The cage was simple enough to utilize, But I decided to put it on hold as I heard Gizmo come down the stairs. Judging by the steaming cup in his hands, he visited the kitchen before he came down here. With him not being overly worried about the cage, or it’s effects on me, I wonder if he’s just that confident in his work.

“G’mornin Guinevere. How’d the cage work out for you?” he asks as he sat on a stool facing me. I give him a thumbs up. I held a hand up and used my thumb and index to indicate a small size and mouthed “I only used a little mana. I wanted to get used to it.” I had to do it a couple times for him to get it, and over exaggerated my mouthing of the words.

“’Tiss the smart choice.” He states. I realize when he’s not entirely focused or just tired his accent slips out. I wonder where he’s from. He motioned a far away continent with the teleportation crystal in the mana sail chamber. If he has knowledge of it, maybe from there?

“Well, everything is in order. I’ll be leaving for the city today. You shouldn't need a key, since the door shouldn't be locked while your outside retrieving your meals from Borus and Howl” he said seeming to wake up more. He must have some herbal mix akin to coffee in his mug. I nodded to that.

“So, lets see that cage in action. Go as far as you feel comfortable, but I would like to see how you handle the implemented limit. Only if your comfortable with it of course.” He says. I nodded. I was actually hoping for him to offer his attention when I tried this. With that I melted into a ball, resembling a normal slime, and slid the poncho to the side.

“Did the amulet from the Count interfere at all? It shouldn't, but being inside the cage you never know.” He asks. I shook my mass side to side. I hadn’t noticed anything myself.

“Ah that’s good.” He said. With that, I started siphoning mana into the cage. I started with a little, and worked my way up. Bit by bit. As I did, the mana seemed a bit hard to direct. Both resupplying my reserves, and flowing it into my core. The intent of refining at the heart of the practice. I had to go step by step, allowing my core to adjust to the intensity. Then I hit a ceiling. I the cage no longer took more mana, aside from what it was already taking in.

“Seems good.” Gizmo said putting a hand up to my membrane.

“Your getting warm though. I think it’d be for the best if you did this while in some water, just so I don’t come back to a slime raisin.” He chuckled. At this, I slowed down the mana supply until I stopped. Gizmo put the poncho over the top of me, and I reformed myself.

“Very impressive control, I can see the mana collecting at your core. Do you feel any different?” he asks. I shake my head. I have a feeling that this is going to be a more gradual process. At least at this level.

“Well, lets have breakfast together, at least before I head out.” Gizmo said getting off his stool. I follow him up stairs and as he went to the kitchen, I went out the front door. In the usual spot, a boar and stag monster where laying dead. Not bad. I worked on the two beasts like a reverse 3D printer. Once I was done, I go back inside and sit at the end of the table. Gizmo was already eating.

“Get plenty to eat?” he asks with a raised brow. I nod with a light smile. With that he returned to his meal. I thought about the last two times, I had gone with him, and something always seemed to happen. Despite the fact my face was a imitation, and that I had to actively show emotion with it, my worry must’ve shown. Gizmo looked at me with a soft smile.

“Worried?” he asked. I just shook my head side to side a little.

“Don’t be. The golems will take care of ya, and ill make sure to not linger in the city. Things have been growing hostile there lately. No one wants to settle things in the ring, always with the threats and behind closed doors deals you cant resist. I swear, no one has any honor any more.” He said starting to rant.

I simply nod along, listening to him rant. I need to remember, he’s been used to this sort of stuff long before I showed up. I guess it boils down to me being worried about how to defend the tower, should someone try anything while he’s away. I mean, he hasn’t told me that I’m responsible for anything while he’s gone, yet I cant help but to feel that way.

With breakfast and his rant done, he makes his rounds and I follow him. Finally, he has his cart all loaded up, and I “stood” next to him.

