There was some kind of trick at play here. The Slime was definitely going to lead the village into a false sense of security before carrying out her devious plan. Fissyah knew it— she had heard it, even. Things were going to go awry really quickly if nothing was done.

The girl worriedly paced about the outside of the Chieftain’s hut, waiting for the discussion within to end. She needed to go in and tell Gort not to believe a single word Violet said. Or she needed to… just do something, anything.

If only she were stronger, then this wouldn’t be happening right now. But no one ever let her venture out of Korukh to gain experience because she was weak. It frustrated her that she wasn’t ever allowed to act. But, for a moment, the feeling melted away as a voice drew her attention.

“Fissyah?”

She looked up to find a Hobgoblin standing before her. “Dyrx?”

“What’s wrong? Why do you look so worried?” he asked. “Did something happen?”Then he noticed the way she shifted, eyes darting towards the Chieftain’s hut. His brows furrowed. “That Slime saved you… didn’t she?”

“S-she did, but…” Fissyah hesitated. How could she explain the situation properly? That Slime was a terrible monster that wanted to crash the village. She was just playing mind tricks, just as she did with Dency and Nenifru.

“It’s fine,” he said, patting her on the back reassuringly. “If anything happens, I’m here. I’ll protect you.”

“I-I…” The girl looked up at him with round eyes. “Thank you—” Before she could finish, she heard shouts.

Her head snapped to the side as a blood-curdling cry echoed through Korukh. Dyrx narrowed his eyes and rushed towards the screaming. The girl was right behind him, stopping only when she caught sight of the gleaming armor.

It bore the familiar insignia of the Dark Empire: a tree’s roots that spread from the very center. Gold in a black background. There were five of them— five Dark Elf soldiers. And they were standing over the injured Zrugs.

How? How’d they get here so quickly? Then Fissyah noticed the Draken waiting behind them. These scaly, giant lizards weren’t unusual sights. Each pair of Dark Elf scouts were typically paired with one. There were three of them waiting at the back. Three. And only five of the Dark Elves.

And it clicked. Dency and Nenifru’s Draken must’ve fled after they died. It called for help, and help came. It only made sense. That was how these soldiers were able to arrive in Korukh from their outpost in just under two hours.

A Dark Elf in fancier armor stepped forward, drawing a blade.

“I am Ebsu, Rioke’s First Lieutenant,” he introduced himself, casting his gaze at the terrified bystanders. “And we’re here to punish the perpetrators for the death of our men.”

He didn’t waste any time. The instant the sentence finished, he slashed down at Zrugs.

“Uncle—” Fissyah screamed, reaching a hand out.

She snapped her eyes shut, afraid of the worst, but all she heard was the clash of metal on metal. Opening her eyes, she sighed in relief as she saw Dyrx standing over Zrugs. He had drawn his own, blocking Ebsu’s slash.

“Dyrx…”

“What are you doing?” the Dark Elf asked, frowning.

“I should be the one asking you that— why are you senselessly slaughtering our people?” the Hobgoblin grunted and pushed him back.

Ebsu narrowed his eyes. “Why am I…? I literally just told you why I was here. Oh my God King, I thought you guys were dumb, not deaf.”

“You have no proof that any of us are responsible for the death of your men. You can’t just come here and blame us for it.” Dyrx’s eyes darted around, warily taking in the Dark Elf soldiers surrounding him.

“Seriously?” Ebsu snorted. “You guys have lived under our oppression for all your lives and you’re still saying these things? You’d think after the first five years, let alone the first five hundred years, your kind would understand that we don’t actually care about justice or whatever. It’s all a pretext.”

Fissyah’s skin crawled as the Hobgoblin tightly gripped the hilt of his sword.

“You… bastard,” Dyrx said.

All the Dark Elf did was smile and spin his sword with a flourish. “So, do me a favor, you worthless, insufferable Goblin, and just die already.”

He swung at Dyrx in a swift motion. The Hobgoblin parried the strike, returning with his own thrust for Ebsu’s heart. Unfortunately, he missed, and the two circled one another, beginning their clash of blades.

Fissyah could barely keep up with the fighting. She just heart the clanging of metal and the blurry strikes. Other Goblins and even Hobgoblins rushed to help Dyrx, but the remaining Dark Elf soldiers intercepted them.

“Stay back you useless Goblins!”

“Let Ebsu have his fun.”

