Lethargy induced by love, Zeid and slime had rested amid the secluded area of the forest. Tranquil, warm, and hidden from naked eyes, their sleep was sure to be peaceful.
Until the sun rose, a violent tremble had caused the two to awaken abruptly.
"What was tha... Iyaaah!"
The slime's words were cut off when thick vines suddenly spurted from the ground and writhed her body in a hogtie bondage. Hanging above the ground, a terrible apprehension held her chest.
This skill that controls nature requires a vast amount of mana pool and to control them without a sweat, they were bound to be coming from a powerful caster.
There were adventurers that can cast this, specifically druids who can tap into the feywild and nature to do their bidding.
"How dare you trample my mother's sentimental daisies!" A female voice roared!
Zeid who was taken aback by this sudden ambush turned to face the origin. His eyes sharpened and a smile curved to his face.
"A...a dryad!" The slime recognized.
With a striking curvature and seemingly flawless near-green skin, the creature stood tall, looming over them. Her beauty caught Zeid's attention. Half naked with only vines writhed around her body with leaves covering her sensitive parts.
The dryad stood on a towering sunflower. Her height was similar to the Slime, reaching about 5'4. Yet due to her feet merging with the sunflower's florets, she came out tall. With a flourish of one hand, the vine entwined from her wrists whipped out a strike.
Although the slime's position seemed seductive, the attack was sure to damage her. Taking to account that Zeid values all those he gave a position in his heart, he lunged from the ground received the attack with a loud bang!
Zeid flew meters away, crashing at a tree. The tree's shaft violently spiderwebbed and shattered into scattered woods. Slime's eyes opened wide as she screamed for her master.
"Master!"
But from the billowing clouds mixed both of dust and sawdust came no answer.
The slime's head hanged low as she bit her teeth.
"Foolish. A foolish human. Who was he, to lay his life for a slime.
Don't they always run away and look after their own life? Don't do humans craven up, and leave us tamed monster for the better of themselves?
But why did he jump..." Her eyes turned murky. Her face contorted into a frown and in which she glared at the dryad indignantly.
"Foolish human. To sacrifice his life for a mere slime. Hmph. Serves him right for trying to save you." The dryad crossed her arms and looked down at the hanging slime.
Zeid who laid on the ground, pinned down by the piles of wood, was speechless.
Back then, when Zeid pounced to counter the attack, he was suddenly startled by how light his body was. Distracted by his bodily improvements, he failed to defend himself and caught in the whip.
"Tsk. That hurt. I never thought I'd feel pain, I guess that girl is stronger than me."
Zeid propped up, and with a flourish of his hand, the cloud dissipated. With a sharp glance at the oblivious dryad, he took a deep breath while all his leg muscles contracted.
"You! What did I do to you!" The slime inquired with an infuriated tone.
Insulted and annoyed, the dryad clenched her fist before pointing at her with a finger.
"You! How dare you be so stupid! You didn't know? When your army of slimes gathered into the forest, my mother's last gift was trampled by your worthless slimes!
And you! You will pay with your life!" The dryad roared indignantly.
The dryad spread her arms wide and green energy began to coalesced between. The grass beneath began to move wildly as if they had lives of their own. The energy began to gather more and more until it became a pure ball.
"Nature's Wra-"
Slap!
A thunderous slap exploded as the dryad fell plummeting to the ground. Zeid who had been lunging himself pounced behind the dryad and smacked her at the back of her head.
The vines holding the slime withered, and released her falling to the ground. She was taken aback on how brazenly Zeid attack one of the mythical beings, to be in fact a descendant of Goddess Aagri of earth and nature, and just pat of the dust on his clothes like it was nothing.
"I-is she still alive?" Cold sweat dripped on her temple.
"Oi, Aqueshia, check her out," Zeid spoke. Suddenly, he felt weakened a bit of himself.
[Aqueshia has been named. Mana has been consumed.]
"Naming monster's consumed mana?"
"Yes, master. In fact, naming a monster enhances their connection to its owner." Altair answered.
"He named me?" Aqueshia's brow raised.
Caught in a messy situation, she didn't know how to react. But since Zeid ordered her, she went to check the dryad caved face-first on the ground.
With a stick, she poked the dryad.
"I-I think it's dead."
"I don't think I'm strong enough to cause a one-hit KO."
"But she's not moving," Aqueshia replied while poking the dryad with a stick.
Suddenly, the dryad pulled her face on the ground and sat upright. First, she glared at Zeid, then proceeded to cradle the back of her head with her palm. She squinted as exasperation began to swirl within him.
Not only did Zeid attack her, but in the most craven way possible.
