Determination settled within Arthur like a weight finding its proper place. He looked keenly at Green, questions already forming. "Green, how can I summon powerful slimes?"
"You'll need arduous practice to summon higher powered slimes."
That made sense. Nothing worthwhile came easy, especially not after watching three previous owners die from lack of preparation or poor timing. "So I have to start with low tier ones first?"
"Yes, that's right. You'll first need to learn how to summon."
"I know the process but I haven't tried it before." Arthur straightened, energy returning despite the exhaustion still clinging to his bones. "Wait a second. I'll try right away."
He closed his eyes and began to visualize. A blue slime, simple and clear in his mind's eye. Round shape, translucent gel, that characteristic wobble. He held the image steady and reached for whatever power the talent was supposed to provide. Nothing happened. No surge of energy, no sensation of connection, nothing at all.
Arthur opened his eyes and looked around the cave, checking for any sign that the summoning had worked. No new slime appeared. No talent panel message congratulating him on success. Just the same five slimes watching him with patient attention.
"Master, maybe you're tired. You should try doing it again after some rest, or perhaps tomorrow."
Arthur wanted to argue, to push through and keep trying until something worked. But Green had a point. The day had been brutal from start to finish. Betrayal, mutilation, flight through hostile forest, bonding with creatures he hadn't known could talk, watching three horrific memories play out in sequence. His body might have healed but exhaustion ran deeper than physical wounds. His mana reserves were probably depleted even if he couldn't consciously feel them.
"You're right, perhaps. Are there any edible human foods available to you guys?"
The purple slime spoke up in its cranky old man voice. "Unfortunately no, Master Arthur. We only eat bacteria and fluids, so we don't know what humans may eat."
Arthur's stomach chose that moment to cramp with hunger, reminding him he hadn't eaten since breakfast with his father. That final meal before everything collapsed. He pressed a hand to his abdomen, massaging the complaint away. "I see."
"We apologize, Master Arthur. We'll try to get you food tomorrow. Just tell us what you want to eat."
"You guys don't have to. I'll hunt my own food down."
"If that's what you wish."
"Thanks for understanding." Arthur glanced around the cave, looking for somewhere to sleep. "Now I guess I'll sleep."
He spotted a pave stone in the corner, its surface dry and relatively clean compared to the surrounding dirt. Arthur moved to it and lay down despite the hard surface pressing uncomfortably against his back and shoulders. He'd never slept without a proper bed in his entire life. Soft mattresses and fine linens had always been available, basic comforts he'd taken completely for granted. Now he had stone and nothing else.
He'd need to get used to discomfort if he planned to survive. Comfort was a luxury for people with homes and families, neither of which he possessed anymore.
Sleep came eventually despite the conditions, exhaustion overriding physical discomfort. The slimes arranged themselves in a protective formation around him, Green positioning herself closest to where Arthur lay. Ready to intervene if any threat materialized during the night.
Morning arrived sooner than expected. Arthur woke to sunlight streaming through a gap in the cave ceiling, the ray falling directly across his face with enough warmth to pull him from sleep. He sat up with a yawn and looked around, immediately noticing the slimes still stationed nearby in their circle formation. They'd kept watch all night while he slept defenseless.
Something loosened in Arthur's chest. At least the slimes cared about his wellbeing, more than his own family ever truly had. The care his parents had shown had been conditional, dependent on him meeting their expectations and bringing honor to their bloodline. The moment he'd failed they'd discarded him without hesitation. But these creatures asked nothing except the bond itself.
"Thank you," Arthur said quietly.
"Master, did you sleep well?"
Green's voice carried genuine interest. Arthur nodded. "Yeah. Slept peacefully like a baby."
"Do you want to try summoning again?"
The question brought Arthur's focus back to immediate priorities. "Sure, I think I'll try again."
"Aren't you hungry?"
"Of course I am, but I need someone that can attack to kill a hunt." Food meant nothing if he couldn't acquire it. Better to establish combat capability first, then worry about eating.
"Very wise decision. Let's get on with it then, Master."
"Thanks for the compliment. Let's try again."