Dyrx managed to push the Dark Elf back. He closed the distance, swinging low for Ebsu’s feet. Somehow, he missed.

“This was an unexpectedly entertaining fight, Goblin, I’ll give you that,” Ebsu said as he hopped back, raising his sword at his side. “But, alas, I’m here on business, so I’ll have to put an end to this fun.”

“Shut up!” The Hobgoblin charged him, not noticing what Fissyah saw.

It was like the air around Ebsu changed. An aura befell the Dark Elf, and his movements, even if minute, sharpened. Fissyah’s eyes grew wide.

“Dyrx, don’t—” But she was too slow.

“[Power Strike]!”

Ebsu lashed out, his blade slicing through the air at incredible speeds. Dyrx could barely react in time. There was the same clashing of blades, but this time, blood mixed with the flying sparks.

Dyrx kneeled on the ground and clutched his chest. Blood poured out of a shallow wound, not the deepest— not nearly enough to incapacitate the Hobgoblin. What mattered more to Fissyah was the clattering. The echo of the broken blade landing right next to the girl.

She stared at Dyrx as he lowered his head, disarmed by the Dark Elf.

“Do you see that, Goblin?” Ebsu chuckled as he strode up to the grimacing Hobgoblin. “That is the difference between you and I. Perhaps our levels may be alike, but I have undergone the proper training of a Dark Elf. I have risen above my physical limits and mastered a Skill, one that your pathetic self would never hope to ever learn.”

“I-I… I have lost,” Dyrx conceded, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth.

“Please, it was not even a competition. You never stood a chance from the very beginning.” The Dark Elf loomed over the Hobgoblin, a sadistic smile spread across his face.

The other soldiers kept anyone from interfering. The only one who could possibly slip through was Fissyah. But she stood, frozen in place.

Ebsu glanced over at the onlookers, sneering. “Don’t worry too much about them. Your friends will be joining you soon enough.” He raised his blade and brought it down as a scream left Fissyah’s lips.

“No—”

And Ebsu’s blade… went flying. A purple blur shot through the air, knocking his blade before he could finish Dyrx off. A voice spoke, clearly sounding relieved.

“Oh, good, I didn’t miss this time.”

Heads turned to face a small blob as she raised her appendage. Fissyah blinked. Violet…?

“That was your one and only warning shot! The next one’s aimed straight for your head, jerk!”

* * *

I waved my appendage in the air like I was holding a gun. I actually knocked the sword out of the Dark Elf’s hand as he swung for Dyrx. Honestly, I was getting good at this— my accuracy was rapidly improving the more I used the Skill. Or maybe it was because my Combat Power had increased since I shot Nenifru on the arm.

Name: Violet [Level 8]

Species: Arcslime

Combat Power: 240

Arcane Essence: 200/240

Skills:

[Appraisal - 10 Arcane Essence]

[Arc Shot - 20 Arcane Essence]

Speaking of, I quickly used [Appraisal] on my new friends to judge their threat level.

[Dark Elf - Level 14 (Combat Power: 215)]

[Dark Elf - Level 9 (Combat Power: 135)]

[Dark Elf - Level 7 (Combat Power: 120)]

[Dark Elf - Level 10 (Combat Power: 152)]

[Dark Elf - Level 8 (Combat Power: 125)]

The lead Dark Elf was the highest-leveled of the group, as expected. He also wore the fanciest armor and acted like… the biggest… whiner?

“You lowly Slime! Do you dare threaten me? I am Ebsu! I am Rioke’s First Lieutenant! Fear me and flee, monster.”

“I have absolutely no idea who that is,” I said in a flat voice.

“What?” He stared at me, aghast. “How have you not heard of Captain Rioke? He’s the Defender of Fort Erkaed! The Slayer of Xellyn Moths! ”

“Hmm, yeah…” I said, nodding. “Still don’t know him.”

“He held off an infestation of Grubby Roaches for six days with no reinforcements— he was praised by the Onyx Vanguard himself for his bravery.”

“Nope.”

Ebsu gritted his teeth. “Why am I even wasting my time talking to a Slime?”

“I don’t know— why do you think I’d know who he is by listing out his achievements even after I said I didn’t know him?”

The Dark Elf picked up his blade and aimed the glinting metal at me. “I don’t know where you came from, Slime, but I will—” He blinked.

“Uhm… can you even swing that around? I think that’s a bit of a hazard to those around you.”

