I might take damage from other sources than myself for once. The new double slimes bound in place, with loads of force and twice the weight they had before. It should be 23 on 100 or so, but for some reason, it seems my obsession with a glass cannon Strength build worked in my favor, because our effective numbers are more like 30 or so. There's so little I understand about this, but the boss is just sitting there, its two eyes fixated on me. Its "mouth" opens up, then shrinks and curves upward, and its eyes bow down strangely. Is that an evil grin?

A few toots and ALL 23 of the double-stacked slimes charge my way. What THE FUCK?!! There's a limit to being unreasonable! The counter is replaced by a health bar, a short one, with a number on it: 19%. We get a clear number now, no need for guessing! Also, an equivalent of like 50 green slimes is bouncing my way. Less fun, but this is clearly intended to be the final phase. The home stretch. As the King goes to attack the massed players, I run off in the opposite direction with Crush and Biiro in my arms.

"Okay, clearly our job is to kite them! If he wants to kill me so bad he's willing to waste his advantage, I'll take it! He's gonna die without ever taking a single blow from me."

These things were fast though, a jog wasn't enough to keep them away, unlike the blue tide. Biiro was at around 35% mana so that option's not available.

"Crush, can you suck one of these up?" "Pyuuu..."

That looked and sounded like a negative. Shit. I know these guys are gonna be able to knock the boss out, but I won't be able to hold them off that long. I'd have to whittle them down, one by one, slowly and methodically. Let's see if I can hit one properly.

I stopped and readied myself for a big cushioned impact. The lead slime accelerated and tried to tackle me. Unfortunately, I'm a full-sized human and it's a big mush pile. I took its hardened front with ease then punched its outstretched form as hard as I could. The feedback was soft, I made a small tear. Seems it only makes them additively powerful, which helps greatly. A kick to the same spot tore it open, making it leak everywhere, and I ran away. One down, twenty-two to go. If it didn't manage to save itself, that is.

While running, I kept an eye on it. It didn't manage to recover and after a bit, dissipated. That's good, if they keep making big thick points then everything else is that much easier to hit. I get the feeling they won't do that for long, though. Actually, the boss didn't do that at all, did it? That means it's a net disadvantage.

I get ready to face a second one, asking the two in my arms for help in the upcoming grind. In 3, 2, 1, I turned around and ran up to, then decked another jumper, this one didn't make any hard spots. I stopped it in its tracks, Biiro took a high-speed dive through a thin part leaving a hole, and Crush got under it and used a hardened spike of its own to pierce it. I stomped on a random bit then we all disengaged and ran away, again. A similar process happened with the next ten, with small sprint-rest breaks for stamina in between.

Constitution has increased by 1!

Great, more Constitution in a moment where I need it. Thanks, linear growth! This would prove useful. There were 11 of them left and the boss had 9% HP. This was going well! Too well, I feared something bad would happen again. I could see some people gathering in a strange shape, like they couldn't go any further. Were those the ones that died to the boss? Were they no longer allowed in the fighting area? This meant we wouldn't have any reinforcements. The Slime King had taken out a few, maybe 20 of them. Just how much Constitution did they have to be killed in one hit? Or rather, how much power did the King have?

I turned to face the next enemy. A "Go!" was all I needed, as Biiro and Crush attacked it first to stop any attempts to pounce. Then I swooped in, started launching a kick, almost got a spike in the leg, spun around and punched it from above at a weird angle. It rolled over to point the spike at me, ignoring the two who were harassing it with their own attacks. Clearly intending to spring up and stab me, I grabbed the hard spike and spun it around like it was hammer tossing, then let go and it luckily crashed into one of its fellow double-greens spike first, tearing a big line in it then flopping to the ground behind it.

Hopefully that would be two done at once. I sprinted away for longer than usual, then sat and rested for a bit more. This is starting to annoy me now, can this fight end? The King was at 7.8%. I'd been watching it out of the corner of my eye, it was still fighting like it was at 100%, hopping and slapping and shooting despite the numerous small openings and scorch marks on its body. I stood up and waited for the next super-minion to come to me, socked it in its too-numerous hard patches and watched as it tore itself apart because of terrible decision-making.

Punching has leveled up! Strength increased by 1! New subskill: Mighty Punch

Mighty punch: inflict 200% normal damage, prone to crit, costs 5 Stamina

Oh, a fighting technique! Yes! I've been waiting for this! This is where the "punch really hard" part truly starts! I have 42 stamina right now, let's try it out on the next one right away! Mighty Punch!

I felt it being primed in my hand, cocked like a gun. The next slime and I ran at each other, and we could feel it: neither of us would back down. It hardened its impact point and I reeled back. We met and it felt like I'd punched a hole in a wall. My fist broke clean through and my arm was inside it up to the elbow. After a few spasms, it dissipated.

Then the Slime King hit 5% HP. It let out a big, discordent wail and the slimes rushed toward it. I was wrong, the final phase was now. The King hardened its whole surface then exploded, killing everyone around it. They couldn't have made it out. A piece of shrapnel hit the ground next to me and left a trail. The HP bar was fully red, but it said 0.1%.

It was still alive.