Arthur closed his eyes and focused inward, thinking specifically about summoning a slime. This time something responded. A golden panel materialized in his mind's vision, text appearing with crisp clarity.
[Do you wish to summon an attacking slime? Yes or No]
Arthur selected yes without hesitation. Another screen replaced the first immediately.
[What color should it be?]
Options appeared, various colors representing different slime types. Arthur selected blue, remembering that water manipulation had combat applications. The panel disappeared and Arthur felt something shift, a pulling sensation as energy drained from somewhere deep inside him. A blue slime materialized in his mind's eye, growing more solid and defined until it felt completely real.
Another panel appeared.
[The summoning was a success. User's mana pool has increased.]
Joy flooded through Arthur, pure and uncomplicated. He'd done it. Actually summoned a creature from nothing using his talent. The first concrete proof that this power could be used deliberately rather than just reacting to circumstance.
He opened his eyes and found a blue slime sitting directly in front of him, wobbling slightly. Behind it stood the original blue slime that had been part of the cave's inhabitants. A talent panel message hovered in Arthur's vision.
[Do you wish to combine both slimes to increase power? Yes or No]
Arthur looked at the original blue slime, the one that had lived here before he'd arrived. "Do you have any complaint against merging?"
The slime remained silent, offering no response whatsoever. Arthur waited but nothing came. Green spoke up from beside him.
"Master Arthur, this one is mute. It can't talk, so do as you wish with it."
Mute. A defect of some kind, preventing communication despite being the same species as the others. Arthur processed that information. "Okay, I understand."
He selected yes on the panel. Both blue slimes began glowing with soft light, their forms dissolving and flowing together until they merged into a single larger entity. When the light faded, one blue slime remained, noticeably bigger than either of the originals had been.
The newly combined slime wobbled and spoke with a voice Arthur hadn't heard before. Clear and functional, no longer silent. How had that happened?
Another golden panel appeared as if answering his unspoken question.
[Thanks to Slime God talent, you can heal defects within a slime.]
The merging had fixed whatever prevented the original from speaking. Arthur filed that information alongside everything else he was learning about this talent's capabilities. Healing extended beyond just physical wounds, apparently. It could repair fundamental problems, restore function that had been missing or damaged.
"How are you feeling?"
The blue slime pulsed once. "I'm feeling fine, Master Arthur. Will you please name me?"
Arthur thought for a moment, considering appropriate names. Nothing particularly creative came to mind and he was too hungry to dedicate serious mental energy to the task. "Your name will be Blue. It's easy to remember you this way."
"Master, that's kinda lazy."
Green's voice carried clear judgment. Arthur turned and glared at her. She shrank back slightly
.
"Sorry." Green went silent.
Blue seemed unbothered by the lack of creativity. "Thanks for the name, Master Arthur. I'll help you however you want."
"Counting on you." Arthur stood and stretched, working out the stiffness from sleeping on stone. "Let's go hunt some meat."
He moved toward the cave entrance with Blue following close behind. The forest waited outside, still dangerous but now Arthur had a weapon he hadn't possessed before. A summoned creature capable of combat, responsive to his commands, invested in his survival because its existence depended on him.
The morning air carried the cool dampness of dew still clinging to leaves and undergrowth. Arthur scanned the area immediately surrounding the cave, looking for game trails or other signs of animal movement. His stomach cramped again, demanding food with increasing insistence.
Blue wobbled beside him, seemingly ready for whatever Arthur asked. The slime's presence felt reassuring in ways Arthur couldn't fully articulate. Not quite a companion but not just a tool either. Something in between, a relationship he'd need to understand better.
Movement caught his eye maybe thirty yards distant. Something small darting between trees. Arthur crouched instinctively and Blue mirrored the motion, flattening slightly. They waited in stillness until the creature emerged again.
A Grabbit. Brown fur, white tail, completely ordinary except for the faint glow around its eyes that suggested minor magical enhancement. Forest creatures adapted to their environment, developing small abilities that helped them survive among more dangerous predators. This one probably had enhanced speed or perception.
Still edible though. Still meat that would quiet his protesting stomach.