, he hadn’t played that hand.

In other words, this matter wouldn’t just end with 『a powerful phantom that manifested by chance』.

At this moment Cry could be fighting against an enemy incomparable to this pseudo-slime.

He had said he needed Liz for something, so that might be connected.

Either way, the pseudo-slime right now had to be taken care of by Gark and the others.

The pseudo-slime didn’t answer to Gark’s words.

It raised it’s arms overhead at Gark who held a glint in his eye reminiscent of his time as the 『War Ogre』.

“I’m a fool, but I remember one thing!”

They lashed out like a whip and were received by the halberds blade. Instead of slamming violently, Gark gave a passive defence.

The gooey arm struck the blade. The massive blade trembled as if it was roaring, and he gripped the handle tightly, withstanding the fierce impact that was transmitted.

As Gark braced his legs as if they were rooted to the ground, the pseudo-slime stepped back for the first time.

At that scene, the surrounding hunters watching let out voices of admiration. Gark raised the corner of his thick lips and smiled like a wild beast.

After all, it seemed like the monster before him wasn’t a slime.

Originally the monster referred to as slime had an indefinite form. Without holding a specific shape, it’s form could be changed freely. It seemed like this monster did not possess that property.

It also wasn’t very smart. If he had to say, it was attacking on instinct.

To defeat it was difficult, but at least to Gark it wasn’t that hard to defend against. If the hunters with shields took turns as it’s target, they could make a bid for some time.

The sole place of concern, was that the pseudo-slime’s speed was increasing little by little.

Gark was essentially a warrior. Defending wasn’t his expertise.

If it’s speed continued increasing as it was, Gark would eventually be unable to keep up.

He might not be able to resist it alone. But with support from the surroundings ―.

He took a short glimpse back. Each Magi was gulping down a blue potion, recovering their mana.

That stuff was horribly bitter...

While having that thought, he changed his position so he was in-between the pseudo-slime and the hunters.

Protecting the two examiners at a far distance, Sven shouted out. “Support the branch chief!”

Flame arrows fell on the monster like a downpour of rain.

The pseudo-slime jumped through the blazing storm head on and it’s body press from above was blocked by the 『Blizzard War Fang』.

The impact of the force field assaulted Gark’s arm like an electric shock. The crimson armour covering him did not defend against it.

However as if to gloss over the pain, Gark roared. With just that, the former power he held as a hunter sprung forth.

Blades of grass stirred, and trees shook. The cold of the blade spread to the pseudo- slime.

With the return of the war ogre, the hunters fighting a desperate battle regained their fervour. 𝚋ｅｄｎ𝚘𝚟ｅｌ.ｃｏ𝚖

He could do it.

He didn’t know how long he would have to endure, but he would.

At the moment of that conviction, an arrow flew into the side of the pseudo-slime at the same time it was about to leap, piercing into it’s body.

The pseudo-slime was blown away. Like that it collided with a tree, which was smashed and knocked down as it touched the force field.

A thunderous roar resounded. Sven that had fired the arrow widened his eyes.

The slime slowly got back up. The arrow pierced into it was crushed, and it fell to the ground.

The spot the arrow had struck. There was a hole with cracks in it’s circumference. The hole closed up in the blink of an eye, and the pseudo-slime began moving again.

But, the attack had doubtlessly gone through. It was different to the ones that had been deflected until now.

“? ...Why did the attack go through? Has the mana barrier... become weakened?”

Sven fired off a new arrow. The arrow flew at the same speed as the other, hitting the slimes arm and being deflected like before.

As the pseudo-slime began charging forward again, Gark blocked it once more. He braced his legs and caught the blow.

.

At that moment, Gark noticed it. a

――It was frozen. a

At the point the pseudo-slime came into contact with the blade, it was thinly frozen over.

The 『Blizzrd War Fang』 was a halberd clad in cold air. It froze the flesh of monsters with a strong chill, and in his prime he could produce full sculptures of ice.

Originally, it was a Relic that froze the wounds it inflicted, even with a barrier to block it the cold air was still transferred.

The surface of the slime was whitened. The distortion of the air from the barrier was reduced.

Disregarding the pain, his face flushed and he put power into his halberd.

His body creaked and his bones ached. He withstood as his arms were being torn away, clenching his teeth.

Freezing over white, the red body developed a crack.

And continuing in that way, the surface of the pseudo-slime shattered.

Glittering ice fragments sprinkled down. As they piled on the ground, they didn’t return to the main body and vanished like a phantom would.

The pseudo-slime raised a shrill roar.

That wasn’t a scream. It was fear and pain that could be heard from that strange voice.

But it was certain. It’s weakness was ― the cold.

With the surface frozen, the barrier was weakened. If it’s body parts were smashed, they would disappear.

Ice magic was difficult. Because it’s pure destructive power was low, the priority to learn it was lower. Only a few Magi could use it.

Especially if it wasn’t striking with a direct physical attack, the ones that could use advanced magic that generated cold were even less.

The 『Blizzard War Fang』 had a dull glow. Gark shouted. “It’s ice! Freeze it!”

“Damn, that branch chief – ...you hear him? Freeze the little bastard in ice!” Sven pulled at his hair, and spat out a shout. The hunters roared back.

§ Notes

Just putting this up for those that desperately want it early. Not planning on doing this regularly, just finished on a bit of a cliffhanger yesterday.

I’ll finish it off tomorrow.

Man, I have a sore throat and runny nose... anyone else?