Chapter 23—Performing Ritual
"Who ordered you?" Slime#47 asked nervously. He had to know about that being, for his safety.
He had to be sure he hadn't already become someone's puppet.
"The Demon King Remora. He had the power to seethe future," Elder Slime said bitterly, saddened that even a being who could see destiny itself had perished.
"Wait, if he could see the future, then how could he die?" the young slime questioned, suspecting the elder was hiding something.
'I finally met someone who has the future-seeing ability—like a certain magician who saw millions of futures. So why didn't the demon king use that power to change anything?' he mused with a little shock.
"Because the future isn't a single line," Elder Slime said, low and tired. "Every choice spins a new branch. Looking at it shifts it a bit—but some events and some abilities of a person will remain the same. Your resistance to unholy power was one of your abilities, Remora told me that."
"I see. If merely looking at the future changes it… So, that kind of ability is almost useless," the young slime lamented, disappointed that something so grand couldn't even save the world from the eldritch.
"No—it's a very powerful ability," Elder Slime corrected, shaking his body. "After all, because of that gift, I knew you could learn ritual magic." His tone softened, amused joy flickering in his voice. 'It was thanks to that gift that I could see you—who can save the world.'
"So… like glancing into different timelines, and learning information from them?" the young slime said with a grin as he began to understand. 'It's actually very powerful....I might need it to learn my enemies' weaknesses.'
"Timelines,…Yes... Different versions of the future," Elder Slime nodded. "King Remora peeked into many versions—and in most of them, you succeededin unholy power."
He took a deep breath, his expression hardening. "Follow my instructions and perform the ritual."
"Good, Elder," the young slime said, patting himself for confidence. He stood near the circle; the sigils were only one step away from him.
"This ritual connects to the unholy creature of the moon—the one that resembles an octopus," Old Slime said, his eyes flickering at the crimson moons floating in the dark sky.
'I met the sun Eldritch before… and now I will meet the moon one,' Slime#47 thought. A cold fear crept through him.
He'd been freed from the curse before, but a trace of dread still lingered whenever he remembered that monstrous female-headed spider.
"This ritual requires blood and energy—mana or aura, either will suffice. Upon success, you'll form a bond with the moon unholy being," Elder Slime explained. His eyes shone sharply, his tone grave. "When you perform this ritual, the image of that creature will appear in your mind. Remember—if your will proves too weakto bear the unholy power, cut the ritual off at once."
"Okay…" the young slime agreed quietly.
"First, inject your mana into the sigil," Elder Slime ordered, maintaining some distance on the right side of the circle.
Juuu!
The sigil lit up with red light as the young slime poured his mana into it. The droplet in the center turned crimson, symbolizing blood.
A chilling, eerie wind spread outward.
He trembled, feeling cold sweat slide down his jelly blob. 'I'm starting to feel… fear,' he admitted as his core began thumping wildly.
"Now, tear a small piece of your body and drop it in!" the old slime shouted as even he began to shiver from the spreading cold.
'Here goes… nothing.' The young slime enhanced his right palm with the aura and—Riip!—tore off a fragment of himself.
He looked at the blue jelly in his palm. 'Tch… slimes really are too soft,' he thought bitterly, feeling the weakness of his body.
Unlike other races, slimes had no bones or muscles to protect themselves.
Puch!—He threw the torn jelly piece into the glowing circle.
"Now, repeat after me!" Elder Slime yelled. His voice quivered as his body wobbled from the cold, rubbing himself to generate heat.
"I, a lowly slime, do call thee—O Moon-God Korthu'Zaal! Lend me power, and I shall serve!" he chanted, loud and shaking.
"I…" the young slime echoed, following word for word.
Once the chant ended, silence fell across the world. The buzzing of insects stopped. Even the rustling grass froze mid-sway.
'… Here he comes.' He swallowed nervously.
The two large moons in the sky transformed into enormous black eyes, while the smaller ones twisted into elongated tentacles.
A massive octopus head appeared—its eight small moons now its writhing limbs, and the two large ones its staring eyes.
Additional small eyes scattered across its red body, each pitch-black, absorbing the light itself.
Slime#47's tiny gaze met the eldritch's.
He froze still.
A beamof crimson light descended from the octopus creature, falling directly onto him.
'The chill….fading,' he thought as he felt a strange warmth rise inside him.
"I grant my power to you—in exchange for your eternal servitude," the voice echoed, cold and alien.
'Ugh, irritating voice,' the young slime thought, wincing at how unpleasantthe sound was—it felt like a cat scratching glass.
[ Ding! You have gained power from Korthu'Zaal! ]
[ Ding! You have leveled up! ]
[ Ding! You have leveled up! ]
[ Ding! You have leveled up! ]
[ Ding! You have leveled up! ]
[ Ding! You have leveled up! ]
[ Ding! You have leveled up! ]
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[ Error! Too much power detected! ]
'Too much?!' He screamed internally as his body turned completely red from the surge of energy.
He tried to stop the ritual by cutting his mana supply, but he failed as eldritch energy from his body kept the ritual continuing despite the lackof mana.
[ Ding! You have leveled up! ]
[ Ding! You have leveled up! ]
[ Ding! Your body is starting to collapse from excessive power! ]
'Crap! Stop, stop, idiot!' he tried to shout, but his body refused to move.
Boom!—His form splattered into a puddle of goo, unable to contain the overload.
[ Ding! Your core shattered from energy influx! ]
[ Ding! You have died! ]
"Tch! Patheticcreature," the grotesque octopus sneered. "Couldn't even endure a single wisp of my aura."
Annoyed, the monster vanished, leaving only cold stillness behind.
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A few minutes earlier—
Elder Slime watched as the young slime froze mid-step. The air around him grew unnaturally cold, but the surroundings looked normal.
"Child…" he tried to call out, but Slime#47 didn'trespond.
'As expected… the unholy being is projecting directly into his mind,' Elder Slime thought grimly.
Moments later, Slime#47's body burst into goo.
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In the nothingness...
"Idiot! You gave me too much!" he yelled furiously, echoing through the void. He'd died from receiving too much boost at once!
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End of the chapter.
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