Lohan rolled alongside Lisa to the entrance of the Guild.
Since they were going to meet a friend of hers from the real world, just as they had when they met Alice, he didn’t climb onto the fox’s back.
As they descended the spirals of the fossilized tree, Lohan noticed that Pip was in a combat stance, as if facing a formidable enemy, and surprisingly, showing no fear at all.
"Leaders, Pip is sensing a vibration coming from that direction, perhaps enemies have found our base and are planning an attack!" Pip said in a serious voice, truly ready to dash toward the commotion.
Lohan felt the vibration and realized it was a group of six people, just like Alice’s group.
"Don’t worry, Pip. Actually, these are new members who will be joining us in the Guild," Lohan said in a calm, gentle voice, putting the little guard at ease.
Pip didn’t want to show relief, but Lohan noticed the subtle details in his facial expression and posture that revealed what he was feeling.
Within seconds, he spotted the approaching group.
In the center, leading the way with an extremely confident posture, was a boy who made Lohan freeze for a second.
Dylan was very handsome.
He had delicate, aristocratic features, with large red eyes and hair that looked like strands of black silk.
His expression wasn’t that of a rough warrior, but of a noble prince who had gotten lost in the middle of the forest.
Lohan was impressed; even as a straight man, he could admit he was standing before a truly handsome man.
’Maybe he’s just 5% below my current real-world beauty.’ Lohan thought, mentally convincing himself.
He also considered himself handsome; the difference was that it was a bit difficult to compare his appearance to Dylan’s since they had developed in different directions.
While Dylan looked like a fragile, delicate, and beautiful porcelain vase, Lohan was developing in a more masculine direction, with defined muscles and a refined, angular face.
Putting the two side by side, it would be hard to say which one was better.
[Dylan Visual Representation Here and on Discord.gg/NunuXD]
Behind Dylan, five men walked in perfect tactical formation. Lohan immediately realized they weren’t ordinary players. The way they looked around, scanning the treetops and rocky crevices, indicated they were professional soldiers, veteran scouts hired by Dylan’s family, just like the soldiers Alice had brought.
Just like when Alice arrived, they were all Level 11.
However, one detail caught Lohan’s attention. One of the soldiers, a tall, burly man with a scar on his cheek, was walking very close to Dylan. Too close...
Lohan felt the tension rise. ’Great, besides the poster boy, he has a loyal bodyguard who’ll probably hate me just for existing,’ thought the Slime, bracing himself for a difficult diplomatic interaction.
Lisa stopped in front of the group and Dylan flashed a radiant smile.
"Bella! My God, look at this place!" Dylan exclaimed.
But the moment he opened his mouth, all of Lohan’s inner tension evaporated instantly. Dylan’s voice was melodious, yet laden with delicate tones and gestures... extremely delicate.
He moved his hands in a very effeminate way, gesturing toward the tree painted by Elle as if he were analyzing a luxury art gallery.
However, as soon as Lisa stopped in front of them, Dylan’s "untouchable young master" aura dissolved into sheer enthusiasm.
"Girl, I just loved the decor!" Dylan exclaimed, gesturing with his slender, well-manicured hands toward the roots Elle had just revitalized. "Those mana flowers match your color palette perfectly! And who’s this cute little blue guy here on the ground?"
Dylan leaned in, bringing his face close to Lohan’s spherical body. There wasn’t a trace of the arrogance or disdain Lohan had expected from Lisa’s best friend. On the contrary, there was a sweet, genuine curiosity.
The burly soldier took a step forward, instinctively tensing his muscles at the sight of Dylan getting so close to an unknown monster.
He placed his hand lightly on Dylan’s shoulder, in a protective gesture that exuded an almost servile devotion. Dylan, however, merely gave the man’s hand a distracted pat, without taking his eyes off Lohan.
"Calm down, Brutus," Dylan said, chuckling softly, not the least bit worried.
Lohan, processing the situation in milliseconds through his independent mental pathways, felt the tension in his core evaporate.
From the way Dylan was acting, and the way even the soldiers looked at him, it was clear that instead of the image of the strong, warrior-like Leader he’d expected to find, Dylan was closer to the mental image he had of a Femboy!!
Feeling suddenly light and in high spirits, Lohan decided to break the ice.
He molded a small human hand out of his blue gelatin and gave a polite salute, feeling Lisa’s mental link connecting them.
"Hello, Dylan. I’m Halon, the Guild’s Vice President. Lisa has spoken very highly of you." Lohan transmitted through the mental link, using a tone that deliberately contrasted with his cute appearance, sounding mature and focused.
Dylan let out a little squeal of surprise, his eyes sparkling. "He talks! And he has such a... charming voice! Bella, you really know how to pick ’em... he’s a gem!"
Lisa laughed, and Lohan noticed that the stiffness she had shown before had vanished. She seemed relieved that Lohan had accepted Dylan so well.
"Dylan, this is Halon. He’s the brains and brawn that keeps this guild running. Without his strategies and versatility, we’d still be fighting minor forest monsters." Lisa introduced him proudly, wagging her white tails.
Dylan looked at his soldiers and then back at the Slime. He ignored the protective and slightly jealous gaze of his burly bodyguard, focusing entirely on the base’s logistics.
"When I found out that the game’s First PK was part of our Guild... honey, the global forum can’t stop talking about you! My boys here were scared to death of encountering a psychopathic monster, but you look... well, you look like someone I’d love to have on my Syn feed!"
Hearing confirmation that the Halon they had admired and idolized before coming to the Open World was actually this little blue Slime, the shock on the faces of the soldiers behind Dylan was priceless!
Seeing their reaction, Lohan laughed amusedly, wondering what image they had of him.
Looking at Dylan’s red eyes, at how he was naturally avoiding the sunlight, and at the two sharp fangs in his mouth as he spoke, Lohan was surprised to wonder what his Race was.
But putting that aside for now, he steered the conversation.
"Welcome to Astralis Requiem," Lohan said, pointing toward the interior of the tree. "I hope that, just like us, you’ll see this place as your new home, and don’t worry, even though we don’t have a welcome party, we have perks that are even better!"
As the group entered, Lohan noticed the burly soldier shoot him a warning glance, stiffening slightly after Dylan’s compliments about his voice.
Lohan simply "winked" one of his artificial eyes at the man.
This was the first time he had ever been in a situation like this, and since he didn’t know Dylan or those soldiers very well, he decided to put it aside for now.