Chapter 49: Luck or not…
‘Rustle, Rustle’
The sound of movement nearby put Aether on high alert. Slowly, he backed up against a nearby tree trunk, he wasn’t letting sneak up from behind him…. Wary of potential threats lurking in the darkness behind him while he focused his attention on the source of the rustling.
In the dim light, he could make out a small figure emerging from the shadows, its form indistinct yet intriguing.
Aether’s heart pounded in his chest, the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he prepared for whatever might come next.
“QIKKK”
With a sudden, squeezing sound, an object leapt before him, startling Aether for a moment.
As he squinted to get a clearer view, a smile tugged at his lips. “It’s a slime, isn’t it?” he remarked with a hint of amusement.
This encounter marked his first real-life encounter with a creature straight out of a cartoon, and the novelty of it all brought a glimmer of joy to Aether’s eyes.
Crouching down to get a better look, he examined the slime with fascination. Its jelly-like body lacked any discernible features like a weird line of eyes or any kind of core inside, resembling nothing more than a blob of translucent gel.
“Hey there, little guy,” Aether murmured, his curiosity piqued as he reached out to touch it with his fingertip.
With a momentary hesitation, he made contact, feeling the soft, gelatinous texture beneath his touch.
‘Boing, Boing’
“Haha,” Aether chuckled at the sound, finding it oddly endearing. With a sense of childlike wonder, he continued to poke the slime experimentally, each gentle prod met with a satisfying jiggle.
‘Poke, Poke, Poke, Poke…’
‘Boing, Boing, Boing, Boing…’
The slime responded to his touch with playful resilience, its gelatinous form quivering with delight under his fingertips. Aether couldn’t help but laugh as he revelled in the simple joy of the interaction, momentarily forgetting the seriousness of his surroundings…. just like a child.
Even though he was fucking middle-aged man!!
“Is this even a mon…..sss..terr?” Aether’s words trailed off into a whisper of disbelief as he watched in astonishment, the small slime gradually expanding in size before his wide eyes. It seemed to defy the laws of nature, growing larger and larger with each passing moment.
“…” Aether stood frozen, his mouth agape, as he beheld the object that now towered over him, its bulk three times his own height. The once diminutive slime had transformed into a formidable presence, casting a surreal shadow over the forest floor.
‘Plob, Plob’
A bubbling sound emanated from within the now-humongous slime, echoing like distant thunder in the quiet clearing. Aether’s mind raced with a mixture of awe and trepidation, his heart pounding in his chest.
!~Ding~!
[+1 Affection]
‘Gulp’
Aether swallowed hard, his throat dry with fear, “Hehe…!!!!!”
‘Thud’
Suddenly, with a deafening thud, the colossal slime lurched forward, its massive bulk rolling toward Aether with alarming speed.
Reacting on pure instinct, Aether leapt to the side, his heart pounding in his ears as he narrowly avoided being engulfed by the oncoming tide of slime. The ground trembled beneath him as the behemoth passed by, leaving a trail of glistening slime in its wake.
‘Plop, Plop’
Once more, a bubbling sound emanated from the colossal slime. Aether furrowed his brow and squinted his eyes, trying to discern the source of the strange noise….. To his horror, he realized that the sturdy tree he had been leaning against for support was slowly disintegrating into nothingness within the gelatinous mass of the slime.
‘Ba-Dump, Ba-Dump’
The sound of his own heartbeat echoed loudly in Aether’s mind, matching the frantic rhythm of his pulse. Fear gripped him as he imagined himself meeting the same fate as the unfortunate tree, reduced to nothing…. not even body parts remained that could help others!!
With a growing sense of urgency, Aether made a split-second decision to flee, his survival instincts kicking into overdrive. But as he turned to escape, he saw the colossal monster rolling its massive body in his direction, its gelatinous form undulating with terrifying speed and true to its purpose…. THAT’S HIM!!!
‘Crack, Crack, Thud, Thud….’
Aether’s heart raced as he sprinted through the forest, the cacophony of cracking and thudding sounds reverberating through the air behind him. He dared not look back, knowing that whatever lay in the slime’s path was being consumed in an instant, disappearing into the abyss faster than the blink of an eye.
“FUCK!!” Aether’s expletive escaped his lips in a horrified whisper as he realized the true extent of the slime’s destructive power. It was like nothing he had ever encountered before (In the games and Novels)… a relentless force of nature digesting everything in its path ruthlessly Fast.
Very Much faster than instant noodles!!
Aether ran as fast as his legs could carry him, his heart pounding in his chest with every stride. He wasn’t sure which direction to take; the dense forest offered no clues, no guiding lights from nearby towns or villages….. He simply ran in what he hoped was the right direction, fueled by pure instinct and the primal urge to survive.
Suddenly,
“WOOOOOO!!!”
Aether’s body trembled at the haunting sound of the distant howl, sending a shiver down his spine. Instinctively, he knew that whatever lurked in the shadows was not something he wanted to encounter.
‘Not good!!’ He screamed inwardly, his mind racing as he quickly changed direction, veering away from the source of the chilling sound.
