Shaking the ground, several large carriages bearing the emblem of the Footprints arrived.
The large horses, their bodies protected by metal armor, were trained for use by treasure hunters and were unfazed by the unique atmosphere of the treasure house.

What dismounted were the hunters belonging to the Footprints. They were all armed and dressed in different ways, and had nothing in common except for a small "footprint" tag somewhere on their bodies.
However, the serious expressions on their faces, as if they were going to their deaths, and the skillful movements with no wasted time gave them an air of a well-disciplined army.

The hunters other than the black gold, who had been investigating the area earlier, greeted the reinforcements with a look of dismay.
The atmosphere was alien, but more than anything, the number of reinforcements was unexpected.

'Hey, hey, hey, ...... reinforcements, how many people did you call in, ......?'

The brown-haired hunter who had been questioning Sven about the merits of his decision just a moment ago shouted with a mixture of dismay and awe.
The number of people mobilized for a treasure house of the size of the White Wolf's Den is unprecedented.

'...... Are you trying to make the Treasure House disappear?

The Treasure House is a 'place'. It does not disappear when the building is destroyed.
In order to destroy it, you need to do something about the veins that transmit mana and materials, but that's not realistic.

However, I could feel the absolute will from the spirit that was floating in the air, to the point where such a ridiculous word could be said.

A young hunter who had gotten off the first carriage spotted Sven and ran up to him.

It was Lyle, a young man with a chiseled and fearless face. He is one year younger than Sven. His Hunter level is also lower than Sven's, but as a party of Footprints, they are on equal footing.
The people who came down one after another didn't sit down, but immediately began to look around.

Lyle briefly checked with Sven.

'Good work, Sven, what's the situation?

'Yeah, nothing's happened so far. Is there anyone who can take command? You're free to do as you please, but things are happening.'

Sven quickly checks on the additional people.

A party is a complete entity in itself.
Each of them has their own special tactics and secret moves that must not be seen. Even in a clan, there is no way to unify command, but with this many members, it's a different story.

If we don't at least decide on a direction, the damage could spread needlessly.

Lyle lifted his lips a little and made a faint smile as Sven checked the members with a wary look.

''Black Gold is the top. The other high level guys aren't here.'

'If Kry isn't coming, as usual, what's wrong with Lys? I'm sure he wants to come.

I'm going to give you the name of a bandit who is willing to go to his death in search of a battlefield.
He's strong, but he's an incredibly selfish hunter who has no intention of taking command and won't even follow orders. He's a nasty enemy and a nasty ally, and there's nothing you can do about it.

The only ones who can make him listen to them are the members of Strange Grief.

'Kry took them in. Tino's got other things to do. Besides, he doesn't ride in a carriage.

Lyle's words came out with a bitter expression on his face, and I could tell something was wrong, but I didn't say it out loud.
I'm curious about what you're asking me to do, but I'll put it out of my mind for now.

There's no point in thinking about how you're going to act in a thousand different ways.

Sven nodded once, and raised his voice so that everyone could hear.

'All right, gather around. Let's have a strategy meeting.'


§...


There is a demon called Slime.
It has a body of clay and is said to live in swampy areas.

It looks like a mere puddle. It has no muscles, no bones, and no blood. Although it doesn't look like a living thing, it seems to have a will of its own, moving slowly and digesting small insects with its entire body.
It's a kind of magical creature, known to be created by alchemists as well as naturally occurring, but Sven's perception was that it was such an existence that it was hard to even call it a demon, let alone be wary of it.

Slimes are weak. They are vulnerable to both magic and physical attacks.

Its liquid body, which is centered around a small heart called the core, is so fragile that it can be easily split apart without resistance just by scratching it with bare hands. No command from the core reaches the separated body, and the slime becomes smaller by that amount.
The acidity of the slime has no effect on a human-sized creature, let alone a small insect, and even if it is swallowed, it will not be devoured from within.

