The air froze for a moment as Lilian's voice cut short, her spell never leaving her lips. From behind the bushes, something surged upward — a glistening mass that caught the sunlight and warped it through its body. Before anyone could react, the creature fell over her like a wave, swallowing her whole.
"Lilian!" Kairo shouted, his eyes widening in horror as her silhouette disappeared inside the translucent green mass. Theo cursed under his breath, sword already drawn. "This isn't good—what the hell is that thing!?"
The ground trembled slightly as the full form of the creature came into view. It was enormous — a green, gelatinous monster that pulsed and rippled with each movement. Inside its body, faintly visible through the thick liquid surface, floated a glowing sphere and the struggling figure of Lilian, her limbs flailing helplessly.
Kairo's mind raced. The monster's body distorted, forming crude arms as if to mimic flesh, its surface shimmering with acidic energy. "Get her out of there!" he shouted.
Theo and Flint rushed forward, their reflections bending across the slime's surface. The sound of crackling acid filled the air as steam rose from the ground beneath it.
A new enemy had appeared— and it had already struck first.
Theo and Flint charged forward, the ground splashing beneath their feet as they aimed straight for the gelatinous monster. Their only goal — to pull Lilian out before it was too late.
With a sickening ripple, the creature's surface swelled and from it sprouted long, whip-like tendrils. They lashed through the air with a sharp crack. Flint was the first to meet it, both of Raghul's axes gleaming in his hands. He swung in a brutal arc, severing one of the tendrils in midair. The piece hit the ground with a wet slap — and to their horror, grass began to sprout where it landed, twisting unnaturally fast through the cracks.
"Watch out! It's changing the terrain!" Theo shouted, dashing past Flint in a blur. His sword gleamed with faint light as he carved through the creature's side, the gelatin rippling and reforming almost instantly.
The monster shifted shape, collapsing into a puddle before rising again as a towering wave. Theo leapt backward, barely avoiding being engulfed. Flint roared, slamming both axes into the slime, sending tremors through its body — but it only made the creature quiver, reforming faster each time.
"Damn thing won't die!" Flint grunted, leaping back as a new tendril lashed out, slicing through the air where his head had been moments before.
Through the green haze, Theo spotted Lilian suspended inside, her eyes shut, her body limp. "I see her!" he yelled, diving forward. His sword glowed as he slashed his way toward her, each step burning against the acidic air. He stretched his hand toward her—but the gelatinous monster reacted instantly, hurling him away with a violent pulse.
Theo crashed to the ground, rolling across the dirt. He groaned, clutching his shoulder — the fabric was smoking, skin beneath scorched.
Kairo's eyes widened in alarm.(If it burned Theo just from contact… what's happening to Lilian inside that thlong.
Kairo's eyes darted between Theo and Flint, who were locked in a desperate struggle with the monster. Every strike seemed useless — the gelatinous mass merely rippled, closing every wound as fast as it was made.
"What is that thing…?" Kairo muttered, frustration tightening his jaw. He quickly pulled up the Command Nexus and scanned the creature through its shifting form. Lines of glowing text appeared before his eyes:
[Species: Green Slime]
[Tier: 3]
[Skills: Regeneration, Acid Body, Acid Shot]
[Description: A rare slime variant that thrives in ancient ruins and decayed forests. It is said that some forests grow from the remains of a hundred Green Slimes.]
Kairo's eyes widened slightly. "A Green Slime… then that means…" He looked around at the lush trees sprouting unnaturally through the ruins. This whole area must've been born from its kind…
But then his focus sharpened as he read further down the status window.
[Weakness: The Core — the heart of every slime. Destroying it nullifies all regeneration.]
Kairo clenched his fists. That's it.
"Theo! Flint!" he shouted. "Aim for the glowing ball inside it! That's its core — hit it hard and fast!"
Both of them nodded, determination flashing in their eyes as they shifted tactics, circling the monster like wolves preparing to strike at its heart.
Theo and Flint charged again, their movements synchronized like sharpened instincts at work. Theo's boots crushed the damp soil as he activated Dash, blurring forward in a streak of motion. "Let's see you heal from this!" he yelled, swinging his blade in a cross-arc. The technique Rattle of the Deep cut into the slime's surface, carving glowing lines across its gelatinous body. But even before the last slash landed, the slime quivered — and regenerated, sealing the wounds instantly.
"Tch—this thing just won't die!" Theo hissed, backing off slightly.
Flint roared, leaping forward with both axes raised high. "Then we'll make it wish it could!" He brought the weapons down with bone-rattling force, splitting the slime's side open. Acid splattered across the ground, sizzling.
The gelatinous monster recoiled, its translucent body shuddering. Theo and Flint pressed on, blades flashing, determination written across their faces as the battle raged on.
Theo and Flint pressed their assault, blades flashing as the gelatinous monster writhed and retreated, inch by inch. Theo smirked through the heat of the fight. "Heh—looks like we got this thing cornered!"
But before his words could settle, the slime pulsed violently. Dozens of green tendrils burst from its body, slicing through the air like whips. Flint cursed, swinging his axes in wide arcs, cutting them apart as they flew. The ground hissed and sprouted grass wherever the fragments landed. "These damn things just keep coming!" Flint barked.
Theo sliced through another tendril—but then one coiled around his arm, pulling him off balance. "Theo!" Kairo's shout echoed as the slime began dragging him toward its core. Flint lunged, but Theo's eyes locked on the glowing orb inside the slime. "Don't—get close!" he shouted, struggling against the pull. "I can hit the core from here!"
He raised his sword, ready to strike—but his gaze flicked toward Lilian, still trapped, her body constricted by the slime's mass. He froze for a heartbeat. Then, seeing her trembling hand barely reaching out of the slime, Theo made his choice. With a roar, he grabbed her hand instead of attacking the core. "Hold on!"
With every ounce of strength, Theo pulled, his muscles straining as the slime's grip tightened. The air rang with his scream—and then, suddenly, Lilian was free. She crashed onto the ground, coughing, her body covered in slime, her clothes partially melted from the acid.
"Theo!" Flint charged in as the slime engulfed him halfway, swinging his axe in a brutal arc that split the slime apart. In one desperate motion, he yanked Theo out, retreating with both him and Lilian in his arms.
Behind them, the slime quivered—and Theo's sword, Zeven's blade, remained trapped within its core, glowing faintly in the green light.
To be continued.....