As the ship continued crashing down, the slimes softened the fall, almost acting like a cushion. Most of them died, crushed under the impact, but the damage to the ship was minimized.
"That wasn't really a bad fall. I guess I'm a pretty good pilot," Liana said, looking relieved.
[I can't believe I wasn't crushed. That's the second fall I've survived. I can't decide if I'm very lucky or very unlucky], Arik thought, finally taking a breath of relief.
"Liana, not to question your skills, but we weren't saved by you," Ronald said, his eyes glued to the window.
"What do you mean?" Liana asked, looking confused.
Ronald gestured for her to take a look outside, and when she did, the ground was covered in slime remains. The ship's green body was almost blue from the sticky residue.
"What the fuck? Did we just drop onto a slime village or something? I guess we got lucky, their bodies absorbed the impact," Liana said, disgusted by the sight of so many dead slimes.
"No... They all willingly came under us to save us. It was almost as if they were commanded to do it," Ronald said, a hint of fear in his voice.
[Wait, was it me who made them do that? It has to be], Arik thought, looking around to find the floating blue screen.
[Where did it go?] As he thought that, the blue screen popped up right in front of him.
*The slimes were commanded as per your orders. Total number of slimes commanded at the same time: 587.*
[So it really was me! I do have powers... Wait, never mind. There are too many questions running through my mind right now, I should ask them first,] Arik thought, getting serious.
[What was that gravitational field thing?]
*An alert trying to warn the Beast Tamer Primus about potential dangers.*
[Didn't think I could actually hold an entire conversation with this thing in my mind. This gives me another reason to be scared. The species that created this must be highly intelligent], Arik thought, shaking his head to calm himself down.
[Okay, so why is this planet trying to keep us here?]
*Archeon isn't trying to keep anyone. You were the ones who prevented yourselves from leaving.*
[What does that even mean? Well, please at least tell me about the ship we saw.]*
*No information available. Make sure the things you ask do actually exist.*
[This thing is not helpful at all], Arik thought, pulling his hair in frustration. He finally noticed someone tapping his shoulder.
"You alright? We've been calling your name. Are you sure that fall didn't mess with your hearing?" Liana said, inspecting his ears.
"No, I'm alright. Just a lot to take in," Arik sighed.
"It's okay. Don't overthink it. Everything's gonna be alright," Liana said with a comforting smile.
"Yeah, thanks," Arik replied, avoiding her gaze. [Maybe I should tell her everything. If we all think about this together, maybe it'll finally make sense], Arik thought, getting ready to tell her everything .
"Okay, we're going out to look for that ship that almost collided with us. I still think it wasn't a ship, but there's no harm in checking things out," Liana said. But as she spoke, Arik went quiet again.
It was as if all the courage he gathered up to speak suddenly drained from his body.
"Maybe I should come along—" Arik started, but Liana cut him off.
"No, you seem out of it, and we need someone to watch the ship and Kane, since he's unconscious. Ronald and I will check the nearby area. You rest here," Liana said, not giving Arik any room to argue.
Arik just nodded quietly. "Good. We'll be back in a couple of minutes. Then we'll eat something and take turns guarding the ship," Liana said, heading out. Ronald was already outside, laughing.
"You really care about him, I see," Ronald whispered in her ear.
"Just start walking. We don't have time for your stupid commentary," Liana Said, looking annoyed.
"I smell young love," Ronald teased, leaning closer.
"Old man, can't you be quiet for 20 minutes?" Liana replied, clenching her fist.
"Chill out. Why are short people so angry all the time?" Ronald said, finally pulling away. He kept joking as they walked, while Liana Kept ignoring him.
As Arik watched them disappear into the distance, he quietly made his way outside. [No point sitting here doing nothing. I'll just go out and explore on my own.]
He stepped out of the ship and closed the door behind him. [Kane, I hope you don't get killed by a beast when I am away, but this is important], Arik thought, feeling a bit guilty about leaving the ship and Kane unguarded.
[Time to see what this place actually holds], Arik thought, running in the opposite direction from Liana and Ronald to avoid encountering them.
As Arik ran, the dense forest grew thicker, making it harder to move around. [Wow, it's crazy how we didn't land in the middle of the forest but on a flat surface instead], Arik thought, pushing through the bushes.
[If this were Earth or Mars, I'd love to camp here], he thought, before noticing something moving in the sky.
Arik squinted, trying to make it out. [Is that another ship?], But before he could be sure, his question was answered.
A giant white serpent soared through the sky, its golden scales almost lighting up the horizon.
Arik's eyes widened in shock. The creature was terrifying yet strangely beautiful. He finally snapped back to his senses and hid behind a tree to avoid being seen.
"I don't think it should be able to see me—" Arik muttered to himself. But as he said that, the serpent glanced directly at him and started moving in his direction.
Arik froze in fear, staring at the mystical beast approaching him. [Why can't I run? Why can't I look away? Why does it look so beautiful, even as it comes to kill me], Arik thought, trying his best to runaway, but something about the creature was attracting him to it.