The green liquid seeped out of the torn package, its thick consistency akin to that of slime. As he observed it with growing curiosity, the inner glow intensified, casting an eerie light in the dim room.
As the green liquid oozed from the package, my curiosity urged me forward despite the unpleasantness of the sight.
"Ha, at least it's more bearable than the guts and blood of the battlefield," I muttered to myself, trying to rationalize my curiosity. As the viscous liquid continued to drip, I left the box on the living room table. An oppressive feeling crept over me, dividing my thoughts. Part of me yearned to return to the vivid dream I had just experienced, while another part urged me to prove my capabilities in the real world. I needed to extract every ounce of potential from this existence, even if it meant confronting the unknown lurking within the mysterious package.
When I opened the package, the green glow vanished as if it had never been there, leaving behind what appeared to be a broken test tube, likely due to mishandling during delivery. "Damn delivery man," I muttered under my breath, "if this turned out to be poison, I'd be dead by now..." Despite my frustration, complaining seemed futile in a world of illusion.
"Hmm? The slime is coalescing..." I observed, intrigued as the viscous substance seemed to move of its own accord, its shape completing itself now that I had opened the package.
As the slime gathered, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was alive. No, wait. Was it moving? As several questions flooded my mind, the viscous substance began to crawl up my sneakers. I attempted to kick it away, but for some reason, it clung to me stubbornly.
"Damn, this thing is persistent," I muttered, shaking my leg in an attempt to dislodge the slime. But it continued its relentless ascent, reaching up to my knee. An apprehensive feeling gripped me as I watched the luminescent slime climb my leg. It was like witnessing a giant, glowing slug making its way toward me, and "disgusting" was the first word that came to mind.
After struggling for a while to remove the slime from my leg, I realized that it was impossible to shake it off. What's more, I couldn't shake the feeling that the slime was... looking at me? Absurd as it seemed, I couldn't shake the eerie sensation, as if the semi-liquid substance somehow possessed awareness.
As I pondered the bizarre situation, a thought occurred to me: could this slime be somehow related to my chance of escaping the illusion? No, it couldn't be possible, I reasoned. It's more likely that it's just a manifestation of the merging of my old world with this new fantasy reality. Yes, that seems like the most plausible explanation.
After some contemplation, I noticed that the slime had reached the height of my shoulder. The situation was becoming increasingly perplexing. Was the slime looking at me? It seemed to be making swaying movements, almost as if it were waving. Could it have somehow slipped into the illusion by chance? No, that seemed unlikely. How could a "God" overlook such a strange detail? As my mind raced with possible explanations for the slime's behavior, an impulse to touch it crossed my mind.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
As I touched the slime, a small flash emanated from it. Strangely, the slime seemed to darken, and its erratic movements slowed down, almost as if it were adapting to my touch.
"What the hell...?" I murmured, watching as the slime gradually solidified. A peculiar sensation of connection washed over me. "This is..."
Meanwhile, in the room where Rotclaw waited, a sinister smile crept across his face. "Hmm? Looks like it's linked earlier than expected." With a flick of his wrist, he opened his eyes and fixed his gaze upon the small rodent that had piqued his curiosity for so long. As Rotclaw observed, a black and green flash streaked through the air, landing upon one of the runes adorning the wall.
As the rune flashed green and black, thin reddish lines appeared on the previous tablet filled with runes, blending together in a chaotic dance. A strange wind began to swirl, carrying with it an otherworldly energy.
Rotclaw struggled to draw breath amidst the overwhelming magical power. Despite his mastery, even as a full-fledged Vorthul's Shaman at the seventh intermediate circle, he found himself gasping for air. The sheer magnitude of the power being unleashed was suffocating.
"Ha... It's an attempt at manifestation," Rotclaw muttered between gasps, his face contorted into an ecstatic smile. "Hahahaha, what events could have transpired for 'Him' to attempt such a feat?"
While Rotclaw struggled to catch his breath, the tablet trembled continuously, and the thin red lines, initially faint and illegible, gathered on the black and green background until they formed what seemed like a set of words.
"Will... Unification... ashes," as if all the energy had been exhausted, the tablet displayed these words before seemingly draining of all power that made their appearance possible. The enormous oppression that threatened to swallow Rotclaw disappeared as if it had never been there in the first place.
Rotclaw stood up trembling, his body wracked by the aftermath of the immense power he had just experienced. If anyone had seen him at this moment, they would have thought the shaman had gone mad. A manic smile settled on his face as he struggled to compose himself. "Vorthul has spoken, hehe..." Rotclaw murmured, his words accompanied by a laugh that bubbled up from within him. "Hahaha, will, unification, and ashes. It's time. The Skarithi race has long been mired in foolish wars." As he laughed, a malicious glint gleamed in his green eyes.
"Vorthul has spoken: will, unification, and ashes. Send the message to Dreadlord Verminous and the other two Plague Shamans," Rotclaw shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "Yes," a voice responded from seemingly nowhere, as if its owner had always been present.
After a moment of silence, Rotclaw turned his gaze to the table where the unsuspecting little rat sat, unaware of the events unfolding beyond his illusion. "Even if you cannot see it, your destiny is already intertwined with the clan..." With those words, Rotclaw settled back down and closed his eyes.