Chapter 11: Hunting Patrol

    I woke up feeling pretty miserable after having a string of easy successes, but against a real monster like that giant frog, I couldn''t do anything but be its meal. Grabbing two of the mightiest-looking tusks, I decided to head towards the pond again and patrol the perimeter amongst the trees, picking off any wildlife heading for a drink so that I could replenish my reserve slime mass.

    For the first day, I used my usual tree ambush, which proved its recurring success by effortlessly taking out multiple deer. I left their bones in a pile with a few bits of meat in the hopes of possibly attracting animals with levels.

    x3

    While safely amongst the trees, I tried to scout the pond but could not spot the frog monster. For my final task, I created a second tree hole, an appropriate distance from the bone pile and not directly at the pond border. I constructed my second home shockingly fast, thanks to all the trait levels I had gained since the original - not to mention having full-sized tusks.

    With the extra time before sleep, I decided to try practicing my [Shape Slime] by focusing on creating new constructs for that bonus experience. At first, I tried to copy things from my memory, starting easy with creating the shape of a tusk, then I moved on to the complex antler horns the jackalope had. I stared intensely at a neighboring tree, hoping to sculpt it, starting at the base of the trunk and working my way up. I molded the trunk first and then worked on the branches, which was tricky as I had never split a single pseudopod into so many mini-tendrils - it was like rapidly growing a small slime tree on my pseudopod. For leaves, I could only add childish blobs at the ends of the branches, as my current [Shape Slime] level could not make fine details like that yet.

    The next day, after cleaning my slime of impurities by watering my new tree home, I headed towards the bone pile. No animals yet, but it had attracted plenty of ants, so I resumed patrolling the perimeter. Today was looking to be a bust on the hunting front until the bulkiest boar I had ever seen started to meander toward the pond.

    I followed cautiously, hiding my presence as I grappled from branch to branch. I was directly above the mighty boar, and it appeared none the wiser. The boar had a nearly black hide instead of the various shades of brown I was used to, and its two massive tusks were jaw-droppingly impressive.

    Gramps even told me what a good job I was doing being a sneaky slime, but I had a terrible premonition the more I looked at the sheer girth of this boar.

    I felt horrible as I desperately wanted to defeat this thing and grow stronger - strong enough to beat that damn frog.

    I was shocked but was eager to dig into my meal as I prepared my usual harvest procedure. I felt my [Dissection] skill screaming at me to take those tusks, so I focused my efforts on grabbing those ASAP. I extracted the first tusk successfully and was about to proceed with the next, but was interrupted when I saw a green shape approaching.

    I took a defensive position on top of the boar, which was still too large to carry even though I had managed to dissolve some of its insides. I ensured the tusk was safe inside a slime pocket and produced my three pseudopods in anticipation. As it approached, I recognized what it was.

    ''It''s a green slime! I wonder if it''s like a cousin or distant relative?''

    The slime was a lime-green, and its core was honey-yellow. I was surprised to see a slime out here and not on the human farm, but even stranger was the path of dirt devoid of any grass trailing behind where the slime moved. I waved a tendril, but the green slime ignored me, and I knew it wanted to steal my food just like my blue brethren.

    I extended a tendril to slap the slime away, but as my tendril came into contact with the green slime, it dissolved completely. I stared in horror, as I had never seen any of the blue slimes so effortlessly melt something. I grabbed a branch and a rock and threw both at the green slime - they instantly melted away. I didn''t know what to do, as I couldn''t stop this green menace, and I grappled to a tree branch when it reached the boar.

    ''That''s my food, you bastard! I worked hard to defeat that thing!'' I mentally shouted as I shook a tentacle at it.

    Then I witnessed the most absurd sight ever; the green slime simply ''walked'' through the boar as if wading through water. With each movement forward, green slime swelled in size, and the boar was disappearing rapidly. I thought of stabbing its core with my prized tusk to stop it, then watched as it ate the remaining tusk without any trouble.

    No boar left, not even a single bone, gone in mere moments, and an oversized green slime was the only thing remaining. I could swear it was staring at me next.

    ''What the hell. How is that fair?''