[ So you have decided to give up your soul essence? ] The voice asked, turning the surroundings chilly.
"Yes," Slime#47 nodded firmly. "Now, send me back to Deviated Slime Timeline 1—before I died."
'I'll just be friendly with that dragon brat and finish it,' he mused, planning. 'Mostly, don't mention Remora… or anything.'
Zii!
A fifteen-meter-tall, transparent, beautiful human female silhouette appeared in the nothingness, gazing furiously at Young Slime.
She said coldly, "Wrong choice… how many idiotic things will you do?"
"Are you the one who saved me?" Slime#47 asked, glancing at the transparent, bright light.
The bright blue flared as she snarled, "Yes and no, because of your foolish decisions, I, and he had to intervene twice."
'Something's off…' Young Slime understood she was pissed off. "No, my choice—" He was cut off, before he could explain that he'd wanted to save his family.
"Hmph. You are utterly foolish. First, when you could have looped thousands of times and defeated that sealed artifact's vessels safely," her voice made Young Slime freeze, "you picked the fast and dangerous route of a dangerous sealed artifact."
She raised her hand. "Next, when you knew that dangerous artifact was fused with your soul, you didn't even try to find another way to fix it."
"Was there another way?" Young Slime muttered, his eyes widening.
"No, there wasn't," the woman shook her head. "I'm sure anyone would have tried to find one, even if it didn't exist."
She snapped her fingers after venting.
[ Ding! '^&vgg' has forced Deviated Slime Timeline 2 to start! ]
"Wait!" he yelled, but to his disappointment, the woman disappeared, leaving a cold warning, "Don't try this method again… and since you like to make foolish choices, I'll take 30% of your soul essence."
"No… You cannot," he barked, his voice as loud as he could.
He quickly entered his soul dimension.
The golden barrier beneath the cracked Will barrier suddenly had a small hole as soul essence was pulled out.
"No!!!" he roared, as he watched his soul density drop.
He could feel his soul becoming lighter.
Thirty percent of his soul essence was quickly pulled. However, his soul still remained a five-inch white sphere.
The small crater on the golden barrier closed, as if everything was a dream.
"Wait…" Young Slime suddenly muttered, his eyes narrowing in doubt.
'Where is this place?' he mused, scratching the top of his body.
"I remember I was fighting those sealed artifacts," he muttered, but he held his head as fragments of memories flashed.
"I defeated them?" he muttered, reading one fragment.
'I entered a magic array?' he thought doubtfully. 'It took me… where?'
He read another fragment. 'A white fox lady… who was she?'
"What's going on?" he roared, as he couldn't understand his current situation.
His body trembled. He'd returned to his senses due to the emotional outbreak.
"Is this the sealed artifact...Vael?" he muttered, pulling the blue thread on his body.
"I'm in this black void…" he whispered, patting himself.
"Everything is safe in this place," he reassured himself weakly. "The last thing I can recall.....is running from the dragon."
"But why did I lose my memories?" He tried hard to recall. 'I cannot remember…' he mused bitterly. His hands trembled, unable to stop.
"Hmmm… keep your memories to yourself," the lady said coldly, as she flashed for a moment in the void.
A small light of white color entered Slime#47's body.
"So, that's what happened," he muttered, grinning bitterly.
"My plan backfired." He held his eyes. "And I lost 30% of my soul essence."
"Hahaha." He laughed out loud.
[ Ding! The New timeline will begin in a few minutes! ]
[ Ding! Casting Holy Light of Purification! ]
[ Don't make more foolish decisions again! ] The voice suddenly said in a gentle, motherly tone. [ And you still have hope of fixing things… Just get stronger! ]
[ No one can save you if you make her furious! ] She continued, sighing.
"Who is she?" Slime#47 asked, controlling himself as a golden beam of light fell on him.
[ You can't hear it even if I tell you! ] the voice replied plainly.
Young Slime's eyes twitched. 'So strong!'
[ Here, I'll lend you a small hand! ] The voice said, as a beam of white light fell on Slime#47 and entered his soul dimension.
The Ancient combat style mark reacted quickly and started to absorb it, but the authority remnant wiped out most of the energy.
"This…" Slime#47 narrowed his eyes.
[ I just gave your combat style mark some energy… for compensating you. ] The voice said calmly.
[ Ding! Ancient Combat Style has gained a massive amount of energy! ]
He quickly glanced at his soul. The scroll unfurled as more barriers formed, stacking.
Twelve more golden barriers stacked, forcing the Will barrier to move a little farther—
Then they disappeared the next moment as the Will barrier returned to its place.
[ Ding! Barriers remaining: 13! ]
"Thanks," he said, grateful for help.
[ I just increased your chances of survival! ] The voice didn't appreciate the thanks.
"How did you interfere with my soul?" he asked, wanting to know why the lady didn't help this way before.
[ Because only now, you have the combat style mark, ] the voice replied flatly.
Slime#47 facepalmed, as it was a silly question. 'Before, I didn't have the golden barrier of the combat style. So that lady and he couldn't help me… now this voice just sent some energy,' he thought. 'But still most of the energy was wiped out.'
"It's the specialty of the combat style mark," he understood.
[ If you run out of barriers, your soul essence would start to leak again… I hope I don't have to warn? ] The voice asked, tone stern.
"Yes, I just experienced it now," Slime#47 replied, recalling how unfamiliar he felt with his actions and how his fragmented memories chilled his core.
[ I'll wait for our next meeting! Until then, take care! ] The voice said, as she vanished.
He stayed silent.
It was due to him; forcing her out had caused this situation. Though voice gave him energy, her condition was what made that lady of blue light furious.
He sighed, patting himself. "Mama Slime and others are waiting…"
"I have to use Soul Chronicle," he whispered, "to record my emotions and memories… before it's too late."
Memories stirred, as he never wants to forget the first life.
A former life.
A boring one.
'I hope I never forget those plain… ordinary days.'
He activated a skill. "Soul Chronicle!"