Syl-Chapter 259: Were-Traits

Paeris asked if I wanted to return yet, but I opted to do a bit more hunting. Even if I couldn't find another interesting monster like the werewolf, I wanted to obtain more food for my slime reserves.

Even disregarding my own safety by having a good surplus of slime mass, if Paeris was correct about my tendrils appearing similar to a hydromancer's mastery over water, then I'd need a lot more! I could summon an absolute flood of magical water, but the same could not be said about my slime in my present condition.

"How did your fight go?" I asked Vee as we continued exploring.

"Compared to your fight, it was a joke," she snickered. "Seriously, those wolves were doing backflips! I've never seen such a ridiculous method of attack before!"

"Speaking from experience, you don't want to get hit by their tails…" I grumbled.

We continued hunting, although the werewolf was still the only real prize for our brief time in the forest. We encountered a few spider monsters and another bear, but nothing worth really mentioning.

I killed all of them with [Wind Magic] as before, still trying to push either my trait or the skill to the next level. Paeris was curious about it and asked me if I didn't want to train my water mastery, but I rejected that idea as, at best, it would get me another level in [Pseudopod].

As we returned from the forest, I looked over the gains I had made from this excursion.

<Racial Experience threshold reached. Chimeric Cluster Slime (Blue) is now LV 20>

<9 Trait Points are now available.>

To my surprise, I'd jumped straight to level twenty! Two racial levels were a lot more than I was expecting, and I could only assume that my previous experience had left me close to level nineteen.

<Proficiency gained. [Companion Growth LV 1] improved to [Companion Growth LV 3].>

My new companion skill had also jumped two during this outing. I was glad that it seemed simple to level and that my strong bond with Vee boosted its proficiency gains.

<Proficiency gained. [Derived Element (Air) LV 8] improved to [Derived Element (Air) LV 9].>

Yes! Now, this is something to be excited about! Just one more level to go!

"Would you like anyone to help harvest your kills?" Paeris asked as we casually strolled back.

"No, thank you, I have [Dissection LV 7] and would rather do it myself."

"A commendable level, I'm glad that your time in the human lands was fruitful," Paeris replied. "Are there any other requests you have before we return?"

"I'm quite excited to get to harvesting, so I don't really want to visit anywhere else," I answered. "But if you're willing, I'm looking for a class crystal for Vee. We want to let her quickly swap between her profession and class for the cumulative gains."

"Miss Vee has a profession?" Paeris asked, sounding both intrigued and impressed.

"Tailoring and Weaving!" Vee replied proudly.

Paeris nodded as if the answer made perfect sense.

"And I'm an Enchanter, I went into the Runecrafting specialization," I quickly added.

Although admittedly, I haven't done anything for my specialization… I thought I'd be creating custom runes and experimenting with them a lot more when I got it. Although I did make those spell orbs, do those count?

Paeris didn't respond to my answer, and when I glanced at him, he looked puzzled. I imagined thoughts of "why would a slime ever need enchanting?" were flooding his mind.

Assuming the average slime wasn't as dumb as a rock, I suppose alchemy would be the likely choice. Gods, I even had an alchemical evolution! Which, depending on what I can learn from Llewel, might be an excellent next choice. Though I do want to get a racial evolution rather than a mutation, I just can't imagine going away from the trusty blue slime that I've always been.

When we returned to our home, Paeris left shortly after to accommodate our requests. He also mentioned informing Llewel to see us as soon as possible. On the one hand, I was happy that I wasn't being immediately thrown into the deep end of the plot, but on the other hand, I was curious that I was being left with so much downtime.

Well, I better not complain. I'll need all the downtime I can get to make progress with my [Dimension Magic].

"You know, it was pretty nice to finally see the outside world!" Vee chirped. "Well, unless you count the few seconds we were in the air when we teleported up. Which I don't personally. It was good to finally see the sun and nature and not constantly be stuck in a gloomy cave."

