- Shari -

 

So after everything's settled, we spend quite some time mining.
We set our camp in the former goblin settlement Liqu so thoroughly wiped out.
The corpses are gathered some distance away in a corner.

Hopefully, the underground air will delay their decay, but we had to make concessions since this is an efficient way to store some energy for Liqu.
Most of the time everyone who can is swinging a pickaxe.
Liqu points them to the best places and also helps sometimes by dissolving large parts of the wall.
This she can only do because of our corpse storage.
This way we find a good vein and are able to extract a generous amount of the wanted void stone.

Liqu had at one point to stop helping, as with the increased density even standing close to the stones was draining for her.
I noticed it myself and kept my distance from the discovered deposits.
However, I can compensate for my loss of energy by consuming the abundance of food we prepared as well as the woodpiercer corpses we brought along.
But I am not eating goblins!
Anyway, this is enough to keep me ready.

So Liqu and I are instead now mostly guarding the entrance.
But with the goblins gone, it is the most boring job one can imagine.
So I appreciate it if at one point we have filled three bags and just have a little more to go until we finally can return.
This amount should be enough to get most of the payment.
Chris is right now packing it up.

We agreed that Liqu and I would carry the provisions on the way back as the big bags are planned for the stones.
This much I had to grant them, as we already have almost no load and they're ought to haul heavy stones.

 

"Liqu! Here are our provisions. We have to stuff them in your bag." (Chris)

 

It's uncommon that Chris initiates an interaction with her on his own.
Liqu comes and starts to tug them in.
Chris looks disgusted that she touches them directly, even if they are mostly covered to isolate them.
Yet he turns around and again puts the stones inside the bag.

Suddenly he heaves the whole thing and hurls all of its contents at Liqu.
She manages to prevent all of the stones from hitting her core yet they still enter her body.

 

"What the hell are you doing there?" (Shari)

 

I rush directly to their side.

 

"Something I should have done much earlier!" (Chris)

"Are you crazy? You cannot just attack us! Liqu will..." (Shari)

"Liqu won't do anything! Do you think I haven't noticed how much these stones drain on you monsters? This amount should have heavily depleted her energy." (Chris)

 

I look back and see behind me that Liqu is barely able to keep herself together.
She can't even stand.

 

"I... I d-d-don't... Ssshhhhaaariii-glrshb." (Liqu)

 

Slowly she can separate a part of her mass from the slime mixed with the ore but it's only a shallow amount.

 

"Chris you... This is wrong!" (Myra)

"What is wrong with this? I'm eradicating a pest like it is our profession!" (Chris)

"But-but you would never betray someone like this. I barely recognize you!" (Myra)

"They aren't "someone"! They are monsters! Shall I wait until they finally decide to eat us? Or worse?" (Chris)

 

A concrete look at Myra.

 

"Chris, they already apologized, and at no point was there any indication that they would turn against us." (Jacob)

"Don't you dare talk to me! You've already lost all your credit for conspiring with those abominations! This thing is a killer! And I will end it for good!" (Chris)

 

Myra tries to hold him, but the muscular close combat fighter throws her back down with ease.
And this quite forcefully.

 

"Sorry Myra, but this I have to do. Jacob, should you intervene I will take you down!" (Chris)

 

Everything that now stands between him and Liqu... is me.

This isn't good!

I've never seen Liqu like this.
I doubt she is in any condition to defend herself.

If she just would make it back to the pile of corpses.
This should be more than enough to put her back in shape.
But she can barely move.
She does, but so slowly!

If this goes on she might really die!
I-I could get rid of her.
I would finally be free of the one who is responsible for all my misery but...

