The Goo chronicles; Welcome to slime city

We left town just after sunrise, but it didn’t feel like the start of a normal day. The sky was clear, the sun warm, and the streets unusually quiet. Lyssa was already awake—miraculously—and Luffy was bouncing around in his tiny custom saddlebags like he’d had coffee and I hadn’t.

“Remind me again why we’re skipping breakfast?” I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

“Because you ate all the leftover bread last night, you glutton,” Lyssa said, floating just ahead of me like a smug little mosquito in a cloak.

I adjusted my sword belt. “That was divine punishment for stealing my blanket.”

The road to the Forgotten Ruins of Tal’Ruun started off charming. Birds chirped. A breeze danced through the trees. For a moment, I could almost believe this fantasy world wasn’t out to kill me.

Then the forest changed.

The further we got from town, the more… wrong everything felt.

The trees grew denser, pressing in from both sides like spectators in a silent arena. The light dimmed. The wind stopped. Even the birds went quiet.

Lyssa kept glancing over her shoulder every few minutes like something was brushing against her divine spine.

“You okay?” I asked, stepping over what may or may not have been a slime-melted squirrel. Its ears were intact. Everything else… not so much.

She slowed her pace, her voice low. “It’s still here.”

I stopped. “The stalker?”

She nodded. “Same presence from the guild. I thought it faded after the ruins. I was wrong. Let’s just keep walking and try to ignore it”

Luffy let out a soft growl, pressing against my leg. His ears were perked, and his eyes scanned the trees.

I put a hand on the hilt of my sword, but there was nothing. Just the thick stillness of the forest.

“Someone’s watching me,” Lyssa murmured. “She’s not getting closer… but she’s watching. Studying.”

“She?”

“…Yeah.”

I tried to lighten the mood. “Maybe it’s just some divine fangirl. You did say you were popular before becoming a jobless recluse.”

Lyssa didn’t laugh.

Great. That meant it was serious. I never witnessed this NEET get so serious, usually she was acting all high and mighty or getting drunk off of ale. This kinda put me on edge also

Still, we pressed on. There was coin to earn and a slime population to drastically reduce.

Arrival at Tal’Ruun

It was just past noon when we reached the ruins.

The Forgotten Ruins of Tal’Ruun looked exactly like what you’d expect from a place nicknamed Slime City—crumbling stone arches, moss-choked pathways, and an aura of ancient regret. Vines clung to every wall like they were trying to hold the place together out of pity. The smell? Imagine jelly that sat out in the sun too long, mixed with burnt soup and sadness.

“Smells like a daycare trash bin,” Lyssa muttered.

“Charming, or like a certain Divine Goddess bedroom on a Tuesday afternoon” I said, unsheathing my sword. “Slime City, here we come.”

“Usually you would’ve jumped on my neck and started calling me a loser Ms.Divine NEET. Seeing you act so serious is putting me off, stop worrying I’m sure whatever is following you won’t attack. It could’ve a while ago if they wanted to plus you got me and Luffy to protect you idiot”

“Thanks Ren I’ll keep that in mind” lyssa muttered in a depressive manner

Luffy barked once, like he was announcing our entrance to the entire kingdom. He pranced forward with the pride of a royal mount, his tiny saddlebags bouncing with each step.

We stepped past the moss-covered gate…

And were greeted by an orchestra of squelches.

Slimes. So Many Slimes.

They were everywhere.

Green, blue, pink, transparent. A few glowed like they were ready for a rave. One looked glittery and suspiciously smug.

I charged in like a hero in a JRPG.

Big mistake.

Slice a slime the wrong way and it multiplies. Guess who learned that the hard way?

“That’s three now,” Lyssa said as she launched a wind spell, sending a cluster of slimes flying. “You really don’t read bestiaries, do you?”

“They were never translated in my old world!” I shouted, trying to dodge a slime that was now six slimes.

Luffy was having a grand time, chomping on cores and rolling in jelly like it was the best day of his dog life.

I wasn’t sure if I was fighting monsters or if we’d accidentally joined a children’s science fair.

Slime Slayer Stats

By the time we cleared the initial wave, we were soaked in goo. My armor squished when I walked. Lyssa had an existential breakdown after a slime exploded on her hair. The slimes were tedious but not difficult opponents at all. This reminds me of when I would kill low level rats and goblins in my old JRPG games, Although from what I hear in this world goblins are actually difficult to fight.

“They’re in my ears, Ren! My divine ears!”

I pulled a chunk of pink slime off my sword. “At least they’re not in your soul. Whenever they’re in your divine boobs let me know I might actually give you a hand”

She didn’t laugh. Again. I was on a losing streak.

Here’s the loot haul:

Campfire & Creepy Feels

We set up camp in a broken tower as the sun began to dip. Luffy curled up by the fire. Lyssa used a spell called Ego Hygiene MAX to cleanse herself… for the fifth time.

I was just dozing off when Lyssa sat bolt upright.

“She’s here again.”

I blinked. “The stalker, is she pretty?”

“You already have a beautiful divine goddess here and it’s me! But She’s not close… but she was watching us the entire battle.”

I felt a chill crawl up my spine. “Why maybe she has a crush on me?”

“She doesn’t care about you or the dog, idiot” Lyssa said, eyes locked on the dark trees outside. “She’s here for me. She’s always been.”

I stared into the shadows. “She followed you across worlds?”

Lyssa turned toward me, serious. “ I thought I lost her after I flunked out… but if she’s here… then she came through a rift. Willingly.”

That meant she wasn’t banished like Lyssa was.

She chose to come here.

That made it worse.

“She’s not attacking,” Lyssa continued. “She’s waiting. Watching. That’s what worries me.”

Bond Power-Up!

Later that night, I received a faint notification in the corner of my vision.

[Bond Trait Unlocked: Shared Focus – Lv. 1]

When fighting together, your Familiar’s awareness and reaction speed increases.

“Nice,” I whispered, petting Luffy’s head. “We’re leveling up.”

He wagged his tail in his sleep.

Lyssa, wrapped in her cloak nearby, let out a long sigh. “Don’t get too comfy. Tomorrow, we go deeper.”

I nodded, staring into the firelight.

Before lyssa went to bed she turned around and looked at me with a worrisome stare

“Hey Ren are you going to sleep yet”

“No lyssa I’ll be up a little longer I’m not really tired, why do you ask? Don’t tell me you’re scared”

“ Shut up you idiot you can’t be sensitive for a little when a girl is showing you vulnerability??”

“Yeah, yeah don’t worry I’ll stay up for a bit and keep watch so our Devine NEET doesn’t pee her divine pants, maybe I’m the one you have to watch out for who’s to say I won’t cop a feel while you sleep”

“ you’re a idiot I know you won’t do that, but hey Ren thanks a lot and you too Luffy”

“No problem Divine idiot, now get some rest”

Luffy let out a bark and cuddled up next to lyssa to make her feel more comfortable. I stayed up and watched the stars and stayed alert a while longer. To be honest, since the rough start I had when coming here things weren’t so bad anymore but I did know two things and that was that Slime City was far from over and somewhere in the shadows… she was still watching.