Chapter 50: Chapter 41

- Shari –

 

Having successfully passed through the gate again without anyone ending up dead, we can start our little journey.
Liqu, whilst having taken a liking to the city is clearly excited at the prospect of wandering with me.
At least this is what her dancing around and the number of looks I receive indicates.

I on my side am a little more vigilant.

The people who accompany me are one guy who just for the prospect of profit decided to join us, a swordsman and a pseudo-assassin who would possibly kill me at the first chance they get, a girl my fellow slime has developed a disturbing affection for, and the mentioned fellow slime who is in fact just a walking source of entropy.
And this all while traversing a path on an abandoned road.
Abandoned because the monsters got too bad here.
And while I should be realistic about my lack of experience regarding being an adventurer in these lands my common knowledge has some very disturbing points to it.

I have a very basic idea of the geography of my country.

 

It is like this:

To the north, a giant mountainside is rather effectively blocking most tries to get any farther.
This is no real problem, if not for some rumors about a dragon living there, which never were proved, you simply cannot easily traverse this landscape.

Then to the west, we have a bordering kingdom.
I guess it was called Koresi or -sa or something.
I was never deeply invested in politics.
Siras lies there at the border.
It's the reason why this city is well off.
Trade and national efforts to strengthen it as the closest place to this other country are beneficial for its development.
Not that we had many problems with them, but I have no idea how the diplomatic situation is.
All I've heard was that they have a well-maintained army, but I guess my country as well.

Then the south, represented by Ekoras.
The long-forgotten part no one is interested in.
The reason is the nearly impervious Evergrove here.
The forest itself is no real problem since it has a fixed size it doesn't change.
It is more about the numbers of monsters dwelling here, who like this kind of protective hiding and the feel of life it emanates I am now far more aware of.
It is nearly impossible to build here standing structures and Ekoras lies especially deep there.
To the town's north it isn't that bad regarding monsters, yet the further you go south, the worse it gets.
This makes adventuring here high risk - high reward.
With an emphasis on the "risk" part.

 

So why am I concerned about going east?

In the east of my country lies a barren, stony highland.
There is nothing that would be worth establishing a settlement there.
Yet one should avoid going there by all means.
The reason is the monsters.
One specific kind of monster.

Orcs.

Orcs are bad news.

About one to two heads taller than the average human, with muscles that speak of a very sophisticated bodybuilding lifestyle and a ferociousness and thirst for blood making them very unwanted neighbors.
The origin of these monsters is not really known.
A popular theory says that they like the animals which changed through magical energy into monsters, simply are humans who changed at that time.

 

This relates to their worst trait.
They are intelligent.
Well, muscle-head level intelligent, but that's still bad.
And it enables them to do something really dangerous.

They're forming tribes.

A little like direwolfs are forming packs, yet these creatures have basic social structures.
Even tents sometimes.
And the number of clansmen is not really set.
In the past, many hundred years ago it's said, a whole horde shall have invaded us and this country almost got annihilated.

 

Even goblins are also rumored to partake there, yet mostly as fodder if nothing else is found.
However, for the rest of the time, they are tolerated and protected in their midst.
Yet goblins tend to spread much further and are also found here in the forest.
And the barren wasteland to the east houses just this kind of threat.

This is the reason while the fortress town "Akaras" was built there to keep them in check.

And at the moment we're heading just in this direction.
And this very idea makes me a little uneasy.
There is not much of a problem, since even our destination lies still west of Akaras which obstructs them.
Yet it's not like this would make it impossible for them to for example went through the forest.
It wouldn't be the direct way and the wild monsters aren't picky with their prey, but a good troop could surely overcome this and get into the inner land.
Or more precise on collision course with us.

Such an encounter would be unfavorable.

 

So here I am, in a monster-infested wildland, at the risk to meet a militaristic force, with the most peculiar party composition possible.

• This is my life, huh?

 

             

 

 

The journey proceeds rather smoothly.

While traveling on the main road we had absolutely no problems and the path was maintained and easy to walk on.
But after a while, we need to change to a side path leading in the direction of the mine.

It helps a little that even if the path to the mine was long abandoned, there was one in the first place.
The forest might have reclaimed it to quite a degree yet much remains free.
So we can traverse the forest without too many obstructions and have a mark for orientation.

 

But at one point the path becomes desolate.
Our progress slows considerably.
Naturally, we had to deal with some critters.

Just neglectable ones called "feliras".
They are cat-like creatures.
Rather small, yet with especially long and sharp claws.
They mostly just reach down to my knee and their strength is really limited, yet they attack in groups and try to climb on you to reach the vulnerable parts while evading your attempts to shake them off.

