Chapter 134: Swallow It, You Son of a Bitch

’Lydia.’

[Lydia: Yes, honey?]

Liam watched the werewolf’s enormous fangs.

’Try to make the monster eat the core.’

Lydia fell completely silent.

[Lydia: What?]

’It’s the only thing I can think of.’

The werewolf roared again.

Liam kept his eyes fixed on it.

’If we can’t destroy it...’

’Maybe it can.’

The werewolf continued trying to tear the core away from Lydia’s slime body.

Its enormous claws dug into her gelatinous surface, trying to separate her from the altar.

Lydia clung to the core with all her strength.

The monster pulled, and she stretched.

Again and again.

But Lydia refused to let go of the core.

The other hunters continued attacking.

Duncan punched the werewolf from the side.

Lilly fired her violet projectiles.

Ivy tried to restrain it with her vines.

But the sub-boss seemed to have stopped paying attention to all of them.

It only wanted the core.

Liam watched the scene.

Then he felt something strange...

A slight dizziness.

His vision began to shake.

’What...?’

The image before his eyes began to blur.

It wasn’t the first time he’d experienced that sensation.

[Call] was beginning to deactivate.

’Lydia...’

[Lydia: Yes?]

’I don’t think I have much time left.’

Liam could feel his consciousness beginning to drift away from his wife’s body.

’That idea is the only thing I can think of.’

’I trust you.’

’I know we’ll find a way to destroy the core and complete this simulated dungeon.’

His vision continued to deteriorate.

[Lydia: Don’t worry, honey.]

[Lydia: We’ll do it.]

Liam smiled.

’Yeah...’

’I’m leaving it in your hands, honey...’

The image disappeared.

◇◆◇

Liam slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he felt was something soft beneath his head.

The second was a hand gently stroking his hair.

"Lydia...?"

"Don’t worry, honey."

Liam looked up.

One of Lydia’s copies was sitting on the ground, holding him on her lap.

The slime woman had a calm expression.

With one hand, she stroked Liam’s head.

With the other...

Pew!

A red beam shot from her finger.

The attack pierced one of the werewolves approaching the civilians.

The creature fell to the ground.

Lydia looked back at Liam.

"Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay."

Liam took a deep breath and sat up.

He looked around.

Chuck was throwing his knives from the rear, but his movements were much slower than before. He seemed to be throwing them almost without any enthusiasm.

"This is taking way too long..."

Pew!

Another Lydia copy fired a laser beam.

Another one created some rocks between her hands.

[Rock Throw]

BOOM!

The rock struck a werewolf.

Farther away, another Lydia created several bubbles filled with acid.

[Acid Bubbles]

The bubbles flew toward the monsters.

Sssss!

The acid began burning them.

Other copies used [Laser Shot].

Some threw rocks.

Others used acid.

Lydia’s abilities covered practically the entire battlefield.

But the werewolves kept coming, and it seemed like they would never end.

Emily was resting on one knee. Her breathing was heavy.

Even so, she raised one hand.

An electric charge coursed through her arm.

"I can still keep going!"

She shot forward.

BOOM!

A werewolf was sent flying.

But Emily landed unsteadily.

Carol wasn’t doing any better.

Her arms were completely exhausted.

The metal covering her fists was covered in marks.

"I can..."

She stopped to catch her breath.

"I can keep going a little longer."

She was clearly lying.

Jordan was still out of combat. His body had burned through all the fat he used to convert into energy. He had nothing left to burn.

"This would be a lot easier if I had some chips..."

Carl continued cutting down monsters with Chuck’s knife.

SLASH!

One fell.

Another approached.

SLASH!

Carl brought it down.

But he was so exhausted that he could barely keep his arms raised.

Liam looked at everyone.

They had reached their limit, and yet they continued fighting.

Liam stood up and grabbed his pistol.

"Sorry for abandoning you guys."

Everyone turned toward him.

Chuck was the first to smile.

"Hope you enjoyed your nap, boss."

Liam let out a small laugh.

"Get some rest."

He raised his pistol.

"I’ll handle this."

Emily immediately shook her head.

"I’m not tired enough to let you fight alone, boss."

Carol smiled.

"Me neither."

Liam looked at them.

Both of them were practically trembling from exhaustion.

’They’re definitely lying.’

Jordan raised a hand from the ground.

"Did you bring chips or something I can use to recover?"

Liam looked at him.

"No."

Jordan let his head drop.

"Then I can’t help you."

Carl sat down beside a rock.

"Looks like it’s my turn to rest."

Liam raised his pistol.

"Then get some rest."

BANG!

A bullet pierced the head of a werewolf that was about to reach a civilian.

Liam began moving forward.

◇◆◇

The sub-boss was still fighting.

Lydia had once again taken her human form.

Several tentacles extended from her back and arms, using them to keep the werewolf at bay.

Ivy was doing the same with her vines.

"Don’t let it get close!"

The plants wrapped around the creature’s legs.

Duncan held onto one of its arms.

Lilly continued firing from the air.

But everyone was exhausted.

Lydia looked at the others.

"I have a plan!"

Duncan raised an eyebrow.

"What idea?"

"Liam thinks we need to make the monster eat the core!"

Everyone fell silent.

Duncan looked at the core, then at the werewolf.

Finally, he burst out laughing.

"That’s a crazy idea."

He smiled.

"But it might actually make sense."

Ivy immediately nodded.

"Then let’s do it."

The vines tightened.

"I really want this to be over."

Lilly slowly descended.

"I’m tired too."

She wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Let’s finish this already."

Lydia took a deep breath, and her body began to change.

The core slowly emerged from inside her body.

She grabbed it with both hands.

"Now!"

She stretched one of her arms, bringing the core closer to the werewolf.

Duncan jumped onto the creature and grabbed its jaw.

"Open your mouth, you bastard!"

The werewolf growled.

Duncan used all his strength.

He managed to pry it open.

But only for an instant.

ROAR!

The creature violently broke free.

Duncan was sent flying, and the core fell.

"The core!"

Ivy reacted quickly. One of her vines shot forward and caught it before it hit the ground.

"I’ve got it!"

The werewolf charged again.

Lydia returned to her slime form, stretching her body and wrapping several tentacles around the monster’s jaw.

’I’m not letting you get away!’

The werewolf tried to shake her off.

But Lydia held on with all her strength.

Ivy kept her vines wrapped around its legs.

Duncan grabbed onto it again.

Lilly raised both hands.

"Quick!"

She looked at the others.

"Someone grab the core!"

Then...

Fwoosh.

A small cloud of smoke appeared behind Ivy.

Maxwell Masters emerged from it.

His eyes were fixed on the core.

"I’ll do it."

Ivy threw the core toward him.

Maxwell caught it with both hands and ran.

The werewolf struggled.

Lydia held its jaw open.

Maxwell reached the creature.

Its enormous snout was wide open.

Its fangs were mere inches from his face.

Maxwell didn’t hesitate. He shoved one hand inside its jaws, holding the core.

"Swallow it, you son of a bitch."

And he pushed the core deep into the sub-boss’s mouth.