Chapter 237
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 237
Chapter Title: 67. Guardian Angel Slime (5)
237
67. Guardian Angel Slime (5)
12.
Hum!
It was an incredibly faint vibration.
So faint that even the wearer could barely feel it!
And the vibration was extremely brief.
Not repeating multiple times, but just a single, short tremor in an instant.
In normal circumstances, it would be something you could just ignore.
Even if noticed, there was no need to pay it much mind.
“Fried’s Ring.”
But the moment they confirmed the identity of that ring, no one could just brush it off.
Because they knew.
If it wasn’t anything else but Fried’s Ring showing a special change right here and now, there could only be one reason.
“It’s resonating with Fried’s Brooch, right?”
The instant they realized the reason, everyone’s eyes changed.
In truth, they all harbored the same expectations as El Pam.
‘Couldn’t find Mano.’
They had hoped their excellent comrade Mano might easily locate Fried’s Brooch.
Of course, contrary to their hopes, Mano hadn’t found Fried’s Brooch, so everyone thought.
They’d have to catch the Guardian Angel Slime to obtain it.
But what if they could get Fried’s Brooch before catching the Guardian Angel Slime?
‘The best scenario.’
It wasn’t just about obtaining Fried’s Brooch on a simple level.
‘Ridiculous stuff keeps falling into the boss’s hands.’
The ability of Fried’s Ring that El Pam had obtained earlier was Double Up, doubling the number of all spells cast.
Fried’s items were known to grant such absurd powers.
If something like that ended up in El Pam’s possession again?
It meant El Pam would once more become a monster beyond common sense.
Of course, right now it was just a resonance.
No one knew what kind of resonance it was. In other words, there wasn’t the slightest clue.
Finding an item based on that? It was no different from searching for a needle in the sands of the Nihal Desert.
But there was no worry about that.
‘The boss will find it.’
Because the one holding that clue was none other than the adventurer El Pam.
The greatest adventurer in the world!
True to his comrades’ expectations, El Pam immediately responded.
After a few tests, El Pam quickly figured out the conditions for the resonance and pinpointed the direction.
Soon, El Pam found it.
“An entrance.”
A massive tree, and beneath it, a tiny entrance.
“Who would’ve thought something like this was here.”
“How are you supposed to find this?”
Everyone who saw it wore expressions of disbelief.
“These guys are total trash.”
Catching the Guardian Angel Slime was maddening enough, and they hid Fried’s Brooch in a place like this?
It meant they had no intention of just handing it over.
However, El Pam thought differently.
‘They gave us a chance.’
By his standards, this was rather a courtesy from the Black Mage followers toward the arriving adventurers.
If you had the skill, you could find Fried’s Brooch first and then catch the Guardian Angel Slime.
‘It’s enough to bring tears to my eyes.’
At this point, from El Pam’s perspective, it felt like they were deliberately giving away Fried’s Brooch.
No, it wasn’t just a feeling.
El Pam was now convinced.
The Black Mage’s followers wanted these items to fall into adventurers’ hands.
They wanted the adventurers to grow stronger.
In other words, El Pam obtaining Fried’s Brooch here was exactly what the Black Mage followers desired.
“Let’s go in.”
Without hesitation, El Pam squeezed his body through the narrow entrance.
Soon, El Pam saw it.
“Ruins?”
“Yeah, Partem.”
Ruins identical to those of the ancient Partem ruins.
That was all.
“Doesn’t seem to be any monsters.”
There were no elements inside the ruins threatening the adventurers, allowing El Pam’s party to reach the end.
“Boss, over there.”
“Yeah.”
The end of the ruins.
“Fried’s Brooch.”
A single blue gem brooch placed there nobly.
13.
Despair.
In a situation that could only be described that way, the adventurers’ eyes changed.
‘We’re going to die like this.’
Facing death right before their eyes, the adventurers’ gazes began to blaze fiercely.
That was the kind of people they were.
‘We don’t die easily.’
Rather than becoming listless or collapsing before death, they grew angrier and more driven by rage.
And that was precisely why they were here.
Adventurers who knelt to despair could never venture higher or deeper.
Of course, that didn’t mean they saw the situation positively.
Their survival instincts sharpened more keenly than ever upon sensing the threat.
But that wasn’t entirely good.
Their combat performance would certainly improve.
However, maintaining such heightened senses was extremely taxing.
It inevitably drained their stamina and mental strength endlessly.
Above all, they couldn’t freely change this state.
It was driven by instinct.
“Resume combat!”
In that hypersensitive state, the adventurers began hunting the Guardian Angel Slime once more.
This time was different from before.
“Teleport!”
“East! It’s east!”
“Change battle formation!”
They somehow managed to block the teleport.
“Slime Wave!”
But before the merciless Slime Wave skill, at least five adventurers sacrificed themselves every time.
Over a full day of combat, more than forty adventurers met their end.
‘Forty in a day.’
There, their calculations ended.
‘Total wipeout in ten days.’
The worst-case scenario.
A situation where failure was now virtually assured.
Of course, no one lost their spirit or dimmed their eyes at that fact.
As mentioned earlier, the adventurers gathered here were the type who burned brighter in crisis.
The moment death was inevitable, a hint of madness even began to flicker in their eyes.
‘Fine, then let’s end this once and for all.’
If they had to die anyway, they planned to thrash about with all they had.
A situation akin to a ticking bomb!
“Someone’s coming.”