This makes them quite nasty.

 

That is if you are no slime who simply pulls them in.
I'm not sure if I ever will get their shrieked expressions and screams Liqu dissolved them out of my mind.
Probably not as my mind is a stone that inscribes all my memories.
I almost forgot to reprimand Liqu that she can't dissolve them whole since we need the ears for confirmation

However, the next encounter was troublesome in another way.

 

"Hey! There in front us!" (Myra)

 

Myra has rather keen senses if she isn't too occupied with dodging the advances of certain slimes.
I take a moment to observe and then spot something in the greenery.
Just then I realize it is pink.

 

• A slime!

 

"Ummh, we still have to get our quota, but..." (Jacob)

 

He unsure looks at Liqu.

 

"I can do it!" (Liqu)

"Ehh?" (common disbelief)

 

We had this talk before, but I still have problems believing she can just like this kill her own kind.
And I am not the only one who is challenged taking that.

 

"Ummh, not that I will stop you and we have right now not the fitting tools with us, but how would you... do it?" (Jacob)

 

This is a good question considering she has nothing hard with her to smash cores.

 

• I mean, we are slimes.

 

At this moment I remember a discussion I had with her.

• Would she really?

 

The question gets answered when Liqu slips out of her gloves and approaches the poor thing.
The pink slime doesn't react to her presence but instead slowly crawls into the direction of the humans he identified as a possible source of sustenance.
I was never deeply invested with the fate of thousands of slimes killed by the hands of adventurers.
But now in my situation and knowing Liqu...

 

• I feel conflicted.

 

Liqu apparently not.
Without hesitation, she does what no sane human ever would do and plunges her bare hand into the liquid mass.
On the other side, hers is the same matter and this is proved when her embedded hand disintegrates inside.
So it looks at first, but then I see how Liqu's green color does unevenly spread.
Soon it reaches the core of that thing.

 

Meanwhile, Liqu appears to be extremely concentrated.
The slime seems now to react a bit but nothing more than a little shiver on the surface is seen.
The next moment the yellow core inside the creature starts to glow brighter.
Then the shine flashes up in intervals.

 

"Plok"

 

And suddenly extinguishes.
The slime immediately loses, whatever stability kept it from being just a puddle and flows down.
All that remains is Liqu's hand.
Holding a small round jewel.

The core.

 

"Wh-why does this core not do anything?" (Myra)

"I don't know. Shouldn't it immediately start to produce mass with any energy there is? Is it broken?" (Jacob)

"No, the structure is still intact." (Liqu)

"So it's still alive?" (Myra)

"Oh stupid, slimes don't live, we just exist." (Liqu)

 

• Did she have to say this?

 

"It was that, right? You destroyed its mind!" (Shari)

"Correct." (Liqu)

"She did what!?" (Chris)

"Ehm, it is like this: Slimes can come into contact with each other through their mass. But because Liqu is much more advanced than they are, when she confronts them with her whole scale of thinking those normal ones can't take it. So she crushes their minds. Permanently." (Shari)

"Does that mean she killed it for good?" (Jacob)

"Well, my soul is in my core, so she did in fact destroy this one's. It won't recover from this. But are you okay with doing this Liqu?" (Shari)

"Sure! I could even replenish me by draining all the good parts out of him." (Liqu)

 

• Didn't want to know this!

 

Really, I had no intention to hear that Liqu does suck her own species dry.

 

"Fucking monster." (Chris)

 

However, that comment was unnecessary?

 

"This is... heavy." (Jacob)

 

I cannot deny this.
We had planned for this to happen since we will need to do our quota but seeing the real deal is quite... heavy.

 

"That we had to find a slime here." (Shari)

"It's not this strange. This road wasn't used in a long time, so they had time to multiply. There is a good chance we'll encounter more of them." (Jacob)

"Uh, if you say so." (Shari)

 

Not that we shouldn't.
Still, Liqu showing her cannibalistic tendencies is distressing.

 

Jacob was right.
We really have some more slimes on our way and Liqu ends them all.
We pack the cores and even give two of them to Jacob's team.
Yet they break them, not trusting that this state lasts.

 

I on my side am still troubled.

 

Like this, we continue on our way.
Albeit from those little encounters, we can proceed without problems.
That is until...

 

"Scrieek!"

 

Suddenly we hear a monster's scream.

 

"Stk"

 

A moment later a thorn gets stuck in me.
I trace the way it came from and ultimately find something clinging to a tree.

 

"What the hell is that?!" (Shari)

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Jacob follows my gaze and finds like this the monster.

