Rogue - Adventurer's path

Noises ... I know the sound ... like the crossbow I ate ... but louder .. bigger ... it's a bow ... arrows flying hitting zombies ... and someone giggling ...

" This place is perfect to hunt. And no one here to steal my xp. I'm so going to level up. "

Greedy ... female voice ... using a bow, so is a Rogue possibly ... and no one here ... Just her, the undead ... and me. More noises ... arrow keep flying fast ... Can't let her vanish ... learn the lesson last time ... Slow Drain allow them all to run ... but high drain made the elf stay ... So need to use high drain when they are alone ...

There is water here ... I can use my sucking ability to ... it's working ... I'm absorbing the water, and growing ... part of me stays on water, the other stays on land ... It's working ... Bing inside the water makes me lighter ... And now even if someone sees me, they can only hit the part on the land ... No more noise of arrows being released ...

" Oh ... a secret mini-boss appears when all the undead fall. Just what I need. "

No one else is here ... just me ... Slime King, secret mini boss ... Every adventurer has a name for me ...

" What are doing ? "

" Hey, it's a mini-boss. Let us in. Another Rogue and a Knight are useful and ... "

" I know ... I own you one ... Party formed ... you can appear. "

Two more voices ... and my plans are destroyed ... moved too slow ... And the adventurers move too fast ... Even without seeing them, I know they are there ... Absorb more water ... Maximum sucking speed ,and infuse it with oil.

" What the ... "

Screams of surprise ... I hit them ... but that is not my goal ... within this mixture I hided a few thin tentacles, and a lot of oil ... Not enough fro them to slip over yet ... but now I can sense them ... and they are not moving ...

" Lag. "

The knight is screaming ... but the feels are not moving ... I know what they do on this situations ... so need to pull myself close to them faster ... Thin tentacles are attached to all of them, so I can move faster using Telekinesis.

" Whoa ... That slime is fast ... Why can't I log out ? "

" Same here ... must be some condition ... After activating the boss, you need to defeat it. "

" Not going to happen ... I can barely send text messages ... Maybe this is the famous Slime King ? "

" No ... this is another area ... And the Slime King doesn't ... Hahaha ... on us ... "

" True ... The forum says it's oil, glue, and acid ... this one is water ... "

They continue to talk, I increase my digestion, and embrace them all. Slowly at first, but now tighter ... I wonder ...

" All conditions met. Morph unlocked. "

Finally legs ... or something more tough than tentacles raised with telekinesis ... And my mana drain speed also increased ... Something is happening ... They are too big ... So even digesting them properly ... makes me gain mass. I'm growing ... And this time is not like with the water ... I'm really bigger ... More noise ... a lot of voices ... being big is not very useful ... Adventurers probably ... back to the water full speed ... I'm faster now ... While I was in the water, I was exploring with my thin tentacles ... and since I don't breath ... is time to dive ...

" Where is it ? "

" I also saw the news ... Search the area people. My guild will be the first to loot the new Slimes."

Adventurers ... a lot of them ... Better hide in this underground tunnel ... that continues ... An emergency escape ... The knight's armour is perfectly digested ... and can be used ... It's strange but now I can see on my mind a box with all things I ate ... and are not digested ... Some kind of magic pocket ... And I can move things from here ... to my body to digest them ... The problem of being a slime list that even using Morph ... a little attack reveals the disguise. But inside an armour ... That might work ... first leave this tunnel ... here ... empty ... no sound ... my oil feels walls around me, except in one direction ... it's a small chamber ... empty ... probably had a chest, and was looted.

According to my plan I have enough ... adventurer mass ... to do this. First the amour comes from my magic box, and falls on the ground ... Now the fun part ... fill the boots with my body ... use the tentacles to adjust the lower part ... and the rest for the upper part ... Slime vessel ready ...

The armour is too heavy, and to big ... Or I am too small ... this is not necessary ... and this also can go. An armour is not a single piece, but a mixture of several part ... This one is to prevent water from entering ... and this one is a defence agains piercing ... all useless for me, so return them to the magic box ... No one can see the difference, because they are all inner coverings ... Better ... lighter.

