- Shari -

So we are moving through the forest and I think we have a good pace and are still walking in the right direction.

It helps that I don’t have to watch out not to sprain my ankle or am not impeded by the natural obstacles, like pointy twigs or bushes with thorns.

However, we need to be careful, not to rip the coats, while traversing the area.

Something I had to reprimand Liqu more than once, as she's obviously not used to watching out for anything else than her core when walking through bushes and so on.

After two days I start to notice the difference in mass.

Liqu’s estimation of a week seems not too farfetched, regarding the consumption.

It's no pressing matter, but one that has to be attended.

Suddenly I hear something.

"Awooohh"

I identify the sound as a direwolf.

Not surprising, as they are quite common in these lands and fairly successful as a species.

Yet, this sound is rather foreign to me.

Since we are in more dangerous lands with larger rivals in hunting, I suppose that this was a communication call to other pack members.

As a group those creatures can compete even with stronger monsters, so they use gathering howls to coordinate their actions.

"Prey!" (Liqu)

And she gets excited.

"Please can I? I need sustainment! Can I?" (Liqu)

They are quite close, if my perception is correct and to refrain from any opportunity of nourishment, just because I don’t like the predatory existence, would make me an idiot.

So letting her hunt is the right decision.

"Fine, you can. Ehm, are you going to do this filling thing again?" (Shari)

"I think you should dissolve yourself. But if it’s still too much, I need to do it like this. (Liqu)

I’m pondering.

The impression I get when she does this thing feels like the most extensive breach of my personal sphere you could imagine.

I mean, she pumps something in my body.

That's just wrong!

On the other side, I will perish if I don’t sustain myself.

That's just logical.

While eating the berries was fine, I have aversions to dissolve a whole living being.

The former was still akin to eating and I could ignore the process to an extent.

Yet, completely encompassing an existence and melting it down, so it becomes a part of me?

Even if it is dead when I start, to do something like this feels like another step away from being human.

I don’t know if those are even straws I grab.

But as something to hold on to, to keep my sanity, I don’t really want to let go.

So I'm between a rock and a hard place!

I choose the rock!

"Just do it Liqu." (Shari)

"Good! It is a little bit like linking, so I like it!" (Liqu)

Unnecessary information! Unnecessary information!

Ignoring all topics about affection between slimes, I follow Liqu in the direction of the howl we heard.

The most dangerous about those ferocious killer-beasts would be for me, that they could rip the cloak.

Which reminds me,

"And by now it should be known by you. Don’t ruin the cloak!" (Shari)

"Yes, yes!" (Liqu)

We proceed in the direction we expect the wolves to be and soon enter a clearing.

And there we find:

Adventurers!?

Well, and wolves.

Yet, the adventurers are a greater source of concern for me.

It seems the howl was more a gathering call for an attack on this group.

I see seven wolves and two beast corpses on the ground.

Such large numbers are a bit over my expectations, regarding the most basic information I could remember about this area.

And it seems that those adventurers got surprised as well.

So I determine, that those numbers are indeed uncommon since the guild wouldn’t allow that recruits they put resources into training them, would get themselves killed because of overestimation.

That much I’ve got out of the adventurers that came regularly to our village, as the bottom class gets more frequently requested to do "this" job.

As it looks they seem to be in a dire situation?

One of them, I think a swordsman, is lying on the ground with a severe gash on his chest.

A girl in light clothes, leather so no mage it seems, kneels over him.

Meanwhile, a slim guy with a crossbow keeps the wolves at distance.

The pack seems to be apprehensive, because of the lost members, yet they are slowly advancing.

As soon the crossbow gets fired and the threat vanishes they will jump at their prey and leave no chance regarding the situation.

"Yay! More for me!" (Liqu)

In disregard of the tension, I throw Liqu a stunned gaze.

Her solution is simply to eat them all.

As for me, I am in a bind.

Those people haven’t ever done anything to me, so I don’t wish them death.

Also, in regard to Liqu and the fact that we are nearly completely invulnerable to the claws of those creatures, we would have no problems helping them.

Furthermore, as we already were set to kill them, we wouldn’t even go out of our way.

The one problem is that it would blow our cover.

Can I afford this?

On the other side; am I really so far that I would bargain people’s lives for my convenience?

I am always telling myself that I don’t want to become a monster in mind, but here I am.

