Musou Slime 67

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67. Archer In The Forest Area

Forest area. Amidst the dense primeval forest, where not only animals but also monsters thrive.

"Be careful. There are a lot of bugs here."

"Yeah. I've got insect repellent, so I'll be fine. Will you use it too, Ar-kun?"

Sierra wears a brown bag slung diagonally over her shoulder. It probably contains items.

Adventurers tread the paths they've forged. It's not uncommon to follow animal trails in this area.

"By the way... Sierra-san, you have those kinds of clothes too. Surprising."

During the preparation time, she changed into new clothes separate from her casual wear. It's practical attire, akin to what adventurers wear, allowing for easy movement.

"Yeah, from a while back. But more importantly, the air in the forest is so refreshing!"

Sierra takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. She seems to be savoring the forest with her whole body.

When I was teamed up with Dan, I didn't notice, but the nature of the forest is truly magnificent. Seeing sunlight filtering through the gaps in the trees brings a sense of calmness.

"Where exactly do we find the medicinal herbs we came for today? If it's deeper in, I could—"

"It's not too far, so don't worry. The area where they grow in abundance is reachable for adventurers around level 10."

For a solo adventurer at level 10, it would be even easier if calculated for a party. It's accessible even for a typical adventurer party.

That's a relief, no problem then.

Just in case, I've released slimes around us, so even if monsters appear, we can handle it. This is pretty easy-going.

Maybe I'm just worrying too much. Today, let's casually stroll and gather the herbs.

"Pyiggy!!"

At that moment. A slime emitted a high-pitched sound.

Instantly, I became alert, scanning the surroundings, and saw a slime rushing towards us. It's an Ironclad Slime.

"Ironnn!!"

With a run-up, the Ironclad Slime leaped high in front of us.

At that moment, I realized the shield of the Ironclad Slime had deflected something.

What fell to the ground was a broken arrow.

"An arrow...!? What's this!?"

"Ar-kun, over there!"

Sierra pointed in a direction.

Diagonally up. About 50 meters away, there's a tree. Someone is on the branch.

Because that person is clad in a dirty brown robe, we can't see their expression from here.

However, one thing is certain. That person is holding a bow in their hand, and there's a quiver of arrows at their waist.

They shot with a bow. They're aiming at us.

"Sierra-san, take cover!"

Assigning the Ironclad Slime to guard Sierra-san, I run toward the person in the robe.

"Slime!"

"Kyuu!"

I summon two slimes at my feet and use them as trampolines. I jump, floating in the air for about 2 meters.

I push off against the trunk of the tree and summon slimes into the air again. Since the slimes are supporting my body, it's practically the same as having a foothold.

With the second jump using the slime, I successfully leap onto the branch of the tree. The person in the robe is still some distance away.

"Huh!"

At the next moment, the person in the robe shoots an arrow at me. Straight as a swallow, it swiftly flies towards me.

I use the tree branch like a monkey bar, spinning around to dodge the arrow.

When I'm below and the opponent is above on a tree branch, they can easily hide in blind spots, making us vulnerable to attacks. 

So, it's advantageous to be at the same height to have a fair fight.

The problem is that the opponent has ranged weapons. 

If they keep shooting arrows while I'm in the air, I'll be an easy target.

Moreover, I don't know their actual strength. Using <Appraisal> would reveal the difference in strength, but it's not effective because I don't know what hidden tricks they have.

It's reckless to handle this alone. Then, I'll use ranged attacks too.

"Change the slime into a Slime Archer with [Slime Maker]!"

I decided to use the ability I acquired earlier, taking a gamble.

The slime beside me glows white and changes shape.

What appears is a young man with chestnut hair.

He wears a gray beret and holds a bow in his hand. He exudes a refreshing aura from nowhere, such a person.

"Slime Archer. Nice to meet you. Pleased to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you! I call myself Archer! Oh, does this tone bother you? It's a result of wanting to talk to Lord Alcus in a friendly manner and also wanting to convey my respect, so I found this way to balance it out..."

"Can we save that talk for later?"

Yeah. I had a feeling, but we've got ourselves a bit of an oddball.

He's talkative right after appearing. It's not bad since he's speaking brightly, but if left alone, he might keep talking indefinitely.

"Archer, there's an enemy over there. I want you to shoot down the arrows they're shooting at me while I'm floating."

"I see, so they've got a bow and arrows too. Hmm, indeed, choosing this position to summon myself seems like the right call. From this angle—"

"Can you do it?"

Archer stops talking and grins.

"...A hundred percent accuracy. I'm the type who moves both its mouth and hands."

That's reassuring. Though there's a bit to quibble about with Chia and Shino, its skills are reliable.

I charge towards the person in the robe. Closing the distance to the point where the bow becomes meaningless, I ask why they're attacking us.