My Slime Wife: Training and Pampering Her Makes Me Stronger
Chapter 31: Emerald Rank

Chapter 31: Emerald Rank

Liam felt the cool outside air brush against his face the instant he passed through the tower’s exit.

His slime wife’s tentacles held him firmly around the waist while a pair of enormous black wings, identical to those of the Dark Condor they had defeated, spread from either side of her tiny gelatinous body.

Behind them, the massive structure began to crack.

It didn’t explode.

It simply started to fall apart.

The stone walls turned into sand.

Then ash.

And finally, into a fine, shimmering dust that the wind carried up into the sky.

Liam watched in fascination as the entire dungeon disappeared without leaving a single trace behind.

"We did it..."

Lydia slowly descended, landing several metres in front of Instructor James’s truck.

Her tentacles carefully released Liam.

"Thanks."

Liam smiled as he straightened his wrinkled clothes.

"Thank you for helping me become an Emerald-Rank Hunter."

Lydia looked up at him in her little slime form and sent him a message through the System chat.

[Lydia: Thank you for helping me get my body back.]

Liam let out a laugh.

"Well... You could say you managed that on your own."

The two of them laughed together.

Then the little green body began to glow.

Its gelatinous surface stretched.

The wings disappeared.

The tentacles retracted.

Little by little, the outline of a woman emerged.

Black hair.

Fair skin.

Arms and legs.

Her white dress formed once again, as though it were growing directly from her shape-shifting body.

In only a few seconds, Lydia was human once more.

Liam still couldn’t get over how effortlessly she could change forms.

"You’re incredible..."

Lydia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled.

"I think it’ll still take me a while to get used to it."

◇◆◇

A few metres away, Millie waved both arms excitedly.

"You did it!"

She ran toward them with a huge smile.

Behind her, Instructor James was still sitting in front of his truck, surrounded by monitors and laptop computers.

The man slowly looked up...

...and froze completely.

His sunglasses slid a few centimetres down the bridge of his nose.

"..."

He stared at Lydia in complete fascination.

"..."

Finally, he spoke.

"Where’s the slime?"

Liam smiled proudly.

"You’re looking at her."

James frowned.

"That’s impossible..."

Millie’s eyes widened as well.

"I-Is that... her?"

Liam nodded.

"At last, I can introduce you properly."

He placed a hand on his wife’s shoulder.

"This is my wife, Lydia Davis."

She gave a polite bow.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you."

For the first time since they’d met her, they could actually hear her voice.

It was gentle.

Calm.

James burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha..."

He shook his head.

"You two really never stop surprising me."

Millie still stood there in stunned silence.

"N-No way..."

She slowly walked closer, as though she were afraid Lydia might disappear.

"Are you really...?"

"Yes."

Lydia smiled.

"The little blob of slime."

Millie slowly raised a hand.

"May I...?"

"Of course."

The two women shook hands.

"Millie Brown."

"Lydia Davis."

"It’s wonderful to finally meet you."

"The pleasure’s mine."

Millie continued staring at her as though she were witnessing a miracle.

"I can’t believe it..."

Lydia let out a soft laugh.

"Neither can I."

She looked down at her own hands.

"Just a few hours ago, I couldn’t speak to anyone except Liam. Now I can talk to people on my own. It’s... strange."

◇◆◇

James finished saving a few files on his computer.

Then he walked over to Liam.

"So... How was your first E-Rank Dungeon?"

Liam scratched the back of his neck.

"It was... Complicated."

James raised an eyebrow.

"Complicated?"

"Yeah. There was the wind. A giant condor. A mountain collapsed. And..."

He glanced at Lydia.

"...a few other things."

James laughed again.

"Stop being so modest. No newly Awakened clears an E-Rank Dungeon alone that quickly."

Liam shook his head.

"I wasn’t alone."

He took Lydia’s hand.

"I was with my slime wife."

Lydia smiled proudly.

"It was a team effort."

Millie nodded immediately.

"That much was obvious. Amber was right. You two complement each other perfectly."

James folded his arms.

"I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pair like you. This isn’t a Tamer controlling his beast. It’s literally a married couple fighting side by side."

Liam smiled.

"Exactly."

◇◆◇

"I was there too!"

The high-pitched voice made everyone turn around.

Little Pix floated beside Liam’s shoulder.

Her tiny dragonfly wings buzzed clumsily.

Her cheeks were still slightly flushed, her eyes were half-lidded...

And then she hiccupped again.

"Hic."

James blinked.

"..."

He looked at the tiny creature with curiosity.

"...What is that?"

Pix puffed out her cheeks.

"Hey! I have a name! I’m Pix! Hic."

Liam laughed.

"I didn’t bring her back as a souvenir. You could say this little pixie is part of my Awakening."

James took a step forward, clearly intrigued.

"Part of your Awakening? Is she a spirit? A summon? An artificial intelligence?"

Pix slowly backed away through the air.

"No..."

James continued moving closer.

"Can you answer questions?"

Pix drifted back another little bit.

"That depends..."

James reached out a hand, trying to get a closer look.

Pix let out a tiny squeak.

"Hic!"

Then she immediately hid behind Liam’s back, only peeking out with half her face visible.

"I don’t like this man."

Liam couldn’t hold back his laughter.

"Why not?"

"He has the face of someone who wants to run experiments on me."

James cleared his throat.

"I wasn’t going to run experiments."

Pix peeked out with just one eye.

"Liar. I saw the way you were looking at me. Hic."

Millie burst into laughter.

"She’s pretty adorable."

Pix smiled proudly.

"I know. Thank you. Hic."

Lydia looked at the little pixie curiously.

"Are you always going to follow us?"

Pix tilted her head.

"I guess so. I’m the System. Someone has to write all your achievements."

She pulled out her tiny floating keyboard from nowhere.

"Besides... If I’m not around... who’s going to give you experience?"

◇◆◇

James finished reviewing the last readings on his computer.

Then he smiled with satisfaction.

"Liam Davis. Lydia Davis. Congratulations. Your evaluation has officially concluded."

He extended his hand.

"Welcome to Emerald Rank."

Millie immediately started applauding.

"Congratulations!"

Lydia squeezed Liam’s hand tightly.

He smiled.

They had done it.

They had begun this journey with no money...

No experience...

And now...

She was walking beside him once again.

They were officially Emerald-Rank Hunters.

And for the first time since the accident that had changed their lives...

Liam felt that the future was finally opening up before them.

Behind them, Pix raised a tiny mushroom-wine cup that no one had any idea where she’d gotten.

"A toast! Hic."

Lydia let out a sigh.

"Liam... I think our greatest adventure is only just beginning."

Liam looked at his wife.

Then at the tiny, slightly drunk pixie who was already trying to clink glasses with Instructor James’s computer.

Finally, he burst into laughter.

"Yeah. I don’t have the slightest doubt about that."