Do you ever feel like a lot happened?

I don't know why, but as I see little Bai head inside and turn to the elders, I feel like a whole lifetime has passed.

Weird, right?

By the way, weren't they supposed to go in with him?

For the test I mean.

Either he misspoke earlier, or they are just slacking.

I'm not sure.

Then again, what am I expecting from a bunch of gambling addicts?

I really should lower my expectations.

Ah, that reminds me of a song.

Irrelevant.

"Are you sure you don't want to participate?"

[*Sigh* I truly am broke.]

What is the point of participating?

Sure making money is fun, but I have so little that even if I win it will be disappointing.

I may as well just wait to get my money from the city.

"Want to bet on your friend passing the test? How about this, if you win I'll give 50 silvers. If you lose you just need to give me a tip on how your friend caught a slime."

I was going to refuse, but really this is not much of a secret.

Slimes like food…not the most difficult information to find.

It is bound to be known everywhere in the city by tomorrow I bet.

After all, we did spend a lot of time eating noodles.

Not the most discrete when you spend hours loudly slurping.

People are going to figure out that you just need to feed it.

But seriously, how has no one ever tried that?

[Alright, you have a deal]

He keeps doing his round.

Trying to rile the bystanders.

Various tamers of various ages and styles.

Almost seemed like I was going to describe them.

Meh, who cares.

We wait, and we await, and we stand by.

"Oh that's weird he should have been out already. Should have been a while ago too."

What is happening?

[What do you mean?]

"Well, if he was defeated, he should have been kicked out already. I guess that means he is somehow fighting still."

[What is he fighting exactly in there?]

"Him? Nothing, his slime is fighting a rank 2 monster. Well, it is more powerful than a normal one since it is a magical construct."

Is something wrong?

[Am I allowed to check on him?]

"Are you getting worried about him?"

[Yes!]

"If you want you can go wait for him in the corridor right outside the testing room. Just ask the receptionist where he is. Don't interrupt him, however."

[Thanks.]

I go inquire at the counter. At first, the employee seems to want to refuse but the gambling addict signals her that it's fine.

I guess he isn't that bad after all.

Let me see it should be …this one!

Just as I come close, I see the door open.

Nice, I was just in time to see his heroic return!

If he won, we'll go celebrate at the noodles shop.

If he lost, we'll slurp our sorrows away.

A win either way.

[Hey friend, how did it….]

WHAT THE HELL!

The room is filled with blood.

On the floor, on the walls, and even on the ceiling.

Lying motionless is little Bai.

At his side a small unmoving slime.

NOOO!

[C'mon! Are you alive? What the hell happened?! Stay with me!]

This test was supposed to be safe!

What happened?!

How is this possible!?

I need to do something,

Call a medic!

Wait, he's about to die!

I don't think he's even breathing!

I need to do something now.

I need to …

Could I...?

Maybe?

Shouldn't.

There is no time.

Really shouldn't.

No fucking time.

Yes?

No?

Fuck it.

Concentrate.

Feel the divine energy.

This is fucking divine power.

There is no way it can't even save one guy!

Careful.

Visualize the healing process.

The same as I usually do.

Just reduce the output.

Don't want to turn him into dust.

Reduce the output a shit-ton.

C'mon!

I slowly kneel next to his apparent corpse.

I'm not even sure if there is a strand of life left in him.

I have no idea.

I don't care.

He's my friend.

I won't let him leave just yet.

I want to see him eat.

I want to see him laugh.

I want to see him grow.

I want to see what he will become.

I didn't even get to invite him to my sect.

I move the energy from my hand to his body.

Slowly spreading it all inside him.

I have no idea if it's working.

Please, please, please.

I just want him to live.

[C'mon buddy you can't die just yet!]

Slowly but surely circulating it inside him.

This is hard.

[C'mon buddy. If you kick the bucket here, you will become a laughingstock!]

It feels like operating a patient.

Except I'm wearing cooking mittens and I am blindfolded.

I get the feeling all the divine energy isn't following my wishes.

[Fucking live! You can't give up right now! You need to become the number one slime tamer!]

After a while, I feel like it is over.

There is nothing more I can do.

This is the end.

I slowly retract all the divine energy.

I feel empty right now.

Crazy how someone I recently met because so important to me.

We didn't even spend that much time together.

He did help me find my way in the guild.

He seemed to be interesting.

To have a good sense of humor.

He called himself my friend.

I accepted it.

A failed tamer struggling.

I can relate to that.

I screwed up his taming session.

Yet he still talked to me.

He trusted me to go tame slimes.

We succeeded somehow.

Then we shared a meal.

I felt him open up to me.

We still didn't talk that much.

Still, we somehow started trusting each other.

At least that's what I believe.

Is it true?

I'm not sure.

But I did consider him a friend.

Now, this friend is leaving me.

Leaving this world.

Why?!

I still don't know what happened.

Was it all planned?

Was this an assassination attempt?

What exactly…

As my thoughts are spiraling…

I see something out of the corner of my eyes.

A small blob that twitches.

Then I look at my friend.

His previously lifeless body now slowly breathing.

He's gonna be fine, right?!