Chapter 429: Eight-Legged God of Death

A spider’s lower body, and dragon wings. And, with the same appearance as I saw that time in forest, the upper body of an androgynous human.

The arachne-mode slime scampers towards me. Unlike that time in the forest, the slime actually has colour to it, so it’s even more revolting a sight than it needs to be. Glittering eight different colours, the spider’s eyes peer around restlessly.

All of a sudden, the floor in front of me splits open. With a bad premonition, I escape backwards. The rift in the floor widens, and something grazes past my wing.

There was something that attacked me, but that’s all I know. The floor here is sturdy metal made for combat. I observed its hardness in the battle with Rogueheil. But whatever it was, it cut through the floor like tofu. That attack is bad news.

Looking up, I see the slime raising an arm as it chases me. The same attack is coming again, it seems. On top of the nature of it being unknown, its power is stupidly high, and the activation time is short.

I twist my body, turning my back to the slime. It’s uncool, but until I can see that attack in its entirety, I can’t fight directly. I have a rough idea of what the mysterious cutting attack is, but not being able to predict its trajectory makes it too troublesome. If I fight from the front now, I'll just be cut to pieces while unable to respond to the mysterious attack.

Not only does it cut through the floor and walls at maximum speed, it’s even flying through the air. I continue to fly low to the ground, but sensing danger, I stretch out my hind legs to forcefully land and turn ninety degrees, running in a perpendicular direction. The floor right in front of where I was flying splits open as though cut by a giant ultra-thin blade.

While running, I look at the slime’s status in my mind, searching for potential candidate skills, then ask God’s Voice for their details.

Probably, the skill the slime’s using is [Severing Thread]. Apparently it creates a thread that is ultra-thin and yet still has mass and strength, then releases it as a high-density knife. But even so, the attack power is too high.

Looking behind me, I squint at the thread. Glimmering in the light, I’m able to make out a familiar metallic line. I gulp.

The slime is turning a part of its body to metal with another skill, which is also transforming the [Severing Thread], increasing its power. By adding a small twist to the already hard-to-see and user-friendly [Severing Thread], the result is a low-cost deadly skill. It’s a technique only usable by the slime that can freely collect skills.

Certainly, the [Severing Thread’s] power after being strengthened by metalisation is terrifying. But what’s weighing on my mind most of all is something else. This metal is the same type as magiatite-jii-san’s.

When I saw its status earlier, I’m certain [Magiatite] was on there. Suddenly, Magiatite-jii-san’s words pass through my mind.

『It would seek out skills it needed… Despite me being its benefactor, it killed my old friend.』

Not that I doubted him, but… It looks like it's true that jii-san wants revenge for his friend.

“How do you like it? The power of my treasured skill!”

It’s not yours! You stole both the normal skill [Severing Thread] and the characteristic skill [Magiatite] from others! Don’t treat them like your own.

“A horizontal slash!”

The slime’s upper human half bends its arm like a whip. A massive rift opens in the wall behind me.

I hurriedly stick my foreleg to the side and fly in the opposite direction from the cut in the wall. My claws touch the [Severing Thread], and a metallic sound rings out as I’m sent tumbling away. I spread my wings, controlling my flight to float in the air.

Directly below me, the wall is cut wide open by the [Severing Thread].

“Cheh…”

I’m saved… But unexpectedly, my claws, where my defence is the highest, are drenched in blue blood from the fingertips down. If I take a direct hit, my body could get split in two… Or not, I guess, not with the ouroboros’s scales and health, but I’d take a heavy wound for sure.

“Ahahahaha! Don't you know that if you only run, it'll get worse for you, Irushia? Die so I can eat you already! I’ll use your rare skills far better than you!”

Not only is the slime one step above me in stats, but it’s also shooting at me with middle-range fast attacks that don’t leave an opening to counterattack. If I keep this up, I'll be forced to stay purely on the defensive.

But, if I keep receiving attacks one-sidedly, I’ll die sooner or later. Even if I’m in a disadvantageous position now, I need to take a bet on being aggressive.

I flap my wings and swing my forelegs. The wind pushed by my wings follows the path of my claws and becomes a blade in the air. It’s the [Wind Slash] skill.

The slime lightly moves to the side, dodging the blade of wind.

“What was that slow attack? Both in power and scope, it wasn’t much. To attack, you have to do at least this much!”

Floating in the air, the slime swings an arm.

“There, and the next one is vertical. Aha! How long can you keep running I wonder?”

The vertical attacks cover a much smaller area than the horizontal ones. They’re not impossible to avoid – I can dodge them with leeway.

But, the slime is already prepared to attack again. It must be planning on seeing how I dodge before attacking. If I move optimistically, it’ll create an opening.

『Partner, stop a moment!』

My partner stretches out her neck and tilts her head. What are you―but before I can ask her, I see a silver flash strike her face, as she’s cut by a grievous slashing attack. Blue blood splatters and drips to the floor.

But, she managed to stop the [Severing Thread]. She has bitten into it. The slime’s expression clouds over.

『It’s my first time seeing it, but I really don’t like this slime!』

She yanks her neck back. The slime’s body shakes, pulled towards me slightly.

“Uguh…”

Immediately after, the slime swings its arm with the sound of snapping. It cut the thread, it seems.

I can do this. It’s a small opening, but it’s better than nothing. Even if I have to force it, I’ve got to start my attack from here.

The start of the battle made it all too clear. If the slime were to start rampaging without concern for it’s MP, there would be nothing I could do to lay a hand on it. While it’s in this arachne mode, I need to force through some damage even if it’s a little risky.

I spread my wings and use my hind legs to kick off the ground, leaping up. Then, flying low to the ground, I close the distance to the slime whose balance is broken.