I now knew why the minions rushed over to it. He was going to absorb them. And I, for all my efforts, couldn't see that coming. I was shocked. It only took me a few seconds to regain my senses, but it was too late, I'd never be able to reach it in time. So I sat down, and Rested. I would need all my Stamina and HP for this.

A few of the people that were closer were still alive, and painfully rose from the cloud of blue dust made by 60 players dying at once. They were in a bad state and couldn't do anything either. I watched as all seven of the remaining double-slimes merged with the King's bubbly sheet of a body. After a lot of writhing, they fused and restored the King's body, in an even smaller, weaker state. Its HP jumped back up to 5%.

Now, the real fight begins. It wastes no time finishing off most of the people around it, the last three being me, a mage that was pretty far back, and a lucky tank. It seems not to have noticed the two, however, as it turns to me, and I rise to my feet. The staredown is broken a few seconds later, as we rush at each other. Yes! I feel it! The dramatic finish is mine! We clash, Mighty Punch against full-body tackle, and both sides are thrown back. That was a hard blow, holy shit.

I matched him, though. We had the same power. Sure, I used Mighty Punch, but it came at me pretty hard, too. I kip up and sprint at it and deliver a punt, not intending to let it breathe.

"Biiro, start charging!" I say as I deliver a six-punch combo to its gelatinous frame. It retaliates by spitting a ball in my face. "Take it, damn you!"

I throw another Mighty Punch, this one from below, a long uppercut. It's lifted into the air. I press on, fully intending to hit it with everything I have, and throw another Mighty Punch, and another, and more, keeping it in the air until my Stamina reads 6. I put everything I've got into this one, as it's my last and I'll most likely collapse right after.

"HAAA!"

It hardened the spot where I hit. This time, I did not feel like I'd punched a hole in a wall. It felt like the wall put a hole in me. Still, it rose back up into the air and I took six steps backward before falling on my back. 0 Stamina.

"PII!" *angry squawk*

My dearest Crush, I could not tell you how thankful I am right now. Even hopelessly outmatched, you still fight on when I can't. It puts up a valiant effort, using everything it's learned in its short life so far. Spikes, springs, tackles, even an attempt at sucking out the King's juices once more. Crush lasted 21 seconds, then was batted away like nothing.

Biiro finished charging. While we were fighting the green slimes, he did the least possible in order to recharge his mana faster. 73% of his max mana is put into this attack, just in time. A shrill noise saws my ears in half as a dense, mighty cannon of air directly hits the King's center of mass. It is flattened backwards into the ground and I can see tears running along it. But somehow, it still lives. I have to do something. My Stamina feels like it's regenerating in slow motion, I have 10 points when I should have 50.

I'm sluggish and still dazed, but I make an effort to stand. 0.2% HP. I can do it. I make an effort to concentrate, but I feel more beat up than I really am. I have 57 HP, after all. I step forward, and raise my fist to finish it off. Mighty Fist.

In this strange state, I punch downward as hard as I can. I finished tearing it apart, but it just won't die. 0.03% HP. I raise my fist to strike again...

But a hand stops me, and a fireball finishes it off instead.

"...What? No, you killstealer!"

"That's what you get for being a PK, dipshit. I'll let you live. Go."

You have slain the Great Slime King!

You get: 1851 XP

Level up! You are now level 4!

Level up! You are now level 5! All stats increase by 1!

Level up! You are now level 6!

Level up! You are now level 7!

Level up! You are now level 8!

Level up! You are now level 9!

23x Slime Drop

4x Slime Skin

1x Great Slime King's Loot Chest (Unique)

2540 Gold

Crush gets 2170 XP

Crush is now level 2!

Crush is now level 3!

Crush is now level 4!

Crush is now level 5!

Crush is now level 6!

Crush is now level 7!

Crush is now level 8!

Crush is now level 9!

Biiro gets 695 XP

Biiro is now level 9!

Biiro is now level 10!

Biiro is now level 11!

You have been cleared of your PK status for helping the city of Dunburg in its time of need!

"Ha, dumbass... It's contribution-based."

My HP and Stamina are now full again. I dump 18 points into Strength in one go. I am mighty, and I am not the MVP.

I stand, completely ignoring the Constitution-based tank's hand, and go to grab Crush. It was hurt pretty bad, but leveling up fixed it too. I raise it up in my arms, and loudly proclaim:

"And this is the MVP!"

"What?! What kind of-- what fucking world are you from?!"

"The world where this thing gains 2170 XP from a fucking Field Boss. How much did YOU get? What about your mage friend?"

"Wuh, but... The guide said..."

"Fuck the guide and fuck you, buddy. You wanna talk some shit, talk it to Fuckboy McStiffhands back there. I'm heading into town now, because I need privacy to open my super fancy Unique Loot Box."

Biiro is ready to evolve! Please pick a race:

Storm Hawk (Variant)

Large Ballbird (Variant)

Young Great Sky Hunter (Unique)

"Which one do you want?"

The Young Great Sky Hunter lit up.

"Of course."

Biiro turned into a bright white shape, perched on my shoulder. As it shifted and warped, I felt it get heavier, its talons sharper and larger. Eventually, its shape settled, and the light began to die down. I lifted my arm, and he hopped over onto it. A beautiful bird of prey met my eye. The very same form it took when it was a Field Boss.

"It only makes sense. You're a little bird with a big dream, pal. Let's make this journey fun."