NOVEL NEXT Side Story 15
Side Story 15. Nightmare
“Gyaaah, help me!”
“Bullets aren’t working!”
“Call for backup, now!”
Mori’s camp had descended into a scene of utter chaos. The command vehicle was suddenly engulfed by a black, tar-like substance, and the liquid began spreading outward.
The viscous fluid absorbed trucks and surged toward the soldiers on guard. Faced with the ominous, tsunami-like tide, the soldiers raised their assault rifles and opened fire. Muzzle flashes lit up the darkness as gunfire echoed, countless spent shell casings littering the ground.
“Fire! Use AP rounds!”
“No good! This thing doesn’t even flinch when hit!”
“It’s a slime-type! But this monstrosity—Gyaaah!”
Yet even armor-piercing rounds, capable of felling C-rank monsters, were useless against the black liquid. The bullets sank into the thick, viscous fluid without dealing any damage.
One by one, the resisting soldiers were swallowed whole. The inky darkness swelled explosively, covering the ruined building before finally ceasing its expansion. It writhed, gathering itself together.
The coalesced black liquid formed a viscous, hill-like mass—easily 50 meters in length. Embedded within its body were the armored vehicles and trucks it had absorbed.
Extending tendril-like appendages, the liquid latched onto the ruined building and began devouring it. The reinforced concrete melted as if exposed to potent acid, dissolving into the mass.
Eventually, the building’s foundation was consumed, and it began to collapse. The structure crumbled like a raging tide, debris crashing onto the liquid below. A cloud of dust erupted like a volcano, obscuring the surroundings. Within the haze, countless tendrils writhed, even absorbing the rubble.
Having absorbed every soldier and vehicle in the inner district, the black liquid squirmed in an eerie silence.
By the time the dust settled, a pitch-black gust of wind descended along the ruined building. It landed soundlessly on the ground.
“What the hell is this? A slime?”
It was the Sakimori-san, mounted atop his Shadow Tiger. He had ridden the beast here for swift travel. Clad in shadowy attire with only his eyes visible, the Sakimori-san muttered in disbelief at the sight before him.
It was hard to believe—the black liquid was absorbing the rubble. No wonder he was stunned.
[It resembles the ones that writhed in the snow. It seems the inner district was dabbling in some unsavory research. Since it’s not in my databank, I’d say it’s a new species, Sakimori-san.]
Shizuku, the ghostly spectral, observed the scene with serious eyes before addressing me.
[The ones that writhed in the snow?]
[An S-rank monster—no, something beyond that. A monstrosity that devoured matter endlessly. It required specialized weapons to defeat. We had to incinerate it with extreme heat to annihilate it completely. I remember a fierce battle breaking out when my best friend and I both tried to say, “I don’t even know what face to make.”]
[I won’t ask which fight was fiercer.]
My mischievous partner, who always joked around at the worst times, stuck out her tongue playfully before quickly regaining her composure.
[We can’t defeat the ones from the snow. If its absorption ability is on par, our only option is to flee. Sakimori-san, let’s test it.]
[Got it.]
I decided to follow Shizuku’s suggestion. When it came to combat, my partner never fooled around—her instructions were always precise.
[Flame Arrow]
A fiery arrow materialized at my fingertips. With a flick, it shot through the air. Given my current mana reserves, even a simple flame arrow packed enough power to melt thin steel plates effortlessly. The blazing projectile struck the black liquid, scattering embers as it burned away a portion of the mass before vanishing.
The creature didn’t even seem to notice the attack, making no effort to defend itself. The arrow simply sank into its hill-like body, briefly igniting the surrounding area before fizzling out.
[No damage dealt? Or is it just too massive?]
Narrowing my eyes like a hawk, I clicked my tongue in frustration. It was like trying to burn a lake by tossing in a single flame.
[……No, its mana decreased slightly. Damage was dealt. This time, attack with a familiar.]
Her eyes gleaming with insight, Shizuku proposed a new plan. I nodded and flicked my wrist.
[Shadow Cat]
“Meow.”
Emerging from my shadow, the feline familiar lunged at the liquid at my mental command. Darting across the asphalt, it closed the distance in an instant, unsheathing its claws mid-leap.
Perhaps recognizing me as a threat after the flame arrow, the liquid halted its consumption of rubble and lashed out with a tendril toward the Shadow Cat.
The appendage, thick as a tree trunk, swung down like a whip. The Shadow Cat nimbly dodged, kicking off the ground as the tendril smashed into the concrete, sending debris flying.
“Meow, meow!”
Baring its tiny fangs, the Shadow Cat latched onto the tendril, sinking its claws deep and biting down. But its teeth couldn’t even scratch the surface. Instead, the tendril began melting, engulfing the feline.
“Mew?!”
The Shadow Cat flailed, trying to shake off the viscous liquid, but no amount of struggling could free it. The tendril swallowed the familiar whole.