Considering, if I shall exchange them for my benefit.

Is this really different from a monster that hunts humans as prey for nourishment?

I don’t like where this path is leading me.

If that's the way I’m set on I need to break out.

And the best way to break out of a situation is by doing something reckless!

"Liqu we are engaging the wolves! Not the humans!" (Shari)

"Sure that w…" (Liqu)

"Yes I am sure we do it like this and defend them! Please!" (Shari)

"I don’t like these people. They hunt slimes! ... But for you." (Liqu)

"Good; then hurry!" (Shari)

We rush to intercept between the two groups.

Liqu leaves the cloak and clothes in a "fluid" motion behind.

Pun intended.

Meanwhile, I move to the wounded guy and his nursing comrade.

Albeit it seems that she has not much more proficiency than wailing.

Yet, while I can leave the frontline to Liqu without any concerns, they are a soft target and I can try to cover them.

Liqu slows down directly in front of the crossbow guy.

Strolling casually in, between the fronts, directly intercepting the wolves.

While facing those beasts, she turns her head at him and winks with a smile.

Like always, it would look nice.

But the hidden meaning was: "I watch you! Use that crossbow on me and you’re dead!"

Not that he can afford to let go of that one bolt in this situation.

But who knows what terrified people do.

And if one thing is certain, then that Liqu is terrifying.

At the same time, I draw close to the pair.

With my still completely covered body I look extremely suspicious.

However, I don’t believe that they are picky at the moment, where help comes from.

"We are here to help! You there with the crossbow! I would prefer it if you would aim for nothing else than the wolves!" (Shari)

Can’t hurt to clarify it.

"Y-you are helping?" (girl)

"If not I would have waited for the wolves!" (Shari)

A good way to persuade people of something is by roaming out the options that differ the point.

So they can think for themselves about it and get convinced by their own accord.

I let both of my gloves glide to the ground since my dissolving is more effective than the knife and I have fewer aversions to use it to defend myself against beasts.

The hands are still hidden in the sleeves though, as there is no need to point it out.

At the appearance of the intruders they couldn’t notice before, the wolves seem agitated.

But that just appears to ignite their fury, to obtain the meal they fought at the cost of their comrades for.

Those poor creatures.

Liqu isn’t even taking them seriously and if I’ve seen right she did lick her lips.

A mimicry of humans which, regarding the situation, is just frightening.

She won’t let them run.

Taking a step to the wolves; the first of them jumps at the apparently unarmed prey.

Liqu just sprawls her arms, waits, and takes the whole creature in.

It is never a nice view to see a living being disintegrated at a rapid pace.

Simply the thought that I shall do this myself is displeasing.

The wolves are taken aback, but still hostile.

Considering that they might run if they have enough time to process the situation, Liqu dives full in.

Or the other way around, as it more seems like the lake comes to the wolves.

Again she expands to an unbelievable size and directly encompasses the first target, vaguely reminding of a snail.

Before they can evade, she extends two tendrils of giant size and pins two more wolves down.

In all this chaos one rushes past her and directly aims for us in the back.

Standing in-between, I have no choice but to brace myself for the contact.

I just hope the cloak will survive.

Comfort-zone! Comfort-zone! Can’t afford to be naked now.

The wolf gets hit in the side by a bolt before it can reach me.

However, this did just slow him down but was by far not enough to kill.

I extend my hands and try to catch him when he attacks.

Or she. Haven’t verified what's down there.

To stand steady at the impact is far easier than I expected, as my body cushions the whole weight and is somehow able to support it. The legs are a bit giving in, safe for my arms, but the pressure from within me pushes everything directly back into shape.

Trying to keep the claws away from my cloak, while stuffing the mouth with slime to prevent chopping, I lift the wolf in front of me.

Holding it like this, there is one way I could directly end the fight, yet I hesitate.

I don’t feel any particular sympathy for that monster, nonetheless, intentionally killing like a slime is still a hurdle for me.

But if I don’t do it my cloak will get too damaged to obstruct the view on my body.

So I need to finish the wolf before it gets torn.

Like this I concentrate just on the arm, embedded inside, and activate the dissolving.

I am just concentrating on the action to not waver in my focus and destroy the cloak.

When it gets calm I open my eyes and see that the wolf is dead.

