It's Slime Time

The sky gradually darkened.

The full moon slowly crested over the hill, casting its pristine glow upon the lake, creating a mirrored pair of moons. A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of grass and trees, rippling the water's surface. The once calm, dark lake now resembled a vast net, ensnaring the moonlight at its center, leaving it no escape.

The tents had long been pitched, and the campfire was already crackling.

Xia Lun and his companions sat around the fire, skewers of grilled fish and an assortment of vegetables and meat roasting nearby.

The main dish, the grilled fish, didn’t look particularly appetizing, making the other food seem like it was stealing the spotlight.

Around them, the faint glow of Aina’s magic circle warded off insects.

Night, a campfire, and barbecue naturally called for stories and drinks.

Liyana and Mo Lini couldn’t drink alcohol, so they settled for milk.

Xia Lun and Aina clinked their wine glasses, the cold liquid swirling inside as they exchanged a glance. The crystal-clear "clink" resonated softly.

As for stories… Liyana had promised Mo Lini she wouldn’t tell any ghost tales.

Liyana: "If you ever come across a milky-white slime on the road, don’t touch it! Burn it to ashes with fire magic immediately—"

"Hey, hey." Xia Lun shot her a disapproving look. Mo Lini was listening—what was she even saying?

"Ah, sorry…" Liyana stuck out her tongue sheepishly. Back at the tavern, adventurers always traded these kinds of risqué tales.

"Why?" Mo Lini asked curiously. "White slimes… I’ve never heard of those."

Now that Mo Lini had asked, Liyana had no choice but to continue.

Liyana stammered, "Uh… well, male adventurers, when they’re out on the road, sometimes need to… relieve certain urges. Someone had the bright idea to… use slimes for that. After trying it, they found it felt pretty good, and word spread… But normal people destroy them afterward. Only a few real freaks would release them back into the wild…"

"What are you talking about, Liyana?" Mo Lini tilted her head. "I don’t get it."

"I mean… people use slimes to vent their desires, for… you know. Understand now?" Liyana’s face flushed as she tried to explain.

"Oh! I see." Mo Lini nodded as if enlightened, then asked, "But what does that have to do with white slimes?"

Liyana: "…"

"Mo Lini." Xia Lun handed her a skewer of grilled fish. "Eat. Drink your milk."

"Okay." Mo Lini nodded obediently.

Liyana stared at the milk in her wooden cup, her appetite suddenly gone.

"Aina!" Aina pouted, annoyed that Xia Lun’s first grilled fish hadn’t gone to her. "I want some too."

"Didn’t you eat on the way?" Xia Lun flicked her nose lightly—he’d already fed her plenty of his blood earlier.

"That was just a snack." Aina eyed him up and down, licking her lips. "Besides, I don’t gain weight."

Mo Lini suddenly slowed her drinking, cradling the wooden cup with both hands, her lips submerged as bubbles lazily rose to the surface—as if drinking slower would make the milk’s calories disappear.

"Xia Lun, I want some too~" Liyana mimicked Aina’s tone, batting her eyelashes.

Aina’s calm gaze settled on her.

"Uh… never mind, I’ll grill my own. Haha, no need to trouble you, Xia Lun…" Liyana shrank back, realizing she’d made a mistake.

Bad joke.

If this were the old mage noblewoman, she’d have suffered for it.

"Pop—"

"Pop—"

"Pop—"

Soft, bubble-like sounds, like a cork being pulled from a glass bottle, came from nearby.

A small, round, translucent blue slime, no bigger than two clenched fists, bounced through Aina’s magic barrier and into the camp.

Perhaps because it was too weak, the monster-repelling barrier simply ignored it—like a tiny shrimp slipping through a fishing net.

"It’s a juvenile slime… Well, we are by the lake, and the mana here is dense. Perfect conditions for slimes to spawn." Liyana explained.

They’d just been talking about slimes, after all. This one must have been drawn by the campfire’s light.

"Such a cute little thing!" Mo Lini’s eyes sparkled.

Liyana continued her lecture: "The bigger and higher-tier a slime is, the more corrosive its mucus. But this newborn can barely absorb ambient mana—completely harmless."

Mo Lini carefully extended her palm. The slime, showing no fear, hopped right onto her hand.

Up close, they could see the slime had two pea-sized eyes but no other facial features.

"Slimes don’t have vision—those are mana-sensing organs. They navigate by detecting mana fluctuations… like bats using echolocation," Liyana added.

"You know so much, Liyana!" Mo Lini cradled the adorable slime, marveling.

What a heartwarming scene.

Liyana couldn’t help but grin.

Aina quietly pressed herself against Xia Lun’s back.

"What’s wrong?" Xia Lun turned his head, his wife’s chin resting on his shoulder as the firelight painted their faces red.

"I won’t let you use something like that." Aina’s gaze lingered on the slime in Mo Lini’s arms, her voice a sultry whisper in his ear.

Xia Lun choked, coughing violently. "What kind of man do you take me for?"

Aina patted his back gently, pondering before replying, "A insatiable beast? You never stop at my first ‘no.’ Not even the second. At least three are required."

Did Aina keep track of these things?

"Ah… really?" Xia Lun bit into his skewer indignantly. "Just you wait."

Mission accomplished.

"Rather than a lowly slime, the mightiest Demon King suits you better, my hero."

Aina rewarded him with a soft kiss on the cheek.

Xia Lun knew exactly why Aina teased him like this.

And Aina knew he knew. Both played along, neither breaking the unspoken game—though it wouldn’t matter if they did. One word from Aina, and Xia Lun would obey. But where was the fun in that?

Since Aina was the one who set up the barrier, if she didn’t mind the trouble, he’d indulge her.

Xia Lun looked up at the starry sky, the constellations gleaming as if polished by silk, radiating brilliance.

It was bound to be a restless night.