Chapter 8: Power of the Little Ones
Sitting in silence, I contemplated my next course of action as Slimey regenerated its loss mass.
Hrrrrrrn. What do?
My main quest required me to make pylons, but everytime I did so the crocotaur would show back up, rudely punching my tower before walking off. The slimes didn’t stack up well against the monster as it had innate resistance to their dissolving skills thanks to its scales and the corrosive environment it lived in.
Hmmmm.
It was obvious I needed to get rid of the crocotaur. Now the question that begged to be asked was how?
Name: Slimy
LvL: 3
Species: Elite Mutated Cleaning Slime
HP: 109/120
MP: 20/20
Skills: Dissolve LvL 3. Slime Shot LvL 4. Solidification LvL 2. Bounce LvL 2. Physical Resistance LvL 1. Blend LvL 1.
I eyed Slimey’s stats, my champion, wondering how I could improve it. Obviously the go to would be to have it hunt and kill things, earn experience. So that’s what I did. In the meantime, I redirected my other slimes, crowding them to defend me as I summoned the crocotaur back by creating another pylon.
Like clockwork, the monster stepped out of the shadows, lumbering on webbed talon feet towards the spire where it punched it. But that was ok, I wanted that. The real goal here was to observe the monster, study its physiology. Look for weaknesses in its metaphorical armor.
This went on for some time, hour after hour, day after day of me creating pylons and the Crocotaur destroying them. All while Slimey went and trained.
While I was observing. Slimey was training.
While the Crocotaur was lazing. Slimey was training.
While the monster destroyed my pylons. Slimey was training.
Of course I also had my other slimes go to work, cleaning out the underground bit by bit of the other slimes and bugs but holding back in their cleansing so that Slimey could soak up that juicy succulent experience.
Fortunately the slimes seemed to understand my intentions and held off on dissolving the random overgrown bugs and critters long enough for Slimey to arrive.
The Crocotaur I dubbed Dave walked on by, smashing another pylon but pausing to sniff the air as I smiled to myself. After several attempts to dominate the monster, I quickly realized something. I couldn’t, not with my minions at max capacity.
Which was fine. I had other plans for it.
Considering its scale and size, the Crocotaur would make an excellent enforcer, however. Wherever it went it scared off the lesser monsters, meaning less prey, meaning less experience. It was also eating slimes, devouring their cores and interfering with my plans to create a super slime.
No, no no no. That would not stand.
Name: Slimy
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LvL: 5
Species: Elite Mutated Cleaning Slime
HP: 180/180
MP: 40/40
Skills: Dissolve LvL 4. Slime Shot LvL 4. Solidification LvL 3. Bounce LvL 4. Physical Resistance LvL 1. Blend LvL 1. Constrict LvL 1.
Slimey had grown two levels, gaining a new skill at level 5 and its skill levels rising as well. Considering there weren’t many strong monsters on this layer of the sewers besides other slimes and bugs, it was a commendable effort that no doubt was at the cost of hundreds of critters. It had even gained a skill useful for my plan.
Good job Slimey.
The Elite slime wiggled back and forth, almost as if happy at the praise it received.
Perfect.
Eventually time passed, the moment of action for my ambush nearing as I opened my minion menu and prepared for the battle to come.
MINION MENU
Slimey: Elite Mutated Cleaning Slime Mutated LvL 5
HP 180/180
MP 40/40
Slime 11: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 2
HP 15/15
MP 6/6
Slime 12: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 2
HP 15/15
MP 6/6
Slime 13: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 3
HP 25/25
MP 6/6
Slime 14: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 1
HP 10/10
MP 3/3
Slime 15: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 1
HP 10/10
MP 3/3
Slime 16: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 2
HP 15/15
MP 6/6
Slime 17: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 2
HP 15/15
MP 6/6
Slime 20: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 2
HP 15/15
MP 6/6
Slime 21: Mutated Cleaning Slime LvL 2
HP 15/15
MP 6/6
Everyone had leveled in some way, with most of my minions being stronger than the average slime.
It was time.
Putting my plan into motion I ordered my slimes to and fro. The near dozen jelly monsters latching onto the walls and climbing to the ceiling of the sewer while Slimey took blended in and position beside the spot I would summon a pylon.
Create Pylon.
Immediately the stone that I had designated for a pylon warped, the area of my domain responding to my will to craft a spire of tile, cobblestone, and vines reached to the ceiling.
Ah. Like clockwork. I mused to myself, my domain senses picking up Dave stepping out of the shadows.
It lumbered towards the pylon, completely ignoring the slimes lurking in the darkness to pounce on it the moment it stood still.
The scalie monster snarled at the pylon, a clear sign of annoyance as it cocked it’s three-fingered fist back and prepared to strike.
NOW!
At my command, Slimey revealed itself, the massive slime shooting forward to wrap around the monster that immediately tensed up from the creature using constrict.
SOLIDIFY! At the command Slimey hardened, the gooey monster turning from a fluid to a high tensile bondage that trapped the Crocotaur.
YES! Phase one worked, next came the hard part. To prevent Dave from running off, I sent several slimes to attach themselves to the creature’s feet, ordering them to interlock like a humanchain to slow down its movements. While this happened, the remainder of my slimes dropped from above, aiming for the creature’s face.
Fun fact.
Crocodiles don’t have gills. They breathe and require air just as humans and most mammals do. Something I recalled from my previous life. The absence of gills showed me this weakness and while my slimes would lose in a contest of strength and power, it wouldn’t matter if I blocked its airways from the inside.
From head to toe, the creature was covered, hitting the floor with a thud where it squirmed and flapped around, twisting its body rapidly to try and break free from the sticky slimes pinning it down.
Ehehehe. An evil feeling blossomed inside.
Perhaps the best part, due to the gooey nature of the slimes, they tended to stick to surfaces, meaning that no matter how much it chomped and bit with its powerful maw, it couldn’t shake the slime stuck to the top of its nose and blocking its airway.
Thirty minutes.
That's how long most crocodiles could hold their breath for. Was that the same for an upright-pus-ridden sewer monster that kept being annoying and interfering with my ascension to purge the world of filth? Unsure, but it is always fun to learn new things.
Dave continued to thrash around, the crocotaur attempting to unsuccessfully break free from the slimes slowly absorbing portions of the creature and dissolving it.
Excellent.
Before I knew it my rubber body was letting out squeaks, loud high pitched sounds that was akin to… laughter? Was I laughing? My squeaker was doing something weird, something I hadn’t done in an age. But although this feeling was foreign, I knew one thing was certain.
I was happy.