My name is Dominic. And right now, I'm just finishing up healing the Grim Guard tribe's Lizardmen upon being granted permission to do so by the scary muscle chief. Just remembering his imposing, 7 feet tall muscle figure is enough to make me feel uneasy. He's buff enough to sign up as a damned pillar man.
"Thank you smooth skin!" A lizardman saluted at me. And I put on a pained smile.
Next!
Seeing this lizardman's wound, it made me feel a bit squeamish. A good chunk of his left foream had been visibly bitten off. Exposing some white bones underneath. Yet the lizardman seemed like he wasn't bothered in the slightest.
I touched the wound. The lizardman tilted his head and I called out the name of my spell. Under my eyes, the small fibers of muscle wriggled and new ones sprouted before stopping. "This feels good smooth skin!"
Of course it's going to feel good. I'm healing you you idiot!
Nonetheless, it took thirteen. Thirteen casts of lesser heal to finally piece back the poor lizard's flesh. But compared to the rest of his green scaled body, that spot on his forearm looked bare. Showing supple light green skin underneath.
"Thank you! How about you go hunting with me so i can repay you?" He offered. I refused while a drop of sweat ran down my cheek.
I'm gonna say no to that. Firstly, I am tired from healing lizards for hours with little breaks in between. Second, I'm stressed. Third. I want to fvcking go home.
Eventually, I found myself devoid of clients as everyone who needed to get patched up was... Well... Patched up. The Grim Guard tribe only has a few dozen Lizardmen in it. 56 green scaled Lizardmen. Undoubtedly a small number compared to the few hundred humans inside Cain Village.
Don't start thinking now that our village can actually easily wipe out their camp with just sheer number. Each Lizardman could fight two soldiers at once and win. And even take on much more if the opposition was some villagers who do not know how to fight to save themselves.
"My job's here finished... Finally." Cheering, I pumped my fist up. Only for it to fail halfway as I felt my shoulders become heavy. I yawned...
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HP: 100/100
MP: 30/ 200 (Slight Mental Strain)
Stamina: 40/100 (Exhausted)
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Ah... No wonder I feel like absolute garbage. I've used up too much mana and my stamina is low. Breaching past the halfway mark. This...
This situation calls for some well deserved sleep.
Reaching low mana levels or stamina levels actually gives debuffs. Just like how it works in real life. It's possible to even get a migraine of your mana reaches the brink of becoming empty. And once it does reach 0. You'll simply faint.
As for stamina... Reach zero and you have a good 80 percent of dying. It happened to me multiple times during the beta testing period. Pushed into a high level spider's den and having to run while getting bitten, tangled or flooded by spiders. Fighting another player for hours. It was annoying to see the screen suddenly black out with the message "You Died" painted in red blood.
Looking up, the sun seemed to stand a few hours past it's highest. I managed to skip lunch huh. Damn...
After bidding goodbye to Cole who was still squatting there with his arms pushing outwards, I started the trek back home. And just when I had arrived somewhere near the village's small wooden fence.
A blondy assaulted me with a hug. A freaking hug!
"I'm sorry Dominic! Because of me you had to suffer! I'll make it up to you I swear!" Ray's apology was incredibly pure and innocent. His eyes emitting a forlorn light to them while tears seemed to nearly fall off his eyelids. This... In combination to being tired and stressed...
IT PISSES ME OFF!
"Not now Ray... I'm bloody tired." Growling, I could only push off Ray to the side. I wasn't willing to entertain his shenanigans for now. Using the last vestiges of patience, I ignored his calls. Put down Pillow, the blue elite slime on the ground and sighed.
I can't take the slime with me into the village even though I had tamed it. A monster, was still a monster in the eyes of any other NPC. As for me I didn't care what the hell a creature was. Sure... If it was nice to me then I'll play nice. If it treats me like shit I will beat it down to the ground onto an inch of its life.
Monster. Human. How laughable. Aren't the two the same?
And just like that. Dominic departed and entered the village through the secret spot Ray had taught him to use. Ray watched on befuddled. Mind blank, the wind seemed to be especially cold this day. But it wasn't as cold as how Dominic pushed off and ignored him earlier.
A vein bulged on Ray's forehead. He clenched his fists, face turning into a shade of red. "This is all your fault!" Ray shouted at the silently sitting blob of blue semi transparent goop. Pillow trembled. It seemed to turn towards Ray with an angry expression. Evident from the way it's slimy body rippled intensely.
"What? Mad cause you're guilty? You're lucky I can't kill you yet! Don't think you can fool me too with your cute appearance just like how you fooled Dominic! You're evil and I certainly know it! Watch me! Once I find a way to obliterate you I'm going to end you for good!" Ray exploded in a fiery temper. His spiky blond hair seemingly growing spikier.
Ray... Was a child. But he was more mature than the other children in the village albeit being foolish and naive. Normally he wouldn't be so pissed when it comes to seeing any monster, and he even has ideas of a happy world where monsters and humans don't actively try to kill each other. But the slime...
That thing...
It scares him for some reason.
[ (MAX) Hero's Sense of Justice](Legendary!) senses a nearby evil presence!]
[ It is recommended for you to smite down evil before it grows stronger.]
Ray couldn't help but remember what the voice of the gods told him when he first gazed at the slime for a really long time. On one hand he wanted to kill it but right now it was unkillable due to it's nature as an elite slime. And there was no way he could trap it.
It was intelligent. Knowing how to stick to Dominic and pretend to sleep in order to avoid Ray's pestering.
In the outskirts of Cain Village. Just somewhere near the Twin Forest. A man and a slime was having a strange moment to themselves only.
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The ceiling of my little lodge was tiresome. For the past few hours after dinner, it was the only thing I could gaze at while laying on my "bed". No matter how many invisible sheep I counted, it was futile. No matter how much I try to hum a lullaby. I couldn't fall asleep.
I stood up. Put on my white house slippers and walked off to the house's garden. My house was just a small lodge. But it was complete with everything. A kitchen, a small living room near a fireplace for my guests to sit it. A bedroom all to myself. A pity my bed was a damned hammock. At least it was comfortable.
And the garden... It was full of vegetables and even some medicinal herbs. The outhouse was in the garden too.
Taking off my slippers. My feet touched the somewhat cold loamy soil. The plants seemed to shake lightly in joy upon my arrival. I glanced at the well. Yeah... I watered you guys in the morning. Now it's time to water the plants again.
With slow but steady steps. I grabbed a bucket full of water and a special iron watering can. Pouring down healthy droplets of precious water on my plants. I couldn't help but sigh and look at the moon.
Up above the blanket of darkness stained with twinkling celestial bodies called stars. Two moons were visible. I smiled bitterly.
How annoying... Those moons...
They are mocking me. Slapping my face and screaming that this is not the world you found what it meant to see the rainbow after the fierce, dark storm.
This world... It isn't my home.
Unaware to Dominic. There was a certain golden haired child sneakily watching him from the roof. Their smile was bitter. Eyes stained with the emotion called regret.
Seeing Dominic standing in the garden while looking at the two moons with a pained expression.
Dominic's figure seemed to be so lonely.
Like a pure white trumpet flower. Dominic lowered his head a little. Ray widened his eyes. With his sharp eyesight, he saw things glisten in the moonlight before disappearing into the ground.
Those glistening things...
They were tears.
Chapter Title: This Isn't Home...