The world became slow, as silence replaced sound.

One inch... he was finished.

With a powerful thrust, he extended a blade smaller than a palm piercing its left eyeball. The canine repulsed from the attack and pulled its head out of his cave. The world went as normal, as the high-pitched barks of agony came to his ears as the wolf flails wildly from anguish. Blood sprayed as it did so from its eye socket. But the shellshocked Samuel can only get a peek, especially when the entrance wasn't so wide.

[Concentrate!]

Discipline snapped him into place, and he only needs to give the final blow. He rushed out to see the rock canine wailing. A slime and the wolf met face-to-face as it glared with its remaining eye. The slime has a militaristic battle-ready aura refined by weeks of training, while the wolf reeks an atmosphere of vengeance that grew from the constant farce. The wolf suppressed the throbbing ache in its skull.

It seems evolution deemed fur was useless. This rocky wolf has lacerations even on its nose. He only refers to it as a "wolf" from its pair of triangular ears atop, even with a sorry excuse of a tail. Whatever the wolf went through it went through hell, through many hunting operations, through many territorial disputes, and through many events that no one can believe... like fighting a slime toe-to-toe.

"Whatever you're made of, your suffering shall be my bliss!"

"And your face makes China regret eating dogs!"

Standing still, watching each other's stoic stance with solid attention, has made them assess who their opponent truly is. One of nature's classic predators versus a sentient blob. Who would stand victorious?

With a pause, the wolf changed its voice to a more kind and determined tone, with the same hint of irritation and confusion, as if it was a father who'd do anything for his family to thrive, "I don't know what you're implying, but if this "Tsayna" ceases butchering my cousins from my appearance alone, then let it be."

He knew it wouldn't understand his insult, but that weird sudden reply... sounded noble and selfless. With its expression alone, he was sure it'd save a puppy against Asians with guns without hesitation. He considered that what's in front of him isn't a blind animal, but a half-blind animal capable of empathy to its kind.

"Sigh... look," There wasn't any reason as to not try this diplomatic route. "Can't we just separate in our ways and call it a day? I don't think you or your whole pack can even eat all of that meat."

"Are you suggesting we share when you make anything disgusting?!"

Disgusting? Is that an exaggeration? Or is it a real thing that slimes somehow turn any food inedible upon skin contact.

"If it wasn't for your kind, we wouldn't have had to suffer starvation!"

It howled, echoing through in the vast undergrounds. To some degree, rather than to call its brothers, Samuel sensed it was telling them to hurry. It had a hint of smugness on its jaw. Its remaining eye shows that there's no chance of escape. He was afraid it was right: His cave entrance is large enough to welcome intruders, and explore farther is a gamble with life.

Besides, while there is a good chance he could win, what of its incoming allies?

It was a shame a duel couldn't be canceled, but he did what he can. He chuckled and made sure the wolf listened, "Can't handle me alone, huh?"

There was no point to this fight, but there's no point dying either.

He has to try somehow.

"Bark!"

It ran, circling Samuel who protruded tentacles to whip pebbles. Everything missed except a few that barely nicked its hide. He stopped throwing, knowing it was a futile effort. The wolf noticed he realized its plan to pressure him to waste energy. 

"Smart slime." 

It charged forth. Samuel leaped right to dodge... but suspiciously enough, the timing was too early. The wolf took his opening as a chance to end it all, which was the same for him too. It pounced with all its might to catch as he was stuck midair, and he was getting used to the sight of its lips exposing its incisors.

In split second, Samuel twisted as he extends a tentacle limb that kicked a pebble while he was spinning. The pebble was launched towards the wolf's head, hoping it would hammer the stabbed knife like a nail... but it went for its nose instead. The wolf involuntarily turned its head sideways from the pang.

"Fuck."

On the bright side, a headbutt wasn't worse as a bite.

He was shoved like a volleyball and slammed on the tunnel walls with a sharp plop, which, funnily enough, sounded like someone slapped a meaty asscheek, and slid down. The wolf tumbled around and lands flat on its belly. "Some stiff ears you... got there. Ow," He wheezed, but he barely felt anything, indicating slimes may not be sensitive to pain. Though that doesn't mean nothing hurts.

The wolf pushed up to stand in all fours, irregularly sniffing in discomfort. It's likely there's a small fracture in its snout, "When was the last time slimes became troublesome?!" Its snarl turned into a smile upon seeing his paralyzed state, joyful to look at the slime itching to move. "Ah, finally! I was starting to think this farce will never end. What a nightmare that'd be."

"No... no no no no NO," His desolate pleas were heard by nothing. Whatever happened, something broke inside him. It could have been his little stunt might have strained him. "This can't be my end." He muttered. He saw the wolf strolled confidently, whose steps brought thoughts of his end.

"You."

If he had eyelids, he'd shut them forever. But he was forced to tolerate the face of a monster.

It was a foot away. A deep, tired sigh came out of its wretched muzzle. It was looking down on him with contempt but with respect also.

