...
[{Appraisal}Level 2 has been activated]
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[Name: --
[Race: Demon Slime (Evolved from the Silver Slime)
[Type: Monster
[Status: Satisfied, and oddly tame...]
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My eyes twitched at the status.
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[Summary: This previously terrifying monster of the Demon Slime race has now been tamed and made a powerful companion instead by a Familiar Contract. Although, a significant portion of its power has been lost, the Silver Slime will forever always be your most powerful and reliable companion.]
...
The description option had also become Summary instead.
I read the summary and ended up shooting the blob— I mean, Slime, a sharp glare from the corner of my eyes.
Is that thing dancing?
Ah, it did say it was satisfied.
In the whole literal meaning of bizzare, the Slime was actually dancing.
"It says it's been weakend. What's it's current status? " As I thought that, the description of my appraisal skill changed a little.
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[Rank: Hero
Summary: The Demon Slime has suffered severe damage to its core which has resulted to a heavy loss in its power. Though still ranked Hero, the Demon Slime is now a shell of its former self. But it's unique properties as a specie doesn't make it no less powerful...]
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My eyes lingered on the summary, and I raised my brow curiously.
The Slime evaded my attack by splitting its core, could that be what it's talking about?
And what was with the description of the summary. The choice of words is like it's supporting, or urging me to accept the slime. That's just sus and unnerving.
In retrospect, aren't the system prompts and notifications I see aso implemented by Meta herself? Could this also be her doing?
Something was wrong.
Isn't this all too coincidental?
I beat the Slime, only for it to somehow survive by splitting its body and core. And now I was getting contracted to the same monster.
Wait. Meta said it's existence and body were in a fragile state after having sacrificed half of its core to survive, the Slime was in a state that was no less different than dying.
It was also because of that it formed a contract with me.
'... a bonding contract which allows sharing of existence and life force with another existence'... I silently recalled Meta's words.
I didn't know too much about contracts, in fact I only heard about them a few times in passing during my home school. Various factors were considered, and could influence a Contract formation.
But...what if all of these factors...were arranged?
What if, I needed to threaten the Slime into using it's specie defense mechanism of splitting its core to disorient it's existence and make it prone to forming a contract with me.
The Silver Slime is a Hero Ranked Monster, an entity when one considered how it was also an Evolved race. Contracts, especially, Familiar bonds, require the consent and levels of both party.
What would I, a meager Mortal Ranked human, possibly have to offer to a much higher Ranked Monster?
Stability.
On the premise that it's life and existence was at stake...
And in the option of consent...the system initiated the contract on its own, more or less. I for certain didn't intend to.
Fuck.
Slowly my thoughts began to race. I felt a kind of unease linger somewhere around me as I stared at the system prompt.
Just then, I heard a ding, and a notification appeared before me.
[To fully complete the contract ritual, a name will be required for you're newest companion.]
"Eh?" The unexpected notification dragged me out of my thoughts.
By this point, I still haven't adjusted to the surreal turn of sudden events. From the descriptions, I could tell the Slime would no longer hurt me, but this was still the same monster that gutted me out on our first meeting, and decapitated me on iur second.
Not to mention, vandalized me on our third, just now!
I will have nightmares for days because of this damned monster!
It is totally justified that I held nothing but venom and animosity for it! And now I'm expected to embrace it with open hands?!
Thinking this, I moved my gaze to the slime again.
'Fucking...'
The hateful blob of jiggly silver held my gaze... At least I think it has a gaze...
Then, it's round spherical blob body that was the full size of a fist pushed off the ground and bounced against my right shoulder.
Fuck, it's atta—
Or not.
The slime just touched on my shoulder, and remained still.
"..."
'This is all so annoying... ' I sighed and grumbled.
I glanced at the system screen, then said seemingly to myself.
"A name, huh." Was that necessary?
If the system was telling me to, it probably had some significance. But I also couldn't trust the system. My doubts surrounding it's true intent and myself have only deepened after what just happened.
For a moment, I just stared deeply at the screen, masking my thoughts.
Eventually, I withdrew my gaze, dismissed the screen and glanced at the hateful blob on my shoulder.
What would I even call this hateful bastard?
Then I grinned.
"Hateful Bastard has a nice ring to it?"
As if it could understand my thoughts, the Slime shivered and shuddered. I felt something from it and frowned.
