Published: August 25, 2025
Today, four chapters are posted simultaneously.
This is the fourth chapter.
“Ugh!?”
Should I call it an improvised manual pile bunker...? Mr. Glen’s strike not only drove the nail of the metal slime deep into its head but also violently shook the leader rhino’s body, tearing apart the vines restraining it in one go.
The death throes were drowned out by the roaring sound, barely reaching my ears. After a final twitch, the leader rhino, having lost all strength and support, sank halfway into the swamp.
Just before falling, I managed to teleport and land on solid ground... but I felt a sharp pain resonate from my arm that was holding the nail. It wasn’t a direct hammer blow, but even with defense by ki, the impact seemed to have cracked my bone. Mr. Glen’s power is truly terrifying.
“Did it break? I thought I let go just in time.”
“I was holding it until the tip sank into the skull. Well, it’s nothing serious — healing magic can fix this easily.”
“You can heal yourself, huh? Maybe it’s because I’ve been seeing so many undead lately, but you’re starting to look like a zombie to me.”
“I understand what you mean.”
“I’m giving you a compliment, by the way.”
Though I felt somewhat unsettled, the result was as planned. The metal slimes hammered in seemed well protected by hardening and physical resistance magic, and were confirmed safe. Since there were no signs of other magical beasts nearby, the operation was a success.
However... how would I have dealt with this leader rhino alone? Attacking its eyeballs or mouth with a bloody slime-filled spear would probably take it down, but other attacks wouldn’t be effective.
Mr. Glen had said he felt its durability was close to an s-rank magical beast, and this time the beast was probably strengthened as well. I’d better train a bit more and increase my own attack power for emergencies.
“Oh?”
“Ah, you guys.”
I noticed that the mother rhino had finished regenerating her injuries. Accompanied by her young rhinos, she was approaching us. I didn’t sense hostility, but I wondered if she had come to confirm the leader had been killed. Instead, the mother raised her front legs, stood on her healed hind legs, and raised her forelegs in a banzai pose. The young rhinos followed suit.
“What are they doing?”
“This is definitely the subordination pose of the cannonball rhino.”
When I gathered information beforehand, I thought it was a display to make themselves look bigger to intimidate. So I’m pretty sure I’m not mistaken... but originally, this pose was done by the loser of clashes between cannonball rhinos...
“Could it be because we defeated this big one? Did Korumi tell them about it?”
I asked, but of course they couldn’t understand my words, and the young rhino’s legs started trembling. Even though they’re called young, they must weigh quite a bit, so supporting their body on two legs is probably tough.
“Put your doubts aside and just make the contract.”
“Yeah, we can’t communicate without it.”
Since the parent is undead, considering the future, I used the beast taming contract magic on the young rhinos. This time, the contract succeeded easily again.
“So you’ll be my familiar, right?”
“Kyuu.”
“Then, for now, I think we should return to the village mansion. I want to report the results to Korumi.”
Steeling my heart, I asked if they would come along, and the young rhino gave another affirmative sound. The mother rhino also followed obediently. There was a complex emotion I couldn’t fully express, so maybe they already understood what was about to happen.
“Hey, Ryoma. If we don’t collect this guy before going back, it’ll get eaten up. How should we divide it?”
“Well... I think Mr. Glen can have this cannonball rhino. Just let me collect the slimes we hammered in.”
“I was the one to finish it off, but you were the one who created the opening for the hammer, right?”
“Probably, but this thing isn’t something you can split. I don’t think normal blades would even pierce it.”