Aiden was on Fenrir's back, following Emilia through the dirt paths of the camp. Compared to her guarded tension from before, she seemed calmer now — though her every movement still carried a soldier's discipline.
Aiden tilted his slime body slightly to glance at her. "So… where are you taking me this time?"
Emilia didn't look back. "We've planted your Hipokute Herb seeds. They're growing faster than anything we've seen before. However—"
She paused, looking faintly irritated. "The two elves working on your potion formula… can't replicate your results."
Aiden blinked — or at least did the slime equivalent. "Really?"
"Yes," Emilia replied. "They said the concentration of healing essence you extracted is impossible. They think you're lying or using forbidden magic."
Aiden sighed in his mind. "Great. The old 'prove you're not a liar' trope."
Emilia gave him a side glance. "Consider this another chance to earn trust, slime."
He muttered under his breath, "Lady, I didn't expect you to be this distrustful."
They stepped inside a large tent filled with the fresh scent of herbs and alchemy smoke. Tables were cluttered with beakers, cauldrons, dried plants, and luminescent mana crystals.
Two elven women stood in the center, carefully studying a handful of Hipokute Herbs.
The first was a dark elf with long silver hair and warm, golden eyes. Her form-fitting purple robes were practical, though they could not hide her graceful figure. Her expression, however, was one of frustration as she scribbled notes.
[Insert image of Grace Campbell]
The second was a high elf, fair-skinned and blonde, her cool blue eyes sharp and analytical. She wore a forest-green alchemist's tunic and leather corset, her posture disciplined, her aura almost scholarly — but with the faintest trace of exhaustion.
[Insert image of Anna Florence]
Emilia crossed her arms. "Grace. Anna."
Both elves immediately turned, startled to see their commander.
Grace, the dark elf, was the first to step forward, worry flashing in her eyes. "Lady Emilia, we didn't expect you this early. Is everything alright?"
Anna gave a small nod but didn't speak right away. Her gaze, however, was already fixed on Aiden. The way her eyes narrowed slightly said it all — suspicion, curiosity, and perhaps… a touch of awe.
Aiden tilted his body, his tone teasing. "So, you're the ones who think my potion's impossible."
Grace blinked, caught off guard by a talking slime. "Ah—! You can speak?"
Anna crossed her arms. "A talking slime that claims mastery of alchemy. Interesting."
Aiden chuckled. "And an elf who thinks she's the first to see one."
That made Grace snicker quietly before quickly covering her mouth. Emilia pinched her temple — she could already feel the headache coming.
Aiden thought in his head Okay, how do I explain this without making it sound like alchemy-by-cannibalism? I mean, I know how to do this thanks to Predator — absorb the plant, process the essence, convert it into a nutrient slime base, and separate the purified extract... but if I just say that, they'll think I'm serving "Aiden Juice." Great Sage, help me rephrase this before I ruin their appetite forever.
["Suggestion: Reword the process as "essence transmutation through internal alchemical digestion."]
Aiden spoke in his head. "That's... actually worse. Sounds like I'm eating it and spitting out health potions".
He forced a chuckle before turning to the elves.
"Right... so, the process is a little unconventional. I use internal... essence refinement to separate the healing core from the impurities. Think of it like a living distillery."
Grace blinked. "A living... what?"
Anna crossed her arms. "So you... eat it?"
Aiden, internally screaming: And there it is.
He raised his slimy "hands." "More like... absorb and purify! Totally different. Much more sanitary, I promise."
Grace blinked a few times, tilting her head curiously as she approached the cauldron.
"So you absorb it... and somehow separate its pure healing essence internally?"
Her tone wasn't accusatory — more fascinated than anything.
Anna, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes.
"That sounds like something a mimic would say before melting our lab equipment."
Aiden's slime rippled a little, his version of a sigh.
"Do I look like I'm about to eat your cauldron?"
Anna's gaze didn't waver.
"You don't have eyes. Hard to tell."
Grace stifled a laugh and elbowed her partner gently.
"Anna, behave. Not everything that oozes is out to eat you."
Anna muttered, "Most things that ooze are," under her breath, earning another giggle from Grace.
Aiden, choosing to ignore the bickering, slithered closer to the table where the herbs were laid out.
"Okay, let me show you. Watch carefully — I'm only doing this once."
He placed a small piece of Hipokute Herb on his surface. His slime shimmered faintly as it sank into him, dissolving without a trace.
For a few seconds, the elves watched, expecting some kind of explosion. Instead, the surface of his slime brightened with a soft green glow before he extended a small vial-like tendril, dripping a single bead of perfectly clear liquid into a bowl.
Grace's eyes widened.
"That's… pure Hipokute essence. Not even diluted! How—"
Anna knelt, analyzing the sample like a scientist.
"There's no contamination. No magical distortion either… this shouldn't even be possible without a complete mana isolation chamber!"
