My Slime Wife: Training and Pampering Her Makes Me Stronger

[Danger]

The message remained in front of Liam’s eyes.

It didn’t disappear.

It didn’t change.

It simply stayed there, like a warning the system refused to withdraw.

Liam watched the hunters as they approached the altar.

The core was glowing in front of them, and all they had to do was destroy it.

After that, the third trial would be over.

But something wasn’t right.

’Lydia.’

[Lydia: Yes, honey?]

’It looks like something is about to happen.’

Liam kept his eyes fixed on the werewolf’s body.

’The danger signal is still active.’

Lydia remained still, watching.

[Lydia: What do we do?]

Liam was about to answer...

But then...

The werewolf’s body disappeared.

’What...?’

Liam stared at the spot where it had fallen.

There was nothing there anymore.

No body.

No blood.

Not even a trace of the wound Maxwell had inflicted.

A chill ran down Liam’s spine.

’Lydia, stay alert.’

[Lydia: For what?]

’The other hunters.’

’If something happens, protect them.’

The small slime nodded, and her body began to move.

Boing.

Boing.

Boing.

Taking small hops, Lydia approached the rest of the group.

Duncan was standing directly in front of the altar.

He reached out his hand.

His fingers were just about to touch the core.

Then...

"DUNCAN!"

Archie jumped in front of him.

A massive fist slammed directly into his body.

BAM!

Archie was sent flying, his body crashing into one of the rocky walls before falling to the ground.

"Kid!"

Ivy shouted.

Duncan spun around quickly.

And there it was.

The werewolf had returned.

But this time, it was far more terrifying.

Its entire body was covered in bloody markings.

Its red eyes glowed intensely.

The wounds that had covered its body were gone.

Even the sections of its bone armor that Duncan had destroyed had grown back.

And its claws...

They had returned as well.

The same claws Ruby had devoured.

"It can’t be..."

The werewolf slowly raised its head.

It growled.

Grrrrrrrr...

Ivy reacted first.

"Get it!"

Vines erupted from the ground.

Several of them shot directly toward the monster.

But the werewolf moved.

It dodged them with incredibly fast movements.

"It’s faster than before!"

Ivy exclaimed.

Duncan stepped in front of the altar.

"Everyone, combat positions!"

The hunters spread out.

Lilly began to rise into the air.

Ruby slightly opened her mouth.

Adam watched the monster.

Maxwell tightened his grip on his knife.

And Archie...

"Hahaha..."

Everyone turned toward him.

The young man was still lying in a corner, but he was laughing.

"Finally..."

Archie slowly got back to his feet.

"I’m finally getting attacked."

Duncan stared at him in disbelief.

"Kid... Are you okay?"

Archie dusted himself off.

"Perfectly fine."

Then he raised his fist, revealing an intense energy beginning to cover it.

Liam immediately recognized that energy.

’So this is Archie’s power.’

The young man looked toward the older man.

"Adam."

The older man smiled.

"Want me to do you a favor?"

"Exactly."

Adam raised one hand and pointed his palm toward Archie.

Then he made a quick motion toward the werewolf.

Archie disappeared.

Liam could barely follow him with his eyes.

And then he appeared behind the werewolf.

"Take this!"

BOOOOOOM!

His energy-covered fist slammed into the sub-boss’s back.

The bone armor shattered, sending several fragments flying.

Archie grinned.

"It worked!"

But the werewolf didn’t even move.

It hadn’t been pushed back, nor had it growled.

It didn’t even seem to have felt the blow.

Archie’s smile disappeared.

"Oh..."

The werewolf slowly turned its head, its eyes meeting Archie’s.

"...shit."

The creature turned its entire body, raising one claw.

Archie had no time to react.

But before the claw could reach his face...

A green gelatinous mass appeared between them.

Lydia caught the werewolf’s arm.

Her body spread around the limb like a massive mass of slime.

The claw was completely covered.

Archie’s eyes widened.

"Huh?"

Duncan was surprised as well.

"Lydia?"

Ivy blinked.

"How did she get here?"

The slime writhed around the monster’s arm.

The werewolf growled and tried to pull its arm away.

But it couldn’t.

It yanked with all its strength, stretching Lydia’s body, but she didn’t let go.

"Grrrrr!"

The creature slammed its own arm against a rock.

Lydia was crushed against the stone, but she didn’t separate from it.

The werewolf struck again, this time against the ground.

The slime deformed, but remained attached.

"What is that green thing?!"

Lilly asked from the air.

Duncan raised his fist.

"She’s part of our group!"

Lilly looked confused.

"Part of your group?"

"I don’t know how she got here, but I’m glad she did!"

Ivy stared at the werewolf, and her expression changed.

"It looks like it entered its second phase!"

Duncan gritted his teeth.

Ivy pointed at the monster.

"Be careful! That’s how it looked when it defeated the rest of the hunters who were with us!"

Liam heard that through Lydia’s consciousness.

’Second phase.’

’Then the danger signal appeared because the sub-boss activated it again.’

Liam looked at the enormous monster.

’Lydia.’

[Lydia: Yes, honey?]

’Try to consume it.’

[Lydia: That’s what I’m trying to do.]

[Lydia: But I can’t.]

Liam frowned.

’You can’t?’

[Lydia: I don’t know why.]

[Lydia: My body can’t absorb it.]

Liam watched as Lydia stretched even farther around the werewolf’s arm.

She was trying to envelop it.

But something was preventing her body from penetrating its flesh.

’What the hell is this monster?’

The hunters took advantage of the opportunity.

"Now!"

Duncan shouted.

Lilly fired a violet blast that struck the werewolf in the chest.

Ivy summoned more vines.

Ruby charged toward it with her mouth open, trying to devour anything she could.

Archie charged his fist with the energy he had left.

Maxwell disappeared into a small cloud of smoke.

They all attacked at the same time.

But the werewolf didn’t seem interested in them. It didn’t even try to dodge.

Its eyes were fixed on a single thing.

Lydia.

The monster slowly raised the arm it had trapped.

"Lydia!"

Duncan shouted.

The werewolf completely ignored the attacks.

Lilly fired another blast, but they didn’t seem to hurt it.

Ruby bit into the monster’s tail and tore it off, but it didn’t seem to care.

Ivy restrained it with her vines, but she couldn’t move it.

Archie struck its ribs.

But nothing seemed to matter.

The werewolf slowly brought its arm toward its face.

Lydia was still clinging to it.

’Honey...!’

[Lydia: I can’t let go!]

Liam felt his consciousness tense.

The monster opened its mouth wider and wider.

A massive jaw appeared before them.

Rows of fangs filled the inside of its mouth.

Liam watched through Lydia’s eyes.

And he understood exactly what it intended to do.

’It’s going to eat us.’