"The dwarven city was nice and bright, though," I replied.

"True," Vee admitted. "Still, it's a stark difference between artificial light and real sunlight! Plus, all the fresh air!"

I shrugged, "I don't mind too much. On the one hand, being outside lets me fly, so that's plenty of maneuverability—when I'm not stuck in disguise, of course. But, in the caves, I think the terrain favors me much more. Cramped conditions, sneak attacks, burrowing, traps, explosions, you name it!" frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

"I'm pretty sure you could do explosions on the surface too!"

"Sure, but I think it would attract more attention. Plus, I don't exactly have the resources to explode right now…"

"Well, hurry up and eat that werewolf then!" Vee shouted in excitement.

I nodded and started withdrawing slime, creating a large enough blob connected but outside of my "body." Then, I began pulling out some of the corpses and beginning a rapid dissection and eating session. Despite Vee's cheering, I started with the wolves since they'd be quick and get me some quick slime gains.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

I'd never done this in front of anyone before, and Vee watched with some excited fascination.

"I feel like you're cheating again…" Vee grumbled as I began spitting out spotless fangs and claws.

"It's just the [Dissection] skill," I replied, a little defensively.

"So you're telling me if I pick it up, I can also do it that fast and precisely? These things look absolutely spotless!"

"Well, no…"

"Cheating! Cheating slime!" Vee chanted.

I sighed and shook my head, I knew she was teasing me, but it still got under my skin. However, when I saw my replenishing slime mass, I began to feel a lot of relief as a big fear of mine was rapidly diminishing.

Okay, let's get Alpha back with this slime mass!

I'd never been awake for core reconstruction unless you counted the instant one from skill purchases. I witnessed a vortex being formed within me, demanding a steady supply of slime that was being compressed and refined to an impossible level—and right at the center was the beginnings of a tiny core.

I nodded with satisfaction and continued my eating and dismantling. When I ran out of wolves, I moved on to the spiders, then the bear, before finally getting around to the werewolf.

"Finally!" Vee cried out.

Part of me wanted to warn her not to get her hopes up, but I held my tongue as I began the [Dissection] process. It didn't take long for me to get a familiar notification.

<Profile [Wolf] updated.>

I began perusing the profile while I delegated the harvest to my [Sub-Cores]. I was interested in the regeneration and magic resistance it had displayed, and there was the off chance we'd have a possible avenue for Vee to gain some type of partial human form.

Let's see… A bunch of old traits… Ah! [Cursed Regeneration], I'll look at that later. Then there's [Magebane], a bit on the nose there. And finally, [Werewolf Transformation], ah… Shit.

I frowned.

"What's wrong?" Vee asked.

I sighed. The name alone was enough for me to guess it would not help Vee in any way. Despite this, I displayed the trait and read its full description for myself.

<[Werewolf Transformation]

The primal bond between wolf and human runs deep in your blood. You have mastered the ancient rite of transformation, blurring the lines between beast and man.

Wolves may take on humanlike form, walking on two legs, gaining cunning, and supernaturally enhancing their existing strengths. Humans may assume a wolflike state, gaining the ferocity, senses, and physical prowess of a true predator!

Regardless, your strength in both forms grows based on trait level, and you gain a further boost based on the lunar cycle.>

"Crap," Vee muttered, sounding disheartened. "And yep… It's incompatible."

"Sorry, Vee…"

"Hey, it was a long shot," Vee admitted. "I was just hoping it would be something like Wereperson transformation, and then I might have had a chance. Or like humanification? Hybrid mode! I dunno, I'm grasping at straws here."

I chuckled at Vee's creativity. "Well, we can keep searching. The elves owe us some better information, and I'm twenty levels away from my chat with Gramps! Maybe I can convince him to give us a quest or something so we can get you a trait or evolution."

"Thanks, Syl, I'd appreciate that," Vee replied, sounding a little more positive. "So, did it have anything else good?"

"Two more things, no idea if they are any good," I admitted. "Let's take a look together."

