Chapter 26
Chapter 26
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: True Detective
Chapter: [Unknown]
Chapter Title: The Slime is Too Strong
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Lee Gok was facing the dungeon's upper-floor monster that had appeared above the lake on the first layer—her secret sanctuary.
Having only ever heard tales of slimes due to their extreme rarity, she struck first the moment it began to move.
"Stop."
Clank.
In that instant, a sound like locks snapping shut echoed around them.
Yongchan watched the slime freeze mid-motion on the water's surface the second her words ended, finally piecing together Lee Gok's ability.
It was the reason she had so swiftly neutralized Instructor Kwon Sora, a hunter of the same rank, that very morning.
There was only one ability among vampire hunters capable of such a feat.
"That's 'Blood Command,' right?"
"Yes, it is. I'm a vampire hunter born with the 'Blood Command Authority' even among the Supreme Lee Clan."
An apex ability in the vampire hunter world—one that guaranteed greatness if you were born with it.
Because Seolgi was a vampire hunter.
Back in school, Yongchan had taken an interest in his childhood friend's hunter class and occasionally delved into specialized books about it.
That's how he knew right away.
Excluding the mutant outlier that was Seolgi, Lee Gok before him was the strongest genius vampire hunter of this generation.
Vampire hunters all fight by manipulating blood. But if one appears who doesn't just manipulate it but outright commands it, they'd naturally become the strongest.
This basically meant the successor battle was already over.
It was nothing less than the 'return of the king.'
How could they betray such a destined genius and keep up this pointless fight?
Or did the Supreme Lee Clan have some other scheme?
As Yongchan leisurely pondered this, convinced the monster was subdued...
Whoosh. Whoosh.
"Huh?"
"...What?!"
It should have had every drop of blood in its body halted.
Lee Gok's Blood Command was still active.
Yet the slime, in its female form, began slowly waving its right arm up and down.
Bang!
"?!"
Like a rubber band snapping back.
With cannon-like speed, the extended liquid arm hurtled straight at Lee Gok, who stared in stunned silence.
"Guh?!"
To think a creature could move while under Blood Command.
Lee Gok barely ducked, the liquid arm missing her head by a paper's thickness.
But it was too early to relax.
"...! Yongchan! Now's the time! Run!"
This monster right in front of her.
The blue slime monster was strong.
Especially in a situation like this.
Judging as much, Lee Gok immediately shouted at Yongchan beside her.
"A-ah, aaah!"
"...!"
Just then, the slime's upper body—its liquid arm still stuck to a tree trunk behind him—lunged straight at him in that state.
Slash.
It wasn't her preferred fighting style, but Lee Gok sliced her wrist, instantly forming a dagger from her blood and counterattacking.
Splatter!
"?!"
"Looks like it takes physical damage to some extent, at least."
The slime, charging like a mindless rocket, was cleaved clean in two—upper and lower body separated by a single stroke.
But of course, no real damage seemed done.
The upper half flew toward the tree where its arm was attached before splatting onto the ground with a wet thud.
And then.
Step... step...
"Tch!"
The legless lower half stood on its own and charged at Lee Gok again.
How the hell do you even fight something like this?
Even a hunter with over 40 years of dungeon experience was thrown off by its biology.
She smashed the slime's flying kick midair, grinding its leg into tiny cube-like chunks.
But that only made things worse—the splattered slime ate through part of her hanbok.
"Zi..."
"Huh?"
"Ziii...!"
A chill ran down her spine.
Meanwhile, before Yongchan could flee, the fallen upper body leaped up to engulf him.
"Tch! Fire Shot, ready!"
Click.
"Engage!"
Bang bang bang bang!
Even worms writhe when stepped on.
Steeling himself, Yongchan drew his pistol and unleashed fiery bullets at the incoming slime upper body.
If its body was liquid, this kind of attack might work better.
But it was like trying to douse a burning skyscraper with a bucket of water.
"Kuh, kuhehe...!"
The slime upper body, searching for "Zi..." before taking the male's attack and crashing back down.
Yet its reaction to tasting the flaming bullets was one of amused mockery.
Is this fight beyond my level after all?
He felt an overwhelming gap, like dozens of sheets of paper stacked against him.
His trigger finger trembled; at this rate, it'd devour him per the penalty in seconds.
Worst of all, it was the perfect counter to Lee Gok, who fought with blood.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
"...!"
He could see her blood dagger melting every time it sliced the slime.
