A gasp escaped my lips as I snapped back to consciousness.
I was lying down.
Someone was beside me.
I blinked—
Lyndall.
He sat next to me, legs crossed, looking at the dirt like it held all the answers in the world.
I jolted upright. "Lyndall! Just now—those memories—they were yours, right?"
Silence.
Lyndall didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed on me.
"What? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Lyndall exhaled through his nose, brushing his bangs aside. "Never mind. So… you know what to do now?"
"I do," I muttered, clenching my fists. "But I don't have the strength to one-punch him like that."
"That's why I'm lending you my powers," he said flatly. "So follow the dream."
"Easier said than done," I grumbled. My gaze lingered on him. There was something unspoken behind those eyes. "Hey… Can I ask you something?"
Lyndall tilted his head. "What is it?"
"That demon. The one in your memory. What's your deal with him? He looked like he wanted to rip you apart."
Lyndall scoffed. "It's a demon thing. He used to challenge me to a fight every other week. But it was always a one-sided match." He smirked faintly. "Too weak to be on my level. And always the same opener—punch to the face."
"I noticed," I said. "Old habits die hard. Even after all these centuries, his fighting pattern hasn't changed."
Lyndall's expression darkened just slightly.
"…Time's up," he said, rising to his feet. "Good luck. And don't die."
He raised his hand—
And the world snapped back.
A roar of wind. Heat. Movement.
"That was so weird…" I murmured, staring at my hands. A faint crimson aura shimmered around them.
Can I really do this?
"LIL! WATCH OUT!" Rona's shriek tore through the haze.
I looked up—
BOOM.
Alma was already in front of me, fist raised, eyes glowing with malice.
But this time—I remembered.
He's going to lead with his left.
I exhaled, centering myself.
Everything slowed.
Alma lunged, his left fist swinging wide like a meteor.
I leaned—not too much. Just enough. The punch missed by inches, brushing past my ear like a stormwind.
Then—
"HA!"
I grabbed his forearm with my left hand, pivoted, and put all the force I had—Lyndall's power included—into my right fist.
CRACK.
My knuckles connected with his jaw.
For a split second, time fractured.
Alma's head exploded off his shoulders, twisting midair before crashing onto the stone tiles behind us. Blood and shadow spewed from the severed neck like smoke from a collapsing chimney.
The body stood still for a second before finally collapsing forward with a thud.
Silence.
Total silence.
Even the wind held its breath.
Isaac and Rona just… stared.
Eyes wide. Faces pale.
I slowly lowered my arm and stared at my bloodstained fist, trembling.
"Blood…" I muttered, the coppery scent finally hitting me like a wave. My stomach twisted.
"Blergh—" I turned aside and vomited. "Ugh… Gosh, the smell…"
My vision spun. My legs gave out.
I collapsed to the ground, panting.
Isaac rushed over, dodging the blood and vomit as if they were status effects. "You okay, Llyne?"
"More or less," I said, wiping my mouth. "How's Ronald?"
Rona carried him over with surprising gentleness. Ronald gave a faint smile. "I'm alright. No worries. Luckily, Isaac did first aid on me."
Before I could thank him, a familiar weight landed on my head.
"Blu!!!!!!"
Tiny slime squealed, its squishy form bouncing with worry.
I stretched out my arms and chuckled. "I'm fine, tiny slime. I'm just glad it's all over."
Isaac shook his head, brushing off blood from his hands. "Not yet. One more level to go."
We all stared up at the looming ladder leading to the fifth level.
"Oui... No… I'm too lazyyyyy. Let me sleeeeeep."
Isaac grabbed my ear without mercy. "I don't care if you're lazy. You're climbing the ladder."
"NUUUUUU—!!" I sobbed dramatically as he dragged me, step by step, toward our impending doom.
[FIFTH LEVEL]
The maze stretched before us like an ancient fortress's guts — endless walls twisting under dim blue light.
I squinted and smiled. "Ah… Maze…"
"Blu?" Tiny slime tilted on my head.
Isaac waved a hand in front of my face. "She's completely useless unless it's a combat scenario." He grabbed my collar again. "Follow me."
As we made our way toward the maze's center, my body started feeling lighter, my steps more confident.
"We've killed so many monsters of different shapes and sizes. Honestly? Awesome! Before this, I always felt like running from monsters. Now I wanna run toward them and slice their heads off. Wonder why…?"
Isaac's face was pale. He muttered like someone who just failed his finals.
"Centaur, unicorn, werewolf, dragon, griffin, basilisk, fairies, ghoul, Erlking... My brain is fried. Those things don't exist, you hear me? They don't!"
He grabbed Rona and shook her like a maraca.
WHACK!
I smacked his head. "Hey, shorty. You saw them. You killed them. They're real. Stop disturbing Rona."
Isaac let go, and Rona immediately ran behind Ronald.
"Zzz…" Tiny slime had fallen asleep again—until it suddenly jolted awake.
