A small slime made its way to a naked girl lying on the mud. She wasn't moving and her face was ashen. Her breathing was low. Jack approached her but paused because she seemed to be talking to herself.
"If my spells didn't miss I wouldn't be bleeding right now. That slime," she whispered, her consciousness swimming in and out.
"Holy mother did you make it miss? Is he not a demon but a trial?"
A tear, one of the last her dehydrated body could produce, escaped the corner of her eye, tracing a clean path through a smear of mud on her temple.
"You didn't miss on purpose?" Jack questioned.
He hopped onto her shoulder.
"Killing me was your goal?"
The system had lied through its teeth. Not through omission. It straight-up lied to him.
Her eyes fluttered open, her pupils shrinking at the sudden proximity of his blob.
"Of course. You are a demon."
Her words were slow, measured, as if reciting a line from a holy text she no longer believed.
"So you didn't miss?" Jack pressed again.
Jeanne didn't respond. But then he saw her chest rhythm slow even more.
"Fuck... I'll save you," he sighed.
Hopping onto her chest, he put all his pressure on the wounds, making sure the wound clotted and sealed. If humans from earth could survive non-fatal bullet wounds without immediate care, then she could survive a deep gash made by an iron sword.
"Get off me."
She tried to swipe him away.
After half an hour he managed to close all her wounds. Whether or not she lives was now up to her god. Unfortunately she passed out.
"You lied, system."
Jack accused the void.
[The system never said Jeanne missed on purpose. It stated holy spells cannot miss, unless it's on purpose.]
"You're playing semantic games, you cheap battery-powered calculator," he grumbled.
[When host is finished arguing with itself, they should focus on securing Handholding Points.]
"Yeah, yeah."
Respecting Jeanne's religion was something he didn't want to do. Sacred gloves to cover their hands? If holding her hands would mean getting these handholding points then he would do it.
Jeanne's arms were limp at her sides, the pristine white leather of the gloves a jarring contrast to the dirt and blood staining her skin.
"Say can a god smite me for this?" Jack asked.
[The system has no record of gods smiting reincarnated slimes who violate an unconscious priestess.]
The response came so quickly it felt rehearsed.
"Semantics again?" Jack bounced closer.
With great effort, he pulled of her gloves with his mouth.
Her bare hands emerged, pale and slender. The tips of her fingers had mystic symbols burnt into her flesh as if they were actual holy circles.
He shivered.
"This looks legit. I might get smited."
[The system will make a record of the result.]
Pushing past a final surge of hesitation, Jack stood on her hand, making sure to press his entire body into it. The whole time his eyes were on the sky. Maybe he could dodge the lightning bolt that was about to come.
But there was no thunder from the heavens.
He waited for a minute.
Then a thunderous boom came from the skies. Thunderstorm.
[Thunderstorm is a common meteorological phenomenon. Not divine smiting.]
It started to rain. And finally came a huge lightning strike. Its heat could be felt from the entirety of the forest. One split second later it launched.
Jack closed his eyes.
Boom.
An entire mountain next to the lake vaporized leaving behind a giant crater in the forest.
His entire core shook.
"I'm alive?" he squelched.
He was still holding onto her hand.
[Handholding successful. You have 100 Handholding Points.]
Tens of other lightning bolts were being formed from the skies. They all were heading to Jeanne.
Letting go of her hands, he moved a few feet back.
"Okay okay. I get it."
As quickly as they materialized, they disappeared and the sky opened up again.
"Was that a god?"
[Gods rarely involve themselves directly. It was most likely a meteorlogical event that was caused by her holy sigils.]
His black core fixated on the faint light on the tips of her fingers. As the storm passed away, so did her fingers stop glowing.
"How did it miss?"
[The spell couldn't exactly kill its caster. Jeanne was in the splash zone.]
The system explained, as if lecturing a child.
He couldn't see her breathing, but he could still hear her heartbeat, her faint signs of life.
Sitting on Jeanne's chest again, making himself comfortable on her boobs, Jack inspected the newly updated system menu.
---
[Handholding Points: 100]
[Ten Digit Shop: Available]
[Evolution Shop: Requires 50 Handholding Points to unlock]
---
The name was a bit crude but Jack couldn't deny the curiosity brewing inside him. Naturally he unlocked it. Left with 50 points, he decided to fully inspect both of the new unlocked sections.
[Ten Digit Shop - Basic Items]
1. Figurine Form (10 HHP): Transforms your core into a small, humanoid figure of pure slime.
Jack had to do a double take.
"That seems useless," Jack muttered.
2. Core Expansion (15 HHP): Increases all stats by 3. Increases your physical size.
"Now that is useful."
It would make him a bigger target, but being a small walnut in this forest was not much better.
[Ten Digit Shop- Rare items] section remained locked.
[Evolution -Shop Path Selection]
His eyes bulged. Hundreds of different evolutions. Lots of them were locked but a few at the beginning of the trees were available. The classics were available: fire slime and other elementals.
But the ones who were most impressive were.
[Regen Slime (50 HHP)]: A self-healing slime that can regenerate even from near-destruction. Perfect for surviving harsh encounters and tanking damage.]
[Weapon Slime (50 HHP)]: Specializes in absorbing and integrating non-magical weapons into its body, gaining their properties and attack forms.]
He would be able to incorporate other weapons, not just rusty nails.
[Heal Slime (50HHP): A support-type slime that produces mucus with powerful healing properties. Great for supporting allies but has zero self-healing.]
Jack quickly glanced at the nearly dying priestess. The thought of helping her recover crossed his mind, but he quickly shook his head.
"Good luck, Jeanne."
Scrolling back through the options he asked a question.
"Can I go down multiple evolution paths?"
[Yes. Anything can be bought however prices in other evolution trees are significantly more expensive. It's also possible to pseudo-evolve by learning appropriate skills.]
"So I can turn into a fire slime if I learn a fire-based skill?" Jack said.
[Correct.]
This made him more confident in his choice. Firstly, he needed offense. Dead things can't harm you.
[Evolution complete. Showing full stats.
---
Name: Jack Der Quiver
Species: Weapon Slime
Skills: Slime Throw Level 1, Weapon Mimicry Level 1 -> Weapon Infusion Level 1
Weapons absorbed: Rusty Tetanus-filled Nail
HP: 10 -> 20
Mana: 3 -> 5
Stamina: 5 -> 10
Strength: 4 -> 10
Intelligence: 4 -> 5
---
Instantly, Jack's form quivered. He wasn't a blue slime anymore, instead he had a gray-ish hue mixed with blue. With a mental command, he made the nail inside him melt into an iron goo, then flow through his body like blood.
"Wait. Before I get too excited."
He turned back to Jeanne. Getting more points was always a welcome thought. Even getting smited by god-level storms was worth it for more power.
Just as he was about to envelop her other hand, her blue eyes shot open. They were not dazed or weak. They were sharp, cold. One quick glance at her gloves was all she needed to squish Jack in her palms like a piece of pudding.