A Cry for Help
In the middle of the room…
A girl.
No, not a girl.
Her body was translucent blue, shimmering like liquid. Her eyes—wide with fear. Her arms and legs—chained to the wall.
A Slime Girl.
The moment our eyes met, she whispered a single word.
"…Help."
---
[New Quest Update: Rescue the Slime Girl.]
[Time Remaining: 12 Hours 14 Minutes.]
---
I froze.
The Slime Girl struggled against the chains, her translucent body shaking violently. I took a step forward, but—
"No, no, don't enter!" she pleaded, her voice desperate. "They're here… They'll kill you!"
Fear.
Not just fear—terror.
I pressed myself against the wall, hidden in the shadows.
A moment later, I saw them.
Two figures entered the room.
Not humans.
Not monsters.
Something in between.
Their bodies were twisted, human-like but grotesque. Their limbs were elongated, their fingers ending in sharp claws. Their faces… contorted, with soulless red eyes that gleamed in the dim light.
Monsters? Or humans turned into something else?
I held my breath, trying to listen to their conversation.
Nothing.
Not a single word.
They weren't speaking.
Yet, the Slime Girl's screams filled the room.
"NO! STOP! PLEASE!"
One of them held a small vial.
A strange dark liquid swirled inside.
Then—
He poured a single drop onto her body.
The moment the liquid touched her—
Her body began to melt.
"AAAAHHH!"
Her screams pierced the air.
She thrashed, but the chains held her in place. Her body bubbled, parts of her form breaking apart, only to painfully reform.
The two creatures laughed.
My blood boiled.
I clenched my fists. I wanted to move. I wanted to do something—anything—to help her.
But what could I do?
I wasn't strong. My only ability was to communicate with high-level monsters.
And if I could hear her voice… that meant she was at least S-rank.
Then how the hell did she get caught by them?
I narrowed my eyes at the two figures.
They weren't S-rank.
I could tell just by their aura.
Which meant—something else was restraining her.
I glanced at the chains.
They glowed faintly, an eerie energy radiating from them. Magic.
The same kind of energy Emma used when she fought.
So… was this some kind of binding spell?
I could hear her sobbing.
"Please… help me… I don't want to be here…"
The creature poured another drop.
She screamed again.
That was it.
I had to act.
Even if I wasn't strong, I couldn't just stand here and watch.
My body tensed, adrenaline flooding my veins.
But then—
The creatures stopped.
They put the vial away, chuckling to themselves, and walked toward the other room.
They were done.
For now.
The moment they left, I rushed to her side.
The Slime Girl's tired eyes widened in shock.
"No… Leave," she whispered weakly. "They'll kill you."
I ignored her, focusing on the chains.
Up close, I could see the runes etched into them.
Definitely magic.
But how could I break them?
I touched one of the chains—
A sudden shockwave blasted me backward!
I crashed against the ground, pain exploding in my chest.
"Damn it…" I groaned.
"Please… just go…" the Slime Girl whispered.
I sat up, gritting my teeth. 7 hours had already passed.
My quest timer now read:
[Time Remaining: 5 Hours 10 Minutes.]
I didn't have much time.
I grabbed the rusty sword I had picked up earlier and swung at the chain—
BOOM!
The energy burst launched me back again.
"Ugh!" I hit the ground, pain shooting through my arms.
"It's useless," she said softly. "You'll die…"
I looked at her.
She had given up.
Her eyes were empty.
Like she had already accepted her fate.
Something inside me snapped.
"Shut up," I said.
She blinked.
For the first time, a flicker of life returned to her expression.
"You… understand me?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes. And please, just shut up."
Her lips parted slightly, stunned.
"I'm trying to think," I continued. "So just trust me and cooperate, okay?"
For a long moment, she simply stared at me.
Then—
A single tear-like drop slid down her cheek.
"…Okay."