Capítulo 10: Before the Dark Moon
Orange became redder as the blob flattened and became hotter, an ephemeral soft fire was produced to cover its whole body before launching itself from the grassy ground that burned.
The fire slime immediately made the air it touched warmer through its trajectory.
But before it could reach Renir's face, a stone came smashing on its face, not enough to pop it but enough to parry its attack.
As soon as it landed on the ground with dimmed orange, it was stomped by Renir's barefoot.
Renir then took the thread-like energy core it remained or what he called it only "core"
With an expressionless face, he consumed the core.
As of now, he was like truly a beast, a cold-blooded beast. He was neither in a rage, sorrow, nor despair.
How could it be explained?
Renir was in a bad mood...
Unlike before where the complex and mixed emotions he felt were driving him, now he doesn't have the mood for it.
After that incident where he sacrificed his hands and fingers, again and again, he truly experienced pain and suffering.
Even with seven broken fingers while being underwater searching for air, he had to lift it again, although he had kept knowing it would recover by the chylefruit later on, he was also anticipated great pain - the worst.
Even when there are no fingers left, the bones were sharp enough to use. Renir had to be so inhumane to look for the sharpest bone from his ten broken fingers to be the tip of his spear.
Four more times...
For the time being, Renir couldn't even look at his hands again. He felt his sanity was leaving him.
The throbbing pain, the sharp suffering; every moment the skinless, fragmented bones, and blood dripping injury was exposed to water, he groaned... the current of the river water was too much.
When all was left was the slime grabbing his right foot, he wanted to make it feel the way he bore that torture!
But... that wouldn't do anything. These slimes had no sentiment, that would just drive him crazy to not fulfill his revenge.
That was the part where contemplated underwater. He forgot he needed air. Eating seven water slime abled him to last underwater for several minutes.
Why would he need revenge? That was his thoughts circling at first until it reaches: Why was he brought here, anyway?
His spirit paled and the fire inside him was withering.
Renir coursed through the shadowed woodland without an expression to his face.
Every foe he had yet to defeat, he faced them until he figured out what method to use against them such as the fire slime.
Before, it was a waste of energy to throw rocks and a waste of time to search for them. Time was essential amidst the fight, just one second was enough to change its course.
'But now, my reflexes abled me to pick up throwing rocks before the fire slime jumps at me', Renir thought.
He knew he could just dodge and stomped on the fire slime void of energy. But he only dodges slimes by an inch so not to waste energy. It was already etched on his body, but an inch wasn't enough for the fire slime that can burn skin even without contact.
Renir decided not to disrupt this flux of movement as his body dodges while his hand flicks a stone towards this fire slime.
....No... that wasn't it.
That was his mindset to deceive himself. It was no problem for him to dodge then stomp the fire slime.
And the fact was, there doesn't seem to be any normal slime left. His smooth flux of movement only works for these simple beings.
Renir needed to exhaust himself again to Adapt to these new types of slimes and try new methods that would work against them.
And throwing rocks was one of the methods but not the best for the fire slime
The truth was, he just wanted to throw rocks at them to needlessly show his disdain towards them, and most importantly, he didn't want to use his hands to deal with them, at that time.
Renir received a temporary trauma...
But still, he doesn't have the luxury to fear since the moon was already halfway covered by the shadow.
Renir was curious and confused as to why the lunar eclipse there had to take so longe but there are slimes that produce fire and fruits that rejuvenates him, why would he think of it needlessly if it helps him?
What's more, it boils down to him not being in the mood.
...
From the riverside near the cliff, the five people that arrived at Gantlet rejoiced.
The young girl was about to jump into the river but was caught by the old huge man, "Easy, sweet Ye, remember that its dangerous in the water."
"What?! But it's water, why would it be dangerous?!", the young girl flailed.
The old man shook his head and dropped the young girl on the ground, "Don't you remember the water slimes?", he kneeled in front of the river in the process.
The young girl was startled when she remembered, how could she forget?
"And... Old Ze, why are you already drowning yourself in the water?", but soon the young girl joined.
"Well, I couldn't blame them for not being overjoyed to see water. How many years has it been since we saw one this big?", the woman submerged her head into the water too.
"Five days,", the short man commented, "Five days, that's how long we haven't seen this river.", but he still took a handful of water and promptly drank it, but a second later his head was underwater too.
'You guys couldn't keep yourself compose in front of mere water?', the long-haired man raised his eyebrows.
"Sorry, but we just heard blubublub from the water.", the old man then frowned, "But since you had that pompous raised eyebrows underneath the water, I assumed you're being arrogant again."
But silence came and right after, they are lying on the cold ground with their bellies like mountains.
"Old Ze, I hate water...", the young girl wanted to puke.
They agreed unanimously.
And grass rustling and water splashing entered their ears.
"Now that I realized it, isn't the slime too late on arrival?", the short man asked.
"Every time we got here, they would stop us from drinking, but now, there were too few of them and", the man with long hair was about to puke but stopped himself, "I like it if they interrupted us much earlier like before."
Others agreed unanimously again as they tried to stand up since there were approaching slimes.
Only a quarter of moonlight shone over Gantlet....
With limited time, Renir tried to improve himself as much as possible before the harshest challenge.
A challenge meant a new monster. It wouldn't be surprising if it is another slime, but when can Renir belittle those abominable beings?
New night which means stronger slime, or that was Renir thought.
After eating nine water slimes in total, he had found that he became more fluent in the water. Without any effort, he could swim faster than before and he could hold his breath for minutes!
That improved him in so many different ways as these changes were still there when he got out of water.
Now, he wouldn't have a problem always catching his breath. It was strange and he himself couldn't explain it but if it helps then he wouldn't problematize it.
Not only his stamina increased by many folds but even his fighting abilities.
The reason for him effortlessly swimming was not because he gained some fins or had the power to move water but somehow, he was able to understand the course and waves of water, and that allowed him to move through it effortlessly.
That helped him more fluid in his movements and minimize the energy he was wasting every movement and assign that excess energy to his attack or evasion.
If he wanted, he could pop fire slimes with just throwing rocks but he wouldn't pop them while they were on fire, their core would be too hot to eat.
Renir wondered what other benefits the other types of slime has. Does eating the core of the rock slime will harden his body?
But the thought of leaving humanity was lingering at the back of his head...
He gulped in hesitation after taking the core of the fire slime he just stomped.
'Will this make me more resistant to fire, produce fire,', his blank eyes have subtly shone, 'or both?'
He then bit it off and chewed it better than last time. The only solution to his thoughts was the mindset that it was better to live, even not as a human.
Renir felt his jaw was getting an improvement as well, a huge improvement.
A second after consuming the fire slime's core, a spark ignited in his heart.
Renir could feel the warmth in his chest as he frowned, "I need to find more.", he said.
The moon was about to be consumed in total darkness in half an hour, with his great stamina, he used all his might to improve himself.
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