Confused, Logan applied more strength to the towel. The resistance was strong, but slowly the towel began to come out. As he peered into the water, he saw a small slime monster clinging to the towel. The creature's gelatinous form shimmered with the same magical light as the crystals, making it look almost invisible.
Upon seeing the monster, Logan let go of the towel and backed off a little, observing the weird beast. The slime monster seemed curious, its movements slow and undulating as it hovered near the water's edge.
It then spat out the towel before diving back in, a small tentacle forming to hold onto the edge of the towel.
Logan pulled the towel slightly to test what the strange monster wanted. He noticed the small creature once again pulling on the towel, trying to drag it back inside.
He let go of the towel again in a rush, thinking the slime wanted to pull him in. The slime, noticing that the towel met no resistance, let go and withdrew its tentacle to the edge of the water.
Logan cautiously tried to grab the towel again and noticed that the slime didn't move this time. He took a few steps back and sighed in relief. It seemed the small creature was only playing with him.
He noticed Luna's tail wagged, and she didn't seem to get aggressive as the slime played its trick.
[Master, friendly, play] she communicated, trying to explain the slime's intentions.
Logan felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Luna just confirmed it. The slime's just being playful."
Rubina, who had been observing the interaction from afar, smiled and relaxed a bit more. "Good to know there was no danger."
Logan decided to place a part of the towel on the edge where the slime's little tentacle was still placed. It pulled on the towel as soon as it felt the cloth touch its water-like limb. They continued to play for a while before the slime decided to come out of the water, revealing its full form.
The small creature radiated a green glow close the the cavern's mana stones, its gelatinous body looking almost like an emerald. It wobbled towards Logan, its curiosity evident. Logan chuckled and crouched down to get a closer look, the playful creature seemed like a toddlers wobble as it tried to reach out of something.
Rubina couldn't help but laugh softly. "It's actually kind of cute," she admitted.
Logan nodded, his smile wide. "Yeah, it is. Who would have thought we'd find such a friendly creature down here?"
As it got close to Logan, the slime seemed fascinated about a small cut on his right leg where his pants were ripped.
It placed its small tentacle on the cut and then wobbled as if it got hit by an electrical current. Logan felt a strange sensation wash over him—a new link forming with the curious creature.
"Don't tell me!" Rubina exclaimed, her eyes widening with surprise.
Logan looked at her, also stunned by what happened. "I think it just tried to heal me," he said, gazing at the healthy skin where the cut had been previously.
The small slime, now glowing even more brightly, seemed to pulse with energy. It wobbled happily, as if proud of its actions.
"Do you think it can heal your leg as well?" Logan asked while wondering.
Rubina looked at her injured leg, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "It's worth a try," she said.
Logan gently lifted the small slime toward Rubina's leg. The creature seemed to understand, placing its tentacle on the wound. As it did, the slime wobbled again, and a warm, healing sensation spread through the hurt area.
Rubina watched in amazement as her wound slowly began to close, the pain dissipating. "Incredible," she almost screamed, her eyes wide with gratitude. "Thank you, little one."
Logan smiled, feeling a deep sense of relief. "Looks like our new friend is a healer, just what I needed."
He then saw that the slime had shrunk a little, struggling while pointing to the water.
Logan realized it needed to replenish its energy. "I think it wants to go back to the water," he said, gently placing the slime near the water's edge.
The small creature quickly absorbed the mana-filled water, regaining its size and energy. It pulsed with a renewed glow, once again radiating a sense of joy and vitality.
[Hiii, hiii] The little slime made a mental communication, its excitement palpable.
Rubina smiled, watching the little slime. "Looks like it just needed a recharge."
Logan chuckled at Rubina's comment. "Yes, it's got to be the first of my creatures that can't speak properly though, although I have yet to try talking to my plant..."
Rubina laughed softly. "Well, the slimes aren't known to be too intelligent, but this one seems to be a little better than the ones my father has."
