Running up to Lohan, the girl bent down and picked up the Slime, smiling as she searched her magic cloak pocket for something.
Lohan watched the situation with interest.
If before he felt that the girl could be a good bridge between him and a possible civilization, now he felt that she was essential to his development.
If it weren’t for the [Ice Spike] he learned from the Mana Stone she gave him, he would most likely have died fighting that Goblin.
’Damn, I’ve been playing for a week and I’m still weaker than a Lv 1 Monster! No wonder no Guild believed me when I said my Race was Mythical, even though I’m a Slime...’ Lohan thought frustratedly.
Suddenly, Aeliana found what she was looking for and stood up to show it to Lohan with pride.
"Look, my little friend, look how beautiful this Mana Stone is!" Aeliana said with a huge smile on her face as she brought the stone closer to Lohan so he could see it better.
Lohan didn’t even need her to bring it that close; with his enhanced vision, he could see the Mana Stone perfectly, and from what he could see, this stone seemed to be of a higher grade than the stones she had given him before?
Curious, Lohan even activated [Chemosensory Aptitude] to understand it better, but that was a terrible idea.
As soon as the skill was activated, the best smell he had ever smelled in his life invaded his consciousness, almost like cocaine, and instantly energized his mind.
Shocked, Lohan looked at the stone in the Elf’s hand and tried to understand it better.
’From the Goblin’s memories, the smell I’m sensing is several times better than the smell he sensed from me...’
Approaching the Mana Stone, Lohan tried to extend a tentacle to grab it, only for Aeliana to push the stone away, like a child playing with a small animal.
Despite being tempted by the scent, Lohan felt a bitter taste that did not come from the stone. The girl’s playfulness acted like a bucket of cold water on him, like the dynamic of an owner with his dog, and at that moment he was the dog.
Even though it could greatly benefit him, his pride was hurt by this action.
’I already had a shitty life in the first world, in the second world I’m part of the lowest social class, and now in Elysium I’m also going to become just someone else’s pet? Do I really need to submit to these things just for power? Wasn’t this game supposed to be fun for a hero’s journey like everyone else?’
Disappointed, Lohan deactivated [Chemosensory Aptitude] so he wouldn’t be so tempted by that Mana Stone, and [Selective Viscosity] to slip out of the girl’s arm, much to her surprise.
Although he knew it was a foolish idea, that he would reap a great benefit just by pretending to be a dog for a few seconds, Lohan had his pride and did not intend to submit himself like that to please someone’s ego in exchange for a few handouts.
Upon reaching the ground, Lohan turned and began to roll away, not bothering to stay any longer.
Even the fox, who had been watching all this in silence, raised an eyebrow in astonishment, surprised by Slime’s resolute attitude.
Aeliana was the only one lost in that situation, not understanding what had happened.
Walking up to Lohan in confusion, she bent down and spoke to him.
"Little friend...? Did I... did I do something wrong?" she asked, her voice faltering. The euphoria of before was gone, replaced by an expression of someone who had just realized they had unintentionally hurt a friend. "I just wanted to see you happy with the gift... if you want, I’ll get another one, but don’t treat me like a stranger."
Seeing her sadness, still not understanding why he had acted that way, Lohan also felt guilty.
Analyzing the situation from the Elf’s perspective, Lohan really did seem like a pet slightly more intelligent than a cat, but he also didn’t know how to explain the situation and resolve it.
’Damn it, Lohan... look what you’re doing. She’s an elf, she’s probably lived for decades or centuries dealing with cute creatures in the forest that are actually considered pets, and I’m here expecting her to treat me with human ethics and social etiquette even though I’ve never given her any reason to?
Lohan turned slowly.
Aeliana was still crouched down, the high-quality Mana Stone shining between her fingers, but the sparkle of excitement in her eyes had been replaced by a haze of guilt.
Lohan knew that rolling away would only make him look even more like a "temperamental pet."
He needed to refresh her memory, to show her that he wasn’t just an irrational Pet, but someone truly conscious and thinking, with enough intelligence to be treated as an equal.
Focusing on his [Structural Stability Lv 8], Lohan felt the mass of his body vibrate.
Unlike the first time, when forming that baby hand seemed like a Herculean effort that almost made him faint, now he had more control. The bluish gelatin condensed on top of him, stretching with a firmness he didn’t have days ago.
Aeliana’s eyes widened when she saw the Slime change. She remembered their last encounters where her "little friend" controlled its own body to form a hand to interact and talk with her.
Lohan forced the mass to divide into five thin extensions, creating a central palm, and then articulating what appeared to be fingers. In a few seconds, a small hand, the size of a baby’s, but perfectly formed and translucent, emerged from the top of the Slime.
The hand Lohan formed was more shaky than the first time, with well-defined fingers that opened in a clear "Stop" sign.
Lohan didn’t stop there. He used the little hand to point first at the Mana Stone in her hand and then made a horizontal gesture, as if "cutting" the air... a clear sign of disapproval for the game of hiding the stone.
The silence in the clearing became heavy.
Aeliana froze, her hand holding the stone paralyzed in midair. She looked at the small gelatinous hand, then at Lohan’s glowing core, and finally it dawned on her.
"You... you didn’t find it funny, did you?" she whispered, her voice losing its childish tone.
"You were offended because I treated you like... like I treat animals."
Lohan kept his hand raised for a few more seconds, making sure the point was delivered. Then he relaxed his form, letting his fingers ’melt’ back into his spherical body, but remained upright, "staring" directly at her.
The elf sighed deeply, dropping her playful stance and placing the Mana Stone gently on the ground, right in front of Lohan. She didn’t try to pick it up again. Instead, she sat down on the grass, crossing her legs respectfully, staying at the same eye level as him.
"I’m sorry, little friend," she said, giving a sad but sincere smile. "I’m really sorry. I got more excited than I should have when dealing with you... I was so excited about your return, and you took longer than the day before, so when you appeared I was so euphoric that I embarrassed myself."
"This is a stone from a Level 11 Weaver Spider..." She pushed the stone closer to him, her fingers trembling slightly. "I took it secretly from my master’s warehouse... I could be expelled for this, but I thought you deserved the best to grow strong."
Lohan looked at the stone and then at the girl who had risked herself for a creature that had just given her the cold shoulder. The pride that had seemed so important seconds ago now seemed like selfishness.
’She risked herself for me... and I treated the only person who cared about me like an enemy because of a whim of ego. Is being isolated from human interaction for so long taking away my humanity?"
///NunuNote///
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