IFBTDC 08

#8

“It’s a slime?! And a huge one at that…?!”

[<System> Quest Generated! ‘Tame the Forest Monster.’]

-Reward: Lucky Gacha Ticket (Random)
-Upon Failure: Aqua Mystica becomes an ordinary watering can.

I despaired at the system window that appeared.

It was already suspicious, but it’ll really become an ordinary watering can?

This crazy game!

Swoosh, squelch!

The Great Slime made a sharp sound as if angry, then soon began emitting a sinister aura while wobbling its giant, pink pudding-like body. The air grew stiflingly thick, making it hard to breathe.

Wait, aren’t smile supposed to be the most basic monsters found in beginner hunting grounds…?

But the colossal Great Slime before me shattered that stereotype.

Just how am I supposed to tame this thing… System, answer me!

“Krrrr……”

Even Ruby, who had been still, seemed to feel threatened by the Great Slime’s presence, bristling its fur and beginning to tense up.

“My… child… don’t touch… human! I won’t let it go!!”

‘Child…?’

Wait… Could it be this little slime’s parent?

I looked at the small slime beside the golem.

A fragile, tiny slime next to an imposing, massive golem…

To anyone seeing this…

“Right. Now. Stay away. Bad. Monster. And, human!”

It seemed the Great Slime had also seriously misunderstood the situation.

Wait, since I can communicate with monsters, couldn’t I clear up the misunderstanding through conversation?

Of course, it looks incredibly angry and seems ready to crush us at any moment…

But it might actually be a kind monster like the golem, right?

Equipping my face with a harmless smile, I spoke to the slime in a gentle tone.

“Excuse me, ahem. Mr. Great Slime? I’m not harming your child. In fact, I think it’s cu—”

“Human, bad!”

My excuse was dismissed within three seconds.

If anything, its intent to pulverize us seemed to intensify.

“Huff, huff.”

Agitated by my clumsy attempt at conversation, the Great Slime began wildly attacking the area around the garden with rough breaths.

Squelch!

As the slime shook its body and spewed a mucous fluid, everything the liquid touched began to corrode.

Crazy, it must be acidic mucus. At this rate, the garden!

“Miss, step back. It’s dangerous! I’ll handle this…!”
“No, you step back, Mr. Golem.”

I pressed down my voice and stopped Mr. Golem with a hand.

“Huh? B-but…”
“Mr. Golem, go to the back and protect the garden. We can’t let that Great Slime ruin the precious garden you’ve so diligently cared for, right?”

After putting on a show of being cool, I began slowly approaching the rampaging Great Slime.

Me, Kang Ha-neul. Formerly, the top zookeeper of Eco Land.

Me, Zoe Blanche. Currently, the top Beast Tamer.

I have a duty to tame the naughty ones!

“Ruby, first, hit it with something to snap it out of it!”
“Kyuuuu!”

Ruby answered vigorously, opened its mouth wide, and flames shot out from within.

Swoosh

The flames cut through the air and struck the Great Slime’s gelatinous torso precisely.

As fire bloomed on the Great Slime’s body and parts of its surface began to melt, its movements finally halted.

“H-hot!”

I gave Ruby a thumbs-up.

Our brave magical beast dog, Ruby!

Now, it was my turn next.

Protagonists are supposed to appear last and take the final hit!

Just as I was about to raise my hand high into the sky to activate my game-breaking skill, ‘Beast Taming’…

“Won’t… forgive… can’t forgive…!”

Provoked by Ruby’s attack, the Great Slime began rolling towards me at high speed.

‘Oh crap, if I get caught in that, I’ll at least be crushed to death!’

Roll roll roll-

At that desperate moment of impending death, the golem’s massive shadow crossed in front of me, and it soon stretched out its sturdy arms to forcefully grab the rolling Great Slime.

“Ah, Miss. Ev, evade, quickly, Ugh!”
Cheeeeeek-

Because it tightly gripped the slime, which was wildly spewing acidic mucus in its excited state, the golem’s hand began to corrode.

Ugh, that’s for real!

“Skill, Beast Taming!”

