“It wasn't this crowded when I came here but don't worry about it.” Jake reassured the teenager as they disembarked from the train.

Elizabeth nodded and her eyes widened as she took everything in. The caverns were incredibly tight with hundreds of players moving at once. There wasn't any natural light so she was beginning to get a headache which irritated her.

The only dim light came from the lanterns hanging from the rock-covered ceiling. Rocks and crystals were visible everywhere, with the NPC residents even being composed of them.

The teenager had seen nonhumans before but this was the first time she'd come across ones made of plants. Some of the residents were just moving stones while others looked normal besides having crystals for eyes.

It was weird and she struggled to comprehend it. Thankfully, nobody caught her staring and she quickly looked away. Elizabeth didn't want to risk upsetting anyone. She needed to stay on these people's good side until she could get some help for Pudding.

The teenager anxiously twirled her hair around her finger as she walked behind her friend. The man was holding her hand, his grip tight as people pushed against them. Elizabeth could see that some players had already started to flood the more touristy areas.

The crowded restaurants, merchant stands, and train station made her feel trapped, tightening her chest. Overwhelmed by anxiety, she was thankful for Jake's support.

The man navigated with one goal in mind through the tight space and led her to a more open part of the village. There was just grass and crystals clustered in bunches that resembled flowers.

A small shop sat a good distance away that reminded the teenager of an old-timey corner store. A small stream dribbled past their feet as they walked through the grass, their shoes becoming muddy and soaked.

Elizabeth groaned but kept her comments to herself. She could see a sign on the shop's door that told her they were in the right place. A fence like the ones she had seen on the train stood next to the shop, with a familiar creature sleeping in it.

With translucent, multicolored skin and shimmering eyes was a sleeping SPIRIT SLIME. The brunette gasped and without thinking ran over to the fence. She didn't go too close as she didn't want to wake the slime up and risk it being aggressive. But she had to see it up close.

{SLIME ENCOUNTERED}

◇ Type: SPIRIT SLIME ◇

◇ Status: DOCILE & PREGNANT ◇

◇ Owner: VALENTINA ◇

“Jake!” She called out excitedly. “This slime is expecting babies!”

The giant looked at her in disbelief and walked over slowly. His armor made noise but thankfully not enough to cause a ruckus. “Really? I've never seen a slime pregnant in public like this.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“You're not the first person to say that.”

The pair jumped at the sound of a third person speaking. They turned to see a woman walking up from behind with an equally surprised look on her face. She wasn't an NPC as the label and robotic behavior on all NPCs was missing.

She wasn't someone that the teenager recognized from the forums or YouTube. The woman came closer allowing Elizabeth to see more of her. Smiling wide, she was wearing a beautiful coquette dress and holding a basket full of plants. The freckled woman resembled a picture-perfect cozy fantasy protagonist.

Elizabeth felt like she was going to faint from how hot her body was getting. It was hard to be in the presence of someone so gorgeous and not stare at them. The meek brunette cleared her throat and quickly moved to introduce herself.

With an outstretched hand, the teenager spoke with her nerves bouncing in her chest like crazy. “Hi! My name is Eliza and my friend Jake told me that you could help me with my pet slime.”

The woman hummed and shook her hand gently. “I could help you with your slime but first…” She looked at the pair and gestured for them to follow her inside. “...let's talk more privately.”

As the woman walked away to her shop, Jake came over and nudged her shoulder. He gave her a sly look to which Elizabeth frowned in confusion. “What's that look for?”

“You might wanna wipe the drool off your mouth kiddo,” As soon as he said that Elizabeth realized her pinning had been more than obvious. She blushed as the man continued. “She could be as old as me or worse. She could be as old as your grandmother in real life.”

The teenager turned bright red and took the man's words to heart. For all she knew, the cozy woman could be forty. She kept this in mind as she followed everyone into the shop and was taken aback. The shop was much larger inside than it looked outside. There were baby slimes everywhere.

On the strawberry-shaped carpet, the table and the shelves sat multicolored SPIRIT SLIMES fast asleep. She was shocked by the sheer number of them; it had to be over fifty. They acted very calm, having little to no brain cells as they sloshed over to the open door.

Acting without a second thought the brunette closed the door to make sure they didn't escape. One of the slimes attached itself to her shoe so Elizabeth had to bend down to grab it.

The teenager was slow and gentle as she pulled at the rainbow blob that squeaked and whined at her touch. As soon as she popped it off it proceeded to fling itself onto her arm. The teenager blushed and the others began to laugh at the sight, Elizabeth sighing.

“They must recognize you as a slime mommy so they want to cuddle. Your slime is still a baby, isn't it?” The mysterious woman said as she watched with avid interest and a huge grin.

The teenager cuddled the slime close to her chest as she blushed. The rainbow goo was refusing to detach itself. “Yes. Well I'm not sure. Pudding suddenly grew to the size of your table days ago.”

The woman nodded and hummed. She tapped her finger on her chin as she walked over to her kitchenette. “Well. Sit down as that changes things. Do you two want something to eat?”

Elizabeth shared a look with Jake before she sat down. The house was berry-themed with the chair being shaped like a blueberry. She sunk into the seat and rubbed the slime. “I'd like help first. Please.”

“Slimes can randomly grow and age due to trauma so I'm guessing you logged out soon after getting it?” The teenager nodded, feeling ashamed as the woman clicked her tongue. “You need to find a way to make your slime trust you again. Make them feel comfortable.”

“I don't mean to butt in but Eliza has done a lot to try and fix things. She's been playing for twelve hours straight to make her slime feel better. But it's still anxious and constantly sobbing.” The brunette felt relief when her friend piped in to clear the air.

The woman jokingly threw her hands into the air, laughing. “Hey, I'm just stating the facts.” She opened a cabinet to reveal jars of jam and took one down. “Slimes are fragile and sensitive to their owners. You should take your slime to socialize with others soon.”

She opened the jar and spread some onto a slice of bread with a cutesy, baby-pink butter knife. “That way it won't be so dependent on you and can properly learn to defend itself.”

Elizabeth sat there with her new slime friend and nodded. It made sense what the woman was saying. Pudding was extremely clingy as it saw the teenager as the slime's mother. It would be beneficial to involve others of its kind in its daily life. But the teenager was afraid that Pudding would get hurt.

Just thinking about the slime being defenseless made her anxiety skyrocket. Players wouldn't see Pudding as a pet but as pretty. Easy exp. Her growing nerves were so evident that the slime baby in her arms cooed loudly.

Everyone looked at the teenager who took a deep breath. Jake gave her a look but she held up her hand to show him she was fine. She just needed a minute to herself to calm her mind as it raced and jumped to conclusions.

The slime jiggled in her arms, dancing in her lap to comfort what it saw as a distraught mother. The brunette smiled and rubbed it earning her a happy burble.

A laugh left the other woman's lips. "You're like a natural with them. No wonder your's is so attached."