Slime Leveling [Litrpg, Timeloop]-Chapter 224—The Ambush

A day later.

The wind rustled through the trees.

The leaves were shaking.

Averon stood on a broken stone, his eyes scanning the horizon.

Behind him, goblins and demons were preparing the temporary shelter.

Several goblins sharpened crude spears.

A few demon beasts stood guard along the perimeter.

Others were cooking meat over a small fire.

Averon glanced at the three demons standing nearby.

The powerful demon generals who had served the last Demon King.

Their expressions were respectful as they knelt.

One of them—the tall bat demon—said calmly, "My Lord… thank you for accepting us."

Averon watched them silently.

His eyes were calm.

But his mind was working. 'Do they have any hidden motive?'

He decided to stay careful.

Rejecting them was not an option—they had followed him for an entire day since he hadn't given an answer.

And killing them? His name as Demon King would be at stake.

What Demon King would kill demons who came to serve him?

After a moment, he said, waving his hand, "Stand."

The three demons slowly rose.

The crocodile demon bowed his head. "We swear loyalty."

The panther demon added quietly, "We only seek survival for our race."

The bat demon was silent.

Averon nodded slowly. "Okay."

The goblins and the gang cheered behind him.

"Boss Slime accepted them!"

"More demons!"

"More power!"

Averon did not celebrate.

Something bothered him.

He looked at the dark forest again.

The wind carried a strange smell.

Iron.

Blood.

Killing intent.

Lily appeared beside him silently. Her eyes were sharp.

"You feel it too?" she asked.

Averon nodded. "Yes."

The forest had suddenly become too quiet.

Even the birds had stopped singing.

Lily's gaze hardened. "Something is coming."

---

Far away, a massive army was moving.

Thousands of them in a single line.

And more than such hundred lines.

Adventurers.

Guild banners fluttered through the forest.

Elite warriors marched in formation.

Mages hovered above the ground.

Swords gleamed.

A powerful aura shook the entire forest.

At the front stood a tall man with a sword resting on his waist.

His mere presence distorted the air.

The Sword King.

Behind him walked SSS-rank adventurers.

Saints.

Battle mages.

Monster hunters.

Heroes.

One of them laughed. "So the slime is hiding here?"

Another replied, "Easy mission."

A third said calmly, "Remember… whoever kills him becomes a hero."

Their eyes burned with greed.

The Sword King stopped.

His gaze turned toward the forest ahead. "The slime is there."

His aura exploded.

The ground cracked beneath his feet.

"Move." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The army surged forward.

---

Inside the forest, Averon suddenly froze.

His perception screamed.

Danger.

Massive danger.

His eyes widened.

"Everyone." His voice was calm.

Too calm.

"Prepare for battle."

He turned to the slimes and the gang. "Slimes, run."

He glanced at Mama Slime and Nobara. "Take care of them."

Elder Slime and Mama Slime ran with the weaker gang.

He sent Wolf#1 and the Goblin Lord for their protection.

The remaining goblins immediately grabbed their weapons.

Demons roared.

Lily narrowed her eyes. "They are powerful."

Averon nodded.

Then the sky exploded.

Boom!

A massive sword aura sliced through the forest.

Hundreds of trees were cut instantly.

The shockwave blasted the camp apart.

Goblins were thrown into the air.

Demons roared in rage.

And then…

They appeared.

Adventurers flooded into the clearing.

Hundreds of them.

Powerful ones.

Too powerful.

The Sword King stepped forward.

His gaze landed on Averon.

"So," his voice was cold. "You are the slime."

The goblins roared. "Protect the boss!"

"Kill the humans!"

Battle erupted instantly.

The forest turned into chaos.

Goblins charged forward, screaming.

Demons unleashed magic.

Adventurers countered with spells and blades.

Explosions filled the air.

Blood splashed across the ground.

A Hobgoblin smashed three adventurers with a hammer.

A saint pierced a demon's chest with holy light.

Mages rained fire from the sky.

The goblins began falling.

One after another.

Averon's eyes darkened. "Lily."

"I know." She stepped forward.

Her demonic force exploded.

Boom!

Black vines erupted from the earth.

They tore through dozens of adventurers instantly.

Lily moved like a storm.

Her wood spells flashed.

One elite warrior's head flew into the air.

Another was impaled through the chest.

Her power shook the battlefield. She unleashed unholy power.

"Demons are really betrayers!" the Sword King roared.

Every king focused on her.

Adventurers screamed.

"Kill the tree demon!"

"Focus fire!"

Hundreds of spells flew toward her.

Lily shattered them.

But more enemies kept arriving.

More.

A few stood in front with space itself cracking around them.

'Kings… Tier 5,' Averon's eyes widened. 'They are wasting our energy.'

He spotted that the Kings were using others as cannon fodder.

This wasn't a hunt.

It was an execution.

They had brought an army.

Then he realized something.

The generals.

His gaze snapped, searching for them.

They were gone.

His core sank. '…They leaked our location.'

Another wave of adventurers stormed into the clearing.

The goblins began dying faster.

Demons fell.

Wolf beasts were slaughtered.

The army was overwhelming them.

Averon clenched his fists as he punched through a human's head.

His crown was shining on his head.

The timer had already begun.

He could feel it ticking down.

Time… was running out.

He slaughtered humans like grass.

After a few minutes.

Lily suddenly appeared beside him.

Her armor was cracked.

Blood ran down her arm.

She had taken on four kings at once and killed them.

Yet she smiled. "Looks like… we're outnumbered."

Averon's voice was heavy. "Lily… retreat."

She shook her head. "No."

A massive sword slash suddenly descended from the sky.

The Sword King attacked.

Averon moved, but wasn't fast enough.

Lily reacted.

She stepped in front of him.

Boom!

The sword struck her body.

Her chest shattered.

Wood fragments exploded into the air.

Averon's eyes widened. "Lily!"

She collapsed to one knee.

Blood dripped onto the ground.

The Sword King frowned. "Tough."

More adventurers rushed forward.

Averon tried to move.

But Lily grabbed his arm.

"Wait."

Her voice was weak.

Yet calm.

A small glowing energy orb appeared in her hand.

A strange crystal.

Powerful.

Ancient.

She pressed it into his palm.

"Take it."

Averon stared at her.

"What is this?"

She smiled softly. "A piece of my power."

Her voice trembled. "You'll need it…"

Averon froze.

The King's Mark burned violently.

The timer was almost finished.

Lily leaned closer.

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Live… Averon."

The next second—

Her body collapsed.

The Sword King raised his sword again.

The adventurers surged forward.

The King's Mark timer reached zero.

He unleashed Seralyth's power, which surprised the kings—but it didn't last more than a few minutes.

The world went black.

Averon died.