"We have one problem we need to solve though... If I take this little one, how will it recharge when it needs some of this special mana water?" Logan asked.
"Well, that's not too hard. Let's do a few tests. I think your ring should be able to store at least three roomfuls of this special water. How about you try it, but before you do, give me all the stuff you have on it, so it doesn't get wet." Rubina suggested.
Logan nodded, reaching into his ring to pull out various items and handing them to Rubina. "Alright, here goes nothing," he said, preparing to store the mana water in his ring.
The test proved successful; the water stored in the ring retained the magical properties of the cave water. Logan then began to fill a large amount of water, hoping that with it, he could take the slime as his own personal healer.
It took half an hour before they finished the mammoth task. The ring lit up to signal it was full and even pulsed a few times, as if the energy was doing something to the magical item.
Rubina watched, impressed. "Looks like your ring can store the water just fine. Now we have a portable source for the slime to recharge."
Logan nodded, a sense of accomplishment washing over him. "This should make a big difference. Let's keep the little guy close and make sure we're ready to find a way out."
Both youths now full of energy, along with Luna the fox and the slime who hid within Logan's shirt, began to exit the cave. They decided that if they found an easy path back, they would return at a later date. But just in case they couldn't, they made sure to keep the large treasure trove a secret.
Now that Rubina could walk again and Logan was without wounds, both went back the way they came from, they noticed earlier there were various paths which Luna decided to skip on.
The little fox led the group, its ears twitching as it tried to pick up any noises, carefully choosing between the areas it had previously identified as dangerous. Some of the tunnels had goblins, which the fox had wisely chosen to avoid before, mindful of its master's friends' injuries.
Now, however, the group navigated through the winding tunnels in search of these same tunnels, moving with caution and guided by the fox's keen senses.
Some time later the group, now fit for battle, decided to enter a particular tunnel that reeked of goblins. They moved carefully, keeping to the shadows, their senses heightened.
The air was thick with tension, and every sound seemed amplified in the eerie silence of the tunnel. As they ventured deeper, the smell of goblins grew stronger, and distant growls echoed through the caverns.
Soon, they spotted various shadows. The squeals from the goblins indicated that the room ahead would be difficult to pass through without a fight.
Rubina and Logan readied themselves, carefully assessing the situation. Luna, ever vigilant, remained on guard. As they moved forward, the pup suddenly looked perplexed.
Logan frowned. "What's wrong, Luna?" he whispered, watching the fox's reactions closely.
Luna kept tilting her head around, as if trying to figure out why a certain noise was mixed in with the goblins. Suddenly, she jumped forth to figure out what was happening.
Logan and Rubina, surprised by the fox's actions, decided to jump into the fray. What they found was unexpected.
Both Chloe and Kai were communicating with short, green goblins who were agitated and looking around for something. The goblins seemed to be on a mission, their eyes darting around as they tried to help Chloe and Kai.
Realization dawned on Logan and Rubina—could it be that they were the ones the goblins were searching for?
Logan whispered to Rubina, "It looks like the goblins are actually trying to find us, not attack."
Chloe suddenly spotted Logan and Rubina, who exited a tunnel as if casually strolling through the complex maze.
Kai, noticing them second, screamed, "There you are! Do you know how long we've been searching for you!"
Logan and Rubina exchanged relieved looks, finally understanding that the goblins were indeed on their side for now. The small green creatures started to create an uproar in celebration, their loud squeals not the most pleasant cheering the cohort had ever heard but a welcome one from creatures who would otherwise be their enemies.
As the four teenagers reunited, Kai jumped onto Logan. "Man, I'm so glad to see you safe! Do you know what would have happened to me if you died?" Kai began to cry, hugging Logan tightly.
Logan, overwhelmed by the boy's emotional outburst, tried to muster all his strength to gently pull Kai away. "It's okay, dude, just let go!"
Chloe looked on with a smile, then turned to Rubina. "Glad to see you both are fine."
Rubina nodded, feeling the relief and joy of their reunion. "Thanks for looking for us."