My Slime Wife: Training and Pampering Her Makes Me Stronger

The Ancient Forest Giant raised one of its enormous arms and brought it down with tremendous force.

A group of hunters who had managed to climb onto its shoulders barely had time to react.

The impact shook the giant’s body.

Two of them were sent flying through the branches, while another managed to grab onto a clump of leaves growing from its head.

The giant roared, its voice making the trees tremble.

Then it brought one of its enormous hands toward its shoulder, attempting to crush the hunters who were still there.

The men jumped in different directions.

One managed to escape, but another didn’t.

The giant’s hand slammed into its own shoulder, sending him several yards through the air.

Farther below, other hunters tried attacking its legs with swords, spears, and awakened abilities.

None of them seemed to accomplish much.

The giant took a step, and the ground trembled.

It took another, and a female hunter was sent flying after being accidentally kicked, rolling several yards across the ground.

Liam watched everything from behind some bushes.

Beside him were Lydia, Emily, Chuck, Carol, Jordan, and the hunters they had rescued earlier.

They were all crouching down. None of them wanted to attract the creature’s attention.

The giant was simply too large.

And worse, it seemed to be taking out everyone who tried to attack it.

It didn’t matter whether they were lone hunters or entire groups.

Anyone who approached ended up crushed, struck, or thrown away before they could accomplish anything meaningful.

Emily looked at Liam.

"Boss, have you thought of a plan yet?"

Liam kept his eyes on the giant.

"Nothing comes to mind yet."

"That’s not very reassuring."

"Believe me, I’m not reassured either."

Chuck let out a small laugh as he chewed his gum.

"At least he’s honest."

One of the hunters they had rescued slightly raised his head.

"What if we attack it from a distance?"

Everyone looked at him.

"The ones getting taken out are the people getting close. If we keep our distance, we could attack it without giving it a chance to hit us."

Liam slowly nodded.

"That’s the first thing anyone would think of after seeing how things are going."

He looked back at the giant.

"But we don’t have enough hunters specialized in ranged attacks for that to be enough against a beast this size."

Carol nodded.

"Liam’s right. Most of us specialize in close-quarters combat."

She looked at Chuck.

"He’s practically the only one who can attack from a distance."

Chuck raised an eyebrow.

"Practically?"

"What else do we have?"

Chuck thought for a few seconds.

"Well... I have very good arms."

Liam continued watching the giant.

His eyes moved over its legs.

Then the terrain.

Then the trees surrounding the area.

Finally, his gaze returned to the boss’s legs.

"Maybe we should make it fall."

Jordan stopped eating for a moment.

"Make that thing fall?"

"Yeah."

Liam frowned.

"I don’t know how difficult it will be to destabilize it. But if we can make it lose its balance, we might have a chance."

Jordan slapped a hand against his chest.

"I can handle that."

Liam looked at him.

"Are you sure?"

"If I burn enough fat, I’ll get the strength I need to lift it. I’m sure."

Chuck stared at him in disbelief.

"That’s risky."

Jordan grinned.

"So?"

Chuck shrugged.

"If you’re that stupid, go ahead."

Jordan frowned.

Carol intervened.

"I think Jordan can do it."

Jordan smiled with satisfaction.

The young hunter who could concentrate air in his hands raised his hand.

"I can help him too."

Everyone looked at him.

"If I can push one of its legs while Jordan tries to move it, we might be able to make it lose its balance."

The female hunter in the green suit spoke up as well.

"I can use my awakening to make it slip."

Liam looked at her.

"Can you do it on that surface?"

She looked at the ground covered in dirt, leaves, and roots.

"Yes. It won’t be perfect, but if we can get it to put all its weight on one leg, it might work."

Liam smiled.

He could feel the plan beginning to take shape.

They didn’t need the strongest hunter.

They didn’t need to defeat it with a single attack.

They only needed to make use of the abilities they had available.

Liam pointed toward the giant.

"All right. Carol, Emily, I want the two of you to distract it."

Emily smiled.

"I can do that."

Carol nodded as well.

"Understood."

"Jordan, you three will try to make it fall. Wait for my signal."

Jordan clenched his fists.

"Leave it to me."

The air user nodded.

So did the female hunter in the green suit.

Chuck raised a hand.

"What about us?"

Liam looked at him.

"We have a very important role."

Chuck grinned.

"Oh, really?"

"We’re going to use the secret weapon."

Chuck’s grin grew even wider.

"I like the sound of that."

He paused.

"What secret weapon?"

Liam simply smiled.

"You don’t need to know yet."

"What do you mean I don’t need to know?"

"Trust me."

Chuck narrowed his eyes.

"That sounded dangerously mysterious."

Liam turned toward the other hunters.

"You guys climb into the trees. Hide among the branches and bushes. I want you to warn the other hunters not to approach the boss."

He pointed toward different areas of the forest.

"If you see anyone approaching, shout. We don’t need more people getting taken out before we can execute the plan."

The hunters nodded, and one after another, they began to spread out.

Liam looked back at the giant.

"Now we just have to wait for an opportunity."

◇◆◇

The ground trembled, and everyone froze.

Another tremor.

This time, it was much stronger.

Liam immediately turned around.

"What...?"

A thunderous sound echoed through the forest.

The Ancient Forest Giant raised one of its legs and brought it down with tremendous force.

BOOM!

The ground shook.

But something wasn’t right.

The giant raised its foot again and brought it down once more.

BOOM!

Liam narrowed his eyes.

It seemed to be trying to crush something.

"What is it doing?"

The giant raised its foot for a third time.

Then Liam saw it.

There was a man beneath that enormous leg.

Completely still.

He wasn’t trying to escape. He didn’t even seem worried.

He simply stood there, smiling.

He had curly hair and an oddly calm expression.

The giant’s foot descended, but the man remained motionless.

BOOM!

The ground shook again, but the man was still there.

Liam’s eyes widened slightly.

"Is he crazy?"

Then vines appeared among the bushes.

They slithered across the ground and quickly began wrapping themselves around the giant’s leg.

Liam followed them with his eyes.

The vines were coming from a woman with orange hair.

She was several yards behind him, both hands extended.

Plants grew around her, moving under her control.

The vines began winding around the boss’s leg.

The giant roared and tried to lift it.

The plants tightened.

At the same time, the curly-haired man remained beneath its foot.

Liam immediately understood what was happening.

"We’re not the only ones who had this idea."

Emily looked toward the other group.

"They’re trying to make it fall too."

Liam watched in silence.

Their plan was practically identical to his.

One hunter to destabilize it, another to control its movements, and the rest waiting for an opportunity to attack.

One of the hunters beside Liam’s eyes widened.

"That man is from the top three in the rankings."

Liam looked at the man again.

"Top three?"

The female hunter in the green suit answered:

"That man is Duncan Steel."

Duncan Steel.

The hunter who had placed third during the Trial of Strength.

And judging by the way he was standing beneath the foot of that monster...

It seemed he still hadn’t shown everything he could do.

Lydia sent him a message.

[Lydia: This is getting interesting.]

Liam smiled.

"Yeah."

He looked at the giant.

"I think we just found the opportunity we needed."