The villagers grew tense as the creature before them took shape. Some murmured that the hero had transformed, while others whispered that the monster had consumed her. Whatever the truth, the sight was enough to send a shiver through the crowd. The grotesque figure stood tall, its venomous form unnerving to behold.

“Miruku... are you alright?” Ariana asked, her voice laced with worry. Her eyes scanned the creature, noticing that Miruku’s usual lively gaze was absent, replaced by a hollow stare. Her breathing was shallow, barely perceptible.

Then, in a voice not her own, the creature responded, “Good! I'm very good!” The sound was gruff, hoarse—nothing like Miruku's soft tone.

Ariana flinched. “That’s not her voice...”

Layton, fists clenched, stepped forward. “This isn’t right! Release Miss Miruku at once!” His hand twitched toward his weapon, ready to act.

But before anyone could move, the monster began to shrink. Its grotesque muscles and form faded away as the slime retreated from Miruku’s body. She collapsed to the ground, back to her usual self, albeit flushed and breathless.

“I-I’m fine,” she stammered, her cheeks pink with embarrassment. ‘What... what just happened?’ she thought, bewildered. In that brief moment, while covered in the slime, she had felt an overwhelming surge of power. Her body had brimmed with strength—her confidence, even her voice, seemed to have transformed. She had spoken with clarity, without hesitation. It was exhilarating.

Miruku, excited by the newfound sensation, stood and tried to explain. “When I wear it, there are no side effects! I can talk, I can think clearly, and I can take it off whenever I want!” Her voice bubbled with excitement, her eyes bright. “It’s... amazing!”

Ariana blinked, confused. “Talk... normally?”

Layton raised an eyebrow. “Is Miss Miruku usually like this?”

Anyi, ever calm, sighed. “It seems the slime has made her... abnormal.”

Miruku frowned, waving her hands. “Hey! Don’t I usually get a say in things too?! You all think I’m just some weakling, don’t you? Too frail, always tired, barely able to talk to anyone! I know what you think. That I don’t measure up. That I’m a burden!” Her voice grew more frantic, spilling out her pent-up frustrations.

Layton and Ariana exchanged wide-eyed glances. Miruku had never been this outspoken before, not even close.

“And being a hero?” Miruku continued, her voice breaking slightly. “It’s exhausting! I’ve wanted to quit so many times...”

Before she could finish, she abruptly tore the slime off, revealing her true self. The moment of confidence vanished, leaving her standing there, her face stricken with horror at what she had just said. Her gaze darted toward her companions, their shocked faces like mirrors reflecting her shame. Even Anyi’s stoic expression seemed to chill her.

Tears welled up in her eyes. “No... no... I didn’t mean it!” She dropped to her knees, summoning a dagger from her inventory. “I can only apologize with my death!”

She raised the blade, aiming for her heart, when Ariana darted forward, grabbing her tightly. “It’s not that serious! Don’t do anything rash!”

Layton joined in, placing a hand on Miruku’s shoulder. “You’re not a burden, Miss Miruku. If anyone’s the obstacle here, it’s me!”

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Ariana nodded in agreement, her grip firm. “Exactly! If anyone’s holding us back, it’s me!”

Miruku, now sobbing, could barely catch her breath. “You don’t... have to say that! Just let me die!”

Anyi stood back, unimpressed by the drama unfolding before him. His expression remained as cold and composed as ever. He glanced at the three of them, his patience thinning. “Shall we get back to testing the new equipment?” he asked dryly, as if the entire scene before him was merely a mild inconvenience.

Ariana, sensing Anyi’s growing impatience, straightened up and wiped her face. “Let’s move on, then. I need to try my new weapon.” She held up her magic ball, inspecting it closely. “My old skills worked through my staff, but now that I’m using this slime ball, I wonder if there’s a difference.”

She murmured a magic, but her face twisted in confusion. “Kami-sama mentioned that water-type weapons can’t display the full damage of my skills?”

Anyi nodded. “That’s because all the slime equipment is Water-type. But your skills are divine in nature.”

Ariana looked puzzled. “So... how do I learn water-type skills?”

Layton and Miruku, intrigued, perked up. “We’ve been meaning to ask,” Layton said. “You’ve used so many different skills—how do you get them? We only have three each, and only one element.”

“No need to level up… just *enlightenment,” Anyi said coolly, his voice cutting through the gathering tension. His eyes remained cold, offering no further explanation.

"Enlightenment?" Ariana echoed, puzzled.

“Use the old method,” Anyi continued. “Ask the system if other elemental skills can be unlocked. If it’s possible, it will be granted. If not, then it won’t.”

Ariana straightened, nodding eagerly. “Let’s try!”

She focused inward, calling out to the system. 'Kami-sama, can I use other elemental skills?'

A soft hum resonated within her mind.

[Searching...

Checking...

Check complete.

Hero-sama, you may now use the following elements: Divine, Light, Water.]

“Light?” Ariana whispered in surprise. Her eyes sparkled with newfound curiosity, but before she experimented with that, she wanted to test her weapon’s ability with water-type magic.

'How can I use water-type skills?'

[Searching...

Currently adding water-type skills to the skill list...

Added successfully.]

Ariana checked her skill list. Three new skills had appeared:

[Water Polo Lv1, Water Wall Lv1, Water Arrow Lv1]

“It really worked!” she exclaimed, beaming with excitement. She turned to Anyi, a rare smile lighting her face. “I’ve got water skills now!”

The surrounding villagers and believers looked at Ariana’s radiant expression, their hearts swelling with joy. Seeing Holy Maiden-sama smile was, for them, a divine blessing. It felt as though all their hardships were validated in that moment. Life, for some, might as well have ended fulfilled with that single smile.

Miruku, quiet but observant, had also gained three skills of her own:

[Walking on Water Lv1, Water Escape Lv1, Fog Shadow Lv1]

The first two were straightforward, but the last skill intrigued her—a fog that mimicked her body’s movements, perfect for stealth.

“Me too,” she whispered, her voice tinged with both excitement and relief.

Layton, meanwhile, fiddled with his system. After a moment, he shouted, “I’ve got it! A new skill!”

[Ripple Defense Lv1]

Then, with a curious glance at the others, he asked, “So, what about you all? What did you get?”

Ariana chimed in first, smiling. “Three.”

Miruku raised a hand sheepishly. “Three.”

“Wait... why do I only have one?” Layton exclaimed, bewildered.

Anyi, who had been about to speak, hesitated. He knew why. It was simple.

Intelligence. The attribute that governed magic and skill acquisition. In the early stages, a mere three points in Intelligence could unlock multiple basic skills. But Layton… Layton’s Intelligence was zero. Of course he had only one.

He almost explained, but decided against it. Instead, Anyi simply nodded, hiding the truth behind his usual calm. “So, everyone, come try out your new skills.”

With a small smirk, Anyi took several steps back, positioning himself at a safe distance from the group. He unsheathed the slime sword and held it confidently before him.

“I will train you all,” he declared, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

He paused, noticing the hesitation in their eyes. Perhaps they were too nervous to fully engage in the training.

“Don’t worry too much. You won’t be able to hurt me anyway.”

The words were like a lightning bolt through the crowd, sending murmurs of disbelief rippling among them.

“Is he serious?” one villager whispered.

“That’s insane,” muttered another.

Anyi blinked, confused. 'Did I… say something strange?'