"Uwaaah! You coward! How dare you attack so cravenly? Isn't there any room for chivalry? And last but foremost!
H-how could y-you hit a woman?!" She stuttered. She did best to smolder the heat rising within but it all became too evident on her reddened face.
"Says a woman who nearly killed me. And besides, female or not, I'll do what I want. To harm something that belongs to me would be courting death."
Aqueshia's face reddened. Flustered, she averted her gaze.
"What's wrong with you?"
"N-nothing, master!" Aqueshia bit her lip. Deep down, she's excited.
Her heart began to thump faster and causing slimy waves on her chest. She held her cheek and shook her head.
Zeid ambled towards Aqueshia and raised a hand. Then gently, he slapped the back of her head as well.
"Snap out of it."
Aqueshia almost hunched from the smack. Suddenly irritated she glared at Zeid before letting out a tongue. Zeid replied with a smirk while facing halfway at her then adverted his attention to the dryad.
"Tell me your name." Zeid inquired.
While monsters are to be named, there are unique beings as such one had already been given. Mythical beings such as the dryad are long protectors of the forest. And thus these beings own such power that they are entitled to a name. From common, uncommon, rare, mythical, to legendary.
"Hmph. A pest has no right to know my name. Especially one who will perish soon enough."
The dryad proceeded to continue her frequently interfered skill. She spread her hands wide and soon energy gathered into one billowing mass of green light.
Suddenly feeling the change in the atmosphere, Zeid knew he had no chance against her. A mere level 5 human who only has a level 8 slime as companion can't contend against a being that lived long enough to see seasons change in the forest.
[Warning! Murderous Intent Detected!]
Find a way to survive!
Find a way to survive. Persuasion, Victory, Diplomacy, Coercion, Threat, or Escape are your decisions.
Reward: Anti-Aura Ring
Failure to do so will result in system removal, or otherwise as death.
[End]
"Not now, Altair! Remove the quest!"
"I can't! Master, I'm only guidance! I cannot meddle with the system even if I wanted to!"
Zeid feeling the tension in the air had no other choice but to turn heels and run with Aqueshia.
He knew women. Especially when they get angry. Women in his era are hard to deal with.
There are choices, but all of them are pointless. As soon as he opens his mouth, the skill will slaughter them.
Suddenly, an idea came into him!
He knew one thing.
She's easily distracted.
Aqueshia began to run away leaving Zeid behind. Feeling the fear of death, she had abandoned her master. The dryad felt her fear and smiled menacingly.
"You have no place to run. I will trample you as you did to my daisies!"
[Nature's Wrath!]
Vines began to sprout from the ball of energy, thrashing every corner there is. The vines seemed more indestructible and firm. The body is inlaid with steel-like spikes, ready to rip flesh.
The vines dug into the ground as they chase the runaway slime. The ground bulged as the vines made their path. As Aqueshia screamed, one of her legs was caught. With a sudden twist, her leg was torn apart.
The pain was unbearable and her scream ripped through the air. Her face grimaced as she desperately crawls away.
"There's no way to run!" The dryad roared.
"A pitiful being like you deserves a painful death! Not only did you trample on my daisies, but you have also abandoned your master! You will not only face my wrath but also by the gods!"
Unbeknown to her, this was all according to Zeid's plan. He knew her real target was Aqueshia. If they remained together, they could have been easily taken out. But if Aqueshia moved away from him, the dryad will fail to notice Zeid.
Zeid knew that she had too much focus.
And that costed her. Unbeknown to her, Zeid had been releasing [Aphrodisiac] fluids from the palm of his hands and into the roots of the sunflower protruding from the ground. As the liquid seeped through the roots, the flower began to absorb them and deliver to every part of it. The dryad was part of the flower and soon enough she felt the effects.
Her eyesight began to waver as her body tingled in every corner. Her body begins to heat up as her hands roamed greedily on her. She began panting heavily as her cheeks flushed deeper.
"Wha...what's happening?" She turned behind her and glanced upon Zeid who is holding one of the roots of her sunflower.
Zeid remained calm and unmoved. He never planned to play such tricks and especially on a woman. He was never that type of guy. But to survive, he must depart a bit of his humanity.
As the dryad engrossed upon Zeid, she began to take a liking into him. With a gazed locked with lust and yearning. She raced with her breath and unable to contain these unfamiliar feelings, she fell off from the sunflower and thudded to the ground.
Like a petal plucked from a flower.
Zeid walked towards her with a knife in his hand. Seeing this, the dryad felt fear. Vulnerable and induced with lustful feelings, she held out her hand to ask for mercy.
"P-please don't k-kill me..."