 

"I can't let you do this!" (Shari)

"Listen, little girl. Maybe you really got dragged into this. So if you vanish now and never be seen again I might find it in me not to hunt you down." (Chris)

"Liqu accompanied me... While everything is hard to bear I am not in for betrayal. My word is important to me, so abandoning someone I said I would take with me doesn't feel right. So... Sorry, but I won't allow you to kill her." (Shari)

"Tsk, solidarity between monsters! What a joke!" (Chris)

"See; If you now stop I can look over it. Even if you are a professional fighter I only need to hold you off until Liqu is ready! You wouldn't win!" (Shari)

"Then it is good that I have help. You seriously should be more cautious about who you are keeping with you!" (Chris)

 

Like this, Elin comes from the side and blocks the path between Liqu and the pile.

 

"Elin!?" (Shari)

"I am terribly sorry. But he made such nice promises. And this is the perfect opportunity to act. Isn't it?" (Elin)

 

That's terrible!
I cannot protect Liqu against two enemies coming from both sides and the others aren't going to intervene!

 

"You don't have to do this! I was seriously going to pay you! I can even increase the payment!" (Shari)

"Huh? I don't want this negligible sum. You know, when your companion pinned me down I really was terrified. Only thinking about what she could have done to me at this moment is giving me the creeps. It was pure horror!" (Elin)

"Could you please cut the banter and take this monster down?!" (Chris)

 

 

Liqu is at her mercy!

 

"And because of this, I think I won't do it!" (Elin)

"Huh!?" (everyone)

"What are you saying there? Kill this thing!!!" (Chris)

"This is, as long Liqu would do exactly that what she's best in. Causing a long and painful death! This isn't too much, right?" (Elin)

"You are talking about Cid! You want us to assassinate him!" (Shari)

"More precisely, I want Liqu to do it. You are working a little bit too clean for my taste. But he deserves a mess! And when I get your word this is enough for me. You are too honest to betray me." (Elin)

"You can't be serious!" (Chris)

 

Shit, shit, shit, shit!
I don't like Cid, but assassination?
Yet there is no way out here!
I don't want this!

 

"Deal!" (Shari)

 

Seems my crisis management took the choice for me.
Maybe even this stone that is embedded in my body.
Nonetheless, I made that decision and have now to live with that.
Elin does immediately give way, causing Chris completely to lose it.

 

"Raaahhhh! I will get rid of every last one of you!" (Chris)

 

He raises his sword, taking steps in my direction.
I on my side point my arm directly at him and let the dagger slide out.
Quite a move and the sudden emerging threat of a sharp weapon at least made him pause for a moment.

Okay, highspeed thinking!
The situation might look dire.
In close combat, I haven't even close to the same proficiency as Chris.
And in terms of weaponry, his longsword has a huge advantage over my dagger in this rather spacious cave.
Also, the small distance to the voidstone and the scattered pieces from before add to my disadvantage.

If Liqu would just regenerate a little faster!

But it isn't all bad.
While I have the problem that I have no strength to take even one of his swings, he needs to hit my core to do any damage.
But this one is hidden beneath my cloak.
Which makes it quite hard for him to be able to perform a decisive blow.
But even if things are like this I wouldn't want to kill Chris.
If we would've just left him alone this maybe could have been prevented.
In the end, Liqu's implications regarding Myra might've been the final drop that made him lose it.
So we are to blame as well.

However, I don't need to go as far as killing him.
All I need is one good stab.
If I get his sword arm he will become unable to fight any longer.
If I can pierce one of his legs he will be so much slowed that we can retreat without problems.
The same goes for his waist or shoulders.
I just need one injury which will end this fight.

The only problem is the chainmail-leather mix he is equipped with.
My strength is simply too limited to overcome this.
But over everything stands that time is on my side until Liqu is back in action.
Things could be worse.

I clear my head and pull the wig away.
For this, I will need every little bit of surveillance I can get.
The threat of my weapon already dissipated and Chris again starts to approach.

 

"Time to end this!" (Chris)

 

His voice got cold and he comes at me, ready to strike.

 

• Slime dash!

 

Yet before I am within his reach I throw myself behind and manage like this to get away.
The problem is that now the way to Liqu is free.
And he directly takes advantage of that, moving to her.
However, the retreat was part of my plan.
I rush at him with all the speed I can muster.
He readies for a downward strike, in an attempt to cover as much of my body as possible, to get rid of my cloak, and get free view on my core.
But this I already did for him.

