Slime Girl

- Shari -

As I pull my core through the hole, towards my slime, I start trying to assess my situation.

Just now, when I get some peace and quiet, I realize how much energy I lost.

Too many bolts and arrows with voidstone hit me, and even the proximity isn't all that great.

When I stumble over them, I begin dissolving their coating right away.

This way, they at least cannot be used again.

Voidstone isn't all that common.

The mine by Ekoras is probably one of the only ones known in the world.

There are a lot of dead bodies now.

At least two to three dozen.

Just thinking that those all were likely elite fighters and they all died here seems like a loss to humanity.

Clearly dead, the way they're leaking blood out of all their orifices, and given what I used, likely out of other things that are hidden.

In hindsight, half the concentration might've worked as well, but in our situation, I had to make sure.

Now they're dead, and I feel kinda empty.

Partially, in a more concrete sense, as my body yearns to refill itself.

To summarize my evaluation, this encounter was costly.

Both in material and in energy.

Now I'm in a pickle.

It's already as bad as it is.

In my current state, raiding Siras is impossible.

The only solution to get me back into fighting condition would be to do something drastic.

And truthfully, I don't care enough anymore to hold back.

I didn't just now in the action, I won't yet when I can actually do something.

So I move to the closest corpse and let my slime drift all over him.

"Zsch"

Yes, this should get me back into the game.

The energy of the still-warm, but clearly dead body flows inside me, together with the energy-rich slime.

I don't stop, before I convert every last bit of it.

The body disintegrates under my onslaught.

The skin melts into pink flesh goop, mixed with splotches of blood.

Parts that quickly join the slime I'm pulling inside.

When I'm done, I see that Liqu came out, together with a wide-eyed Vela inside her body.

"Liqu, don't let Vela out yet. I can still perceive some particles of the poison in the air." (Shari)

"Okay." (Liqu)

I am not done yet.

Not even close to full.

So I move to the next body and begin my gruesome work anew.

Liqu meanwhile just does as she said.

She doesn't even say anything about what I'm doing.

Probably, because she can see my gaze.

However, she decides at least to follow my example and begins to dissolve her own corpse, much to Vela's distress.

And if I say distress, this is a ridiculous understatement.

Maybe it's the fact that the way she's aligned, she faces straight at the whole process.

It could also be that she feels how the new slime flows all around her and settles directly on her body.

Then again, it might also be that Liqu pumps air into her mouth that comes necessarily together with some of the new slime.

Or it's the idea that there's no way she can tell where the reaction exactly works and how close it is to taking her apart as well.

Yet I can't allow this to affect my decisions.

I move to the next body.

Huh, I'm pretty sure that was the ranger girl.

Not so jovial anymore, huh?

Do I really need any more than I gathered?

I'm almost capped.

Not sure how much sense it would make to mutilate another body.

I'm not compromising here, but I may just check if Liqu is overeating again and simply take the surplus.

She seems eager enough to do so.

Albeit, I'm sure, those voidstone weapons clipped off more from her body than from mine.

Not like she wouldn't have plenty to make up for it here.

Probably even a lot more, as she's also sending out tendrils to get rid of any voidstone that might still exist around here.

Eventually, we are done.

Also, with having given it a bit of extra time for good measure, I'm very sure that the poisonous residue in the air is no longer problematic.

"Liqu, I think you can let her out." (Shari)

"Yes, yes." (Liqu)

And so a drenched, traumatized, and very agitated officer gets flushed on the ground.

"Argh! Never again! You hear me?! Never again!" (Vela)

"It can't have been that bad. We made it, and you're still alive." (Shari)

"Something I, in all honesty, doubted a lot for a horrifically extended period!" (Vela)

I can't really argue with her on this.

So I don't.

"Anyway, the poison in the air should have dissipated, but I advise you to remain cautious about your condition. In addition, sure as hell there's going to be some residue on almost everything here. So be careful and don't touch anything." (Shari)

"Yeah, don't worry. I didn't plan on eating the corpses." (Vela)

That was an absolutely low blow!

"I appreciate that!" (Liqu)

Yet I guess if it's true and you don't care about it, there's little to be ashamed of.

"Though, poison. That's something. For a moment I thought we were goners, and then you pull something like this." (Vela)

"Well, problematically, this was all I had. I won't be able to do this a second time." (Shari)

"Sure. That would be too much. I could tell these people were professionals. All of them experienced fighters, none of them weak. Getting them all like this was the best call we could make here. However, it raises a troubling issue." (Vela)

I guess I know what she means, but it may serve well to affirm it first.

"You mean their equipment?" (Shari)

"Yes, among others. We can be pretty sure that the Marquis knows what you are and took measures against you. From what we could see here, it proved at least to a certain degree to be effective. And now, you also literally spent all your poison. So, are you still going to continue your stubborn assault and hope it will somehow work out?" (Vela)

Yes, like I feared.

Worse, she makes so much sense that I have to admit she's right.

I can't fight all of Siras.

Not if he's got his guards equipped with more voidstone weapons.

He certainly has the funds for it.

This may have been an ambush, but I doubt his home turf is any less prepared against us.

But what are we supposed to do about this?

"So what?! Are we gonna wait for our troops to arrive? Are we going to lead a full-on siege while my family is being transported farther and farther away? I can't wait! I, I just can't." (Shari)

"I get you. And I'll admit that we were supposed to infiltrate the city and prepare for the battle. However, we also need to be realistic about what we can do. And right now, we won't even get through the door. This requires careful consideration. We need at least a plan. Not barge straight in." (Vela)

"Ehm, I'd know something!" (Liqu)

Both of us turn to Liqu.

Both of us equally surprised and confused.

"What kind of plan? Don't say you'll again turn into giant monster mode. We are supposed to free this city. Not wipe it from the map." (Vela)

"No? Also, I can't. I'm still not that well. The damage from last time hasn't quite 'healed' yet." (Liqu)

I remember.

Back then, Liqu was completely out of commission.

But I guess, she means also that this act damaged something inside her.

Not in an irreparable way, but enough to believe that a second attempt could prove fatal.

At least, these are my assumptions, coupled with what I gathered back then when I held her core in my chest.

"Okay, but then what are you suggesting?" (Shari)

"Well, those people here are with this human we want to get, right?" (Liqu)

"Ehm, yes?" (Shari)

But they're dead.

"Then look!" (Liqu)

Without waiting for my answer, Liqu jumps at the body of some big dude with a hammer.

I already wonder what all this was for, only for her to dissolve another corpse for food, but then I notice, she doesn't.

She isn't dissolving him.

Instead, she pushes her large violet core through his mouth and shoves it along with more and more slime inside.

Then, his body starts to shake weirdly.

There are ripples traveling along his whole surface.

His chest area rises and falls, but not evenly, but always as if specific spots of his move independently.

"Zsch"

Yeah, I guess this sound doesn't require an explanation.

The body trembles more and more.

Partially, I fear that he may explode any moment, partially, that the dead are about to rise again.

But that last part would be ridiculous, wouldn't it?

Then, finally, it settles down.

His body caving in like a wet sack.

Only to promptly blow full again, and rise up.

Shit.

Dead men are walking!!

Then he opens his mouth and speaks with a voice that isn't his own.

"He-ey! Look! I got this done! This could work, couldn't it?" (Liqu)