Chapter 14: I’m not a bad Slime you know!

[So what's our party formation? You're good at Status Effect magic right Malaise?] - Rose

[Correct. I'm good at both debuffing enemies and passive effects for allies, I also have limited healing magic but don't count on it and get careless.] - Malaise

[Mahammaa mahaka.] - Veronica

[Don't talk with your mouth full Ver, it's rude.] - Malaise

Currently positioned around one of the larger tables we were deep in discussion on the plan for our little outing into the nearby forest for our slime hunt. Luckily the outskirts of the forest were fairly tame as far as the monster's were concerned and teacher's patrolled it regularly to clean up any real threats. This of course made it mostly safe and useful for live combat training. Seeing as though this was our little group's first foray into an actual combat situation we were reviewing each of our specialties. Despite all of our preparations however I still found myself getting nervous.

It was as we were going around the table reminding everyone what our strengths were that Veronica decided to try speaking after taking a huge bite, flinging food all over the place in the process. Quickly chewing her breakfast after being reprimanded by Malaise and swallowing Veronica started again.

[<gulp> Said I'm good with long distance attacks. Papa was a marksman before Mama shacked up with him. He drilled archery into me as a child... Heheh drilled...] - Veronica

[Wait seriously you have combat skills?] - Rose

[To be fair she's cheating by using her race's traits to her advantage. Though she's a fairly good shot regardless.] - Malaise

[Hey I know I asked about this yesterday but what exactly is your guys' relationship anyway?] - Rose

Malaise and Veronica glanced at each other before Malaise hesitantly answered with a sigh.

[Hah... Well it's a long story but I'm sure you know about my scholarship right?] - Malaise

I nodded and waited for her to continue, for some reason Veronica was looking proud as all hell next to her.

[W-Well I was actually sponsored, giving me a chance to apply for it by my childhood friend's family.] - Malaise

[...okay?] - Rose

[Rose meet childhood friend, childhood friend Rose.] - Malaise

Malaise presented Veronica as if for a meet and greet which caused me to glance back and forth between Veronica's prideful smirk and Malaise's exhausted frown. I did this for a few seconds before recognition finally clicked in my mind.

[Ooooh! So you and Veronica are childhood friends?] - Rose

[...unfortunately.] - Malaise

[Hey! What's that supposed to mean Mal?!? I'll grope you!] - Veronica

While Veronica chased Malaise around the cafeteria making groping motions with her hand I turned to continue eating only to see Shade staring at me intensely from across the table.

[...close.] - Shade

[Huh?] - Rose

[...I'm good at close combat.] - Shade

[I-Is that so...] - Rose

Seemingly happy that she reported her strength to me she nodded and continued eating as if her comment and my response were completely normal.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[S-Class for one day correct?] - Rando Teacher

[Yes that's right. I already approved it with our homeroom teacher. Here's our pass.] - Malaise

[Everything looks good, just remember to stay safe and come back on time. We'll come and get you after 2 days have passed but you never know what could happen before then.] - Rando Teacher

[Thank you sensei, we'll be careful.] - Malaise

Each of us bowed as we made our way passed through a gate in the wooden palisade that had been erected around the forest. Apparently several years ago students had snuck into the forest without telling the teachers and by the time they realized they were missing all but one of them were nowhere to be found. After that a wooden wall had been built around the area to prevent students from entering without first getting permission. If you attempted to jump the wall while you were a student an enchantment would paralyze you and inform the entire staff about the attempt. Not only was it embarrassing but the punishments for it were humiliating.

I heard of one group that did it and were forced to cross-dress for the entire year through mind magic. Apparently one of them never really got over the mental compulsion and now there is a senior boy that wears goth loli clothes on the regular.

Shaking my distracted thoughts away I once again checked our order. Shade, being the most physically powerful as well as having the most agility, was bringing up the front for close combat. She didn't have any weapons but when I asked Malaise about it all she said was, [You'll see.] and Veronica just grinned when I sent her a questioning look.

Behind her was me and according to Malaise I was to use offensive magic and use my tail on anything that got past Shade. I guess I was filling the role of mid-range caster? Next was Malaise in the support and healing role. Her job was to buff Shade and if needed cast healing magic. Her weapon kind of looked like a quarterstaff with iron ends. And bringing up the rear was Veronica with a bow as large as she was. When I asked her how exactly she was going to be able to pull it she said something about tailjobs so I still wasn't clear on it.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We didn't have to wait long after entering the forest before a group of 10 slimes came rolling towards us. I'd been warned about their ability to sense mana so we expected them to find us long before we found them. Honestly I had expected Ramaru from "Transmigrated as a Slime" when I was told we would be hunting slimes and luckily while they looked almost exactly like a certain demon lord slime they were ridiculously weak.

Starting my chant for a simple fire arrow spell I kept an eye on Shade as she rushed forward towards the group only to mess my chant up a moment later from surprise as her hands suddenly transformed into long sickle-like blades. Mowing her way through 3 of the slime's in a few seconds I once again focused on my chant as Malaise cast a buff spell on Shade.