Now suing Morph ... first try ... I already have the shape made by the armour ... Slowly ... harden the external layer of my body ... so that I can move better ... Focus ... remember how they move ... feel the armour ... this part is more rigid, this part is less rigid ... so it bends here ... Human skin is tricky without know ing how it is, but inside this shell no one will notice it ... I tried to replicate my first elf ... But I don't have enough mass for those mountains yet.

My feet has no toes ... inside this metal boots they are not necessary ... But I see my problem, need to hunt more adventurers to know better how the body works. Now focus ... and suck all the rest inside ... Slowly ... It's working.

All residues of my slime body are moving inside ... so the armour will look the original colour ... but is not enough ...

" All conditions met. Scan unlocked. "

Scan ? Let me try it ... Oh ... it's like having millions of tentacles touching all, at the same time ... but can't use them for anything ... unless I use Telekinesis ... It's working ... That small rock is moving ... even if is out of the reach of my tentacles ... This is going to be interesting ... More sounds ... no not sounds ... is my scan working ...

" Hey, newbie. The Slime King escaped, we should all go back, before other guilds arrive. "

The voice sounded like it knows me ... but didn't gave me a name ... Adventurers normally call themselves by names. Newbie ... a degree under rookie perhaps ? But also an opportunity to join the crowd ... and follow them ... to the exit of the Dungeon ... They just gathered on a group, a few words from the Mage, and we are at the entrance ...

How do I know all this ? I'm not only absorbing their bodies ... but also their knowledge ... their speed, strength ... and maybe their skills ... Need to check that after ... Whoa ... what's this light ... and details ... Not so far like my scan , but I can receive some information using my ... eyes ... Better use all my information to shape properly my face. The idea to have a cloth on the face inside a dungeon works ... But no adventurers is using an helmet now ...

I need also to think about getting some kind of weapon ... All coming inside this building ... the Guild. And according to my absorbed memories I need to make ... quests ... to pass like one of them. Quests give gold, gold is used to buy weapons ... Life outside a Dungeon is not easy ... Here is the quest board ... But my purpose is to listen ... My slime senses, allow me to listen all ... and while I'm standing here still, I have an excuse to search ... there.

" No luck. The Slime King escaped ... Check the rookie there, already thinking in safe a few copper, since this mission was a failure. "

" I'm not recognising her ... New skin ... new armour ? "

" Still a newbie ... I bet it's from another server ... probably doesn't even speak our language. "

I came from another server ... a good excuse to not speak ... need to study better the way humanoids communicate. Maybe if I expand my scan, and focus on their mouths ... with a little of my looted memories ... While it's working, let me continue to listen more.

" It was the guild fault ... sending us on a quest without potions ... "

" Each one is responsible by personal items, you know that ... "

" I do ... maybe I should be like that Newbie ... that armour looks tough ... "

" Knight class probably ... Or some kid playing with a new account ... "

Newbie Knight ... another server ... Something is changing under my face, hidden by the plate armour, but I can feel it ... Maybe I can communicate with them soon. My scan shows that someone is looking at me ... a bow near, so is a Rogue ... Staring at a board too long is calling to much attention ... Slowly the symbols in front of me are making sense ... Absorbing memories, also unlocked the language ...

This one is asking help on the market, and this one is asking escorts for the chariot. This is enough ... move my hand slowly ... between the two ... pretending to compare the details ... This will let me stay here a little longer ... Ah this one sounds interesting ... End a monster ... Being payed to eat new flavours ... a slime's dream ...

But moving alone will be suspicious ... since I'm a Newbie ... So I grab the poster with the quest, turn around, and walk towards the Rogue that was watching me. Slow steps, but my scan already sensed the Rogue's hand on his dagger. Even inside a Guild they are not safe ... I wonder if this building has any reason to exist, besides being a place to gather quests ... The Rogue breaks the silence

" Can I help you?"

