Lohan could digest or isolate poisons within himself very easily, but according to old Gribbit’s description, this Slug’s poison seemed very powerful, perhaps even a few levels more powerful than the Digestive Acid of the Shadow Serpents.
And that raised a question.
"Should I try to digest this? If something goes wrong, I’ll be very vulnerable here and will only become a burden if an enemy appears... but if I can’t digest this, how are we supposed to get it back to Thalendor?" He wondered, a little confused.
"Do you know of any safe way to remove the slug, or the poison from this puddle, Gribbit?" Lohan asked.
Gribbit looked at the puddle with them, and brought a wrinkled hand to his chin, also pondering what to do. "Normally we drain the water from this puddle using branches, causing the poison to dilute with the nearby water, and without the water, the slug is exposed, making it easier to collect, but even without the water, the slug can still expel liquid poison, making the capture process very difficult."
Lohan processed Gribbit’s words carefully.
Although the [Digestive Filter] was powerful, he couldn’t afford to make a miscalculation now. If that poison could really weaken a Level 7 Bear, a Level 4 Slime like him could have his [Magic Core]compromised before he even finished absorbing it.
He needed to conduct tests first.
"Lisa, let’s not risk direct contact yet." Lohan spoke through the mental link. "Let’s follow his method. If I force the digestion of something so saturated, I may be too slow to react to any unforeseen circumstances..."
Lisa nodded, keeping a safe distance from the yellowish edge. "Gribbit, show us how you do it. Let’s use the branches." She said telepathically.
The old toad acted promptly, using his staff to drag thick branches and fallen logs to the edge of the pool. Lohan helped, but even more cautiously.
He didn’t use his main body.
Activating [Partial Division], he created a small 10-centimeter clone to manipulate the plant debris, keeping the main mass safely out of contact with the poison.
As the branches were pushed in, the toxic water began to drain into a nearby depression, diluting into the common mud of the swamp.
After a few minutes of work, the Swamp Slug was exposed at the muddy bottom, writhing and expelling short jets of a viscous, neon-colored liquid.
"Now, Great Blue Lord! She’s vulnerable!" Gribbit shouted, pointing with his trembling staff.
But Lohan did not approach.
Still controlling the Clone, and only after ensuring that the creature was isolated from the saturated pool did he act.
He activated [Non-Newtonian Resilience] to ensure that any sudden jets would hit a rigid membrane and not penetrate his body. With a quick movement, he enveloped the slug with the clone.
Internally, he sealed the creature in an isolated biomass "pouch," allowing the [Digestive Filter] to identify and neutralize the toxin without it touching his core.
"I think it worked..." Lohan transmitted, feeling the weight of the creature inside the clone, but without the burning of the toxin.
"Excellent! Simply magnificent!" Gribbit exclaimed, banging his staff on the ground. "Follow me, there are more slugs waiting for us just ahead! This one is even bigger, and its venom is a gem for alchemists!"
Confirming that the slug’s venom had no effect on him, Lohan absorbed the slug into himself and used the clone to continue digesting the surrounding biomass.
They walked for another ten minutes until they reached a clearing where the air seemed to vibrate with toxicity.
The puddle ahead was not just yellowish... it was a phosphorescent orange.
Lohan used [Spatial Echo Location]
Before Lohan could warn Lisa, the sound of a sharp crack echoed.
Gribbit, who was crouching on the edge, leaped backward with agility impossible for an elder. He began to laugh... a sharp, dissonant laugh that was anything but fragile. "You stupid monsters are so easy to lead!" Gribbit hissed, his aura suddenly turning dark.
"Thank you for saving our village from the Kobolds, now we can deliver something even better to the true master!"
With a violent swing of his mana-imbued staff, he leveraged the Giant Slug out of the water.
The colossal creature flew like a toxic projectile straight at Lisa while spewing poison in all directions!
"Receive a gift from Kroak Village!" he yelled. "Digesting such a unique Slime will ensure that my tadpoles will never go hungry again!"
Lohan saw the orange mass cover Lisa’s field of vision as the village’s "helpless" frogs began to emerge from the mud with bone spears in hand.
-xXx-
But Lisa was no ordinary fox... Before the colossal slug could hit her, she activated [Spectral Step], turning into a white blur that moved sideways, letting the toxic projectile crash uselessly into a willow root.
Lohan, for his part, was not paralyzed by shock. His [Spatial Echo-Location] had already mapped the rhythmic vibrations of dozens of toads emerging from the mud around them.
"Lisa, we’re surrounded! They were hiding their Mana under the mud!" Lohan warned through the mental link, feeling a cold rage rise within him.
He realized that Gribbit’s supposed gratitude was just a facade to lure them both in and convert them into food for their tadpoles.
Lohan immediately activated the [Obsidian Exoskeleton Lv 1], coating his membrane with black, rigid hexagonal scales that glistened in the dim light of the swamp.
The biomass cost was high, quickly draining his reservoir, but the superior resistance was necessary against the poison-coated bone spears wielded by the toads.
Lisa growled, her tails swaying in rage as white flames began to lick her paws, preparing the [Spirit Fire] to incinerate the attackers.
Although she felt that something was wrong with the situation so far, she did not imagine that she was falling into such a trap.
Even with years of training in the family, she still let herself be carried away by a situation like this, being deceived in such a foolish manner.
At this point, Lisa’s fury caused her body to glow even brighter in a white light, with faint red flashes appearing through her fur.
"I think they’ve forgotten who saved their village from annihilation..." Lohan spoke in a cold voice, also enraged by the audacity and ingratitude of these toads. "Well... it seems we must remind them."