Chapter 9: Requirements Not Met

The sound of crashing was heard as something quick ran from the gates of the town, pans and weapons were being thrown through the gates at something metallic. Yawning and trying their best to wake up to see what was happening, they saw something on four legs running towards the gate and running away again with more metal being thrown out.

‘Oh yeah, that’ll work. Now they can pick up the weapons and run away with them.’ Just as they thought the thing grabbed the weapons that were further from the reach of the town and ran away clinking away.

“That damn thing stole my underwear!” a Guardsman yelled as they tried to chase after the mystery animal.

“Hope you had a spare under that Armour,” Untameable muttered and settled to relax to watch the daily life of the town.

“I have extras but that mutt stole my favourite pair!” the Guardsman yelled.

“Who are you talking to? Never mind just help us pick up the remaining weapons.”

‘Ah, so it wasn’t just a coincidence before. They can hear me... well talking to them will only cause trouble best to stay quiet.’ Yawning they watched the Guardsman pick up the metal objects and bring them back into town. While they were doing that a Llama stepped out and looked around before heading back in. The creature looked fluffy and white, it also seemed to have a saddle on it. ‘Great, a Tamer got a Llama and is using it for transportation. Would that be my fate as well if I don’t choose wisely?’

A Player stepped out next holding a plate of some sort. “Hey, you’re awake. Here you go.”

‘Does this one have a Quest that requires to feed the wildlife? Also, it seems word hasn’t gotten out yet that the Quest for getting rid of the Wolvoxus requires me. Either that or they’re afraid to even try.’ The food before them was just a Pineapple, they remembered how to cut a pineapple. The Player walked away starting their life back in the town, they may as well attempt to cut the fruit. It would have been nice to have a sword or something. Something sharp came from them.

‘Thorn Armour will do,’ they moved the spike like a stiff arm and attempted to cut the tropical fruit. They got half ways of peeling it before just taking a bite out of it from frustration.

It was for the most part it was delicious.

Almost like having another Slime eat them.

At least they think that’s how it feels like to have another Slime eat another Slime. ‘Is this what I’m doing to the other Slime's when they Merge with me? Uh, I hope not.’

While they were eating the rest they seen a small group of little Players, Gnomes or Dwarves it looks like. They were wearing armour as well as cloth hats that fit the description of Gnomes. ‘It sure is a busy day here in whatever this town’s called. Might be easier to just call it Zeonsi. Its getting bothersome to just call it town of some sort. Also Zeonsi is fun to think about.’

The small group were looking for something and started digging holes around the path. One of them even cut down a tree for some reason, the others didn’t like it and told that one off before going back to their search.

“Better fill those holes back in,” They muttered before settling down with their plate and eating it like a cookie.

“You hear ‘em! Start filling the holes!” one of them called out happily.

“Hmph! Why should we!” another said angrily.

“Because we were asked to, now start filling!” the first one that spoke said more sternly and shaking their finger at the grumpy looking one. The grumpy one blinking rapidly at the shaking finger they shook their head and swatted the hand away with a ‘Hmph!’ as they begrudgingly filled the holes back in. The rest started singing about digging holes and searching for treasure, it continued like that down the path with only one filling in the holes.

“All of you better make the filled in holes pretty,” Theycalled out and the rest scrambled back and started making the lumpy dirt mounds look pretty, unintelligible shouting and panic was funny to look at. They put a flower in each hole along with pretty painted stones and were on their way doing that for the rest of the holes they had made.

‘That was funny, the way they scrambled over each other and tripping on their feet and arms. Would be even more funny if they lost some health from that scrape to the knee or the elbow to the leg. Oh well, that’ll be a good laugh for the next few minutes.’

The flowers were lovely to look at and the painted rocks were a nice touch. It was like a small fence around the flowers along the path. Hopefully those flowers sprout and go beyond their little fence. A bed of flowers along the path would be so nice.

Fed and entertained they watched lazily over the path the Players walked and listened to their idle talks. Actually not even paying attention to the words just the sounds they were making was what they were listening to.

