I, who had expected to see the rink torn in half, had to shove my expectations much deeper. Instead of seeing slime chunks flying everywhere, I saw that it merely swayed and rocked from side to side, standing in place. All its pupils spun and moved in different directions, as if unable to stop and focus on anything. I saw no damage on the rink’s body, and then I realized the crash hadn’t come from the slime—but from behind us. Turning around, I saw an uneven hole in one of the wooden houses, filled with dust and broken pieces of furniture. Curses and Scott’s familiar voice came from it. Finally, he himself appeared, spear in one hand.
— “This thing’s way tougher than it looks,” he said, brushing himself off as he approached us.
— “That’s exactly why you’re still silver and not gold like our captain,” Berry remarked sarcastically. “You’ve got a long way to go before you can split it open with one strike.”
— “Hey! You think I can’t do it?” the guy shot back at the girl’s verbal jab. “How about I jab you with my spear and see how far I get thrown in that case, huh?”
— “Enough,” Drodul immediately cut off their squabble. “We don’t have time for petty bickering. Is it really that tough?”
— “Yeah,” Scott admitted reluctantly. “I hit it with a red mark and nearly at full speed. If I hadn’t canceled the recoil with my spear, I’d be out of the fight already. It’s incredibly dense. Feels like hitting a steel wall—but one that also springs back. Any ideas?”
— “How about not charging in blindly without knowing anything about the enemy? What do you think of that idea?” Berry suggested.
— “Yeah, yeah, I get it—but we had to do something, or we’d just stand there chewing our snot,” Scott retorted. “So what’s the plan? I’ve already shown initiative; now it’s your turn.”
— “Maybe you could hit it once more?”
— “Ha-ha, very funny…”
— “No, Berry’s got a point,” Drodul interrupted them again. “Right now we’re at a disadvantage: we don’t know the slime’s exact size, can’t surround it or attack from multiple sides, and we’re right next to civilians. Scott, try pushing it out. We’ll help. Twins?”
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— “Yes, we understand,” they replied in unison and began aiming at the rink. But their arrows didn’t hit the monster itself—they precisely encircled it along the entire fence area around its body. The shots were far stronger than usual, so when they struck the wood, they left deep, solid craters. Meanwhile, Scott gripped his spear with both hands again and crouched low to the ground. The blade—and the spearhead along with it—began changing color: from silver to pink, then red, orange, yellow, and stopped there. At that moment, Scott’s face lost all expression. Empty eyes, a nose, and a straight line for a mouth—that’s all that could be made out behind the shimmering air.
I managed to see his form flying toward the gate. I don’t think he moved slower than before; rather, I simply knew where and how he’d move, so I could track him. A grayish blurred silhouette flashed and instantly reached the slime. This was followed by an air wave, a crash, and a whistle far louder than before.
I didn’t cover my head with my hands and thus clearly saw what happened near the gate. From the point of spear contact, wide waves spread across the entire rink. The wooden barrier couldn’t withstand it and, together with the monster, was ripped out and sent flying beyond the village. After traveling ninety to a hundred meters, the massive body stopped and began swaying in place. It turned out only its head—or whatever passed for one—had fit through the gate, since the whole creature stood over seven meters tall. A colossal dark-purple body with a star-shaped cluster of eyes in the center. It had no mouth or any other organs, yet this didn’t make it look any less terrifying or frightening. The beast was furious at being treated so unfriendly. Apparently, it had been thrown through the air more than once today, and it definitely didn’t like it.
Scott stood exactly where he’d struck the slime, unmoving, until we approached him. Snapping out of it after Drodul touched him, the guy shook his head, looked around, and headed toward the rink now raging in the field. I was about to follow the others, but my gaze caught the wreckage at the gate. Under a pile of broken planks and beams, I saw someone’s legs. I ran over, tossed aside the debris, and found the bodies of two men. Their faces and most of their bodies were mangled, but I recognized them. Rick and Paul. The eternal gate guards who’d helped me find my first job and first night’s shelter—the ones who’d accepted me without even knowing who I was.
— “Guys… Why you of all people?” I kept repeating to myself, standing over their bodies. I gripped tightly the small but sharp dagger Drodul had lent me. — “I won’t forgive them for this. Whoever they are, I’ll avenge you, guys. Rest in peace.”
After saying goodbye to my acquaintances’ bodies, I turned toward the enormous rink fighting Sem’s squad. They were pressing the monster, attacking from different sides and inflicting frequent wounds that, judging by its swaying, were clearly painful.
— “Who exactly do you plan to take revenge on?” I heard a soothing female voice behind me.
