The Elder raised his hand. The laughter didn't fade, but it softened enough for him to speak. Most of the other candidates had already gone through the combat test phase; it was a formality to see if the summon could follow a basic command under pressure. Usually, it was a showcase of power, like Corin's hawk diving or Lucien's wolf pinning a target. Now, it felt like a comedy show.
"The summon has been judged. Rank: P. Common-tier Slime."
The Elder paused, looking at Revvyn like he was trying to decide whether to feel sorry for him or just move on. Protocol won.
"Combat test is required. Even for... this."
A fresh wave of snickers rippled through the crowd.
"Let's see the slime die," someone called from the back.
"Put it out of its misery!"
The Elder waved his staff toward a wooden gate at the side of the ring. It creaked open.
A boar trotted out.
It had patchy brown fur, small, chipped tusks, and angry little eyes that darted around the crowd before settling on the slime. F-rank. The kind of beast that barely qualified as a beast at all—useful for rooting up fields, useless in a fight. Some farmer had probably entered it into the local beast-market hoping for a better summon and failed.
The boar snorted. Pawed the dirt.
Revvyn looked down at the slime. It was still rubbing against his boot, completely unaware that several hundred pounds of muscle and bone were about to trample it.
This is it, he thought. Public execution. My beast dies in front of everyone. Then what? Do I go home empty-handed? Do I tell Dad I got nothing?
The boar charged.
Revvyn stumbled back. The slime didn't move.
SQUISH.
The boar's hooves slammed down. The slime flattened instantly—spreading across the stone in a wet blue smear. Its tiny eyes went blank, its core visible through the thin film of goo pressed against the rock.
The crowd roared with laughter.
Revvyn stared at the remains. It's dead. Of course it's dead. It's a P-rank slime. The lowest of the low. I'm done. Lily's done. Dad's—
The slime moved.
Slowly. Oozing. The scattered goo pulled itself back together, reforming into that same pathetic blob. Its tiny eyes blinked back into existence.
The laughter faltered.
The boar snorted, confused. It charged again. Trampled the slime again.
SQUISH.
More laughter. Louder. To the crowd, it was a slapstick routine. A useless beast that couldn't even die properly.
Then—the slime pulsed.
Faint blue light flickered inside the scattered goo. One tiny piece of it touched a drop of blood on the stone—blood from where the boar's rough hide had scraped against the platform during its charge.
The light flared.
A whisper brushed Revvyn's mind. Cold. Quiet. The same clinical voice from before.
[LIMITLESS SLIME EVOLUTION SYSTEM]
Absorption Initiated
Target: Feral Boar (F-rank)
Essence Compatibility: 68%
Absorption Progress: 100%
Success.
Rank Up: P → E
New Trait Acquired: [Tough Hide (Minor)]
Evolution Progress: 28% toward D-rank
Bond Increased: 5% → 12%
Revvyn blinked.
Rank up? From P to E? That's impossible. Tiers don't jump like that.
The slime snapped back together—faster this time. Much faster. It reformed in seconds, and when it did, it was *different*. Still a blob, still blue, but larger. The size of a small shield now. And its surface had changed—it looked rougher, thicker, like coarse, tanned hide.
The boar charged again.
The slime didn't dodge. It met the charge.
The boar slammed into itand stopped dead. Its tusks scraped against the slime's surface but didn't penetrate. The slime rippled but held its ground. Then it moved...flowing up the boar's legs with terrifying fluid speed, wrapping around its snout and covering its eyes.
The boar squealed. Thrashed. Tried to shake it off.
The slime held on like iron-grip glue. And then—it bit.
A small mouth opened in its surface—just for a moment—and nipped the boar's flank. Not hard. Not deep. But the boar screamed. A sound of real pain and real fear.
The creature collapsed, its legs giving out. The slime released it immediately. The boar scrambled up and ran—straight back through the wooden gate, squealing the whole way. It didn't stop. It didn't look back.
Silence.
The crowd stared. Revvyn stared. The slime sat there, slightly larger, slightly rougher, blinking its tiny eyes like nothing had happened.
The Elder's voice came out hoarse. "The... the beast has been driven off. Combat test concluded."
He looked at the slime. Looked at Revvyn. Looked at the slime again. "I... have never seen a slime do that. Especially not a P-rank."
The crowd murmured. Confused. Uncertain. No one was laughing anymore.
Lucien's voice cut through the quiet. "Still a slime," he said flatly, his arms crossed. "Still worthless. It scared off an F-rank pig. Congratulations. My wolf could eat it in one bite."
The Shadow Wolf beside him growled, as if on cue. Its red eyes fixed on the slime with predatory interest.
Revvyn's slime looked at the wolf. For a moment—just a moment—something flickered in those tiny black dots. Not fear.
But interest.
Then it looked away, hopping back to Revvyn's feet and rubbing against his boot. The Elder cleared his throat. "The Trial is concluded for this candidate. Next—"
Revvyn didn't wait. He stepped off the platform, the slime hopping behind him. The crowd parted. Not out of respect—out of total confusion. They didn't know what they'd just watched. Neither did Revvyn.
He walked until he found Lily.
She was still in the front row, near the fence. Her hands were pressed against her mouth. Her purple eyes were wide—not with pity anymore. Something else.
"Revvyn," she whispered.
He stopped in front of her. The slime bumped into his heel and sat there. Lily looked at the slime, then at him. "Did your slime just... eat that boar?"
"I don't know," Revvyn said honestly. "I think so."
Lily stared at him for another long moment. Then she threw her arms around him.
Her chest pressed against his. Revvyn felt it immediately—the soft, pillowy warmth of her breasts squishing against his ribs. They were full and yielding, warm through the thin fabric of her dress. The way they molded against him, the gentle weight settling into him—it was a sensory overload after the cold shame of the platform. He could feel the slight bounce as she shifted, her heartbeat thumping right against his.
"I knew you would do it... I was so scared for you." She said.
He pulled his trademark grin. It was worth it. Every second of humiliation. Worth it.
His eyes flicked sideways. Lucien stood across the square, watching. His Shadow Wolf paced beside him. His face was tight, jaw clenched, eyes narrowed into slits. The smirk was gone.
Revvyn didn't smile at him. He didn't need to. He just held Lily a little tighter, feeling the softness of her body, and let the whispers of the crowd wash over him.
The slime made a wet sound at his feet. A new window appeared in his mind.
[LIMITLESS SLIME EVOLUTION SYSTEM]
Host: Revvyn
Beast: ??? (Temporary designation: Thorn Slime)
Current Rank: E
Bond: 18%
Stats:
STR: 8 | AGI: 12 | CON: 15 | MANA: 22
Abilities:
1. Tough Hide (Minor) – Passive defense boost
Evolution Progress: 28% toward D-rank
Revvyn read the words. It jumped a tier in one fight. He looked down at the slime. The slime looked up with its tiny eyes. He imagined what he could and what they could become... it didn't feel real but he wanted to believe it. "Those eyes don't look so useless anymore." Revvyn, finally said to the slime.