<[Cursed Regeneration]

Your flesh defies death, knitting itself together with unnatural speed. Wounds close in moments, shattered bones fuse in seconds, and mortal injuries become mere inconveniences.

However, such power comes at a price—your body is cursed to react violently to certain purifying forces. Silver is your eternal bane, while fire is your weakness. The former causes aggravated damage, even reviving old wounds to come back with a vengeance, while the latter can only be healed via normal means while hampering your regeneration.

Healing speed and strength scale with trait levels, but so do your drawbacks. The more grievous the injury, the more painful the regeneration process. Pain resistance is highly recommended.>

"I don't like that last paragraph!" Vee said, sounding very hesitant.

"Damn, fire was the one thing I didn't use," I grumbled.

"Hey, you still killed it quite easily once you brought out the old tentacles!" Vee replied positively.

I nodded, "So what do you think? Having witnessed its regeneration, I think it seemed good, but I'm not too happy about that silver weakness. It even mentions bringing back old injuries!"

"How would that even work for you?" Vee asked. "You borrow the traits… Would that mean you ignore the drawback if you stop borrowing it before getting hit with silver?"

I paused to think and eventually shook my head, "I want to say that's how it would work because that would be amazing! But… Trixie said the system hates loopholes like that."

"Really? You think she was telling the truth or trying to rile you up as usual."

I sighed, "No… I've sort of been punished for abusing one before."

"So you are a cheating slime!" Vee snickered.

"Needless to say!" I interrupted. "It broke some things and even garbled my profile. I don't want to do that again; Gramps might smite me for doing so!"

"Okay, no abusing loopholes," Vee agreed. "As for me… It's tempting, especially since I don't think many people would try to use silver weapons against a spider."

"I think Mythril counts as silver," I pointed out.

"Well, that's not great, and I assume high-level people use them?"

I nodded, although I was taking a guess.

"Yeah, and no doubt we'd be attracting the high-levels to hunt us down if things go pear-shaped. Also, fire was already a problem for me, and I don't think I'd benefit from doubling down on that weakness!"

"Meanwhile, I'm almost immune to it," I said proudly. "Although there's a chance it would take away my immunity. I have no idea how that works, and I'm leaning on the better to be safe than sorry. I can already heal my cores with slime, and if I get my tendrils on that pink core, I might get healing magic!"

"Neat! I guess that's a double-no for both of us. What else you got?"

<[Magebane]

You have turned your body into a fortress against the arcane. Spells wash over you like rain against stone, their effects dulled or denied outright.

However, in rejecting magic, you sever your own ability to wield it, and your Mana becomes a withered, barren resource.

Levels scale your resistances; however, the burden is forever at its maximum and cannot be reduced.>

"Uh… Hell no?" Vee replied bluntly.

I sighed and nodded, "Definitely not. I'm scared to even borrow this trait! What if it kills me?"

Vee groaned, "I think you're being neurotic again; surely it can't do that? It's just a trait."

"I'm a Mana slime, Vee. What will happen to me if my Mana becomes withered and barren?"

"You'll turn into an ordinary slime?" Vee suggested.

"I'm not taking that risk."

"Okay. But what if you evolve away from a Mana slime and then take this trait?" she suggested.

"Huh, that's a pretty good idea."

"I'm a genius, aren't I?" Vee smugly replied.

"But I'd be abandoning all my spells and class levels. Not to mention [Dimension Magic], which I spent a fortune on!"

"A discounted fortune," Vee corrected.

"I don't want to waste four trait points!" I cried.

"Okay, okay," Vee replied. "Well, now that you've had your snack, I think it's time for me to grab a bite to eat!"

Vee scuttered off to the kitchen, I chuckled and shook my head.

Well, while Alpha is being reformed, let's continue trying to make that dimensional debuff!

Follow curr𝒆nt nov𝒆ls on freew(𝒆)bnov𝒆l.(c)om