Chapter 21: Unexpected Encounter

A few years later, not far from Lyssandra's kingdom in the depths of the Forest of Truth was a young man surrounded by several green beings.

"Tom, we're almost there, hang on !"

This boy whom the green beings called Tom was none other than the friend of the young girl who had accompanied her to see the oracle on the sly when they were young.

"Ra, are you sure that Re saw the plant inside ?"

"Yes ! It is guarded by a big monster !"

"Sigh...after searching for so long, this plant had to be in the only place I didn't want to explore..."

Several years have passed since Tom went in search of the Leaf of Reciprocity, and although he still hasn't found it after exploring the entire forest, even going as far as to venture outside the Oracle's domain into the territory of powerful magical beasts, this boy who now looked much more like a young man had just located it thanks toa friend he made in the forest.

These few years spent surviving in the forest have forged him into a charming but robust young man who had nothing in common with the frail and fearful boy he was in the past. He looked totally different.

He had to survive on his own in hostile territories and he almost died several times. He was carrying on his muscular back a handmade bow, and his only clothes were an assembly of leaves and vines tightly strapped around his body. Although he was able to forge his body and he became very charming, living in the wild for so long made him look more like a prehistoric man than a refined elf.

He was accompanied and surrounded by many beings as green as grass, being formed of plants, flowers and branches; they were dryads.

When he crossed the river his people called the Death Border for the first time, he was followed by these beings who curiously felt attired by this young boy. When he encountered the first wild beast, a Thunder Wolf, he tried to flee as fast as he could but to no avail.

After having tried to resist as best he could with the small hunter's knife he had taken with him, he finally ended up seriously injured by the thunder wolf, the long scar from the last wolf attack on his back is still visible even years later.

Expecting to be devoured by the Thunder Wolf, strangely this one did not kill him and simply left in another direction. Before falling unconscious, while feeling his breath weaken and his heart beating slower after losing so much blood, he saw strange beings made of plants carrying him and taking him to an unknown place.

He woke up inside a gigantic tree, surrounded by these dryads.

Dryads are extremely rare magical beings on the continent. Almost all intelligent races hunt them for their branches and leaves, which are said to be very conductive to magic ; making them a material of choice for creating mage equipment. The bud that each of them possesses and uses as a means of reproduction by planting its fruit and the fertile seed present inside in the ground so that a new dryad can be born from it, are also reputed to be high-quality aphrodisiacs prized by the noblesse of many kingdoms.

Just one of these buds can be converted by a master alchemist into a powerful love potion capable of making almost anyone succumb to its effect.

Thus, the dryads were violently hunted throughout the continent for centuries, until some of them found out the Forest of Truth surrounding the Hydra Mountains while trying to flee the hunters and adventurers chasing them.

The dryads, being very sensitive to magic, understood that this forest was not like the others at the first glance. It was very concentrated in magic particles and two divine beings protected it. One residing in the Lake of Truth, and the second at the top of the highest mountain.

Those few dryads who seemed to have found the perfect place to live, have since been able to breed and restore their tribe safely, without being hunted and dismembered because of the greed of the other races anymore.

When Tom woke up after having fought against the Thunder Wolf, he was naked and covered in a cocoon of leaves and sweet nectar. Although he did not understand what was happening and he did not know those who saved him, the young boy was grateful to them. Since then, he befriended and lived with them, while continuing his research of the Leaf of Reciprocity.

Although the dryads knew each of the plants present in the forest, they had never seen this Leaf of Reciprocity, that's why they were looking for it too. And so, they decided to look for it together with Tom, which had been living in the dryads tribe for several years now and was part of their family.

"Tom, I'm not sure this is a good idea..."

"We have no choice, Ra. Your sister saw the plant of reciprocity inside this den, even if this is dangerous I am obliged to enter there to retrieve it."

"What are we going to do if the big monster wakes up ?"

"We can only pray the goddess Arthemil that he doesn't wake up..."

Even though tom has fought and hunted many beasts to survive and has become very good in both archery and melee combat, the monster residing in the lair they are about to enter is nothing like what he has fought so far.

