Training as a Slime (22)

Cori was pleasantly surprised that eating the shield turned out to be a blessing. Donned in a new skin, he looked up his stats and noticed his title had changed and the hidden functions were revealed, "Blessings (revealed)-Weapon Mastery. Hidden skills (revealed)- Holy aura shield bash (1) , Merge skills. Mental (revealed) - 100.

Stamina (revealed)- 50. "

Alice, on the other hand, was busy implementing stations in the museum tour to complement the training regime. Alice was certained that this was the best solution. While Cori was in deep thoughts, it secretly scanned and diagnosed his physique. "You're going to be the very best, like no slime ever was. To better you is my real test, to train you is my cause!" it thought to itself. "Golden slime, got to train you well! It's you and me, this is our destiny. Golden slime!" it hummed to itself while scanning. 

Cori perked up, hearing a familiar tune. As usual, his gut told him this would be no usual museum tour. He wondered if he would be lucky one day and have a normal relaxing day instead. Cori looked forward to the tour in anticipation, hoping to find similar items made of the same mineral and metal. If he ate them, he definitely could upgrade his title to Golden Baby Slime instead of Slightly Golden Baby Slime! 

The scan revealed that Cori had changed his temperament from crybaby to confident crybaby. It also revealed that the surface of Cori's biological make up changed to that of soft metal fibres, which acted like an armour. If those fibres were removed, it would reveal his original colour. Just like fur, the fibres could grow back once they were removed. The coating also granted Cori immunity to mid level curses and hexes. After scanning, Alice rearranged the artefacts and recategorised the rooms to attack, defence, agility, luck, stealth, and intelligence. All these were done in 6 seconds.

After reviewing his stats, Cori did not rest around either. He thought he could casually tour around the museum this time and made his way up the stairs. The placard to the entrance read "Natural History". It introduced how life begin on the planet. Alice, "Scientists believed the universe started with a Big Bang. However, that was not accurate. The universe began when it first gained enlightenment through time-space-dimension awakening. In each dimension, space, and time grew different deities and a different inter-link power. Our world was created in a similar manner like Earth. In the beginning till now, there was the ancestor world tree. The first creatures were born from the ancestor world trees through the will of our deity. This branch you see is the branch of the ancestor world tree."

Cori touched the glowing branch that sprouted flowers and leaves. A primordial holy power seeped into Cori as he squeaked like a surprised toy, "What is this?"

Alice, "That is the primordial holy energy filled in ancestor world tree. Actually that branch is more accurately your mother. You're the youngest child." 

Cori, "?". He squeaked again.

Alice, "Traditionally monster couples prayed for a baby in the modern world tree. However, there were no couples in the beginning. So the deity had to tend to the ancestor world tree for it to bear fruit to monsters instead. Nowadays the modern world trees bear seeds instead of monsters. After fulfilling its duty of filling the planet with baby slimes, the ancestor world tree died. This branch is the last world tree preserved by our deity and you are the last slime born from it... according to the database."

The room begin to terra-formed. Cori squealed in panic as the soil broke and raise underneath him. Alice, "After the first batch of baby slimes were born, they had to undergo a transformation process in order to level up and evolve. They had to win a fight against the ancestor world tree. For this simulation, you just have to avoid the lava, the vine whips, and leaf cutters to move to the next room. Oh! Ancient creatures from various worlds might charge toward you to, try to dodge them too."

Cori cried while dodging the lava splitting from the ground. It was all virtual but the damage to Cori's vitality took from the leaf cutter was definitely real. For the next 45 minutes, Cori cried, squealed, and bounced from branch to branch, rock to earth, earth to rock while avoiding spitting lava, animal rampage, monsters stampedes, leaf slicers, and branch whips. Luckily he trained his glutes in the gym. There were several moments he thought he would miss his footing and die. However, his cheeks were bouncy enough to propel him to the other side. He also witnessed thousands of baby slimes fighting against the mother tree, trying to pushed it into the lava. It was a 9D cinematic experience. Cori tried to mount some of the bigger and more agile beasts and hide at one point. At another point, he hanged onto the mother tree branch and rested there for a few seconds before being attacked by the leaves. He activated his (Qing Gong) several times to escape from harm. Fortunately, he was also immune to all curses and hexes casted by the ancestor tree. The pollen attack had immobilised many slimes, causing sleep, paralysis, petrification, poison, etc." 

After a long fight, the tree had finally succumbed and fallen into the lava. The slimes had won! The lava cooled and turned back to land. The ancestor tree returned into being a seed gem. The animals dispersed and the baby slimes glowed and evolved into different monsters. Some into slimes, king and queen slimes, some into goblins, others into orcs, some even became dragons and there were even a rare few mythical monsters that Cori knew from myths and legends on Earth. After the whole ordeal, Cori managed to increase his agility and stamina by 50 substantially. He also had better control on his footing.

Cori wondered, "Could this be training? No, it could not be. This must be an immersive cinematic experience!" Cori took out his bubble tea to quench his thirst and replenished his energy. 

Alice casted a healing spell and healed Cori, fully restoring his health points. Cori squeaked in gratitude. Alice was rather happy with herself, and proud that she disguised the training as an educational game. 

Cori asked in his incomprehensible squeaks, squeals and wheezes, "Will the training school be like this?" Alice translated and answered, "Master, I do not know. But to date there are no further record of such a big fight. I believe the way training was done has been reformed and less cruel."