Thwack! Whack!
Lune was threshing slimes swinging her staff. Lune, who'd reached level 14, was now strong enough to beat regular slimes on her own.
'No need for power leveling.'
Today was the fourth slime dungeon entry.
Just 3 clears and the 4th attempt in progress, but I could roughly gauge the level range of monsters in the dungeon.
'Slimes are level 5 and big slimes are exactly level 15.'
So slimes or ghouls that were just level 1 showed explosive growth up to level 5, but the higher they went, the slower the growth.
Thwack!
Lune just burst a slime. Lune's face, wiping slime that splattered on her face with her thumb, even looked refreshed.
"Lune."
"Yes?"
"How's killing that?"
"Mmm.... No particular feelings?"
When first killing slimes, Lune trembled quite a bit with fear. But now she seemed used to it, and rather asked me back with a face wondering why I was asking.
"Are you perhaps feeling sorry or anything, Master...?"
"No. Not at all."
Killing humans became numb now too. I was internally anxious wondering if Lune would suffer PTSD from her first kill.
'I hate troublesome things.'
"Lune. If I just give orders, can you handle anything?"
"Uh.... If it's Master's order I'd do anything but...."
Lune hesitated and was reluctant to answer.
"It's okay. Tell me."
"...If, if you told me to kill elves or spirits, a little...."
"Got it. I'll be lenient."
"Really? Thank you!"
Lune bowed deeply and smiled brightly. Species-wise, she didn't seem to have much aversion unless it was her own kind.
'There was a reason the condition for corrupting into dark elf was kinslaying.'
But I wouldn't evolve Lune into a dark elf. To properly draw out that bloodline of Lune's, evolving along the high elf route seemed better.
Thwack!
Another slime appeared. This time it was a big slime, and Lune showed enthusiasm.
"Master, let me try this one too!"
"Yeah. Give it a shot."
A duel between level 14 1-star and level 15 2-star.
Lune scurried over and struck down with her staff. But the speed was so slow, the big slime dodged sideways and bounced up from the floor.
"Kyaah!"
Lune fell on her butt trying to dodge the big slime's attack. The big slime covered Lune from above, and Lune struggled trapped under the big slime.
Squelch, squelch.
The big slime started gnawing at Lune's clothes. I immediately ran over, stuck my hand inside the big slime, and tore out a chunk.
Gurrgle.
The big slime died while crushing Lune. From the bodily fluid chunk that fell next to Lune's head, one low grade magic stone fell out, and Lune trembled her lips with a hardened face.
"...Sorry."
"It's fine."
It wasn't yet the stage to expect anything from Lune as a combatant. Just steadily gaining combat experience was enough.
However.
"But don't you use bows or spirit magic?"
"...."
Lune, who'd been brushing off bodily fluids, couldn't answer. Lune was reluctant to answer enough to briefly furrow her brow, and I grabbed Lune's pelvis and lifted her up onto my shoulder.
"Forget it. If you don't want to say, don't."
"...Aren't you curious?"
"Not really. If you can't use it, can't be helped, and if you're not using it for some reason, that's fine too. You have this."
I picked up the staff Lune dropped. Unlike the staff I broke while killing the slimahole, it was quite sturdy and still hadn't broken.
"Just beat everything to death."
"...The village sisters all use archery and spirit magic though."
"Then you can be the pioneer. Wanna try an iron mace too? Crushing from above while smashing down has excellent hand feel."
"...That's a bit. But Master, I'm okay. Even if big slimes are too much, I can kill slimes."
Lune requested more combat. But most slimes were already cleared, and Lime following behind was diligently collecting magic stones.
"It's okay now."
Because killing more would only increase combat experience, not experience points.
Lune, Lv. 15.
Now the conditions to evolve were met.
[Notice: 'Evolution' is only possible at the summoning facility.]
"...Let's kill it quick and go. To make you a high elf, we need to leave here."
"Master, didn't you say yesterday you'd test if we could leave?"
"I did."
I gripped the staff tightly and kicked open the boss room door.
[Slime Dragon: ★★★ Lv.35]
"But why would I just run away when I can clear it?"
I threw the staff in a full swing at the slime dragon this time too.
Sploosh!
The slime dragon died pierced through from its mouth by the staff.
"Wow...."
In one hit, the slime dragon became a slime skewer. If I roasted this now, wouldn't it become like marshmallow?
