The corrupted queen slime loomed in the misty morning light, a grotesque, pulsating mound of dark purple.
Thick, viscous trails marked its path, leaving behind patches of forest floor stripped bare of life, the earth beneath shriveled and blackened.
It gave the slime a look both mesmerizing and deeply unsettling, like an oversized organ throbbing to its own twisted heartbeat.
High above, the sky had shed its midnight cloak, giving way to the pale hues of dawn.
Shadows drifted away as the sun crept over the horizon. Eclipse watched the monster with narrowed eyes, his gaze thoughtful.
Caelum must have slain the demon responsible for the rift last night, he thought, noting the absence of dark clouds above.
But that hasn't done a thing to weaken this monster.
He crouched low in the cave's entrance, a shroud of darkness concealing both him and his companion.
Beside him, Valeria's face was set in tense lines as she eyed the queen slime oozing across the forest floor, steadily devouring everything in its path.
A mixture of trepidation and frustration was written across her features.
Valeria broke the silence, her voice a whisper. "You mentioned the slime can detect us even if we tried sneaking away. How does hiding here make any difference?"
Eclipse gave a faint, half-smile. "We're just far enough that it might not notice us yet. Maybe it's forgotten what you smell like by now."
"Only me?" she said, arching an eyebrow.
He didn't answer, his mind too occupied with the puzzle in front of him.
He had no mana himself, but his clothes, enchanted as they were, might help mask his presence. Not that Valeria needed to know that.
Valeria bit her lip, her gaze fixed on the slime. Beneath her tough exterior, the nervous clenching of her fists betrayed her unease.
Eclipse noticed and tilted his head, scrutinizing her.
"Do you have anything?" he asked, his tone deceptively light.
"Anything… like what?" she said, glancing at him, confused.
"Something that could be used as a weapon. Anything at all."
Valeria's face colored slightly. She rifled through her bag, muttering, "I… I might have something."
She opened her pack, revealing a messy assortment of items.
Eclipse leaned closer, barely able to hold back a sigh.
The bag was crammed with an assortment of mismatched snacks, half-crushed pastries, and crumbles of sweet biscuits.
Valeria flushed under his unimpressed stare, turning the bag to reveal a row of tiny bottles stuffed near the bottom.
But then Eclipse spotted something amidst the chaos. A pair of small potion vials, glass flasks shimmering in hues that seemed almost out of place among the snacks.
He crouched, reaching forward, and lifted one of the vials delicately, turning it in his hands.
The liquid inside was thick and dark, tinged with a violet glow that almost seemed to writhe in the light.
Valeria stiffened, clutching her bag close to her chest.
"H-Hey! That's mine!" she stammered, her voice edged with a mixture of indignation and uncertainty.
Eclipse raised an eyebrow. "You have these?"
"Y-Yeah…" She looked down, embarrassed.
Eclipse eyed the potion with renewed interest, noting the way the liquid swirled.
It wasn't just a typical elixir.
He recognized the subtle iridescent shimmer, the thickness of the mana condensed within.
This wasn't an ordinary potion.
"That's… poison," Valeria muttered, her voice wavering as she searched his face for a reaction.
Eclipse's expression didn't change, though a glimmer of something keen flickered in his gaze.
He held the potion up to the faint morning light, letting it catch the warm glow filtering into the cave.
No, it was more than poison.
This potion was crafted by a master alchemist, one rare enough to have infused it with something unique.
As he inspected it, a familiar blue screen blinked into view.
Item: Draught
Properties: Condensed Dark Mana Essence
Effect: Grants the consumer a Legendary trait for a brief period, boosting strength, agility, and speed to inhuman levels.
Side Effect: Dark mana corruption.
A potion infused with dark mana—a highly illegal and dangerous practice in every kingdom.
Its very existence was forbidden; those who wielded such dark arts were hunted down as demon followers.
Eclipse shot a sidelong glance at Valeria, suspicion sharpening his gaze. "Where exactly did you get this?" he asked, his tone measured.
Valeria's eyes widened. "What? I didn't… it wasn't from a demon, if that's what you're thinking!"
She shook her head adamantly. "I got it from… someone. A friend."
Eclipse's lips thinned.
She was a curious mystery, this girl.
First, he'd found her wandering the deadly Mist Forest alone, and now she carried an illicit potion of dark mana in her bag like it was no more than a simple snack. Yet her naivete seemed genuine.
Luckily, she didn't drink it.
But there was no time to dig deeper.
Today marked the third day of the trial, and he had yet to find the last herb, the Bloodfern, necessary to complete it.
Time was running short.
But this potion… it could change everything.
He stood, clutching the vial thoughtfully. Valeria looked at him, bewildered.
"Wait—are you… are you thinking of throwing that at the slime?" she whispered, incredulity mingling with a trace of hope. "Because I already tried that. It didn't work."
Eclipse scoffed, letting the potion swirl as he tilted it to examine the texture.
And she has more than one of these? He shook his head, bemused. "No, throwing it is a waste. It's not a weapon like that."
Valeria frowned. "It looks like poison. Just holding it gives me chills."
Whoever gave it to her obviously hadn't explained its true nature. He cast her a sidelong look. "This isn't poison. It's meant to be consumed."
Valeria's eyes widened. "What? Really? How do you know?" She tilted her head, her curiosity flaring. "Would drinking it really make someone… powerful?"
Eclipse barely held back a smirk. "Powerful, yes," he replied vaguely. "But it's not for you. I have… other plans for you."
Valeria stiffened, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Other plans?"
Her voice was unsteady, but her expression conveyed suspicion.
He could see her gripping her bag tightly, her knuckles whitening.
Eclipse let the silence linger, deliberately stoking her apprehension, while he turned the potion vial thoughtfully in his hands.
This concoction held dark power, power enough to make his upcoming plan work.
It was risky, no doubt, but in this moment, risk was his only option.
For now, Valeria's best role would be one of misdirection.