The original Killer Weed stood alone now, the largest of the group at six feet tall, its purple coloration seeming darker and more ominous without its companions. The hivemind had collapsed with the death of the other members. It was just one plant now. One very angry plant that had watched its entire defensive network get systematically destroyed.
The weed's vines thrashed wildly, no longer coordinated but more desperate. It knew it was going to die. But it would not go quietly.
Regulus forced himself back to his feet, the tiny cub swaying slightly from exhaustion but refusing to stay down. Through their bond, Cid felt determination stronger than pain, pride stronger than fatigue. The Lion Emperor would see this through to the end.
Rimuru pulled itself free from the weed it had just killed, the slime's mass reduced by maybe twenty percent from accumulated damage but still mobile and ready to fight.
All three of them advanced on the final weed together.
Regulus from the left, lightning still sparking weakly across his battered form. Rimuru from the right, gelatinous body rippling with barely contained acid. Cid from the center, his hands clenched despite the pain radiating through them.
The weed lashed out with everything it had, vines extending in all directions in a final desperate assault. But without the hivemind coordination, without the other weeds covering gaps and creating perfect attack patterns, the assault was manageable.
Regulus Flashstepped through the reaching vines, appearing directly at the weed's base. His Volt Fang Strike clamped down on the main stalk near the root system, lightning surging through the bite. The electrical damage burned through weakened plant tissue, charring it black.
Rimuru engulfed the middle section, acid eating through from another angle. The slime pulled itself higher, spreading across more of the stalk, dissolving everything it touched.
The weed tried to regenerate, tried to heal the damage. But with attacks coming from multiple angles simultaneously, with both electrical burns and acid corrosion working in tandem, the regeneration could not keep up.
Cid did not have energy left for another Vital Hit, but he did not need it. He grabbed one of the lower vines that was thrashing weakly and pulled with all his strength, using his body weight to yank downward on the already damaged stalk.
Something gave. The main stalk, weakened by lightning and acid and repeated trauma, finally cracked at its base. The entire upper structure tilted, then toppled, crashing to the ground with a sound like breaking branches.
The purple coloration began to fade immediately, the demonic corruption dissipating as the weed's life force failed. The vines stopped moving. The unnatural pulsing light dimmed and went out.
[KILLER WEED DEFEATED]
Silence fell over the field.
Cid stood there, breathing hard, his entire body aching, staring at the nine dead Killer Weeds scattered across Gerald's farmland. Nine. What had started as two had multiplied to nine over the course of the fight, turning a simple F rank pest control quest into something far more dangerous.
'But we won,' he thought, the realization sinking in slowly. 'We actually won. Against nine coordinated enemies that were effectively E rank difficulty. We survived and eliminated every single one.'
Regulus collapsed onto his side, the tiny cub form panting heavily, blood matting his fur in multiple places from thorn wounds. Through their bond, Cid felt the Lion Emperor's satisfaction mixed with exhaustion. Pride in victory. Respect for enemies that had at least tried to put up a worthy fight. And underneath it all, smug vindication that he had proven he could handle F rank threats in cub form just as he had claimed.
Rimuru wobbled over to Cid's feet and simply sat there, the slime's consciousness broadcasting simple contentment. Fight over. Summoner safe. Mission complete. That was all Rimuru needed to feel satisfied.
Cid knelt down and gently picked up both familiars, cradling them carefully. Regulus made a small sound of protest at being handled while injured, but through the bond Cid felt the cub's grudging acceptance. The Lion Emperor would tolerate the indignity of being carried because his wounds made walking difficult.
'You both did amazing,' Cid thought, pushing gratitude and approval through both bonds. 'Better than amazing. You fought a battle that should have been impossible and won. I'm proud of you. Both of you.'
Through his bond with Regulus, he felt a surge of pleased pride. Approval from his summoner meant something to the Lion Emperor, even if the proud creature would never admit it out loud.
Through his bond with Rimuru, he felt simple happiness intensify. Summoner proud. Slime happy. Everything is good.
A chime sounded in Cid's mind, that familiar crystalline notification sound.
Text appeared in his vision, glowing blue and gold.
[COMBAT COMPLETE]
[VICTORY ACHIEVED]
[CALCULATING EXPERIENCE DISTRIBUTION]
More notifications cascaded rapidly.
[LEVEL UP!]
[CID RAIMON: LEVEL 3 → LEVEL 4]
[ATTRIBUTE POINTS GAINED: 5]
[REGULUS: LEVEL 2 → LEVEL 3]
[FAMILIAR POWER INCREASED]
[RIMURU: LEVEL 1 → LEVEL 2]
[FAMILIAR POWER INCREASED]
Cid stared at the notifications, his tired mind taking a moment to process what he was seeing. All three of them had leveled up. The experience from defeating nine enemies, especially enemies that had effectively functioned as higher rank threats, had been substantial enough to push everyone forward.
'Level four,' he thought with satisfaction. 'And both familiars grew stronger. This quest turned out to be way more valuable than I expected, even if it was also way more dangerous.'
Another notification appeared, this one pulsing slowly.
[EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE DETECTED]
[ANALYZING COMBAT DATA]
[EVALUATING CONTRIBUTION FACTORS]
[ASSESSING TACTICAL DECISIONS]
[CALCULATING ADDITIONAL REWARDS...]
[PLEASE WAIT]
The text hung in the air, blinking steadily, and Cid found himself holding his breath despite his exhaustion.
'Additional rewards,' he thought. 'Like with the demon slime. When performance exceeds expectations, the system grants bonus rewards beyond just experience.'
He stood there in Gerald's damaged field, holding his wounded familiars, surrounded by the remains of nine dead Killer Weeds, waiting to see what the world would give him for turning a simple pest control quest into a battle against overwhelming odds.
And winning.
The text continued to pulse.
[CALCULATING ADDITIONAL REWARDS…]