HURT

The campfire burnt without smoke. Purple flames reached into the air, incinerating the small dust particles with colors of mysticism. They fell onto the endlessly burning wood, building the spiritual wall between the gemstone and the shaman.

"I… I think I can feel something! Is this really… what kind of energy is this?"

The fire grew stronger, rising above the two. It wiggled awkwardly as if the wind changed direction every second.

The shaman leaned down his head. His shaking hands told he was concentrating with all his might. As an answer to that, the fire slowly calmed.

"I'm sorry, I can't… I'm…"

Suddenly, Sunny let go. Bursting forth with loud gasping, the fire broke forth too, straight towards the shaman. He tried to lead the flames back, but it was too powerful.

"Sensei!" He shouted as it burnt the shaman's skin.

To quickly ease his pain, Sunny channeled the nearby energies and healed his friend. Unfortunately, a red spot remained on the shroom's neck.

"I'm so sorry, Sensei! I tried my best to control the flames, but it's so hard! Nothing like essence or influence bending! I'm…"

The shaman reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny purple flower. He stuck it to the gem.

"Uh… Did I pass? Does this mean I did well? But Sensei! I burned you!"

Like a child seeing a simple magic trick, the shaman clapped. Finding rhythm in his claps, he began dancing. His body twisted and turned as if imitating the mating dance of a worm.

Confused but still, Sunny felt proud of his small accomplishment.

"You're such a weird person, Sensei. I can only hope to achieve the power you possess. Let that be the power of magic or the power of the dance floor."

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"Oh, it's time. Master, will you come?"

Hearing the off-beat ringing of the bells, the shaman danced around more aggressively.

"Huh. No problem, Seidon must be on his way to pick me up."

As soon as he said this, the curtains leading into the temple were pushed aside and a figure emerged. It was a child.

"Oy kid, are you lost?"

Confusion lingered on his face as more and more children flooded the temple. Something moist followed behind them, moving with small sloppy jumps.

"Wait for me, my Gonyos!" Cheered someone with an old and nasal voice.

"Seidon? Is that you?"

A fat slime jumped through the door.

Thump!

Three layers of green covered him, darkest on top and lightest on bottom. He had two white eyes on the front, small and close to each other.

A small hand grew on his side with which he waved.

"It's me, my Gonyo!" He said with a fruity voice. "Look at me, I have evolved!"

"Y-You did?"

"Yes, Sunny-gonyo! Look at me! Look at my beautiful colors!"

The slime's status appeared before Sunny.

[ Name: Seidon ]

[ Race: Slimefolk ]

[ Subrace: Fruit Slime ]

[ Level: 1 (0/25) ]

[ HP: 15/15 ]

[ Constitution: 10 ]

[ Intelligence: 3 ]

[ Boons: 'Soul-gifted'; 'Novice Elementalist'; 'Elemental Affinity (LvL1)' ]

[ Description ]

[ Fruit Slimes are exotic variants of elemental slimefolks. They possess below-average elemental affinity, but high sensitivity to elemental effects. When a fruit slime is affected by an item with elemental attributes, it equips that given element. The power and time for which it's possessed are based on the amount and quality of given intake. Fruit slimes are also known for their love of pineapples. ]

"Woah, Seidon! You've grown so strong! Though I got to say, your voice… I didn't think you'd be so old."

"You were wrong, Gonyo, but do not worry! Us slimes are immortal until we die!"

"That means nothing."

"Age is but a number to me! My body doesn't age, neither my adventorous soul!"

The children used the large slime as trampoline, playing around the purple campfire and dancing with the old shaman. Sunny pondered for a bit.

Seidon jumped on the gem, picked it up, and headed towards the village gate. Sunny felt a bit weirded out now that his friend is consciously accepting him inside. And thinking of the latter sentence made him feel even more embarrassed.

"Say, Sunny, have you seen our Luna-gonyo?"

"Oh, yeah, no I haven't."

"I thought the children might find her cute! They have tiny brushes, I thought she'd enjoy if we gave her a nice little beauty treatment!"

"I'm sure of that." Sunny said, brushing his anxiousness aside. He feared where she might've gone. But knowing well the direness of their situation, he had to focus on defending the village.

That camel spider.

He knew there's no way to beat that thing in a fair fight. For this, he set up a three-part plan.

First, he made every samurai have a bow for ranged support, plus he asked some to hide on top of the roofs (thus providing 'aerial assistance').

Second, he ordered the farmers to dig holes throughout the moss field, fill them up with spiky traps and hide them with moss.

Third, he made the bartender create a very special cocktail. For what it was, he wanted not to think of. There was a 50% chance this plan would work, all depending on whether he mixed the right ingredients. The bartender had it by himself, hiding it under his ragged apron.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

People gathered at the entrance of the village. Sunny and Seidon were let through the crowd. As blank mushroom people were, Sunny felt bad omens emanate from their looks.

And crawling their way through, they saw a lone woman walk through the fields, straight towards the village.

"I've figured we expect an army, but they sent just one soldier?"

"Don't let your guard down, Seidon! We don't know what ability she possesses!"

It was a tall humanoid in a grey dress. Her skin was brown as chocolate and two ant-like antennas stood atop her head. Wavy white hair hung down her back, down to her waist, where grey scabbards stood on both sides.

"That woman… that woman is smiling!"

"She looks so weird, is that a human?"

Upon closer inspection, that loose dress was revealed to be made out of tiny chains. It was light but still strong enough to defend from a sword. Wooden katanas couldn't have pierced through it.

"Oy, Seidon! Can you feel it?"

"Yeah. Something feels off."

"Every step she takes towards us I feel the air get denser."

"I don't know, Sunny-gonyo, I feel a strange pressure from all sides."

The woman had large yellow eyes. Two wooden sandals elevated her legs. Though she was the most human of them all, Sunny had the worst feeling about her.

"Lady Aeron."

"Huh? What's that?"

"Everyone! She's Lady Aeron!" Sunny shouted. "Don't let your guard down! She's a core, just like me!"

Still a half football field away from the village, her every step bore autocracy much stronger than a tyrant's. Her determined smile only grew more oppressive as she approached, while the air became equally denser.

"Don't let her get close to you! If she gets even one step too close, you lose control over your body and you can't do anything about that! Don't let her too close! Don't let her touch you! Whatever you do, keep your distance!"

Sharp pain grew in his head. It pulsated so hard, he almost couldn't talk.

"Sunny-gonyo, this is too much! I feel like I'm about to burst!"

"Gahh… I need to think of something, I need to do something! Seidon, can you—"

Buzz!

With the sound of a deep burst, the slime around him disappeared. Yet he was still above the ground.

"W-What happened?! Sunny-gonyo!" Seidon's shouting came from far away.

"H-Huh?" Sunny turned around to be blinded by a womanly smile. Every single one of her teeth was made out of different colored gemstones, painting a rainbow in her mouth.

"You must be Sunny. I've been itching to meet you."