CHAPTER 114: CHAPTER 112: THIS SLIME HAS HEATSTROKE, LET’S TAKE IT TO THE FIRE

The leather-bound calves created ripples in the green duckweed and puddles.

Between the dense water cypress trees, two soldiers, wearing brimmed helmet caps and silver shiny breastplates under black cloaks, waded forward.

It’s uncertain where Jia Li found this path. Although it’s an unmanned swamp area, in the dense regions of water cypress, there are few hidden ditches or quagmires.

The cold ignited the cypress leaves, but only halfway, with the half-yellow, half-green branches trembling with the autumn wind.

Today is already October 20th, with 180 miles left to Joan of Arc Castle, and 50 miles to Wild Spider Forest.

Despite this stretch being relatively unmanned swamp, there are not many long-haired demons recorded by the Homer mercenaries, but along the way, the puddles are packed with slimes.

Originally, the Wild Spider Forest area belonged to the foothills, supposedly safer than the unmanned swamp, but as they got closer to Wild Spider Forest, there were more and more demon creatures.

"Oh, look." Kolman bent down to pick up a skull, "Someone else has been here."

Seeing the skull’s hollow eyes, Victor frowned, "Alright, respect the dead, put it down."

Throwing the skull into the water, Kolman suddenly reached in and pulled out a rusty iron cross pendant.

"Wow, it was a missionary." Kolman stuffed the pendant into a cloth bag, shouldered the squirming sack, and continued forward with Victor.

"I heard there’s monster meat today?" Carrying a bag of slime, Kolman waded slowly through the knee-deep water.

"Yesterday, the Bishop of Madlan shot down a two-headed demon wolf with two shots." Victor took a sip of water from his leather water bottle, "I asked the Logistics Department, they said to be careful when eating, some bits of iron shards and stones haven’t been removed."

Kolman sighed, "The Archbishop of Madlan truly does not disappoint, having more sacred power than others."

Sacred power is what Horn defines as the mana in the villagers, a power granted by the Holy Father, specifically used for the God-given exorcism clockwork gun – Kanni Di.

Like Victor and Kolman, at most, they can only fire one shot before they can’t manage anymore.

However, it’s said that practicing meditation might allow more shots.

According to the distribution rules set by Horn, whoever can shoot more gets priority distribution.

"Every time there’s something good, the Imperial Guard gets it first, then it’s our turn." Kolman still remained resentful.

Currently, within the Pope Country, there are only five clockwork guns, with four taken by the Imperial Guard, and the Black Hat Army only has one, still in Jeska’s hands.

Victor didn’t have much to complain about, it was fair that the four gunners of the Imperial Guard could indeed fire twice, but he knew Kolman wouldn’t listen to that.

"Stupid Imperial Guard!"

"Okay, stop complaining, use the time to quickly deliver the slimes back, and practice the meditation method more."

The two carefully moved to the deep water area, holding onto the water cypress trees, they inch by inch moved to the shore.

Climbing ashore, delivering a sack of slimes to the Logistics Department, the two hurried off to practice meditation.

The Logistics Department immersed the light blue slimes in clean water, soaking them overnight before sending them to Horn and the others.

At the moment, the slimes soaked yesterday were mostly up to standard, and have been sent to Qianqian and Horn.

Qianqian was about to teach them how to make a catalyst for soothing potions.

Slimes are quite strange creatures, they appear like monsters but are not truly monsters.

A single slime consists of a cocoon, acid gel, and a slime core as the main components, with other minor components like stomach organs.

Taking a small knife, Qianqian began demonstrating how to process slime alchemy materials, essentially an introductory course for Horn and the others in alchemy.

The first step is to place the slime in an iron basin, using clean water and a few drops of vegetable oil to force it to eject harmful debris.

The second step is to successively excise the slime’s eye points, contact points, then use the small knife to cut along the eye points.

Next, Qianqian pulled up the slime cocoon like peeling a dragon fruit, carefully separating the internal acid gel and organs from the cocoon.

If left alone, the slime will continue using the acid gel and organs to manufacture a new cocoon layer and restore the eye points.

The third step is to use a stirring rod to dilute and break up the acid gel, and use a slotted spoon to scoop out organs like the stomach and slime core.

After sifting the remaining parts, pour in bile water and heat it, after heating, it’ll naturally separate into layers.

The semi-solid gel on top is slime gel, and the clear liquid on the bottom is the main tool for making mortar, slime juice.

The remaining organs of the slime and the dried slime core can be ground into powder, used as a catalyst for making soothing potions.

If you randomly throw the slime core into the swamp, by the next spring, it will have become a new slime.

While cruelly dismembering the slime, Qianqian continued to introduce to Horn: "In the Black Snake Bay area, slimes are as common as rats, they are everywhere.

Sometimes even demon slimes appear, needing to be cleaned out every two or three years, it’s so tiresome."

Pouring a basin of acid gel into the large pot, adding firewood to boil it, Qianqian showed the leather gloves on her hand:

"Don’t forget, during all operations wear leather gloves, the slime’s acid gel is corrosive.

In a short time, it’s not much, but if long, it can cause peeling, or even severe burns."

"That’s disgusting." Duvalon appeared disgusted and fearful, "Papa, are we going to do this?"

"This is disgusting? Your slimes here are only head-sized!" Pouring a basin of bile water into the large pot, Qianqian continually stirred, complaining, "Our southern slimes can be bigger than cows, with an acid gel so corrosive it’s astonishing.

When I was young, I saw a village girl fall into a house-sized slime, within seconds her clothes were all rotten.

When we rescued her, she was blind, with burns all over, disfigured completely.

Slimes have always been a major threat to the Black Snake Bay people, as they are so resilient, kill one batch and another comes, it’s never-ending, never-ending."

"Isn’t the White Mountain Hermitage earning money through mortar sales?" Jeanne curiously asked on the side, "Isn’t it good to have many slimes there?"

"We at the White Mountain Hermitage are distributors, we don’t produce mortar, just transport it, only the Ruo’an Party are the manufacturers.

Besides, there isn’t as much demand for mortar now.

During the Hundred Years’ War, there was massive demand for castle and road construction, mortar prices hit historical highs.

After the war ended, without demand, the Empire issued decrees banning mortar use, causing prices to plummet.

Moreover, mortar is an alchemical product requiring alchemists for operation.

Post-war, knights and priests started aggressive purges against the Secret Faction, reducing the number of our alchemists significantly."

With the end of the war, both production and demand shrank simultaneously.

These feudal lords are quite abstract in their actions, ignoring economic laws, forcibly using extraordinary power, idealistically constraining people’s behavior.

Unable to solve economic issues, they solve people instead, lucky they are in a world with extraordinary beings, or they’d have long been overthrown by rebellions.

Like that nonsense "Labor Law," very much in line with Horn’s stereotypical impression of feudal lords in a fantasy world.

"Alright." Placing the lid on the pot, Qianqian clapped her hands, setting down the large wooden spoon, "Give it a while to cool naturally, and it’ll stratify."

"How do we handle this slime cocoon?" Picking up the half-finger thick cocoon, Horn asked Qianqian.

"Wash it with ash water, coat it with slime juice to dry, it becomes soft but not durable against sharp objects, can be used to make water bags and false breasts, my previous false breast was made from this."

"..."

"... Still looking?!" Jeanne angrily growled at Horn.

"I wasn’t looking at you, just turning my head to have a word with Madlan."

Seeing Jeanne leave in a huff, he sighed, "Puzzling woman."