I stared as the bladed edge of his sword dangled from a thin strip of metal. My [Arc Shot] had taken out most of its center, and what was left holding the blade together didn’t seem to be very durable. It looked like it’d snap off if he swung it too hard.

“Of course I—” Ebsu turned to one of the soldiers next to him. “Give me that.”

He tossed aside his own sword, snatching up another weapon and pointing it at me.

“Allright, that’s better,” he said, twirling his brand new sword. “Now, listen here Slime—”

[Arc Shot]. I aimed at the sword and knocked it out of his hands again. He blinked.

“T-that’s…”

“I’ll say this one more time,” I repeated myself as I bounced past the staring Goblins and Dark Elves, “leave Korukh alone or I’ll be forced to kill you.”

Ebsu stumbled back. “H-how…? Are you really a Slime? What is this?”

“I’m Violet, and I’m not going to repeat myself again,” I said simply.

It was a threat. Clear as day. Although… there wasn’t really any sign of day underground. Maybe that was why Ebsu didn’t relent.

“How dare you— kill it!” he screamed, pointing at me.

The other soldiers moved, and I sighed. They surrounded me, drawing their blades and attacking all at once. I bounced over their attacks and evaluated my opponents. I had twice the Combat Power of the weakest of the Dark Elves, so those weren’t a threat to me. I had to deal with the stronger ones first.

I landed, flattening myself under the low sweep of a sword. The Dark Elf that attacked me was, fortunately, the one I wanted to see— the Level 9 soldier. I raised my appendage and fired an [Arc Shot].

His eyes widened as he tried to move out of the way. But— he collapsed.

Unfortunately for him, he’d been standing too close to me. He couldn’t dodge the attack in time. The other Dark Elves realized that would be their fate too if they remained too close and backed up away from me. I snapped another [Arc Shot] to the next threat— the Level 10 soldier— but he ducked out of the way. I shot two more in different directions, but all missed.

Well, that just meant that I had to be the one to close the distance now. A sword came for me from behind from one of the lower-leveled Dark Elf, but I slid under it and burst into the air, uppercutting him with my appendage. I didn’t expect to kill him with that hit, however I heard his neck snap. He crumpled to the ground without so much of a sound.

Oh, he was the one who’d been half my Combat Power.

That was easier than I even anticipated. I bounced off his falling body, catapulting straight for the Level 10 soldier. He braced himself, and I crashed into his gauntlets. The metal of his armor bent under the impact, but I wasn’t done. I clung onto his armor before crawling up to his face, smothering him as he struggled to rip me off.

“Shhhh, it’s ok. Just close your eyes and it’ll be all over,” I whispered into his ears.

He didn’t listen to me, of course, continuing to thrash about. I raised an appendage and bludgeoned him on the back of the head as I continued to choke him.

“Please. Stop. Moving. It’ll. All. Be. Over. Soon—”

The last hit halted his struggling, and I finally pried myself off his face. Now, for the last Dark Elf— I was kind of surprised he didn’t intervene. But when I saw him standing there with only his fists, I realized why he hadn’t attacked me.

“Ohhhh, Ebsu took your sword earlier, didn’t he?”

He nodded, hanging his head in resignation. “He did, yeah.”

“Man, he’s a pretty bad boss, isn’t he?”

“He is,” the Dark Elf agreed.

“Honestly, if you weren’t about to slaughter these Goblins and didn’t just try to kill me, I would even be inclined to let you live,” I said, shooting him a sympathetic look.

“Really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“Thank you.” He shifted slightly. “That really means a lot to— urk…” Blood splattered out of his mouth as a blade impaled him through his abdomen.

The Dark Elf craned his neck back slowly, turning to face his killer. Ebsu had picked up one of the dead soldier’s swords and stabbed him straight through his spine.

“D-dick move,” the soldier choked out and collapsed.

Ebsu drew the blade back, sighing. “I’m fucking evil, what did you expect?”

“So, you admit you’re a bad guy,” I said, pointing an accusing appendage at him.

“Of course I am. I came here to kill and rape, not to protect and save. Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe that I’m here as some kind of protector or even a hero?”

“Why?” I asked as an annoyed feeling washed over me. I glanced back at the Goblins standing back, watching as I confronted the Dark Elf Lieutenant. “Why do all this to them? Why would you ruin so many lives for no reason?”

Ebsu tilted his head as he held my gaze with bloodshot eyes. “Why?” he said, spreading his arms wide. “Who’s going to stop me? Not Rioke— he lets me do as I please. Not the God King Himself. Why would the fate of such insignificant Goblins matter to him? And certainly not you.”

