While wondering what everyone back home and at school might be doing now, I was playing with slime.
"Big Spin!" (Idhir)
"Kyupipipipii!!" (Slime)
The slime on top of my head spun rapidly like a spinning top. Thanks to practice, the spinning speed and duration had both improved. What was I doing?
Well, thinking of it as a recreation to increase my friendship level with the slime made sense.
"And then a big spin followed by a Bond Summon!" (Idhir)
"Kyupipipipii!!" (Slime)
Bond Summoning Lv6
> Bond: Slime
> Summonable:
- Water
Water spurted out from the spinning slime, scattering in all directions. Convenient for watering the fields.
Since then, Bond Summoning's level has increased, and it was now able to perform unconventional summons.
It also became possible to summon water directly without using a plastic bottle.
If I could use the force of the rotation to spray water in all directions like this, it might be useful in the event of a fire. However, there were limited situations in which it could be used. From now on, it would be best to use either bottled or non-bottled versions depending on the situation.
Thanks to the experience points I gained in the Ideonyr Great Sea of Trees, my Bond Summoning skill had also improved considerably.
The current skill level was 6. It went up surprisingly quickly.
Since then, I ended up not returning to the city and stayed hidden all the time. Having access to as much water as I wanted, whenever I wanted... turned out to be an even better condition than I had imagined. Even in such a remote and isolated place, having access to an unlimited supply of water made it feel as comfortable as being at home.
Food was in the forest, so if I wanted to look for it, I could find quite a lot of it, and I could stay hidden for days if I wanted to.
And so my skill level continued to improve.
The variety of things that could be summoned through the bond with the slime had also increased.
Now that the number of monsters I could make contracts with had increased, I decided to start making new bonds.
"...But how should I start?" (Idhir)
If it were easy, I would have already made a contract with a new partner the moment I leveled up. After all, the opponents I fought to gain experience points were monsters.
Why didn't I form a contract with a nearby partner, even though they were right there?
Apparently there were certain conditions that had to be met for someone to be able to enter into a contract with Bond Summoning. Just as I did with the slime before, I tried to make a contract with it after fighting and defeating it, but it just didn't work out.
To form a bond using Bond Summoning, wasn't it necessary for the monster to genuinely like and accept me? Without that, no matter how much we want it, I would never be able to form a bond.
The reason I first fought the slime, won, and then tried to make a contract with it was because that was how monster tamers tame monsters.
Among the adventurers who frequent the guild, there were also classes that subjugate monsters in that manner. I once tried to see if I had the aptitude to be a monster tamer, and learned some know-how during the experience.
However, it seemed that creating a bond using Bond Summoning with a monster was a completely different process from a monster tamer taming a monster.
"Maybe it was just incredible luck that I was able to become friends with you in the first place?" (Idhir)
"Kyupii?" (Slime)
I communicated thoughts with the slime that sat on top of my head.
Well, it would be quicker to take action rather than worrying about who to contract with next.
To further master Bond Summoning, it was not possible to make a contract with only this slime. I wanted to make contracts with more monsters so I could summon even more objects.
But there was no need to worry more than necessary. Even if I couldn't do it now, I might be able to do it after trying various things.
So, I decided to continue working hard to level up!
...And as I was walking through the Sea of Trees, I immediately encountered a monster.
"A goblin...?!" (Idhir)
The familiar demi-human monster.
Naturally possessing an evil disposition, they were troublesome creatures that invaded human settlements, destroyed fields, and attacked livestock without even defending their own territory. They were troublesome creatures that, just by existing, caused problems. Sometimes, they even attacked and kidnapped human children, torturing them to death for fun. It was appropriate to exterminate them on sight.
I had no idea these creatures also lived in the Great Sea of Trees.
"They really are anywhere." (Idhir)
Do goblins, which even inhabit Ideonyr Great Sea of Trees, have incredible vitality? Is it because the Great Sea of Trees is generous enough to tolerate the existence of goblins?
