Mountains emphasizing their size in the distance, the singing of birds riding against the wind and a running blonde traveler with a floating puffball can be heard through the echoing of the footsteps in a dungeon.
"WHY THE HELL ARE THERE BIRDS HERE?!" The traveler shouted confused.
"THROUGH ALL THE DUNGEONS I EXPERIENCED IT HAS TO BE THIS ONE WITH BIR-" The sentence was abruptly stopped as a horde of large monsters double the size of the traveler and as wide as a fence of the backyard of a house is seen wearing masks attuned with power and axes as sharp as a stone can get.
"Uhhhhhhhhh... Paimon can give you guys berries if you all want?" The fluff ball's last effort to save their selves from the horde.
Although before we continue, we need to see what happened beforehand!
The traveler and Paimon accepted the request of trying to find an ingredient for Sara other than the already exceeding amount of wolfhooks. Albeit not important for the dish and optional, the pair still went for it. What were they trying to find? A special hydro slime found near one of the dungeons present in Mondstadt.
A hydro slime may be common for the travelers yet this special hydro slime, hence the name, is special because of its natural causes. A hydro slime can turn into a cryo slime when exposed to freezing temperatures or when they survive the frozen elemental reaction and turn into cryo thereafter.
When a hydro slime is turning frozen there is a brief moment in which the cold can be interrupted by some sort of an ingredient or material wherein it makes the hydro slime half frozen half liquid. Although the frozen half will decay, the core of the slime itself will absorb the frozen part because of its natural instinct and thus having a frozen core with a liquid body in which not only makes the slime instantly powerful by not needing to set up elemental reactions to freeze someone it also amplifies their durability.
Good Head canon science there eh?
What happens to its taste though? Well, it is mostly about the texture and not the taste. Slimes are squishy but not durable enough to be jelly thus needing professional chefs like a certain girl in Liyue to make the slime material to be jelly by using a freezing process that must be maintained to a specific temperature for the designated time. Sara is not one of those professional chefs.
In simple terms Jelly.
ALRIGHT BACK TO TRAVELER AND PAIMON
"Paimon is wondering if you are sure we can find one by the end of the day?" Paimon asked the traveler.
The traveler nodded, "Trust me Paimon! I have seen one of this when we were traveling to Liyue which would mean the slime is found in the borders of both Liyue and Mondstadt!"
"Ooh! Very smart guess!" Paimon answered nonchalantly.
"A guess? Oh, come on! I calculated that with my brain."
"Ok... ok! Paimon believes you!"
After the two talked for what seemed non-100-year-old and plus creatures deem to be ages they finally saw one, just between two mountains and in front of a cavern coincidentally they started to plan their strategy.
"Alright, Paimon before we go ahead, let's think of a strategy to catch the slim- and she already is throwing rocks."
"Take that! Take that you slime!" Paimon picked up rocks some sharp some curvier than others and threw it on the slime having no effect on it. The slime was momentarily confused and realized her intentions very quickly leading the slime preparing to attack by jumping.
"Dammit, we only did stealth missions like 5 times. I wanted this to be another one." Traveler sighed in disdain as the traveler began to prepare to attack and revealed his Dull Blade the slime saw what the traveler was doing and instead of preparing to attack it retreated.
"YEA, BE SCARED OF PAIMON. THE BEST SLIME DESTROYER OF ALL TIME!!" The fluffball cheered for herself meanwhile the traveler only sighed by the retreat of the slime contemplating whether to chase for it or just give up altogether.
"Paimon... we needed to kill the slime."
Paimon, realizing their situation now only uttered one apology "Uhhhh.... I'm sorry, I forgot we needed to capture it."
"It's okay..." The traveler and Paimon of course being two best buds, the traveler forgives Paimon and wonders what they should do now, As the night slowly creeps in, and torches light up from the camps of monsters nearby the two of them the traveler only had one decision.
"We'll go after it; we can't go back with a failed quest from Sara anyway. We still need that sweet madame and who knows maybe she will give us a bonus!" Traveler regained his own spirit and his fluffball's spirit.
"More Food!"
