Grizmar yanked himself free from the last bits of webbing with a strong flex, sending the torn threads flying. His shield, dropped during the struggle, was lying nearby, still sticky with web residue. He stomped over, grabbed it in one quick move, and turned to face his little rescuers.

The slimes stood in a semi-circle around him, greatswords up, their gooey bodies puffed out like they were ready to take on the whole swarm of spiders closing in.

Grizmar’s usual stern face softened, a weird mix of curiosity and respect flickering across it.

“Well,” he muttered, propping his shield against his side, “didn’t see that coming. Thanks, little guys.” He said as he gave them a nod of approval.

From where I was, I yelled as loud as I could, trying to cut through the screeches of the spiders that surrounded them. “Grizmar, get out of there now! They'll cover you!”

He looked back, his face hardening as he shouted back, “And what about these guys?” He motioned to the slimes still hacking at the spiders. “You’re just gonna leave them?”

“They’re just summons!” I yelled again. “This is what they’re for. They’ll buy you time—now move!”

Grizmar hesitated, his brow furrowed, and his shield arm twitched like he wanted to pull them back with him. “These little guys have more guts than half the warriors I’ve fought with. You really think I’m just gonna leave them to sacrifice themselves for me?”

Before I could say anything, the first wave of spiders lunged at him, their legs clicking as they leaped. The slimes didn’t even flinch. They raised their greatswords in perfect sync, cutting the spiders out of the air. The spiders screeched as they hit the ground around Grizmar, already defeated.

[Your slime defeated a Weblurker. EXP +2.]

[Your slime defeated a Weblurker. EXP +2.]

Grizmar looked down at the slimes gathering around him, their wobbly bodies jiggling with determination.

The slimes stood their ground, gripping their greatswords tight and ready to throw down. Despise the situation he was in, Grizmar broke a grin across his face.

Grizmar stepped up, planting himself between them and the swarm.

“Let them stick to me!” Grizmar yelled out.

“What?!” I shouted, barely able to hear him over the screeching chaos around us.

“Let them latch on!” he yelled back, smashing a spider that got too close with a swing of his shield. “They’ll be more useful stuck to me while I move! Give the call!”

Why haven't i though about it! His plan made sense. If the slimes stuck to him, they could keep fighting while he made a run for it. With the little mana I had left, I could get them to shapeshift one last time before running out. If they changed forms again, they might even help out from a distance while they latched into him.

“Alright!” I yelled, focusing on the slimes. “Switch to Ranger form and stick to Grizmar!”

The slimes wiggled in response, their greatswords melting back into goo. In a flash, they jumped onto Grizmar, sticking to his shoulders, and back.

Once in place, their bodies rippled and morphed, forming crossbows.

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Grizmar looked at the slimes clinging to him, once again a grin spreading across his face. breaking through his usual gruffness.

I smirked. Looks like the big guy has a soft spot for the small, frail but courageous type. Between the way he acted with Lila and now my slimes, it was starting to show.

One of the slimes fired off a bolt, zipping through the air and hitting a spider square between its glowing red eyes. Grizmar chuckled, clearly impressed. “Now this, I can work with.”

[Your slime defeated a Weblurker. EXP +2.]

Grizmar didn’t hesitate. “Run! Now!” he yelled, his deep voice cutting through the chaos of screeching spiders. It wasn’t a suggestion—it was an order, plain and simple.

Nobody argued. Fennel scooped Tasha into a princess carry once again, and Kael was already ready to get out of here.

Before I could get moving, Grizmar muttered under his breath, “Slime Propel.”

The air shifted, and the boots I’d let him borrow kicked into action. Suddenly, he shot forward like a rocket, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris behind him.

I stared in disbelief as he cleared an insane amount of ground in one step. “What the hell?!”

Fast didn’t even begin to cover it—he was stupidly fast. Those boots, combined with his relatively high physical stat, turned him into a freaking bulldozer. He barreled forward, shield raised, while the slimes on his shoulders fired off at any spider enough to get close.

The slimes were in perfect sync with him, their shots hitting as accurately as they could in this craziness.

Even with the chaos behind him, Grizmar’s booming laugh echoed through the cavern. “Now this is more like it!”

Kael, who was beside me, glanced at the hulking figure barreling toward us. “He’s... faster than Fennel,” he muttered, disbelief clear in his voice.

"No kidding! I should totally challenge him to a race once we’re out of here," Fennel said with a relieved look.

But something felt off. At this rate, Grizmar was definitely going to get out of this mess. But there was one threat that hadn't made a move since it showed up.

I glanced up.

The Queen was there, looming over the battlefield, completely still on her massive perch. Her bloated body swayed just a little, like she was gearing up for something.

Then I saw it—her abdomen. The already huge bulge at her rear started twitching like crazy, growing bigger and bigger by the second.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. What the hell was she doing?

“Grizmar!” I yelled, my voice cracking over the chaos. “Move it! The Queen!”

Even as he sprinted toward us, slimes firing non-stop from his shoulders, Grizmar turned his head slightly upward. “What about her?!” he shouted back, his voice cutting through the screeching spiders.

“She’s about to do something!” I yelled, my throat burning with the effort. “The Queen is—”

Before I could finish, her abdomen stopped moving. The bloated mass had swelled to the point of bursting, and then, with a sickening jerk, she leaned back just a little.

And then it happened.

Her stomach tightened, and suddenly, a huge, sticky blast of white webbing shot out into the air. It wasn’t just a thread or a small clump—it was everywhere, a full-on explosion of silk spraying out in all directions.

The force was intense, launching the webs at crazy speed and spreading it into a massive circle.

It was bound to hit everything—the floor, the walls, even the ceiling. There was no getting away from it. It felt like she was set on making the whole cavern get swallowed up by it.

The size of the attack was insane. It was clear what she was up to. There was no way Grizmar was getting out of her lair if he got caught in it.

Grizmar looked back, his eyes going wide as he saw the wave of web heading his way. For a split second, his usual cocky attitude cracked, and real panic flickered across his face.

“What the hell is that?!” he yelled.

“Faster, Grizmar! You’ve got to outrun it!” Kael shouted.

Fennel, standing beside me with Tasha still in his arms, muttered, “Come on, big guy. Don’t let that web catch you…”

Grizmar slammed his feet into the ground, surging forward with everything he had.

Kael crouched low, his sharp eyes locked on the scene. “He’s quick, but that web’s closing in.”

It was so close it skimmed the edges of his shield.

Grizmar let out a roar, pure defiance in his voice. “I’m not getting stuck here! Not today!”

I clenched my fists, feeling useless. There was nothing else I could do but stand there, watching and hoping he’d make it.

And then, just as the web was about to swallow him whole—

“He’s close enough! Ground Mark!” Kael said calmly, slamming his hand into the ground beneath him.

[You’ve entered the marked territory. Your action speed is boosted by 25% while you stay inside.]