"(Leap, Charge, Cross Counter, Slash!)"

Using the newly learned "Charge," I slipped past the side of the giant bear and delivered a powerful slash.

I flew at an unprecedented speed, only stopping after crashing through a tree in front of me. The charge had been so fast that it exceeded the speed I could perceive, and the "Slash" was swung almost blindly.

I felt the hit, so there's no need to worry about that, but I won't know how much damage I dealt until I check.

"Vellu...!"

"Tch, I thought I could take an arm."

It seemed my attack had struck the giant bear's right foreleg (Foreleg = arm) And the massive black arm, as thick as a log, was cut halfway through.

That injury would likely make it useless in combat, but that's not what's important. Even with all my skills combined, I could only inflict that much damage.

"Should I retreat...? No, I can win!"

If I aim for a vital point, there's still a chance of victory! As I renewed my determination, the giant bear turned around.

Perhaps deeply affected by being injured by something it considered prey, its eyes burned with more rage than when it was challenged. It stood up on its hind legs, gazed at the sky, and roared.

"GUOOOORRR!!!"

"S-Slash!?"

A howling roar, carrying a physical weight, descended upon me. It must be the effect of some skill. Though I took no damage, I was pinned to the ground, unable to move.

"Damn!"

For a few seconds, while the giant bear roared and I was immobilized by the invisible pressure, it didn't move, possibly due to the restrictions of the roaring skill.

But in its place, it was preparing an attack, gathering mana in its uninjured left foreleg. As soon as the roar subsided and I tried to escape with "Instantaneous movement," its arm swung down. Along the path of its claws, a semi-transparent slash flew through the air.

The massive slash, several meters long, was faster than the bear's charge, and I couldn't evade it in time.

"You bastard... Block!"

I turned part of my body into a shield, trying to block the slash with a weapon skill. Normally, I could easily withstand an attack like this, but the giant bear's slash ignored my toughness. A cut was etched into the shield.

"Ouch!"

A sharp pain spread from the wound. The surrounding area started to dissolve. My cells were necrotizing.

When a slime's body takes a severe attack, the damage spreads around the wound like this. This time, about ten percent of my life was drained, and I lost about five percent of my body volume. Although the physical area of the attack wasn't large, it could still be fatal, so I needed to be careful.

"Now's not the time for this! Leap!"

The giant bear, having unleashed its claw attack, immediately started running. The injury to its front leg had slightly reduced its speed, but its natural speed was still far superior. Having blocked the claw attack, I quickly leaped back.

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" Demonic lightning, Demonic lightning!"

I also decided to unleash my unique skill, which I had been holding back to catch it off guard. To start, I shot two bolts of lightning.

"Gruuu..."

It didn't seem to faze the bear much. Its tough-looking fur appeared to be resistant to lightning as well. Since it seemed ineffective, I stopped using lightning. I needed to conserve mana for body repair.

"Suuuaaa..."

As I continued to evade, the giant bear began gathering mana again. Thinking it might be another claw attack, I shook my head. This time, the mana was concentrated in its hind legs.

"A skill to enhance a charge, perhaps...?"

Cautiously, I prepared to shift gears. Though I was trying not to get too far away to find a counterattack opportunity, if it was going to use a skill, the only option was to flee.

I carefully watched for the moment when the mana in its legs would peak.

"Grrr!"

"What!?"

As soon as it took a step forward, the mana in its legs flowed into the ground. The ground burst open. Before I had time to react, the earth surged upward. Struck by the earth's fist, I was sent crashing through the branches into the sky.

"However….there's no damage."

I felt no pain in my body, and my life hadn't decreased. Now that I think about it, the roar skill didn't cause any damage either. Why?

Maybe because it wasn't a direct attack, the toughness-penetrating ability didn't activate? If that's the case, then the claw attack earlier was the only thing it could hurt me with…well, it doesn’t matter now.

What's important is what comes next—specifically, how to deal with the giant bear preparing another claw attack on the ground.

"I could use 'Air Leap' to escape... but this is a prime opportunity. I need to decide carefully."

Despite saying that, the time for deliberation was short, so I quickly made a decision, somewhat on the fly.

The giant bear, looking up at me through the gaps in the trees, swung one of its arms. Five claw slashes, distorting the scenery, flew toward me at high speed. The speed was unimaginable, but it was the second time, so I was a bit more used to it. Carefully gauging the slashes, I activated my ability.

"Weapon Body-Block!!!"

Although "Weapon Body" is always active, I shouted it for the sake of morale. I transformed my entire body into a shield—a round shield, to be precise.

Though the round shield was flat, it was shaped somewhat like a squashed bun. Compared to swords or spears, it was closer to the slime's basic form, reducing the strain.

The slime shield fell vertically, successfully slipping through the gaps between the slashes. It also helped so that I could adjust my position with "Air Leap."

"Air Leap!"

I returned to my usual oval shape and accelerated straight down with "Air Leap." With the added effect of gravity, I rapidly closed in on the giant bear.

"Challenge!!!"

To prevent it from escaping, I incited its aggression. Its fierce red eyes locked onto me. At this point, it was all up to fate. Extending a whip to strike the rapidly approaching bear, I sharpened the tip into a blade.

"Demonic Lightning!"

I unleashed three bolts of lightning toward its glaring eyes. Since I didn't have much experience with precision aiming, it wasn't perfect, but the lightning flashes should have blinded it. As the bear tried to cover its face with one arm, I entered its range.

"Crush, Barrage, Slash!"

A blow with all sorts of skill enhancements landed directly. A deep gash was carved into its still-intact left foreleg. The damage was on par with the first hit I had inflicted.

"Damn, I couldn't finish it!"

But the attack lacked the power to kill. As I fell onto the bear's snout, I immediately tried to leap away but hesitated.

"Wait..."

"GUROOOO!"

The bear growled and shook its head, trying to throw me off. I held on with "Unyielding" and dove into its roaring mouth. Its jaws snapped shut, teeth attempting to crush me—

*clang*.

A hard sound echoed. There was no pain in my body. It seemed my gamble had paid off.

"As I thought, your skill only lets your claws penetrate toughness."

I had no proof. After I was thrown into the air and took no damage, I started to think.

Maybe this thing can only use the toughness-penetrating skill with its claws. It seemed my guess was correct, as the bear's teeth couldn't leave a single scratch on me.

"And now I just need to..."

I then extended my body toward the back of its throat, blocking its airway. I could hear the muffled cries of the bear, but it had no way to fight back.

At most, it could attack the part of my body sticking out of its mouth, but with its battered arm, it couldn't do much damage.

"Dissolving Liquid, Demonic lightning, lightning!!"

And for good measure, I unleashed another attack. Since it was from the inside, it should be somewhat effective. Its struggles grew fainter and fainter.

Even with a high HP and good toughness enhancing its cardiopulmonary functions, it would eventually die if it couldn't breathe.

I clung to its face for one, two, maybe more minutes. As I frantically used dissolving liquid and lightning, the giant bear collapsed, and several tens of seconds later, my level shot up.