Chapter 38 - Failure (1/2)
Failure
Slimes.
They are the representative of the monsters that appeared in the early stages of RPGs. (T/N: role-playing game)
They were usually set as one of the weakest monsters in the game.
I kind of feel dreaded right now.
It’s not the type of dread I felt when I could sense an approaching talon hidden in the wind.
It’s just that, seeing the first monster that I had encountered after finally leaving the ruins, it reminded me that the monsters in that ruins were actually really powerful.
[Those slimes doesn’t look like they have anything golden on them…]
Most of the monsters that I have encountered so far have eyes that glow in gold.
Even that horse monster whose upper body was a carnivorous plant had a part that looks like a golden eyeball.
The only monster that I’ve encountered which doesn’t have a golden eyeball were the dragon zombies… well, they don’t have eyes in the first place.
Anyway, there are no golden parts in the slime.
[……….]
It seems they haven’t noticed me at all.
It’s not that they just don’t have any eyes.
It’s because…
[Pigyuu!]
[Pi, gigiii… gii…..]
[Giii!]
[Gyuii!?]
[Giii!]
[Piii!? Pyiiiii….]
[Giii!]
[Kyuuu!? Kyyuuuuoo…]
There was a fight going on.
No— Can something like this be called a fight?
Rather, it’s more like a one-sided bullying.
There was a smaller slime mixed in their group.
That slime is now being cornered and attacked by five other slimes.
The smaller slime retreats away from them as if it’s frightened from the others.
[S- Stop it…!] (T/N: ya- yamete yo~! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) )
It’s as if I could hear a voice like that.
They don’t look like they’re just playing around.
I decided to just keep on looking at them for now.
The smaller slime looks as if it was being stomped.
It’s as if the smaller slime’s head is pressed down on the ground.
I can’t help but unintentionally murmur.
[…That’s no good.]
It’s not that it can’t ask others for help.
It’s just that, that helping hand you’re expecting may not come.
You have to struggle.
The first thing you should rely on is not the help of others, you should rely on your own strength.
[Piiyyyyiiiii…]
The color of the smaller slime gets thinner and thinner.
Or rather… isn’t it getting closer to gray?
Are the other slimes okay when they’re about to kill someone of their own race?
Their killing intent is hard to read compared to the monsters in the ruins.
Is it because they were weak monsters?
It’s difficult for me to tell whether they really want to kill that slime or not.
It’s no good.
It was when I was thinking like that.
[Pigyuuuiiiiiiii—!]
The smaller slime leapt after its color became paler than before.
Gooo!
Gaaa!
A hard sound resounded as the other slimes were struck by the smaller slime.
It seems that it had restored part of its body after it attacked.
[Pyyiiiiii! Biiggyyyyaa!]
[Piggiiii! Giiii!]
But…
[Pigyyiiiii— Gyukuuu!?]
The smaller slime was being overwhelmed by the other slimes greater number.
It’s one against five.
It also have a smaller body compared to the others.
[Gigigi! Giiii!]
[Gyuuu!? Kyuuu!?]
There’s no way it can win.
To put it simply…
[This much should be fine already.]
The edges of my mouth had spontaneously sprung up.
I push through the bushes and walk in the direction of the slimes.
I stuck out my arms towards them.
[
]
The slimes have stopped moving.
[Giggyyoohh!?]
The slimes looks as if they’re confused by their current situation.
[
]
I invoked
towards those five slimes.
The slimes seemed to be dyed into the color of poison.
In the edge of my field of vision, a semi-transparent <Lethal> tag showed up.
[So, this is where I change the settings, huh…?]
I tapped on the displayed tag once.
I could hear a click after I tapped the display.
And the <Lethal> tag on the display switched to <Non-Lethal>.
[I was lucky I have encountered some monsters for me to try this out.]
Sensing my approach, the slimes seem to be getting more frightened as I get nearer.
Are they afraid of death?
Or perhaps, are they afraid of me?
I can’t feel if I’m releasing any killing intent, but perhaps may be they can feel it?
[Mogogogogogo…!?]
[Pugigiiiii…]
I look down at the five slimes at the ground.
[Kuku… I know that suddenly intruding is immature so I’m going to sorry right now. It’s just that— seeing multiple creatures someone who is smaller and weaker, it’s not a pleasant sight to see… That’s why, for my self-satisfaction, I decided to meddle a little bit.]
Specifying multiple targets…
I tapped the <Release> tag displayed on the direction of the isolated slime while disregarding the <Release> tags next to the other five’s yellow gauges.
After tapping, the display has changed to <YES/NO>.
I pressed the <YES> tag once.
The poison in its body has been released.
I put away the smile on my face.