It seems I’ve just grilled its brain since no obvious wounds are on the outside.

That is good, as I don’t need like this to emphasize to these people that I am an existence of obliteration.

When I become clear again after my action, I perceive that Liqu has all of her new three victims almost completely disintegrated.

The last two directly turn around and rush for the grove.

But then out of Liqu’s enormous structure abruptly a tendril extends.

It flies with astonishing speed across the whole distance and hits one of the wolves behind.

It’s not really piercing but burns ferociously in its hindquarters.

It staggers and tries to get back running, yet before he manages so, the rest of Liqu follows along the tendril, catches it, and directly starts to dissolve.

I doubt that she needed that one to get full, but she seems to be in hunting mode.

The downside is that people don’t tend to like you if you emphasize the fact that you could kill them without problems and leave no chance of escape.

After she is done, she turns back to finish the meager rests she left behind when she did catch this one escapee.

I doubt the last wolf has big chances on its own.

Yet maybe he manages to get to my forest, as there is now quite some free space since Liqu was there.

I pick my gloves back up and look for the pair with the injured swordsman.

I need to be careful with my approach to not edge them more as they are.

And I have to honor the crossbow guy for managing to hit the engaging wolf, despite the chaos all around.

That’s an accomplishment.

I would have been freaked out.

I was freaked out when I met Liqu the first time.

Hah, what terrifying memories.

I raise my gloved hands and approach the girl and the wounded swordsman while glancing at the one with the crossbow.

Since I doubt that he will aim at me and provoke Liqu, after witnessing the carnage moments ago, I advance on them.

"How bad is it?" (Shari)

"Y-You… just… what…" (girl)

"Focus! The wound! Any other spots that are important?" (Shari)

"N-No! We got attacked by the wolves! Chris could kill the monster with his sword but got slashed by its paw! There-there is so much blood coming out and I can’t stop it!" (girl)

"Calm down! Panic won’t help him." (Shari)

Since I cannot really convince them that nothing of interest happened here, gaining their favor might be the best approach to serve my case.

Also, any threat towards them would only hold until they are safe inside the next town.

So I have to gain favor and play nice.

Fortunately treating wounds is the prime example to gain trust.

"Okay; open his clothes so I have a clear view on his chest." (Shari)

She does so and after removing the thick leather I can examine the wound.

Apart from the gash, one can see the training the young blond man has been through.

Probably what helped him to be strong enough to survive his wound until now.

It is not that I know much in terms of medical treatment.

However, I know how to provide basic first aid and several beneficial effects of plants.

The wound looks very bad and runs from under the shoulder, till short above to the stomach.

But if I am right, there is no internal damage.

Nonetheless, the blood loss is dangerous and he will die if it won't soon get stopped.

Fortunately treating this is no complicated matter, so that I can be of help.

I grab some of the clearsprouts out of my sac but hesitate.

I have some free bandages, which I intended to use for my face, but that’s exactly the reason why I can’t just give them away.

Sigh. I’m a bad person.

Yet, there is a solution.

A somewhat queer one.

"Take a piece of cloth and rub as much blood away as you can!" (Shari)

"Okay. Are you really going to help him?" (girl)

"Yes and now start!" (Shari)

I remove one glove from my hand, which I hide inside the cloak’s sleeve, and put the herbs inside.

Then I marginally dissolve it and use pressure to turn it to a pulp.

This I mix with the outer edge of my hand.

As soon as the wounded area is somewhat clear, I put my hand there before blood can flow back out.

"This… "paste" will stop the bleeding, I guess!" (Shari)

I apply a current of mixed slime, which I made sturdy and dry, over the wound.

The herb inside should still maintain its effects and as far I know the slime should be absolutely clean and prevent infection, while at the same time covering the wound to keep his insides where they should be.

Might be gross, but most emergency measures aren’t pleasant.

I gave my best to hold the sleeve over the hand and obstruct her vision, but don’t know if it worked.

The crossbow guy was too concerned with watching Liqu to give much thought to my person.

"I think it worked. Can’t see any more blood coming out." (Shari)

"It really helped! But what is this?" (girl)

"A paste. Better leave it there till it's possible for him to receive professional treatment." (Shari)

"Th-Thank you! You saved him, saved us all!" (girl)

And here someone cries again.

