- Liqu’s POV -

I woke up a long time before my little one.

Because I don’t really need sleep, my rest was naturally shorter than hers.

Since I am at the moment rather drained, there is the pressing matter of replenishing myself.

So I need to go out to hunt me some nourishment.

It doesn’t sit well with me to leave her like this, but if I make fast it should be okay.

After I left the cave, I walk through the forest every now and then shouting something.

As soon as a monster hears my human voice, it will get triggered to rush at me in an attempt to kill a human, completely disregarding its own safety.

This trick does make hunting a piece of cake.

Shortly after I started my prey comes.

It's one of those wolves which seemingly make up the majority of monsters in this forest.

Like always I don’t really need to do anything.

It jumps straight at me, getting stuck and promptly dissolved.

I take a little detour back and manage to get another one close to my home.

Stuffed, I return to my guest and notice that she is already awake.

I hope she wasn’t scared, as she could have thought a monster might come in and attack her.

Even if that’s unlikely since her smell is overshadowed by my liquid.

Because it’s made to hold the cave clean, it destroys all the small creatures.

The resulting scent should be unsavory to those creatures.

However, I should talk to her.

"Hey there! I’m sorry that I just left you but feeding you requires quite much and I had to replenish my resources. I hope you weren’t scared alone. Oh, I’m still at the bones, as the insides are rather rich. Speeding up would decrease the benefit but if they scare you I'll do so." (Liqu)

Immediately I realize that the last part was stupid since I found her initially kneeling over the bones of my last prey.

While I take a closer look, I see the remains of throwing up next to her.

The blue color tells me we are making some progress.

Yet, she doesn’t seem to be too well, as she's rather sagged down against the wall.

So I come to the conclusion that the poor thing needs more nourishment.

It’s also important to quicken the process.

Because of that, I try to ask, if I can help her in that matter.

"You are… Hungry?" (Liqu)

At first, she stays calm and I start to raise my hopes that it might work out this time.

Yet, her further reaction does not imply any cooperation.

"No, no, no! Please not! Please not! (Shari)

Maybe if I try to explain it to her without getting too concrete it might help.

Also, is it only my imagination, or do her tears have now a blueish tint?

"Please, you need sustenance. It wouldn’t be good if you wouldn’t get anything." (Liqu)

"Just let me go, please! I want back home!" (Shari)

Oh no, that’s not good!

Please, just stay with me!

"Everything’s fine! You are okay here!" (Liqu)

"No! I want this all to end! Please!" (Shari)

Stolen story; please report.

"Just bear with it a little longer. It will soon be over." (Liqu)

That isn't wrong.

I believe we made a great deal until now, but if she would move now or I would stop it could have terrible consequences for her.

"Now please. You need to eat. Just work with me a little here!" (Liqu)

I really want to have her consent.

Even if it is necessary I feel quite bad to force her.

"J-Just something else! Anything else! I would eat raw meat or just a plant. Any plant! Even grass! Just not this slime! Please!" (Shari)

I am afraid that's not possible.

In addition to the fact that it wouldn’t contribute to the process, her insides are now completely cleaned out, so that she can’t eat something else.

"I’m sorry but I don’t think that you could digest anything like this at the moment.

So there is just one way!" (Liqu)

It looks like I still need to do it like before.

So I reluctantly come closer.

But before I can do anything my little one starts to scream.

"Aaarrghh!" (Shari)

"Is something wrong?" (Liqu)

I’m quite concerned.

If there would be too severe damage at this point, I couldn’t do very much.

"My stomach hurts!" (Shari)

"Oh!" (Liqu)

That could be something bad.

I need to make sure.

If there really is a rupture or something similar, I might glue it together as an emergency treatment.

"Better let me take a look. Then I can tell if something’s wrong." (Liqu)

Like this I reach with my arm inside as soon she opens her mouth, to examine her stomach.

"Aaahhh-Glrrb" (Shari)

"Let’s see what is going on." (Liqu)

I’m trying to feel for any anomalies inside.

"Hmh, I can’t feel anything here. There?" (Liqu)

While I’m scanning her stomach walls, I can’t make out anything special at first.

But then I can feel something!

"That..." (Liqu)

There is a hard round object embedded in the front of her stomach.

I need a moment to break this down before I realize:

A core!

A core has formed inside her!

"There it is! It’s there!" (Liqu)

It's no wonder that it hurts.

The way it is linked to her body now, it will just let all her nerves around die off.

That must hurt very much.

However, it is not dangerous and the pain will cease as soon as there is nothing that can respond anymore.

Even more important, while it is still growing the form is already fully shaped.

And it is empty like I did want it.

"You’ve got one! It works! I can feel it!" (Liqu)

It works!

It works!

The seed cocktail I gave her worked exactly as it should.

"Just a little longer! It’s almost done!" (Liqu)

Like this, we are already through the hard part.

There is nothing that can go wrong anymore!

"Just a bit more! The important part is already done. It needs just a little more." (Liqu)

All that is to do now is to make sure that I provide the energy and material it needs to do its work.

In other words, I need to feed her.

And so I start.

As I draw closer to the end, the little one gradually becomes more and more unresponsive.

When I am done, I take a closer look.

Did she faint again?

That might be a bad habit but considering the future no lasting one.

Yet, it seems something’s off.

No; that’s not it!

Despite her inactivity, she didn't slump down.

Also, her eyes are still open.

"Hello there. Can you follow my finger with your eyes?" (Liqu)

While I move my hands in front of her she follows the movement with a completely hollow gaze.

This way I can determine that she is not unconscious but rather delirious.

To confirm that she is not playing an act, I first test it.

"Could you please open your mouth?" (Liqu)

And so she does!

I don’t believe she could do this without wavering at least a bit, considering her behavior until now.

Yet, I would like to know what caused this.

By recollecting the things I know, I come to a realization.

I think all the slime I poured into her finally managed to spread so far that it reaches her brain.

Like this, it will get slowly dissolved.

What does happen to her then?

For sure I wasn’t going to kill my precious little friend.

Her mind needs to get transferred to another location during the process.

As for the question of where it gets transferred...

Well, there is a brand-new, empty core.

And it will fondly welcome her.

However, since the brain shouldn’t be active during this procedure it gets deactivated.

This causes a state where she can’t have any thoughts of her own.

Now I can finally retract her binds.

This gives me some resources back, too.

They are no longer necessary since she won’t move on her own accord till we’re done.

So I can restore a bit of energy.

This is a rather tempting situation.

At the moment she is nothing but a puppet.

Yet I will not take advantage of her.

That wouldn’t be right and she might hate me for it.

Still, she looks so nice with that cute doll face.

That she is now listening to my requests is helpful, because I need to feed her further to support the process.

Thus it helps that she at last works with me.

But for now, I’m just happy.

It works out!

Just as I hoped!

And so I hug my little friend.

And embrace her for a long time.

This is bliss!

Don’t worry!

You have nothing to fear!

As I will protect you!

My sole important person!