The night was short. Even after a comforting dinner—a generous dish Ruthia called "leftovers"—my attempts to reconnect with the Qi pulse of the Zher Trees failed. Frustration throbbed in my chest, but exhaustion spoke louder. I fell asleep to the sound of distant howls, promising myself I'd solve that mystery... someday.
Ruthia woke me at dawn with knocks that seemed ready to break the door.
— "Food!" she grunted, slamming a plate of cold porridge and hard bread onto the table. — "Swallow it fast. An empty sack can't stand."
I choked down every bite under her stern gaze. When I finished, she shoved a worn cloth bag into my hands.
— "For the cores. Don't come back without filling it."
The central square was already bustling when I arrived. Jina was there, but not alone. Beside her stood a towering man crossing his arms, his grizzled mustache fluttering in the wind like a war banner. The resemblance to Jina was undeniable: the same silver hair, though coarse as steel, and green eyes that pierced like arrows.
— "Ishida, this is my father, Gareth," Jina announced, avoiding my gaze. — "Head of Zherwood's guard."
Gareth didn't smile. His eyes scanned me—my posture, even my worn boots—as if measuring every ounce.
— "Jina says you're brave," he said, his voice as rough as the calloused hands resting on his sword hilt. — "I say bravery without strength is an invitation to a shallow grave."
Jina elbowed his arm with her notebook.
— Dad...
He ignored the protest.
— "Slimes are pests, but they're not dumb. If you see a blue one, run. If you can't run, pray." He narrowed his eyes skeptically. — "How do you plan to hunt without a weapon?"
Before I could ask why blue slimes were so dangerous, Gareth turned and strode away, his cloak flapping like vulture wings.
Jina sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
— "He... has his ways. Come on. My father keeps some of his old weapons in a storage shed."
Her steps were quick, determined.
Gareth's weapon storage was small and dark, reeking of armor oil and aged wood. Three spears rested on wall mounts, their tips still sharp despite the years.
— "My father always preferred spears," Jina explained, running her fingers over one shaft with familiarity. — "He said a smart man keeps his enemies out of biting range."
I chose the partisan—a spear with a broad, sharp blade, worn from use but lethally honed. The weight felt foreign in my hands, but there was a logic to it, as if meant to keep slimy creatures safely at bay.
Jina wasted no time.
— "Left foot forward, knees bent," she ordered, adjusting my stance with a firm push. — "A spear isn't a sword. You thrust, not slash."
The hours dragged as she drilled me on basics: how to strike, retreat, and avoid a slime leaping at my face. My arms ached, my hands red from gripping the rough handle, but for the first time since leaving the Undercity, I felt... prepared.
— "Enough," Jina finally said, wiping her brow. "The sun's high, and the slimes will be active. If we wait longer, the night wolves will start prowling."
She grabbed her own spear—a sleeker piece with fine carvings along the shaft—and pointed to the exit.
— "Let's go. Today, you become a hunter."
The sun scorched my neck as we headed to the harvest fields, the partisan heavy in my grip.
The path to the fields was a lesson in itself. Jina, light-footed and sharp-eyed, pointed out glowing patches on the grass and sticky marks on trees.
— "Pink ones are for beginners," she explained, poking a slimy mass with her boot. "Brown ones have basic Qi—first level of Qi Gathering. But the blues..." Her fingers tightened on the spear. "Those suck your energy before you blink. They're fast."
The first slime appeared as a pink blob among Zher Tree roots. Instantly, my fingers clenched the partisan, but Jina blocked my advance with her arm.
— "Observe first."
In one fluid motion, she spun midair and sliced the slime cleanly in half. The creature dissolved into goo, leaving behind a small translucent core.
— "These are weak," Jina said, kicking the pink core aside. "But good for practice. Lone slimes are best killed in one strike—they're quick as vipers. Don't let them regroup."
I was impressed. Jina, with her slender frame and easy laughter, moved like a storm—precise, lethal.
— "Are you a cultivator too?" I asked, awed.
She laughed, the sound echoing through the trees.
— "First level of Qi Gathering, same as you. Difference is, I've trained since I was eight." Before I could question further, she tapped my chest. "Your Qi leaks like water from a basket. Anyone at your level can see it."
My heart raced. Alice had never warned me about this.
The Zher Woods unfolded before us, a maze of twisted trunks and golden leaves. Jina halted at the edge of a clearing, her grip tightening on the spear.
— "This is where trouble starts," she whispered, eyes scanning the moss-covered ground. "Slimes in packs, precious leaves they feast on."
Then I saw it: a brown slime trail snaking through the roots. Unlike the pink ones, this ooze emitted a faint glow—as if holding sparks of Qi.
— "This one's alone, no other trails nearby," Jina murmured, tracking the slime. "Perfect for you to practice."
The brown slime hunched under a fallen leaf, its gelatinous body pulsing slowly. Before I could brace myself, Jina shoved me forward.
— "Good luck! Counting on you!"
My heart leapt to my throat. The slime, alerted by the noise, sprang sideways as I struck.
— "Shit!"
Jina cut off its escape with a spear sweep.
— "Focus, Ishida! Breathe!"
The slime paused, quivering. Then, without warning, lunged at me like a living gelatinous fist. I dodged by a hair, feeling damp air brush my face.
Breathe. Observe. Strike.
This time, I didn't charge blindly. I waited. When the slime veered right, I knew.
A leap. A spin. The spear sliced the air—and the slime burst into thick droplets, leaving a glowing brown core.
Jina picked up the core, twirling it between her fingers.
— "10 copper coins," she said, tossing it to me. "And a lesson: brown slimes learn. That's why you missed the first strike."
She pointed east, where the trunks closed like curtains.
— "Shall we continue? Still a long way till nightfall, and now things get fun! Let's hunt the packs next."
I nodded and followed Jina as we tracked new slimes.