Opening their eyes slightly they seen that the lights were turned on and the flowers was starting to spread. Seems like they were asleep for longer than a few hours again. The sun was just a few hours away and the return of the Underwear stealing ‘Mutt’ has returned to loot and plunder.

“Ha!” seeing the creature wearing heart shaped boxers was a sight to behold and the thing froze at the momentary laugh. “Please go on through, seeing the entertainment is the highlight of my days.”

“Aren’t you usually asleep?” The creature whispered back. “Also nice voice, you get it in the cracker factory?”

“If you want me to raise the alarms I will. Now go in there and steal to your hearts content.”

“What are you m-my mom?”

“Untameable, now go and plunder Under Weredog.”

“Funny, you know I steal more than just panties from these crazy people?”

“I’m sure, but the name just has a nice ring to it. Your burning daylight, hurry along.”

The dog stood there for a few more moments before running in. A few hours later as the lights started flickering out and the cool morning sun started to poke over the hills the dog ran out with a Mace being thrown at it. They were carrying daggers and some more underwear that seems to have a leather pouch attached to it.

“You sure you want those Coins?” They asked as the dog dodged some more weapons that were being thrown at them. The Under Weredog picked up the furthest weapons and started clinking away again without talking back.

“That damn Mongrel! It did it again!” the Guardsman ran out to try and catch the dog once more but stopped at the end of the lights. Defeated they returned picking up weapons along the way. A short moment later something hit the Guard on the head and they started a yelling war with whoever it was that threw the... ladle.

The ladle rolled towards them and for a moment the world was silent, looking up they seen that the Guardsman was standing there like they were trying to coax a wild animal. Looking at the ladle again they could see that it was something special. Well they gave it to them didn’t they? No point in letting it go to waste.

The Speed Stat kicked in as they took the ladle and ate it whole the Guards were yelling in dismay as they looked at them while they chewed on the gifted ladle. They smiled gave a small bounce as the ladle dissolved at their Core. Settling down again to listen to the world, the yelling war started back up but this time with more voices involved.

“Hello, you awake?” opening their eyes they seen that it was the same Player that’s been giving them food for the past few days. ‘Good, the Food Giver is here I was starting to get hungry. That ladle they gave me wasn’t enough.’

“Here you go, you’re getting more popular again. They’re calling you ‘That Darn Slime’ so you must get up to a lot of trouble. Here you go, enjoy your Breakfast.” The Food Giver set down some eggs, bacon and a slice of toast. It was very simple but the Status Window that showed the information on it was anything but simple. These ingredients gave them Skills that looks like it’ll be useful later if at all.

They ate the food happily without a second thought and then ate the plate.

“Oh, I figured that’s what was happening, haha! You sure are silly, I’ll see you later little fella.” They watched them go back into Zeonsi while the Guards standing by just glared at them, giving the plate a few more chews before it dissolved in their Core they watched town life outside the walls.

For the most part it felt peaceful.

But the Quest was ever present, what the System had said earlier was also worrying. If that Bug eats everything then will it destroy this world? Thinking further on it only caused them to get sleepier. Yawning, they settled and choose to listen to the world instead while they thought.

Midnight World is a successful game to the Players and the people that created this world. It was suppose to be simple but adding more to it only made it more popular. But something happened and a Bug found its way into the Games System and starts to delete bits of Code. That would explain their broken Screen and such when going through the Tutorial. Whatever this Bug is it needs to be wiped and quickly.

Their world before the Darkness was still a mystery, but during Saves there’s fragments of Audio and Visuals that are not of Midnight World. They haven’t left this spot since they started but they still knew about the world for the most part and from what they could see. The story they told to the Slime's felt right but also it felt like a lie. These Slime's were also not familiar with what happened before because the ones that knew were gone. It was only a lie being told over and over again until it came to now.

This place was growing and forming into a world that goes beyond coding. The question was, is the Bug a good thing or a bad one?