“Now then, Unnamed Team! You shall be my opponent!” An odd-looking person said. Blue hair and eyes made them extremely unique, and it was impossible to identify their gender because of the unisex form they had taken. The person held out their arms as if to signal the start of a battle. Their hair danced in the winds that blew through the open field. Their haughty attitude came from their overwhelming power which was obvious to everyone present.

“Geez, we actually have to do this?” Rex asked. He and his team were standing further down the field. Not even an hour had passed since they discussed training, but this was not what he expected. The others felt the same. The Unnamed Team managed to rise many levels and change classes after Sloth’s defeat, but it became obvious that they were still weak compared to the other residents of this world.

“Just be happy that it's Alpha we’re facing,” Nicholas said. He also thought the situation was a bit much. Summoning his familiar to fight his own team would have been beneficial, but they were all surprised to see how much one evolution changed it. The unisex person before them, Alpha, was the product of Nicholas’s skill, [Summon Predator Slime]. It appeared after his slime evolved from receiving most of the experience from killing Sloth. This sub-species of slime came with a slew of new skills and even its current humanoid appearance.

“That’s what makes this worse,” Robyn said. Everyone was already acutely aware of Alpha’s strength. Their appearance only confirmed the lingering suspicion. Still, Alpha was the only person stronger than The Unnamed Team that was willing to train with them before the tournament started. Everyone else was avoiding the team at every possible chance. They all wanted their shot at the sin-slaying group and refused to divulge their team’s tactics and secret weapons.

“Guys, I think they’re running out of patience,” Xander said. The team took a few steps back as Alpha stepped forward. An intimidating aura surrounded the summoned monster. Maybe it was the residual malice that once resided within Sloth. He didn’t seem evil for the few minutes the team knew him, but he was still a sin. It seemed possible that Alpha inherited a similar malevolent nature. At least, that was what everyone assumed.

“Ready or not, here I come!” Alpha said before charging forward. It took less than a second to close the gap between both parties. Alpha’s target was clear and within reach. A subtle smile appeared, but they quickly tried to hide it. Cognitive dissonance had plagued this Predator Slime from the moment it was summoned. It stemmed from its origins as a naturally evil monster and the heroic and law-abiding mindset that was automatically implemented into every summoned creature. Of course, summoners could change what was ingrained into their familiar’s minds, but Nicholas was unaware of this fact. He didn’t even know Alpha was suffering from a sort of personality disorder.

“Stop!” Nicholas said. He held out his hand as if to emphasize his words, but both were ignored. Alpha opened their hand and struck their master with an open palm. Ignoring any order from Nicholas caused Alpha to experience significant pain, but the damage was reduced. [Total Damage Resistance II] was easily the greatest skill Alpha had. It encompassed every type of damage that could be dealt, including the psychic damage currently afflicting them at the moment. Their attack still went through despite the pain, and Nicholas was sent flying.

“[Quick Shot],” Xander said. He nocked an arrow and fired at an impressive speed. This new skill allowed him to send a volley of shots at his target in the time it would take for him to fire one normally. The main drawback was the reduced damage, but sheer numbers quickly negated that. Each hit collided with Alpha and sunk into their skin. Having Nicholas’s command ring in their head, they couldn’t move.

“[Heavy Hit]!” Rex said before executing his attack. His iron dashed through the air before smashing against the Predator Slime’s face. As one would expect, The iron rod sunk into Alpha’s head. [Rapid Digestion] immediately started, and the metal rod started to dissolve. Rex tried to pull away but to no avail. He had no choice but to use his new skill, “Alright, [Unarmed Strike]!”

Rex clenched his fist and punched Alpha directly in their chest. Thankfully, his hand didn’t sink into the acidic interior of his target. It was a gamble, but it paid off in a huge way. [Unarmed Strike] didn’t focus on power, not that it would do much against [Total Damage Resistance II] anyways. Instead, Rex’s new skill prioritized knocking back its target. Alpha couldn’t resist the skill’s effects and was forced to take multiple steps back. Their balance was off, and Robyn took advantage.

“[Command Individual]: Halt your movements,” Robyn said, using her newest skill as well. It was the latest evolution of her series of command skills. This one worked differently than its predecessors. To start, [Command Individual] only affected a single target, and a time limit existed. The skill made its victim do whatever was commanded of them, but the effects could be resisted. Robyn had only mastered controlling those of a lower level than herself. The skill still worked on individuals stronger than her, but the time limit and possible orders were reduced, if not completely negated. As one would expect, Alpha was unaffected by Robyn’s command. Such a skill was nothing compared to their master’s orders.

“[Frost Touch],” Nicholas said. He had managed to recover from the initial attack and use a skill of his own. This was one of the few skills that came with his class [Magician]. It seemed great, but the overall power was low. It was the main disadvantage of Nicholas’s class. He could only use weak contact-based spells or non-combative party tricks. [Frost Touch] was only useful for giving someone the chills or turning water into ice.

“Oh, master. I‘m sorry for insulting you all, but your attacks are unable to significantly harm me.” Alpha said. They grabbed Nicholas by the hand and pulled him in for a loving embrace. It seemed Alpha had switched back to their more caring nature. Of course, that assumption was quickly proven wrong the moment Nicholas entered his familiar’s body and couldn't breathe, “That said, I will devote myself to the growth of you four while the tournament grows ever closer.”

“NOTICE. DUE TO REPEATED INCIDENT, A NEW SKILL HAS BEEN CREATED. THE UNIQUE SKILL [SLIME RESISTANCE I] HAS BEEN ACQUIRED.”