▷I want to know!

The slime immediately answered Smartass’s claim that he knew a way.

'Good. That got a reaction, just as I expected.'

Seeing the slime’s enthusiastic message, Smartass smiled inwardly.

When the slime first met Godric and his companions, Smartass had worried that he might be an out-of-touch old fogey.

Back in Count Rudendion’s territory, the count’s daughter, with her unusual tastes, had adored it. Naturally, the people of the county would never deliberately show aversion or dislike toward the slime.

Yet when it arrived in another city with Godric’s group, even the townspeople showed little wariness or hostility toward it.

That was only because the creature in question was a slime, but a slime was still unquestionably a monster. Smartass could not help finding it odd.

After all, when he had been alive, the black dragon known as the calamity had been rampaging and spreading its infamy. In those days, even a slime inspired intense wariness simply because it was a monster.

After letting the words “old fogey” drag on and on through his mind, Smartass reached a conclusion.

He wasn’t behind the times.

People’s attitudes had simply changed a little!

Having finished rationalizing it to himself, Smartass now felt a growing urge to prove that his knowledge was neither outdated nor forgotten.

A warrior might show off weapons or techniques, but as a lich and former human mage, what he had to show off was magic and knowledge.

'I’ve already pinpointed Squishy’s location.'

Having traveled all over the continent in his day, Smartass possessed extensive geographical knowledge. The scenery had changed somewhat, but he had watched Squishy’s route all the way from the County of Rudendion. Of course he could identify its location.

'Right now, a Scarlet Goblin earns Squishy ten coins. That means something at that level won’t earn all that many.'

In other words, to earn as many coins as it wanted, the slime would have to fight correspondingly powerful monsters.

And Smartass had information on all sorts of monsters. It was the culmination of his research into monster activity during his travels as a human, combined with his analysis of the monster habits he had learned about after becoming a lich.

[Free Spirit]▶If you wanna hunt stronger monsters, just do what I say.

▷What do I do?

[Squishy Queen]▶What exactly are you planning to teach my kin, Smartass?!

▶He’s encouraging killing fellow monsters. A troublemaker! We’ve got a troublemaker here! Impeach him! Everyone rise up!

[Red Sympathizer has been kicked.]

▶LMAOOOO

▶Ahahaha, don’t mess with the mod lololol

First, Smartass calmed Squishy Queen, who worried about the slime the most.

[Free Spirit]▶Just telling it where there’s a stronger monster, yeah. Whether to fight is up to Squishy.

▷Tell me! Coins! I want more!

[Free Spirit]▶Got it. Then remember what I tell you.

+++

Late that night, while Godric and his companions were all sleeping soundly at the inn, the slime bounced down from the bed.

It was moving so late at night entirely because of Smartass’s advice. According to him, the monster he had told it about was quite agile and powerful. Bringing Godric’s group along could get them hurt, so he had said it would be better for the slime to sneak out alone this time.

Once off the bed, the slime crept cautiously to the door, opened it, and went outside. Moving just as carefully, it slipped out of the inn and then out of the city.

Its small size made it easy to avoid people’s notice as long as it stayed out of the light. At the gate, too, it kept out of sight along the wall and put some distance between itself and the gate, so no one realized it had left the city.

▷I’m out!

[Free Spirit]▶Yep, good job.

▶Lmao, the way it sneaks around is funny as hell.

▶It’s so much smaller than the hoomans they’d have a hard time spotting it anyway lol

▶Hey~ It still tried its best~.

[Free Spirit]▶Now head over like I told you.

Outside the city walls, the slime headed into the forest following Smartass’s directions, bouncing along.

Now that it was out of the city, it no longer needed to be cautious, so it picked up speed. Fast enough to outrun even rabbits and deer at a full sprint, it moved at a pace incomparable to Godric’s Party’s wary progress through the woods.

[Free Spirit]▶Go left.

[Free Spirit]▶Keep going straight, then turn right.

[Free Spirit]▶Yep, you’re on track.

Smartass typed directions into the chat to guide the slime.

'Good. At this rate, it should run into that thing without any trouble.'

The creature Smartass had in mind was a Moon Kobold, a rare mutant monster that appeared near Stoldanit, the city where the slime was currently staying with Godric’s Party.

It was not intelligent enough to use the streaming system, but it could evolve into a Luna Kobold, which was.

A Moon Kobold was powerful enough to toy with the Scarlet Goblin the slime had defeated as though it were a child. Smartass therefore thought that defeating one would earn the slime plenty of coins, even if it wasn’t enough to let it use the shop straightaway.

Following Smartass’s guidance, the slime kept moving until it reached a cave.

[Free Spirit]▶That’s the place! It should be in that cave.

▷A cave!

Moon Kobolds habitually stayed holed up in caves except when they went hunting, making them difficult to find. Moreover, decades passed between appearances, so by the time another appeared, people tended to have forgotten about them.

'But if it’s left alone, the city will be in danger.'

Smartass remembered a stream by a Luna Kobold from the Demon Continent that he had watched back when he was exploring monster broadcasts.