“Who?”
“It’s El Pam.”
Into that situation, El Pam arrived to find the adventurers.
“What’s the deal here?”
Naturally, the adventurers reacted more sharply than ever.
To the point where they’d kill him depending on what he said.
For adventurers who had already accepted death, that was entirely possible.
“I have a proposal.”
“Food supplies?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“Give us a chance.”
“A chance?”
To them, El Pam said.
“What kind of chance?”
“A chance to catch the Guardian Angel Slime.”
The moment those words left his mouth.
Clang!
A metallic clash rang out before El Pam.
It was the sound of a warrior adventurer who had drawn his sword colliding with Dibo’s polearm.
If Dibo hadn’t blocked it, the sword would have pierced straight through El Pam.
El Pam’s words had enraged the adventurers that much.
Naturally, he wasn’t the only one who moved.
Click!
“Let’s all calm down.”
Before Miner, who spoke while readying her gun, dozens of arrowheads and gun barrels were aimed.
It was quite astonishing.
Guns meant pirates, and Miner, disciple of Captain Kairin, was someone no pirate could point a gun at.
In other words, El Pam’s party’s actions had provoked the adventurers to that extent.
“You’d better think carefully before your next words. We’re on edge right now.”
To the point where if El Pam’s next words weren’t satisfactory, blood would be spilled between them.
“The proposal is as I said. Give us a chance to tackle the Guardian Angel Slime.”
In that hair-trigger standoff.
“And in return, I’ll give you Fried’s Brooch.”
“What?”
But with El Pam’s follow-up, the atmosphere shifted completely.
“Give us what?”
To that question, El Pam responded by pulling out Fried’s Brooch instead of words.
Of course, no one knew it was truly Fried’s Brooch.
Meaning its authenticity couldn’t be verified.
But as a relic of Fried, it was special in itself.
“You can have as much time as you need to verify it.”
Meaning they’d know upon inspection.
Even if El Pam were lying, it would be exposed.
Above all, everyone knew.
‘Why would he go this far?’
What El Pam wanted was to catch the Guardian Angel Slime.
It went without saying, but for adventurers who had already braced for failure, that would be a blessing.
It was just their pride that wouldn’t allow it.
However, with Fried’s Brooch on the table, folding their pride once was entirely feasible.
Naturally, everyone weighed it in their minds, and one spoke up.
“We don’t have time.”
Hitting the key point.
“No time at all for your clown show.”
Regardless of whether El Pam succeeded, without food, they couldn’t even make a final stand.
Meaning his proposal had no value to consider.
“I understand.”
Thus, El Pam said.
“So just give us one day.”
No need for a long time.
“What?”
At El Pam’s words, the adventurers’ faces twisted further.
“Are you kidding right now?”
“Catch that thing in a day? When we couldn’t in a month?”
“Let’s stop talking. This bastard’s just messing with us.”
Because it was utterly absurd.
Nor were the adventurers alone in that.
‘Boss, what are you planning?’
El Pam’s own comrades knew well how ridiculous it sounded.
To all of them, El Pam said.
“Whether it’s possible or not doesn’t matter. Think of it simply. Give my party one day. Just rest and watch for a day. Then you get Fried’s Brooch.”
At those words, the adventurers’ eyes changed.
Reason, not instinct, spoke.
El Pam’s proposal was incredibly sweet.
‘He gives us Fried’s Brooch.’
‘And we get a day’s rest.’
Especially, the sweetest part ringing in the adventurers’ ears was the rest.
They had been running mad for over ten days fighting the Guardian Angel Slime.
They hadn’t even slept properly.
Above all, they were in a state of extreme tension!
In that state, a day’s rest was far more desperate than 100 million mesos.
Seduced by that sweetness, the adventurers finally yielded.
“Fine.”
“Fine?”
Of course, not everyone.
“One day’s not bad, right?”
“What makes you trust him?”
“But if we refuse, does our situation change?”
Discord arose among the adventurers.
At that point, their leader spoke.
“We’ll accept the proposal.”
Beyond the sweetness of El Pam’s offer, leaving it be might spark infighting.
That fact prompted the decision.
‘Just as planned.’
And this entire situation unfolded exactly as El Pam had schemed from the start.
“Thank you.”
With the deal sealed, El Pam moved quickly to wrap things up.
The adventurers battling the Guardian Angel Slime withdrew like an ebbing tide, as if they’d been waiting.
Only the Guardian Angel Slime and El Pam’s party remained.
“No, Boss!”
Only then did El Pam’s comrades shout.
“What the hell are you saying?”
“Giving away the Fried’s Brooch we barely obtained! It doesn’t make sense!”
To their outcry, El Pam replied.
“First, we need to catch it.”
At that, Miner shouted.
“Hey! That’s not the point! Catching that thing in a day? Is that even possible?”
That was the core issue.
Catching the Guardian Angel Slime in a day—not even a month—was absolutely impossible.
It was doomed to fail.
“You’re right.”
El Pam knew it too.
That’s why, originally, El Pam had planned to join hands with the adventurers and take down the Guardian Angel Slime together.
“But now that Fried’s Brooch is in play, things have changed.”
Frowning, Dibo said.
“No, Boss. What ability does that item even have to make you say that?”
No matter how great the ability, taking down the Guardian Angel Slime in a day felt impossible.
It surely was.
“Until now.”
For 30 minutes, my mana becomes infinite.