Chapter 3: Another test from Ilias?

"Huh... I've got you now..." - The slime muttered, slowly creeping toward me with a contented smile on its translucent face. Interestingly, she looked like a human after a hard run, even "drops of sweat" showing all over her jelly-like body, though it was unclear why they would have been there in the first place.

I was only imitating shortness of breath, trying my best to play the exhausted victim. Mamono, obviously not very clever, fell for this ruse, and so she approached without fear, smiling expectantly.

"You can't run away now." - The slime asked mockingly, crossing her arms over her chest, making her bulkier.

"Yeah, you got me." - I continued to pretend to be wildly tired, spreading my arms out to the sides. - "And what are you going to do?"

- "Now nee-chan going to take good care of you..."

"So you want my life power?" - I snorted, tilting my head to the side to indicate the question.

"Aha!" - The lively slime girl shook cheerfully, and swam a little closer.

- "And you won't attack my village if I share it with you?"

"Well..." - replied the slime without changing her expression, - "I guess not. Not if you try hard enough."

The temptation was indeed great. The girl's translucent body looked surprisingly sexy. In Kakashi's memories as an adult, he was constantly reading erotic books, the contents of which made me wake up red as a cancer, and there were also several moments where he was with women. In every detail. It was wildly embarrassing, but if I admit to myself, as I got older I really wanted to try something like that in real life, too. It is true that with the girls from the village I never got anywhere, I was constantly training and could not spend time on normal dating, romance, and other mandatory things, only after which comes the most important thing. Mamono, on the other hand, will be ready to pounce on me themselves, by virtue of their nature, not to change into little things.

But at the same time, it also carries a great danger, for a man who has fallen into their hands risks becoming a slave to lust forever if he is not strong enough. Personally, my strength is quite good, so you could theoretically try it with such a weak monster... but I can't. It would be hard for me to look my mom in the eye if I got stuck here with this slime for a couple of extra hours and missed my hero initiation, so I have to leave. But I don't want to be without sweets, either, and luckily I have a way to kill two birds with one kunai.

"Do you really promise that you won't attack the village if you like it?" - I added a drop of seriousness to my voice to show the girl my intentions.

- "I really do!"

"Nice." - Nodding to then fold my seal and replace myself with the second shadow clone I created.

Sorry, the other me, but you'll have to do the heroic duty instead of me. I even envy you a little... just a little.

Abandon ship!

A moment of disorientation, and there I was, sitting on a tree branch a few kilometers behind where I had been "caught. For some reason I felt like giggling in a stupid way. I imagine the look on the face of an unsuspecting clone who has to feel all the love of a slime girl.

In any case, it was done and we had to go back.

A dozen minutes later.

Nothing foretold trouble. The branches flashed before my eyes, blurring slightly from the speed at which I was moving. The wind blew in my face, stroking my skin pleasantly. I couldn't wait to get home and reassure my mother, and then go through the initiation. And then, in the right corner of my vision, a bolide of fire flashed from the sky, and a second later the ground shook and the rumble of the impact echoed around me.

"What the fuck?" - I yelled, nearly running my chest into the thick tree trunk in surprise.

What the hell? Another test from Elias, only more difficult? If this shit happens to me before I even crossed the threshold of my own home, I can't imagine what's next for me...

In any case, whatever is falling from the sky in these woods, I have no right to ignore it. I have to go and see.

I was able to find the spot where the unknown thing had landed fairly quickly, a thin column of smoke rising up from that spot, serving as a landmark. When I arrived there, I found a crater a dozen meters wide and two meters deep. The trees around had been uprooted and scattered around the edges of the hole, blocking my view. As I swung over this obstacle, the sight that unfolded made me sigh heavily and become wary.

The one who did the landscaping here was a young girl with an exotic appearance. More specifically, a young echidna, and a very beautiful one, even in a shabby state, dirty, covered with earth and with a couple of abrasions on her face. The snake part is covered in dark red scales that glisten in the sun, which looks quite nice, and I bet it's just as nice to the touch.

Much more interesting is the upper, human part. A pretty face with spiky, predatory features, gray-purple skin, long elf ears, and waist-length silver hair, now spread out in a wide fan across the ground.

Her figure, too, was perfection itself: a flat tummy, graceful arms, and voluminous breasts, the largest I had ever seen, covered only by a bodice in the shape of flower petals. The entire left side of her body, from her face to the beginning of her tail, is covered with a beautiful tattoo.

It also reeks of power. It just hits me in all directions in a way that I, even if I'm not a sensor, can feel it well. Another one wouldn't have survived such a fall.

What am I supposed to do? Shinobi reflexes clashed again with my personal beliefs, demanding that I finish the enemy off before he's combat-ready, but that's definitely not an option. That leaves only diplomacy.

I create a water clone to replace it and give the order to move away, then, going downstairs, gently shake the girl by the shoulder, bringing her to her senses.

"Hey, wake up." - She'd better open her eyes soon, because I want to deal with everything quickly, because you can become a hero only on the day of adulthood, and never again. There won't be another chance.

Momono's eyes flew open, and her gaze immediately fell on me.

"Where am I?" - She asked, rising quickly, and stepping back a few steps. She did so in a commanding tone. I could tell she was used to being bossy.

"In the woods." - I answered honestly, but in the most banal way possible. I don't know how to relate to her yet, and I'll be careful.