She doesn't look too young eighteen or nineteen, maybe twenty years, yet her short dark-brown hair, brown eyes, and her slim build make her look like a small animal.

Well, maybe a bit bigger than that.

"No problem. But if you want to recompense me there would be something!" (Shari)

"Y-Yes; what? (girl)

And that’s the moment when the monster eats you all! Kidding.

"Please just forget, that you met us! There were no cloaked figures or giant slime creatures that killed a bunch of wolves, which you need to report. Possible?" (Shari)

"Y-yes sure!" (girl)

"Huff! Good; that helps a great deal! I think we are then back on our way!" (Shari)

I tend to Liqu and notice that the crossbow-guy approaches the other two, to examine his friends.

I don’t know who the leader of them is, but doubt it is the girl, with what I’ve seen of her.

The crossbow guy instead has far better abilities to keep a cool head, considering how he faired through this whole ordeal.

Chris seems unlikely too.

Since he is the one at the front, he has no overview.

So crossbow!

"And you are full again?" (Shari)

"Yes I’ve got more than enough. Glurb!" (Liqu)

"Fine then come. I want to leave before too many questions get raised." (Shari)

"First your part. I can’t hold it for long." (Liqu)

Urgh; that will be unpleasant.

She glides her hands under my sleeves and soon I feel the familiar push inside me.

The flooding seems this time much larger than I remember.

Recollecting the other occurrences, I conclude that the first time at my home she was not completely full before she gave me the current, and the second time I interrupted her.

But this time she has mass equaling six wolves inside her.

Yes, she also took one of those who were already dead when we came, this glutton!

Now receiving this much is a strange sensation, as I feel stuffed in a good way, as weird as it is.

As if the whole mass is ready to obey my command.

My body is reverberating with energy to the brim.

No wonder Liqu is addicted to this.

I need to be careful with this sensation.

"Fine. Satisfied? Then take your cloak and clothes. And I hope this time you can get them on yourself!" (Shari)

"I can! Just watch!" (Liqu)

In a weird way, she flows in her pants through the legs and somehow ends up wearing them.

Then she glides through the shirt and expands inside it.

The cloak she quickly grabs and hurls around her.

"Done!" (Liqu)

Maybe I should learn this too.

It looked quite impressive.

Yet not human.

"Can we really not take them?" (Liqu)

"I said no! The deal was no backtalk!" (Shari)

"Yes, yes! If you say so." (Liqu)

As we have finished everything I turn to get back into the woods.

"Wait!" (crossbow-guy)

That startled me, what could he possibly want now.

"Is something the matter?" (Shari)

"Ah, yes. My name is Jacob. On behalf of our group, I wish to thank you for your help.

Thank you! We would be dead without you!" (Jacob)

"Ah; well yes. Appreciated. We are on our way then, bye." (Shari)

"Please wait! I know it might sound impudent, yet I would like to ask for your further assistance." (Jacob)

At least he has a good manner of speech.

Also, he is rather tall, well developed, and has short yet silky black hair, but with light grey spots.

"You see, we are in some kind of situation. So accompanying you might be difficult for us." (Shari)

"I-I thought so. Nonetheless, transporting our injured comrade, we will need at least three days back to Ekoras and the scent of blood will surely attract the beasts in this forest. If you don’t help us we will surely not make it. Even just the two of us would be a matter of luck and we can’t leave him!" (Jacob)

It feels wrong to leave a person to die you just saved.

And we are on the same way.

They might slow us down a bit, but not to an unbearable extent.

But is he seriously suggesting that we should accompany them?

If you’re afraid of monsters, should you really choose to sleep beside the biggest one you find in the vicinity?

"You are aware that there are unique conditions, which could conflict your purpose?" (Shari)

"We don’t have much of a choice and if you would be hostile our lives would be already forfeited!" (Jacob)

Okay; what am I doing? This gets more entangling than I had planned.

It is not that they pose a threat.

And to repeat what I said: I am no hypocrite!

Leaving them here, hoping they will die would undermine the whole act of saving them.

On the other hand, if I escort them to town, I am at the mercy of their testimony.

Yet, that would be the same if they would make it alone, leading again to the "hoping they die" part.

As I don’t want to be hypocritical, I don’t have much of a choice.

I could even benefit from doing this and gain favor in the city.

So I stick to my previous actions.

