Chapter 43: Don’t Underestimate the Slime!
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! We’re so glad you could join us for the performance of Mr. Roger Haddon’s Circus! Our only goal is to bring heartfelt laughter to every audience member. So sit back and enjoy the show we have in store! It’s show time!!!”
With the announcement of the start of the performance, the members of the circus took turns dazzling the audience with their spectacular acts.
“Wow, this is really interesting! So, this is a circus? Well, we should definitely introduce this kind of entertainment to the Blood Clan; it would surely be a hit.”
Down in the audience, Aierjisi, like many others, was completely captivated by the vibrant performances.
“Hey, Aier, what do you think of the circus show?”
Just as Yake returned to the square, he immediately ran over to Aierjisi to ask for her thoughts.
“Do you even need to ask such an obvious question? Is it not clear? This circus performance is absolutely amazing! I want to turn them into my toys and have them perform for me every day!”
“Right? But you should probably let go of that idea. Mr. Roger never stays in one place for long. After each show, he quickly moves on to prepare for the next. No one has ever managed to keep Mr. Roger around, no matter what tricks they tried.”
“That’s getting me even more interested! I want to see if I can manage to keep this bunch around after they recover to their prime. Oh, look, it’s a pigeon! But why is its feather color red? And it seems to be on fire?”
As Aierjisi looked at the red-feathered pigeons that Mr. Roger conjured from his magic hat, her eyes shifted to the ones spiraling above.
Suddenly, Mr. Roger snapped his fingers. The pigeons exploded in a small spectacle, transforming into blue roses that fluttered down.
“Heh!”
Aierjisi jumped up and caught two of the blue roses in her hands, admiring them closely.
“And that concludes Mr. Roger Haddon’s circus performance! Thank you all for being such wonderful spectators!”
After Mr. Roger announced that the performance had come to an end, the residents who had gathered in the square gradually dispersed, returning to their respective homes.
“Mom, Xier! Why are you two only just arriving? Mr. Roger’s circus show has already finished!”
As Yake and Aierjisi prepared to go home, Reina and Xier were just rushing over to the square.
“Huh? It’s already over? I even took my time to put on makeup for this!”
Hearing that the show was over left Reina utterly deflated.
“Come on, it was all because you took too long to get ready. You made me wait for you!”
Xier chimed in, grumbling about how she could have come over much earlier if not for waiting on Reina. Now she wouldn’t even get to see Mr. Roger’s circus.
“My bad, my bad, it’s all my fault. Boo…”
Reina understood that this was her own issue—it was her fault, and she could only sulk alone.
“Here, this is a blue rose that Mr. Roger gifted to the audience earlier. I’m giving it to you both as a small consolation for missing the show.”
Aierjisi handed one of the blue roses to Reina and Xier, hoping to lift their spirits a bit.
“Is this… the blue rose that Roger handed out at the end?!!”
Reina looked at the blue rose in Aierjisi’s hand, barely able to believe it. This was the first time she had seen one in person.
“Yes, so do you want it? If not, I’ll just take it back.”
“I want it, I want it!”
Reina quickly snatched the blue rose, bringing it to her nose for a sniff.
“Ah, it smells so good. Thank you, Little Aier! I’ll make you something delicious later.”
“Just don’t put any herbs in it, okay?”
“Don’t worry, I definitely won’t!”
Just as Aierjisi and Reina were laughing and joking, a certain slime had already found its way to her through the gaps in the cobblestones.
“Hmm?”
Sensing a pair of suspicious eyes watching them, Yake turned to look in that direction, but there was nothing there.
“What’s wrong? Feeling like you’re being watched again?”
Aierjisi noticed Yake’s unusual behavior.
“Yeah, I just felt a pair of not-so-friendly eyes on me. But there’s nothing there.”
“Could it be that you’re overthinking it, big bro? Since you became an adventurer, you’ve been overly sensitive to your surroundings. Let’s head home.”
Xier looked over too, seeing nothing at all.
“Maybe. I hope it’s just my imagination.”
Yake followed his family as they left the square. After they departed, the slime finally emerged from the cracks in the ground, resuming its original form and trailing behind them.
“Something definitely feels off. Mom, Xier, Aier. You three go ahead; I want to see when that guy decides to show himself.”
After walking a bit with his family, Yake felt that unsettling gaze still on his back, but every time he turned around, there was nothing there. He was determined to stand his ground and see what the intruder wanted.
“Yake, should I stay behind too?”
Aierjisi was worried about Yake facing an enemy all alone.
“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. You guys head back!”
Yake planted his sword into the ground.
“Everything’s probably fine; you’re just overreacting, big bro. Let’s go home. It won’t be long before he returns.”
Xier pulled Aierjisi’s hand, alongside Reina, leading her back home.
Of course, the slime wanted to follow. But Yake stood in its way, preventing it from tracking them further. In that case, it had no choice but to deal with this annoying obstacle first.
“What?!”
Seeing a lump of black goo suddenly spring out from the cobblestones took Yake completely by surprise. The next moment, that black goo stuck to Yake’s body, immobilizing him completely. Striking from a distance and utilizing a portion of itself to cling to the enemy, while the main body continued executing its master’s orders—this was the convenience of the shadow slime.
“Damn it, what is this thing? A slime? But can slimes really be this sticky?”
Yake struggled fiercely, trying to free himself from the clutches of the black goo. However, the more he struggled, the tighter it became.
【No, I have to get free quickly. Otherwise, Little Princess and the others will be in danger. This black goo is definitely aimed at them.】
As Yake thought this, he redoubled his efforts to break free from the black goo.
