Lucian had been hunting deeper into the mountain range that bordered the Hidden Valley. His slimes had been growing in number, and his experiments had been more fruitful than ever. But today, he came across something that could change everything.
While scouting the area with his Scavenger Slimes, Lucian noticed the remnants of a battle near a snowy cliffside. A faint trail of blood led him to a massive ice snake. Its icy scales were covered in cracks, and its frozen body lay still on the ground, the frost already starting to melt under the warm glow of the afternoon sun.
The Ice-type Snake was a dangerous creature, and Lucian had barely managed to take it down after a fierce battle. The Poison Slimes had done their job, weakening the creature, while the Sticky Slimes had trapped it long enough for Lucian to finish the job.
After making sure the snake was truly dead, Lucian began his usual process—harvesting the remains for anything useful.
Among the snake's remains, Lucian found something unusual: a Monster Core.
Unlike the bones or flesh, the Monster Core seemed to pulse with a faint energy, still vibrant with the ice magic the snake had once wielded. Lucian could feel the core's power even in his hands.
In this world, Monster Cores were rare. They formed when a monster had accumulated enough power to transcend their natural limitations and crystallize their magic into a solid core. Each core contained the essence of the monster's abilities, like a magical battery that could be harnessed.
"This could be useful." Lucian muttered, carefully storing the core in a secure pouch.
The Ice-type Snake had been powerful, but the core was the real prize. Lucian could use it to boost his slimes or even create something entirely new.
As Lucian continued to sift through the remains of the snake, he noticed a strange flower partially buried under the snow. Its petals were a delicate icy blue, and the flower was half-eaten, likely by the snake before it perished.
Lucian approached cautiously and examined the flower. It looked almost magical, pulsing with an unnatural energy.
"An Ice Blossom..." Lucian said quietly.
The Ice Blossom—a rare magical flower known to boost the abilities of Ice mages or Ice-type monsters—was an incredibly valuable find. When consumed, the flower could enhance the user's ice powers, increasing their control over the element and improving their strength. Lucian had heard of them before but had never seen one in person.
Normally, the flower was difficult to obtain, and those who knew of its effects would go to great lengths to acquire it. But to Lucian, it was just another ingredient to experiment with.
"Perfect for what I need." Lucian grinned, picking it up gently.
He placed the flower in a sealed jar to preserve its magic and took it back to his workshop, where his slimes waited for his next command.
Back at his ranch, Lucian set the Ice Blossom and Monster Core down on his worktable. He stared at them for a moment, considering the possibilities.
He had always been fascinated by elemental slimes—slimes that could control various elements like fire, water, or poison. However, up until now, he had only succeeded in creating slimes that were linked to basic elements like poison or stickiness.
But now, with the Ice Blossom and Monster Core, he had a new plan.
Lucian began by carefully extracting the magic from the Monster Core, using his alchemy tools to channel the ice magic into a liquid form. He then mixed it with the essence of the Ice Blossom, trying to capture its unique power.
He poured the mixture into a large mold and added his mutated slime essence. The mutation process began as the slime substance absorbed the ice magic from the mixture. Lucian could see the slimes' forms beginning to shift, becoming more crystal-like and frosted over.
After several hours of careful observation, Lucian finally watched as a small group of Ice Slimes began to form. They were still small and weak but had a clear affinity with ice magic.
Lucian smiled. "Success."
The Ice Slimes were translucent, with a faint blue glow surrounding their bodies. They looked like little frost spirits. As they moved, tiny icicles formed and shattered around them. They could freeze small objects with a simple touch and were already showing signs of developing a stronger resistance to heat.
Lucian's initial goal had been to create an Ice Slime that could help preserve the monster meat he harvested, and now he had achieved that goal.
The Ice Slimes began to surround the piles of monster meat Lucian had collected over the past few days. As they touched the meat, a cold mist spread, instantly preserving the meat and preventing it from spoiling. The Ice Slimes could keep the meat at the perfect temperature for long periods, allowing Lucian to store it for future use.
Lucian stood back and watched as his new slimes continued their work. His plan was coming together perfectly. He could create an entire army of elemental slimes to help him with his experiments, protect him from dangers, and even help with his ranching.
"This is just the beginning," Lucian muttered, looking at the Ice Slimes with pride.
Lucian had successfully created the Ice Slime, combining the power of the Monster Core and the Ice Blossom to form something entirely new. His ranch was starting to take shape, and with each experiment, he felt his abilities—and his understanding of the world—growing.
The future was full of potential, and Lucian knew that with his new slimes and his growing powers, there was nothing he couldn't accomplish.