Ripple.

The hunters took a step forward and the vine plank swayed, water rippled slightly.

Everyone held their breath, moving in sync one step at a time.

Step.

Ripple.

The white-haired guy noticed something...strange.

Ripple.

The ripple...grew bigger and bigger.

Step. Step. Step.

No matter how slowly they walked, the ripples around them only grew bigger and bigger, until the water splashed, the vine plank swayed.

"Stop. Something is wrong."

The white-haired guy whispered to the hunter behind him and the hunter whispered to the others.

Everyone stood still, eyes fixed on the water below them, and there...

Ripple.

No one moved, but the water...moved.

In a place they couldn’t see, countless blue slimes slowly popped up to the water surface.

Splash. Splash.

Fifty.

A hundred.

Two hundreds.

At the four corners of the lake,

Shaaa...

Four huge figures slowly floated to the surface, the water around became even more violent.

The white-haired guy saw the water surging like a wave and he immediately shouted,

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The hunters stood still, each holding their weapons, their breaths quickened.

Right after the white-haired man shouted, the four giant figures came out of the water with a loud sound.

Splash!

Water pillars shot up, the violent wave quickly shook the vine plank.

"Ah!"

The hunters’ bodies staggered, but they quickly got on all four, clinging to the vine plank tightly.

As water splashed onto their fingers, a familiar burn swept over their skin.

Sting. Sting.

"The water is corrosive!" Vela, the green-haired woman, clutched the vine plank tremblingly.

The other hunters gritted their teeth, each crawling faster on the plank, their figures quickly reached the center of the lake.

Splash. Splash.

The four giant figures slowly crept closer, their mouths opened wide.

A ball of corrosive liquid slowly formed.

Woongggg.

The white-haired young man saw the four slimes’ strange gesture and his heart skipped a beat.

No! Those slimes—

"Gerald! Barrier!!"

It was too late.

Swooosh!

Four corrosive "cannonballs" shot out, cutting through the mist, landing at the center of the lake.

Boom!

Three corrosive cannons missed the mark, but one hit the front end of the vine plank.

Sizzle!

In that instant, the vine plank burnt black, the vine melted into liquid and blended with the water.

The aftershocks swept over the hunters and their bodies were jerked back.

"Ugh! Hang on!!"

The hunters hugged the plank with all of their might, but Ryo, the only one who could see beyond the mist, broke into a cold sweat.

"N-not good! The plank in front— it broke!"

They were stranded in the middle of the lake with no way forward, only a way back.

The other hunters all looked at the hazy mist, their bodies trembled slightly.

"What the hell was that??"

"Ryo! What could blast the vine plank in one go??"

Ryo, the white-haired guy, sucked in the cold air.

"Giant slimes."

"What— "

"Four giant slimes. They shot corrosive liquid...cannonballs."

Woongggg.

The four slimes got closer. Their mouths opened again and the same corrosive liquid slowly formed in their mouths.

Ryo’s face instantly changed.

"Not good! Another attack!"

"Seldon! Water cannons! Or whatever!"

Ryo shouted at a blue-haired guy and the guy touched the water with a slight touch, his eyes only saw white and gray.

"I can’t see beyond the mist!"

"Damn it."

Ryo gritted his teeth and finally disabled a part of the mist, letting the blue-haired guy see beyond the mist.

But at the same time, his figure was revealed, like a beacon in the darkness, attracting the four slimes’ attention.

The moment Seldon saw the four figures beyond the mist, he almost choked.

Fck!! Those are slimes??

Hell no!

"Seldon! Quick!" Ryo urged again and Seldon hurriedly chanted, a blue light appeared around him.

"Water cannon!"

Four blobs of water from the lake floated into the air.

At the same time, the four corrosive liquid cannonballs were all aimed at Seldon.

The next second—

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

The water cannonballs and corrosive liquid cannonballs shot out at the same time.

Boom!

Eight blobs clashed in the air and the water cannonballs instantly sizzled, evaporating.

The corrosive liquid ball was broken apart, the liquid exploded and splashed all over the lake.

Sting! Sting!

The droplets fell onto the hunters, but not enough to dissolve their bodies or the plank.

The aftershock spread throughout the lake, pushing the four slimes farther away.

Sensing the change, everyone’s eyes instantly lit up.

It’s working!

"Seldon! Quick! Use all your skills!"

As a Rare potential [Water Mage Apprentice] awakener, water was Seldon’s battlefield.

"Water bullets!"

Seldon used another skill and countless water droplets floated into the air, forming bullets.

Before the four slimes could open their mouths again, water bullets rained down on them.

Psiu! Psiu! Psiu!

The four slimes’ bodies were instantly pierced through, countless holes tore open, blue essence leaked out.

Ryo subconsciously let out a breath.

"Good!"

Lucien saw his elite slimes bleeding, and his eyebrows furrowed.

He tapped his armchair and whispered a command to the slimes.

"Bite."

The plank behind the hunters instantly shook hard.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

"Ah!"

"What— "

Ryo looked back and saw countless slimes relentlessly throwing themselves onto the vine plank behind them.

Many missed the mark, but some landed on it perfectly.

A bad premonition crept in.

"Stop— "

The slimes quickly gnawed on the plank and some shot out corrosive saliva.

Sizzle.

The vine plank dissolved, the part connected to the back shore snapped into two.

Snap!

With no anchor, the remaining vine plank swayed dangerously, the hunters were stranded in the middle.

"Damn it!" Ryo yanked his hair hard, his eyes bloodshot.

It’s over.

They’re done for!

"Calm down!" Soron whispered at Ryo and raised his voice towards the back, his voice shaking.

"R-Rina! Use your chain! Throw them at the shore!"

We still can do this!

Rina, the short black-haired woman muttered, a black glow appeared around her.

"Chain Rope."

Shaaa...

Virtual chains as big as an adult’s arm appeared out of thin air and slowly materialized.

"Go!"

The two thick chains shot out towards the other end of the shore.

Clank!

The moment the chains dug deep into the shore, the other ends of the chain winded around the vine plank.

Once the chain was secure, Rina shouted,

"I’m pulling us!"

The chains rattled.

The stranded plank was slowly pulled towards the shore.

Lucien’s four eyes squirmed, a deep irritation rose in his heart.

It was as if the food on his plate suddenly grew legs and ran away.

But...

Could they really run?

Lucien snapped his fingers, black corrosive liquid slid down his skin.

Snap!

"Come forth."

Shaaaa....

A strange pressure swept throughout the lake.

"Ugh!"

The hunters’ faces turned pale, their hearts beat erratically.

W-what...

Splash! Splash!

The water splashed even more violently.

At two corners near the shore where the water was deeper than thirty meters...

Shaaa....

A golden crown and a flower crown slowly emerged from the water.

Rattle! Rattle!

The chains shook.

They bumped into something solid.

"Not good!"

Rina quickly retracted the chain and yet, the moment the chains brushed past the solid thing—

Sizzle.

A burnt mark appeared on the chains.

!

Ryo’s eyes trembled. Sweat dripped down his forehead.

Those are chains made of skills!

They couldn’t be damaged, unless...

It’s a higher-ranking monster.

The water went still for a split second before a bigger ripple appeared.

Splash.

Two blue figures slowly came out.

Five meters.

Ten meters.

Twenty...

Ryo slowly lifted his head, yet...he couldn’t see anything else—

Other than blue walls.

In front of the blue walls, the four giant slimes looked like children.

The moment the two figures fully appeared...

A strong pressure descended towards the hunters, hitting them like a hammer.

Boom!