Gizmo’s POV———

I cant help but worry for that little slime. It’s by far the most fascinating thing I’ve ever come across, and with how it behave and reacts I could almost assume theres a human trapped in that core. I don’t know how such a thing would be possible, since I don’t use soul magic, or necromancy in any of my works. Vile schools of magic those are.

I take my seat in the tamers booth. Around me are the other beast tamers partaking in the days matches.

“Are you ready to swallow a taste of your own elixir? Gizmo?” a annoyingly familiar voice said from behind me.

“Ah, Sir Juan. Still haven't the brains to know the difference between a product of skill, and a product of fabrication?” I shot back.

“A golem is a golem, be it yours or mine.” He chimed.

“My golems are hand crafted. Yours are market bought. Though I will admit, it won’t be my golems that win this fight.” I yield the point to him.

“Are you counting on that slime to take down my golems? Have you gone senile in your old age?” he veered.

“Who knows.” I chuckled. My mind wonders back to my slime. It seems like it has a plan. It has been around long enough to see me work on my golems, and has the idea of it to go for the cores. It has a plan, I can just hope that it has the room to pull it off.

“The worry is plastered all over your face. I think you know you’ll loose.” Juan chided.

“No, I just wonder how the slime will over come this. A real piece of work that one is. Modifying a slime core is unheard of, I don’t even know what to expect.” I laugh. He seemed taken aback. Good.

The announcer had just finished his spiel, and the gates opened. The first onto the field was my team. Then Jaun’s. The golems where large quadrupeds, with a humanoid upper half. Dark metal plates, blades affixed to their forearms, and more worrisome, I recognized the makes of magic beam weaponry on the golems’ faces.

The three golems where completely identical. Even my golems had verity to them, and they are the same make. I spot something to make me chuckle. They rode on wheels, how cute.

“Something funny?” Juan asked, seemingly irked.

“All that money you spent, and they move on wheels. That’s all.” I chuckle again. He seemed to take that point as a blow to his esteem.

“I’m not the one pinning my win on a slime” he retorted. I shrug to that. I would be of his mind if this was a normal slime. But the things I’ve seen this slime do, the way it can move, the things it’s practiced. I really held it back by keeping it in that jar. But how would I have known? The little bugger never shown signs of intelligence until the fight. Remembering all this, I feel a bit more confident.

“Begin.” The announcer stated.

At that the three war golems began to roll towards my team, and then, to my disbelief my slime latches onto the left golem, riding around its shoulders. With this two of the golems focus on the pair, leaving the odd one out on its own battle.

Once the two sides met, it was obvious my golems could outpaced the war golems, seeming dancing around them. But every missed blow left craters and gouges in the arena floor. The two war golems were swinging at the duo, my golem was on a defensive dance, and then on one swing, the slime jumped off his partner, gliding it it’s unnerving manner. As if it was swimming through the air.

It had wrapped itself around the one golem, keeping its core behind it’s body. The tale tell sound of dissolving began. I couldn't see where, but it was enough to get the one golem to back off and try to disengage it’s current threat.

I watch in baited breath as my golems danced around the war golems, not having the chance to strike. The one the slime had taken on was now flailing about with wild abandon. I cringe as I heard wood split. I see that the right side had my golem missing an arm, and was now noticeably slower. The blade managed to catch.

The crowd gasped, but not at that. I look over to the other two and notice my slime was missing. My heart was pounding, and I was wondering what happened. That was until I noticed the golem had grown still. Then it began twitching. After a moment, the thing began tearing it’s own limbs off, and punching into itself. I saw its head start to glow, indication of the magic beam weaponry readying up.

I saw some slime poke out of a crevice, and just before the golem could fire at mine, the head jerked to the side, causing the other war golem to get clipped, crippling it’s back most wheels. After that I watched in amazement as the golem started fidgeting again, before becoming unresponsive.

But nothing could be that simple. They seemed to have lost one war golem, but the injured golem on my team had been dismantled, and its killer was joining the other two. My last standing golem was a little special. I had used wind enchants to give it more agility, and search magic to give it more awareness to its surroundings. The other had more fire, for explosive power. That explains some of the dents in the new coming war golem.

I saw my slime look around out of the cracks in the war golem it was housed in, and my golem now dancing around two war golems again. Just as I notice the slime leave the iron husk, one of the war golems caught my golem it a back hand, the serrated back side of the forearm mounted blade sawing through the wooden body. The mix of power and sharpness made quick work of my poor creation. Now it was my slime against two war golems. May the gods give it strength.

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The slime rolls at a surprising speed under the crippled war golem, then bounces up into it’s undercarriage, and again the sound of dissolving could be heard.. The other golem had approached and began to search for the slime. It seems the simple programing isn’t fit for this kind of fight. Because it just patrols around the crippled golem searching for the target within a radius of the last known sighting.

The crippled golem now start’s to flail against the unseen assailant, and the other golem stops it’s patrol to observe. It was then a hole opened up from the golems chest cavity. The other golem began to charge its magic beam, and I started to sweat. The beam was released, and the slime dropped from under war golem, no doubt from the hole it made earlier. At that, the war golem began to seize, and magic started to gather inside its chest after the beam had struck.

The slime rolled away from the war golem as it started to glow, and then a explosion shook the stadium. The audience cheered at the sight. That’s when the last golem spotted the slime.

“So what do you think now Juan?” I ask as I look over. The man was enraged. He paid me no mind as he watched two of his golems get dismantled. I return my attention to the fight. The slime used the golems against each other, and seemed to be able to work around their assault.