Even if swallowed, it would not be eaten from within. It was considered a harmless demon by ordinary people.
In addition, it was a difficult opponent for treasure hunters who transcended human existence to defeat. In the first place, most of them probably don't even recognize it as a demon.

Sven looks around from a higher level at his companions, who are sitting in a circle, armed and ready.

'Have any of you ever fought a slime properly?'

'No.'

'No.'

'No.'

'It doesn't seem like the kind of thing you'd fight in the first place. ......'

'If you've ever stepped on one without realizing it: ......'


Sven and the other members of the Black Gold Cross have conquered a wide variety of treasure halls in the past. They are probably the best of all the hunters gathered here.

But even so, their experience in fighting slimes is almost the same as those who just answered.

There are many kinds of slimes. In the far east, there is even a strange treasure house where only slimes appear.
I've heard rumors that some slimes are powerful enough to kill hunters, but I've always thought that was just a myth. Naturally, I had no combat experience.

Sven scratched his hair and let out a deep sigh.

'I'd rather have a dragon than a slime ...... of all things.'

'Oh, come on, that's a bit much.

One of the hunters around you makes fun of your words, but it's no laughing matter.

I've fought a dragon before. I've fought dragon species before, and I've fought them to the death and won, after long preparation and determination.
But not a slime. I have no idea what it is that comes out.

What kind of characteristics does this strange slime have, what kind of attack methods does it use, what are its weaknesses, and how should I deal with it to gain an advantage in battle?
A dragon can tell you. You have to be on your guard against everything. A claw strike, a tail strike, a breath, and higher dragons can even control powerful ancient magic. It's a tricky opponent.

But in a way, this opponent was even more troublesome.

'Has anyone brought anti-slime measures?

Sven asked after a few seconds of meditation, and the members in the circle each answered.

'I'm weak against slashing, so I'll take my sword as usual.

'I brought a hammer. Slimes are weak to blows. We can crush the core.

'The Magi in our party can use their fire magic to deal a blow.

'My wind magic would be a blow.

'I bought a spray that's supposed to be a slime repellent. I'm not sure if it'll work with the 700-gail over-the-counter stuff. ......'



'Crush it with a shield'.

Are you okay with this?

They all have serious expressions on their faces. Spray or not, the slime's weakness is 'everything'.
Sven's arrow is a point attack, so it's not a good match, but even that can be defeated by shooting through the core. And Sven's arm can't miss even the smallest core.

No problem. It shouldn't be a problem. Even if it appeared in front of us right now, it would be easy to defeat.
But I'm still worried. There's too little material. I wanted to know what it looked like at least.

'Didn't Cry say anything else?

To Sven's question, Lyle, who was sitting on the third left, raised his eyebrows and said with a pitiful expression.

'It's no ordinary slime, that's all. ......'

'd*mn it, I know what it is! I'm not sure what to make of that. Always always always.

'Even when I check, he just says he doesn't know. ......'

I'm not sure what to make of that. The ability to not let you know what's going on inside "Thousand Changes" is well known in the clan.

A silence falls.
The brown-haired hunter, who had been listening quietly at a distance outside the circle, interrupted again.
You don't like the reluctance of more people? There was a mocking tone to his voice.

'...... Tsk. This is bullshit. You're not getting anywhere with this. Now that we have more people, whether you can see the future or not, shouldn't we just resume our search? If you're so scared, we'll take care of that slime. That is, if they show up.

The hunters in the trail didn't say anything. They just looked at him as if they were looking at something pitiful.
If you're proud of your abilities, it's not surprising that you would argue with them. The brown-haired hunter's cheeks tightened at the unexpected reaction, which was different from the hunters he had dealt with in the past.

'What's with your eyes?

'Don't you get it? Everyone thinks you're the first victim. Let me tell you something. I stopped it. I stopped it. Don't turn yourself in, okay? Don't die for nothing, leave a trail. We'll avenge you.

We'll avenge you.' ...... You're crazy! What are you going to do if nothing happens after all this?