Not sure if I can speak, and using my new organs without training is tricky ... So I just lift the poster. They look to the poster, then to me. The universal sign of waving the head says all ... Refused ... But the others on the table look interested.

" What can you do, Newbie ? "

Another problem ... and don't even have a weapon ... But I have an armour ... I close my right fist, touch my chest, and fake a punch in the direction of the adventurer ... It was supposed to be a simple performance, but the jumpy Rogue lifts up and I have a dagger pointed at my throat ... the part that is visible ...

" Easy ... the Newbie is not hostile ... that punch didn't even reached half way ... A fighter inside an armour ... Too much comics, Newbie ? I'm progressive ... but that's a terrible idea ... "

_" Ignore that old man. Fighter Knight, sounds cool ... Power Ranger's style cool ... No weapon ? You sued all your coins on that ... I respect it ... Don't worry, we show you the ropes, and next month you reset your_ character ... I bet you are not mute ... you just mixed your settings ... I know ... It happened to me also. "

" How are you so sure ? "

" The quest poster is in English ... The kid can read, but can't speak ... or type ... mixed settings for sure. "

To much information ... but no context ... even my memories can't understand what they are saying ... Under all this, I'm a Slime monster ... so is normal I don't understand their ways ... They are getting up, exiting the guild, and making me a sign to follow them ... I guess they accepted ... but the Rogue is suspicious ...

_We all walk down the street, and due to my two companions we leave the town without me getting lost. Scan is interesting, but only shows the streets ... maybe after eating my new friends it can level up, and show more ... It would be amazing to enter a dungeon and know where all the tunnels go. _We all walk. For them is something normal, for me is a fantastic experience ... After a while they point to the entrance of the cave.

" We need to go there to hunt the beasts. "

The second elf whispers it to me, while almost cursing the first elf to move forward alone. She is asking to be ended. This makes no sense ... How can an experienced adventurer be so ... careless ... I see it ... She raised her level because of the party ... not by her merit ... and now wants to show that she is strong ...

The quests are all a show ... Now I'm sure ... They knew where are the beasts, and waited for me ... I bet if the Guild ordered, they can clean the whole board in fours days, or less ... but they don't do it ... they only call all for emergency quests ... like hunting the Slime King ... And while I keep thinking the Careless elf says her decision.

" One for me, the other is for you. I need to level up. "

An easy quest, she knows all the details ... and shoots a ... shiny arrow into the cave ... Magic ... I wonder if I eat her I can use it also ... And that might make the Rogue attack me, so that I have an excuse to eat him also ... She vanished, and appeared on the arrow landed ... Teleport arrow ... I need that skill ... And the other elf is using ... smoke ... a dark cloud wrapping around him, and he appears near her ... Both magic skills are good ... I wonder what is going to happen if I mix them ... Noises on the air ... and points blinking on my scan ...

Two pairs of eyes shine in the dark of the cave. She doesn't hesitate ... a volley of arrows fly towards them ... And he becomes ... invisible ... Not teleporting ... he's gone ... Can't see him using my eyes ... but my scan can track him. Wings flapping ... the cave is a huge chamber inside, and the beasts fly above us ... they look more like flying snakes, not dragons ... She is now sending Fire arrows ... and moving to not be an easy target.

She knows how to fight ... but not how to work on a team ... Ah ... when the flying snake comes down, the invisible elf uses his sword ... A smart idea ... useless if the snakes have some kind of long distance attack ... Just watching them a little, already know how to defeat them ... But they ignore one detail ...

It's clear on the poster ... on the end of it ... how many adventurers failed this quest ... And that makes no sense. " flying snakes can't hold against two serious adventurers ... and this list shows that they did. Here it is ... Fire arrows being shot against one Snake, she moves like before ... and is caught by the other snake ... coiling the body around her ... The beasts are not dumb ...