"I figured that out without you." - She snarled, as if she smelled something bad, and then snarled. - What lands? Where's the nearest settlement?

"Ilias village is near distance, and that's where I'm from." - I decide to answer normally, feeling that if I make a fool of myself, the conflict is unavoidable.

"So far away... how much power has this woman got?" - I whispered in a whisper my find. If it hadn't been for my chakra training, I'd never have been able to make out what she was saying.

"What?" - I pretended I hadn't heard.

"Nothing." - She cut me off with another piercing look, but I didn't move. - Who the hell are you?

- "My name is Luca. What's yours?"

"You can call me Alice." - After a moment's hesitation, the mamono answered. - "And what are you doing in these woods?"

- "The villagers told me there was a monster, and I went to look into it."

" Yes?" - Folding her arms under her chest and wiggling her tail dangerously, Alice asked, making it clear that a certain answer would upset her, to say the least. - "And what? Did you figure it out?"

- "Well... yes. As you can see, there is no other monster here."

"And what did you do to her, hmm?" - She reeked of menace, and my instincts demanded a fighting stance, but I held myself together.

- "Made her go away. Peacefully."

"I see. So you're a hero?" - The feeling of danger was gone, and Alice even relaxed a little. - "Um, no. You're definitely not blessed, you smell good..." - she inhaled noisily, licked her lips, and smacked her lips. - "It's even really good."

The sight of her tongue running across my lips gave me goosebumps. But the words reminded me of something important. It didn't sound like this mamono was interested in attacking people. She's probably more interested in finding her way back to her home, so there's no reason for conflict. Well... that's what I think. So I think we can say goodbye and go to the initiation before we're too late.

"By the way, about that." - Waving my hand in the air vaguely. - "I have my initiation today. If you're not going to make a mess of my village, I'd better get going, don't you mind?"

I turn around without waiting for an answer, and I'm about to leave, but a big snake's tail blocks my path.

:Stop." - She said in a commanding voice in my back. She's certainly no ordinary echidna. You learn to talk like that when you're born.

"What?" - I half-looked back at her, glaring furtively. - "I'm in a hurry."

"Why didn't you kill me when you could have?" - She squinted her eyes at me, demanding an honest answer. She even raised her tail, becoming visually taller.

- "Why should I?"

"What do you mean, why?" - The answer knocked her out of the way, and she returned to her previous position, looking me in the eyes in surprise. - "Humans and monsters are eternal enemies, and it would be logical to get rid of the enemy, wouldn't it? However, you didn't."

"If I had, I would have only strengthened the chains of hatred that hold our world together." - I didn't know why I was saying it myself, but something inside me made me open up to the girl and tell her what I knew. - "You must have some people who look forward to your return. If I kill you, they will have their revenge. Their vengeance will spawn a new vengeance, and this vicious circle will never be broken. As someone who wants to achieve peace, I just can't do that." - With each word I spoke, the seriousness with which my phrases rose, driving Alice into deep thoughtfulness, but the last remark instantly revived her. - "Well, also, you are beautiful. What kind of freak would want to kill such a lovely creature?"

"You're..." - The serpentine girl's eyes widened in confusion, and she didn't immediately know what to say. - "strange. No man in his right mind would call Mammono beautiful. And your aim. You're not afraid you'll go off the path, tire yourself out."

"No." - I answer firmly. - "I'll either do it or die trying."

- "And you're going to be a hero for that?"

"Yes. Because being a nobody, there's nothing I can do. Being a hero will give me the opportunity to gain influence. It'll make things a lot easier." - And today is the day I get Elias' blessing. So if you have no more questions, I must go.

"If you really want to make peace, you'd better not become a hero." - Alice stunned me with her statement.

- "What do you mean?"

"The blessing makes the semen of men disgusting to the taste and completely unfit for use, so mamono will not be interested in a dialogue with you" - explained the girl. - "You wouldn't stand a chance with it."

"Really?" - I was surprised. - "That changes a lot, if that's true. I'd better think it over."

So I risk making it harder on myself if it's really what she says? But what about Elias? Would I be punished? Or is it not so bad? Questions-questions-questions. To which there are no answers. I must ask my mother's advice.

- "Are you going back to your house now?"

- "I am."

"That's nice. I need to eat and get cleaned up." - Alice rubbed her palms together in anticipation, as if I'd already agreed to everything. - "Would you do me a favor?"

"Do you want to scare away the whole village?" - I cocked an eyebrow and looked skeptically at her, with emphasis on the tail.

"Pfft..." - Alice snapped her fingers with a wistful face, and a dark haze enveloped her body. In a moment she emerged from the cloud of black and purple smoke completely transformed. Her elven ears were now shaped like those of humans, and her skin had taken on a human hue as well. And, most importantly, instead of a snake tail, she now had slender legs. Moreover, Alice's appearance was still very attractive and unusual. Her golden eyes and silver hair remained with her, and her tattoo increased, stretching down her smooth thigh.

"Is that better?" - With a look of superiority they asked me, with a sly twinkle in their eyes.

"Definitely." - I answered with an expressionless face.

- Well, then guide.

And I guide.

Yes, I went out of the village to fight the monster, and in the end lead him to his home. I'll never be a hero for sure. And still have to somehow explain with his mother ... already anticipating a strong catch-up.

I think I'll keep the water clone for now. Just in case.