New World 4

Senna blinked, her golden eyes widening slightly. "No? That's... not the response I expected."

Ken tried to stand up, fighting through the pain. The slime worked faster, sensing his determination. "Look, I appreciate the help, really. But I'm not staying here. I need to find a way back home."

"And how do you plan to do that?" She asked, watching him steady himself against the wall. "The Gates aren't like doors you can just walk through. They appear randomly, and without proper training, you'd never even recognize one if you saw it."

"I'll figure it out," he said, though doubt crept into his voice. "I always do."

"Like you figured out how to fight Vale?" Her words weren't cruel, just matter-of-fact. "You're lucky to be alive. And next time—"

"Next time I'll be ready." He felt the heat rising in his skin again, but forced it down. Getting angry wouldn't help. "I learn fast. The slime and I, we can practice on our own."

Senna stood up, her silver hair catching the dim light. "You really don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? That 'slime' as you call it, is a rare and powerful being. The bond you share could either make you extraordinary or get you killed. And right now, you're heading toward the latter."

The slime shifted uneasily inside him, and he felt its uncertainty. Was it agreeing with her?

"I didn't ask for any of this," he said. "I just want to go home."

"And what about your friend?" She gestured to his chest. "The sprite chose you, bonded with you. That kind of connection isn't something you can just walk away from."

He felt the slime's presence more acutely then, its cool energy mixing with his warmth. It had saved his life multiple times now. Did he really have the right to dismiss its choice?

"The Hunters won't stop coming," she continued. "Vale's pride won't let him forget this defeat. And there are others who will sense your power, try to use it for themselves. Without proper training, you'll be putting yourself and everyone around you at risk."

She walked to a small table and picked up what looked like a crystal. It glowed with a soft blue light, similar to the slime's color. "Do you know what this is?"

He shook his head.

"It's a memory crystal. They record moments in time, preserve them for study." She held it out. "Before you decide, I want you to see something."

Hesitantly, he reached for the crystal. The moment his fingers touched it, the room disappeared.

He stood in what looked like a marketplace, but everything was on fire. Blue-tinged flames, just like his, consumed buildings and stalls. People ran screaming as waves of uncontrolled mana rippled through the air, shattering windows and crumbling walls.

In the center of it all stood a young woman, power pouring off her in visible waves. A green sprite, similar to his slime but more plant-like, was partially emerged from her shoulder, trying to help but clearly panicked.

"Her name was Judy." Her voice came from nowhere and everywhere. "She came through a Gate five years ago. Found a sprite, just like you. Refused help, said she'd figure it out on her own."

The scene shifted. The woman – Judy – was fighting someone, her movements wild and desperate. Her sprite tried to assist, but their powers clashed more than cooperated. A stray blast of energy hit a support beam, and the entire building began to collapse.

"She lost control during a simple trade dispute," Senna continued. "The sprite tried to help, but without training, their powers just made everything worse. Seventeen people died. Including her."

The vision faded, and Ken found himself back in the safe room, the crystal dark in his hand.

"I'm not her," he said quietly, but the confidence had drained from his voice.

"No, you're not," she agreed. "You're stronger. Which means when you lose control, it will be much worse."

He looked down at his hands, remembering how easily his power had destroyed parts of the Guild building. If he lost control in a crowded place like that market...

The slime moved through him slowly, deliberately, as if trying to tell him something. He felt its desire to learn, to understand its own power better. It didn't want to end up like that other sprite, helpless to save its partner.

He handed the crystal back to Senna, his jaw set. "Nice trick with the memory crystal. Very dramatic. But I've seen enough manipulation tactics to last a lifetime."

"This isn't manipulation," she said, her golden eyes narrowing. "This is reality."

"Yeah? And how do I know that wasn't just some made-up scene? For all I know, those memory crystals could show whatever you want them to show." He pushed himself fully upright, ignoring the protest of his healing injuries. "Ever since I got here, I have almost been killed by a monster and some guys randomly showed up also wanting to kill me. And yet, you, without knowing me, is suddenly risking your life to save me, to help me, why? Why should I trust you're any different?"

The slime rippled uneasily inside him, but he pressed on. "You say the Hunters are dangerous? Fine. But at least they're honest about wanting to get rid of me. You? You show up right when I reach the city, happen to be there to save me, and now you're conveniently offering to teach me? No no, its too perfect. Too neat."

"You're being foolish," she said, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Your paranoia will get you killed."

"My paranoia has kept me alive so far." He felt the heat building under his skin again, but this time he didn't fight it. Let her see what he could do. "The slime and I managed just fine in the forest. We killed that centipede together. No training needed."

"That was pure instinct and luck—"

"Then maybe that's all we need." The blue-tinged warmth spread through his arms, not wild like before, but controlled. Focused. "The slime knows what it's doing. It chose me for a reason, right? So maybe it knows better than your Guild about what's best for us."

The slime's movement inside him was uncertain, wavering between agreement with his independence and concern about his decision. But he could also feel its loyalty, its willingness to stick with him whatever he chose.

"Vale nearly killed you both," she reminded him.

"And next time we'll be ready. We'll train our own way, figure out how our powers work together without someone trying to control us." He took a step toward the door. "Thanks for the save back there, but we're done."

"The exits are warded," she said quietly. "You won't make it ten feet without setting off alarms."

Heat flared across his skin, "Want to bet? Because my 'friend' here seems pretty good at absorbing mana. Those wards might not work as well as you think."

They stood there in tense silence, power crackling in the air between them. Finally, Senna sighed. "The wards will let you pass. But remember this moment, when you're out there alone and something goes wrong. Remember that you chose this."

"I will always choose this," he said, reaching for the door. "Because trusting people? That's what really gets you killed."

The slime pulsed once, a sensation that might have been disagreement, but it didn't try to stop him. As he stepped through the door into a corridor, he felt its presence settle into a determined sort of acceptance. Whatever came next, they would face it together.

Behind him, Senna's voice drifted out one last time: "When you change your mind—not if, when—you know where to find us."

He didn't look back. He'd made his choice. Now he just had to prove it was the right one.