 

• Slime dash!

 

Letting go of my cloak, which flies as a distraction further in his direction, I throw all my mass to the left.
Together with my initial momentum, this movement makes me swing a circular arc to his side.
Directly in his blind spot!

I push the blade forward and actually manage to strike his leg so that I draw blood.
Nonetheless, he is still going as he managed to draw it far enough away to avoid anything more severe.

Instead, his blade comes now full force at me.
Due to the pain and my position, he wasn't able to perfectly aim for my core.
I can sink it down to avoid the strike.
However, my body itself has completely to deal with the impact.
It's a distracting feeling to have a weapon rushing straight through me, but I can keep it together.

I won't let him strike again!
Instead, I cling to the sword and his arm, raise my weapon with a glob of slime away from my body, position the blade, and pull everything back.
Like this, I pierce his wrist as well as I can.

 

"Aaarrgh!" (Chris)

 

He let go of the sword!

 

I did it!
He won't be able to fight any longer!

 

"This isn't it. I WON'T LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!" (Chris)

 

Like a madman, he jumps at me.
His good hand extends out for my core.
With him already half-embedded I can only try to bring more mass in between to prevent him from reaching my core.

But he pushes forward.
Closer and closer his hand draws and I lack the ability to separate him from me.
Not even his head sinking in can hinder his approach.
Then he grabs.

My Core!!!

This grin on his face!

He's going to crush it!

He will kill me!

I don't want to die!

I don't want to die!

Leave it be!

Leave me alone!

AWAY WITH YOU!!!

 

"Zssscchhh"

 

A jolt runs through me.
A feeling unlike any else.
It needs a moment before I realize that it wasn't me, but him.
I only felt him within myself.

Chris' hand loses his grasp around my core and for a moment he twitches strangely.
I feel nerves firing, blood evaporating, and the structure of muscles and bones the moment they cease to be.
But in this mere moment of less than a few seconds, I forgot the most important, completely overwhelmed by this sensation.

He is dying!

I used dissolving with my full body.
With my full will!

One more twitch runs through me.

He's dead!

 

I know for certain that this was the last effort of his body.
I have just killed him!

I stopped it already but nothing could have helped him anymore.
Like this, the gruesomely mutilated body, I am just too well informed now about its condition, lowers to the ground.
And I kneel down, grabbing my head.
I just have killed.
Like this!

Too much is wrong here!
I cannot cope with this!

Already know about the stares I receive.
I would wish I could avert my gaze from Jacob and Myra, but I see them.
See their looks.

Elin shows some understanding.
And Liqu?
She is right now building herself up again with the corpses, but she stares as well.

 

How can I deal with this?
The simple answer is I can't!

Liqu has reshaped herself, but no one seems to be able to act in any way.

This oppression!
I need to get away here!

Without a clear goal in mind, I stand up and pull me out of this room.
Away from these stares.

They hurt!

But as soon as I can get away some distance I notice Liqu behind me.

I don't want to talk!

 

"Sh-Shari..." (Liqu)

"Listen! I don't want to hear it! I don't want you to tell me that this was the right choice! The best way to deal with this situation! That I was right! Or even that I am developing as a slime should! I don't want to hear it!!!" (Shari)

"You aren't." (Liqu)

 

What?!
What does she mean?
Isn't even this good enough?

 

"A slime would never decide based on others. A slime would have just abandoned me without regret. Hick! A slime wouldn't care for me! Hick, glrbsh! You saved me! I... I don't know!!! Sob! You are miserable because of something you did for me! I don't want you to be miserable! I want you happy! But why do I feel so joyful? I don't understand! I don't understand! I don't understand! Why is this so confusing?!" (Liqu)

 

It seems I am not the only one having a hard time dealing with this.

 

"I... I think I love you!" (Liqu)

 

Huh?
Where did that come from?