[<System> To use the Beast Taming skill, a weapon compatible with the skill is required.]

“What? You never said that! Ugh, at a time like this!”

Ah, I have this, right?

I picked up the Aqua Mystica that was rolling on the ground in the chaos.

“Th-this, I choose you!”

[<System> Will you equip ‘Aqua Mystica’ as a weapon?] [ YES ] [ NO ]

I immediately spammed YES.

[‘Aqua Mystica’ has been equipped as a weapon. Please confirm the skill activation phrase.]

Hurry, hurry, let’s see, the skill activation phrase is…!

“Temptation!”

The moment I shouted the activation phrase, rose-thorny vines shot out from the Aqua Mystica along with a lightning-like flash.

Slurp slurp

The sharp thorny vines stretched their stems towards the Great Slime as if dancing in the air, beginning to tightly bind the rampaging slime’s body.

“Koooow!”

Soon, as the thorny vines perfectly enveloped the violently resisting Great Slime, crimson roses bloomed fully from the thorns, and a rich floral scent spread profusely through the air.

‘Huh… Is this heaven…?’

It was an incredibly alluring scent that even swept me, the caster, into a moment of rapturous feeling.

Having taken that scent head-on, the Great Slime’s eyes gradually softened, and simultaneously, the sinister dark-red aura swirling on its body was completely absorbed into the body of the Aqua Mystica I held.

“……It had this ability?”

A beautiful pinkish halo bloomed on the sparkling body of the Aqua Mystica.

As the rose petals completely enveloped the slime’s body and then fell away, the vines vanished without a trace, and the Great Slime became docile as if nothing had happened.

[<System> Taming successful! ‘Great Slime’ will now obey your commands.]
-Tamed monsters are automatically registered in the player’s Monster Encyclopedia.

[<System> Quest ‘Tame the Forest Monster’ completed!]
-Reward: Lucky Gacha Ticket (Random)
-Strength +10, Agility +10

“…That was sick.”

With a short exclamation, I tightly hugged the Aqua Mystica with both arms. Very tightly.

‘…I won’t call you a watering can anymore. Long live the legendary weapon.’

“Miss, are you alright?”
“Kyuuuu!”

Looking at the Golem and Ruby running towards me, I flashed a victorious smile.

“Be careful going back, you two!”
“Yes-! Goodbye!”

After sending the pink slime mother and daughter back to their habitat, I gestured to the Golem.

“Mr. Golem, can you come closer for a moment?”
“Huh, y-yes?”
“Item Window!”

Taking out the ‘Healing Handkerchief’ from the item window and rubbing it briskly, the Golem’s hand was perfectly healed.

‘Wow, the effect is killer… There’s a cool down, but the effect is definite, huh?’

Marveling, I put the handkerchief back into the item window.

“……You healed a monster like me, protected the garden… I don’t know how to thank you…”
“Ah, it’s fine. Neighbors help each other out. You saved me earlier too, Mr. Golem, and told me about the spring water location.”
“Still… If there’s anything you want, I’ll do my absolute best to grant it!”
“Well, if you insist…”

“Yes! Please tell me!”

I looked into the Golem’s sparkling red eyes.

……It seems like it would even pluck stars from the sky if I asked.

Ah, no, being that tall, it might actually be possible.

“Then, call me Zoe from now on. That’s my name.”
“Huh? Th-that… Would it be proper for me to dare address the young lady by her name…”
“Of course. We’re friends now, right?”
“F-friends… Understood, Joe…”

The Golem wore an expression of being deeply moved.

To be that happy… I feel kind of sorry…

As I was once again reflecting on my own narrow-minded judgment, the system sounded a fanfare.

[<System> Congratulations! You have tamed a monster.]
-Tamed monsters are automatically registered in the player’s Monster Encyclopedia.
-Reward: Title, ‘Friend of Monsters’
※ The holder of this title can easily build bonds with monsters and maintain friendly relations with them.

Having tamed the Great Slime and now the Golem as well.

It meant that I, Zoe Blanche, was not far from becoming an excellent Beast Tamer.