"Then let's go back right away. It's also annoying to leave from the boss room here-"
[Notice: Invaders have appeared in the dungeon.]
[Chief and Rescue Party: ★★★]
[Intercept: Execute interception against invaders.]
[Invaders: 20 people]
[Intercept Reward: Monster Summoning Ticket, ?? ???]
"Run. Lime, don't pick up what's on the floor, come here!"
Lune slid down my arm. I hugged Lune tightly to my chest, and Lime stuck close to my back.
"Return to the cavity!"
I hurriedly exited the sub-dungeon. Then I checked information about the invaders.
'Richard's village residents.'
20 humans.
The military strength learned through May was that most were hunters who lived through hunting.
"Lune, can you kill humans?"
"Humans?"
Lune scratched her cheek and smiled awkwardly.
"If they're enemies invading my nest...elves stick arrows in the foreheads of everyone except their own kind."
"...."
Lune said something very brutal while smiling.
"Then the story changes. Lune, where's your nest now?"
"Here."
Lune poked my chest with her finger.
"...By Master's side."
"Got it."
I used intercept to gather ghouls at the crossroads entering the cavity. The ghouls wandering the dungeon quickly assembled at the crossroads.
Kurrruk.
The nine ghouls clattered their teeth and burned with fighting spirit.
"Buy time!"
Kruuk.
Hases nodded vigorously. While running to the cavity, I briefly stopped and gave additional orders.
"If you think you'll die, run to the cavity on your own!"
Kruurk.
No matter how low level, I couldn't lose subordinates for nothing.
I ran to the cavity, and the three harpies who'd gone to fetch water and returned were also waiting in the cavity.
'Slimes on the ceiling.'
Whether Lime really did the work brilliantly, slimes positioned at every corner were looking down from inside ventilation ducts, constantly informing the minimap of dungeon information.
High average level slimes for reconnaissance.
Low average level ghouls for combat.
Despite the ironic situation, I wasn't worried at all.
[Subordinate Evolution: (Lune)'s evolution is possible.]
[High Elf]
"Lune, ready?"
"...Yes!"
Lune seemed to instinctively anticipate her future, and I also steeled my mind.
Shortly after.
Lune's body began to be dyed in white light.
***
Krwaaaak!
Ghouls swung their long arms threatening the people. Arms swung with a tall height well over 2m were strong enough to break crude shields in one hit.
"Don't let them approach!"
"Honey! Arrow!"
"I'll shoot the knee!"
But the rescue party's coordination clicked perfectly.
Having lived together in the slash-and-burn village for a long time making hunting their livelihood, they'd hunted many wild animals, and those fruits were shining here now.
"Don't be scared! They're just skinny bears!"
"Be careful of the claws! They have poison or something!"
The hunters quickly figured out the ghouls' habits. Movements were fast but attacks were simple. The hunters shot bows and crossbows, blocking the ghouls' advance.
Thwack thwack thwack!
Arrows lodged in the ghouls' knees. A ghoul that took three arrows to the knee collapsed kneeling.
Kieek....
The ghoul flopped to the floor. Arrows were also stuck in its shoulder and chest, and the ghoul trembled and fell.
"Chief! Hurry and finish up, help here!"
"Damn it, I know!"
The chief was swinging his sword hard dodging attacks. He also wanted to help quickly, no, run away, but the red-skinned beasts had skin hard as stone.
Kyaaa....
Especially the red ghoul with a tree branch tied to its left forearm was quite troublesome to deal with. Fight a bit more and he could chop off all the heads, but the chief's goal was clearing the dungeon, not dealing with small fry here.
"I'll break through inside! Handle the rest!"
"Chief!"
The chief kicked off the wall, ran, and leaped over the red ghouls. The red ghouls turned around in surprise, but the hunters rather blocked the path threatening the ghouls with bows.
"These guys are nothing! Hunt them down!"
Kruurk.
The red ghoul scanned the crossroads. Then gestured to the ghouls and shrieked loudly,
Kyaaaaaaak!!
Suddenly started fleeing to one side.
"...?"
The hunters were confused but very carefully moved forward.
"Damn it, two corners.... Huh?"
They reunited with the chief panting for breath. The chief's face was bright red, whether from being out of breath, and the twenty humans reorganized their formation and stepped into the cavity.
"...What business could such arrogant humans have here?"
In the middle of the cavity.
A high elf with a cold impression holding a bow welcomed the humans.