The War golem rushed its way over to the slime, only to get caught in a gouge in the ground. That’s when the slime rolled it’s way over to it. The golem slammed into the ground, the slime morphing it’s body away from it and spreading itself like a net. It had the last golem in it’s embrace. Again, I notice that it’s hiding it’s core in a a place impossible for the golem to reach.

Like the first one, it dissolved it’s way inside the golem.

“Self destruct!” Juan rabidly yelled. I look over and the man was foaming at the mouth.

“Whoa there, no outside interference.” The announcer chided. But it was to late. I slide my goggles on from the top of my head and see a disturbing amount of mana being gathered.

“Jaun! That things gathering enough mana to destroy the arena and the stadium!” I yelled. Moments of panic ensued, and the announcer was quick to inspect.

“Everyone evacuate the premise, immediately. This is not a drill!” the announcer demanded. There was a panic, both with the crowd and me. I dared not budge, I needed to see what happened next. I need to know what happens to that slime.

Yelling and panic take place of the rabid cheering that was happening just moments ago. People where panicking and rushing to the exits. I watch as steam starts to emit from the war golem, no doubt the slimes moisture. What is it doing, why isn't it leaving! Seconds pass by as something peculiar happens. The ambient mana is still being pulled in, yet it’s not being stockpiled like it was before. The heat had began to dissipate, and yet mana was still being pulled in.

“What is happening…” I mumble.

“Gizmo, What’s happening!” the announcer asked, now beside me.

“I.. I don’t know, the mana is no longer being stockpiled like before, and I’m having a hard time understanding where it’s….” I stop. That’s it! There’s only one explanation! I start to cackle like a mad man.

“Gizmo?!” the announcer asked.

“My slime. It’s done something to the enchants in the golem. I think it’s redirecting the mana into itself! Don’t ask me how, but it’s eating up the mana. I think this will last until the magical enchants erode the material their inscribed on.” I say.

“And if the slime stops?” he asks.

“The self destruct command resumes. If we want to keep that from happening we need to throw meat and water into it so it doesn't fizzle out.” I state.

“So we feed and water it until the darksteel erodes from the enchants?” he asks.

“Darksteel!? Preposterous! This could take weeks!” I yell. I guess Juan spared no expense. That fool. No wonder the mana being gathered was so immense.

“Yea, this whole thing was shady from the beginning, I wouldn't allow this if it was up to me, but I’m just a pleasant face, and pretty voice.” He said.

“Okay, okay, but that’s what we need to do, and I recommend we hurry with some water, I don’t know if you noticed, but my slime is evaporating!” I say making my way towards the hallway.

What followed was a rush of men rolling barrels and carts to the arena by the order of the announcer, and other officials. We poured cups of water and meat scraps into the hole the slime had melted. We couldn’t dismantle the thing or risk causing something to give or backfire.

I sat on a bench that had been placed in the arena, watching as the colosseum workers tended to my slime. Excess slime was being leaked from random crevices. I’m sure thats a good sign.

“I can’t believe what has transpired. To believe the lords son would go this far.” A well dressed man said, approaching me. He was middle aged, short dark hair, a sharp mustache.

“Ah, Count Vallus. Yes, it’s regrettable. I am however more worried about my slime I must admit. I haven’t been able to replicate it, and it’s loss would be a great blow to me.” I sigh.

“That shouldn’t come to pass. What ever is happening, it seems stable. Tell me, how did your slime manage this, by the by.” He asked. I should have know this was coming. I best hide as little as possible.

“I honestly don’t have a clue sir. The slime has shown a understanding of spoken common, a capacity to learn, and is drawn to mana rich items. I’m sure you heard what had transpired during my last visit.” I state.

“Ah yes. The forced enslavement crystal.” He added. He sat besides me watching the scene.

“To believe my colosseum would be saved by a slime. Or that the said slime would take down three darksteel war golems.” He laughed.

“Indeed. I had my doubts I must admit, but seeing the results is something else. I think it’d be best if I don’t make another slime like this in the future. It’s loyalty towards me is unquestionable, but the implications of what such a thing could do in the wrong hands.” I sigh.

“I believe that would be for the best. That being said, I do have a request once this is all said and done. Interested?” he asks with a smirk.

“That depends sir Vallus.”

“The task is simple. Your slime can find magical items, so id like for you and it to search my place of work for hidden spy charms. I can pay you however you wish.” He says.

“Well, I know the slime will enjoy mana stones, and monster cores. As for me, gold never hurts.”

“That is agreeable. Now a question I have, why doesn’t your slime just dissolve the golems enchants?” he asks, quirking his brow and side eying me. Oh…

“Slimes are glutenous, it figured out it can get a large amount of mana from the golem, so its feeding off of it is my guess.” I offer.

“And could you order it to make this quicker?”

“Possibly, but it might not be wise. For the same reason we dare not disassemble the golem. Also, I want to see what it does with the mana.” I say.

“And what is it doing with the mana?” he asks. I gulp a little.

“It’s growing it’s core. Something I’m very keen on observing, and encouraging.”

“Well, moving the golem is out of the question, wouldn’t want to set it off, but this leaves me in a unsavory scenario.” He says.

“Then maybe the Duke will compensate you for his son’s wrongdoings. Surely that is within reason.” I state. It isn’t my fault this whole scene has transpired.

“I already sent him a letter. I expect a response sooner rather than later.” He chimes.