A Slime Named Lime

The slime from the Big Boar Dungeon simply wobbled and swayed wherever Yeonhee's hand guided it. Surprisingly, her moment of indecision didn't last long. The name I'd half-expected to be something ridiculous like Squishy or Jiggler turned out to be...

"Let's just go with Lime!"

'Heh, not bad at all.' For once, she had actually come up with something simple and decent.

"Okay, Lime. See my arm? Can you wrap yourself around it?"

The slime surged up and down for a moment as if processing her words, then slid from her shoulder down her arm. It stretched its body long and thin, coiling snugly around her limb.

"Ilwol, tap my arm once with your club. Just lightly."

I nodded, gripping the wooden club I'd manifested, and gave her arm a careful tap. The club immediately bounced back from the elastic resistance.

"Kyaa! It really works! It actually works! Try hitting it a little harder?"

I put more strength into the next swing, but the result was the same. Only when I struck with my full power did the slime's core ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠finally start to jitter erratically. That reaction only happened when it was in danger or had taken more impact than it could handle.

"Still, to endure Ilwol's attacks this well... It's a huge success, right?"

"Clack clack clack!!"

In my previous life, I'd always watched her fights from a safe distance. Seeing it up close like this was astonishing even to me.

We spent a long time working on her defense training. By the time we finished, night had deepened. Yeonhee went to bed, and as always, I continued my own training.

Whoosh. Whoosh.

'I'd rather get my hands on a shield before another club... Hmm.'

Since I fought in close quarters while hidden most of the time, a buckler-style round shield paired with a short blade like a dagger would suit me far better than a long club.

There were only two ways to obtain equipment: crafting it from monster parts or byproducts that I'd contributed significantly to acquiring, or looting it directly from monsters. Monster gear was rarely useful, so ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠most people went the crafting route.

You could technically wear someone else's equipment, but its performance would drop by more than ninety-five percent, making it practically worthless. I didn't understand why the system worked that way, but it was a fairly reasonable structure. Even rich people couldn't equip top-tier gear from the early levels.

That was why forges and workshops were always overflowing with orders, and the value of those born with production classes was considered just as high as rare supporter or healer classes.

The intermediate summon Ran we'd acquired today belonged to that rare supporter category. No wonder Yeonhee had been so thrilled. Most awakened beings struggled just to control their own power. Granting beneficial effects to others was far easier said than done.

But since Ran was a spirit, it could wield those supportive magics as naturally as breathing. As long as there was enough mana, it could dramatically boost our team's combat strength.

Anyway, dawn came and we entered the Goblin Dungeon once again. The moment we stepped inside, we encountered eight goblins and charged them without hesitation. We subdued them more easily than expected.

"Haaang~ Lime is seriously perfect for defense! At this rate, I need to start preparing for close combat too, don't I?"

During the fight, two goblins had targeted Yeonhee. Lime sprayed acid to restrain one while blocking the other's attack with its slime armor. She followed up with a light dagger thrust. I joined the fray and the situation ended instantly.

See? Just adding one more makes a massive difference. As expected, using that skeleton soldier for reinforcement last time really had been a waste.

I clicked my teeth in mild regret as I gathered the loot. Meanwhile, Yeonhee was happily swinging her slime-covered arm through the air, beaming with delight.

Over the next three days, we entered the dungeon with our new slime companion and defeated a total of one hundred and thirty goblins and slimes. The slime must have leveled up considerably. My own level rose twice more as well.

I had distributed my points evenly across strength, agility, stamina, and mana. Strength had finally broken past forty for the first time. The Acid Spray skill had also leveled up.

"Ah..."

The greatest reward, of course, was Yeonhee achieving a new accomplishment. From now on, she would receive a massive attack power bonus against goblins and wouldn't suffer serious injuries even when struck.

We tested it on the way back after completing the achievement. When her arrow struck a goblin square between the eyes, the creature's head literally exploded.

"Hwaaang..."

Just how much additional attack power does it grant? It's bursting heads like watermelons.

Her lower body trembled faintly. She seemed to be experiencing some kind of thrill from feeling that destructive power firsthand.

But today marked the end of our time in the Goblin Dungeon. There were still plenty of goblin packs in the Big Boar Dungeon, of course, but since we planned to focus primarily on hunting Big Boars, we wouldn't run into them nearly as often.

When we returned home, we continued training in our small one-room apartment, filled with a strange mix of anticipation and excitement about finally stepping into a new dungeon.

The next day, we entered the Big Boar Dungeon at last.

Tap.

"I'll leave the report on your desk, Director."

On the top floor of the Cheongah Building, which served as the White Knight Guild's headquarters, a man with narrow, slit-like eyes leisurely sipped his tea. His most loyal subordinate and A-grade hunter, Jeong Ju-in, placed a thick bundle of documents on Jo Giman's desk and clasped his hands behind his back.

"Good. You may leave."

"Understood..."

The man with slicked-back hair offered a perfectly deferential bow before vanishing from the room in an instant. Jo Giman continued savoring his tea while standing by the window that offered a clear view of the cityscape. At some point, the bundle of documents had found its way into his hands, and he calmly flipped through each page.

"Hmm. As expected... Since she wasn't hospitalized, her early growth is quite fast. Still, she's only in the mid-to-late 10s after five months..."

The documents contained every piece of information related to Lee Yeonhee. Aside from the fact that she had achieved the 100-man battle accomplishment and occasionally used acid-based items, there was nothing particularly different from before.

"This much still falls within the expected range. If anything, considering how she went on a rampage in the dungeon after getting injured in her previous life, her growth might actually be slower than anticipated."

Moreover, she still couldn't perfectly control that abnormally large skeleton soldier. Had some anomaly appeared in her talent as a summoner? That would explain why she was using one-time acid items she had never touched in her previous life.

"Gain something, lose something ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠else. It's a bit disappointing that she isn't showing the dark side she had before, but..."

She would fall into his grasp in a few months anyway. There was no need to pay her much attention until then.

"She's nothing more than disposable bait that only needs to survive until the day the Orc Legion Commander launches his first attack."

He tried to push her existence from his mind, but before he realized it, his hand was already turning back to the first page of the report where a small photo of Lee Yeonhee was attached.

"Screeeech!!"

"Hwaaaang—!! What the hell is this?!"

Twenty minutes after boldly entering the Big Boar Dungeon, we encountered our first Big Boar. Its massive ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body truly lived up to its name, reminiscent of an enormous wild boar, with a forearm-thick horn protruding from its forehead.

As usual, I prepared to strike first, but—

Snort!

It's sensitive to vibrations. Sneaking up on it isn't easy.

The creature spotted us first and charged. Yeonhee quickly drew her bow and fired an arrow at its head, but the shallow penetration only enraged it further.

She threw herself sideways to dodge the Big Boar's attack and shouted loudly.

"Lime!"

At her call, the slime wrapped around my bones. I turned and sprayed acid directly into the charging boar's face before colliding with it head-on.

Splat~

Oink?!

We crashed together, but thanks to the slime covering my shoulder, I only lost five health. The bewildered Big Boar took Yeonhee's next arrow straight to the eye.

Thwuck—!!

"Screeeeech—!!"

I climbed onto the thrashing, pain-maddened creature and alternated between Acid Spray and Bash. Using Adhesion, I clung to its back as it shook violently, but I gritted my teeth and held on.

Stab! Stab stab!

Yeonhee's arrows continued sinking into the softer parts along its flank. Eventually its resistance weakened, and it slid sideways, collapsing heavily onto the ground.