"I can't believe I'm saying this... but," The world has mysteries that cannot be unveiled, with some better left unearthed, and experiencing an inferior monster giving it a hard time shows the old wolf has still so much to see, "you've fought well, slime. Be honored."

Struggling was pointless.

Its jaw opened wide. This was it. All the tense in him dissipated, as nothing can be done. All the light and his dreams will disappear. Hope was gone for a moment... until he heard a familiar voice.

"H-Hey! D-Don't mess with my buddy!"

Samuel saw the newcomer, and he noticed the obvious nervousness and fear his fellow had. The wolf turned to see a different slime. "There's two of you now!?" When the wolf's head twist to the right, the blade, lodged in its left eye socket, was exposed to its vulnerability.

One last push, as he told his body. 

Every remaining drop of his soul was put all into this one final move. He raised a nearby rock and punched with it like a knuckle duster. His jab splendidly flew straight... and, like what he always wanted from the beginning, pummeled the knife as a hammer would to a nail.

The wolf yelped, then instantly dropped like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

It had an uncouth death, but for all he cares, his life matters most.

"... Should've waited for your friends."

Two times, he had dodged the bullet, except the one in his previous life. Though it'll be a puzzle forever if it was a literal bullet that killed him.

"You're alive! I thought you were dead!"  Well, it wasn't exactly farfetched to say that he was dead. The slime hopped towards Samuel, excitedly bouncing as it kept squealing with burning enthusiasm. "And you're not just alive, but you killed it! How in the world did you do that!? How?! Please, tell me how! Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease-"

The rapid fire of "please!" shooting at 420 words per minute was the last thing he needs. Unless you're a rapper, that was possible when you're using your head to speak than with your mouth. "Shush... tired," It has been a while since he faced his limits. Last time was much worse, recalling his drill sergeant who drove him crazy.

"O-Oh dear! You must be exhausted!"

"Duh..."

Before the slime was about to do, whatever it was, there came a pack, entering the same direction where the drake's carcass was. Their shocking reaction was a mix of anger, fear, and sorrow upon spotting their lifeless grandpa. But screw it. Screw everything in this damn planet, its solar system, its universe, or any conceivable dimension wherever this place is. Resting is all he craved for.

"Those slimes!"

The one who spoke first must be their recon leader. It sounded younger than what he killed. And yeah, they're slimes. So what are they going to do? Kill them? Two slimes versus less than a dozen wolf wouldn't even be a fight, so why are they even hesitating? Are they trying to think of a situation on how this would happen?

"They could be shapeshifters!"

The look of shock in their faces has made Samuel responsive. He took notice their tails leveling down, halfway folding between their legs. The volume of their growling lessened. Everyone in the group has enough intellect to understand slimes couldn't have the ability to do such a thing.

Whatever this "shapeshifter" is, it has a self-explanatory name. He realized that they must've thought they were predators pretending as puny globs.

"Hey... you," He whispered to his fellow. He's got a plan, and the success rate all depends on it.

"Y-Yeah?" 

"Walk up to them."

"What?!"

The wolves didn't react at its outburst. He didn't know the mechanics behind this whole telepathy thing. He thought his thoughts would send to anyone nearby if he wants to, but he felt at ease to learn that private communication can be secured. He made his words slow, clear, and understandable, "You want to live? Walk towards them... trust me."

"I'll just die! You expect them to run away from me?!"

He didn't have the energy or time to explain, but this takes longer than the suspicion 

"Just do it!... Nothing is impossible."

That ancient reference, no matter how corny it was, wasn't completely false given the whole situation because - oh look! Did someone from a highly advanced civilization just died and turned into a fictitious creature in a fantasy world?! How preposterous! (This is obviously not sarcasm)

He cringed, and if he can time travel he'd stab himself instead of the wolf. But it was a different case for the other slime. That slogan became its pure inspiration - Nothing is impossible, especially when he fought against an enemy, and it doesn't matter what kind or form as a slime can fight against nothing, then magnificently won.

And that inspiration brought a spark, a powerful motivation inside the slime.

The group of ferocious canines was at standby, unknowing what to do. The smartest of the group, the same leader who's leading this scavenging mission, had a growing suspicion that the real perpetrator didn't bother its corpse and ran away for some reason, where these two are just bystanders hiding in their holes and came out. But when everyone saw one slime was approaching them, everyone knew that slimes flee.

And this one did not.

"G-Get away from them!" 

Their leader broke the standoff and was the first one who turned tail. Some barked but it was nothing more than a hollow warning, as everyone soon followed their wise superior's action. They were shrinking into the distance and turning into a blur. It didn't take long for them to get out of his range of sight.

...

"I'm... I'm... I'm... I'm alive."

The slime was stunned. It was playing the role of prey in all its years of its existence, so no words can ever accurately describe its reaction when it saw its predators ran away. It deflated like a balloon, and every ounce of its anxiety evaporated. It can never believe what or how it did it, but it can reasonably believe that the world may have gone mad instead. Though honestly, if the world became mad, then...

"Hey, your name... is Samuel, right?"

"Yeah..."

... Then Samuel was the reason why.

"Are you really a slime?"

"Yes... I am."