"B-Blu?" It looked around frantically. "Blu! Blu!" Then it jumped off my head and bounced away at alarming speed.
"Wow… That's the second time I've felt betrayed," I pouted.
"Where did Blu go?" Ronald asked, concerned.
"It said it sensed its mother." I pointed. "Let's follow tiny slime!"
Isaac groaned. "What about our goal?"
"Don't you want to see a family reunion, shorty?"
"…Not really."
We all stared at Isaac.
"…Fine. Fine," he grumbled. "Let's go."
I grinned, grabbing him by the collar. "Follow me."
"You don't know where it went!"
"I do! Tiny slime and I are connected by heart!"
Isaac gave a deadpan stare. "Oh no. We are going to be lost forever."
Minutes later, we found it.
"Look! It's tiny slime!" I waved my sword excitedly.
Isaac blinked. "She didn't get lost. I don't believe this."
A towering blue slime loomed over tiny slime.
"Oui… She's big."
Isaac elbowed me and whispered, "How can a blue slime give birth to a green one?"
"Maybe it got it from the dad?"
Isaac narrowed his eyes. "In every RPG I've played, slimes are genderless and reproduce asexually. Their offspring should be identical."
We both looked at tiny slime. I gulped. "That… seems wrong, huh?"
Isaac nodded grimly. "That's what I've been trying to tell you."
"But… tiny slime keeps saying 'Blu'… Maybe it's just calling it that because it's blue?"
The blue slime turned its attention to us. Its massive body undulated ominously.
We shut up and instinctively stepped back.
"I mean, Rona and Ronald don't seem worried…" I muttered. "They're happily playing with tiny slime."
"That's because it's Rona and Ronald."
"RAARGH!!"
The blue slime let out a roar like gurgling thunder. I covered my ears.
"WAAAH! What's its problem now?!"
SPLASH!
It lunged toward us. Isaac and I screamed.
"DODGE!"
We barely managed to roll away. My shoulder hit the ground hard.
"Oof! Am I that unlikable? Or do I taste good?" I licked my hand. "Nope. I don't."
"Blu! Blu!!" Tiny slime panicked and jumped between us.
But the giant slime ignored its cries.
Then—it turned toward tiny slime and struck.
"NO!"
Rona snatched tiny slime just in time.
Isaac and I ran to them. I patted the little blob. "You okay, little one? Just so you know, I don't think that's your mom."
"Blu…" it whimpered.
"That thing just tried to eat it," Isaac muttered. "It knows."
The huge slime screamed and started hopping. The ground quaked—then we were airborne.
"HUH?!"
SLAM!
We crashed back down.
Tiny slime screamed. "Blu! Blu!"
We scrambled to the maze wall and grabbed on for dear life.
I held tiny slime close. "Don't think calling for your mom is helping us here!"
Suddenly—BOOM!
A massive green slime oozed up beside us.
"Blu~!" Tiny slime squealed with joy.
Isaac blinked. "That… looks a lot more like its mom."
The green slime surged forward—and attacked the blue slime.
"Go, green slime mama!! You can do it!" Rona and Ronald cheered.
I sat on the ground, speechless. "Never thought I'd witness a slime vs. slime deathmatch…"
Isaac just stared, mouth agape.
After the battle…
The green slime stood victorious, towering proudly.
Tiny slime bounced into its embrace.
"Blu! Blu!"
I sniffled. "What a beautiful reunion…"
SPLAT.
I wiped my snot on Isaac's shirt.
He didn't even flinch. Still in shock.
Perfect time to tease him.
Wakakaka!
The green slime—Mother Slime—moved closer and rumbled.
"Grin…"
I smiled. "No problem, ma'am. Anyone would do the same for tiny slime."
"Blu! Blu! Blu!" Tiny slime bounced with joy.
"Grin," said Mother Slime, turning to go.
I stepped after it. Isaac grabbed me.
"Where are you going now?"
"Following Mother Slime. She knows the shortcut to the maze center."
"Shortcakes?" Rona drooled.
"No, shortcut," Ronald corrected.
"Cut shortcakes!" Rona chirped.
Ronald blinked. "…Close enough."
Thanks to Mother Slime's path, we arrived at the maze's center within minutes.
"WE'RE HERE!" Rona and tiny slime jumped in sync.
I bowed to Mother Slime. "Thanks for your help!"
"Grin." She replied gently.
Tiny slime squealed, "Bluuuuu!"
"We'll miss you too!" we all said in unison—except Isaac.
"This is farewell," he muttered emotionlessly.
SMACK.
I hit his arm.
Tiny slime bounced after its mother. We waved.
"Goodbye, old friend…"
"Oui… Although our adventure was short, it was filled with memories…"
Isaac yawned. "Are we done yet? Crying solves nothing. Wastes time."
"Cold-hearted robot."
"Robots don't have hearts, moron."