Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: Slime Pursuit on the Rails
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Shooting arrows at the charging monsters from atop a speeding train. Sure, the beasts were massive, but with the distance between us, landing hits wouldn't be easy.
"One. Two."
I quickly nocked an arrow to the bowstring and took a few deep breaths. At the arrow's tip, a pitch-black flame designed to burn through magic resistance flickered to life, slowly condensing.
I released the taut bowstring, and the arrow traced a dark parabolic arc before striking one of the slimes pursuing us from behind.
The moment the slime hardened part of its body to deflect the arrow, the Paradox Flame clustered at the tip poured over its surface.
"Once the flames die down, hit that one."
One at a time. Back in the day, I could've blanketed this entire field with Paradox Flame and controlled it in my sleep...
But right now, I couldn't handle any more than this. If the arrows stuck, I could fire off several, but these things wouldn't let them embed.
The Paradox Flame, slathered on like sweet-and-sour sauce, blazed fiercely, gnawing away at the slime's magic resistance.
It wasn't long before the flames flickered out. The instant they did, I readied my next arrow, and the hunters unleashed their attacks on that slime.
—It works.
The exclamation of awe echoed through the radio. Of course, it didn't kill the thing. Cracks spiderwebbed across its body, but that was it.
"What, you think I was lying?"
Why would I bother? I immediately loosed the next arrow at another slime.
"We might not have enough time."
"I know."
Before we stripped away all their magic resistance, those slimes would probably catch up to the train first.
"Then we'll fight them with spears."
I had to peel off as much magic resistance as possible before they arrived. I fired off another arrow, and once more, a shower of black flames rained down on one slime's head.
Using the vibration frequency of my mana, I calculated the time needed to strip their resistance and their approach speed, then reached a conclusion.
"We'll have to deal with two of them after they board the train."
No way to squeeze out more time. Some things you just had to let go. While I stripped their resistance with Paradox Flame, the other hunters were pouring everything they had into the exposed slimes.
It wasn't long before what I'd predicted came to pass.
Two slimes arrived with their magic resistance intact, while the rest pulled up stripped bare.
"I'll handle those two that still have their resistance somehow."
The rest is on you guys.
—I'll go too.
Lee Se-eun was handing the lead car over to the other hunters and stepping up. Fair enough situation for it.
"Good luck."
I wished Han Sang-ah luck as she drew her sword, then gripped my spear and headed for my share of the slimes.
"It's freezing my ass off."
The moment they latched onto the train, the already chilly air turned bone-numbingly colder. The kind of cold that froze the snot in your nostrils just standing there.
"Damn bastards."
Their attacks weren't lines or points—they came as surfaces. Not targeting me specifically, just sweeping the whole area where I stood with that wobbly mucus.
Coping with it meant completely different tactics from fighting other monsters or people up to now.
Experience told me going defensive against these guys was insanely risky. Luckily, I'd sized up their specs while they approached, so no need for a probe fight.
"Ugh..."
The flung mucus smacked into my mana-reinforced gear. It absorbed the impact, but the chill seeping into my body afterward sent shivers down my spine.
I deployed Quad Shadow Spears, and countless blue trajectories bloomed around me before lashing the slime. Every time they struck, the hit spots hardened, ringing out with sharp metallic clangs.
The fight dragged on. Sweat trickling down my face froze solid on my skin.
"Got one stripped at least!"
Paradox Flame had successfully burned away the magic resistance of one of the two slimes.
One more to go.
"No...!"
In that instant, the remaining slime suddenly bubbled and boiled, extending dozens of tentacles toward the slime beside it.
"That's not cool, man!"
It shattered the core inside its buddy slime and devoured it whole, doubling its own mass.
"What kind of slime is that smart?"
Then it smothered the Paradox Flame clinging to its body with mucus that had already lost its resistance. The Paradox Flame I was using right now burned on magic resistance as fuel.
But wrapping it in resistance-free mucus?
Of course it went out. Same principle as snuffing a candle—you cut off the fuel, the flame dies.
"I'm so pissed I can't even speak."
No face, no expression, but judging by the way it jiggled, it was clearly mocking me.
Getting sneered at by a brainless slime. What a joke.
"Laughing? You mocking me right now?"
I had no idea if it was actually laughing. Could just be my imagination. But it pissed me off anyway.
In 35 years on that other side, the number of guys who'd charged at me trying Paradox Flame counters—if I stacked their corpses, I could've filled the Yangchon-eup Hakun-ri Landfill Site No. 1 in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province.
No way none of them tried your trick.
