The sun was higher, but its warmth didn't reach Coker. Each step away from Oakhaven makes his mind heavy, the weight of his failure a heavier burden than the small pack on his back. The crude map in his belt felt like a brand, marking him as an exile.
The main road was too exposed. He could still hear the echo of laughter in his mind. Instead, he chose a narrower, dirt path that wound through the thicker parts of the forest, following the general direction the map indicated. The silence here was different from the one at home. It wasn't heavy with disappointment; it was alive with the chirping of birds and the rustle of unseen creatures in the undergrowth. For a moment, it was almost peaceful.
Then, a low growl rumbled from a thicket to his right.
Coker froze, his heart leaping into his throat. He wasn't a Hunter. He had no combat training, no powerful beast to defend him. He was just a boy with a bag of bread and a…
His hand flew to his cloak pocket. The slime was still there, cool and motionless. Useless.
A wild dog, mangy and lean with hunger, slunk out from behind the trees. Its lips were pulled back in a snarl, showing yellowed teeth. It was between him and the path forward.
Panic seized him. His first instinct was to run, but his legs felt rooted to the spot. The dog took a step closer, its growl deepening.
"S-stay back!" he stammered, his voice cracking with fear. He fumbled for a rock on the ground, his hands shaking so badly he could barely grip it.
He threw it. The rock sailed wide, missing the dog completely and vanishing into the bushes. The creature didn't even flinch. It took another step, its eyes locked on him.
This was it. He had survived the shame of the summoning only to be killed by a common wild animal on his first day alone. The irony was bitter.
As the dog lunged, time seemed to slow. Coker stumbled backward, tripping over a root and landing hard on his back. The world spun. The dog's snarling jaws filled his vision. He threw his arms up over his face, a pathetic shield against the inevitable.
A sharp pain exploded in his forearm as teeth ripped through his tunic and into his skin. He cried out, kicking wildly. He managed to shove the beast off, scrambling backward until his back hit the rough bark of a tree. He was cornered.
Blood soaked through his torn sleeve. The dog circled, readying for another lunge. This time, it would go for his throat.
Tears of pain and frustration welled in his eyes. This was how it ended. Not in glory, but in a ditch on a road to nowhere.
His gaze fell on his cloak pocket. The slime had jiggled out from the impact and now sat on the dirt a few feet away, quivering softly.
A final, desperate thought crossed his mind. He wasn't a Hunter. He would never be one. But maybe he didn't have to die for nothing.
As the dog gathered itself to spring, Coker used the last of his strength not to run, but to lunge forward. He threw himself not away from the slime, but *over* it, shielding the helpless creature with his own body.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, to the slime, to himself, to the parents he'd disappointed.
He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the final blow.
It never came.
Instead, a sound like a thunderclap erupted from beneath him. A blinding, brilliant blue light exploded outward, so intense he could see it through his closed eyelids.
The dog's snarl turned into a startled yelp, then a terrified shriek that was cut off abruptly.
The light died as suddenly as it appeared.
Coker dared to open his eyes.
The wild dog was gone.
Where it had stood was nothing but a few scattered leaves.
And his slime… his slime was different. It was no longer a small, translucent blob. It had grown to the size of a large melon, and its color had deepened to a vibrant, electric blue. It pulsed with a soft, inner light.
And then, he felt it. A new connection, a thread of understanding that hadn't been there before. It was faint, like a whisper on the edge of his mind, but it was undeniable.
He stared, his pain and fear forgotten, replaced by utter disbelief.
The slime quivered and, in a fluid, mesmerizing motion, began to change shape. Its form stretched and solidified, growing legs, a torso, a snarling head.
Within seconds, standing where the slime had been, was a perfect, shimmering blue replica of the wild dog.
It turned its head and looked directly at Coker, waiting.
Coker could only stare back, his mouth agape, his heart hammering for a completely different reason now.
His summon was not useless.
It was hungry.