In Teyvat, Elemental Slimes are not rare. You can find them all over the world. But don't let their cute looks fool you into letting your guard down.
Sometimes, a beautiful or adorable appearance hides danger. Even a small slime can kill you.
Their charges and elemental abilities are quite threatening, especially the large ones. Those are much harder to deal with.
In the Adventurers' Guild, newcomers often say, "If you can't even handle a slime, how can you ever be a good adventurer?"
Anyone can talk. You only realize how tough they are when you actually face them.
Keep in mind, these seemingly harmless slimes are only dangerous to new adventurers and ordinary people.
For experienced adventurers and soldiers, slimes are just warm-ups.
With the right tools and weapons, taking down a slime becomes child's play.
Right now, near Whispering Woods, two small Hydro Slimes had their eyes on two young women who were busy cuddling.
---
Meanwhile
Sensing danger, Noelle gently pushed Bonanus away. She frowned slightly and pulled her greatsword from the back of her explorer's pack.
"Sister, watch out. Danger." Noelle eyed the two slimes warily, scanning the surroundings for any signs of an ambush.
Never underestimate these creatures. Sometimes they can be quite clever. And besides being smart, slimes can also be used by unsavory people as bait.
That meant the two slimes in front of them might just be decoys. The real danger could be on either side.
But no matter how she looked, the area was completely quiet. No rustling grass. No slimes bouncing.
"Oh! Slimes!" Bonanus looked up. She had seen slimes before. Liyue had plenty of them too.
Most slimes in Liyue were Geo Slimes.
Those were heavy and hard, black on the bottom and white on top. Not cute at all. Some even had moss growing on their heads. Bonanus didn't like them, no matter what others thought.
Of course, there were other elemental slimes besides Geo Slimes. But those usually got hunted and turned into ingredients.
Slime condensate, which looks like jelly, is a delicious ingredient for some people. If you want to try quality slime dishes, head to Wanmin Restaurant in Liyue Harbor and ask for Xiangling.
"Sister, be careful. This could be a trap. There have been many cases where Treasure Hoarders used slimes as bait to ambush people."
"Some new adventurers fell for it and weren't rescued for weeks."
Noelle held her arm out to protect Bonanus. The trainee knight took every battle seriously. A true knight never underestimates any enemy.
"Don't be so tense. They're just two slimes." Bonanus tilted her head, confused by Noelle's behavior.
Weren't these just the slimes from the newbie quest? Why so cautious? Besides, these were small slimes. Cute and clueless looking.
Back in Liyue, while hunting monsters, Bonanus had once wanted to catch a slime as a pet. Girls had no resistance to cute, squishy things.
But slimes were too slippery and restless. They would also spray you with unknown fluid when you weren't paying attention.
The Millelith wouldn't allow such creatures inside Liyue Harbor. So she had to kill them instead. What a pity.
"Sister, tensions are high in Mondstadt right now. The Knights are all too busy to spare any time. Some bad people always take advantage of situations like this to cause trouble."
"No matter what, I won't let my guard down. I can't let you get hurt..." Noelle spoke seriously. Those Treasure Hoarders always gave the Knights headaches.
Bonanus rubbed her chin. As an adeptus, her senses were sharp. If there were enemies nearby, she would have noticed.
Looks like Noelle is just being overly cautious. But that isn't a bad thing. Staying alert in dangerous situations is the right thing to do.
She wasn't planning to fight anyway. She would just stand there and watch.
Just as she thought that, the two slimes finally jumped at them. They charged, ready to land a massive headbutt.
Smack!
In an instant, Noelle smacked both slimes away. Quick and clean.
Thud!
The slimes slammed into a nearby tree, their jelly-like bodies splattering everywhere.
That's it? I got my popcorn ready, and this is what you show me?
Question marks filled Bonanus's mind. The atmosphere had been so tense, and Noelle ended it with one hit.
She couldn't hold it together.
But seeing Noelle still on high alert, Bonanus patted her own forehead. There's nothing else here. Relax a little.
Maybe Noelle rarely got escort missions, so she was extra nervous. She didn't want her friend to get hurt.
Bonanus shook her head, stepped in front of Noelle, grabbed her hand, and ran forward.
As they ran, she said:
"If there are enemies, let's just run!"
Noelle was stunned. You can't let your guard down! Just as she was about to object, she caught a glimpse of Bonanus's smile.
For some reason, Noelle, who always wanted to protect others, felt a sense of ease and safety with this new friend.
But Sister Fashui couldn't fight! Noelle matched Bonanus's pace, running through the gentle wind, stepping over fallen logs, and over her own tension.
Most people in Mondstadt thought Noelle was invincible. Tireless. The person to call when trouble struck.
Come to think of it, when was the last time she had felt like this? This relaxed. This comfortable trusting someone else.
Running freely in the cool breeze, this didn't feel like training or a mission or work. It felt like playing.
Yes. It had been a long time since she last rested. She didn't dare rest because she was chasing her dream. This was a rare moment of relaxation.
---
Some time later
Thanks to that carefree run, they quickly crossed Whispering Woods. Another group of slimes noticed them along the way.
They ignored them, leaving the slimes far behind. It was actually pretty fun.
But someone was struggling. That someone was Bonanus. She was supposed to be recovering. Her injuries weren't fully healed, yet she was doing intense exercise.
Good thing she was an adeptus. If she were an ordinary person, her wounds might have burst open.
"Huff, huff, huff... I'm exhausted. My chest feels a little tight..." Bonanus sat on a flat rock, clutching her chest as she gasped for air.
"Sister Fashui, are you alright?" Noelle gently rubbed Bonanus's back, worried. Sister's body was so weak. I should have been more thoughtful.
She pulled out a water pouch from her explorer's pack and handed it to Bonanus, hoping some water would help her feel better.
Bonanus gave her a grateful look, took the leather water pouch, and gulped down the water without hesitation.
There was still a long way to go.