"Either way, what I'm doing won't change." (Idhir)
There were ten goblins within visible range. Just as I realized that something was wrong, the other one noticed.
When the goblins realized that I was the only one (it seemed that the slime wasn't counted), they gleefully surrounded me.
It was common knowledge among adventurers that goblins banding together were extremely troublesome. Goblins weren't particularly strong individually, but perhaps because they were humanoid, when they banded together they showed incredible teamwork, quickly pushing back against hastily trained adventurer parties.
Another characteristic of goblins was that they tended to be overly oppressive towards the weaker. If a goblin realized that its opponent was weaker, they would relentlessly pursue them and tortured them until death. That was the nature of goblins.
The strength of a group fight was directly related to numbers, so if you encounter a horde of goblins and you are outnumbered, you should consider the risk to your life.
By the way, there were two of us including the slime. A desperate situation!
"Gehgehgehgehgehgehgeh...!" (Goblin)
This was goblin laughter. Since we were alone, they were completely underestimating us. "I found a good prey. Let's have some fun beating them up!" maybe that was what they were thinking.
But things don't always go as expected.
"Slime, please." (Idhir)
"Kyuupipii!!" (Slime)
Bond Summoning Lv6
> Bond: Slime
> Summonable:
- Lotion
Following my command, the slime began to spin above my head. The liquid was scattered in all directions as it rotated. The liquid splashed onto the bodies of the surrounding goblins, frightening them.
But it didn't stop there. The liquid that splashed on the goblins was slippery and made them drop their weapons and also made them lose their footing and fall.
Yes, what the slime just scattered wasn't just water. With an increase in my magic level, I could now summon a new substance from another world: Lotion! It was slimy and sticky, making it unsuitable for drinking, but in return, it was slippery and once it adhered to the body, it was hard to wipe off.
I thought it might be good to throw it at enemies to stop them moving, and it was extremely effective. The goblins slipped and were unable to keep their footing, and they dropped their weapons and fell over and over. They were like a bug that had fallen into a puddle. They struggled and writhed, unable to escape or even move properly.
"Even if they had the intelligence to swarm, they weren't smart enough to be on the lookout for traps, huh" (Idhir)
It was a shame to have only half-baked intelligence.
Well, the trap worked exactly as I expected, so it was time for the next step.
Using the spear I had prepared in advance, I kept a safe distance and skewered the goblins. I accurately struck their vital points, stopping their breath.
"If I get too close, I'll end up covered in lotion too." (Idhir)
So a spear is best here as it allows you to attack from a distance. It was nothing more than a piece of wood carved into a sharp point, but it was a weapon strong enough to stab a goblin to death.
Slash slash.
The only sounds that echoed through Sea of Trees were the sound of flesh being torn apart and the death throes of the goblin. All I had to do was finish off my prey, which was slippery with lotion and unable to move. It was no longer a battle; it was just a job.
"That's half the problem solved." (Idhir)
"Kyupi!" (Slime)
After surrounding me and being covered in lotion, half of the goblins were crying and writhing, while the other half were silent and not breathing.
"Gege! Gegegegegegege!" (Goblin)
The surviving goblins were pleading with me for something. I couldn't understand what they were saying, though, just by repeating "Gegege."
"Are you begging for your life? No." (Idhir)
I somehow got that feeling from their attitude, but I refused. If I let evil races like them slip away, another adventurer or even a normal citizen might be attacked.
"If you find any, you must exterminate them. That's the golden rule when dealing with goblins." (Idhir)
The moment I raised my wooden spear, the slime let out a sharp cry.
"Kyupipipipipipipii!" (Slime)
"What?!" (Idhir)
Is this a warning sound?
When I looked up in response to the slime's voice, I saw another goblin jumping at me from above!
"You're still there?!" (Idhir)
There was no lotion on it either. Was it a good escape? Or was it a new trick?
In any case, I was completely taken by surprise, so if I continued like this I would be defeated...