Small slugs came out of the hole one after the other. It’s useless to keep killing them. I’ll just push through the small slugs and let out a [[Scorching Breath]] into the hole. Since there is significant difference in status, I should be fine with taking some damage even if I were to get stuck.
The question however, just how far did the large slug dig? I hope the fire can get to it, but if you get surrounded inside you will have trouble getting out of it. Since the sand that makes up the walls are thick I can’t detect any signs all too well. Should I pour in seawater?
Its ability to breed is too high. Why are you such an unreasonably large slug. At this rate the entire desert will be filled with large slugs. I wonder if they wouldn’t refrain from cannibalism due to food shortage.
While swatting around the small slugs with my tail, I reach the hole where the big slug is. Right then, [[Presence Sense]] picked up something from right below me.
This guy, he left me a horde of small slugs thinking it would be enough. This is rather disappointing. Thanks to [[Presence Sense]] I can tell it was already planning a surprise attack on me.
I jump off the ground and extend my wings to fly. Rotating myself I extend my arm downwards and fly down towards the ground. As expected, the large slug peeks through the sand.
Presence detected, entity confirmed! Orders Confirmed! Oh, looks like this was a surprise attack, which is a shame since currently I’m in perfect form!
I pierced its neck with my claw this time, and with the momentum from the fall I cut off its head.
The head of the large slug flies in the air and disperses. The rest of the body also begins to rupture and the flesh starts flying towards me. No, this isn’t just pieces of flesh. One piece after the other, they’re all small slugs! What!?
It got me. This is not the large slug. It made a pseudo-body using the small slugs with [[Mirage]]. With [[Presence Sense]] I was able to see that it was actually hidden deeper underground.
The small slugs that attacked start wrapping around my body. Wait! You’re making me really slimy! Stop it, stop it, seriously stop! I’m sorry, please forgive me! Even if there’s no physical damage I can still receive terrible mental damage! Are they trying to suck my blood? Scales, I’m counting on you, please do your job. The slug swarm is sucking my blood, it’s like I crossed into hell.
I could crush them with my nails, but I don’t want to touch them. Should I send them all flying with [[Roll]]? No, that doesn’t sound too pleasant.
Isn’t this just an elaborate form of harassment. Well, in the first place it was supposed to be something small to buy time anyway. Whether it was earning time to escape, or to land a strike on me, it has certainly gained its chance.
For now I just have to endure it. This is my chance to sniff out the guy lurking in the ground. Regardless of how slimy my body is, or if my blood is being sucked, right now I must focus.
I slightly bend my body and make my breathing rough so as to appear weaker than necessary.
The chewing slugs are tasting me a lot right now. It’s rarely possible to slurp dragon’s blood.
There was a reaction from [[Presence Sense]] under my tail. This time it’s the large slug.
Atta boy! jump in. I’ll kill you at that moment.
“Shaaaaaaaa!”
Along with the cry of the large slug, something sticks to my tail. Ugh, get off now!
I pull the clinging large slug into the air from the ground with my tail. I bring in my limbs and tackle the large slug with my body using [[Roll]].
“Jaaaaaaaa!!”
I send the large slug flying and scatter the small slugs clinging to my body. This is my chance to end it, but I can’t kill it as it is. I close my eyes and repeat my tackle with [[Roll]] against the large slug relying solely on [[Presence Sense]]. I chase the large slug and tackle it precisely so that it doesn’t fall to the ground.
It will dig another hole and run away again if I let get to the ground. Let’s do this! The large slug finally looks exhausted after the third round of juggling.
[416 experience points obtained]
[Title Skill [[Walking Egg: Lv–]] activated, 416 bonus points obtained]
Truly a C ranked monster. The experience points were plentiful.
[[[Evil Plague Dragons]]’s Lv has risen from 30 to 36]
Oh, it rose up quite a bit. Although, I rather avoid fighting with slugs from now on.
Since the maximum Lv is 75, I’ve finally arrived at the turning point. It’s time to start building up my list of good deeds. I’ll have the ball rabbit teach me recovery magic.
[Characteristic Skill [[Presence Sense]] Lv rose from 3 to 4]
Oh, it went up again? Maybe since I used it to kill the opponent this time. Well, whether it is from fighting or hunting, it is important to properly raise it.
Still, there are a lot of small slugs left but….I will have the ball rabbit take care of it. It will be done soon, I wonder how Nina is holding up.
I redirect my eyes towards the oasis. The shape begins distorting. Huh? What, what happened.
The colorful flower garden loses its color, and the clear water changes to a brown color. It is obviously shallower than how I saw it earlier. In the meantime the gorgeous paradise gradually disappears, only to leave behind a shallow brown swamp and dirty weeds competing for water. The remaining small slugs crawl in making a layer of slugs.
Hold on, what is this, what’s going on here? This is fraud, hey. Sorry, but this isn’t what I expected. Return it! Return my oasis! I got covered in the slug’s body fluid for this oasis!
[Resistance Skill [[Illusion Resistance]] Lv rose from 1 to 2]
Too late! I’ve already been deceived big time!
Come on, are you serious! That oasis was a hallucination! Hey! This is too cruel, I wouldn’t have fought if I knew that it was just some shallow swamp! That large slug, it had a grudge against me and did this!