“Well, this is it. I’ll be back in about a week.” He spoke as he put his hand on my shoulder. At that I decided to give him a hug. I didn’t think I’d grow this attached to him, but the man who has become my grandfather is too sincere. On top of that, I don’t know anything of this world, and he has been protecting me from all sorts of things. He’s been nothing short of a blessing, well maybe he is a short blessing.

“What are you shaking at? Laughing at something?” he asked after seeing my face. He returned the hug with a single arm. I nodded and mouthed “A funny thought”.

“Ah, better not be about my height” he said with a smile. At that I began to shake some more in silent laughter.

“Oh, c’mon, I deserver better than that Guinevere. I’m the peak of magical innovation! You cant be laughing at my size.” He half scolded. I just laugh some more and mouth “short blessing”. He quirked a smile, and then began to laugh to.

“Okay, just this once I’ll let it slide. Now I need to go, or I’ll never make it to the city.” He said after catching his breath. We separated and I watched him get on the wagon.

“Take care, and remember, I better not come home to see you turned into a raisin.” He said. I gave him a thumbs up and he got the horse in motion. I stood outside watching as his wagon grow more distant. Eventually he took a turn and disappeared behind a wall of foliage.

I go back inside and lock the door behind me. The lock was a metal bar, that once placed in the brackets, activated a bunch of different enchants. I tried looking at them with magi-sight, and could only makes sense of possible reinforcement enchants. The others seemed to go elsewhere. Maybe related to the towers alarm and security systems? I shrug at it to myself and head back down to the lab.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

I take the water pan and pour it into my dish, the refill it with the faucet that was a little distance away. Gizmo had plenty of neat magical things in the tower. I guess he found out how to get fresh water on demand. I cant tell if the faucets just create water, or draw it from somewhere else. As long as it works I suppose.

I repeat the process a couple of times, and leave the pan filled besides my dish. I crawled my way into the dish, causing some to spill out from the displacement. I tossed the poncho aside and took a typical ball shape. With that, I channeled mana into the cage. Like before I slowly made my way up to the limit. Having done it once before, the process was surprisingly easier the second time.

I fall into a flow state, actively observing the mana around me and how things are actually affecting each other. It looks like the mana is gathering at my core, but from what Gizmo says, it’s doing just that, but on the magi-plane. So how is it affecting my physical core?

The more I watch the mana, the more I think I get it. My core is a physical thing, and when the mana is overlapping my core in the magi-plane, it’s causing physical changes in my core. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. The practice of magic is causing change in the physical through mana fueled intent.

Then do monsters intend to refine themselves? Or is it a instinct that fills the role of intent in this case. Since I’m an intelligent monster, does that mean my intent will allow me to refine my core quicker? Are slime cores even similar to monster cores?

I shake the random thoughts and focus back on the process. I take a look through my eyes which are still floating around in my mass and notice a faint trail of steam coming off of myself. It was barely noticeable. At least I’m not boiling. With this is decide to add another step to this process. I flow my internal mass around, hopefully moving the hotter mass to the outside, and cooler mass on the inside. Replicating what I’m comparing to ocean currents inside of myself, I hope this goes a ways to lessen my moisture loss.

It seems to, I’m no longer steaming, but I can feel that I’m still loosing moisture faster than normal. I keep up this process for a time, the steps and motions becoming ingrained into my core. It seems the more I do something, or repeat something, the easier it is. I guess that is how it goes normally, but this is different. Working the mana cage has become something akin to breathing, something that I could actively do without thinking. Though just like breathing, if I think about it, it becomes an active process. If someone could read my mind, or uh, core, they would probably be aware of their breathing now turning it into a conscious activity.

I shake my mind away from possible fourth wall jokes. I guess I made plenty of those jokes in my old life too. What are the chances that gods or omni present observers are watching me anyways? I then come to the realization that I have no more water in my dish. I reach my limb over the side, and slurp up the water that was in the shallow bowl.

Once I ran out of that water, I lowered the mana input of the cage. I get out of the dish, missing the mannerisms of my old body like stretching. I could, technically. But it just wouldn’t be the same.

