Chapter 10 – First Quest, and a Psychological Test

August and his mistress arrived at an old rundown fisherman's lodge on the outskirts of the city, near the great river that flowed through the city canals. The air around was faintly sweet and chemical, hinting at something foreign being present. He could hear no wildlife in the surrounding area. 

"Why'd you bring me to an old smelly house," he questioned his handler.

"It's a known problem spot, though the guild insists on keeping it this way, practically making it a slime farm."

He hefts the greatsword, slowly becoming accustomed to it. Wondering if he made the wrong choice of weapons. He turns his back to her, hoping to ask a dumb question about money.

"Keep your eyes front and center August." she berated him. He hears something behind whirring him through the air, as he turns and sees a tentacle flying to strike him, a blob of bluish mass following. 

Her eyes glow with amusement, she summons a small spell, evaporating the slime that fell on the ground. His eyes go wide and there's that nerdy expression again, of seeing something otherworldly or novel.

"Woah, thanks. Mommy," he said with excitement. To which she grunted.

"Don't thank me yet. You're going alone inside that building, and you're going to do this job on your own, I'll be outside sitting under a tree, reading a book."

He was taken aback. He was hoping for more than moral support. Maybe a companion to aid him in his troubles. 

"but…but…I'm weak now, and very afraid."

She snickered, "Come on now even an f-rank can handle a couple of jello bobs. I thought you were a legendary hero." 

With that out of the way, she really went to sit under a tree much to his chagrin. He enters the old lodge, the door creaking open. Dust greeted him, he could see trails of ooze leading across the room, a sign of infestation. There were tables and other decor covered completely in jello. 

He starts swinging at the first thing he sees, his muscles burned with every heave of the oversized blade. His initial strikes were barely effective, barely slicing a single slime apart, its body reforming itself shortly after. 

Sweat starts pouring down his face. This was a lot harder than he expected. The tentacles didn't hurt so much as they tried to constrict him like a python. 

With great effort, he cleaves his first adversary in half, shattering the creature, and making it dissolve into a slimy puddle. He became exhausted. When he slayed the first slime something foreign had occurred to him, like he got stronger after defeating it. 

But he knew he needed to rest to reap the rewards.

He presses onwards, better to get it over with. Cleaving whatever slime crossed his path. Deeper into the lodge, he noticed a gaping hole lodged into the floor of the building. Air flowed from inside this tunnel, upwards, clearly indicative of a subterranean pocket.

He catches his breath, then decides, that's probably where the plant had grown. He entered into the hidden cave. The air was thick and cloying like an underground swamp.

Lowering inside, he immediately spots the strange plant. Bulbous roots and pockets are very much like those described on the request. He tries plucking some of it off, but it is stubborn and very sticky, using his blade to cut it off, he stuffs it in the bag he was provided. The single thing alone weighed like a brick. 

He wondered if he ate it raw, would he hallucinate or will he get super horny.

The cave floor much like the plant was covered with sticky goo, more of the plant resided deeper inside. He moved inwards cutting down any slime standing in his way. 

While gathering a third set of the stuff, he slips on the gelatinous residue. Letting his sword slip as well. He falls on his butt, arm restrained by a greasy-like floor. 

A slime hoped in his direction, very quickly. He clings to his face, like a facehugging alien. Gelanitous tentacles worming around him surrounding his face, it shoves a tentacle down his throat at least as large as a banana. Letting in a strange chemical substance down his throat pipe, it tasted strange like a refrigerated tart. 

He feels himself getting sleepy.

He panics, struggling to get it off. He throws his head down against the floor, smashing the thing into splotches of pieces, he spits out remnants of it. Its odd taste lingering in his mouth, he gassed for air. 

Wiping his mouth, in disgust and relief, before focusing on regathering the the substance.

"Urgh, why couldn't be giant rats!"

Feeling the bag was more than heavy enough, He attempted to head back to the entrances only to find a wall of slimes blocking him off. He tried slashing them apart, but for everyone he killed, several would jump out from the shadows. 

"Irina!" he calls out shouting as loud as he can. "Irina!!!" 

He stops when he hears a gurgling noise in the distance of the cave. He stares at what could make such a noise. Fearing the absolute worst.

Emerging out of another hole, a humanoid slime materializes in the shape, of a girl, her skin gelatinous but translucent, naked, and sticky. She tilts her head, keeping her gaze on him curious and suspicious. She reaches out towards him. 

He freezes, unsure of what to do. He backs away. She became confused, perhaps she saw what he did, murdering innocent slime in her home, boy was he fucked.

However, nothing came and she did not attack.

He approached her reluctantly.

"Hello," he told her.

"Hello," she waved.

"Did you destroy the drones?"

"Drones? You mean the slimes." he didn't know how she would react. " I was asked to retrieve this plant, " he pointed to one of the wobble weeds. I didn't know the drones belonged to you. Are... they your children?"

She shook her head. And started giggling, like a little schoolgirl

"They don't, they exist to keep the ecosystem alive, very few have souls and when they do, they often come out like me. So why have you come here human, I haven't done anything to offend you're kind have I."

He scratched his head. 

"Just the plants. I can leave now if you'll let me." his eyes lingered on the massive gelatin boobs she was slowly forming. A devious idea went through his head. No one was here to criticize him. 

"Well not for free, or you can return what you took."

August you sly bastard, here's your chance.

"How about a game?"

"A game?" her smile wandered, I've never played a game before but I've heard from my sisters.

"You're sisters?"

"Yes, we're elements of the world, existing in coessence, keeping nature stable."

There were more like her out there, and maybe not even slimes at all.

"Do you–feel what humans do?"

It's settled then

"Yes. Pretty much anything. What i like the most is human food. Do you have any? I rarely get to eat human food though, could you bring me some?" she asked with a jubilant voice.

"Of course, but I'd like to play the game first, " he said."

"Ok…"

He truly was a perverted, degenerate.