Unlimited

Chapter 9

Why does she take so long? Lunaria thought, her brow furrowed in concentration as she bent over the metal dagger in her lap. Its simple blade, scratched but sharp, radiated in soft white as she strengthened its enchantment. Each delicate touch of her fingers sent ripples of magic coursing through the blade, weaving intricate patterns of ethereal light.

"It is still just waiting there. I have the feeling that it watches us. Maybe to find out the best way to kill us?" the owner of the weapon asked.

"I think it would have done it already if it wanted. And keep in mind that he or she is a player, Rahul," Lunaria stood up and handed him the enchanted dagger. Despite her efforts, she couldn't shake the feeling of dissatisfaction that gnawed at her. Her moon magic should have been stronger at her level, but she couldn't quite figure out her mistakes.

"Thank you," he replied. She could see his mournful smile as he took it without letting an eye of their unwanted companion. The slime had followed them into this hideout, but they needed Elyse to communicate with it.

Rahul, the rogue thought as he held on to the sound of his own name. He liked to hear it as it was the only thing that had remained from his real life. However, it also remembered him of the things and people he lost. His short brown hair and alerted eyes mirrored the riot inside him. He missed his wife, his children - would he ever see them again? Shaking away these thoughts he kept watch over the slime.

A white glowing glass marble illuminated the small cave where they were sheltering. In the village they told tales about a fruitful marsh, grown over by plants and brimmed with animals, but now the valley was bleak and eroded. The hostile swamp had already been consumed so, the slimes expanded to the surrounding lands. The companion's quest was to stop this invasion but the encounter with the strange slime had lowered their spirit.

When I can't even harm this small being, the boss of the dungeon would tear us apart, Lunaria thought in concern for her group.

"We will leave this place as soon as Elyse arrives, and we know how to deal with it," Lunaria walked to the cave entrance gazing into the starlit night sky. The foul smell of stale water hit her face as she passed through the barrier she had created. In the distance she spotted the rock formation with the dungeon they wanted to raid; was it really that dangerous?

A familiar tug on her consciousness indicated that her sister connected to her MindLink. With an almost unnoticeable wink she signaled Gwaelas ,who was hiding among the rocks outside the cave, to join them.

"No abnormalities, only the usual slimes entering and leaving the dungeon and roaming the land. They all seem to be connected and the returning slimes are much bigger," Gwaelas reported as they entered the cave.

Four People. One more and I can sacrifice them to the slime king. The thought slowly manifested in his head. Earlier in the dungeon, these intrusive ideas had been less subtle, but now Elion needed to focus to distinguish them from his own. If he could not find a way to beat this boss, he would die or even worse - become a murderer.

Perhaps the girl who spoke to me telepathically could help me with my torn mind, he thought as Lunaria and Gwaelas stepped into the little camp.

Although they tried hard to be discreet around him he had heard every word, even through the protective barrier. Rahul and Lunaria were players and Gwaelas was an NPC. At first it had surprised him, that they treated him like a real person. But after a moment he had realized that nothing distinguished them besides their dead bodies in the real world.

Most corpses were cremated for reasons of space and hygiene, but the desperate and the rich preserved the bodies of their loved ones. Rahul and Lunaria had discussed this earlier but had come to no conclusion.