Venti: "At least they're grouped together..."
He felt the Anemo energy flow more strongly within him, as if the wind had recognized the threat even before he acted.
His posture subtly changed:
- More grounded
- More ready.
His hand instinctively moved closer to where his bow usually appeared.
The slimes, oblivious to the slight danger they posed, continued to hop clumsily, their gelatinous bodies making that characteristic crunching sound with each impact.
Plop plop
The battle was finally about to begin.
Venti: "Time to level up."
Venti cautiously approached the source of the noises, walking along the rocks polished by the sea.
As he drew closer, the scene unfolded in all its grandeur… and his initial calm instantly transformed into heightened vigilance.
They weren't just a few stray slimes.
There were many of them.
Before him, on a wide stretch of beach where damp sand mingled with pools of water left by the tide, lay a group of about ten large slimes.
Plop plop plop
Their massive forms moved slowly, but each emanated a distinct, clearly perceptible elemental energy:
- Large Pyro slimes, glowing red, crackled softly, leaving blackened trails in the sand with each leap.
- Beside them, Large Electro slimes emitted violet sparks, the air around their bodies vibrating slightly with every movement.
- Not far away, Large Cryo slimes covered the ground with a thin film of frost, cooling the surrounding air
Archive: A monster created through the coagulation of Cryo in the natural environment.
These slimes can use the abundant Cryo energies within themselves to freeze the moisture in the atmosphere and form a protective shell around themselves.
They can also use a similar principle to freeze the water around them.
On some level, this can be considered to be the freest species of slime, as it can cross oceans and seas with ease.
- While Large Hydro Slime undulated peacefully, their translucent bodies reflecting the sunlight like duckweed.
And that wasn't all.
Archive: A monster created by the sedimentation of Hydro dispersed throughout nature.
A larger and more powerful Hydro Slime that can create bubbles to entrap its enemies.
It is said that they can grow to truly staggering sizes if given an energy-rich environment.
Eyewitnesses have supposedly seen Hydro Slimes as large as a small mound in Wolvendom.
Their energies mixed dangerously in a relatively confined space.
Elemental reactions sometimes erupted uncontrollably:
- A small spark of Electro made the Hydro shudder.
- A blast of Pyro heat melted the frost left by the Cryo, producing fleeting clouds of steam.
Venti stopped abruptly, assessing the situation.
Venti: "About ten... and all adult slimes."
He thought.
This was no longer a simple, harmless cleanup mission.
Such a gathering of different elements could become extremely dangerous if the reactions spiraled out of control.
He inhaled slowly, forcing his mind to remain calm.
Venti: ".......".
"Well... no question of rushing in headfirst."
His gaze analyzed every detail:
- The slimes' position
- The proximity of the water
- The direction of the wind coming off the sea.
Despite their apparent slowness, a poorly calculated attack could trigger a chain reaction capable of overwhelming him.
Yet, deep down, one certainty remained.
Venti: "It's dangerous... but it's also a perfect opportunity."
Thanks to his previous fight against the Ruin Guard, Venti understood that combat was the best way to increase his skill level and his own strength.
FFFFfffffff
The wind rose slightly around him, stirring the sand with a soft whisper.
Venti gave a faint smile.
Venti: "Very well... let's see if you know how to fight."
Venti then had a revelation.
Venti: "Hoooooooo."
Of all his abilities, there was one in particular he hadn't yet tried:
Telekinesis.
Venti: "Might as well try it, it could be fun."
He looked down and picked up a small, smooth pebble, half-buried in the damp sand.
It wasn't anything impressive, just an ordinary stone, but it was enough to test an idea without immediately drawing all the attention to himself.
Venti concentrated.
The telekinesis ability simply allowed him to direct objects in a particular direction.
He slightly extended his hand, palm open, and let his Anemo energy wrap around the pebble.
The air vibrated faintly, like a hesitant breeze.
The pebble trembled, lifted a few centimeters above the ground, floating awkwardly in the air.
Venti: "Okay... this skill is at level 1, so I shouldn't be too ambitious."
He thought.
With an extra effort, he hurled the stone forward.
The pebble sliced through the air for a short distance before falling back down, striking one of the Hydro slimes with a small, unimpressive plop.
Plop
The impact wasn't powerful, far from it, but it had the desired effect.
Plop plop
The struck slime froze for a moment, then began to bounce more erratically, its glowing core illuminating slightly.
