I stared at the new skill description, blinking once, then twice, just to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

The words on the screen sank in slowly, each line hitting harder than the last. I knew [Summon Slime of Shapeshifting] had its perks before—it was solid for its prior concept, a flexible enough skill. But this… this was on another level entirely.

I went over the details word by word, trying to wrap my mind around what I was seeing.

'Consume and wear equipment, utilizing their shapeshifting properties…'

I stopped there, and my jaw nearly hit the floor. My slimes could equip weapons and armor now?

They could actually absorb and integrate items into their slimy forms?

I had to reread it, feeling like I’d stumbled into some kind of surreal dream. It wasn’t enough that they could alter their shapes to mimic a spike or shield form. Now, they were capable of absorbing actual items, using stats and effects like a full-on combat party member.

Then the words hit me again: “Armament of Offense, Armament of Defense and Armament of Utility.” They were adapting into specialized and permanent battle-ready versions of themselves, tailored for every possible scenario.

And thinking about where this power came from… the Wraith Knight Gravewarden.

It was eerie how well it matched. The boss of the 80th floor, was a spectral headless horseman, built from pieced-together armor. His “body” was nothing more than the floating metal fragments of various weapons and armor he controlled, and wore with ghostly power.

A hollow, dark force that could turn any equipment it touched part of himself. That boss had wielded armor like a second skin, binding it to his essence to make himself present in the physical world.

The upgraded and changed name, “Armament.” seemed obvious now. This new prefix was the direct influence of the Wraith Knight's power.

His Awakened Crystalized Heart, evolved my skill in a way that brought out its true potential making full use of the shapeshifting property it had.

What he’d done with armor and weapons, my slimes could now do but better. They could consume, adapt, and wear actual items, elevating their shapeshifting powers to an entirely new degree.

The implications of this were hard to believe. This is real, I told myself, forcing it to sink in.

My mind raced, trying to fully appreciate the power I held now. Summoning wasn’t just for decoys or distractions anymore; my slimes had evolved into formidable combat assets, each one carrying limitless potential.

All I needed was to keep farming better and better gear to equip them with, and they’d grow even more unstoppable—and this was only their power at level 3!

A grin stretched across my face. For the first time, I felt like I could truly hold my own.

One of the elders finally cracked, his voice low and dripping with barely-contained rage. “You think you’re untouchable just because of that contract?” His face was flushed, eyes glaring at me as if he could somehow reverse what I’d just done with sheer hatred alone. “Once those thirty days of safety end, mark my words, you’ll have nothing but regret.”

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The tension in the room was almost suffocating, and I could feel the weight of their stares drilling into me like a hundred daggers.

They were furious, no doubt about it—faces red, fists clenched, teeth gritted.

The patriarch’s expression was unreadable, but the three elders looked like they were barely holding back the urge to lunge at me.

By consuming the Awakened Crystalized Heart right under their noses, I had crossed an invisible line, and I didn’t care. They didn’t expect me to have the nerve, thought I’d cower, It was almost laughable how predictable they were.

I kept my gaze steady on the elder, refusing to flinch to his threat. “Untouchable or not, I’m standing here because I back up every move I make. You’re welcome to try changing that.”

Another elder sneered, unable to keep the contempt off his face. “A slum rat like you! Enjoy your arrogance while you can. When that contract expires, you’ll be as vulnerable as the nobody you are.”

I held his gaze without blinking. The flicker of my smile wasn’t lost on him, and that seemed to infuriate him more. “Thirty days,” I said slowly, savoring each word. “If thirty days is all it takes, I’d be more concerned about what’s coming for you. By then, things are going to look very, very different.”

At this, the patriarch’s expression finally shifted. I couldn’t tell if it was amusement, caution, or maybe just curiosity. But his silence spoke louder than anything his elders could have said.

With the tension about to break, I turned and headed toward the door. As I reached for the doorknob, I heard one of the elders call out with anger that he couldn’t disguise. “Leave now, boy. But remember—once those thirty days end, there’s no contract that will protect you.”

I stopped with my hand still on the doorknob, letting his words hang in the air.

The silence was thick. Then, turning my head slightly, I gave them a smirk over my shoulder.

The patriarch’s eyes narrowed, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of something—doubt, maybe? Either way, it didn’t matter.

I opened the door, stepped out, and left them seething in silence. The thrill of defying them pulsed through me, and a slow, satisfied grin crept across my face as I walked down the dimly lit hallway.

They thought they could intimidate me with threats. Let them try.

I’d never been one to back down from people who used their authority as a weapon. I hated it more than anything. They weren’t leaders or protectors—they were just people too scared to risk losing control.

They wanted to manipulate, to play with their power, not for fairness or justice but purely for their own gain.

It was the same story back on Earth. Being an orphan taught me that hard truth early on. I faced prejudice and unfairness constantly, all because I didn’t have anyone to shield me. No family, no guardian.

Just me, standing alone in a world that took advantage of the vulnerable. I had to learn fast, to become my own guardian, and I quickly understood that letting those with power walk over me was not an option.

If they thought they could control me, I let them think that—for a while, at least. And every single time, it was only a matter of time before I’d turn things around.

I'd learned how to play the game by their rules, that's why i made sure to have then sign that contract.

That was how I’d survived back then, and it was how I’d survive now.

As I made my way down the grand corridors of the Steelheart estate, a thought crossed my mind.

The skill description had mentioned an 'exclusive slime character sheet.' Did this mean I could view my slimes’ stats like my own? The idea seemed wild.

I’d been so caught up in the immense upgrade that I hadn’t even thought about the possibilities that could come from monitoring them like actual party members.

Curiosity got the best of me. Without overthinking it, I opened the character sheet for my slimes right there, glancing at it while navigating through the estate’s labyrinthine halls.

https://i.imgur.com/1YGOy2N.png [https://i.imgur.com/1YGOy2N.png]

[Summon Slime Character Sheet]

Equipment:

* Helmet: None / None

* Main-Hand Weapon: None / None

* Off-Hand: None / None

Stats:

* Health: 100%

* Defense: 0

* Defense Mitigation: 10%

* Physical Damage: 0-0

* Physical Penetration: 10%

* Elemental Damage: 0-0

* Elemental Penetration: 0%

* Attack Speed: 0%

* Critical Strike Chance: 5%

* Critical Strike Multiplier: 150%

Skills:

* Summoning

* Shapeshifting

* Armament