"What? You don't like the name, you ungrateful bastard?"
'Eh? ' how did I know it didn't like the name?
I blinked my eyes and looked at the slime more deeply this time.
Somehow...i could 'understand' it's thoughts and feelings.
'Is this another effects of the Familiar bonding? ' I said inwardly and Meta affirmed curtly.
[Affirmative. You share the surface thoughts and feelings with your familiar.]
Great, another one that can invade my thoughts.
I grumbled, clicked my tongue and hesitated. I took the slime in my hands and held it before my face with a light frown. Then I closely studied it.
Well, I guess when it's not a terrifying suit of armor trying to gut me... it's kind of cute?
The slime jiggled and my brows twitched.
"Don't get cocky, I'll get you back for everything!
It jiggled again.
"Huh? You expect me to just smile and say 'i forgive you ' even if you apologize? And who the fuck apologizes like that? Dogeza dammit! Do-ge-za!"
This Slime...it's more infuriating than I thought...
For now I ignore the matter and pushed it to the back of my mind.
A name huh...I hummed thoughtfully, while I held the slime.
Then I finally said.
"Ham."
Yes.
"I'll call you Ham, for Hamlet because you're round, and kind of remind me of ham. So Ham-let."
There.
Satisfied with my answer I grinned.
The Slime jiggled, and expressed its slight hesitation at the choice of names to me telepathically, but a single glare shut it up.
After that, a system screen popped up.
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[Are you sure you want to name your Familiar 'Hamlet'? Yes/No]
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"Yes." I nodded, but the insufferable system came again.
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[Are you really, really sure you want to name your familiar after ham? Yes/No]
This was Meta doing, I could tell.
"Yes, dammit."
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[Confirmed. The Contract between Hamlet, the Slime (lol), and Victor Bright, the human, has been completed. You now share an inseparable bond, till death do you apart.]
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What's up with these marriage vows...
I felt a gold radiance suffused from inside of me and spread across my whole body. I watched the same thing happen to Hamlet in my hands as well.
And as I felt a fluffy and soft and intangible connection form between me...and a Slime, I couldn't help but wonder with tears in my eyes, how this came to be... I sucked in one breath, and with it all of my complex feelings and emotions concerning the subject, and looked down at the Slime in my hands.
"Well Hamlet, I'll be in your care now. Your pleasure, I know."
With that done, I got up and turned around. Luckily the colossal doors were still open, waiting for me.
Without exchanging a single word, Hamlet read my intentions and took it's place agilely on my left shoulder. The way the bastard slime suddenly moved almost gave me a heart attack.
I still had traumas.
I ignored the matter after shooting a hateful glare at Hamlet, then slowly began to approach the opened exit once more, and I let my mind wander.
'Meta, you said there were a few conjectures why Hamlet made a contract wth me. You only mentioned one, what are the others. '
Although, you probably planned and orchestrated all of this...deep down I added in my heat where Meta couldn't divulge.
The synthetic voice, like a digitalized overlap of vibrations resounded promptly.
[Affirmative. Contract are formed based on the interests of the involved parties, that means the Slime may have had other intrests in you aside from just sustaining it's existence.]
Oh? A higher Ranked Monster might have other interest aside from gutting my insides as turning me into dinner?
'Please, do tell. ' I restrained my sarcastic thoughts and instead said inwardly.
[In this case, it was most likely attracted to your Aura.] As Meta said this, I was already embraced by the cold and ghostly billowing cloud of fog that dispersed around the entrance of the large doors.
Without stoping to look back, I walked through the fog and into the bright white light. Internally, I curiously asked Meta.
'What do you mean? '
Meta responded in her usual detached and unsympathetic tone.
[It is not uncommon for Familiar prospects to be attracted to the Aether of their prospects. Especially in the cases of spirits or demonic creatures. It is a little uncommon for mundane Beasts and Monsters to be contracted companions, but as someone who has digested a Fruit of Aurora, and posses the [Blessing of Aether] Attribute, this is a very likely case.] Meta said, and I shot a glance at Hamlet before promptly looking away
I see. That made sense to an extent.
I still had questions, but I promptly put them away for the moment.
For now I was at simply going to first of all get out of this godforsaken place!
The bright light from the door covered my vision and filled my world. This time around, there was no last minute assault on me, and I successfully walked through to the other side.
But it was there my heart quickened.