The forest felt different now.
Quieter. Tenser.
It wasn't just the beasts giving Damien space anymore—it was the air itself, heavy with something ancient and unseen. Like the forest remembered what had once been sealed… and realized it had awakened too soon.
> "You have gained the passive trait: Aura Distortion."
"Certain low-level creatures will sense your bond and avoid you."<
"Handy."
He slithered up a tree and perched on a thick branch, watching the river flow below.
He wasn't here to train this time. He was here to intercept something.
"If I remember right, around this time, a messenger beast brings an artifact to a nearby human village—the same one the Child of Fate is supposed to be born in ten years from now."
That artifact was never explained in detail in the original novel. Just a vague "sacred inheritance" that gave the protagonist his first taste of power.
But if it was coming through the forest, Damien had a chance to claim it early.
He didn't wait long.
Just before dusk, the trees rustled. A pale green wolf—twice the size of a normal one, with a glowing scroll sealed in crystal on its back—padded cautiously through the underbrush.
> "Race: Wind Courier Wolf."
"Level: 35."
"Status: Tasked – High-speed delivery of divine relic."<
Damien tensed.
He couldn't fight that. Not directly.
But he had something better: a dirty trick.
---
He waited until the wolf crossed a narrow path near a cave mouth. Then he activated a new skill he'd gained from linking with the sealed beast:
> "Beast Echo – Trait Projection: Primal Fear."
"Temporarily emits the aura of a dominant predator."<
The effect was instant.
The wolf froze. Its hackles raised. A low whimper escaped its throat as it dropped into a defensive stance—looking around wildly for the monster it thought was hunting it.
Then, it turned and bolted, dropping the crystal scroll in its panic.
Damien didn't waste a second. He slid forward, wrapped his gooey body around the artifact, and absorbed it instantly.
> "Divine Relic Acquired: Seed of the Warden."
"Requirement bypassed due to Beast Resonance."
"Trait gained: Guardian's Core – Grants defensive boost and partial barrier regeneration."<
"This… was meant for the Child of Fate," Damien thought, staring at the notification.
"And now it's mine."
---
Far away, in a temple bathed in moonlight, a high priestess gasped and fell to her knees.
"What is it?" asked the archbishop beside her.
She clutched the ancient tapestry where the destiny of the Child of Fate was foretold—only to find one of the golden threads twisting, warping… fraying.
"The world has shifted," she whispered. "The stars... they no longer align."
---
Back in the forest, Damien slumped beneath the tree, absorbing the new power.
His slime body glowed faintly with a silver sheen, and inside his core, a tiny barrier flickered to life—one that would regenerate over time.
"Still not strong enough to fight humans. But I can survive longer. That's something."
> "Quest Chain Updated – Fate Fragment Disruption I"
"You have stolen a divine relic destined for the Child of Fate."
"Consequences: Delayed protagonist awakening. Fate backlash pending."<
"Great. I'm not just a slime anymore."
"I'm a problem."
And somewhere, something else awakened… watching him with curiosity.
---