Leaving behind the idea of stretching, I make my way upstairs. I see out of the windows that it’s just about morning. The amount of water I filled my dish up with lasted me about a half a day of.. What do I call the process? Mana forging? I’ll go with that. I continue around the tower, checking out of each of the windows. Nothing seemed out of place. I peek out of the kitchen window, and see that Borus and How haven't brought me my breakfast yet. What can you do?

I sit in the kitchen at loss for what to do. I could just go back to mana forging. Maybe I will after Borus and howl come back. I guess I don’t know what to do. I look down at my hands. My fingers are pretty much merged together, but as I spread them they separate. Maybe for retention training? I look down at my body, melting into a puddle from my stomach down. Oh yea, I left my poncho downstairs. The perspective was off. If I was human my heart might be pounding a little at the thoughts going through my head. I look out the window of the kitchen one last time. Nothing.

I form my legs and sit on my butt. I wanted to be a slime girl, but hadn’t explored my body since the decision. Probably because of grandpa being around… With him coming to mind though and realizing that I addressed him mentally as grandpa snapped me out of the grasp of my accumulating lust.

Never mind… I check out the window again and see a some dead monsters out by the garden. I rush as fast as I can to the front door, taking off the bar and head towards the corpses. Nothing like eating to get my mind off of what I was thinking about.

There were two large wolves. Not bad. Like usual, I start with the heads, and work my way down to the tail. I was happy that my dissolving enzymes where localized and not all or nothing. This way I didn’t dissolve the cage or anti-inspection amulet.

With the two wolves eaten I head back inside. And lock the door. Talk about home alone paranoia. I head back down to the lab, but the thoughts of being alone still hung over me like a personal rain cloud. I know nothing happened here when me and grandpa left to the city, but being here alone makes me want to ensure the protection of the tower. I’d feel terrible if something happened that I could prevent.

Eventually the worry became tiresome though, and I was back to looking at my hands. I interlocked my fingers together, causing them to meld. But as I pull them back apart, I realized something. When was the last time I felt anything? I could feel the pressure of myself on the ground with my lower half but…

I reach to the ground and felt… pressure, but not the roughness of the worn stone brick. The very next thing I did was look down at my chest, and try to grope my own flat chest, but nothing was felt. My hands simply melded to the rest of my mass.

Nope, I need a solution. If I’m pulling the slime girl card, I need to feel things. Tactile sensation at the very least. And if I can find out how to recreate erogenous zones, I will celebrate. That’s a threat.

Now how to go about this? Well, with my eyes, I focused with intent on the mass I wanted the function to apply to. Grandpa said it was an enchantment though, so would I be enchanting my membrane? And with the cage, would it go by quicker? I focused on the physical aspects of how eyes worked for mine, maybe I should replicate that for my membrane?

Let’s see. Nerves. How do I go about this though? Should I have a bunch of randomly placed dots? Or something a bit more… organized? Thinking about trying to apply mana to a bunch of randomly placed dots on my membrane just sounds unpleasant. Maybe if I make a net, and just have the root of net be the supply point, and information transfer point.

But if I’m going this far, then I should be as inclusive with stimuli intake as possible. Tactile sensations and temperatures for sure, but I don’t have to be limited to just that. Should I add magical sensory capabilities? So I don’t have to use magi-sight, and can rely on a proximity based magical detection?

What else could I even want to feel with my skin? Oh yea pleasure. Hmm.. I have a lot of planing to do. Making some sensory nodes with multiple intakes, in a net like fashion, and only some should feel pleasure… or maybe I could make it to where I could increase the sensitivity on the desired stimulation.

But how would I do that? More mana? No, maybe making the nodes spread into more ends, like fraying a rope, that would increase stimulation. I would be able to feel the slightest crack in a surface, and get the best feeling for temperature. Maybe I could have the system have a hyper aware mode where I could overcharge it with mana to have increased sensitivity on each node. Yea, that’ll do nicely. This is going to be more work that with my eyes. With that I get to it.