…?

A pause.

Who'd break it first? They all stare.

Pop!

A vessel snaps.

"What the hell are you staring at! Scram newbie!" Boom broke the silence.

"Yeah, that's right scram newbie!" Buum added.

"Or do you want your head crushed in too!"

"Yeahhhh…Crushed in? Smashed in?"

"Shaddap"

"Hey hey let's not fight. I was just passing by. What's going on anyway?" Zein pointed to the beaten elf, attempting to defuse the situation. Biim, meanwhile, took in Zein's character. His mud-covered tunic. His ripped brown pants. His boots with holes in them. His worn-down spear and shiny stone axe. He took it all in.

"We were just trying to get our material back." Biim answered.

"Your material?" Zein questioned, mumbling something else.

"That's right. Our material. You see we own that cave over there, the dungeon, anyone who enters has to pay the fee." Biim held his arms together, making his robe seem seamless. His long face and slicked-back grey hair gave him an air of maturity. "But this little elf here didn't pay." His eyes narrowed, iris barely visible. "Therefore, anything she got from the cave, we would like back." he smiled.

"Is that right." Zein held his hands behind his back.

"Why are we even telling him this? Who cares! He's just a scrub." Boom roared, hand outstretched.

"Boom." Biim's eyes snapped to Boom, keeping his smile together with god's strength. "Wha-!?" Boom stopped himself, throwing his arms in the air.

Zein looked at Jejj. Sea green met black, then wandered to grey. "How'd you get to own a dungeon anyway? Did you pay for it?" his tail formed a question mark.

"Naw they wrote their name on it." Jejj remarked. Boom grabbed their and slammed it back into the tree. The shock caused them to cough. Boom didn't let go.

Biim didn't bother to look at them. "Well, she isn't wrong. We just wrote it too small." he jibed. "We didn't buy it. Not that that's possible anyway. We just so happen to run this planet"

"Run this planet? What do you mean?" Zein tilted his head.

"Our guild, The Skull Kidds, are the biggest on this planet. Everything that happens here, goes through us. Even Ophis, one of the 10 great guilds, took us under their wing." Biim explained.

Zein didn't know how to respond. Biim realised. "Right, you don't know who they are. Just think of them as one of the best guilds in the world. Ranked 7. I hope I don't have to explain what a guild is."

"Why are we even telling him this? In fact, how the hell does he not know about us? Or the 10 greats? Or what a guild is?" Buum commented.

"Buum." Biim shot daggers at him. Buum looked to Boom for support. Boom returned it with the universal sign for cuckoo.

"Anodos…is it? Would you like to join our guild? We can offer you many benefits." Biim asked, kindness laced in his voice.

"Biim. What the hell are you doing? Why would you want some loser joining us." Boom whispered alarmed after calling for a party chat.

"I agree, I agree, explain." Buum concurred.

"He hasn't been to the city yet. Figure out the rest." Biim replied annoyed.

"Uhh, so, you're the leader of this guild?" Zein ventured a guess.

"No, that'll be our leader Cy, Cyanide. He's a fun guy, trust me." Biim clarified. "So, what will it be?"

"I'll have to think about uh think about it. Also, if you're so big, can't you guys just let…them go?" Zein looked to Jejj. They nodded. "It doesn't seem like they cleared the dungeon anyway so I can't imagine they got too much."

"Arghhh enough! If we let her go, we'd have to let everyone who fails go! Do you have shit for brains? I still don't know why Biim is explaining this to you but I am gettin' mad." Boom yelled.

Zein, taken aback, "Right…My bad?"

"He's a little thick but he's right." Biim remarked. "So, Anodos, what do you say?"

"I guess this much is enough." Zein spoke to himself, aloud. "I'm sorry but I don't think I'll be joining you." Zein answered. "Jejj, dash!" Zein pulled the slime pendant out and crushed it, running towards Jejj.

Biim noticed it. His eyes go wide. The ground began to rumble. "Buum. Boom. Dash now!"

"Huh? But-" Jejj cut Boom short with a swift kick to his abdomen. Though the damage was negligible, Boom jerked back unbalanced and fell.

The rumbling stopped. Boom watched the clouds be eaten by a blue blob. A blue blob which grew bigger, and bigger, and bigger. Boom's jaw dropped. He pushed himself up with his arm.

"Das-"

Boom's dash was cancelled. He had Zein to thank as he tripped him with his spear on launch, dashing into the ground. Could it even be called a cancel? It didn't matter in the grand scheme of things since the blob landed on him. Crushing him. Enveloping him. Suffocating him. 3. 2. 1. Boom mouthed, "Dash!" he dashed right out. A rich sky blue with a crown atop it. Level 20, towering, and pudding-like. The Monarch Slime had made its appearance.

"Hidden Quest: You have summoned the King of this forest. Monarch Slime. You cannot escape it. You are confined to this area. If you want to escape, take it down. Reward: Yellow Celestial Gem, Royal Ring of the Slimes, & ???"

Boom huffed by Biim and Buum's side. Health at half. "What the hell is that doing here!"

"By crushing a Royal Pendant of the Slimes." Biim replied, calling for his inventory and tossing Boom a health potion. It didn't fill him up.