I watched as he took a step forward, gripping his sword with both his hands.

“It is as you said, Slime— there is no reason. It’s just for my own pleasure.”

I readied another [Arc Shot], only for him to step forward once.

“[Power Strike]!” he yelled, before charging me and closing the distance in an instant.

I… rolled out of the way. Ebsu stabbed the earth, spraying bits of dirt and dust into the air. He stumbled back and looked over at me.

“How…?”

Around me, I could hear whispers. I could feel the gazes of the watching Goblins fixing against my back, staring directly at me in awe.

“She dodged his Skill!”

“How’d she do that?”

“Even Dyrx was barely able to react!”

Ebsu bit his lower lip. “That was a fluke. You won’t dodge it this time. Take this, [Power Strike]—”

He lashed out at me again, and this time, I bounced out of the way. The Dark Elf Lieutenant whirled around, screaming.

“[Power Strike]! [Power Strike]! Power Strike]!”

I backed up as he whiffed, hitting nothing but the air.

“[Power—”

His sword missed me completely.

“—Strike]!”

I circled around him, giving him a curious look as he staggered forward.

“So, like,” I started, “do you have to say your Skill’s name every time you use it or something?”

“What?” he panted, turning to face me.

“Because you’re kind of announcing whenever you’re about to attack me when you do that.”

Ebsu blinked. “It’s just proper etiquette, and it helps with mastering a Skill. Any Dark Elf who has studied the art of the duel knows—” he began to protest, then he realized what was going on. He clenched a fist. “Stop mocking me!” He swung, this time, only with his gauntleted hand.

I let the attack hit, knocking me back as my body jiggled. “Wowowowowoah— this feels weeeeeeeird.” It did hurt, but it felt more weird than painful.

“Die! [Power—”

“What about this?” I cut him off and pointed at his head. “[Arc Shot].”

Ebsu stopped himself from following through with his Skill. Instead, he pulled back, trying to evade the projectile that was soon to follow. Except… nothing came.

“Oh, I lied.”

I waited for the Dark Elf to come to a halt before I finally fired the purple projectile— the bit of magic that came from me. It zipped through the air, striking him on the chest. It tore open his breastplate as I fired a second one. He tucked out of the way and it grazed him on the shoulder.

I was starting to get a little worried as I was running very low on Arcane Essence, but Ebsu fell over a moment after. It was a mixture of his injuries and exhaustion— using his Skill over and over tired him out, too, just as it did me.

He tried to crawl away as I bounced my way up to him.

P-please…” he begged. “S-spare me.”

I paused, staring at him. “Why?”

Ebsu raised a hand. “D-don’t kill me, please.”

“Who’s going to stop me?” I said, and he flinched.

The Dark Elf looked up for help, only to find the callous gazes of dozens of Goblins piercing into him. He squeaked. “I-I promise I’ll change! I promise I’ll do better! Please, just don’t kill me!”

“Will you, though?” I gave him a dubious look.

“I-I…”

“Come on, Ebsu,” I urged him. “I'm going to kill you anyways. Just spit it out. Tell the truth. Get it off your chest before you die.”

His eyes widened. I loomed over him, and I could tell he knew he could no longer talk his way out of this. He began to laugh maniacally as I covered him with my body.

“That's right! I was lying! If you had let me go here, I’d have returned with Rioke and a hundred men and made sure you all suffered!” He wore an insane look on his face as his chucklings died down. “Oh my God King, that would’ve been very nice,” he sighed.

“I thought so.” And I ate him.

You have replenished 60 Arcane Essence!

You have defeated a [Dark Elf - Level 9 (Combat Power: 135)]!

You have absorbed their Physical Essence!

You have defeated a [Dark Elf - Level 10 (Combat Power: 152)]!

You have absorbed their Physical Essence!

…

You have defeated [Dark Elf - Level 14 (Combat Power: 215)]

You have absorbed their Physical Essence!

You have advanced to Level 9!

- Arcane Essence +20

You have advanced to Level 10!

- Arcane Essence +20

For advancing to Level 10, you have reached the next threshold of Arcane power!

- Arcane Essence +20

- For each new level advanced, Arcane Essence gained is doubled!

- Passive Skill [Arcane Restoration] gained!

- Passive Skill [Improved Absorption] gained!

- Passive Skill [Morph Shape] gained!