Chapter 5: Cryo Slimes

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As Orion was walking down the slopes, he spotted a dark, withered forest on faraway mountains. It seemed like a witch forest at first glance, and the giant castle in the background only exemplified the horror factor.

'That should be Mondstadt.'

The world of Teyvat had seven native elements: Pyro, Hydro, Anemo, Electro, Dendro, Cryo, and Geo. Each element had an Archon that watched over a nation.

Seven Archons for seven nations.

Mondstadt was the city of Anemo, and the first city every player visited on their journey through the world of Teyvat. It was the residence of some playable characters.

Amber, the bubbly archer and the first character the players received for free.

Lisa, the librarian whose moans, while climbing mountainous terrains, could make any man sweaty and aroused.

Kaeya, the playful knight whose past was shrouded in mystery.

Jean, the Acting Grandmaster of Mondstadt, and the character Orion wanted so badly when he used to play the game. What he got instead was Diluc, a claymore wielder with command over the Pyro element.

'I shouldn't have quitted back then.'

The extra knowledge from the game would have made his journey a whole lot easier.

'Challenge is fun though.'

He couldn't wait to visit the free city of Mondstadt, which should take less than a day even if he took things easy.

He quickly found a sunsettia tree nearby. Although he wasn't particularly hungry, the juicy orange-colored fruits hanging from the branches tempted him. He had a sudden urge to test his physical strength. He felt stronger than ever, so something should have changed. Rather, it'd be odd if his strength didn't increase.

"Makoto, don't laugh."

The black cat meowed in response.

Orion curled his fist and hit the tree without holding back. His fist smashed through the wood as if it was a fragile piece of wood, sending wooden splinters flying. Some splinters pierced his shirt, stopping short of penetrating his skin. Makoto dodged each chip with splendid agility as though she could predict the movements of each splinter.

'Great reflexes. Super cat?'

The sunsettia tree barely hung on with a giant gaping hole in its base.

The strength once again reminded him of his miraculous ascension. His aunt did what a majority of Teyvat failed to do.

Orion left the nearly dead tree aside and climbed a different tree to collect sunsettia fruits. He ate a couple and left the rest for Makoto. As he made his way down to the shore, the tree finally collapsed, not being able to withstand its own weight.

He shrugged his shoulders and eyed the giant Cryo slime cuddling with its smaller siblings. The bigger slime had a protective shell in its upper region with sharp protruding spikes made of ice. It appeared intimidating compared to its cute, little fellow slimes.

"They are immune to the Cryo element and the best weapon against them is Pyro."

From the Ley Lines, he found more information about the slimes. They weren't a threat in small numbers. People of Teyvat even used them to cool their wine cellars. Though, fighting them barehanded was going to be a pain. Since his fist smashed a tree without so much as a scratch, he surmised he could break the slime's protective shell too.

'I can always run if things go south.'

He took a confident step toward them, crushing a chunk of grass underneath his foot. The rustling noise attracted the slimes' attention.

The larger slime took the lead as it bounced towards him and tackled Orion. He crossed his arms to block the slime. The sheer mass of the pudgy slime pushed him back, cold elemental energy freezing his arms. His spiritual energy flowed on its own, sucking every bit of Cryo elemental energy clinging to his arms.

The smaller slimes also attacked him, though they couldn't push him one bit. As the large slime jumped again, he stepped out of its way and kicked the small slime, hurling it through the air like a football. His seemingly superhuman strength failed to make an impact on the pudgy elemental lifeform.

"That's a score though."

Orion chuckled, his mind calm even under the pressure of battle. The slimes once again attacked him together. He dodged the large slime, which had a thick ice armor, and focused his strikes on the smaller slimes.

The heat of battle rekindled the martial arts skills he mastered in his homeworld, fueling his blows with greater strength. Under the barrage of his fists, the weaker slimes popped like a bubble.

As though enraged with the death of its brethren, the large Cryo slime released freezing air encasing a large area around him in the properties of the Cryo element. The dense Cryo elemental energy slowed his movements. He pushed his spiritual energy into overdrive, forcing it to devour all the Cryo elemental energy in the region.

'These slimes are so annoying.'

He didn't waste any more time. A powerful strike shattered the cryo armor. The punches that followed suit exploded the slime. Every slime left behind a green jelly-like substance after their death.

"Slime secretions."

Apparently, slime secretions were a common material used in alchemy. Directly touching the substance could melt skin and flesh. Orion didn't have anything to store the monster drop, nor did he have a use for it other than exchanging it for Mora, the currency used all across the world of Teyvat.

Makoto patted Orion's leg with her paw. He turned around to tend to his cat, only to freeze momentarily. A red-haired man walked through the fields, holding a torch in his hands.

The collapse of the tree attracted some unwarranted attention.