Ch. 23 – Contracting the Water Slime!

With everything in place, Yves took a deep breath, feeling excitement surge through him. He called upon Taro to stand beside him.

Together, they approached the glass enclosure containing the Water Slime. Though there was only a slight chance of the slime being aggressive, Yves didn't want to take any risks.

Having Taro by his side provided an extra layer of security. Instructing Taro to keep a close eye on the Water Slime, Yves carefully opened the enclosure.

As the glass door swung open, revealing the shimmering form of the Water Slime, Yves felt a rush of anticipation. The slime remained still, its translucent body undulating in the light. With Taro on alert, Yves reached out cautiously, extending his hand towards the creature.

The Water Slime responded by pulsating softly, emitting a gentle glow. Sensing no hostility from the creature, Yves felt a wave of relief wash over him. It seemed that his precautions were unnecessary, but he was glad to have taken them nonetheless.

With a hesitant smile, Yves extended his hand and gently patted the surface of the Water Slime. The slime quivered slightly under his contact. It felt cool and smooth to the touch, resembling the sensation of stroking a gentle stream of water.

"Hmm, interesting."

"You're quite friendly, aren't you?"

Continuing to pat the slime, Yves couldn't help but feel a sense of connection forming.

"Looks like we're going to get along just fine,"

Turning to Taro, who had been observing the interaction curiously, Yves grinned.

"Come on, Taro, say hi to our new addition to the team."

Taro's ears perked up at the mention of the slime, and with an excited yip, he bounded over to the glass enclosure, his fluffy tail wagging excitedly. Peering inside, he gazed at the Water Slime with wide eyes, his nose twitching with interest.

Yves chuckled softly at Taro's reaction.

"Go on, Taro, don't be shy." he encouraged, watching as Taro slowly reached out a paw towards the slime. The Water Slime responded by pulsating, as if welcoming Taro's greeting.

Taro let out a happy bark, his tail wagging even faster.

As Yves watched, a thought crossed his mind. What should he name the Water Slime? After a few seconds of contemplation, he smiled.

"How about I give you the name Fizz?"

Taro let out a cheerful squeak, bouncing around excitedly as if he fully agreed with the choice. Meanwhile, the Water Slime seemed to react to the proposed name as well. It bobbed up and down gently in its enclosure, almost as if it was nodding in approval.

"It's decided then." he declared. "Welcome to the family, Fizz!"

With a sense of warmth filling the room, Yves carefully picked up Fizz from the glass enclosure, cradling the slime in his hands.

With great care, Yves stretched his hand into the glass enclosure and lifted Fizz into his hands. Yves placed Fizz on the apartment floor, watching as it settled into its new surroundings.

Satisfied that Fizz was comfortable, Yves stored away the glass enclosure in his storage space ring, freeing up space in the room and allowing Fizz more freedom to move.

"There you go, Fizz."

"This will be your new home."

"It may not look like much now, but in the future, we'll move to a place where all of you, my pet monsters, will have a space that suits each of you perfectly."

As Fizz glided and jumped around the floor, Taro excitedly chased after the slime, their playful antics filling the room with joy.

Yves let the two of them familiarize themselves with each other and the apartment, giving them a few minutes to play and explore. When the time was right, he called out to Fizz.

"Fizz, let's form a proper contract now."

"By forming this contract, our bond will deepen, allowing us to understand each other better. With this connection, I'll be able to communicate with you using my mind."

Fizz, sensing the seriousness in Yves's voice, glided over, stopping in front of him. Yves sat down on the floor, creating a space for the contract process. He picked up Fizz and placed it in his lap, cradling the slime.

"Do you agree, Fizz?" Yves asked, seeking Fizz's consent for the contract.

Fizz responded with a small motion, indicating its agreement. Yves smiled warmly, interpreting the gesture as a positive affirmation.

"Alright." he muttered.

With a steady hand, Yves retrieved his obsidian dagger from the storage space ring. Cautiously, he pressed the blade against his fingertip, drawing a small droplet of blood.

It was a common practice among pet monster tamers to use a drop of their own blood in contracts, symbolizing a deep connection and mutual trust.

As the droplet formed on his fingertip, Yves focused his intent on the contract, channeling his mana into the blood. With a flick of his wrist, he released the droplet, allowing it to fall towards Fizz.

With each droplet that touched Fizz, a soft glow enveloped the slime, illuminating its translucent form. The blood appeared to be instantly absorbed into Fizz's body, signaling the beginning of the contract-binding process.

Yves felt something special happening. It was like a warm hug spreading from his fingers through his body, filling him with a comforting feeling. It was as if a piece of him was becoming a part of Fizz, making them connected forever.

At the same time, a glowing circle appeared behind Yves' hand, shining with all sorts of bright colors. Fizz was enveloped by a bright light, making it hard to see. But Yves could feel the magic in the air, swirling around them like a gentle breeze.

The light surrounding Fizz intensified, forcing Yves to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, Fizz was nowhere to be seen. It was like Fizz had vanished into thin air. Even the glowing circle behind Yves' hand had disappeared.

With a quiet certainty, Yves knew they had succeeded. He sensed that Fizz had become a piece of him, like they were now tied together by an invisible thread, stronger than any chain.

Yves let out a contented sigh, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "That went smoothly."

Summoning the newly contracted Water Slime, Yves muttered. "Fizz, come on out."

With a command, Yves summoned the newly contracted Water Slime. "Fizz, you can come out now."

In a flash, glowing symbols appeared on the back of his hands, followed by the emergence of familiar slime on the floor.

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[ Author's Note: The Character Design Auxiliary Chapter has been uploaded now. You can check it out in case you missed the images I uploaded in the previous chapter. Thanks! ]