Aiden shrugged — or the slime equivalent.
"Guess I'm the chamber."
Grace smiled warmly. "You're incredible."
Anna blinked, looking between the vial and Aiden.
"…Disturbing, but incredible."
Aiden muttered dryly, "I'll take that as a compliment."
Emilia, who had been silently watching, crossed her arms.
"If this method works, we can mass-produce healing potions far beyond what we've managed so far." She turned her sharp gaze to Aiden. "Continue proving your worth, slime — and perhaps I'll consider trusting you."
Aiden bobbed slightly in acknowledgment.
"Got it, commander. I'll make sure your people don't blow up any cauldrons in the process."
Grace giggled softly.
"Please do. Anna nearly melted one yesterday."
Anna scowled.
"That was your fault, you distracted me with your singing."
Grace winked.
"And yet you stayed to listen~"
Aiden thought internally, Oh great. They're the kind of partners who flirt while brewing explosives. This'll be fun.
Grace's smile faded as practicality crept back in. She set the vial down with a gentle, decisive clink and folded her arms.
"There's one problem," she said, voice steady. "You can't be everywhere at once, Aiden. In a war, time and lives are measured in hours. We need a way to replicate this process without you — so our supplies don't run out because you're busy fighting or sleeping or whatever slimes do for fun."
Anna's eyes sharpened. "We can't rely on one person as if they are a factory. That's a strategic liability." She tapped a pen against her chin, thinking like a battlefield strategist masked as an alchemist. "If this method is truly transmutation inside a host… we'll need to reverse-engineer it, isolate the active principle, and then build a process that emulates it."
Aiden felt the tent tilt into full-on lab-mode and, despite himself, found it exciting. "Alright. I agree. I'll teach you what I can, but there are… limitations." He shuffled mentally, choosing words carefully. "My method uses Predator to absorb and process — think of it like an internal distillery. That part is biological. But the core chemistry of the Hipokute essence? That's universal. If you can duplicate the separation and purification steps, you can reproduce the final product."
Grace's expression brightened. "So we need to separate the active molecules from the plant matrix and concentrate them. In mundane terms: extract, filter, concentrate."
Anna nodded. "And if we can build an isolation chamber — a mana-stable vessel — we might be able to purify without the biological step." She glanced at Aiden. "You'll need to show us the signatures of the essence: color, resonance frequency, reaction to mana catalysts, thermal profile…"
Aiden chuckled inwardly. Great Sage, translate this into words they won't use to murder my dignity in lab notes.
["Suggestion: Provide a stepwise demonstration. Use analogies then show practical replication steps."]
He spoke out loud, careful and steady. "Okay. First: absorption is not magical theater. I break down the herb into its base components. Second: I separate the 'healing core'—a tightly-bound set of mana-alkaloids—by isolating their resonance and removing lignin, fibrous binders, and bitter metabolites. Third: I reconstitute the core into a viscous carrier that stabilizes it for storage."
Grace's fingers flew across a parchment, sketching diagrams. "Resonance isolation… a filter tuned to the herb's frequency. That's something our mana-weavers can attempt."
Anna frowned, eyes glittering with practical suspicion. "But your carrier — this 'viscous slime' you mention — how do we replicate that without… you?"
Aiden hesitated then shrugged, the slime equivalent of a resigned smile. "You don't need me specifically. You need an inert, non-reactive carrier with high binding affinity for those mana-alkaloids. Magistone jelly treated with a stabilizing thaumic enzyme would work. Mix it with a small percent of my slime-derived emulsifier and you'll get similar results."
Radomira, watching, raised a hand. "Or," she said, voice low and amused, "you could let me keep harvesting and loan him out. But for the long term, do as they say."
Grace looked up, eyes bright with possibility. "So: step one — build an isolation chamber that can hold a mana-frequency lock. Step two — create a magistone-thaumic matrix as a carrier. Step three — trial the purified extract in microdoses to ensure efficacy."
Anna added crisply, "We'll need controls: one batch with your exact method, one with a magistone carrier, and one placebo. We measure recovery time, wound closure rate, and magical stabilization on a standardized injury." She looked at Aiden, half-grim, half-pleased. "If it works, we can train brigades to keep production running."
Emilia, who'd been silent while watching the plan unfold, finally spoke. "Do it. But under guard and with secrecy. Volt will hunt this knowledge like a plague."
Aiden felt the weight lift and then settle — hope laced with risk. He grinned, a small, genuine curl of enthusiasm. "Alright. I'll show you every step. But promise me: no dramatics. No declaring the slimes a new state religion. I'm only doing this because too many people keep dying for nothing."
Grace laughed softly, then answered seriously. "We'll put the work into a guild protocol. No cults. Only medicine."
Anna crossed her arms, but there was a new light in her eyes — the light of someone who loves a hard problem. "Begin the demonstration. We'll observe and record."
