The man turned, thinking someone had tapped his shoulder, but instead, something squishy and transparent was happily bouncing up and down on his shoulder.
"Oh… is that you, Bounciechomie?" The man chuckled, recognizing this small slime as his pet in the novel. Bounciechomie, a tiny slime of blue-green color, was the only loyal friend of Arthur D. Bump, a side character in the novel who was known to have terrible luck. Although it was just a minor character that appeared occasionally, the slime faithfully accompanied Arthur.
"I even forgot you were in that story," the man said, patting Bounciechomie's squishy body. The slime made a little sound, "Bloop bloop!" and leapt down, bouncing enthusiastically around the man's feet.
The man laughed softly. "Turns out, even as a character with bad luck, at least I have this cute pet."
He looked at Bounciechomie, who continued to bounce happily around him. "Alright, Bounciechomie. In the original story, you were just a pet with a brief role, but now… you're my friend. You are my homie, Bounciechomie!"
Bounciechomie responded with a gentle "Bloop bloop!" sound that seemed to affirm Arthur's statement.
However, the man's laughter quickly faded as he heard rustling behind him, as if something was moving quickly through the grass. Bounciechomie immediately jumped up, reacting with sudden alertness, though its squishy body still bounced playfully.
"Who's there?" he murmured, his eyes searching for the source of the noise.
From behind the dense trees, a tall figure in a dark cloak emerged. The man wore a black mask, his face hidden, but an aura of power radiated from him, sending chills through the air.
The man recognized the figure that appeared. He is Kaelthorn, one of the villains in the lonely Chinese web novel, a character known for giving dark powers to others.
"Arthur D. Bump," Kaelthorn's voice sounded heavy and calculating. "I offer you power! Power that could lead you to greatness."
The man fell silent. Kaelthorn was the dark sorcerer who controlled many characters' fates in the novel, and he was supposed to be the most dangerous threat. And now, Kaelthorn was standing before him, an event that was not depicted in the original Lonely Chinese web novel that couldn't be copied.
"What do you want from me?" the man asked, his voice trembling though he tried to appear strong.
Kaelthorn slowly raised his hand, and the air around them grew heavy. "I want nothing from you; instead, I have something to offer you—great power!"
The looked at Kaelthorm anxiously. "I… I don't want it!"
"You don't want it?" Kaelthorn said with a mocking smile. "You'd rather remain weak? Hahaha…" he sneered.
Suddenly, Bounciechomie jumped off his shoulder and bounced forward, heading straight for Kaelthorn. The little slime eagerly tried to bite Kaelthorn's leg, though of course, it couldn't. However, Bounciechomie's agility and courage were enough to surprise Kaelthorn.
"Bloop bloop!" Bounciechomie's sound seemed to voice its fighting spirit, even though it was just a small slime.
Kaelthorn laughed loudly, though soon he appeared slightly irritated. "Hmm, this little creature is quite brave," he said in a dismissive tone, though there was tension in his voice.
The man stepped closer, more courageous than before. "I don't care about power!"
Kaelthorn smirked. "Look at yourself, Arthur. Trapped in foolishness. This world is cruel to the weak. How can you fight a fate stronger than anything you could ever achieve? You need dark power to grow stronger, and only I can give it to you!" Kaelthorn coaxed.
But the man remained steadfast, looking Kaelthorn directly in the eye. "I don't need it; I'd rather have a boring slice-of-life existence than become a minor villain defeated by the Hero's party!"
Kaelthorn frowned, as if realizing that there was more going on beyond his control. Before he could respond, Bounciechomie jumped again, this time towards the magical symbols surrounding Kaelthorn. Each time the slime touched those symbols, they began to fade, diminishing Kaelthorn's power bit by bit.
"What… are you doing?" Kaelthorn shouted, shocked by what was happening.
The man didn't understand what was going on, but thanks to his first homie, Bounciechomie, Kaelthorn staggered back and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
The man sighed in relief as the smoke began to clear, and Kaelthorn's figure vanished from view. He knelt down, looking at Bounciechomie, who was now bouncing around him proudly. The little slime seemed to sparkle as if proud to have helped its "friend" drive off the frightening enemy.
"Bounciechomie… thank you," he whispered with a smile, realizing how this little slime truly had a bravery far greater than its tiny body. Bounciechomie responded with a cheerful "Bloop bloop!" as if assuring that it would always be there to protect Arthur, no matter how weak or insignificant he might feel.
But their joy didn't last long. The air around them fell silent once more, and the atmosphere shifted abruptly. He felt a chill envelop the area, as if the remnants of Kaelthorn's dark energy were still lingering nearby.
He looked at Bounciechomie, who was now trembling—not from fear, but sensing something strange. Slowly, the little slime began to shrink, its body turning pale and transparent, no longer shining as it had before. He shocked and quickly tried to reach out, but the slime seemed to grow weaker, as if its strength was draining away.
"Bounciechomie? What's happening to you?" He asked in panic. But the little slime only made a faint "bloop" sound, as if struggling to stay present.
At that moment, he realized that the remnants of Kaelthorn's magic might have infected or drained Bounciechomie's energy during their brief battle. In the novel, this slime was just a small pet, but now it had risked everything to protect him. The man felt sorrow; Bounciechomie had become more than just a character in a story, Bounciechomie is his first homie in this isekai story.