Unlimited Power 02 - The Ranger's Domain
Chapter 20 - Almost...

At the same time, Ryan saw that he also saw his arrow touching the slime's core. He didn't know if he had caused a critical hit, but at the very least, his arrow touched the core. At that point in time, Ryan wouldn't have time to aim, so he just nocked the arrow and then fired toward the slime and threw himself to his right side again.

After dodging the second Fireball, Ryan could even see his sweat evaporating. That was bad, if he gets scratched by that attack, his flesh will melt, and the pain would make him unable to aim or even hold a bow properly. Regardless, since the boss was big, Ryan didn't even have to worry about aiming. His second arrow landed on the slime's body… However, could that thing suffer damage just like that? The other slimes could, but maybe that kind of thing didn't apply to it since the boss was different.

While Ryan was nocking the third arrow, he began to wonder if it wasn't a better idea to retreat and try again later, this time using the knowledge he obtained. He wouldn't be able to recover those iron arrowheads, so he had to use them wisely. However, Ryan threw away that idea because the world was getting destroyed by monsters. Sometimes running away was the only thing possible to do, but it wasn't something he could get used to it. If Ryan let himself getting used to that, at some point, running away would be the only option.

Ryan's arrow hit the slime just before the creature could shoot the Fireball. Even if that monster was more powerful and could attack more often, it still needed some time to prepare the attack. A full second was necessary to create that big magic projectile, and that was more than enough for Ryan to nock his arrow, shoot, and then move to evade the attack.

Congratulations! The skill Heat Resistance has leveled up.

Heat Resistance Lv 2 ➞ Lv 3

Effect: Decreases the damage caused by all fire-type attacks by one point per level even when they don't damage you directly.

You obtained 01 status point.

"Shit… maybe I should just destroy the crystal and see what happens," Ryan bit his lips.

In the end, Ryan decided not to do it because the slime didn't even try to protect the purple crystal. He didn't know why the creature was in that part of the dungeon aside from that, but his instincts told him that it wasn't a good idea to act rashly without having enough information. If anything, there was a chance that the slime could even be trying to fool humans by making them believe that destroying the crystal was a good idea.

Despite the fact he wasn't getting hit, Ryan still could feel his health decreasing. Not only that, eventually, he would reach a dead-end if he continues to move to his left side. The slime wasn't in the center of that area, after all. Still, if it decides to move to the right side, Ryan would have to move a little bit forward as well because the part of the walls that got by the Fireball was melting, and he couldn't let himself get close to magma.

Getting close to the boss was close to suicide, but maybe that wasn't a completely stupid idea. The closer he gets to the slime, the more powerful his arrows would be. The chances of him getting the core were low, but if he perhaps could hit the arrow that was touching the core…

"I guess it is worth a try…" Ryan concluded after firing his fourth arrow.

Ryan would have only one chance. Only those five arrows had enough power to pierce the slime deeply, so he couldn't afford to miss it now. So, instead of throwing himself to the side, Ryan threw himself on the ground several meters ahead and on the slime's direction when the creature shot the Fireball. Ryan managed to avoid getting hit since the attack passed above him, but he still could feel the terrible heat and the smell of his hair and clothes slightly burning.

It was all or nothing. Ryan got up and moved a few meters forward again while he was aiming. He was thirty meters away from the creature. This time he wouldn't be able to avoid the flames by getting on the floor. Even if he moves to the sides, it was certain that one of his limbs would still be engulfed by the flames.

However, Ryan wasn't thinking about any of that. All his mind and body were concentrated on the task of hitting that arrow that was touching the core. His only option was to hit the bullseye, or everything would have been in vain. Ryan felt like that second had last an eternity… while he was aiming his arrow, he could feel the Fireball growing in slow motion. For the brief faction of a second, he thought that was what happens when people were about to die. Also, for a fraction of a second, he wondered if his parents experimented that… it was terrible to experience such a moment in slow motion. Still, it wasn't something humans could control, after all.

Just before the Fireball could become large enough to get on the arrow's path, Ryan saw both his nocked arrow and the arrow hitting the slime's core aligned. They were both away from each other, but Ryan managed to see the invisible line that connected both arrows. That was the path that his arrow needed to follow, so Ryan fired the instant he felt that it would happen.

Everything happened in just a few milliseconds, but Ryan could follow his arrow with his own eyes all the way to the center of the slime's body. Even before his body could relax or his arm could finish the movement of the shot, Ryan smirked. That shot had been perfect. At least, his instincts told him that.