Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 258: 201
The leader of the dragonfolk warriors warned Tauro to flee into the rest room.
While keeping a wary eye on the Slime Emperor, the leader caught sight of the number written on the earthen wall.
“Two… zero-one… The 201st floor!”
He shuddered. The 201st floor was the deepest point the dragonfolk conquest force had reached, and no one had returned there for several decades.
The warriors immediately sprang into action. Some cast enhancement magic on their companions, shield-bearers moved forward, mages began chanting, an appraiser examined the monster, and the spear-wielders prepared to follow the magical attacks with direct strikes.
The leader also charged, determined to buy Tauro enough time to escape.
Ordinary Slime Emperors possessed strong resistance to magic but were vulnerable to physical attacks. Their exceptional agility, however, made landing such attacks extremely difficult.
“Leader! Something’s wrong! This is no ordinary Slime Emperor. A normal one shouldn’t possess appraisal obstruction. It must be a variant!”
The warrior using [Monster Appraisal] shouted the warning, but the leader was already in motion. Wind magic struck first, and the leader followed immediately with a powerful sword blow. Another warrior thrust his spear at the same moment.
Both attacks landed with dull, heavy impacts.
“It’s resistant to physical attacks too!”
The two attackers and the warriors watching them were stunned. As the appraiser had warned, the creature differed completely from the Slime Emperors described in the conquest force’s records.
Tauro realized that the warriors couldn’t retreat while they were trying to protect him. If he remained there, they might all be wiped out. He therefore ran for the rest room as the leader had ordered.
The Slime Emperor variant seemed to understand his intention. With astonishing speed, it slipped through the warriors and positioned itself between Tauro and the rest room.
“That was fast!”
Tauro stopped short.
Its movement had been far too deliberate to be instinctive. The creature had understood their conversation and blocked his escape route.
“Tauro-dono!”
The leader cried out in alarm. The person they were supposed to protect was now the closest one to the enemy.
The slime’s body rippled, and one portion sharpened into the shape of a spear.
“A Slime Emperor shouldn’t be able to change its shape! Tauro-dono, be careful. It’s about to attack!”
The leader raced toward him as the slime launched its spear-like appendage.
It pierced the place where Tauro had been standing.
Tauro used [Spatial Transfer] to appear beside the slime, then transferred once more to the space between it and the rest room. He crossed the boundary of the safe area just before the creature could strike again.
“Good!”
The dragonfolk warriors cheered and clenched their fists in relief.
The slime continued attacking Tauro through the boundary, but an invisible barrier repelled every spear-like thrust.
From inside the rest room, Tauro drank a magic-restoration potion and rose to his feet.
“I’m going to try to tame it!” he called to the leader.
“Your chance of taming an ordinary slime may be almost ninety-nine percent, but this is an unconfirmed Slime Emperor variant. Your chance may be less than one percent. Unless you’re extraordinarily lucky, it’ll fail! And you can’t use the taming ability without leaving the safe area. Please don’t take that risk!”
The leader pleaded with him. If Tauro died, the dragonfolk’s long-held dream of conquering the dungeon would once again slip out of reach.
Tauro, however, couldn’t ignore the danger facing the warriors. If he did nothing, they might be annihilated.
The slime stopped attacking and watched him, as though it understood what he intended to do.
“I’m going.”
“Understood. Everyone, draw its attention!”
Realizing that Tauro wouldn’t change his mind, the leader and the other warriors attacked together.
At that instant, Tauro leapt beyond the rest room’s boundary.
“Tame!”
The slime didn’t so much as tremble. Ignoring the warriors’ attacks, it lunged at Tauro and aimed a sharpened appendage between his eyebrows.
Tauro evaded it with [Spatial Transfer], appeared beside the creature, and tried again.
“Tame!”
The slime immediately attacked once more. Tauro transferred away and repeated the attempt, but the creature began predicting where he would appear.
It moved to his destination before he fully materialized and thrust toward his forehead.
“Tame!”
Tauro spoke the command at the same moment the slime’s attack struck him.
Blood ran down from between his eyebrows.
“Did it… work?”
The sharpened tip had pierced only shallowly before stopping. In response to the leader’s anxious call, the slime slowly withdrew the appendage into its body.
“I’m all right. Whew… That was close, but the taming succeeded.”
“You truly succeeded at the very last moment…”
The leader sounded both astonished and exasperated.
“I do have [Good Luck], so the odds may have been a little better for me. It certainly didn’t succeed on the first attempt, though. That was every bit as dangerous as it looked.”
Tauro gave an embarrassed laugh as he reflected on his reckless gamble.
“You were far too reckless. Now that it’s your familiar, you should give it a name. That will make it easier for you to communicate.”
“I see. From today onward, you’re my familiar. Since you’re a Slime Emperor… your name will be Pella.”
The slime seemed pleased. It quivered and bounced repeatedly on the spot.