Chapter 22: A Living Armor Can be a Monster Tamer Too! ...Right?

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[Taming; Level 1/10]

A Skill acquired by those who had managed to tame a monster by either intimidating them to obey the user or by the monster willingly recognizing the user as a master or tamer.

It increases the likelihood of taming a monster, and the higher the level, the more monsters can be tamed. Level up this skill through developing your tamed monsters.

[Tamed Monster Slots; 1]

[Slot 1: [Blue Slime, Rank 1]

Veronica glanced at the information given to her by the System, she had just obtained the 'Taming' Skill so easily!

"How could this be… No matter how much I tried, I was never a tamer in my previous life" she muttered.

"It may be related to the Blue Slime accepting you as a master willingly. Perhaps it was one of the conditions of obtaining the Skill… though I am not as well knowledgeable into Skills, as spirits do not possess the System" said Shade.

"Then, from where did you get that information?" asked Veronica.

"Assumptions, and things I've heard from other Spirits, who had heard them from humans exploring the Dungeon," said Shade.

"I suppose your resource of information may be more valuable than I thought…" said Veronica.

"Will you give it a name?" asked Shade. He seemed oddly interested in the Blue Slime.

"Blob!" said the Blue Slime, bouncing its liquid body around.

Veronica sat down in the stairs, while shrouding herself in shadows, and began to think.

"We don't have much time to think before a new monster comes to attack us at any time… but for now, how about…"

Veronica glanced at the Blue Slime blue core, which seemed to be made of sapphire.

"Sapphire?"

"Sapphire… as if the gemstone?" asked Shade.

"Yeah, it has a blue slime core, so why not?" asked Veronica.

"Your naming sense is bad. How about a different blue gem? How about, Lapis Lazuli?" said Shade.

"That's too long! Maybe Azure?" wondered Veronica.

"Blob? Blob?" the Blue Slime had no idea what they were talking about, but it felt that it was an important talk.

"Look, he seems to like Azure!" said Veronica.

"No, he's clearly saying that Lapis Lazuli is the best name," said Shade.

"Hmm… what do you prefer? Azure or Lapis Lazuli?" asked Veronica, glancing at the unaware Blue Slime.

"Blob…?"

"I think it prefers Azure," said Veronica.

"Nonsense! I can understand him… he says that Lapis Lazuli is the best one…" muttered Shade.

"Blob…"

Even the Blue Slime was getting tired of such pointless discussion, he would be fine with any name, even if he were to be named 'Slime'.

"Hm… Ah! How about Aqua?" asked Veronica.

"Aqua… isn't it a boy?" said Shade.

"I'm pretty sure Slimes are genderless," said Veronica.

"Okay, okay, Aqua it is. It doesn't sound so awful" said Shade.

Veronica carried the Blue Slime with her arms and raised it to the air.

"Your new name is Aqua!" she said.

"Blob? Blob!"

Aqua seemed to have understood its name and seemed happy. It lacked eyes, but it bounced around like gelatin.

"Isn't it cute?" said Veronica.

"A few hours ago, you desired its death over anything else…" muttered Shade.

"I know! People can change their opinions, right? Aqua is also particularly useful," said Veronica, checking Aqua's status through Appraisal.

[Name: Aqua

[Race: Blue Slime

[Titles: Tamed Monster (New!)

[Type: Slime/Water

[Rank: 1

[Level: 075/100

[Health Points: 56/56

[Mana Points: 42/42

[Strength: 43

[Defense: 45

[Magic: 32

[Resistance: 65

[Agility: 62

[Passive Skills]

[Special Five Senses; Level 2]

[Dark Vision; Level 2]

[Abnormal Status Resistance; Level 2]

[Strengthened Flexibility; Level 3]

[Physical Damage Resistance: Level 1]

[Body Form Manipulation: Level 2]

[Starvation Resistance; Level 1]

[Self-Enhancement; Tamer (Veronica): Level 1] (New!)