‘Plop, Plop’
The ominous bubbling sound echoed in the darkness, signalling the imminent danger closing in on Aether. He felt a surge of panic rising within him as he realized that his options were dwindling rapidly, the relentless pursuit of the monstrous slime closing in on him with each passing moment.
He left with no choice other than….
“Increase Strength by 2”
!~Ding~!
[+2 Strength]
[Strength: 5 ↑]
Aether’s muscles tensed as a sudden surge of strength flooded through his body, empowering him with newfound vigour….. With veins bulging and adrenaline coursing through his veins, he felt a renewed sense of power to overcome the looming threat.
But it wasn’t over yet,
“Increase Agility by 3”
!~Ding~!
[+3 Agility]
[Agility: 6↑]
“sshooo”
“!!!” With a sudden rush of energy, Aether felt as light as a feather, his movements fluid and effortless. With a small smirk of satisfaction, he sprinted faster than he ever thought possible, dodging obstacles with grace and speed that defied physics…. He felt never like that before in his previous life.
“Hahaha… Come and get me, Bastard!!” Aether’s voice rang out, filled with defiance and adrenaline, as he glanced back at the little far monstrous slime pursuing him.
“Huh?” Aether’s haughty expression faltered when he saw the colossal creature had suddenly halted its pursuit.
“What happened?” Aether furrowed his brow in confusion, turning his attention back to the path ahead, only to be met with a horrifying sight….
“SHIT!!”
His heart lurched in his chest as he skidded to an abrupt stop, his eyes widening in terror as he stared into the abyss before him. The forest abruptly ended, giving way to a sheer drop-off that plummeted into darkness below.
It’s a fucking cliff!!!
However,
Due to the unforgiving laws of physics, which were now working with cruel precision and most importantly wanted to mess him up…. The momentum of his sudden stop sent his body careening forward, off balance and out of control….
“FFFUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKK!!!!”
Aether’s anguished scream echoed as he fell down.
‘Boing, Boing’
The once-massive slime now reverted to its smaller form, stood at the edge of the cliff, its gelatinous body quivering with a mixture of disappointment and curiosity. Peering cautiously over the precipice, it scanned the abyss below, searching for any sign of its elusive prey.
To its dismay, there was nothing but darkness and the distant sound of rushing water. With a resigned sigh, the slime retreated from the edge to restart its hunt but not before a disdainful squeak, a sound that roughly translated to:
“Squeak!”==[Idiot Food!]
And with that final judgment, the slime continued its hunt for more suitable prey.
Anyhow, Coming to Aether’s side…
“I am not sure -ha- whether to be -ha- grateful for luck or not…” Aether muttered to himself, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he surfaced from the dark depths of the water. Blinking against the shimmering moonlight reflecting off the surface, he couldn’t help but marvel at the stroke of fortune that had spared him from certain death.
With a small, weary smile, he propelled himself towards the shore, the rhythmic sound of his strokes punctuated by the gentle lapping of water against the rocks.
‘Splash, Splash’
As he dragged himself onto the solid ground, a sense of relief washed over him, mingled with a lingering sense of disbelief at his miraculous escape.
“-ha-ha-ha-”
Aether collapsed onto the cool, damp rock, his chest heaving with exertion as he struggled to catch his breath. Lying there, he allowed himself a moment of respite, savouring the sensation of solid ground beneath him after his harrowing ordeal.
“T-That’s really high…” Aether murmured in astonishment as he gazed back at the towering cliff from which he had fallen. It loomed above him like a monolithic structure, its sheer height stretching towards the heavens…. Just a figure of speech.
With a shudder, he realized just how close he had come to meeting his end.
“At least there were falls in this place,” Aether muttered wryly, a wistful smile playing at the corners of his lips.
If it hadn’t been for the cascading water that had broken his fall, he knew there would be nothing left of him!!!!
With a heavy sigh, he cast his gaze around his surroundings, taking stock of his situation. Despite his brush with death, he found himself still trapped within the confines of the dense forest, with no clear path to freedom in sight.
“trrr”
Aether’s body trembled uncontrollably as the cold seeped into his bones, sending shivers rippling through his thin frame. With numb fingers, he fumbled in the darkness, searching desperately for any semblance of dry wood amidst the damp foliage. After what felt like an eternity of painstaking effort, he finally managed to gather enough tinder to….. kindle a small fire.
‘Pop, Pop, Crack, Crack’
The flames danced and flickered to life, casting a warm glow that chased away the biting chill of the night. Aether let out a long sigh of relief as he took off his sack dress, his skin prickling with goosebumps as it was exposed to the welcome heat of the fire.
He was completely naked in the middle of an unknown forest!!
“ppuuffff”
A plume of steam rose from his lips as he exhaled, his breath forming a ghostly mist in the crisp night air. He huddled closer to the flames, revelling in the comforting embrace of their warmth as they banished the lingering chill from his bones.
‘Rustle, Rustle’
Just as he began to relax, a faint sound reached his ears, sending a jolt of fear coursing through his veins.
!~Ding~!
“I am totally fu–” Aether’s words were cut off mid-sentence as a notification abruptly interrupted his thoughts, flashing before his eyes in bold letters.
[New Mission!!!]
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