Outside the forest, at the foot of the Hydra mountains there is a swamp that no magical beasts approach, it is the territory of a terrifying creature. It wakes up every year to hunt for a few days, before returning to its nest to hibernate and digest until the next year. Every time the monster is awakened, the whole forest lives in fear.

Although it was asleep for the moment, Tom didn't want to base his survival on luck alone. He had therefore prepared several concoctions of plants, and potions of sleep and confusions that the dryads taught him. He hoped from the bottom of his heart that they would be enough to stop the beast if it was about to wake up.

After walking for another hour, Tom and Ra joined Re, the second dryad, waiting for them at the border of the forest. Having the swamp in view, he approached silently with the two dryads who were his closest friends and the only dryads who accompanied him wherever he went to search for the Leaf of Reciprocity during the last few years.

"Ra, Re, you two should stay here and wait for me. If you don't see me coming back after twenty minutes, go back to your tribe inside the Oracle's domain. Even if this monster awoken, no matter how dumb it might be, it will never dare to trepass the oracle's domain."

The two dryads nodded with their branches, even if they didn't want to let Tom alone they knew they would be of no use against the abomination that hide inside this cave.

After the young dryads returned to the forest border and watched him from afar, Tom walked towards the cavern, plodding slowly through the swamp. Once in front of the entrance, he didn't enter yet and he was already terrified at the idea of throwing himself headlong into such a dangerous place.

'Come one tom ! You've been looking for this plant for too long to turn back now !'

After motivating himself mentally, Tom finally began to move forward and engulfed himself in the darkness. He held his bow taut, ready to shoot an arrow of ancient wood at the slightest danger. Strapped around his hips was a kind of sword made of the same material, ancient wood was as hard as steel.

The further Tom went into the cave, the more he could smell the awful putrid smell of rotting meat emanating from the remains of corpses scattered all over the place.

Even if he was able to see in the dark and he was careful not to step on any bones, there were so many skeletons and pieces of rotten meat everywhere that it was difficult for him to move forward without making noise.

After a few minutes, he finally arrived at his destination. The sleeping beast looked like a gigantic ball of gelatin. Tom couldn't see a mouth, limbs, or any other body parts. It was just a Giant ball of viscous liquid.

'Don't tell me…the swamp monster is a slime ??'

Tom couldn't hide his surprise. On Lunaris, the only type of monster which was feared by both every race and every magical beast were slimes. These beings are extremely tough and difficult to kill. They are also very dangerous and can evolve into terrifying creatures.

Although human magicians have succeeded, after much experimentation, in creating a harmless variety of slime that doesn't evolve, which they use in the sewers to purify organic waste in large cities, slimes in the wild are often extremely powerful monsters.

If a slime manages to survive for a few decades, it is said that by eating organic beings it could evolve into one of the most feared monsters on the continent. When a slime larger than a horse was detected in a kingdom, most of the time the king has to send his royal guards and his best courts magicians to eliminate it. This is how frightening these beings are in the wild.

There is even a legend about a slime that ate and absorbed organic beings for more than a hundred years, it became so powerful that it destroyed an entire empire and wiped it out of the map. Only when several kingdoms united and sent their best soldiers and magicians were they able to destroy the giant slime, which was later named "The Gluttonous Monster".

Tom struggled to come to his senses. Although the slime was huge and already took up the entire width of the cave, it was translucent and Tom saw several items within it that hadn't been digested.

There was a huge tooth the size of Tom's body, a sword made of shiny metal, and other objects that all seemed rarer than each other. Among these many objects, Tom saw a strange flower.

This plant, although totally immersed in the viscous liquid that formed the body of the slime, did not seem damaged at all. What was even more strange was its color, although Tom was in the dark, his vision as an elf was good in the dark. Spending several years in the forest of truth allowed him to improve it further, until being able to see as well in the dark as during the day.

The flower had a silver-grey color, as if it were made of silver, and its long drooping petals were all of a different color. This flower looked more like a silver sculpture than a living plant.

Although Tom finally found the Leaf of Reciprocity he was looking for, he had no idea how to get it out of the slime without waking it up.

He knew that if the slime woke up, he had no chance of killing it. If a slime of this size appeared in a kingdom, it would take at least ten royal guards, a dozen of regular soldiers and two to three high-mage to destroy it.

'Right now, it's safer to get out of this cave and come up with a plan.'