"That's a thing! How does that he know that!" Buum asked surprised.

" He's clearly not a newbie dumbass. Close Inventory" Biim clicked his tongue. "Here I thought he was naturally good at the game. He might just be on a new account like me."

The slime locked eyes with the trio. It jumped.

"Get ready to fight! Dash!"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Dash!" Buum and Boom said simultaneously.

The slime came crashing down. Clipping Boom once more. "God you are ass!" Biim remarked, opening his inventory once more. Giving Boom his last potion and closing his inventory. "We won't be able to access our potions until we beat it. Don't sell it, Boom."

"Shut it." Boom replied, quieter than usual.

The potion filled him. Excuses impossible. It was do or die.

Biim barked orders while preparing his spells. Fireball. Buum climbed the Slime. Magic Missile. Boom roared with all his might, making the slime focus on him. Heal. Boom recovered some health. Dash. The slime swung the nubs it grew. Buum held on to the side. Strike. Buum climbed to the top. The slime spat goo. Biim dodged. Boom less so, tanking some of it. In the meantime.

"I'm glad I had that on me! I'm sorry for springing this on you though, and thank you for accepting my chat request."

"Naw, you good. I appreciate you helping." Jejj watched the slime. "But, won't we both die?"

"We won't. Trust me" Zein directed Jejj's attention to the struggling trio.

Pfft. "Serves them right." Jejj folded their arms.

"We still gotta- oop here it comes" A nub flew at them. "Jump!"

They both jumped, dodging its blunt arm. "We still still gotta be on our toes, if anything like that happens again." Zein finished. "Do you have any potions left?"

"I got only one."

"Open Inventory." Zein stuck his arm in and grabbed a potion bottle, handing it to Jejj. "Here. Close Inventory."

"Oh for real? Thank you. Are you sure?"

"I still got two more so don't worry!"

"Ain't you nice, Anodos. Feels sketch."

"You don't want it.?"

"Too late." Jejj downed it. Their deep blue skin ridding itself of its bruises.

"Deja vu."

"Shall we get on the offence? If your health is back up."

'We gonna help out?"

'We need to deal some damage so the game counts us as participants if those three manage to beat it. We aren't going to do much anyway. Let's just hit it without using our skills."

"How do you beat it?" Jejj cracked their fingers. Soundless.

"By breaking its crown." Zein pointed to Buum who chipped away at the crown with his knife. " It becomes vulnerable once it breaks. No resistance and double damage. Even we'd be able to finish it."

"Understood." Jejj cracked their neck. Soundless. "Let's get it."

They both rushed in. Zein stored his spear in his inventory, choosing to wield his brand-new axe. Choosing to deal 19 damage per hit. They began their assault on the unsuspecting slime. A monarch too busy to deal with peasant nuisance. After all, rebels stood in front and atop it.

"My hands keep bouncing off! Are we even dealing damage?"

"Yeah, we are, as little as it is. Plus, it's good if we don't do too much. Not like we can anyway. The slime is focused on those three since they're doing more damage than us. Unless you have roar and just so happen to scream it."

"Learn something every day- and I don't got something like that. What happens if they beat it?"

"Well…Let's pray they don't."

Boom, exhausted and sluggish, couldn't keep up with the Slime's pace. He raised his arms to block the incoming nub with whatever strength he had left. Boom. He got swatted into a tree, splitting it in half. A breath. A disappearance. Boom dropped a pair of gloves as he evaporated into blue pixels.

"Boom! Shit. Buum, how close are you?" Biim downed a mana potion.

"Almost got- woah!"

The slime, once occupied by Boom, changed its focus to Biim. It squished. It stretched. It leapt into the air. Buum, caught off guard, slid off the slime.

"Dash!" Biim yelled as he ran. Luck did not favour the duo. Buum slammed head-first into Biim's back after his dash. "Get off! Now!" Biim used all his strength to push the dizzy Buum off him. It was too late. Biim, with all his infinite wisdom, aimed his staff at Jejj and Zein. "Fireba- blrgh blrgh blrgh" The slime ate it, and them.

Jejj, impressed, "Wow, prayers answered."

Zein, saint-like, "The lord giveth and the lord taketh away."

The two chuckled.

Zein slammed his hands together. "Okay, It's going to focus us now. Dash with me up the slime."

Five became two. The monarch would now address the peasants. Jejj and Zein. They stood ready, HP full.

"One hit from the slime and we both go down." Zein gripped the axe harder. Jejj clenched their fists. They both run at the Slime.

The slime shot goo at them. Jejj punched whatever came their way. Zein deflected with the axe.

"Not bad, Jejj."

Zein and Jejj landed on it. "Dash!" they shot straight up, flying above the slime.

He called for his inventory and extracted his spear. "The slimes at half health. But the crown's falling apart." Zein tossed the axe to Jejj. "Here. Use everything you got. You should've gotten a skill called slash. Would you mind doing the honours?"

"Honours mine."

Jejj leaned into the fall. The slime looked around, not knowing where they went. Jejj readied their axe. Holding it behind their head, two hands, triceps and forearms flexed.

