"So...where is this other town you're talking about?"Liam asked while walking beside Leo, they were close to leaving the village."Is this place very far from my home?"
"Nope! It's just a neighboring one."Leo replied as they were now standing in front of the woods."We just have to get through this forest and we'll be there in no time."
"Is this forest safe?"Liam asked while feeling a sudden uncertainty and nervousness.
"Hmm? Are you doubting me? I came to your village from here! How can I be not sure?"
"So you came from the town?"
"No...I came from another place...You know the nearest river next to your village."
"Oh, that one...Isn't that quite far from my village too?"
"Well...true for you people that is...As an adventurer that is close since I would sometimes travel to places that take some days to reach!
"Wow...I see...You're making me really excited about our journey!"Liam said with his eyes sparkling with excitement.
Leo chuckled with a proud smile on his face.
"Quit the chit-chat and Let's go!"
They walked into the forest, it was bright and calming, the atmosphere was better than Liam had expected. But something was making him feel uncomfortable, which kept him looking around. He kept feeling someone was following them, someone was eyeing them, making him feel something bad was about to happen.
The thoughts flowed into his head while he kept gazing around the trees while still following Leo from behind until he crashed into something. He stepped back and looked up, his eyes landed on Leo's back.
"What is it-"
Liam was stopped by a hand slap on his mouth. Leo placed his hand on Liam's mouth while using his other hand's pointer to press on his lips, telling him to be quiet.
"Shh..."He hissed as he released his hand away from Liam's lips and pointed it to something in front of them.
Liam tilted his head, confused then followed his finger to whatever was in front of them. There stood a creature that looked like jelly. It was half transparent with faint blue as its color.
"It's a slime!"Leo whispered to Liam."Now go on!"
Liam felt a sudden push from behind and he was now standing in Leo's place, which had a clear sight of it.
"Kill it!"He then heard Leo's advice."It's the most easier creature to kill since it has very low health."
"But how?"Liam whispered back to him while gripping tightly on his bow."Wouldn't it just eat my bow?"
"Here, there you go!"Liam heard him whisper.
He turned around and saw Leo holding a glass bottle and pouring something black and sticky on his arrow. Liam knew he was using one of his potions but didn't know which one it was.
"Here you go."He handed the arrow to Liam.
Liam took it and aim at the slime. He was trying hard to focus on it, trying to get it on his first try while it hopped around the small area of sunlight. Until something touched on his back while Leo's voice could be heard.
"Wait a minute!"He whispered but it still managed startled Liam.
He let go of his bowstring and it directly shot the slime but for some reason, he heard Leo yell.
"No!Shit!"There's a type of terror in his voice."Run!"
He pulled Liam by the arm and ran to the opposite side from the slime.
"Why the hell are we running?"Liam asked while pushing away the branches as they run.
"I accidentally poured the poison potion onto your arrow!"
"Shouldn't the poison kill it?"
"Does it look dead to you?! Slime can absorb liquid!"
Liam looked to the back and saw the slime which used to be half-bluish transparent switched to full black. There are two darker spots on its top, one was on the right while the other was on the left. Liam guessed they were its eyes as they stared at their current location.
It hopped to them in a fast-paced and the plants where it landed on died in an instant. Liam could hear his heart beating in his ears as he turned his gaze back to Leo.
"Then how should we-"
"Lookout!"Leo yelled while pushing him to the side.
Liam landed behind a tree and as he looked up he saw some black splash of ink passed by him.
"Leo!"Liam yelled while looking in the opposite direction from the ink.
He saw Leo laying behind a tree while holding his hands together which were stained with poison. He saw Liam and reached a finger to his mouth, giving him a sign to be quiet then peeked back to the slime. It was closing in on the distance between them.
Liam looked at Leo with a panicked look and saw him pouring another bottle of potion on his sword. His sword glowed bright red like magma while smoke wafted from his sword. Liam guessed it was the fire potion.
As the poisonous slime was just a few steps behind Leo's tree, Leo dashed out of his hiding spot and slashed his sword into the slime. It split in half while its semicircle jelly shape ignited in flames.
Liam ran out of his hiding spot and dashed to Leo while wearing a worried expression on his face.
"How are you feeling?!"Liam yelled as he was running toward him."How bad is-"
He was cut off by Leo's laughter.
"That was such a close call!"He laughed in a satisfied and joyful tone.
"What are you talking about?! Aren't you stained by poison?!"
Leo shook his hands, splattering all the dark liquid around the place while Liam quickly stepped back in order to not get them on his body.
"What are you doing?!"Liam yelled while looking extremely terrified.
"Oh, sorry about that!"Leo apologized when he noticed he almost splattered some on him.
But even so, he didn't care much and rubbed his hands together, trying to get them off his hands. Liam looked to the ground and saw all the plants, which were touched by Liam's poison die in an instant.
Liam was speechless by how he was still calm even after having them inflicted on him. Leo then took off his bag from his shoulder and hung it on a tree branch. He zipped open the bag and rummaged for something.
"What...what are you looking for?"Liam asked his face was paler than before.
Did the poison destroy his brain or something? He thought as Leo continued to dig his bag.
"Ah, Found it!"He said as he pulled out an empty glass."You remembered this one, right? It saved my life! I managed to pour it on me before it attacked!"
"Huh?"Liam was stunned."Is that the poison resistance potion?"
"Yup!"
Did I just worry all for nothing? Liam's eye twitched then stared at him with rage.
"What's with those looks?"Leo asked, feeling a little nervous.
"Why didn't you tell me you were fine in the first place?!"Liam yelled, angrily while Leo flinched.
"Calm down, geez."
"Calm down? You want me to calm down?! You scared the living shit out of me!"
"So...you care about me that much?"Leo asked, innocently while Liam's fierce expression slowly turned bright red.
"It's nothing! Let's continue on where we were heading!"Liam turned away from him and looked to the ground.
Leo laughed, happily as he wrapped his hand around his shoulder while Liam's ears reddened, which made Leo chuckle.
"Let's go!"