​"Forget it. What could I expect from a virgin like you?"

Neo’s face heated up, but he refused to be flustered.

​"My name is not important. What happened was just an accident on both sides; let’s just forget it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to take my shower here."

​Having finished speaking, he stepped forward and submerged himself in the water, completely ignoring the fiery-haired girl.

​The young woman fumed at being so blatantly ignored. She watched as Neo took a refreshing shower, and then a mischievous idea crossed her mind. She sneakily crept forward and grabbed the suit Neo had set aside to wear after his shower.

​"You saw me naked; now let me expose you naked to the world!"

​Smiling naughtily, she disappeared with a burst of flame.

​When Neo rose from the water and was about to put on his suit, he noticed it was gone. It didn’t take him long to realize that the girl had stolen his clothes.

​"Aaargh! You thieving bitch!" Neo roared, completely forgetting his good manners. "I’ll get you for this!"

Neo walked back through the woods with a crimson face that rivaled a Red Slime’s core. He was wearing nothing but his underwear and the flower necklace the little slime had given him, his boots squelching with every humiliated step.

​The morning mist had finally cleared, meaning there was absolutely nowhere for him to hide his shame.

​As he approached the stone guest house, he saw the slime family already awake and bouncing around the front yard, preparing a basket of glowing berries for breakfast.

They stopped dead in their tracks the moment Neo emerged from the foliage.

​"Boink! Mister? Why are you... so breezy?" the little slime asked, its eyes widening as it tilted its translucent body.

​"Where is your protective skin, boink?" the father slime added, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Did you encounter a Shredder-Vine? Or perhaps a Gold-Eating Beetle?"

​Neo’s hands were balled into fists at his sides. He couldn’t exactly explain that he’d been outsmarted by a golden-haired woman he’d accidentally watched bathing.

​"It was a greedy monkey," Neo muttered through gritted teeth, "A very fast, very annoying monkey stole it while I was in the water. I didn’t want to go deeper into the woods chasing a beast over a suit."

​The mother slime let out a sympathetic vibration.

"Oh, those monkeys in the Outer Dough are terrible, boink! They love shiny fabrics and high-tech zippers. They probably tore it apart to line their nests."

​Neo felt a twitch in his eye. "If she really did that, I would spank her ass to jelly, I swear"

​"Do not worry, guest! While we cannot weave human fabrics, we have something left behind by a previous ’broken’ human who didn’t need it anymore. It is a bit on the vintage side, but it will cover your shame at least."

​Before Neo could protest, the father slime bounced into the back of the stone house and returned dragging a heavy, dusty bundle.

When it unfurled, Neo’s heart sank. It wasn’t a tactical suit or even basic traveler’s clothes. It was a bright yellow, oversized raincoat with "Slime Sightseeing Tours" printed in bold letters on the back.

​"It is waterproof, mister. boink!" the little slime chirped proudly.

"Fine. But you must come with me to find that monkey, little one," Neo said as he donned the raincoat.

​The little slime bounced excitedly. "Boink, boink!"

​After breakfast, the duo headed out. The father and mother slime watched from behind, feeling proud of their son’s growth.

​"He will be an excellent slime in the future, dear."

​"He will; I can feel it."

​Meanwhile, Neo decided to check the Rainbow Mountain first, thinking it was the most likely location for that woman to be.

There was also another reason: he might find something valuable to synthesize with.

​However, the track was sloped and extremely tiring to climb. Very soon, sweat and dirt covered his face.

The little slime, sitting idly on his shoulder, noticed his difficulty. It immediately conjured some water with its tentacles like arms.

​Splash!

​The cool water splashed over Neo’s head, washing away the sweat and dirt and making him feel refreshed.

​"Thank you, little fella," he said, petting the slime with his fingers.

Boink, boink..

The little slime cuddled into his touch, feeling happy all over.

​"By the way," Neo asked suddenly, "do slimes really not have names?"

The little slime replied cheerfully,

​"No, mister. We don’t have names like humans because we don’t need them. We use the language of resonance to communicate with each other. Some other species also use this language, which is why we were so surprised when you were able to understand us so clearly."

​Neo nodded in understanding. "I see..."

​The little slime then asked curiously, "Mister, can you tell me your name?"

​"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Neo Godson. You can call me Neo if you like."

​"Neo? That’s a very interesting name. But I will call you Mister Neo instead. How does that sound?" the little fella said innocently.

​"Great," Neo replied, smiling.

​Just then, something happened that made both of them freeze.

​Whoosh...

​A mountain bear launched a sneak attack on Neo from behind a rock.

Woosh!

The little slime immediately shot forward like a water jet, trying to prevent those lethal jaws from sinking into Neo’s neck.

​The impact was heartbreaking. The little water slime was violently thrown aside by the bear’s paws like a useless ragdoll.

​Plop! Plop! Plop!

​The slime struck the hard, rocky ground and bounced several times until it stopped by a bush.

By then, several scars and injuries crisscrossed its slimy body. Its blood was white, and yet Neo felt as though it dyed the ground red.

​His hands started trembling, remembering how he had petted the little slime moments ago, and now it was suddenly on the verge of death.

His eyes turned murderous at once. He had never been so furious in his entire life.

​With those eyes full of wrath, he turned to look at the incoming mountain bear. His then hand rose and pointed toward the beast.

Time nearly slowed to a standstill.

​Then: Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

​Six Spirit Blades (the maximum he could conjure) erupted from his body, crisscrossing their way toward the bear with lethal grace.

​Slash! Slash! Slash!

​"Grrrrrrrah!"