"Slash!" they announced.

The axe split the crown in half on contact. Crumbling to pieces. Their momentum carried, slashing through the slime. They dashed out. "It's hard as hell speaking in there. Why is that even the case?"

"The game makes it harder to use skills when under crowd control skills or circumstances which makes it hard to speak." Zein leaned into his fall this time. He kissed the shaft of his spear and held it to his forehead. He closed his eyes for a second and swiped it away. "Stab. Dash."

Zein pierced the slime, falling in and dashing out. 35% remained.

Zein joined Jejj's side with a broken spear. They bump fists.

"Now what? We keep hitting?"

"Yeah. Make sure to aim for the eyes. Do you mind passing me the axe? From what I saw, Boom dropped a pair of gloves where he died."

"Why you being so damn polite? We chill now you know."

Jejj tossed it back to Zein. He caught it with a smile. "Thank you. I just didn't want to impose." He stood back up, flexing his back. "You ready to finish this?"

"Let's do this, Anodos." Jejj grinned and sped towards the gloves. The slime watched them go by, raising its nub.

"Over here big guy!" Zein dashed in and started slicing. The slime flung it at Zein. He narrowly avoided it and sliced it. Its nub wiggled and disintegrated. The slime jumped, its target acquired. Zein waited. He waited. He waited. Milliseconds before impact, he dashed. Upon landing, "Slash." Zein brought his axe down, cutting through like butter. He continued his onslaught. Slicing and dicing. The slime spat goo. Step. Step. Step. It missed.

"Yo! You ready?"

Jejj charged at the slime. "Oh yeah. Let's see what these Stone Gloves got!" Jejj leaped. "Dash!" They reached the slime's height. "Look here, Slimey."

Zein ran towards Jejj, dragging the slime's attention, dodging its regrown nub, until it's eye to eye with them. They aimed with the left and pulled their right all the way back.

"Detroit Strike!"

"They're gonna love the next skill."

Like a whip, their arm struck the slime between the eyes. A crit. An indicator for double damage. Jejj dealt four times the usual damage with one strike. The slime wobbled back. Zein ran up the slime and pounced, landing between its eyes.

"Slash."

Zein put his whole weight into the axe and slashed down. A crit. The slime swelled up and burst into pieces. Surrounded by slime debris, Zein fell. Fell right into the arms of Jejj.

Arm wrapped around them, "Ohh nice catch! And punch!"

Jejj readjusted him, "I know right! Being a weeb has its benefits after all."

They laughed. Laughed at the absurdity of the situation. Laughed at the trio. Laughed at the idea of a giant slime with a crown and little nubs. They laughed, and with an exhale, they fell silent. A comfortable silence.

Zein broke it.

"You like holding me that much."

"Ah yeah, my bad."

Jejj let him down; his legs shivered.

"Ahhh my legs…And head."

"Take it easy." Jejj spotted something from the corner of their eye. "Oh, I see the drops." They run up to a couple of items strewn across the grass. 5 Yellow Celestial Gems. The Royal Ring of the Slimes. A stone ring with a hardened slime slab, cut to resemble a stone. 10% physical and magical resistance. +20 constitution. Level restriction 20. Deterioration 0. Slimified Spear. A light blue spear made of hardened slime slab. +41 attack. High durability. Deterioration 0. Level restriction 20. Both items were rare.

Zein crawled to Jejj. "Do you want the ring? I'll take the spear."

Jejj picked it up. "Sure. I'll take it. But, it's got a level restriction."

Zein reached for the spear, still on the ground. "True, but, anyone can wear it, it just nerfs itself a bit. Weren't those gloves the same?"

"Lemme check."

"Okay. I'm gonna go pick Biim and Buum's items."

"Bet."

Zein pushed himself up, trudging to where Biim and Buum died. A mana potion and a red celestial gem. He retrieved both and headed to Jejj.

Jejj scratched their head. "It doesn't have a level requirement. But, these gloves are crazy! +30 attack straight up."

"Ooh, not bad. You may have reached the level requirement after we beat the slime." Zein commented. They checked their status window. "Oh shit, I shot up 2 levels." Jejj exclaimed. "And here." Zein tossed the mana potion to Jejj and took a seat. "Huh?" Jejj received it.

"Mana potion. I'll take the red gem and two yellows. You can have the rest!"

"Hell yeah! What about you though? Aren't you giving too much? Feel like you ain't get a lot from this even though you did more. Even this mana potion. Sure you don't need it?"

"I'm okay. You broke the crown and dealt the most damage after all. Plus, I am investing my points into intelligence anyway."

"How you know if my intelligence is low or not?" Jejj raised their eyebrow.

"A hunch?" Zein raised his shoulder, gauging.

"Good ass hunch cause imma need it. Open inventory."

Jejj stored it, closing both their inventory and status window. "Anyway, what now?"

"Hmmm." Zein held their head. "Well, we got two options. Either we go back into town and run into that guild, or, clear the dungeon. Two's better than one after all." Zein raised two fingers.

"We doing that dungeon, big man." They held their hand out. Zein grabbed it and pulled himself up.

Zein and Jejj headed for the cave.