"You're dead."
I swung my spear infused with Paradox Flame again. At the same time, it tried the same stunt as before.
But the instant the spear connected, the mucus it touched whirled violently. Penetration Technique, or Intrusion Weight—whatever you called this minor trick.
"Told Han Sang-ah not to use it in real fights."
But there's exceptions to everything. Screw the lower leagues—if I need to, I can drop a Kongkul too. Can't live life too rigidly.
The mana in my attack churned the resistant mucus and the fully burned mucus together like whipped cream.
Now, the slime's attempt to smother the Paradox Flame with resistance-free mucus was dead in the water.
"What, laugh some more."
The slime stopped jiggling. Guess the laughter died, huh?
"Let's keep going, you liquid freak."
Bet it was regretting not staying as two now. That last stunt showed it had the brains for it.
Too late anyway.
"Aigoo, my head..."
I endured the pounding headache from fine mana control and pressed the attack. No wonder I call this a minor trick.
It's inefficient. If you can control mana this precisely, there are way better methods.
But against this massive liquid monster right here, this trick just happened to pack the biggest punch.
With a crack, the greatsword shattered the hardened slime mucus and plunged inside, exploding within its body.
"That leaves two... no, just one now! Yoo Chan-seok's handling it."
Lee Se-eun whipped out a fresh greatsword and glanced toward Yoo Chan-seok.
"Should we help right away?"
She watched the fight briefly before shaking her head at her junior hunter's question and slinging the greatsword onto her back.
"Nah, just watch."
Yoo Chan-seok had that fight won.
"More importantly, casualties?"
"Two dead... eight injured. Two of the injured are Zanabi juniors."
Lee Se-eun's face fell. They were worth pitying. Even if this wasn't a rank-1 Erosion Zone clear request, it would've been a brutal fight for average hunters.
"Report the deaths to the Association, first aid on the injured for now."
Proper treatment would have to wait until Europe—Warsaw, Poland, specifically. One of Zanabi's hunters asked worriedly at her words.
"Will the warlords cooperate?"
Lee Se-eun nodded.
"They'd better. Unless they want to get smashed."
This was about injured hunters, not some trivial spat. Minor friction might allow negotiation, but Lee Se-eun didn't negotiate on this.
"Contact them now. Who's the warlord in control?"
"Calls himself Majurka."
The warlord who had Poland, Ukraine, and Lithuania in his pocket.
"Controls plantations and mines across all three."
Majurka's plantations churned out wheat, potatoes, rye, plus coal and oil from underground.
"Hunter companies contracted with Majurka?"
To farm and mine in that death trap of a land, you'd need hunter contracts, obviously.
"Dolce, Esprit, Night Sky. Those three."
"Contact them too. Tell them Zanabi's asking for cooperation—hope they'll help."
One of Zanabi's hunters piped up cautiously at her orders.
"Hunter Lee Se-eun...? Honestly, better than just using Zanabi's name."
"Then use my name."
Saying it's Zanabi requesting might get a lukewarm response. But her name? The weight changed completely.
Almost no hunter could refuse a request in Lee Se-eun's name.
"Anyway, he's impressive."
Yoo Chan-seok's fight was wrapping up. He'd thrive even in Cheorwon.
"That black flame?"
"Not that."
That wasn't special. Plenty of flashy ability users died showboating.
"I've seen a guy who could stop time."
"Huh? How'd he die with a power like that?"
Not from some epic attack. Died ridiculously simply.
"Sniper. Kept rampaging without noticing, got dropped."
Didn't sense the shot coming, so no time stop. No time stop, shot pierced his skull.
He was always a unlucky bastard, but hearing someone with that power died was a shock. Overrely on your abilities, get sloppy, and it never ends well.
"His battle sense is top-notch."
"Talent."
Talent felt off. Talent's basically instinct—reading foes, flowing offense to defense.
But this guy? Didn't look instinctive. That was seasoned expertise, not raw talent.
In the end, the slime—black flames plastered all over—had its core pierced by Yoo Chan-seok's spear, ending it.
"Just like you said, Hunter Lee Se-eun. No need for us to help."
If it were me, maybe. You lot jumping in would've just gotten in the way. Lee Se-eun thought it but kept it to herself.
No need to crush the kids' spirits. Yoo Chan-seok was heading up to the big leagues anyway—wouldn't team with most other hunters.
"Carry out those orders and get some rest."
A bit farther and they'd exit this Erosion Zone.
"Just passing through for now."
Eventually, she'd circle back and clear the one blockading this place too.