My gaze hardened. It was a choice born not of trust, but of necessity. The memory of my mother's betrayal, of the village's cold judgment, was a bitter ice in my veins, but the pulsing, painful bond to Ember was a fire that burned hotter. My friends—my family—were all that mattered.
"Mossy," I commanded, my voice low and steady. "Release them. But be ready."
The gnarled roots that had ensnared Brutus and Korvin began to retract, slowly, like snakes slithering back into their holes. The earth beneath Brutus, softened by Mossy's manipulation, solidified once more, allowing the massive man to clamber out of the bog. He was covered in mud from head to toe, his armor caked with it, and his face was a portrait of pure, unbridled fury. He spat a mouthful of muck onto the ground and lunged for his two-handed sword, which was still stuck in the earth.
I didn't move. My attention was fixed on Korvin. She stood there, her crossbow still lowered, her hands held out in a gesture of peace. The young man, Felix, was still trapped by Bubbles's Adhesion, his expression a mix of fear and confusion. Bubbles had done his job well; his armor creaked and groaned as he struggled in vain.
"Leave the weapons," I said, my voice cutting through the tension. My hands, still glowing faintly from the energy of the stone, were held out, ready to give the command to attack if they dared to try anything. "One wrong move, and you will stay here forever."
Brutus froze, his hand just inches from his sword's hilt. He looked from me, a scrawny boy with a glowing rock, to Korvin, who was giving him a stern, almost pleading look. He let out a frustrated growl and reluctantly backed away from his weapon.
"What is this, Korvin?" Brutus demanded, his voice a low, threatening rumble. "You're bargaining with a beast?"
"He's not a beast, Brutus," she replied calmly, her eyes never leaving mine. "He's the reason our feet were glued to the ground, our gear was frozen, and our map was stolen. He's the one who commanded it all. He's a strategist. A summoner. Now, stop. He needs our help."
She took a slow, deliberate step towards me, her hands still raised. I felt the surge of protective energy from my other slimes—a small, crystalline Ice Slime named Frost and a hulking, rock-like Earth Slime named Boulder—who had emerged from the undergrowth. I had to restrain them with a mental command, my will acting as a tether. They were ready to defend me.
Korvin knelt beside Ember, her movements methodical and professional. She gently set down her crossbow and opened a pouch at her waist, revealing a collection of vials and bandages. She didn't have the grand, flashy magic of a human healer. She was a field medic, and her tools were physical.
"Is he... is he conscious?" she asked, her voice soft.
I just nodded, my eyes glued to her hands. She carefully plucked the crossbow bolt from Ember's side. The sickening squelch of the bolt leaving his gelatinous form sent a wave of pain through our connection. Ember shuddered, his form rippling weakly. My hands clenched, and for a moment, I wanted to command my slimes to crush them all. But I didn't. I held back, my trust in my friend stronger than my hatred.
Korvin worked quickly, using a small, sharp knife to cut away the torn, damaged part of Ember's gelatinous body. She then applied a thick, syrupy salve to the wound, a substance that seemed to glow with a faint, healing light. The salve made contact, and Ember's body rippled, his crimson hue returning from a sickly red to a vibrant, healthy crimson. The Interface over his head flickered, and the status changed.
Status: Injured (Stable)
A wave of profound relief washed over me. The pain subsided, replaced by a quiet, contented hum from Ember. He was stable. The healing was slow, but it was working. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
"This is not a monster," Korvin said, her eyes meeting mine, her gaze clear and unwavering. She looked back at Ember. "This is... life."
I stared at her, caught off guard by her words. She was the first human who had ever looked at one of my slimes with something other than fear, disgust, or greed.
"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice a low, rough whisper. "Why risk coming into a place like this?"
Korvin sealed the salve bottle and looked up at me. Her expression was now tinged with a weariness that had nothing to do with our fight. "We weren't just after treasure," she said, her voice dropping to a near-whisper. "This whole quest… it was a job. A contract."
Brutus, from his spot in the mud, scoffed loudly. "A contract to get rich! Don't listen to her, boy!"
"Silence, Brutus!" Korvin snapped without looking at him. "The contract... was from a mage guild. A guild specializing in mana research. They heard rumors of this forest, of the mana crystals. They didn't want the gold. They wanted a sample of the Gemstone Grove." She paused, her eyes focused on my hand, where the mother's stone still glowed faintly. "And they wanted the source of it."
My stomach tightened. The source. Me. My slimes. My mother's stone. The threat was not just from some greedy adventurers; it was from a powerful organization, a force I had no chance of fighting. This was no longer about a few greedy people. This was a war against an entire system. My peaceful life was not just disturbed; it was now a target.
"We can help you," Korvin continued, sensing my distress. "The guild… they don't want to hurt you. They want to understand you. You could be a key to a new kind of magic, a new kind of power. You could be their greatest asset."
I looked down at Ember, who was now pulsating with a healthy, steady rhythm. He was still hurt, but he was recovering. I looked at Bubbles, who was still holding Felix fast with his Adhesion skill. I looked at the two slimes at my side, my loyal guardians. They were all that mattered.
"Help me?" I said, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. "Your kind only takes. Your kind only sees an anomaly to be discarded or a monster to be exploited. I have a home here. A life. I don't need your help."
Korvin sighed, a sound of genuine frustration. She picked up her crossbow, but this time, she held it like a walking stick, a gesture of peace. "You're right. Maybe we can't help you. But you're wrong about one thing. Not all of us are the same. We all have our reasons for the paths we walk. Brutus wants riches. Felix wants glory. And me?" She looked at the slimes, a hint of genuine awe in her eyes. "I just want to learn. And you... you have something worth learning about."
With that, she turned and walked away, back toward the way they came. Brutus and Felix, still trapped, stared after her in confusion. My slimes were ready to pounce, but I held them back. The healing had been a terrible risk, but it was a risk that had just introduced a new, more terrifying conflict. The world was now aware of my sanctuary. The hunters had found their prey. And now, the hunt had truly begun.