 

"A woodpiercer! Everyone, hide! These things never come alone!" (Jacob)

 

As if he has called for it more shots are released at us.
I see how these brown things have dug into the wood with their claws while flailing their, regarding their size, relatively large tails.
Those end with long and numerous thorns they aim at their opponents.

• Us!

It isn't dangerous for me as this force can't penetrate my body far enough to reach my core.
However, the humans here are another question.
They don't seem poisoned as I've just seen Chris pull one out of his left arm without seeming to be concerned.
But the onslaught is troublesome.
The thorns come from all directions and they have troublesome barbs which might cause bad bleedings.
Also, while my body might not be harmed I would be troubled if the cloak ends up torn.
Yet these beasts are too high up in those trees for me to reach them.

 

"Sciek!" (woodpiercer)

 

These things throw relentlessly more and more of these thorns.
And they disturbingly precise aim for appendages.
Foremost on the legs to keep one from running, as they are too stationary to finish their victims off in another way.
Especially Myra gets badly targeted.
I guess she makes a good victim.
Chris fares better with his armor and positions himself in front of her, but cannot really cover Myra against the attacks from every direction.

Jacob loads his crossbow and begins to shoot these monsters down.
Elin uses her throwing knives, but can only get two.
In the first place, her goal is just to run as fast as possible out of their range.
However, Myra and Chris don't look as if they can escape and won't be fine if this keeps up.

 

But suddenly Liqu joins them.
Her body extends and covers Myra from three sides, which is enough to enable Chris to shield the remaining direction.
Yet I don't like how he looks at her core she placed more on the inside, close to Myra.
However, I am sure that Liqu is more than able to defend herself against a sneak attack.

 

On the other side, while Jacob can finish some of these monsters with his crossbow he is for exactly that reason under heavy fire.
So it seems that he needs me more.
I decide to copy Liqu, let go of my cloak, and place me in front of him.

 

"Make sure you get the shot! I cover meanwhile!" (Shari)

"Thanks." (Jacob)

 

This should help him as he can now concentrate on reloading without having to dodge the thorns and has more leeway to aim.
Despite my effort, as I just have my human frame he has to crouch next to me at a tree and still needs to be wary of the open side.
However, this one is cleared fast.

The shots I get are as I said no problem.
They lose their force as soon they come into contact with my surface.
But admitting that my body is like this and also using intentionally like this is not to my liking.
I even stretched a bit as otherwise Jacob would get hit.

• And I hate this.

 

I distract me by keeping watch on Liqu, who is a little bit too close to Chris for my liking.
Yet suddenly she shrinks back down.
I can literally see Chris silently accusing her of leaving them deliberately exposed to the attacks.
But then she raises her arms.
Promptly those slime projectiles, I have seen her use before, get expelled from her hands.

• No. Her fingers!?

 

"Splotch"

"Zsch"

 

They hit a woodpiercer perfectly.

Then she starts to rotate and shoots her bullets in all directions.

"Splotch, splotch, splotch"

"Zsch, zsch, zsch"

 

Almost all of them find their target and soon dozens of these monsters fall from the trees where they've got hit.
But the barrage doesn't stop and in the end, none of these creatures remains.
She just solely took care of the threat.
But what was even more noteworthy was that she got them all, even without directly looking with perfect aim in quick succession.
This is almost unbelievable.
"Almost" only because there isn't so much left that could surprise me about Liqu.

Like this, it settles down.

A short time later Elin returns.

 

"And? How was it wherever you ran to?" (Shari)

"Don't be like this. I had no real means to effectively fight them and they shoot fiercer the closer you are. Getting some distance was the best I could do." (E)

"Whatever you say, but please help with skinning them. You said you were good with the knife." (Shari)

"Fine. No problem." (Elin)

 

It cannot be bad to have some more supplies. Yet most of the pelts are too damaged after Liqu's treatment to sell them.

 

"Why can't I dissolve them?" (Liqu)

"You can, but only when we are done and only as much as you really need. The rest not. Understood?" (Shari)

"Yes, yes." (Liqu)

 

This doesn't sound too convincing and as soon Elin is done with the first one Liqu rushes there and stuffs it in.
Elin is startled for a moment but then proceeds.

I can use this time to ask her something I'm curious about.

 

"Liqu, can I ask you something?" (Shari)

"Sure! Absolutely! Always!" (Liqu)

• "Yes" would have been enough.

 

"About this shooting you did." (Shari)

"The slime bullet? I came up with it myself. What is with it?" (Liqu)

"Could I do this too? I mean, perform this?" (Shari)

 

The reason is rather simple.
I have no way to act at distance, as this situation made me extremely aware.
Throwing weapons might work, but I have none and stuff badly clings to me so that it's a little difficult to even detach them.
And what a bowstring would do to my hand is obvious.

