Chapter 89: Uprooting the Sub-Boss
Lydia charged at the giant plant.
Her six slime arms spread around her body, each one covered in that violet substance she had acquired after completing her adaptation.
Poison dripped from her limbs, and every time a drop touched a root, it began to blacken and writhe.
The giant plant shrieked.
A high-pitched, unpleasant sound echoed throughout the entire swamp.
Its roots sank into the mud and began wrapping themselves around the trunks of the nearby trees.
Lydia stopped.
"What is it doing?"
’Honey, look out!’
The plant ripped an entire tree from the ground, and the trunk came flying toward Lydia.
"Lydia!"
Chuck reacted immediately.
"Emily, we need to clear a path for this woman!"
Emily smiled.
"Got it!"
Her body disappeared in an explosion of electricity.
A flash appeared in front of the first tree.
Emily emerged in midair and kicked.
The trunk was sent flying to the side.
Before it could fall, another tree came from the left.
Emily disappeared again.
Another flash, another punch, and the tree split in two.
Emily landed on the mud and barely had time to raise her head before a third trunk came flying toward her.
"Another one!"
The hunter smiled.
"Perfect!"
She disappeared once again.
While Emily kept the trees occupied, Chuck began throwing his knives.
The blades pierced through the roots before they could rip out any more trees.
"You’re not getting any more ammunition!"
Chuck retrieved his knives using the wires attached to their handles.
Another root appeared, and he threw his knife.
The blade pierced through the root and pinned it against a tree trunk.
Chuck smiled.
"That’s it."
Lydia watched everything from her new perspective.
And so did Liam.
’Looks like they’re finally working as a team.’
Lydia smiled.
’I think we can trust them.’
"Thanks, guys!"
Lydia jumped, and her six arms stretched outward.
Her slime fists grew larger and began pounding against the plant’s thick stalk.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Each impact left a massive mark on the plant’s surface.
The poison seeped into the wounds.
The stalk began to burn.
The plant shrieked even louder.
Lydia didn’t stop.
"One more!"
Her six arms struck at the same time.
BOOOOOOM!
The stalk contracted, and pieces of its plant-like bark began falling away.
But then the petals opened.
A dark cloud emerged from inside.
Mosquitoes.
Thousands of them.
Lydia froze.
’Not again...’
The cloud began spreading toward Emily and Chuck.
Lydia looked at both hunters.
"Look out!"
Emily looked up.
"Don’t worry!"
The hunter covered herself in electricity.
"We already know how they work."
Chuck spun one of his knives.
"Besides, you can heal us afterward."
Emily pointed toward Lydia.
"Right?"
Lydia smiled.
"Yes."
But even so, something about it didn’t feel right.
’I don’t want to take any chances.’
Her body began to expand.
The violet gelatinous mass spread across the swamp, forming a massive wall between the plant, the mosquitoes, and her companions.
The cloud slammed into it.
The mosquitoes became trapped.
And then Liam felt something strange.
His consciousness began drifting away.
’What... is happening?’
The image he was seeing through Lydia’s eyes began to fade.
His connection was weakening.
’Lydia.’
"Yes?"
’I think [Call] is reaching its limit.’
Lydia immediately understood.
Meanwhile, Liam began regaining sensation in his own body.
His fingers moved, and his head throbbed.
’There’s only one thing left to do.’
Lydia smiled.
She already knew what her husband was going to say.
They both spoke at the same time.
"CONSUME IT."
◇◆◇
Liam opened his eyes.
Everything came rushing back at once.
The smell of the swamp, the mud, the sounds... and in front of him, a massive wall of violet slime.
His wife.
"Lydia..."
The wall began to move.
"Do it, honey!"
The enormous gelatinous mass fell.
Lydia crushed the giant plant.
The roots disappeared inside her body.
The petals became trapped.
The cloud of mosquitoes did too.
Emily and Chuck stepped back several meters.
Chuck’s eyes widened.
"Is she... consuming it?"
Emily watched as the plant writhed inside the gelatinous mass.
"Looks like it."
The plant tried to escape, but it couldn’t.
Lydia’s poison began spreading throughout its interior.
The violet mass started losing its color.
First, green spots appeared.
Then, large sections of her body returned to their original color.
Liam understood.
’She’s using up all the poison’.
The plant writhed one last time.
Lydia tightened her body.
"You won’t escape!"
The gelatinous mass compressed again.
The mosquitoes were completely trapped.
Then messages appeared in front of Liam’s eyes.
[Your Slime has consumed Level 5 Mosquito.]
[Your Slime has consumed Level 5 Mosquito.]
[Your Slime has consumed Level 5 Mosquito.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Your Slime has consumed a Mosquito Horde.]
[Your Slime has reached Level 61.]
Liam smiled.
’Level sixty-one.’
But it still wasn’t over.
Lydia took on a more compact form.
[Rabbit’s Leap]
Her body bounced.
BOING!
The impact against the ground sent her body flying upward.
Then she fell directly onto the plant.
BOOM!
The roots shot out of the mud.
Lydia had ripped the creature out by its roots.
The enormous plant disappeared inside her body.
Lydia continued consuming it until nothing remained.
[Your Slime has consumed Level 30 Queen Carnivorous Plant.]
[Your Slime has learned Mosquito Horde.]
Liam blinked.
’Mosquito Horde...’
He opened the description, and his expression slowly changed.
’Well... that’s new.’
He didn’t know exactly what it could do.
But he had a suspicion.
’I hope this doesn’t mean Lydia can vomit mosquitoes like the plant.’
He looked at his wife.
’Although... I suppose an ability is an ability.’
The gelatinous mass began fully returning to its green color.
Finally, Lydia took on her feminine form once again.
She stood in the middle of the swamp.
There was no longer a plant.
No more roots.
No more mosquitoes.
Only Lydia.
Smiling.
"We did it!"
Emily raised both arms.
"Yes!"
Chuck put his knives away.
"That was incredible!"
The three of them began celebrating.
Liam watched the scene while helping Owen to his feet.
"Wait."
The three stopped.
Liam looked deeper into the swamp.
"I think it’s too early to celebrate."
Emily frowned.
"Why?"
A deep roar echoed in the distance.
GRAAAAAAAH...
The water began to tremble.
Lydia stopped smiling.
Chuck slowly reached for his knives.
Emily covered herself in electricity once again.
Liam sighed.
"Because there’s still a true final boss."
The roar echoed again.
This time, much closer.
Lydia looked at her husband.
"Then..."
Liam hoisted Owen over his shoulder.
"Let’s finish the dungeon."