It was still relatively early when I woke up to the creaking of the tree I had slept in the day before. Honestly, I wasn't even sure how I ended up back there. All I remembered was dragging myself somewhere. Then there was nothing. I had woken up as a Blue Slime in a small hole.
Shifting back into human form, the early afternoon suns greeted me.
"It's still early?" Somehow, that was the most confusing thing about everything. However, it was not all that bad. If anything, I was happy it wasn't the middle of the night because I was hungry and a little thirsty.
I pulled out the waterskin, took a big sip, and turned to a… piece of cloth? The cloth was sprawled out in the treetop. In it lay strips of jerky and a piece of bark. Then came the musk. It was strong, much more intense than it had been the days before.
That… was odd.
"...Thank you…" I mouthed into the forest, pocketing the bark and eating some of the jerky.
'Someone is watching me. Following me.' That much was apparent. It was so obvious it left me wondering why whoever was following me hadn't come to greet me. Or why I hadn't been attacked yet.
I considered the possibility of being in another creature's territory, but if that were the case, the owner would have removed all unwelcome guests rather than treating them to water and food.
The unknown was as scary as always, yet the kindness I had received made it all the more bearable.
Accepting the stranger's kindness for what it was, I turned to my new weapons. A javelin and two blades. While not the best weapons in the empire, they were much better than the serpent fang and makeshift spear. By leagues.
My new weapons looked good as well, resembling black, crystallized wood that had been worked on for hours, if not days. Testing the weapons with a few swings and thrusts quickly confirmed that they did not only look good but were also durable and sharp.
Next up was Shift. As important as it was to retain enough energy to shift a few times, using my Power was equally important. I had to know my limits and learn to shift more efficiently somehow, after all.
That being said, Shift triggered, and three different Hnoll versions appeared on the treetop for a moment. Each time Shift triggered, the Status page changed slightly, confirming yet another suspicion.
Core: Tier-1 (33%)
Core: Tier-1 (41%)
Core: Tier-1 (60%)
Not every Hnoll was the same. Their strength varied greatly, and the Status confirmed as much. It also explained why the transformation period for every Hnoll was so different – yes, each Hnoll had its own countdown.
Killing a hundred Hnolls meant I could shift into all of them, one by one, and all of them had their own transformation period. Alas, there was a limit to Shift. Each repetitive transformation into the same creature was a lot harder on the body. Or… the soul? Honestly, it was still hard to tell what energy or resource the Power drained to complete the transformation. All I knew for sure was that too many transformations would be exhausting. I had to rest in between or learn how to shift permanently. Because the Blue Slime form was not exhausting. Like, at all.
If the Blue Slime form was anything, it was refreshing. Almost like being a Blue Slime helped me recover faster.
Alas, I couldn't stay a Blue Slime forever. It was too weak.
A rustling bush pulled me out of my thoughts. I spun around, hands reaching for my new weapons, but there was nothing nearby. Neither sound nor movement. Only a strong musk that seemed to envelop me. It was stronger than before.
The cloth smelled the same, and so did the piece of bark. Actually… retrieving the bark from my pockets, I sniffed… and reeled back. The musk was the most potent on the bark. Like it had been drenched in it.
A bush nearby rustled again.
"H-Hello?" I called out, cursing myself inwardly for sounding like a scared coward. "Is someone here?"
Nothing.
Shaking my head and clearing my throat, I called out again. "Are you there? I… I don't know who you are, but I think I owe you my gratitude." What even was I doing there, talking to… I didn't even know if someone was actually there. Either way.
"Thank you for the waterskin and the jerky. I hope I'm not too much of a bother. Honestly, I am a little lost here. I… actually didn't want to be here. My situation is a little – quite a lot actually – tricky." I knew I was blabbering, but my body was tense and my mind didn't want to do what I wanted. "If you want me to leave, I can do that. Although I don't know where…"
I caught some movement near a tree a dozen meters to the left. Another bush rustled.
"You understand me?" Was that what the rustling meant? If so, that would be great. It meant I was communicating with a creature of intelligence.
Another bush rustled ahead of me. This time, I only noticed a shadow rather than actual movement.
"Do you want me to leave?" I asked again, waiting several seconds for a response before adding, "Can I stay? Not forever. Just for a while, and only to rest."
The bushes stirred once more, sending waves of relief through my body.
"Thank you!" I exclaimed a little louder than I had intended to. "That is very generous of you. I'm Xavier, by the way."
I didn't know why I introduced myself, but it felt like the right thing to do. As awkward as it was, telling the stranger my name made me feel more secure. Like giving the stranger my name added yet another layer of protection, even if there was no sound or movement in response.
"Do not worry about your territory either. As long as I'm not attacked, I will only hunt outside your territory. I won't bother you at all!"
At least, I'd try not to bother whoever, or whatever, I was talking to. If one could call this a conversation in the first place. One way or another, I was satisfied with the turn of events.
Maybe the gods hadn't abandoned me. Maybe they were still on my side. I sure hoped so.