 

"You are a slime! Naturally you can! And you are so smart, so I don't believe you will have a hard time learning it." (Liqu)

• This was far too much praise.

 

And knowing that this slime is serious about it, doesn't make it better.

 

"So you think I can learn it?" (Shari)

"Well, using the matter is all about your mind. That is to say, it is very difficult. You need to pull and push at the same time and have to be very accurate about the adjustment or it will simply burst without the wished result. But as I said, I am absolutely sure you can learn it. The only problem would be your mass." (Liqu)

"What is with it?" (Shari)

"The bullets must be very dense. This requires mass and energy to compress them, especially at the center. And even if you use a foreign object, the hull must be your slime. But unfortunately, you don't have very much to spend. So you lack the resources and have to pay more attention to your body." (Liqu).

 

Makes sense.
Liqu has just the ammunition to use the bullets without regrets.

 

"Nonetheless, I think you could do it. You just need to be more careful regarding your limits." (Liqu)

 

I nod at this and take the said to heart.
This knowledge might become useful one day.

 

Elin got meanwhile done with another corpse of these critters and Liqu directly jumps at it.
Jacob and Myra are on it as well and at least do those he has got, whose pelts are still mostly intact.
He can have them but I should settle how we split the subjugation reward.
I know these woodpiercers were on the list and their ears weren't too affected by the dissolving.
Yet I only have Elin to cut them off and wouldn't want to carry them.
Also, currying some favor might be good in the long run.

 

"Let us just split them half-half, okay?" (Shari)

"Sure, I agree." (Jacob)

 

• Why wouldn't he?
   
• Like this, he gets more on his side.

 

Suddenly I notice Liqu from behind.
It was easy with my all-around view on without cloak.
And she hands me a bloody skinned corpse.

 

"What!?" (Shari)

"You need to devour as well. You didn't for too long." (Liqu)

 

Sadly she is right.
I really should replenish resources.
But I don't want to do so in front of the others.
Yet this thing is much smaller and skinned like this just meat.
The only difference to normal food is that it isn't cooked.
Wildly gesturing, Liqu urges me more and more.

 

Finally, I take it.
Yet I walk behind a tree.
There I envelop it with my hands in a ball and start the dissolving.
I notice something disturbing.

• Fresh meat is better.

 

In comparison to the flesh, we bought from the butcher the energy here is quite a bit denser.
Thinking back to my talk with the receptionist in the guild I think that it has to do with the energy contained in a living being slowly dissipating after death.
And this here is fresh.
Also, it's monster meat which could give it another boost.
I can really feel the difference while it flows from my arms into my body.

 

"Hey there!" (Jacob)

"IEEHGlrsshhrb!" (Shari)

 

Like this, a panicked scream turned into complete loss of my voice.
In addition, my whole body for a moment ripples all around.
Jacob jumps at this backward and then settles sight at the half-devoured something embedded in the ball formed between my arms.

 

"Sorry, didn't know I would disturb you." (Jacob)

 

• No! I just like this side of the tree so much more!
   
• Seriously!?

 

He clears his throat and proceeds.
While I on the other hand have to reassemble mine.

 

"I just wanted to tell you we will camp here." (Jacob)

"Here? In the middle of the forest? If we keep going we might reach the mine today." (Shari)

"We need the time to tend our wounds and as you said, the mine is close. However, I fear that the mine might be even more dangerous and like this no place to rest." (Jacob)

"Okay, but here? We just got attacked." (Shari)

"This is exactly why." (Jacob)

"Huh? Could you please explain that?" (Shari)

"Those were woodpiercers. They are territorial and will attack everything that enters together. I am sure we've got them all and even if not they wouldn't stay. But the other monsters dwelling here don't know yet they were defeated. This makes this place right now the safest possible." (Jacob)

 

Makes sense.
Those were many and for sure they existed here quite a while.
Even more stupid monsters must know that this was a no-go area.

 

"Alright then let us camp here." (Shari)

 

A basic camp gets fast set up.
Elin stored what she got on meat in her back.
Liqu and I are meanwhile back in our cloaks.
I try a little bit of the cheese and it works slightly better than plants but much worse than the meat.
At least I feel that I'm somewhat full, so this is positive.

 

Also, the fact that we're camping should have told Elin that our venture might take longer than two days.
This causes her to grumble a bit, yet she doesn't voice her concerns.
She wouldn't want to make us angry.

Like this, the day calmly comes to an end.

 

Tomorrow we will reach our destination.

 

 

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