Quickly, the neighboring slimes reacted as well, drawn by the movement and the tiny elemental disturbance.
Venti watched intently.
Venti: "Limited range..."
"But it's enough to attract attention."
Telekinesis, even at a low level, had just provided him with exactly what he needed:
A way to initiate combat without immediately exposing himself.
He also noticed a slight fatigue in his arm and a clear reminder in his mind that this skill would require a lot more practice before becoming truly formidable.
Plop plop plop
Around him, the slimes began to move closer to the impact zone, their energies brushing against each other more and more frequently.
The air became unstable, charged with elemental tensions ready to explode at the slightest provocation.
Plop plop plop
Venti took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on the gathering group.
Venti: "Perfect… now that I have your attention."
He murmured.
Venti: "We can move on to the next step."
A new idea took shape in Venti's mind as he watched the slimes begin to stir.
He now clearly remembered a fundamental principle of this world that he had understood the day before:
Slimes were attracted to disturbances and concentrations of elemental energy.
The more perceptible the energy, the more instinctively they reacted, like insects drawn to light.
Venti: "Yesterday, the two slimes headed towards me because I was emitting elemental energy."
His gaze drifted to the far end of the beach, where the sand became darker and no walkers ventured.
Venti: "If I can lure them there... I can fight without risking anyone getting caught in the middle of the chaos."
Venti picked up a second pebble, slightly larger than the first.
He took a calm breath and activated his telekinesis again.
This time, he added a thin layer of Anemo energy, just enough to make the stone a perceptible source for elemental creatures.
The pebble began to float, swaying slightly, as if suspended by invisible threads.
Venti narrowed his eyes, concentrating, then launched it further, toward the end of the beach.
The distance was still modest; his skill was still too weak to do better, but the result was immediate.
Plop
The pebble hit the ground with a sharp crack.
Plop plop
At once, the slimes reacted.
The Hydro slimes began bouncing in the direction of the noise, followed almost immediately by the Pyro slimes, whose heat made the damp sand sizzle.
Plop plop
The Cryo slimes left behind a thin trail of frost, while the Electro slimes emitted small sparks with each jump.
Venti: "It works…"
Venti thought, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He started again.
A third pebble, then a fourth, each time a little farther away than the last.
With each throw, he felt the slight tension in his head and shoulders, a sign that the telekinesis was slowly draining his energy.
But the slimes continued to follow him, growing ever closer together, their elements occasionally colliding in small, harmless reactions.
A few minutes later:
Little by little, the battle zone moved exactly where Venti wanted it:
To the end of the beach.
Venti: "That was pretty fast!"
He finally stopped, observing the group now tightly gathered in front of him.
A dozen slimes of four different elements, concentrated in one spot, agitated, unsteady.
Venti released his hand and let the telekinesis subside.
Venti: "Perfect."
He muttered to himself.
Venti: "Now I control the field."
FFFFFFFFffffffff
The wind stirred slightly around him, lifting a few grains of sand.
His eyes shone with a determined gleam.
Facing the group of slimes now gathered, Venti took a few seconds to breathe and calm the stream of thoughts racing through his mind.
The wind around him seemed to slow down, as if responding to his concentration.
And he remembered another detail about his abilities.
He didn't just have mastery over Anemo.
His gaze drifted for a moment, and in his mind, the list of his abilities reappeared, almost like an invisible interface that only he could see:
- Stat Boosting
- Stat Reduction
- Resistance Reduction
Abilities he had never dared to use openly before, for fear of attracting attention or simply due to a lack of control.
Venti: "It's not just my strength or my magic that counts..."
He realized this inwardly.
Venti: "It's how I use them.
Until now, he had mostly relied on his reflexes, his bow, and his element.
But the recent battles:
- The bandits
- A Ruin Guard
- And now slimes
All these encounters had taught him one essential thing:
This world rewarded adaptation and constant progress.
Venti: ".........".
He then understood another fundamental thing.
Each skill evolved with use:
- Every risk taken
- Each activation, even imperfect, brought him closer to a higher level.
Ignoring certain abilities was tantamount to voluntarily limiting himself.
Venti: "If I want to become a great adventurer..."
He thought, watching the slimes stir,
Venti: "I have to train them all."
"Even the ones that seem "discreet."
