The night air outside the springs was filled with steam and panic. Villagers and attendants shouted as globs of slime oozed across the rocky paths, their gelatinous bodies bubbling as they crept closer to the baths.
Yelena cracked her claws, lightning sparking across her fingers as she growled. "Seriously? They dragged us out for slimes? Pathetic."
Katie placed a calming hand on her shoulder, though her vines were already twitching. "Weak or not, Master wants them gone. We should be thorough."
Drum folded her wings with a sigh, glaring at the creatures. "Fine. But I'll kill them fast so we can finish what was interrupted." Her smirk told me she meant the "game."
Before I could argue, the three of them tore into the slimes.
Yelena's claws froze and shattered them. Katie's vines whipped through them like blades. Drum's wind sliced them apart, their gelatin splattering harmlessly against the rocks. In moments, the horde was reduced to puddles.
All but one.
A single slime bounced away from the massacre. Its body shimmered oddly, almost glowing, and unlike the others, it moved with shocking speed. Every swipe, slash, and gust missed. It wasn't fighting — just dodging, slipping through every attack.
Drum hissed. "Annoying little thing…"
Yelena snarled, baring her fangs. "Why won't it just die already?"
But as I watched it, I noticed something. Its movements weren't hostile. It didn't lunge for us. It didn't try to strike. It just… circled me. Almost like it was curious.
"Wait," I said, raising a hand. "Don't kill it."
The girls froze, eyes flicking to me in disbelief.
Katie tilted her head, her smile patient. "You're thinking of taming it, aren't you?"
I nodded. "It might be special. Like you three."
Yelena groaned, tail lashing. "Master, it's just a slime. Don't waste your time."
Drum clicked her tongue but stepped back. Katie only smiled knowingly.
I reached out, placing my palm against the quivering mass. Mana pulsed. The bond flared.
The slime froze, then shivered.
And then it changed.
The gelatinous body rippled, stretching upward. The glow grew brighter, reshaping, forming curves, limbs, and a figure. In seconds, a woman stood before me — her skin shimmering blue like water, her form dripping and supple, her eyes bright and innocent.
Her body was voluptuous, her chest large and heavy, straining against the thin bikini-like cloth that clung precariously to her. Droplets of slime slid off her thighs, pooling at her feet. A sunhat tilted on her head, giving her an oddly playful, summery look.
Her face lit up the moment her eyes met mine.
"Master~!" she cried happily, lunging forward.
Her body pressed against mine, warm and squishy, her soft breasts molding around my chest as her arms wrapped tight. I stiffened at the contact — her body felt like a mixture of water and skin, slick and yielding, enveloping me in ways that weren't fair.
She rubbed her cheek against me like an affectionate cat, her smile dazzling. "I'm yours now! I'm so happy! Hehe~"
"Uh…" I stammered, trying to push her back gently. But her body only clung tighter, molding around me.
The bond in my chest thrummed. She was mine now.
A slime queen.
The other three stared, their expressions conflicted.
Katie tilted her head, her vines curling. "A slime queen… rare. But they're not like us. Their minds are… simpler."
Drum crossed her arms, her feathers ruffling. "She's too bubbly to be a threat. But I don't like how she's touching you already."
Yelena's tail flicked sharply, her golden eyes narrowing. "Master, are you hiding something from us? First me, then Katie, then Drum… and now this thing? Normal taming doesn't cause evolution. Not like this. So why you?"
Her suspicion burned in her stare, but I didn't have an answer.
Meanwhile, the slime queen continued to squeeze me, her soft body pressing everywhere, her giggles sweet and airheaded.
"My name's Herta!" she announced suddenly, pulling back just enough to beam at me before pressing her breasts tighter against my chest. "Your Herta! Forever and ever!"
I sighed, already feeling the stares of my other three familiars stabbing into my back like blades.
Another yandere had joined the pack.
And this one was slippery.