"Fine, but like you should have heard: No words to anyone about us!" (Shari)

"My deepest gratitude!" (Jacob)

Ugh; just say "thank you"!

I walk over to Liqu, trying to talk to her, while not let get out too much.

"You’ve heard it, we stay with them." (Shari)

"Provisions?" (Liqu)

"No! Damnit! What is wrong with you? Just preventing death!

See it like this; the blood stench might draw the beasts to you." (Shari)

"Oh, so they are bait! That’s fine too!" (Liqu)

She drives me crazy!

As the situation leaves me no choice I walk back to the wounded man and the girl.

"Seems like we stay together for a while." (Shari)

"Really!? You will support us even more? I don’t know how to thank you." (girl)

"We had this discussion before. Okay; first we need a stretcher it seems." (Shari)

"Yes, but how do we make one?" (girl)

"We take branches from the trees and use the wolf's pelt there to link them. That should be good enough. Can anyone of you disassemble?" (Shari)

"Y-yes; that is my job in fact! I am good with the dagger and gathering!" (girl)

"Fine! Then do this! The guy with the crossbow, Jacob was it, can go for the branches.

I was told we shall stay because of the possibility of new monsters approaching, so we should keep watch if that’s alright with you." (Shari)

"Yes sure, I wouldn’t demand of you to even work for us." (girl)

"You leave your prey to them!" (Liqu)

"They take just the pelt and I don’t think that we need any more." (Shari)

My prey, huh?

In fact, that was the first beast I decided to kill and it wouldn’t feel too wrong to claim what's left of it.

"Maybe we can store a bit of the flesh with our provisions we got from mum." (Shari)

"Would definitely be better than what is in there." (Liqu)

"Don’t insult my mother’s cooking!" (Shari)

"But it is just this corn stuff and earth plants." (Liqu)

What is her problem with bread and vegetables?

Okay, they are less helpful for replenishment, but she isn’t able to taste them.

Maybe the efficiency part is what matters to her.

While we wait for the creation of the stretcher, Liqu draws close to the corpse.

My guess is, even if she is full, her instincts are telling her to take it in as long she can.

That could be one thing that distinguishes me from those creatures.

Slimes have an endless need to devour what they can catch.

The girl does a good job with the knife and I don’t know if I could do the same, considering the composition of my hand.

At one point she notices Liqu which drew closer and closer to the corpse.

"Kyaaaa!" (girl)

Maybe I should have warned her.

Yet no one did this for me, so why should I?

Liqu isn’t even bothering with the hood anymore.

Not that this would change anything at this point.

And I can comprehend her irritation.

While Liqu like always just looks confused at her.

"Is everything okay?" (Shari)

"No… yes; I-I was just startled! I… Wh-What is she?" (girl)

"Isn’t it obvious that I’m a slime?" (Liqu)

"A-A slime?" (girl)

"Hello my name is Liqu and you are?" (Liqu)

And she's reaching out with her hand.

"M-Myra! Ee-Ehm, thank you for your help?" (Myra)

Liqu, take your hand back!

"It is okay! You don’t need to shake her hand if you don’t want. And she isn’t allowed to hurt you!" (Shari)

"O-okay it’s not that I mistrust you. It’s just… I’m unused to… her." (Myra)

A very polite wording around the fact that you are in mortal fear!

"Maybe you should just finish then we can start going!" (Shari)

"Yes, you’re right!" (Myra)

As these two are astonishing nimble, the construction of the stretcher is proceeding quite fast. Meanwhile, I am trying to fetch the best parts of the meat.

Which is a difficult task, as I have a bad grip on the knife.

Like no grip.

Because my hands are slime!

The other problem is that the small pouch for the provisions, although isolated with leaves should have problems with the blood and other liquids.

There is a reason why you don’t take wet food with you on a journey.

"Hey does your group have a way to transport the flesh?" (Shari)

"Yes, in our backpack should be a free space. But we should try to get rid of the fluids first." (Jacob)

Well; that could be my life motto.

They manage to put Chris on the construction and I can convince them to gather and store the flesh for me.

This wasn’t too hard, since their lives depend on me.

Then we can start to get going.

Although there is no real danger, I am somehow glad to leave this place.

On the other hand, when we got done it was already late, so my estimation is that they have two, at most three hours before we need to camp.

So let's see where this leads to.