Sven didn't answer, but turned to face his friends again.

For hunters, death is their own responsibility. No matter what the outside hunters say, the power of the Footprints, with its large number of people, is unmovable at this moment.
The less damage the better, but there are sacrifices that can't be made without information.

'All right, all right. There is no effective solution. Now let's move on to ....... Are there any alchemists here who are familiar with magical creatures?

At Sven's words, the hunters looked at each other and fell silent.

The Alchemist is a profession that specializes in refining various substances by combining science and magic.
They are not essential for hunters, but rather belong to the academic institutions of the country or the merchants who deal in various medicines.
It is a job that can only be performed with a vast amount of knowledge and a huge amount of capital.

One of the Strange Griefers is an Alchemist, but that is a rare example.

Sven clucked loudly at the sight.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do, and how you're going to do it. ...... d*mn it, why is it that Liz came back instead of Citrie?

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's worth it.

It's a good idea to take a deep breath and look around at the hunters again. In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the site, you can contact us at our own web site.

It was a female hunter with a somewhat unsure expression. She wore large round glasses and had long hair that covered her eyes. She looked like she should be in the library, not the treasure house.

She shrinks a little as if she is being watched intently, but then she says in a clear voice, "I'm here. Despite her shy appearance, there was a strong light in her eyes.

'Yes, sir. I've only just become a Alchemist and I'm level 3. ...... I'm Talia, an Alchemist.

Next to her, a girl of the same age who seemed to be a member of her party clapped her on the shoulder as if to boost her confidence.
It's not very dependable, but as a level 3 hunter, you probably have at least some power.

But is this what all alchemists are like, like Citri?

Such a word crossed Sven's mind, but now he wanted to borrow a cat's hand.

The knowledge of alchemists is deep, wide, and unique. Even if you've just become one, it's probably better than what Sven and the others have.
Sven's voice is exaggeratedly cheerful, and he welcomes it.

'Oh, you're for real. Did Kry send you?'

'No. It's ......, but it seems that the only Alchemists in First Step are me and Citrie. ......'

Or should I say there are only two? Or should I say there are two of us?

In front of Sven's eyes, Talia took a glass tube from a pouch on her hip that was two times larger than a normal hunter's potion pouch. With careful movements, she lifts it up.

Whatever it was made of, the dark liquid inside shook slightly.
Talia took a few deep, tense breaths and said, "I'm sorry. Her black eyes glinted in the lens.

'A potion that kills slime. ...... This is a special potion for slime. It won't work on anything but slime, but it will kill ...... slime ninety-nine percent of the time.'

At these words, a small cheer went up. This is exactly what the hunters in this place wanted.
Sven was taken aback for a moment, but then he quickly frowned and stared at the liquid.

'It's ............ amazing, but ......'.

Is it really ...... going to be okay?

I've never seen or heard of a potion that can only kill slime. Slime is normally a small fish.
It was only a few hours ago that Kry announced that the slime would appear as an enemy this time. How could a new potion be created in such a short time?

And even if a potion that only kills slime already exists, it seems that this time the slime is no ordinary slime .......

It's just too convenient.



Above all, Talia is a level 3. It is said that level 3 is a middle class, but from Sven's point of view, she is still a newcomer.
It would have been a different story if it were Citri from Ghosts of Sorrows.
She is a perfectionist. She would never submit a flawed work.

Her current certification level is the lowest in the Ghosts of Sorrows - or even lower than Talia's, but everyone in the Footprints knows her ability.

No one ever mentions his name, but everyone must be thinking the same thing.

Talia chuckles at the suspicious look in his eyes. Then she said clearly.

'Don't worry, Mr. Sven. It wasn't me who made this, it was ...... you, Sitri. I only shared it with her for study purposes. ...... It seems she made it when she was researching slimes. ...... She said that if there was a slime that didn't understand this, and she caught it and brought it to me, I would buy it for a billion guilders. I'm sure you'll agree.