"Are we really going to let them go back without an escort?" Guilliman asked as he walked beside the rest of the group.
These guys were new—incredibly new. In fact, none of the original batch he met were still here. They had either been wiped out or had given up, just like these guys might.
"Hm? There's an outpost over there, right? They can stay there if they're too chicken to go back themselves," Jemie replied carefreely, as if it had nothing to do with them.
Being a Slayer was hazardous work. These recruits needed to learn that, at the very least.
"Ai," Guilliman shook his head, glancing back. They were being abandoned to face what they feared the most, and he knew all too well how that felt.
"Eyes on the prize. I'll let you get a kill this time, don't worry." Victoria walked confidently and smiled back at Guilliman, though her smile felt somewhat forced.
That smile, however, had changed a lot since they first met. She was adjusting quite nicely in this aspect.
"Hey, that's not fair! I was here first. You can't let him surpass me!" Jemie complained in a whiny tone.
In reality, there was no way Guilliman could surpass Jemie right now. Jemie had entered level 3 during the past few weeks. However, Guilliman was a monstrosity.
Even though he was an entire level below, Guilliman was far more effective in battles, earning Victoria's favor. The gap in level between the two was one of the only things keeping them competitive.
If Guilliman reached level 3… it would be disastrous for Jemie's ego.
"Ehnn, I don't know about that," Victoria spoke casually. She didn't understand this so-called "status quo" Jemie was trying to maintain. To her, there were only the strong and the weak. The thin line separating them was called—
—opportunity.
And Guilliman had earned his opportunity over the past few weeks. It was time for him to truly improve.
Several minutes later, they re-entered the Tortie communal zone and began scouting for mutant beasts. The group had improved overall, now boasting three level 3 Slayers.
This included Victoria, Barthold, and even Jemie.
The only two who hadn't reached this stage were Guilliman and the old man Hamdel, which was especially embarrassing since Hamdel was a support-type Slayer.
Of course, Guilliman didn't complain. Being a Slayer was far harder than he had anticipated. Every battle was a near-death experience, but it was also a learning opportunity. The others knew so much more than he did, and at times, it left him feeling embarrassed.
Without them, he surely would've met a fate similar to the one with the black blade rabbit.
"Got one." From atop a tree, Victoria swung down with a golden rope and pointed toward a spot between two massive bushes. A green shell was visible between them.
It appeared to be sleeping.
"You might just be the luckiest man alive," Victoria smirked at Guilliman.
Catching a mutant unaware was extremely hard and required luck more than anything. Guilliman deserved this luck though,
This kid was nothing if not competent. From the first day he stepped into the forest, he had seamlessly integrated into the team. Even as a level 2 Slayer, he managed to keep up with the others.
"We'll sneak up on it and see if we can heavily injure it." Normally, the Tortie would be in its most secure state while in its shell.
But they had a secret weapon capable of disorienting and significantly damaging it. What followed would be a bullying session—until it fell over and died.
That was how strong and efficient they had become. Bullying a mutant soldier—crazy!
The team separated and moved toward the sleeping Tortie, their steps as silent as ghosts gliding through the forest.
"She's become so much more terrifying," Jemie commented, watching Victoria move with ease. Remembering the weak and timid young lady who hadn't even lifted a blade before becoming a Slayer, he couldn't help but sigh.
"It's expected," he said with a faint smile.
It was the same with every Slayer in their family. They might live their entire lives without a single battle, but the moment they picked up a blade… they became monsters.
They were truly blessed.
From the distance, a beam of lightening flashed through the forest and struck the giant shell.
Silence followed, then a horrible scream erupted, shaking the surrounding area.
The Tortie rose from its shell, its head wobbling as if disoriented. Before it could regain its footing—
A gigantic figure appeared out of nowhere and smashed its head with a shield, sending it reeling.
Barthold.
His strength had improved exponentially. Tackling a massive mutant creature like this Tortie proved where his innate power lay.
But even this wasn't enough to kill a mutant Tortie.
"It's now or never, kid!" Jemie, standing a few meters away, raised his voice.
All of a sudden, an individual leapt from a towering tree, blades drawn. Killing a mutant beast wasn't easy. It required weapons of equal strength or an overwhelming force capable of piercing the beast's tough skin.
Guilliman had climbed high into a massive tree. With the help of his rabbit braces, he leapt into the air and came crashing down with all his might.
He aimed to kill it in one strike.
As he fell, the wind whistled around him. His blade descended with tremendous force, as he barreled towards in ground in quick succession, his blade was aiming for the Tortie's exposed neck.
—Qingggg!
The sound of steel meeting resistance echoed. Instead of the clean kill he hoped for, Guilliman felt his body go light as he was thrown backward.
Though his attack left a gaping wound on the Tortie's neck, sending waves of unbearable pain through it, it wasn't enough to kill it.
Struggling to its feet, the Tortie glanced around at the humans. But Instead of lashing out, it turned in a random direction and ran.
"Shit! Don't let it get away!" Victoria cursed, alerting everyone to give chase.