Upon reaching the entrance to Zher Forest, I glanced at Jina for one last confirmation, and she simply nodded.
Thus, we began tracking the trails, now more vigilant to avoid any encounters with the orange slimes. Our current goal was to gather 50 brown cores before nightfall, and we couldn't afford to waste time.
It didn't take long for us to find our first group of slimes: six pink slimes and only two brown ones. We were confident we could defeat them quickly, as the previous day's hunt had already given us the necessary experience. After a brief discussion with Jina, we devised a simple plan: I would launch a stealth attack on one of the brown slimes while Jina blocked the pink slimes' escape route. This way, we could focus on eliminating the other brown slime without haste.
Jina moved away from me with an agile motion and began flanking them with calculated precision. Meanwhile, I crept forward, using the tall bushes as cover, invisibly closing in on one of the brown slimes. When I noticed Jina was perfectly positioned, I swiftly lunged toward the slime, brandishing my spear with determination. With a fluid motion, I swept the spear horizontally, its blade cutting the air with a whistle, and the slime instantly succumbed.
I glanced at Jina and saw she was doing extraordinarily well; in fact, she had already annihilated two of the pink slimes with a skill that filled me with pride. Feeling confident, I aimed for the last brown slime, which still hadn't sensed the imminent danger. I leaped at it, executing a vertical slash with my spear, which was beginning to feel like a natural extension of my arm. However, at the last moment, the slime reacted with surprising agility, dodging sideways.
Anticipating its movement, I quickly adjusted my grip on the spear, pivoting my body for a horizontal strike. The blade sliced through the air again, this time with greater precision, and the slime was destroyed. I sighed in relief and satisfaction as I watched Jina approach with a radiant smile, her eyes gleaming with shared victory.
—"Well done, Ishida. You're getting used to the spear faster than I imagined," Jina said with a smile, stepping closer. —"But that was just a small group. Maybe we can try tackling larger ones. What do you think?" —"I think we can try," I replied after a brief pause.
—"Then let's keep tracking them. I hope we collect a good number of brown cores today, hehe."
We continued searching for more slime groups, chatting casually. Over the past two days, Jina and I had already become close friends and battle allies, spending most of our time together.
It took longer to find the next group, but the wait was worth it, as this one was much larger than the last. It could even cause trouble if we weren't careful. This group had five pink slimes and five brown ones, so we needed a different strategy to ensure none escaped, like the ones from the day before.
—"What do you think, Ishida?" Jina asked, looking at me as we observed the slimes from a distance.
—"I'm not sure. You have more experience than me. If you believe we can take them, I'll trust your judgment," I replied, showing confidence in Jina.
—"Hmm... I think we can, Ishida, but we'll need to change our strategy this time." Jina paused, scrutinizing the surroundings before continuing, —"Our biggest challenge is that we can't block their escape route. It'll depend on luck whether they react slowly," she concluded, still formulating an effective plan.
—"What if we focus only on the brown slimes? If each of us attacks one, we can defeat them, leaving a three-against-two situation. If the pink slimes notice the brown ones are gone, they might flee instead of fighting," I suggested after some thought, since the pink cores held no value.
—"Hmm... maybe worth a try, though I don't like letting them escape. They might regroup and return later," Jina replied hesitantly. —"Ahh... fine, let's try," she finally decided.
The plan was set into motion. We attacked, each targeting a brown slime. Jina, with ruthless precision, pierced her opponent with a fatal thrust, eliminating it instantly. Meanwhile, I hesitated. Jina was faster than I'd expected, making me late to my target. That split second allowed my slime to react, dodging my strike.
Three brown slimes swiftly turned toward Jina. Without delay, I rushed to help her, but the slime that had escaped me reappeared, forcing me to halt and confront it.
By now, I was more accustomed to slime battles, so I stayed calm, trusting Jina could hold her own until I could assist.
—"Hold on, I'll finish this quickly!" I shouted to Jina, charging at the last slime.
—"It's under control, hehe. I'm faster than them," Jina replied, deftly defending herself.
I thrust my spear at the slime, but it dodged and leaped at me. I used my arm to push it away, feeling a momentary weakness in my left arm, though the leather protected me from burns. The slime fell, stunned by the impact, and I seized the chance to deliver a horizontal slash, destroying it.
Without pause, I hurried toward Jina. As I neared, one slime noticed me and charged, leaving Jina facing two enemies but with more space between them.
I agilely dodged the attack and prepared a counter-thrust, but my weakened left arm slowed the strike, letting the slime evade. "This is bad... my left arm's compromised. I can't strike with enough speed or force," I thought, glaring at it.
The slime charged again, but this time I retreated, keeping my distance. "Can't let it near. If it hits my other arm, we're done." As I backed away, I noticed Jina, though outnumbered, was holding her own. The pink slimes had vanished—undesirable but favorable for now, given our struggles.
The slime seemed to sense my injury, persistently charging to prevent me from creating distance.
I needed to kill it in one strike without risking a counter. While dodging, an idea struck: "I know... hehe, I'll let it get closer."
I slowed my retreat, luring the slime toward the Great Trees of Zher.
Back against a tree, the slime thought it had cornered me and leaped. At the last moment, I rolled aside, and it collided with the trunk. Seizing the chance, I mustered all my strength into a right-arm thrust, mercilessly destroying it.
"Hehe, didn't see that trap coming," I gloated inwardly.
Cutting short my pride, I sprinted to Jina.
Approaching silently, I signaled her from behind the slimes. She understood immediately.
She swung a wide horizontal strike, aiming for both slimes. One jumped back—directly into my waiting spear. I struck lethally, startling the remaining slime.
Without delay, Jina landed a precise blow on the last enemy, ending the battle.