Musou Slime 25

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25. The Distance Between Me And Raize Has Shortened

"Raize, I've called for backup!"

"I know even without you telling me!"

With my sword raised, I charged at the orc. 

After a brief contest of spears and parries with the thin spear the orc held, I overpowered it with strength.

In the next moment, the fireball Raize released hit the orc's torso directly, and the massive body, almost the size of a robust man, rolled on the ground.

"There!"

Continuing the assault, I thrust my sword into the orc's heart. I felt the sensation in my hand as the orc met its demise.

"Phew, orcs are a piece of cake too."

We're on the 3rd floor. It's the same place I retreated from last time, but it's much easier to conquer.

One reason is that I leveled up, but Raize providing support is a significant factor.

First, the Slimes assess the overall situation of the dungeon. When they detect monsters, the Slimes request reinforcements.

We appear and engage in battle with the monsters. I swing my sword as the vanguard, and Raize supports from behind with magic.

This pattern rarely loses. Magic has been added to the battles I used to handle alone.

As for Raize, she's skilled in combat. Just shooting magic from the rear wouldn't work if done carelessly.

Raize watches the situation of both me and the monsters, activating magic at the right time. It seems she also uses different magic attributes depending on the type of monster.

She has probably undergone considerable training. It's a world of difference from me, who leveled up overnight.

――

You have reached level 18.

The abilities of <Slime> have been enhanced.

――

"Oh, I've leveled up."

"Leveled up? That's great! What level are you now?"

"I'm at 18. Hoping to reach around 22 by the end of today."

"18?! 22!?"

I open up my status.

――

Arx Seirant, 17 years old, male

Level 18

Skills:

<Slime>

[Slime Tamer]... Can generate level 4 slimes. Maximum of 20 slimes.

[Slime Maker]... Can perform class changes on slimes.

Appraisal Slime... A slime with the <Appraisal> skill. Can class change up to 1 at a time.

Storage Slime... A slime with the <Storage> skill. Can class change up to 1 at a time.

Iron Wall Slime... A slime with the <Iron Wall> skill. Can class change up to 1 at a time.

――

"A new type of slime has been added! But what's <Iron Wall>?"

"Raize, what does the <Iron Wall> skill do?"

"<Iron Wall> is a skill that doubles your defense. But why are you asking me about that?"

"I just wanted to try it out."

Humans tend to want to try new things when they become available. I decide to summon the Iron Wall Slime and see what it can do.

One of the Slimes emits a white light and begins the usual class change.

When the light fades, a Slime with a small shield on its back appears.

"So, this is the Iron Wall Slime. It looks a bit unreliable, but is it okay?"

"Kyuu! Kyuu!"

It seems to say, "Leave it to me!" confidently. Alright, I'll trust it then.

"Pigiiii!!"

At that moment, the Slime sends a signal indicating it has found a staircase.

"We found a staircase, let's move forward."

With new companions added, we delve further into the depths of the dungeon.

"This is weird! Absolutely weird!"

Raize started making a fuss about 15 minutes after entering the fourth floor of the dungeon.

Immediately upon entering the 4th floor, my level jumped to 19.

"You said you leveled up on the third floor just a while ago, right!? Why did your level go up just by fighting a few monsters!?"

"No, it's thanks to my skills."

"You can't expect me to believe that with such an explanation!! I'm only level 11, you know!?"

Raize is level 11. Maybe she's envious of my leveling speed; she seems a bit sulky. I thought she was a bit of a sharp-tongued girl, but she looks cute.

"Why are you laughing!?"

"Huh? I just thought you looked cute."

"Cu... Don't say stupid things!"

"I prefer being natural rather than creating distance with others like that."

"S... shut up! Look, monsters are coming!"

Raize forcefully ends the conversation, deploys a large number of magic circles, and incinerates all the monsters coming from the front.

Thinking it's reckless, Raize points at me and gives a warning.

"Got it? The strength of the monsters changes drastically on the fifth floor compared to the fourth. It's okay if it's just one, but if multiple appear, retreat immediately."

I nod. At the right moment, a signal from the Slimes indicates that they found a staircase.

With heightened tension, we descend the stairs to the fifth floor.

I wondered what kind of world would unfold on the fifth floor, but it still looks like a cave, surrounded by walls, and there doesn't seem to be a significant change.

Having fought a Golem, I had perceived the fifth floor as a different world, but maybe it's not that different.

"Hey, Raize, do Golems frequently appear on the fifth floor?"

"Golems? They're pretty rare on the fifth floor. The appearance rate increases from the sixth floor, right?"

As expected, maybe Golems were extremely strong, and conquering the 5th floor might not be a big deal. I feel a sense of relief.

"Pigiiii!!"

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, I heard the Slime's cry signaling the appearance of enemies. Moreover, they're close!

"Grrrr..."

Growling sounds. We were in a space resembling a 'room' within the dungeon. There were paths in all directions, forming a space shaped like a waterwheel.

The problem is that we can hear monsters' growls from monsters from all 4 paths. This has never happened before.

"N-no way... Could it be..."

As I questioned, Raize let out a voice with a frightened expression.

"This is an outbreak...!!"

I didn't understand the meaning of Raize's words. However, from her demeanor, I sensed that something outrageous was happening.