 

"W-well, I know you are kinda obsessed because I'm like you." (Shari)

"No! No! Not because you're like me! Because you're you! Because... because just being with you makes me glad. My... my life belongs to you! I have nothing else I can give, but please take it. Please! And never leave me!" (Liqu)

 

Uhhh, it couldn't have been a little less intense?

She is close to a breakdown and I don't know what emotional chaos is wreaking havoc there.
Just too much to have an overview.

Damnit!
Am I not the one who's miserable?

However, it isn't like I wouldn't know the right words.
And it isn't like there's anything to prevent me from saying them.

 

"Didn't I already say that I would take you? It's not like I'm going to break my word." (Shari)

 

I think she is close to a collapse.
And this is in so many ways disturbing.
I am quite finished myself and everything weighs so hard on me.

Then Liqu makes a step in my direction.
I don't really know what to do, but I also don't feel like harshly forcing her away.
And without further delay, I'm trapped in an embrace of hers.
Again with this disgusting flowing between our bodies.

Suddenly Liqu pushes forward and clamps in.
All I notice is how her core drifts inside.

 

• "I love you!" (Liqu)

 

It's indescribable!
A chaos of emotions in all variants.
Light, heavy, dark, and bright!
And in everything, just this one thought is found.

 

• "I love you!" (Liqu)
   
• "I love you!" (Liqu)
   
• "I love you!" (Liqu)
   
• "God! This is linking, right?" (Shari)
   
• "Sure!" (Liqu)
   
• "You're in my head!" (Shari)
   
• "Core!" (Liqu)
   
• "Don't come with specifics! How do I get out of here! I'm barely able to notice anything at all!" (Shari)
   
• "I'm feeling you and you me! What else should be important?" (Liqu)
   
• "Maybe what happens around us while we're here?" (Shari)
   
• "It's nothing bad!" (Liqu)
   
• "How would you know? We have no input!" (Shari)
   
• "Time's running slow. Barely at all! An eternity just for us!" (Liqu)
   
• "Liqu! Let me out here this instant, before I'm losing it!" (Shari)

 

Liqu, clearly perceivable has a strong amount of panic got mixed in, which I strangely feel as an emotion of mine.
And this while it was caused by me.

It's totally strange!

 

• "I love you!" (Liqu)

 

Slowly I feel how this state ends.
I notice an odd feeling shift and promptly my senses work again.
I find myself looking at Liqu.

 

The problem is I have to deal with some kind of aftermath.
It was like getting billions of "I love you’s" forcefully integrated into your consciousness.
To be honest, this was so intense that I feel something like a clear echo of Liqu's being.
And this is extremely disturbing in the way that I have my concerns if now anything of this slime will permanently linger inside me.
In my...

God! This slime!

 

"Did you just... imprint on me?" (Shari)

"Maybe. And you on me." (Liqu)

"You... You cannot just do this! Even if you're completely through, and don't know what to do, and... Is this the result? Am I getting understanding?" (Shari)

"Don't know. Never had this." (Liqu)

"Sure, you never had the chance to do this with someone who is like you and... How do I know this? Liqu!!!" (Shari)

"I guess the linking? It might give each of us a better idea of the other, adapt the motives and make us see their perspective." (Liqu)

 

Urgh, that means my mind is now partly inhabited by the imprint of this crazy sociopathic killer!
And who knows how many memories I've got now!

 

There are at least vivid pictures in my mind that otherwise won't make sense.
I was never hiding in a bush from adventurers.
And most of them I first have to figure out with common sense in hindsight.
God, why did you watch these people while they...
Wait! This means...

 

"Do-do you have my memories as well?" (Shari)

"Just some. Your parents seem nice. I think I understand now." (Liqu)

 

Okay, fine.
She couldn't know this would happen.

 

Wait! Don't fall for this and be sympathetic!

At least it is less occupation and more like rubbing off on me.
For example, as it happens with a partner you were together with for years.
You simply make concessions and take over some quirks.
As unwilling as I am in this regard.
I can still distinguish and don't notice any change in my morals or general opinions.

But hell Liqu!
This isn't how you're treating a trauma!