Chapter 49—Aqua Crocodile
Thud!—Thud!The gang rushed toward the Ruins City Lunxia under Elder Slime’s guidance.
Little Slime sat on a random cow running in front, just behind Bull#1 and Cow#1, on which Young Slime and Old Slime sat respectively, while Mama Slime was at the end on another random cow, keeping watch on the slimes as they followed.
Due to Slime#47’s Demon Colonel title, the slimes listened to his commands, but just in case, she still kept an eye on them.
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"There’s the Arica lotus pond two kilometers ahead. We can collect water from it," Old Slime said, pointing to the right side of the road.
"Very well... we should also eat," Slime#47 said, glancing at Bull#1, who was holding back his hunger, but his stomach failed to do so as—Grrr!sounds echoed.
"Good. At this pace, we’ll be there in about an hour," Elder Slime said, glancing at the gang moving at their steady pace.
They weren’t running—just keeping a steady walk, which they could maintain all day.
If they ran, they would be tired in just half an hour.
Running and resting, repeating that would cover less distance than walking all day with short rests.
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"There... we reached," Little Slime yelled, excitement brimming in his body as he pointed at the ten‑meter‑long pond in front.
The water body was a little away from the concrete road, around twenty‑five to thirty meters. The water was crystal clear, with fish drifting lazily inside.
Trees grew all over the place, surrounding the pond.
’A good place,’ Slime#47 mused, with a grin, feeling the beauty of nature.
Wob!—Wob!Little Slime wobbled over to the pond and—Whoosh!—jumped into it.
Wob!—Old Slime and Young Slime dropped to the ground.
Thud!—Thud! Everyone stopped as they reached the place.
"Everyone, line up... drink in turns," Young Slime ordered the slimes to proceed in a way so they wouldn’t suffocate each other or try to fill the pond. Mama Slime took charge to make sure they lined up properly.
"And Bull#1, Cow#1, lead your kin to have food," he continued, glancing at them.
"Yes, my lord," they nodded, proceeding toward their kin.
The trees were all over the place, with soft leaves that were perfect food for them—and for slimes? They could eat almost anything.
Suddenly—"Ahhh!" A scream echoed as Little Slime jumped from the pond and Wob!—landed on the ground.
"Growl!" A crocodile burst out of the pond, roaring, "How dare you enter my territory?" A rough adult man’s voice echoed.
The crocodile was mostly blue. His body size was almost as same as regular crocodiles, but his claws were different—bulky and huge. And he’d stood on his two muscular legs.
’Way different from a regular crocodile... huh,’ Young Slime mused, so he used his skill quickly, "Appraisal."
[ Ding! Opening status! ]
[ —Status—
—Name: N/A
—Race: Aqua Crocodile ★ {Uncommon}
—Class: RazorClaw Warrior {Uncommon}
—Titles: Arica Pond Ruler
—Level: 52
—Tier: 2 ]
’Damn... a water-type... and nameless on top of that.’ He clicked his tongue. He was a fire slime, and his most powerful skill, FireBody, was weak to water attacks.
He glanced around. Everyone was nervous and trembling... none of them moved; they just looked at him with hope. Mama Slime was concerned about him, while Elder Slime didn’t care, just glared at the crocodile lazily.
Luckily, the slimes had just finished lining up and hadn’t entered the pond... they were only two meters away from it.
’It will target Little Slime... and next the other slimes...’ he mused, feeling anxious as he was almost ten meters away from them.
Little Slime would be dead by the time he rushed over.
"We just want to drink water... that’s all," Elder Slime said, Wob!—bouncing to get his attention.
"Water... very well... you, red slime... You are the strongest. Fight me. If you win, the water is yours. If not, everyone dies," the crocodile declared, battle intent burning in his eyes as he locked gazes with Young Slime.
"Okay..." Slime#47 agreed.
"Dodge his water attacks," Old Slime advised seriously.
Young Slime nodded while bouncing toward the crocodile.
Little Slime ran away in fear. "Boss Slime, Boss Slime, defeat him!" he cheered.
Wob! The slimes moved away, and so did all the cattle.
"Should we run away?" Cow#1 asked, trembling. She was with her Bull#1, a little distance from the crocodile.
She estimated that she and her kin could run away once the two engaged in combat.
"No... we cannot..." Bull#1 said as he waited for the battle to begin.
"Why?" Cow#1 requested an answer.
"Because... only he can protect us. Didn’t you see the other demons on the way?" he said, making Cow#1 remember the powerful demons they came across on the way.
They all glanced at her gang with evil intent, but let them go when they noticed the red slime.
Each of them had made her tremble; she had wanted to go back to her farm.
Even if she was in a cage, at least she could live with proper food and shelter from the weather.
She then remembered she would be dead if she hadn’t followed the slime#47.
"Go... defeat him, my lord..." she muttered, still not confident in her lord.
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Slime#47 and the blue crocodile glanced at each other. The area about twenty meters around them was cleared as no one dared enter it.
They moved away from the pond—the crocodile didn’t want the battle dust touching his pond water.
"Haste, Iron Body," Young Slime poured mana into his boosts and activated his skills first.
"Haste, Iron Body," the crocodile followed as well.
Their bodies were surrounded by the crimson aura, which rose up.
"Acid Fist," Young Slime used his skill, his tiny fist glowing grey.
"Iron Claw," the crocodile activated his skill; his claws glowed silver.
Whoosh!—
They rushed toward each other as the slime’s fist and crocodile’s claw smashed together.
Bang!
Shockwaves spread across the area as they slid back from the impact.
"Hhaaah. Good," the crocodile laughed in joy. "More!"
He poured more aura into his claw.
’A battle...freak,’ Slime#47 mused, as he didn’t back down and did the same.
Boom!Thud!
Claw met Acid Fist.
Bang!
Bam!
They started to speed up their attacks, meeting blow for blow.
Whoosh!—Whoosh!—
Each impact created a gust of wind.
"Whoo!" Little Slime yelled, stars in his eyes, as Slime#47 and the crocodile seemed to fill the entire area with thousands of copies.
They clashed hundreds of times within a few minutes, leaving many afterimages.
"Ahh," slimes started to lose balance and got flung into the air by shockwaves.
End of the Chapter.