2nd Volume, 3rd Chapter 【The Fluidic Creature】 2nd Part
「How do I put it? It’s not what I imagined. The image I had… was more of a muddy and damp swamp, but…」
There was no such thing at all.
Beneath the cloudless blue sky,
From a distance, the water looked so transparent that it appeared more like a lake than a swamp.
The depth of the water was shallow, though. The short water plants were ornamenting a light green carpet, spreading far and wide.
Spa.r.s.ely growing shrubs weren’t blocking the sunlight at all. A magnificent scenery was stretching out.
「The wetland belt was actually such a place…」
Far away, mountain ridgelines could be seen… is that Rave Mountain Range?
Because I’m in the southeast, it probably is.
If so, is Sven Empire on the other side?
I would like to travel to other countries, too… wasn’t the village where Lim used to live in the south of the Empire?
Demons… huh? It’s impossible for the current me.
Together with the Scale Dragon, I set foot in the wetland belt.
Since there was no such thing as a pathway, I proceeded with care.
Care ought to be taken. From the pattern, you might think of it as solid ground. However, it was in actuality a swamp.
Although the water plants were creating the illusion of a carpet, if one looked carefully, they would realize that it wasn’t the ground.
Even though the Scale Dragon can swim, I don’t want to plop into the water all of a sudden.
However, the Scale Dragon seemed to know this area better than I. Without any instruction, it firmly stepped on the ground and started walking.
No way! Even this kid can do it. Even this kid.
After advancing for a while, I could feel the dense mana in the atmosphere of the manaspot on my skin… not paying it any more mind, I started searching for the target: Slime.
――――There it is.
Floating on the shallow water surface… I caught sight of a luminous silhouette of a shining white body.
Feeling slightly excited, I jumped off the Scale Dragon and drew my sword. I approached the enemy slowly while checking the damp ground.
《Light Slime》——possessing Light Magic Lv1 (2/10).
Now then, time for what I came here specifically for.
——To loot.
The enemy, who had noticed my approaching it, flabbily transformed its body and vigorously closed in on me.
Its shape was indeterminate… like that of a fluidic creature’s. Its height was less than half that of a human’s.
In the centre of its body, a pebble-esque object was floating… that’s probably the nucleic bead.
I thought it would use magic, but it hurled its fluidic body and closed in on me. With Noir in one hand, I launched a sword strike.
Having split, about one-third of the Slime’s body dropped on the ground.
Although I was carefully watching it split… I could only see the remaining two-third body, which included the nucleic bead, move.
The body which contained the nuclei bead seemed to have become the main body.
「What happened? Not gonna use magic?」
As if in reaction to my words, its nucleic bead sparkled a little, and a small Lightball materialized before the Slime.
While observing its state, I reconfirmed my foothold so as not to slip off the water plant.
――A Lightball, that was a size that could fit into one’s palm, was fired my way.
Although its speed was reasonable, there was no need for me to intentionally get hit.
After dodging it, I spared a vigilant glance to grasp the extent of its power.
The Lightball collided with a shrub and exploded dimly, scorching the trunk lightly.
Oh well. Lv1 (2/10) probably amounts to this much.
I cut the distance in one breath. While slicing the enemy’s body into two, I invoked Thief’s G.o.dly Skill.
However… it resulted in failure.
Since the success rate is merely 31%, there’s no helping it.
I was *wakuwaku* excited but ended up a bit frustrated
Oh well. Let’s search for the next one.
Before that, I must collect the nucleic bead of this one…
Although magic is important, so is money.
I turned around to deliver the final blow to the fairly small-sized Slime.
What… the…
The Slime flew at full speed.
Its *purupuru* jiggly body was unexpectedly quick.
「Running away?」
I straddled the Scale Dragon’s back and chased the escaping Slime.
If I were on foot, it might have escaped. However, the Scale Dragon’s legs cut the distance mercilessly.
「——A-HA-HA-HA, wanna go somewhere?」
I sound totally like a bad guy…
I sneaked around the Slime and blocked its escape.
「Now then, the game of tag ends here.」
Resigned? Or so I thought, but… the Slime jumped sideways――toward another Light Slime.
「What the――」
I wasn’t sure as to what I was seeing.
Can these guys coalesce?
I decided to view the spectacle first.
Their *unyounyo* wavering bodies soon settled down as if they were one body.
Its size… was bigger than before and so was the nucleic bead in the centre.
However, this wasn’t the most surprising part.
《Light Slime》——Light Magic Lv1 (4/10)
I almost leaked a smile.
Is that… what I think it is?
Such a thing, huh?
Since I had visually confirmed the coalesced one’s Light Magic, I tried to――invoke the skill, but… for some reason, it didn’t invoke.
What’s going on?
If I had to take a guess, out of the two coalesced monsters… I had already failed to plunder one… is that why?
If so, isn’t there only one chance to steal it…?
If it were left to coalesce, it would be too dangerous. If I failed at stealing, it would be troublesome.
Considering the current success rate and the number of times it can be invoked, plundering the Lv1s that have coalesced multiple times will be more efficient.
I shifted my focus back to the Slime in front of me and chopped its body in an instant.
After sc.r.a.ping most of it, when I *gubori* pierced my hand into the remaining fluid and extracted the nucleic bead, the Slime lost its original shape and dissolved into the ground.
――The time I had was limited, so I decided to search right away.
————————
On the way back from the Paudal Wetland Belt——I checked the day’s results on the Scale Dragon’s back.
Light Magic Lv1 (8/10)
In my opinion, the results are excellent.
To begin with, the rate I encountered the Slimes at was low; hence, the rate of fusion was even more so.
When a Slime broke away underwater, even the amphibian Scale Dragon would lose the sight of it.
I could only gnash my teeth at that…
So, considering all of that, it’s excellent.
I, who had acquired my very first magic skill, was merrily firing Lightb.a.l.l.s and Lightspheres at random. When the Scale Dragon stared at me with earnest eyes, I pulled myself together.
As for the Slimes that appeared――there were three kinds: Light Slimes, Dark Slimes and Flame Slimes.
As their names suggest, the dark Slimes possessed the Dark Magic skill while the Flame Slimes held the Fire Magic skill.
However… the Light Slimes were the most in number.
Is there a particular reason…?
A hypothesis came to my mind.
Today… is the day of the Light.
From what I’ve heard, the seven days (Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Dark, Light and Origin) trace back to the spirits.
Is there perhaps any relation between the two? The quality of mana acc.u.mulating at a manaspot differs in accordance with the day and transforms the springing out Slimes…?
I, who could now use Light Magic, could clearly feel the thickness of the mana in the Paudal Wetland Belt, which was a manaspot. However, I wasn’t able to distinguish just the Light element in particular.
Or I should say, the atmospheric mana is just a ma.s.s used as a source for magic. An element doesn’t exist by itself, or so was written in the Caterpillar series book.
However, if we a.s.sume there does exist a relation, we can also nod to the appearance of the Slimes belonging to Dark and Fire which are close to the day of the Light.
If this hypothesis is correct… then no matter what, I must visit the Paudal Wetland Belt tomorrow.
Anyhow, I wasn’t able to confirm a single Slime possessing the most wanted, Origin, magic.
Because the day of the Origin――will be tomorrow.
When I returned to Merville Town and handed the Scale Dragon over, I paid the rent in advance since I planned on renting it tomorrow, too.
From there, I made a beeline to the Guild, pa.s.sed the collected nucleic beads and received the reward.
There were eight nucleic beads while the one belonging to the coalesced Slime was bigger than a normal one’s.
The quest required me to collect the nucleic beads worth 2,000 Dalas whereas the appraised value amounted to 4,800 Dalas.
Even after deducting the rent of the Scale Dragon, the gain wasn’t half bad.
Moreover, since the quest completion count increased by two, there was nothing left to complain about.
As you would expect, because I was out on an adventure, I was sweating buckets. Therefore, before returning to Feeder Pops’, I took a bath at a luxury inn. Feeling refreshed, I returned to my room.
If Feeder Pops’ had a bath, it would outcla.s.s even a luxury inn…
If it’s about funds, I can aid them. However, I don’t think Dario-san would accept.
Muu…
Speaking of money, that shop clerk who dealt in mounts,
Well aware that I liked the Scale Dragon a lot, suggested that it would be better for me to buy it than renting it.
I was in agreement with him, of course.
Do you know how much he asked?
——-30,000 Dalas, that son of a-
That son of a-!
What a ma.s.sive- don’t you think?
I know I’m being scammed, but I want it.
Oh G.o.d, human greed is endless!
To become even stronger, to rank further up, I must complete the quests *bashibashi* without holding back.
————————
The next day――5th month, 4th week, the day of the Origin.
Upon meeting the monster in the Paudal Wetland Belt, I uttered a delighted shout.
《Prism Slime》――Origin Magic Lv1 (2/50)
It’s hereeeeee!
Although it’s Lv1, the maximum skill points required are 50. As you can guess, it will take time to master the skill.
However, considering the limit on the (number of) skills, it has more merit.