[It got eaten.]
[But now we know. I sensed a slight absorption of the Shadow Cat’s mana. Despite its tendril-like appearance, its true nature is liquid. Contact alone is fatal.]
[So it’s a monster that infinitely expands its volume? Wait—Shadow Tiger, evade!]
“Meowr!”
The tendrils had apparently chosen me as their next target. Lashing out like whips, they struck with spear-like tips.
The Shadow Tiger kicked off the ground, putting distance between us with a single leap. Though the attacks were swift, the beast’s agility kept us untouched. Yet the wind pressure alone grazed my cheeks—proof of their raw power. Unfazed, the Shadow Tiger circled the liquid mass at a full sprint.
[A new species of monster. No doubt the result of forbidden techniques—artificial monster creation. For now, let’s call it Nightmare.]
Shizuku, the spectral droplet, grinned excitedly as she christened the formidable foe.
[Nightmare feels a bit too on-the-nose, don’t you think?]
Jostling atop the Shadow Tiger, I shot her a wry smile. Frustrated by its inability to land a hit, the Nightmare began sprouting more tendrils.
[Nightmares vanish when you wake up.]
[Meaning?]
[That thing can’t sustain itself indefinitely. It’s defective. Just moving drains its internal mana. When it absorbed the Shadow Cat, the mana cost exceeded what it gained.]
[Yeah, I saw it too. Even as it eats concrete and grows in size, its mana keeps decreasing.]
The “time limit” theory made sense. The longer we stalled, the weaker it’d get.
[But that doesn’t mean we can just leave it. If we wait for it to weaken and disappear, who knows what might happen.]
[Hmm… So you’re saying it might have a final move planned? Like a self-destruct or something unpredictable? Got it.]
If we dragged this out, it might pull something desperate at the last second.
[Exactly. Whoever created this had considerable skill. They’d account for that possibility. Leaving it be is too risky.]
[Then we’ll just have to take it down, partner.]
With only one option left, I grinned and focused, flooding my body with mana. Sensing the surge, the Nightmare spread countless tendrils and swung them down at me.
Like an anemone’s writhing arms, the appendages closed in.
“Meow, meow.”
The Shadow Tiger crouched slightly before leaping away, dodging the onslaught with rhythmic bounds.
BOOM.
The deafening impact sent concrete shrapnel flying like buckshot, pelting my body with stinging pain.
But the tendrils’ attacks were too crude to land on the agile Shadow Tiger. Changing tactics, they switched to horizontal sweeps.
With a tap of its paws, the Shadow Tiger vaulted into the air, landing inside the ruined building.
[Now it’s trying to surround us!]
[Roger.]
Tendrils slithered in through broken windows, giving chase. The Shadow Tiger sprinted through offices, leaping over overturned desks and chairs before darting down a hallway. Behind us, the tendrils crawled like serpents.
[They’re coming from the front too. Smarter than I thought.]
[Aren’t they supposed to be slimes? How are they this tactical?]
The tendrils had cut us off ahead, blocking the hallway entirely. Even the Shadow Tiger couldn’t slip past.
I twirled my index finger, channeling mana.
[Heat.]
Projecting pure thermal energy forward, the superheated air struck the tendrils. They bulged grotesquely before melting away, clearing a path. The Shadow Tiger shot through the gap.
[It’s weak to magic.]
[Indeed. But that means physical attacks are useless. A bad matchup for me.]
[Not saying “impossible” is so like you, Shizuku.]
Glancing back at the tendrils dissolving the building behind us, I smirked. My partner already had a plan to wake us from this nightmare.
[Flame Shield]
Raising a hand, I conjured a blazing barrier. The inferno roared as tendrils crashed into it. Though thick and fast, the sheer mass should’ve bulldozed through—unless…
[Hard Skin]
I added a playful twist, converting mana into combat energy to reinforce the flames.
An aura enveloped the fire. Normally, this defense-boosting technique worked poorly on gaseous flames—but this was no ordinary fire.
The tendrils slammed into the barrier like shaved ice melting into slush. The flames crystallized into icy shards, cushioning the impact before igniting the appendages.
[Flame shaved ice. Hope it tastes good.]
Smirking, I watched as tendril after tendril crashed into the barrier, only to melt away.
Inside the ruined building, the Shadow Tiger and I raced onward.
[Sakimori-san… I knew you were a freak, but this is something else. How did you solidify fire?!]
[Shizuku, it’s mana before it’s fire. Just like enchanting weapons, mana can harden. That’s magic, right?]
Leaning forward with a grin, I countered her protest. Magic defies physics—that’s the whole point.
[You’re the one who looks like a walking mystery to me.]
[It’s all around us if you know where to look. Now, let’s wake up from this nightmare.]
Pouting in dissatisfaction, my partner huffed as I shrugged. With that, the Sakimori-san resolved to end the Nightmare for good.