This makes the invisible Elf swings his sword against the Snake, to try to release the other member ,and gives the back to the other one ... and is now caught using the same way ... Flying Snakes think like snakes ... constrictive snakes ... under enough pressure air can't get in ... so they stop moving ...

Is time to release my thin tentacles ... slowly ... using telekinesis to not make any noise ... and connect ... the slow man drain begins ... And my scan searches the area ... a pile of items of all sorts, lays close. Loot from the fallen ... one tentacle goes close enough ... and it works ... All moved to my magic box.

And I'm spotted finally ... need to remember to loot only after hitting my targets ... A cloud comes from the mouth of the Guardian of the female elf ... towards me ... Poison ... Useless, against me ... Deploy looted sword from inventory into my almost human hands ... and the rest of my tentacles will keep the beasts still ...

The Snakes are caught by surprised, and sieged before knowing what is happening. They trust too much on distraction techniques, and have this strong poison has a hidden trick ... I have tentacles sucking their mana, other tentacles cooled around them, and from the top of my armour my body wraps them ...

While I wait for my tentacles coil them enough so that they can't breath, the same technique they used against the elves, I begin training how to use my new vocal organ ... it's not that hard ... after absorbing so many adventurers it is quite easy to articulate the words ... A song comes to my looted memory, and I begin to sing it ...

" Something bigger than a tale of fiction that no one knows. I will write another page that does not have a name ... I need to become more, and stronger ... Fly high. "

Can't eat them ... the Guild is going to check the bodies ... Or maybe not ... the beasts are dropping two stones ... I can sense that this is the source of their poison, but also a proof of ending the quest, or I can take the heads ... That can work ... and allow me to snack a little ...

With one simple swing, the head falls. I do the same for the other one ... My body gained more raw power fare ending the flying Snakes ... But there are no more survivors ... only the two elves ... And she is opening her eyes ...

"What happened?"

" Found sword. "

I say speaking with a mixture of the voices I ate ... the final result is almost melodious, and feminine.

" So you can talk now, huh?"

" Friend help settings, after battle. "

A simple answer, based on what they all told me ... and pretend to not master the language, to not talk too much. My intelligence is expanding after ending the Flying Snakes.

" You saved us, keep the loot. The quest missed details ... I'll talk to someone after."

We walk all together in silence, they still can't understand how I beat the beasts ... but after consuming their mana, that is no longer a problem, and I can give a demonstration if someone asks ... or leave them thinking I found a magic sword. We seat on the same table, and she is examining the poster, while complaining to the receptionist.

" What level are you ? "

She asks, followed by the receptionist's eyes ... and probably ears ... If I have some skills, is normal to assume that they also have something to help them ... But the receptionist's voice is heard.

" Forget it ... An adventurer is not **** to reveal their skills. I saw something like this before ... They look amateurs without a weapon, but after grabbing one they receive a boost. Something similar to Master of Weapons. "

" That is sooo broken ... but amateurs without weapons ... Disarm can end them ... a dangerous play ... After this minor situation, we have something bigger to take care. "

The female elf's eyes, meet the male ... that for some reason she told me that is not her lover, and he nods. So we all leave to receive our reward ... and ask proper clarifications. We walk towards a shop ... on a poor street ... We come closer to him, and she drops the heads from her inventory ... good to know that this skill can be used by others ... One less secret to hide ...

"Are those... ? You complete the quest ??? "

He pulls a small chest from behind the counter with all the gold promised. Magic bag, looks small but has a lot of gold coins inside ... Makes me think if the magic box they call inventory is just for adventurers ... She looks serious.

" This was money given by the guild ... This shopkeeper can't pay this much ... "

She turns to her party member that silently nods, and says.

" They were targeting us ... but destroying a guild has consequences ... "

All eyes are turned to me now ... Is time to make a decision ... From my memory I understand the problem. If the elves were killed, this will **** their clan to investigate, and after finding out what happened, they will declare war. And that's what the guild wants ... bigger quests payed by the Kingdom ... that's what a possible war offers ... On the end this world is simple ... it's all about the money always.__