My Slime Wife: Training and Pampering Her Makes Me Stronger
Chapter 27: The Secret Mission

Chapter 27: The Secret Mission

The final bends in the mountain path were finally behind them.

Liam breathed heavily as he continued climbing the mountain. Little by little, something began to change.

The fog was disappearing.

First it stopped covering his legs.

Then his waist.

Until, at last, it was completely beneath them.

The young man looked up.

The sky was once again a clear blue.

The powerful gusts of wind had also weakened considerably.

Now, only a cool breeze brushed against his face.

Liam smiled.

"We finally made it out of that storm."

[Lydia: Yeah.]

[Lydia: It doesn’t feel like the wind is trying to push us off anymore.]

He looked ahead and finally saw the mountain’s summit.

It wasn’t far now, only a few more metres uphill.

"We’re almost there!"

Without a second thought, he broke into a run.

His boots pounded against the stone path as he sprinted as fast as he could.

"Krii..."

"Kriii..."

The cries returned, but this time they were much clearer.

Weaker.

More desperate.

As if whatever was making them was calling for help.

Lydia noticed it too.

[Lydia: They’re very close.]

[Lydia: I think those creatures are at the summit.]

Liam sped up even more.

"Then we need to hurry before that giant condor comes back."

◇◆◇

They finally reached the mountaintop.

Liam came to an abrupt stop.

A massive nest stood before him.

It wasn’t just a pile of branches.

It was an enormous structure.

Built from logs, thick branches, and stones.

Off to one side lay the skeletons of countless unknown creatures.

Massive ribs.

Shattered skulls.

The remains of monsters that had most likely become someone’s meal.

At the centre of the nest...

Three small chicks lifted their heads.

"Kriii..."

"Krii..."

They were huge.

Each one was nearly a metre tall.

Their feathers hadn’t fully grown in yet, and much of their skin was still exposed.

They clumsily stretched their necks while opening their beaks over and over again, waiting for food.

Lydia watched them for a few seconds.

Then a message appeared.

[Lydia: Liam...]

[Lydia: I think they’re hungry.]

He had noticed it too.

The little ones could barely stay upright.

"I kind of feel sorry for them."

The three chicks kept crying.

Waiting.

Looking for their mother.

Or anything they could eat.

Liam thought for a moment.

"Do we have any food?"

[Lydia: Just the berries.]

[Lydia: The ones you picked when you almost fell.]

Liam smiled.

"Perfect. Those should work. Can you take them out?"

[Lydia: Of course.]

The little slime began concentrating.

Her body wobbled slightly.

It looked like she was trying to eject the stored items.

But at that exact moment...

"KRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!"

The deafening cry shook the entire mountain.

Liam looked up.

The clouds split apart.

And from within them, the gigantic condor emerged once again.

This time it was flying straight toward them.

Its beak wide open.

Its enormous talons outstretched.

"Lydia! Rock Throw!"

The little slime reacted immediately.

Chunks of rock shot out from her body.

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

The stones tore through the air like deadly projectiles.

The condor made a sharp turn.

Then another.

It circled around the summit.

Dodging every single rock.

It was too fast.

Too agile.

Liam clenched his teeth.

"We can’t hit it!"

[Lydia: Wait.]

Even while she kept firing...

Her body managed to expel three small berries.

They landed at Liam’s feet.

[Lydia: Here.]

[Lydia: Go feed the chicks.]

Liam hesitated.

"But if I stop watching it, you won’t know where to shoot."

For a moment, he thought Lydia would hesitate too.

Instead, another message appeared.

[Lydia: Don’t worry.]

[Lydia: I’m going to try something.]

Before Liam could ask what she meant...

The slime’s body began to grow.

It stretched.

More.

More.

More.

Until it formed a gigantic gelatinous dome.

It completely covered the space between Liam and the enormous nest.

Then...

Its surface took on a different shine.

[Your Slime has activated: Harden.]

The dome became solid.

Almost crystal-like.

At that very moment, the condor dove straight at them.

Its massive talons slammed into the barrier.

The entire structure trembled, but it didn’t break.

The monster attacked again.

It slashed at it frantically.

All three of its legs struck the dome over and over.

Its enormous beak crashed into the barrier again and again.

Then it began ramming it with the full weight of its body.

The barrier continued to hold.

Liam stared at it in amazement.

"Lydia... are you okay?"

Her reply came almost instantly.

[Lydia: Yeah.]

[Lydia: It doesn’t hurt.]

There was a brief pause.

[Lydia: But...]

[Lydia: I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up.]

Liam nodded.

"It’ll be enough."

He quickly grabbed the three berries and ran to the centre of the nest.

The chicks immediately began squirming excitedly as they saw him approach.

They opened their enormous beaks.

"Krii!"

"Kriii!"

Liam smiled.

"Don’t fight. There’s enough for everyone."

He picked up the first berry and carefully offered it to the nearest chick.

It swallowed it in a single gulp, barely chewing.

Then the second.

And finally the third.

For a few seconds...

Nothing happened.

Then...

The little creatures began to glow.

A faint light spread across their bodies.

Liam’s eyes widened.

"What...?"

Their bare skin began to grow feathers.

But they weren’t black or grey like the giant condor’s.

One grew brilliant blue feathers.

Another developed green plumage with golden highlights.

The third was covered in reddish feathers dotted with white markings.

Their bodies changed as well.

Their beaks became shorter.

Their wings took on a completely different shape.

Even their legs looked different.

"No..."

Liam took a step back.

"These chicks... aren’t that condor’s offspring."

Lydia seemed to realise it too.

[Lydia: Liam...]

[Lydia: I think that thing...]

[Lydia: Was going to eat them.]

The condor slammed into the barrier again with even greater fury.

The dome shook violently.

But it still held.

The three little chicks finished growing their new feathers.

They no longer cried.

Instead, they stared directly at Liam.

Their expressions had completely changed.

As if they understood exactly who had saved them.

At that very moment...

Several blue windows appeared before Liam’s eyes.

[Secret Mission Completed.]

Liam blinked.

"A... secret mission?"

Another window appeared immediately.

[The Orphaned Chicks have been fed before the Dark Condor could devour them.]

A chill ran down Liam’s spine.

’So it was true...’

’That monster wasn’t their mother.’

’It was a predator.’

A third window appeared before him.

[New Allies Acquired.]

Liam’s eyes went wide.

"Allies?"

The three little chicks lifted their heads in unison, looked at him, and gave a small hop toward him.

As if they had just recognised the one who had saved them.

Meanwhile...

On the other side of the dome...

The Dark Condor unleashed a deafening roar.

One filled with pure rage.

As though it had just lost the meal it had been waiting days to claim.