[Active Skills]

[Charge; Level 1]

[Projectile Fire; Level 2]

[Absorption Healing; Materials; Level 1]

[Stealth; Level 2]

[Unique Skill]

[Camouflage; Level 1]

Veronica was surprised by Aqua's uniqueness! She not only had the rare 'Stealth' Skill but also had the Unique Skill 'Camouflage' which made its stealth even better!

"This is why you always surprised me coming out of nowhere, huh?" said Veronica.

"Blob!"

"It seems to be a talented one," said Shade.

"And it also obtained a Self-Enhancement Skill when I tamed it, meaning that it will strengthen itself whenever it fights alongside me," said Veronica.

"Blob! Blob!" said Aqua, it was excited by its new skill, which effects it had already noticed, its entire body had become slightly swifter and sturdier.

"Hmm… I have an idea. Aqua, come here" said Veronica.

Aqua quickly obeyed Veronica as it jumped over her arm, slowly moving inside of her hollow metallic body.

"It seems that since it became tamed and obtained a name, Aqua had become able to hear my commands easily… Now, expand your body like a membrane around me" said Veronica once again.

Aqua obeyed by expanding its liquid body, resembling a thin membrane of bluish water.

"Now… use Stealth and Camouflage," said Veronica.

Aqua did so as it was told, activating both skills. Veronica suddenly seemed to merge with the stairs and the walls…

"You're more creative than I thought… by using Aqua as a membrane, you can take advantage of its skills… but this is tricky, as Aqua is covering your body with its own, weaker body. It would be lethal if it were to receive much damage. You're supposed to be the one that takes damage in here" said Shade, his crimson eyeball glaring at Veronica's body, which many monsters wouldn't notice at first glance.

"I guess you're right there… I should only use this in special situations. Aqua should be protected by my body instead. Aqua can support me in other ways, right?" said Veronica.

"Blob!" said Aqua.

The peculiar party of living armor, a Slime, and a light spirit continued their explorations through the dungeon.

Veronica had reached the tenth floor since she left her birthplace, the secret room where she had spawned alongside its siblings and 'father'.

"Shade, do you know how long is this dungeon? How many floors until we reach the surface?" asked Veronica.

"How long it is? I do not know. I was born here and I have never left it. The spirits never talk about how long or big the dungeon is. No one seems to care… But from what I have observed and analyzed through the years I have lived… I could say that it has around fifty floors," said Shade.

"Then… Considering that there was a staircase leading down on the floor where I was born, I was born at least in the middle or lower-middle floors… As if it were the last floor before the boss room, there would be a large boss door instead of stairs leading down below," said Veronica.

"Hm… there may be eighty floors left… or less, we will have to continue and see by ourselves" said Shade.

Veronica and Shade were unaware that Veronica had been born in the middle of the dungeon, on floor 25, and she had already reached floor 15.

Fifteen more floors were left for her to reach the surface, but what dangers could await her through these floors? It seems as if this dungeon was strange, and the level of strength of monsters was all around the place.

"Blob!"

As Veronica and Shade conversed leisurely, Aqua detected something and quickly made Veronica stop.

A large and intimidating shadow stood to the other side of the corridor… it belonged to a fairly large monster, an armored creature with many legs.

"What is… that?" wondered Veronica, desiring to see the creature with her own sight senses instead of the shadow itself.

However, Aqua stopped her.

"Blob…"

"Griiiishaaa…" the roar of the creature was heard through the entire floor, as it slowly moved towards another floor, its overwhelming presence disappearing.

However, it did not leave without leaving some souvenirs…

Large, human-sized spiders completely covered in silver-like armor appeared crawling through the ceiling!

Detecting Veronica's presence even when she was shrouded in darkness, the group composed of more than ten spiders rushed towards her with swift movements.

There was not much time to talk, another fight was about to unfold!

"Surviving in a dungeon is really tough…"

"Blob!"

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