Chapter 22: New Vanguard
Clearing high-rank rifts—especially A-Rank ones—was vastly more difficult than dealing with lower-tier dungeons by nature.
The core issue came down to a simple, brutal reality: A-Rank tamers who willingly joined the military were incredibly rare. Even when the army offered massive commissioned bounties or called for volunteers, clearing an A-Rank rift with just a handful of high-tier tamers was practically impossible.
That exact shortage had been Clame’s nightmare in Nara City.
She simply didn’t have enough A-Rank powerhouses under her command. To compensate, she had been forced to deploy B-Rank and C-Rank soldiers into zones way above their weight class. The result had been a tragic, steady trail of casualties over the past three months.
’But that problem ends today,’ Clame thought, her breathing hitching.
Having just witnessed the live field test, Clame’s hands began to tremble uncontrollably. Her fingers curled into tight fists, her knuckles turning white as her fingernails dug painfully into her palms. The surge of raw relief hitting her heart was almost overwhelming.
Before her eyes, the Guard Slimes were putting on a masterclass in elimination.
A wave had just triggered—a terrifying dungeon phenomenon where dozens of monsters grouped up into a relentless stampede. Yet, one by one, the translucent slimes moved with terrifying speed, sniping the incoming beasts before they could even cross the threshold of the clearing.
Watching the wave crumble into dust, Clame’s face lit up with radiant, unfiltered joy.
A few paces back, Nair sat comfortably on a large slab of concrete debris, resting her elbow on a diagonal steel bar protruding from the stone. She observed the radiant expression on her commander’s face and gave a quiet, satisfied nod.
Nair couldn’t help but recall Terrence standing calmly in front of them yesterday, totally confident in his product.
’He wasn’t bluffing,’ Nair admitted to herself, a quiet wave of respect for the young merchant settling in her mind. ’These slimes really possess the power to clear an A-Rank rift.’
Still, Nair kept her posture grounded. Was it time to get complacent? Absolutely not. War was never over until the final blow was struck, and they still had the real target waiting for them back at the canyon.
Within just ten minutes, the dungeon boss was completely obliterated as all ninety-nine Guard Slimes converged on it in flawless unison.
Once the monster collapsed, the slimes bounced right back to Clame’s position. They lined up in their neat formation, their jelly-like bodies quivering with bright, eager energy as if waiting for a compliment from their commander.
"Wow..." Clame muttered, her cold military persona completely melting away. She looked down at the rows of vibrant blobs and smiled. "You all did great."
The Guard Slimes’ eyes sparkled instantaneously. Their bodies waved up and down in excitement, yet not a single one broke out of rank.
Clame let out a soft chuckle, her heart feeling lighter than it had in months. "It’s almost like you guys actually understand me. Or do you?"
With the C-Rank rift officially cleared, the unit collected twenty-three C-Rank beast cores left behind by the fiends. Clame picked up a handful of the glowing gems and tossed them directly to the slimes that had led the charge.
"Here’s your reward," Clame said warmly. She then looked at the remaining slimes who hadn’t gotten one yet, her tone turning teasingly competitive.
"And for the rest of you—you’ll have to work a little harder in the next one."
The unrewarded slimes gave an energetic, approving bounce before marching back into the bay transport.
As Clame walked back toward her open jeep, a pair of her elite escorts—soldiers who had accompanied her all the way to Suran City—approached her with crisp, sharp movements.
"Welcome back, Commander," the lead soldier said, saluting.
Clame offered a short nod of dismissal, preparing to climb into her seat.
The soldier hesitated for a second before speaking up again, his posture stiff. "If you don’t mind us asking, Commander... are those Guard Slimes truly that strong?"
Clame froze. She turned her head slowly, staring down the soldier in complete silence.
The heavy quiet stretched on for so long that beads of cold sweat began forming on the soldier’s forehead. Terrified that he had crossed a line, he bowed his head sharply.
"I apologize, Commander! I didn’t mean to question your—"
"Yeah," Clame cut him off softly, the corners of her lips turning up into a genuine, gentle smile. "They really are that strong. Which means you can all rest easy now... and return home to your families alive."
The soldier blinked, his head tilting slightly as he raised his eyes. Confusion was painted across his face.
’Did the Commander... just say we’re going home alive?’ he thought, completely stunned by the warmth in her voice.
Without another word, the soldiers took their seats, and the transport convoy roared back onto the dirt path, heading straight toward the dark maw of the canyon where the A-Rank rift awaited.
Thirty minutes later, the convoy arrived at the primary staging ground.
A waiting camp of at least a hundred soldiers greeted them. The ranks ranged from D-Rank to B-Rank. While C-Rank soldiers made up the majority, many lower-ranked troops had voluntarily signed up for this suicide mission, choosing honor over safety in a desperate bid to help their city.
Because of the extreme environmental pressure radiating from the A-Rank portal, every soldier in the camp wore heavy tactical suits designed to filter out the rift’s crushing aura.
As the roar of Clame’s jeep echoed through the gorge, trailing clouds of dust, the entire camp snapped into formation.
Ninety Junior Plank troops stood in tight lines, while the Elite Squad—the veterans of the First Company—stood at the very front. Their specialized light armor was far sleeker and more versatile, built for high-level combat.
SCREECH.
Clame’s jeep came to a sudden halt. She stepped down, the heavy thud of her combat boots slicing cleanly through the tense silence of the canyon.
She took a long, steady breath, her voice echoing across the rocky walls. "We will succeed today. Do not fret!"
Every soldier straightened their spine, their chests swelling with a mixture of intense admiration and fear. "Welcome back, Commander!"
The captain of the Elite Squad—a heavily built, bald man with a jagged scar running over his right eye—stepped forward in his black tactical armor.
"Commander, the strike team is prepped!" the captain announced, his voice booming. "We are ready to report!"
Clame raised her hand, waving it down to dismiss the briefing. "That can wait, Captain. I have an announcement first."
She went silent, her sharp eyes sweeping across the sea of weary faces.
Her sudden silence caused a suffocating tension to drop over the entire camp. The quiet became almost unbearable, as if an invisible pressure was tightening around every soldier’s chest. Their eyes looked hollow, filled with a painful mixture of dread and fading hope, fully expecting to be ordered into another bloody front-line assault.
"For this raid, none of you will be fighting on the front line," Clame declared loudly, her voice ringing clear over the wind.
The soldiers blinked, a wave of stunned murmurs rippling through the ranks.
"Instead..." Clame turned around, gesturing grandly toward the rear of the heavy transport bay.
HISS.
The metal ramp lowered to the ground. As ninety-nine translucent, crystalline creatures bounced down the ramp in perfect military rows, every soldier’s pupils dilated in absolute shock. Several veterans rubbed their eyes, utterly unable to comprehend what they were seeing.
Clame looked at her stunned army, a triumphant smirk gracing her lips.
"They will take the front line," Clame announced. "Our new vanguard... Slimes."