Chapter 14: The First Training
Sunlight filtered through the trees as dozens of blue slimes bounced away from Tanaka. It was the first time they had ever seen anything like this.
The hunting slimes were usually a small group of particularly strong and powerful slimes.
Today...
Almost all of the combat ready slimes had come. Only the youngest slimes had been left to guard the cave.
The little slime bounced alongside Tanaka as usual.
Its speed equal to his.
Tanaka glanced at the others.
Before thehunters return... this is our only chance.
Everyone needs to level up.
The dungeon entrance loomed before them.
The great stone archway stood as it always had. The slimes hesitated.
Many had never set foot inside the dungeon. Tanaka bounced forward without looking back. One by one, the others followed.
The first floor was surprisingly calm. The broken stone corridor where the first boss had died littered the floor with rubble.
There was nothing else.
Until...
Tanaka heard a noise ahead.
Stone creatures.
There were five of them.
The little slime immediately bounced forward to engage them.
Tanaka pushed it back.
Not yet.
The little slime tilted its head side ways in confusion.
Tanaka gestured towards the hunting slimes.
Then the approaching monsters.
It meant they fight first.
The lead hunting slime understood immediately.
It bounced forward and three others followed.
The stone creatures charged!
BOOM!!
One of the slimes was sent flying on impact.
Another narrowly avoided a stone fist.
Tanaka stayed still.
His instincts screamed at him to jump in and help but he resisted the urge.
No.
They need to learn.
The lead hunting slime circled around behind one of the stone creatures.
It rammed into the back of the monster.
Another slime jumped in from the front.
The creature stumbled sideways.
A third slime jumped into the fray and drove into the exposed core of the creature.
CRACK!!
The stone creature exploded into golden dust that was imbibed by the three attacking slimes.
The remaining creatures turned and the battle resumed.
Stone fists smashed into gelatinous torsos sending them sprawling.
Slimes were tossed into walls.
One slime was pinned underneath a thick stone arm.
The little slime looked desperately at Tanaka.
Tanaka nodded.
The little slime bounced forward and drove into the side of the stone creature’s arm.
It was just enough to free the trapped slime.
The older slime retaliated.
Together, the two slimes drove into the remaining two stone creatures.
The last monster fell with a crash.
The hunting slimes bounced wildly in celebration.
They had fought and won without Tanaka’s help!
Several of the slimes had visibly leveled up.
Tanaka smiled.
Good.
They continued deeper into the dungeon.
This time...
There was a whole flock of stone creatures.
The younger hunting slimes looked apprehensive.
Tanaka divided the hunting slimes into two groups.
The older slimes took charge of their respective group.
The battle commenced.
Unlike last time...
The stone creatures fought as a unit.
They attacked in unison, sweeping high and low.
The slimes had difficulty keeping up.
One hunting slime was sent tumbling into a stone wall.
Another was surrounded by two creatures.
Tanaka frowned.
They are too slow.
He bounced into the middle of the battlefield.
Earth Impact!!
The ground shook!
Every stone creature stumbled.
Tanaka bounced away immediately.
He wasn’t here to finish them off.
Only to create an opening.
The slimes took advantage of the opening and poured into the battle.
Pieces of stone littered the floor.
The dungeon reverbated with the sound of combat.
The stone creatures fell with each impact.
By the end of the battle...
There were only two left.
Tanaka watched as the slimes took care of the last two without his help.
Golden dust floated through the air.
Several hunting slimes had leveled up.
One slime even had a slightly darker shade to its body.
It seemed that these slimes were finally growing stronger.
Hours later...
The fights continued.
Five creatures...
Then eight...
Then twelve...
The slimes slowly began to change.
They didn’t charge blindly anymore.
They surrounded their foes.
They protected their friends.
They waited for an opening.
Every battle was faster than the last.
The little slime amazed everyone.
Though small, it had incredible instincts.
It seemed to always be there when a slime was in danger.
A quick shoulder check.
A momentary distraction.
A perfectly timed shove.
It never landed the final blow, but it saved more slimes than anyone else.
Tanaka was incredibly proud.
You’re incredible.
The little slime bounced happily.
As they entered an even larger room...
The air grew heavier.
Tanaka halted.
The others followed his example.
Grinding sounds echoed from all directions.
Stone creatures were coming from every entrance.
The younger slimes trembled.
Even the older hunting slimes stiffened.
Tanaka pushed himself forward.
This...
This was too much for them.
He would have to fight.
The first wave of creatures charged.
Tanaka met them head on.
Leap!!
He propelled himself into the air, his body leaving a blue streak behind him.
Earth Impact!!
One of the creatures exploded into golden dust.
Tanaka twisted in mid air to avoid the next creature’s fist.
Its mana lashed into his body, feeding his Devourer ability.
The attack was weaker.
Tanaka drove into the creature’s chest.
Behind him, the hunting slimes followed suit.
Instead of watching the battle, they engaged.
Pair after pair, group after group.
They fought as he had taught them.
One distracting.
One attacking.
One finishing.
The room became a flurry of motion.
Stone fists.
Flying slimes.
Crushing debris.
Mana flaring with every impact.
The little slime dodged around the battlefield, dragging slimes away from danger before leaping back in.
Tanaka grinned.
A titanic stone creature twice the size of the others burst from one of the tunnels.
It made no sound as it reared its massive fists overhead.
The young slimes scattered.
Tanaka bounced upwards and to the side, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.
Earth Impact!!
A second blow sent him crashing into the ground.
The giant’s fist smashed into his chest, sending his flying.
Tanaka rolled with the impact, dissipating some of the blow.
Even so, the impact sent him skidding across the ground.
The giant raised its other fist.
Tanaka barely had time to brace before six of the hunting slimes rammed into the creature at once.
One after another, they attacked it from all sides.
The giant teetered.
The little slime drove into the crack in the creature’s ribs that Tanaka had created.
The opening grew wider.
Tanaka knew what to do.
He compacted himself, sending a shockwave of mana into the ground.
Leap!!
His body became a blue streak as he shot into the air.
Earth Impact!!
CRAAACK!!
The giant’s core exploded, showering the room in golden light. The light spread to every slime that had participated in the fight.
Tanaka smiled. "Good, we are finally getting stronger."