["Let’s try the next territory! Hunt, hunt, hunt, hunt, hunt! Nobody can stop meeeee! Yeaaaaah!!!"]

As a Moon Kobold, it had done nothing but hole up in a corner of its cave. The moment it evolved, however, its personality changed dramatically, as though everything it had suppressed until then had exploded.

It regarded anything in front of it, monster or human, as prey, and expanding its territory became its highest priority.

Smartass had seen not just one Luna Kobold like this, but three in a row. All three had fearlessly attacked one monster after another, only to be promptly killed by a vastly stronger monster.

On the Demon Continent, monsters that went excessively berserk were swiftly put in their place and disposed of. But the slime was on the Dersia continent.

If the Moon Kobold evolved into a Luna Kobold, the city would plainly suffer devastating damage. From what Smartass had seen, no one in the adventurers’ guild was skilled enough to face one.

It would take time for a force capable of dealing with a Luna Kobold to arrive, so serious damage to the city would ultimately be unavoidable.

'Even if there isn’t a Moon Kobold in that cave, I can just guide it to another monster.'

The slime bounced up to the cave entrance, paused, and used Sensing. Its Sensing extended into the cave, searching for the creature it wanted.

'... It’s there!'

The slime discovered a single living creature huddled deep inside the cave.

▷I used Sensing! It’s inside the cave!

[Free Spirit]▶Yep, that’s probably the Moon Kobold.

▶Lol, now it’s even invading other creatures’ nests to wreck the place.

▶It’s their fault for getting their nest raided, so who cares?

▶True lolol

▶Oh, isn’t a Moon Kobold that bastard that evolves and barges into other people’s territory without a second thought, then picks a fight claiming it’s his?

▶That was this thing?

▶So before evolving it’s a loser holed up in a cave? Lmao.

The slime ventured into the cave without hesitation. At night, the cave was filled with impenetrable darkness, but that posed no obstacle to it. With another bounce, it reached the Moon Kobold.

Able to sense its opponent even in the dark, the slime’s vision clearly showed the Moon Kobold’s appearance. True to its name, the kobold had white fur. It was crouched with both arms wrapped around its knees.

“Hrrm?”

As the slime approached, the Moon Kobold lifted its head from its knees and looked at it. Accustomed to living in a dark cave, its eyes could clearly make out the small, soft-looking slime.

The Moon Kobold and the slime silently gazed at each other.

The slime watched out of pure curiosity about how the Moon Kobold would react.

The Moon Kobold, meanwhile, grinned as it sized up the slime’s strength.

▶? That thing’s grinning?

▶Is it happy to see someone after being alone in a cave?

▶Nah, that’s not a happy-to-see-you grin.

As the viewer said, the Moon Kobold felt no such innocent pleasure at seeing the slime.

▶That’s the nasty smirk you make when you find a toy you can do whatever you want with.

The instant that speculation appeared in chat, the Moon Kobold moved swiftly and lunged at the slime.

But its surprise attack failed. Before it could fully pounce on it, the slime bounced backward and evaded the ambush.

GRRRRR!

In stark contrast to its earlier look, the Moon Kobold glared at the slime with its face twisted into a furious scowl.

Insolent.

How dare you dodge my attack?

You’re weak.

You’re weaker than me!

That was what its expression conveyed.

The Moon Kobold normally stayed holed up in its cave because it was cowardly. But being cowardly did not mean it never hunted.

When hunting an opponent weaker than itself, it was savage. As if flaunting its strength, it would repeatedly trample prey that was already dead and tear into it viciously, eating as though to demonstrate its superiority.

Its instinctive belief that stronger opponents existed kept it shut away in its cave, but it had always possessed the personality that would form the foundation of its behavior as a Luna Kobold.

In short, the Moon Kobold was the very definition of an armchair tough guy!

“Graaaah!”

The Moon Kobold lunged again and again, as if determined to catch and kill the insolent slime.

But the slime kept retreating with nimble movements until both of them finally emerged from the dark cave. In the moonlight, even viewers with poor night vision could properly see the Moon Kobold.

[Noblesse Fire]▶Look at its face. It’s pissed as hell.

▶I’d be pissed too if I kept missing a slime lolol

[Slam First Ask Later]▶Hahaha! A pathetic thing like that could never beat Squishy after my training!

▶Why are you up instead of sleeping? Won’t your mate complain?

[Slam First Ask Later]▶It’s fine. I’m doing this in secret.

“Graaaah!”

Determined to catch the slime for certain this time, the Moon Kobold dropped onto all fours and charged at it with all the strength in its body.

At that moment, the slime sprang toward the Moon Kobold as well, using Bounce Tackle.

“Grah?!”

The Moon Kobold had never imagined that the slime would charge at it of its own accord.

Then the slime collided with its forehead.

CRAAACK!

The force of the collision sent both the slime and the Moon Kobold flying back.

The slime bounced into a steady landing, putting its training with Fenrir to good use. The Moon Kobold also regained its footing, but blood was trickling down its forehead.

Feeling the blood flowing down its forehead, the Moon Kobold’s eyes grew bloodshot and crimson with rage.

AWOOOOOO!

The enraged Moon Kobold’s roar rang out.