Aiden took in a slow, metaphorical breath and prepared to teach — predator, science, and Great Sage commentary all in tow — while the camp outside moved, slowly, toward the possibility that healing could be mass-produced, and with it a real change to the war.
Then Grace, Aiden and Anna realised, they looked at Radomira, as the two elves screamed.
Grace pointed at the Succubus Goddess. "Who are you".
Aiden looked at his girlfriend as she spoke. "When did you come in?".
Emilia sighed as she spoke. "Anna, Grace, this is Radomira, yes that Radomira".
Both Anna and Grace were caught off guard as they looked at her, hugged and started to shake.
Emilia sighed as she saw two of her smartest soldiers turning into scared children, as she looked at Aiden. "To answer your questions, when you 3 were having your Alchemy Conversation, that can make anyone feel like they are idiots".
Radomira gave a slow, amused smile — the kind of smile that carried both allure and danger. Her tail swayed lazily behind her as she looked at the two trembling elves.
Grace's finger was still pointed, though her hand shook slightly. "T–that Radomira?! The Goddess of Succubi and the Night? The same one who— who—!"
Anna, usually stoic, stammered out the rest. "—who cursed three kingdoms into sleepless lust because they tried to weaponize dream essence?! That Radomira?!"
Radomira tilted her head, her golden eyes half-lidded. "Mmm. I prefer the term divine correction," she purred. "And yes, little elves, I am that Radomira. But I'm not here to curse anyone today."
Grace and Anna froze, then slowly bowed — or rather collapsed into an awkward combination of reverence and panic.
"O-Our apologies, Lady Radomira! We didn't mean to offend!" Grace blurted out, voice high-pitched.
Anna, despite her calm façade cracking, nodded stiffly. "W-we merely… did not expect you to be here, among mortals."
Aiden rubbed his slime forehead with a sigh. "Radomira, you're terrifying my students."
Radomira looked at him with that teasing smirk. "Oh, I'm sorry, my love. I didn't mean to scare your alchemists. You three were just so serious, I got bored."
Emilia pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, "Of course you did…" before looking back at the trembling elves. "You can breathe, you two. She's not going to devour you… probably."
Grace and Anna exchanged glances, neither reassured.
Aiden crossed his arms. "And for the record, when did you get in here?"
Radomira's expression turned innocent — too innocent. "Oh, I've been here for a while~ You just didn't notice. A goddess of the night doesn't exactly need an invitation to slip through the shadows."
Anna's eyes widened. "So you were listening to everything?!"
Radomira nodded. "Every. Word." She gave a slow, approving nod toward Aiden. "And I must say, darling, your explanation was adorable. You actually made alchemy sound romantic."
Grace's face flushed red. "H-he made what sound what?!"
Aiden groaned, muttering under his breath. "Great Sage, can I request divine earplugs?"
["Request denied. This situation exceeds your embarrassment threshold."]
Radomira giggled softly, clearly enjoying every second of this chaos. "Relax, little elves. You're doing fine. I'm not here to punish or… convert anyone." Her voice dropped an octave, warm and velvety. "I simply came to see the man who keeps making miracles — and the women smart enough to understand them."
Grace and Anna, still half-frozen, exchanged glances again before Grace whispered. "Emilia… please tell me she's not here to recruit us into some sort of cult."
Emilia's tone was dry as dust. "No, Grace. She's here because she's Aiden's lover. Try not to faint."
Both elves went completely still. Grace blinked. Anna blinked twice. Then in perfect unison, they shouted:
"WHAT?!"
Aiden, already slumping in resignation, muttered, "And there goes my quiet morning…"
Aiden noticed the tent flap move and turned just in time to see Ederra peek in — and immediately freeze. The man blinked once, twice, and then his eyes slowly scanned the scene:
— Emilia standing there with a thousand-yard stare, visibly rethinking her life choices.
— Anna and Grace clinging to each other like they'd just survived an apocalyptic event.
— Radomira smirking like the cat who not only got the cream but also owned the dairy farm.
— And Aiden, mid-motion, trying to shoo away his mischievous goddess girlfriend while half his slime body twitched from stress.
There was a long, heavy silence.
Ederra's expression was blank as he finally muttered under his breath, "...Nope."
And without another word, he turned around and left the tent, pushing the flap closed behind him.
Emilia pinched the bridge of her nose again. "...You scared Ederra away."
Radomira grinned. "Oh, don't worry, love. He'll be back once he realizes curiosity is stronger than fear."
Grace, still trembling, whispered into Anna's shoulder. "...Is this normal?"
Anna, pale and shaking, deadpanned. "For them? Probably."
Aiden sighed. "Great Sage… note to self: build soundproof walls for my sanity."
["Noted. You might also require divine interference repellant."]
Radomira laughed, brushing a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "Oh, don't act so grumpy, darling. At least it wasn't boring."
Emilia gave her the flattest stare possible. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy