Slime Girl

- Shari -

"You've got no idea how long you had us waiting! I was already debating whether that job was worth it!"

Scanning my surroundings for the origin of those words, I spot a woman on top of the barracks building.

She looks like an archer, yet her equipment is altogether top notch.

"Great that you went here, taking the most obvious way. Really wouldn't have liked to go through the hassle of hunting you down." (archer)

While she speaks, more are appearing from every corner.

From behind the buildings, more on the ceilings, they show up and start aiming their weapons at us.

One look at them and the shift in space around them tells me enough.

Voidstone.

Those people are monster hunters.

And they were sent after us.

"Now that you already cooperated so nicely with us, would you please do so till the end and just die?!" (archer)

At this, a squall of arrows is released.

I jump to protect Vela, before she gets pin-cushioned by the projectiles.

When they impact on me, the good quality of my armor shows, as most of them are repelled.

However, the draining effect still hits fiercely.

Not as bad as they could if all of them would get stuck in me, but it's slowly whittling me away.

Especially, those piercing into my head are particularly unwelcome.

Meanwhile, more fighters close in on us.

Already from the way they move, I can tell that they are used to fighting as a threat by themselves.

None of them is low-rank fodder.

Of course, their weapons are voidstone coated too.

Under normal circumstances, Liqu might take them on, but not under this barrage.

We need some cover, and that fast.

I spot the little administration office as the possible best place.

The barracks are too spacious, they won't provide good cover, and the enemy may be in there as well, and the guardhouse is not even fully closed.

As shouting our strategy out would be plain stupid, I make slime contact.

• "Liqu, over there!" (Shari)
• "Okay." (Liqu)
• "Take Vela!" (Shari)

She does.

Growing beyond her former proportions and claiming Vela's body, dragging her with us.

It's not too close to the building, so we're taking some more hits, but the overall damage is still manageable.

I worry that the voidstone may pierce towards Vela, but while it disrupts her control a bit, Liqu can still hold on to her package.

Some reach through the slime, but here it comes in handy that voidstone actually makes for a fairly shitty covering, rendering most weapons almost blunt and their outer shell brittle.

So the damage to Vela is limited at best.

"Oh my! Cover me surprised, Ms. Slime! I actually thought I was being made fun of here! But a human slime, that's new!" (archer)

My dislike for this woman grows.

And that not just because she has this nice long red hair that I'm never going to sport again.

Especially, not since my wig got destroyed.

As we reach the administration building, two fighters get in our way.

Yet I won't let them stop me.

I release my two blades, as well as removing six pricks, I stored within a pouch inside of my body.

Every weapon gets poison applied to it, the good one, and I send them out.

As good as they might be, even seasoned fighters can't deflect half a dozen attacks at once.

One prick each finds their way, and pumps them full of the worst stomach churner they ever got.

Quickly, they end up writhing on the ground.

"Wow! This slime got skills! Seems like you are worth the price on your head!" (archer)

Can't she just shut up?!

I close the door, but not too soon after we've entered, there's a heavy impact to be heard on the entrance.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit! That's what we're getting for ditching our fucking troop!" (Vela)

Now is not the time, Vela.

"Get down there and reclaim every piece of voidstone you misshot! We're going to fill that building to the brim!" (archer)

That doesn't sound good.

The longer this moves on, the worse our situation is going to get.

Seems like they are preparing for their follow-up attack.

"Whack"

Meanwhile, more impacts hit the door, where dents and gashes accumulate more and more join with each hit.

"Whack"

Then another.

"Whack"

Another.

And...

"Crack"

Yep.

We provisionally take cover behind the counter.

"To think I went into private commissions to dodge those damn slime core penalties!" (archer)

Of course, it doesn't take long until they try to follow behind, but Liqu sends out gigantic tendrils to fend them off.

However, as she does so, they begin to chip at her with their weapons, and any exposed tendril gets soon enough riddled with voidstone projectiles.

"And now we're here! Isn't that funny?!" (archer)

Goodness!

Who is this lunatic?!

"Would you stop?! We may be slimes, but we are also official agents of the crown!" (Shari)

"Sure you are!" (archer)

"For real! We worked our ass off to get into this position! You are on the wrong side!" (Shari)

"Cool story, girl! Will make for a nice tale to go with the trophy!" (archer)

Damnit, how can they be so unreasonable?!

So I'll have to kill again?

Those people definitely make that impression.

Suddenly, Liqu makes contact, her message coming accompanied by a sense of urgency.

• "Shari, we are in trouble!" (Liqu)
• "I know! Can't you do anything? You're strong, aren't you?" (Shari)

But is that fair from me?

I know even she has limits.

Something that she confirms a moment later.

• "I don't think I can just go out there, that would be very risky. But staying here isn't working either. Maybe we should go down and hide?" (Liqu)

I get what she's suggesting.

If we'd dissolve our way down, we could hide underground, where they won't be able to reach us.

The issue is that Vela would be left behind, for them to execute.

Alternatively, we could at the very least take a position below the building and fight everyone who enters to threaten her.

That would hopefully keep them at bay, if nothing else.

Eventually, reinforcements may catch up to us.

However, their voidstone equipment is a huge issue, and this would stall us for too long.

And I can't accept this!

So I rise up.

"Shari! What the fuck are you doing there?!" (Vela)

I look at her with my mind made up into fierce determination.

"I'm done playing nice." (Shari)

"Shari?" (Liqu)

"I've got a plan. Just keep them off one more minute." (Shari)

"Okay. That should be possible." (Liqu)

As I know that time is of the essence, I begin digging down.

First, a hole straight through the wooden floor, then the dirt.

And then I take a sharp turn forward, straight towards the plaza we were standing on just before.

I dissolve with the greatest possible reaction speed, trying to make up as much time as I possibly can.

I dive forward, dissolving more of the ground by the second.

At one point, I bring my core down, so the better control may help me being more efficient.

While I'm digging, Liqu keeps holding those people from the windows.

When I'm close before the point I wanted to reach, I get started.

I take every bit of poison or even slightly harmful substance from my backpack, slide it through the hole, past my core, and ultimately to the end of the tendril.

Now I only need to dissolve upwards, and I'm out.

As I think about my plan, I discover a critical issue that I need to take care of.

"Liqu, catch Vela, and filter her air!" (Shari)

"Wha- Why?!" (Vela)

"Okay!" (Liqu)

"Mrmmph!" (Vela)

I'm sorry for her, but this is required.

I breach the surface and erect a body.

My training becomes very handy for that purpose.

For once, I don't speak to my opponents.

I don't offer them a choice.

I grant them no chance.

I just act.

I stand there, as I concentrate every bit of the vile, toxic mix I created within my tiny body above ground.

Certainly, my enemies aren't stupid.

They quickly spot this remote body and target it.

However, it is by now far too late for that.

My body is prepared, my mind set, and everything begins with my command!

• Slime Mist: Fog of Death!

I release every little bit of slime I can, vaporizing it into its finest elements.

Every bit of poison I pushed into this concoction.

So much that it turned my blue slime violet.

It lays over the whole base, over every structure.

Even inside the office, it becomes present, as my analysis shows me.

Fortunately, Liqu does her job and filters any harmful substances out, before they can reach her passenger.

As the mist settles down, nobody else seems to remain, and silence lays over the battlefield.

The quiet that comes with the end of everything that made the ruckus before.

Now only one question beckons.

How to deal with the aftermath.