Finishing my spell I saw an arrow streak past me and embed itself in the core of one of the slimes as it melted. A moment later my spell hit another right as it attempted to flank Shade. Turning to see how Veronica was doing I was shocked once again to see her holding the string taut with another arrow ready to go not with her hands like I had expected but with her tail.

[So thaaat's what she meant when she said tailjob...] - Rose

[Stop getting distracted Rose, one got through!] - Malaise

Turning towards the front again I instinctively swung my tail at a blue blur in the corner of my eye which immediately exploded from the force of the impact. Shade quickly finished off the last 2 straggler's before turning to walk back to the group.

[Okay so let's discuss how that encounter went and how we can do better next time.] - Malaise

[...] - Shade

[Y-yeah.] - Rose

[Okay so first of all you did awesome Shade! Keep up the good work like you're doing!] - Malaise

[...thanks.] - Shade

[Next is Veronica. You were too focused on showing off to Rose but otherwise good job. Focus a little more on quickly taking down enemies next time.] - Veronica

[But I need to show how amaze-balls I am!] - Veronica

Malaise's glare made her go silent as she visibly shrunk away. She then turned to me while sighing.

[Hah... I know that this is your first real combat but please focus on the enemies instead of gawking. You never know what kind of unexpected way an enemy will attack so you can't keep freezing every time something you don't expect happens.] - Malaise

[I-I'm sorry...] - Rose

Lowering my head from her comments while I reviewed my own performance I felt a wave of disappointment in myself.

[C-Cheer up I wasn't trying to put you down, only pointing out what to work on next time. Everyone makes some mistakes the first few times they're in a battle.] - Malaise

[R-Really? I'm not a bother?] - Rose

[<s-so cute> N-No don't worry about it, that's why we are fighting weak monster's like slimes.] - Malaise

Looking at Malaise with upturned eye's I could swear I heard her say something under her breath but her reassurance made me forget out the half-heard whisper before it. For some reason Malaise was blushing a bright red as she cleared her throat.

[Ahem! Anyways let's move on to the next group. We'll switch up our formation after 3 more battles so be prepared.] - Malaise-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We'd been fighting one group of slime's after another, switching our party role's every couple of battle's, for several hours now and the exhaustion was finally catching up with us. Luckily the sun was also starting to set so Malaise called us back after our last battle and let us know we were done for the day.

[Okay good job everyone! You're getting better at responding to unexpected situations Rose! Oh and good work being serious for at least a little while Ver.] - Malaise

[...] - Shade

[A-As always good work Shade.] - Malaise

[...] - Shade

At first staring intently at Malaise, Shade nodded after she was praised and went back to watching our surroundings.

[Well why don't we head back for the....] - Malaise

[AWWOOOOOO!!!!] - Unknown Monster

[W-What was that?] - Rose

[AWOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!] - Unknown Monster

[Shit! It's coming closer! Everyone head for the guardpost! Shade take the rearguard position! Ver use your eyes and yell out any weaknesses that you see as we retreat. Rose! Assist as needed! I'll handle healing and agility buffs!] - Malaise

Quickly taking control of our party Malaise rushed us towards the outskirts of the forest as I saw a large black shadow with red eye's and smoke trailing behind it ran through the trees towards us.

[W-What is that?] - Rose

[Shit! It's a hellhound! Weakness is side of the face and eye's!] - Veronica

[...got it.] - Shade

Swinging her hand at the lunging wolf-like monster she intercepted it in midair with a blunt strike to the side of the head before once more turning to follow us as we retreated. Looking over my shoulder I quickly threw a ice lance in it's general direction but it had already recovered from the headblow and it easily dodged my spell. Pausing for a moment it seemed like it was taking a deep breath and Veronica yelled a moment later.

[Crap crap crap! Dodge! FLAME BREATH!] - Veronica

[Shit! Dodge!] - Malaise

Quickly dodging to the right I felt an intense burning across the back of my tail and in agony I noticed too late that there wasn't any ground where I had jumped towards. Still shocked from the agony of the burns on my tail I felt the ground roll past me and suddenly darkness came over me.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[....ou oka...wake u...] - Unknown Voice

[Are you okay? Please wake up!?!] - Unknown Voice

[W-Who...? M-Malaise? Veronica?] - Rose

Slowly opening my eye's I was suddenly assaulted by an enormous amount of pain. Crying as I attempted to move my tail despite the feeling like someone had peeled off all of my scales at once I noticed that it was covered by black and red blisters as well as several oozing burn marks. Despite that though it didn't look nearly as bad as it felt and I could even see some of the minor burns healing slowly.

[I already treated some of the largest burns with some herbs I found nearby. You'll need medical attention though.] - Unknown Voice

Turning finally to look at the source of the voice I saw a bright, slightly transparent, blue human with liquidy skin. Slime?

[Human.... slime...?] Rose

[O-Oh right my new body umm... I'm not a bad slime you know!] - Unknown Slime?-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------