Chapter 260: The Protection of the Garbage Processing Plant

That should do for now, but be sure to get checked at a hospital later. [Ryouma]

Ahh, thank you. You saved me [Townsman 1]

Boss, were done here too. Fortunately, no one was heavily injured. [Yurdum]

After Ryouma and Yurdum suppressed the adventurers attacking the townsmen, they lit up the place with light magic and then performed first aid on the people there.

Thank you for your help. I didnt watch closely, but you were fairly skilled. [Ryouma]

I did once aspire to become a knight, so a simple first aid is right up my alley. [Yurdum]

While they were talking like that, the neighs of horses reached them from a distance.

Are they here? [Yurdum]

Looks like it. About three carriages, it seems. [Ryouma]

Ryouma could see the light of three carriages approaching them from a distance.

When the three carriages were close enough to be seen, the coachman at the lead called out.

Were from the guards! Is everyone alright!? [Guard 1]

Were all alright somehow! [Townsman 1]

Come quickly! [Townsman 2]

When the coachman called out, a look of relief surfaced on the face of the people. They guided the carriage, and when the carriage reached its destination, the people on it immediately mobilized to deal with the situation.

We were informed that there were a group of rioters here. Would that pile of bodies happen to be those rioters? [Guard 1]

Yes! Those two dealt with them! [Townsman 1]

I see. Well be taking custody of them then. Those among you that need treatment, please get on the next carriages. You must be Ryouma-kun. [Guard 1]

Yes, Ryouma Takebayas.h.i.+. [Ryouma]

I have a message for you from the headquarters of the security company. Less and less fires are cropping up, but there are many injured. The hospital needs help. [Guard 1]

Ive received the message. Ill head to the hospital immediately. Ill leave everything here to you. [Ryouma]

Like that, Ryouma and Yurdum headed for the hospital connected to the headquarters of the security company.

Meanwhile, a covered wagon and five men entered the Garbage Processing Plant.

They took out jar after jar of oil from the wagon, and poured them over the gridded garbage input port on the floor and the unprocessed trash piled up beside that.

That should be everything. [Man 1]

All thats left is to start the fire. Get away from the grid. [Man 2]

As one of the men said that, they all distanced themselves from the garbage input ports, and then cast a fire spell. As a small ball of fire appeared on the palm of the mans hand, the scattered piles of garbage and those that have already been inserted into the grid caught flame.

Lets get out of hereHuh? [Man 1]

When the men saw that the flame had spread, they immediately fled, but the flames suddenly blew high up into the air, causing them to stop.

Why is the fire so strong? [Man 2]

I-It shouldnt be this strong even with all that oil. [Man 3]

Maybe there was something that burned easily inside the holes. Or maybe the slime inside is burning. Some plant-type monsters store oil inside their bodies, right? [Man 4]

Okay, but either way, it doesnt matter. Weve done our job. So we need to get away from here quickly. People are sure to come, and it wouldnt be funny if we got caught up ourselves in the fire we started [Man 5]

One of the men was hurrying his friends to get away from this place, but he suddenly stopped midway. For just as he was about to get on the carriage, he suddenly saw from the corner of his eyes a transparent tentacle squirming.

It was thick like a log, and when it reached high enough to reach the ceiling, it bent its body like a snake would when raising its head, and in the next moment, sc.r.a.ped away at the burning garbage as though it was licking the fire, taking all of the burning garbage into it.

Get away from the carriage!! [Man 5]

Uu!? [Man 1]

Guoh!? [Man 2]

The tentacle continued along its way to attack the men. The men narrowly managed to avoid a direct hit, but debris of various sizes spilling from the giant tentacles struck their bodies, while the weight of the giant tentacle crushed the hood and frame of the carriage, causing cracks to spread everywhere.

Hihiiiiiinnn!? [Horse 1 and Horse 2]

Ah! Calm down! [Man 3]

The sound and impact from that caused the two horses connected to the carriage to panic. They didnt so much as flinch in the face of all that flame, but suddenly, they were in complete panic, causing the shafts of the damaged carriage to break, allowing them to run out through the door. One of the men tried to grab the reins of one of the horses.

Huh A-AHHHH!

But a different tentacle suddenly wrapped itself around his legs, and slowly dragged him into the burning garbage input ports.