Tom decided to not be greedy and too hasty. It is better to come up with a better plan than risk his life on a whim.

He got ready to leave as he came in, without a sound, before hearing an unparalleled din at the entrance of the cave.

'What's happening ??'

Someone or something seemed to run without paying attention to the noise, crushing all the bones in its path.

'Who's the fool crazy enough to come and challenge this beast ?? I have to get out of here as fast as possible !'

Tom also started to run to escape, in the direction of the one who was making this ruckus.

Unfortunately for him, after only a few meters his blood froze and he was petrified by what he had just felt on his foot.

He slowly turned his head to look behind him and saw the giant slime advancing towards him, one of its tentacles already grabbing his feet to prevent him from fleeing.

Although he was frightened, his long years of survival taught him to stay focused and react quickly even in the most dangerous situations. He wasted no time and instantly fired several arrows that pierced the slime, before quickly dissolving inside his body.

Considering the speed at which the ancient wood arrows were dissolved, Tom was sure that if the slime absorbed him, it would be certain death for him in just a few seconds. He switched weapons to his ancient wooden sword and slashed the viscuous tentacle that was gripping his feet and had already begun to corrode his feet.

When he was freed from this tentacle, he didn't waste a single second and ran with all his strength towards the entrance of the cave, cursing in his head whoever had made so much noise when entering the cave.

At the same time he thought of this person, he saw him coming at full speed, running straight towards the slime.

"WHO ARE YOU..."

Tom who didn't know the intentions of this stranger put himself on guard with his sword.

However, this strange person paid no attention to him and ran straight to the slime.

This unknown person was so fast that Tom didn't have the time to identify him, he could only see a humanoid form.

Tom was stunned.

Who could be stupid enough to run straight towards this giant slime and fight it in melee ?

Although he was reluctant to leave the Leaf of Reciprocity behind him, he had no choice and he took advantage of the arrival of this stranger to get out of the cave as quickly as possible. He crossed the swamp where his two dryad friends were still waiting for him and asked them urgently.

"Re, Ra, did you see someone enter the cave ??"

"Yes, she was one of yours tom."

"She ?? An elf ??"

Tom couldn't believe it. While his clan lived in the forest, the village chiefs all forbid going too far into the mountains and forest. The only ones allowed to go further were the experienced hunters to catch preys and bring some meat to the villages, but even they never went as far as the mountain foot, in fear of leaving the Oracle's domain.

Nobody from his clan would be dumb enough to leave the Oracle's domain safe area and come to this swamp, especially not to fight a giant slime. It was both dumb and suicidal.

The only ones who were allowed to leave were his childhood friend and him a few years ago, and only because they received the words from the oracle.

'Wait, a female elf… don't tell me...'

Tom, who previously wanted to get out of here as soon as possible before the slime came out of its lair, suddenly decided to turn around and go back inside.

"Tom wait, don't go!! It's too dangerous!!"

Ignoring his dryad friends warning him of the danger, he crossed the swamp once again and was about to enter the cave when suddenly, a huge explosion echoed inside.

A powerful shock wave was expelled from the cavern, and a few seconds later a deluge of flames came out from the entrance as if a dragon had just spit its breath inside.

The flames were extremely hot, and had an orange color, tending towards yellow. Tom barely had time to jump and dive into the dirty, slimy water of the swamp before the blast of flames charred everything where he had been only seconds ago.

After waiting a few moments for the flames to subside, he lifted his head out of the water and looked at the entrance of the cavern.

In the middle of this deluge of fire came out a young woman, with a fine and refined silhouette. Although this young woman looked extremely attractive to Tom, he couldn't help but stare at the many scars on her muscular half-naked body.

She wore only two tight leather straps to hide her breasts and her private parts, and had no weapon nor anything else on her.

When the young woman, who was walking slowly through the flames, came out of the cave and saw a head popping out of the water and watching her, she couldn't help but run in its direction and ask happily.

"Tom?? Is that you??"

Tom was still too shocked by what he has just seen to answer.

While both his body and mind developed well and he became a grown young man in only a few years, he couldn't help but slightly blush and turn his head when one of the leather straps tying the young elf torso tightly was still burning and broke down, revealing to him half of her chest.