Slime Boot Camp
Training! A medieval-style cabin. And a squishy bed. Ah, I didn't want to get up. This plush bed sensation I hadn't felt in ages. I needed to check the rewards I'd gotten, but it wouldn't let me go.
"Ah, whatever, I can just think while lying here!"
After sleeping on the floor every damn day, I couldn't resist a bed like this. What's the difference between thinking while getting up or lying down anyway? I just wanted to stay comfy.
"...Manager appointment and invitation."
I hugged the blanket tight and mentally replayed the messages that had flashed by. The features I'd unlocked by clearing the quest. I could kinda guess what the manager appointment was, but that invitation thing? No clue.
"A factory needs a manager, after all."
Let's start with the predictable one. Manager appointment. In genre conventions, every gate like this has one—it's a staple. Usually, it's either a cute mascot acting as a secretary or some monster whipping slaves with a lash. I preferred the former, obviously. Why bother with a muscle-bound whip-cracker? Cute mascots are the best. And Blackie and Whitey fit the former category more than the latter. They were more cute than pretty, but hey, close enough.
"Urgh—let's see what you've got."
I rolled over and pulled up the gate management screen.
[Manager Appointment][Invitation]
"Yep, properly added."
New buttons had definitely appeared. My heart raced thinking about what they did. Even if I didn't know how to use them, having them was a hundred times better than nothing. I tapped the Manager Appointment button first.
The window shifted, filling my view with a new blue screen format I'd never seen before.
The huge 0/1 stood out first. Only one manager appointable, huh. Not bad. And that confirmed it—my gate was the cute secretary type, not the whip-cracker. Felt like appointing a single assistant.
"Okay, what's below that?"
As I scanned the window, more details appeared under the numbers.
"Entity list, huh. Tap to appoint?"
Appointable entity list. Tapping Blackie or Whitey seemed to appoint them directly. No other slimes listed, so probably only named ones qualified. But I hesitated to appoint rashly.
"Can I undo it, though?"
I worried about tapping impulsively. Those two had to come with me. What if appointing bound them to the gate? At least I wanted to know if revocation was possible.
"Or maybe get more named ones..."
But unlike when Blackie and Whitey appeared, no other special ones had shown up. I'd summoned slimes for days before meeting Sion, but none were "special."
"What now."
It was ambiguous as hell. Appointing without my head in the game? Even with my "charge ahead" motto, the loss was too big. I'd have to roll Blackie and Whitey outside! I racked my brain for alternatives—literally grabbing my head.
"Work, you dumb brain!"
I twisted so hard the bed shook. No clever ideas came.
Companion egg? I had fewer than ten recipes. Alternate appointments? No clue if revocation worked.
"Argh! Screw it, just appoint?!"
My finger hovered over Whitey's button. As manager material, she'd be perfect... but my head swirled with worries.
Then it hit me.
"Ah, right—invitation!"
The forgotten feature popped up. The new invitation function. No idea what it invited, but maybe it solved the manager issue? Invited things were probably named-grade at least! Wishful thinking, sure, but I wanted to believe.
I closed the window. Back to the main gate management blue panel. Eyes down to the invitation button—right there, obviously.
"Let's see if you do what I hope."
With a flicker of hope, I tapped invitation.
"...This is invitation, right? Didn't glitch into manager mode?"
I'd come in hyped, but it was confusing. It looked exactly like the manager screen. Recycling designs like this? Even big game studios would get flamed.
But there was a difference.
Slots: 0/1
No Inviteable NPCs Available
"Huh... okay? So what the hell!!! No NPCs means game over?!"
That damn message pissed me off. Thought it'd be easy for once—rage boiled over. Wasn't it for inviting people or monsters I'd met? I glared resentfully at the message.
No inviteable NPCs...? Huh?
"NPC...?"
A lightbulb went off.
"Breakthrough sighted!"
In this pitch-black situation, one ray of light. NPCs—the ones from the tower, like in games. And it wasn't much different. Gallery said they repeated lines, simple patterns, whatever.
"Climb the tower, and it's solved?"
My path forward crystallized. No time lying around. Goal clear: auction in two weeks—climb the tower, snag an NPC, fully normalize the factory.
I tossed the blanket aside and got up. The plushness clung like a noose, but I shook it off. Nothing could stop my drive for the factory and cash.
"Nngh—!"
Light stretch to loosen up. I'd be using my body plenty soon. Shook myself off and headed to the door.
Click—
"Huh?"
Hand reaching for the knob, but it turned on its own. All gate buildings auto-doors now? Felt off. I eyed the slowly opening wooden door warily.
Then.
Gulp—
Pip...!
"......Ha?"
A white jelly waved at me. Got tense for nothing—thought it was someone, but Whitey. Still, déjà vu. How'd you open the door? Knob was high up. How with your tiny body?
Pip...?
And why were our eyes level? I looked down.
"...And what're you lot doing."
Under Whitey, slimes stacked like stairs, a stepping-stone platform.
"Hey, you weirdos. Cut the cult vibes."
Rumble—
Every slime move creeped me out. If Whitey said "sacrifice," they'd offer their goo bodies. Good thing my gesture dispersed the stair formation—Whitey included. Seemed my orders trumped hers.
Pop—
Pip...!
Slimes scattered, Whitey landed.
"What, something to say?"
Pip...?
Hmm, just worried and came. Her actions never matched her intent. I scooped up the upward-palms Whitey onto my shoulder and stepped fully outside.
"Hm, no big changes."
Looked around to feel the upgrade. Added: the cabin I'd left and a well beside it. Building a village? Basic livable infrastructure shaping up.
Eyes off well and cabin, to Whitey.
"So where're Blackie and the rest?"
Pii...!
More like, where'd they go? Whitey pointed. Following her gooey finger, a vast lakeside came into view.
"...Fishing?"
A new pier. Blackie leading slimes, poking sticks like fishing. Not some leisurely lord.
Ridiculous sight: doggrass in mouth, gripping rod.
"Blackie, whatcha doing."
Piiik?!
Slow approach, grabbed his squishy body. Didn't notice till close—freaked out.
"You catch anything like that?"
Only slimes here—no catches possible. No natural ecosystem; not even squirrels.
Pip, pii.
Yup. Just bored.
"C'mon, head back."
Slimes on shoulders, back to flat ground. Trailing slimes followed.
"Whoa, you lot play elsewhere."
No need for jellies—sent 'em off.
"Alright, guess why I called you two."
Both blank-faced. Yeah, no idea. I just figured it out.
"Here."
Shoved something at the puzzled pair. Sticks I'd picked up en route to the lake.
"Training time, you wimps!"
Time for physical drills for these poison-toss one-tricks! Hooah! One week till next tower climb. No rest for them.