Let go! Let go of me! d.a.m.n it! [Man 3]

The man took out his knife and desperately tried to cut the tentacle, but his knife just kept slipping. Not only could he not cut it, he couldnt even make a needle-sized hole.

Why!? Why wont it cut!? [Man 3]

Before long, he was right at the garbage input port.

His feet was the first to be scorched before the fire rapidly spread from his shoes to his clothes, and then his whole body.

UWAaAaAah! Its hot! Save me! [Man 3]

The man squirmed as he cried out for help.

We dont have time for you! Just go and die on your own! [Man 4]

But the remaining four abandoned him just like that.

In the first place, they were just a group of men that happened to receive the same orders.

They werent friends, they had no bonds, they were just here to save themselves.

How many of these giant slimes are there? Theyre coming out from the other holes too. Were completely surrounded! Isnt there any where we can get out!? [Man 5]

Heres no good either! If blades wont work, then how about burning the tentacles with fire!? [Man 1]

It wont work. Itll just burn the surface a little, and theyll recover immediately. [Man 2]

No matter how big it is, a slime will die once its nucleus is destroyed! Find the nucleus! [Man 4]

The four men looked around them in search of the nuclei of the slimes, but the only thing that reflected on their eyes were the remnants of the covered wagon and themselves. As well as the thick circle of tentacles squirming on top of each other.

If the nucleus isnt anywhere around us, then doesnt that mean theyre going to come from below!? [Man 5]

Uh, isnt this circle of tentacles getting bigger? Its basically just one giant wall now! Could it be? Its not big because theres a lot of them, but because this one slime is actually even bigger than this!? [Man 1]

This is ridiculous! Just how big is this thing!? [Man 2]

Its true that its big, but if its just at this level, then Body Reinforcement ! UoOOOO!!!! [Man 4]

One of the men strengthened himself with Body Reinforcement magic, then ran off and jumped off the remnants of the carriage to try and get past the circle of tentacles. That jump was high enough that he wouldve been easily able to jump across the walls dividing houses, but

Pu!? [Man 4]

When he tried to jump over the tentacles, a new tentacle stretched out and hit him, but he didnt fall, and the tentacle began to absorb him instead.

S-Stop it! Let me go! [Man 4]

They may be just some slimes, but theyre still someones familiar, huh Ku [Man 5]

As the dwarf among them came to the conclusion that jumping across was impossible, he suddenly crouched.

Hey!? [Man 1]

Whats the matter!? [Man 2]

My head Suddenly [Man 5 (Dwarf)]

Tch! This isnt the time to be complaining about headaches! [Man 1]

A headache? Dont tell me Poison!? [Man 2]

I dont recall being attacked by Uuu [Dwarf Man]

But before the man could finish saying that, he lost consciousness.

d.a.m.n it! What is with this monster! I knew the place would stink, but no one ever said this thing would be here! [Man 1]

Dont give in to despair! [Man 2]

Shut up! [Man 1]

With no way out, frustration took the man, and he started throwing the remnants of the carriage that rolled onto his feet. Wheels, metal fittings, and the burning pieces of the hoods framework were thrown at the tentacles as he picked them up, but they were all either deflected or absorbed, his efforts to no avail.

Any effect had was at most to identify himself as an enemy.

When this job ends, Im going to rise up! To that end, I dont care if its a slime or some guards, Ill kill anyone who gets in my way! Im not going to die at a place like this [Man 1]

But wail as the man might, a raging fire soon attacked him.

In the blink of an eye, the man was covered in flames, and without even the chance to cry out in pain, he died.

It was likely that the man himself didnt even realize what had happened.

The only man left was the man who had tried to calm that man down and barely avoided the flames. He saw everything that had happened, but the lack of oxygen was starting to make his eyes hazy.

Fire, no, a burning wind? To think that something like this would be here No wonder the security was so lax If it was just going to be like this, then it would have been much better to just run away to another country The odds of success would have been much higher [Man 2]

As the last man standing voiced out his regrets, he too lost consciousness.

With the processing plant quiet once again, the tentacles spread out and ate everything left.

In that way, all of the dangerous elements were dealt with, and the tentacles returned where they belonged, leaving behind only a perfectly normal, orderly processing plant.

The only difference was that slight smell of char that remained.