Acidic enough to dissolve a vampire hunter's blood.
If there were other blood around, she could use that—but the hidden forest lake had no signs of life.
It made sense, in a way.
If monsters roamed freely here, it wouldn't be Lee Gok's cherished spot.
"Lee Gok! Use my blood!"
Yongchan thrust his arm forward, urging her on.
But she wasn't listening.
Already lightheaded from blood loss, she was about to slice her other artery when her eyes met Yongchan's urgent gaze.
She rushed to him instead.
Thud!
Shoving him away with both arms spread wide.
Splash.
The slime's upper body, charging at Yongchan again, ended up trapped in its own water prison—meant to cage the man—immobilized.
Suddenly, memories of his first day grinding at the factory in his past life surfaced.
Weak stamina, zero social skills, no know-how or guidance anywhere, frequent newbie mistakes.
Yet he'd endured—not thanks to kind words from others, but because the consequences only hit him.
Mess up, and only he paid.
His past life was his alone, so he could crumble and die solo.
But what was this scene before him?
"Yongchan! Just run!"
This wasn't a fight Lee Gok could lose.
Even against her perfect counter, with enough blood around, her Blood Command Authority could've crushed it regardless of matchup.
But she couldn't leave this lakeside—not with him to protect.
Now trapped in the binding technique meant for him, her form huddled inside the massive water orb on the slime's arm... something unacceptable surged within him.
Anger?
Guilt?
Whatever it was, one thing was clear: he couldn't just flee alone.
"Ice Shot, ready."
Click.
"Engage!!"
Bang bang bang bang!
This time, icy bullets erupted from the barrel.
Bullets that could freeze the hide of an Alligator Warrior chewing cars like snacks.
But to the slime, it was just another fun snowball fight.
Splat!
"Kuh?!"
It didn't dodge—just took the hits, froze, melted, and slammed a tendril arm into his gut.
Thud.
Compared to Lee Gok, it was nothing—yet enough to drop him to his knees instantly.
The overwhelming gap hit bone-deep.
Probably toying with him.
It could've ravaged a worthless male like him ages ago but was dragging it out for fun.
No path to victory in sight.
"Slurp."
Step step.
The slime approached, one arm imprisoning Lee Gok, eyeing him with breeding lust.
Drooling blue saliva matching its skin, it morphed its other hand into a blunt club to melt his suit.
In this hair-trigger moment.
"Yongchan, listen closely."
"Lee Gok?"
"I'm going to 'self-destruct' from now on."
"......What?"
She smiled at him, eyes meeting, despite declaring her own death.
"I'll turn every drop of blood in me into a weapon against this thing."
"What?!"
"That'll create an opening for you to escape."
One person's blood would surely do it.
A mutual kill if played right—her only option while trapped.
She'd suffocate in the water prison soon anyway.
Perfectly rational.
...Like hell it was.
"Fire Shot!"
Bang bang bang bang bang!
"Y-Yongchan?!"
Splat!
"Guh?"
Meaningless attacks.
Then getting hit.
But he stood, pulled the trigger again.
Torn flesh, broken bones—anything to keep her from self-destructing by staying close.
"Yongchan, fall back! You could actually die!"
"So I should let you sacrifice yourself instead?"
"...!"
"Screw that. And I promised! I'd take you to the moon. You gonna make me a liar?!"
He poured everything into blasting the slime's right arm holding Lee Gok.
Blood taste in his mouth, even vomiting into his helmet—he never let go.
"This thing can't kill me anyway. It needs to breed with me..."
"Charging in like this, you'll wreck your whole body except the breeding parts! Worst case, you'll never walk again!"
"...Can't just abandon you."
Bang.
Thud!
Bang bang.
Slam!
Bang bang bang... click.
Crunch! Thud.
...Bang bang bang bang bang bang!
Maybe that's why he lived alone in his past life.
Befriending someone unrelated, acting this foolish now.
Egg against rock.
No matter how gently he swung the cracking egg, it'd shatter.
"It was tough, huh?"
"...Pardon?"
"Wanting to flee Earth to the moon... because no one around you was trustworthy."
"!!"
He'd heard too much to quit now.
That's why he fought.
Win or lose, protecting the woman who'd opened her heart—that was a man's role.
And.
"Don't worry."
A mutual death sucked—both surviving was his preferred happy ending.
"I'll save you there for sure."
Now the real counterattack began.
"Status window."
"Buy one suit implant."