The Fourth Night - Part 2 - Elemental Slimes

When Renir jumped and used his fist to release his anger, it backfired, literally.

"Aaack~!", Renir jumped from the throbbing pain his right hand was experiencing.

It was just an ephemeral soft fire but it was hotter than it looks and it churned Renir's skin at slight contact.

Sand was bellowing from the ground from Renir's frantic anguishing reaction.

Immediately, he turned to where his chylefruits were and ran hastily. He couldn't bear the pain of a hand being toasted!

The chylefruits atop his worn-out long-sleeved uniform was on the riverside and while he soaked his right hand on the river with electrifying sensation, he took one and took a big bite.

Renir sat down with reddened eyes and tightened jaw and fist whilst breathing deep and slow. The pain was decreasing and his energy was refilling...

He was dripping from river water but now, most of it was from his sweat.

"Haaa--..."

While taking a rest, he looked at where the orange slime was and now, it was lacking in hue.

It was still slow as it went towards the grass.

Renir thought he should kill it now before it could replenish its energy and have the ability to produce fire again!

Renir looked at it with fierce eyes. If that jumped at him solidly, his face will be burned to its bones.

So he steeled himself and prepared to pounce on the orange slime but before he could do so, he felt a tugging force on his right hand.

"Ahh!", Renir shouted in pain as the injury was yet to fully heal and it was treated harshly.

He tried to pull against the tugging force because it was pulling him into the river. Of course, Renir wouldn't let it do what it wants.

For sure, this is another slime and was trying to kill him. What doesn't kill him in this world?

So Renir tugged back with all his might and Splash* he caught a glimpse of a clear white slime before it fell into the water.

It was the same as the slime before? Renir thought as he tried to get away from the water, but a glint appeared at the edge of his eyes so he rapidly turned his head, and far from the river, he saw a white light underwater rapidly swimming towards him.

Renir immediately sensed danger and stood up to run. Behind him, a slime jumped from the water with a speed that cannot be compared to the previous slimes!

But Renir wasn't that slow... without any hesitation, he tumbled to his side.

Another Splash* entered his ears.

Renir looked and saw the remnants of the slime on the rocks and stones.

'It was so fast that it destroyed itself in the process?!'

He shivered at the thought of that hitting him.

Just like from the other slimes, this white clear slime had a thread-like core energy.

Renir got curious about what power it held but as he grabbed it, the remnants got a hold of his hand!

"Uwah!", he startled, "It's still alive?!"

But instead of letting go, he tightened his left hand's grip and grabbed the clear white slime's thread-like core energy and pulled it!

And he pulled it easier than expected. The remnants then turned into water that permeated the rocks on the riverside. It died.

'Eh?'

"Is it weaker when out of water?"

A pattern came to Renir's head, "Elements...?", as he tried to crunch the thread-like energy core he earned using his teeth.

As expected, it was tougher than before. But Renir endured by gnashing his teeth to it until its tender enough to be chewed and be swallowed.

Renir couldn't believe he got tired from eating...

"Hmm?", Renir looked at his right hand and it completely healed but it was already healing when he took a bite of chylefruit from earlier, and he felt nothing like the time he ate the bigger slime's thread-like energy core from before.

"Are there no benefits?", he asked since he didn't feel that familiar sensation whenever he eats something in this world.

That sensation of a newfound power.

Renir felt dejected, 'Is improving gets harder this time?'

It was arrogant for Renir to say this because he was like a genius soaring through the levels of abilities he learned and trained them like he was on the path of expertise.

But of course, that didn't hit him because he knew he needed to be on the path of survival, not anything else.

Disappointed, Renir tried to compose himself and walked towards the chylefruits.

He sighed, "Precious fruits, you are my only ally in this world, eh?", Renir gave an awkward smile and treated the fruits as if they were his precious children.

But soon, he took another bite.

Renir looked relaxed but in truth, he was tensed. The reason he took another bite was to use his senses to drive its full motor.

Everything was within his senses. If he was lucky then those orange and clear white slimes were the only new slimes, but luck never really helped him, so he became cautious.

A pattern was obvious here; first, fire-producing slime, and second, a slime that has an affinity with water.

It's obvious no matter what angle Renir tried to look at it.

It truly was Elemental Slimes, which was what he concluded.

If so, then Gantlet wouldn't be satisfied with only fire and water, there should others like.... this one.

Renir stopped, in front of him was a pile of rubble and stones stack together. But its form was oddly familiar.

That pile of rubble and stones then rolled.

"Of course, it's a slime, damn it!", Renir waited for it to approach the right distance. From battling slime almost a few hundred times, Renir knew what distance they would jump.

It rolled so it was faster than expected and when it approached the attacking distance, the rocks and stones scattered as if it exploded!

"Seriously?!", Renir assumed a defensive position but it was as if tens of slime hit him with their wave of attacks!

These elemental slimes are on a different level!

But Renir could endure it as much now.

He knew he had no chance again this type of slime so he decided to ran away from it. If a water slime's thread-like energy core was already tough then what about this rock slime?!

'There is no way I would chew that!', Renir thought as he ran away.

This was because that was the only way he knew how to defeat these slime is by taking away their thread-like core energy. He wouldn't mindlessly punch that rock slime, and even the water slime wouldn't die easily.

Minutes after minutes of running, Renir encountered different types of slimes such as wood slime and wind slime, of course, they were hard to deal with.

The wood slime was hard just like the rock slime but is intact and doesn't scatter its body. They were simple but tough!

As for the wind slime... could this be explained?

They were terrifying!

Their thread-like energy cores were enveloping pressured wind and it could hover and pop by itself to attack!

But once, Renir managed to catch one even though it has great dexterity through the air.

Renir tried to eat it and then swallowed but, he couldn't feel anything.

It was strange. These slimes should be stronger and had greater value, shouldn't it?

Renir gritted his teeth out of frustration.

And it was long before he got tired from running. How long was he running without rest? Half an hour?

Renir felt he was a new person and was more different than last night...

He wondered what happened last night after being surrounded by tens of dozens of slimes.

Renir stopped to catch his breath after a while and while at it, he took a bite from the chylefruit.

He looked back to see if there was any slime at sight.

"Yes", he freshly exclaimed to see that there was none but, he glanced back and thought something was missing...

Renir looked around and around.

'There's definitely missing...', he was sure of it.

On far away, he noticed that something he thought missing. It was the mountain he came from!

Renir thought it was missing because usually when he turned back, it was huge enough to cover the whole scene but now, it was only half the size.

'Did I really ran that distance?', he couldn't believe it as he retreated backward.

He didn't notice he was running fast enough or have the stamina to run like that within half an hour!

It was definitely strange, but carelessly, while retreating, Renir tripped on a mud and felt into the bushes.

He didn't mind it at all but when he passed by the bushes and down the cliff, there he realized he will fall into the river!

That was his cue to scream, "Ahhh~~!!"

Splash!*

The chylefruits he was holding was washed away by the strong stream. Renir choked on the water since he couldn't gain a proper foothold.

That river was too deep for him to reach the riverbed!

Renir gave up on trying to gain a foothold and let go of the precious chylefruits. He decided to swim back to the ground as soon as possible.

So he pedaled his feet on the water and went along the stream to the riverside.

He panicked and hastened since he knew this was the most dangerous place he could be right now!

But Renir's fear occurred when he felt a tugging force pulling one of his feet...

Renir swam desperately but it was not only a single slime there, but more;

White flashings of light were reflected in his desperate eyes...

The moon slowly descended on the horizon and the only light illuminating that world disappeared once again.