He imagined the impact this could have:
Slightly increasing his speed before a fight
- Weakening an enemy's defense at the right moment
- Reducing his elemental resistance to amplify a reaction…
Even at low levels, these effects could make the difference between a clean victory and a dangerous situation.
A slight smile appeared on his face.
The wind gently intensified around him, as if approving his decision.
Venti raised his hand, ready to activate his skills one by one, knowing that each use, each mistake, each success would bring him closer to his goal.
Venti: "Very well…"
He murmured.
Venti: "THEN I'LL USE ALL OF YOU."
Plop plop
The slimes leaped in his direction.
Venti: "Huh?"
Venti shouted without realizing it, and it attracted attention. The slimes' attention
But Venti was ready.
He briefly closed his eyes and concentrated.
The wind around him grew denser, almost imperceptible to the naked eye, yet present enough to respond to his will.
He began by activating his stat reduction.
Venti: "Become weaker."
FFFFfffffff
A subtle breath escaped his hand and spread across the sand like an invisible wave.
Plop plop
When it reached the slimes, the effect was immediate.
Their movements, previously energetic and erratic, became heavier, less precise.
The jumps of the pyro slimes lost their height, the crackling of the electro slimes weakened, and even the hydro slimes seemed to ripple more slowly, as if held back by an opposing force.
Plop plop
Venti immediately followed up with the reduction. resistance.
FFFFfffffff
This time, the wind changed its nature.
Sharper, more focused.
It seeped directly into the slimes' elemental flows, disrupting the balance of their elemental energy.
The colors of their cores became slightly dull, as if their connection to their element had just been weakened.
Venti sensed this alteration almost instinctively:
Venti: "Now, any elemental attack would be much more effective."
"It works..."
He thought, surprised but satisfied.
Without giving them time to adapt, he finally activated his third ability:
- Amplifying his own stats.
FFFFfffffff
The wind suddenly exploded around him in a brief but powerful whirlwind.
His body became lighter, his muscles more responsive, and his perception sharpened.
He took a deep breath.
FFFFfffffff
His bow materialized in his hand, more stable than ever.
He felt the difference:
- His strength, speed, and Anemo control had been temporarily enhanced.
It wasn't overwhelming power, but a decisive advantage.
Plop plop
Facing him, the weakened slimes still tried to advance, but their coordination was broken.
Venti then understood that what he had just used wasn't just simple support.
It was an intelligent way to fight, a dance between controlling the battlefield and optimizing his own abilities.
Venti: "This is what it means to be an adventurer..."
He told himself.
The wind swirled around him, ready to respond to his every move, as he prepared to launch the first real attack of this fight.
Venti took a deep breath… then dashed forward.
Sand flew beneath his feet as he charged straight toward the group of slimes.
FFFFfffffff
The wind enveloped him tightly, lightening his every movement, making his run almost unreal.
Yet, despite the weakening he had inflicted, the slimes remained dangerous.
Ten elemental creatures, even diminished, posed a real threat.
The first projectile flew.
A sphere of compressed water erupted from a hydro slime, hissing through the air before crashing down exactly where Venti had been a second earlier.
He pivoted nimbly, letting the attack explode behind him in a dodge.
Venti: "Too slow."
Now it was fire's turn.
Incandescent orbs spat out by the pyro slimes rained down on the beach, melting the sand and leaving small blackened marks.
Venti leaped forward, using an Anemo boost to lift himself slightly above the ground.
He landed a short distance away, without a scratch, his coat billowing behind him like a banner.
Then came the Cryo slimes.
The cryo slimes unleashed icy blasts.
The cold bit into the air, briefly freezing the surrounding humidity.
FFFFfffffff
Venti slid across the sand, tumbled to the ground, then rose in a fluid motion, almost laughing at the rising excitement within him.
Plop plop
Meanwhile, the electro slimes were simply hopping towards Venti, ready to attack without firing any lightning bolts.
Author's Note: In the game, electro slimes cannot launch projectiles.
Venti: "They're firing in all directions... it's perfect."
He wasn't even trying to attack yet. He was just having fun.
Venti: "Wow!"
Each dodge sharpened his reflexes, each step strengthened his control over the wind.
Venti: "Whoa!"
He felt his skill stabilize, become more natural, as if his body were gradually recovering buried memories.
The wind reacted to his every move, subtly altering its trajectory, accelerating a movement, softening a landing.
Chapter 18: Pyro, Cryo, Hydro and Electro
The End