Savior

I am a gopher surrounded by three blue slimes five times my size, but that wasn’t always the case.

-one month ago-

I was an adult human living a mundane life with a mundane job. The pay was nice, but the hours were long. I leave home before the sun rises, and return after the sun sets. I didn’t have much time to enjoy life or have hobbies.

———

One fated morning I woke up in a rush, and fell downstairs losing consciousness.

The next thing I knew I was immobile, and blindfolded.

While unable to see or move, I sensed what felt like a feeding tube enters my mouth several times a day.

‘Did I have a serious car accident?! I can’t afford a medical bill!! Oh my god!!! I hope this is just a dream. No a nightmare that I will wake up from any moment.’ My brain started panicking after what felt like a week in this situation.

———

Eventually around a week or so later, I started feeling my limbs, but something felt weird. I opened my eyes, but it was still pitch black.

Rolling around, I realized that I wasn’t laying on a hospital bed. Crawling was all I could do to move at that point.

Suddenly something rolled me on my back and I felt that feeding tube again.

I don’t know what’s going on or where I am, but I’m glad I’m not starving to death at least.

———

I embraced the darkness for yet another week. At this point I could tell I am no longer a human.

‘Did I get reincarnated as some kind of cave dwelling creature?’

No matter how far I wandered, I didn’t find light. However, I did bump into several bodies the same size as me. These must be my siblings. Also, now I know the feeding tube is actually this creature’s mother. I’m glad this creature is taken care of in the infancy stage rather than being left to fend for myself.

———

-one month after reincarnation-

I was shoved through a hole to the surface. I felt the sun for the first time.

‘Is tutorial period over already?! I’m not ready to survive on my own!!’

I tried to dig down the same hole I was shoved through, but I didn’t know how. I clearly have digging claws, but I have never used them.

‘Okay okay. Think like a video game…’

I pointed my hands to myself and thought ‘appraise.’

A message appeared out of nowhere with my stats.

———

Name: ?

Species: Gopher

Age: 1 month

HP: 10

MP: 1

Attack: 1

Defense: 1

Agility: 1

Blessing: Gopher Blessing

———

‘Man I’m so weak! What kind of twisted game is this?! And what is that blessing?’

I pointed my finger to the blessing.

‘Gopher Blessing: Grants +99 to any stat by biting.’

‘Okay maybe I’m not that weak after all.’

I picked a pebble. ‘Appraise.’

‘Appraisal: a pebble.’

I bit the pebble and thought ‘+99 attack’

The pebble crumbled.

‘Wait! Did I bless the rock or myself with that?!’

I appraised myself again, but my attack didn’t change.

‘Maybe the pebble can’t withstand the blessing.’

I tried blessing bigger pebbles with +99 attack, defense or even agility, but they kept crumbling instantly. Even big rocks crumble to my overpowered blessing.

———

-back to the present time-

Me a tiny gopher surrounded by three blue slimes.

‘Appraise.’

———

Name: ?

Species: Blue Slime

HP: 30

Attack: 3

Defense: 3

Agility: 3

———

There’s no way I can win in a fight against them. I can’t even outrun them.

I considered using my blessing to possibly overwhelm them to crumble like the pebbles from earlier, but there’re two problems with that. One, I would need to get close enough to bite them. Two, there’s a possibility they can withstand the blessing and that would make them a bigger threat.

———

Fortunately, a charming blonde girl came to my rescue, and picked me in her hand.

Swinging her stick at the slimes barely did any damage. They simply bounced back.

The three slimes kept bouncing at the girl from the side shaking her stance.

It was apparent that the girl couldn’t handle the three slimes by herself. I had to do something.

‘Gopher god! I hope you didn’t reincarnate me in this world just to die. If there was a higher purpose to my existence, please allow my next blessing to work.’ I prayed.

I ran over the girl’s shoulders to get to the other hand with the stick, and bit it.

The next swing the girl landed on one of the blue slimes immediately exploded it!!

The other two blue slimes trembled in fear and ran away.

———

The girl dropped the stick to the ground and leaned back to the tree resting. “Phew! That was a tough fight. It took too many hits to defeat that slime. I’m glad the other two decided to retreat.”

‘Wait, was the blue slime defeated because she chipped its HP with all her hits? Did my blessing not work after all? But the stick didn’t crumble! Something must have happened.’ I thought.

I ran to the stick. ‘Appraise.’

‘Appraisal: Stick (+99 attack)’

‘It did work! I’m glad I could aid my savior.’

———

A boy came rushing with a wooden sword. “Julia, why did you run off on your on! Are you okay?”

Julia out of breath… “I’m fine. Give me a moment to explain…”

I ran back behind Julia. ‘That’s what the boy called my savior. I understand human speech it seems.’

“Watch out! There’s a rat near you!” The boy warned.

“Relax. It’s not a rat. I’m pretty sure it’s a gopher. My mana detection sensed unusual mana nearby. That’s where I found this little goober being attacked by slimes. I had to do something.” Julia replied before picking me up in her arm again.

“That white thing can’t be a gopher. It looks like a stinky rat. Either way, rodents carry diseases. Get away from it.” The boy ordered.

Julia picked her stick. “Sif! Listen here. You won’t change my mind. I’m bringing this goober back home. If you try anything, you will get a stick to the head.”

‘I wonder how long my blessing lasts. I hope it wears off before this rude boy, Sif, irritates my savior enough to use the stick on him. I don’t think she realized the stick is buffed. She could explode him.’

I noticed a shiny blue crystal where the defeated blue slime was. I jumped from Julia’s arm to it and squeaked to get her attention.

Julia picked it, and picked me with it too. “My first ever defeated monster dropped something shiny! Nice! You must be a lucky charm.”

“That story about the slimes can’t be true. You couldn’t beat a slime with that stick of yours.” Sif said.

Julia glared at Sif. “I can beat you with a stick! A slime is no different from you.”

‘Appraise.’

‘Appraisal: Stick (+99 attack)’

‘The blessing didn’t wear off yet. If this Sif boy doesn’t shut up, he might be blown up to pieces.’ I squeaked again to distract Julia.

Julia held me with both hands and lifted me up to her eyes level. “About you… I don’t know taming magic, but do you want to come along anyways?”

I nodded.

“That settles it. We are going home.” Julia somehow resisted the urge to hit Sif and walked past him.

———

It was a quiet walk out of the forest, and a quiet ride with some merchants until we reached a village. There Julia and Sif parted way.

My first day above ground took me a long way from my forest to this cottage in front of me when Julia opened the door…