Kuti squeaked

  At the sound of the squeak, Yvlena jumped back so quickly it was as if her body moved on its own.

  The creature swiped at her with hands now shaped into blocky stumps. She didn't know how much damage it would do but it would be better not to get hit.

  "What the?!" she exclaimed.

  Now, she had a chance to get a good look at the impostor, the thing in front of her was a poor mimicry of Dylan and in full view of it, she wondered how such a bad copy could have fooled her.

  The creature before her oozed with a now visible translucent mucus. It shambled around to face her, opening a half formed mouth in a creepy smile.

  "What the hell is that!" Yvlena shouted, it looked like a human made of slime and Yvlena didn't know if she was looking at a mimic or something else.

  [You have encountered Slime Mimic]

  "Slime mimic?" So far all the mimics she had encountered were so weak they could be killed in one hit, but none had ever taken the shape of a human, nor had she encountered any slime before this.

  [Kuti Cast paralyze]

  "Nice, I forgot you learned a new skill." Yvlena said. A stormy cloud sparking with lighting appeared over the mimic's head striking it.

  [Slime Mimic inflicted with paralysis, Slime Mimic might be unable to move]

  "Might? Only might?!" Yvlena asked in disbelief. She swung her sickle, casting her Harvest skill on the new enemy.

  [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]

  The wave swept across the room, striking the creature across its abdomen, its back snapped, forcing its upper half to fall limp as it was cleaved off.

  The elven girl exhaled, watching for any signs of movement or life. The bottom half fell to its knees, laying limply beside the torso, then Yvlena watched in horror as the two pieces began to meld back together.

  Soon the shambling form of the Slime Mimic was once again whole.

  "If only I had a freeze potion."

  But Kuti had no active attack skills and Yvlena couldn't leave her to fight while she made the potion. The paralysis was only a 50/50 chance, making any attacks from the Mimic unpredictable. She jumped forward and swiped at it with her Sickle.

  Yvlena’s blade moved through the thick slime that had formed the body, her movement slowed until it felt like she had lodged herself in a block of jello.

  She gasped, now fighting to pull the blade out of the being before it could counterattack. Fearing from her bout with Crocante, Yvlena grunted with effort grabbing her stuck wrist as the Slime Mimic leaned forward with its mouth open, seemingly ready to bite her head off.

  The paralysis struck, sending a static wave up the creature’s spine, freezing it in place.

  [Slime Mimic is Paralyzed]

  “Ahhhh!” She screamed, grunting with effort until she was able to wriggle herself out, whilst holding Kuti to her shoulder.

  [Yvlena Cast Harvest Skill: Wide Sweep]

  She pulled back and swung, cutting the creature in two again.

  "Alright."

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  She took her cauldron out and began putting together the ingredients for the freeze potion. She kept her eye carefully on the crumpled heap of the slime mimic. Yvlena pulled her eyes away for a moment as she mixed and stirred.

  All of a sudden, she felt a weight come off her shoulder.

  "Kuti!" she gasped, reaching out for the doll seized from the

  The slimy hand of the mimic had grabbed her doll summon by her dress collar. The doll squeaked as she sailed through the air in the grasp of the Mimic’s retracting hand.

  She grabbed two full bottles of the Freeze potion and hurled one at the creature before it could slam Kuti into the ground.

  Ice crawled up the Slime Mimic’s shoulder, freezing the arm in place and allowing Yvlena to shatter it with a hard heave.

  [Kuti Cast Weaken]

  Yvlena wasted no time slamming the second potion into the creature’s waiting mouth. She pulled her hand out of the gummy mouth and watched the glass explode within the being’s stomach.

  The Slime Mimic froze and in those 30 seconds, Yvlena had enough time to shatter it.

  [Yvlena Acquired

  Exp: 1200/2017

  ***

  Slime x2

  Moon Points x300]

  “All that and it didn’t even give me that much Exp.” Yvlena whined.

  She picked up the disgruntled little doll and placed her back on her shoulders. Kuti tapped Yvlena’s hair a few times, possibly in contentment as the girl made to leave the room.

  “Yvlena!” The door burst open and in stormed Dylan and the rest of her party ready to attack. Dylan looked around the room, finding no sign of an enemy. “Huh?”

  “Where were you? We came back to the grave site and you weren't there.” Yvlena said, containing her annoyance. Sprite and Rabbit Knight drifted to her side, making Kuti extremely happy.

  “I went to...investigate one of the abandoned buildings?” Dylan supplied.

  Yvlena swallowed a litany of insults and pinched the bridge of her nose, exasperated. It was like babysitting a hyperactive child. It was only a game but interactions from NPCs had consequences too.

  The party left the small room and soon found themselves back outside the Outpost. Yvlena took a seat on one of the chairs that happened to sit outside. Now that the skirmish was over it would do well for her to have a moment’s respite before the long journey back.

  Made longer by Dylan’s recklessness.

  “Were you able to pay your respects to your father?” Yvlena asked, shifting the topic to something else.

  Dylan’s face fell.

  “I spoke to him a bit, about mom and stuff. I just hope he’s in a better place y’know?”

  “I do.” Yvlena said. “Believe me I know what you’re going through.”

  “Hard to believe an elf would know of loss, don’t your people live for centuries?”

  Yvlena held her wrist to avoid smacking him for his callousness. But the look in her eyes gave her intentions away. Dylan gulped.

  “S-Sorry!”

  “People still die Dylan and it still hurts.” Yvlena said.

  “Right.” He said under his breath.

  “I’m going to get some rest, we’ll be heading back soon. Try not to run off anymore.” Yvlena said shoving her finger painfully into his chest.

  ***

  “This has got to be the most annoying quest line ever!” Aya said nearly throwing her head gear across the room.

  She had to give credit to the game’s AI. Dylan behaved exactly like some of the teenagers she had interacted with during her brief visits to town. He was hardheaded and leaped into the danger the moment it presented itself.

  Aya realized, with great amusement, that she was now playing the same role her grandmother had.

  “How did she do it, I was such a dumb kid.” Aya said, pulling her knees up to her chest. Fond memories flooded her mind, Aya smiled. “I was really a handful wasn’t I?”

  But soon those nostalgic thoughts turned to anger, why did Fido and Lydia have to make her life as miserable as theirs? Why did the world rip a comfortable life away from her?

  Would she always have to struggle? Would she always have to fight for a place?

  Aya got up and walked out of her room to see Mars reading something, her face illuminated by the tablet in her hand. The dark haired girl was engrossed, so much so that Aya walked up to her without so much as a shift in Mars's posture.

  “What are you reading?” Aya asked.

  “Just making sure the move runs smoothly.” Mars replied. She looked up at Aya’s face, at the dark expression that clouded her friend’s features.

  “Bad session?” Mars asked in concern.

  “Not really, just...memories I guess.”