Ultimate Spin System: Ero Spin?-Chapter 124 - Camp

The slime continued to hug Lucas, its soft and oddly warm body pressing against him. It felt like being wrapped in a living, shifting blanket—one that didn’t seem eager to let go.

Lucas let out a long sigh. "Alright, I get it. You’re affectionate. But do you mind giving me a little space?"

The slime giggled, a strange, liquid ripple running through its form. "But you’re warm."

Lucas deadpanned. "You’re literally a slime. Why do you care about warmth?"

The slime hummed as if considering the question before nuzzling against him again. "Because... it feels nice."

Lucas groaned, deciding not to argue. This thing clearly had no concept of personal space. If anything, it was too comfortable being close.

The slime finally loosened its grip—at least enough for Lucas to move again—before tilting its amorphous head curiously. "What’s your purpose?"

Lucas blinked. "My purpose?"

The slime bobbed up and down. "Yes. Why are you here?"

Lucas hesitated. That was a loaded question. He had a lot of things he wanted—like not being stuck in this godforsaken place—but if it was asking about his immediate goal...

"I need to get back to Raventhorn, Velmoria."

The slime stilled. "Raventhorn... Velmoria?"

There was something strange in its voice—an almost unfamiliarity, like it had never even heard those words before.

Lucas furrowed his brows. "Yeah. Raventhorn is a city. Velmoria is the kingdom it’s in."

The slime jiggled, as if processing that information. "City... kingdom... I don’t understand."

Lucas exhaled. "It’s a place where people live. A town, full of buildings, streets, and, you know, civilization."

The slime remained quiet for a moment before suddenly speaking again. "My purpose... is to find love."

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Love? Why love?"

The slime jiggled slightly, as if the question genuinely confused it. Then, it responded, its voice soft. "Because I heard it... in my sleep."

Lucas frowned. "In your sleep?"

The slime bobbed up and down, as if nodding. "Yes. A voice whispered to me. It said... ’Find love.’ I don’t know whose voice it was. But I listened."

Lucas exhaled sharply. "Great. So you’re following a random sleep whisper. Fantastic."

The slime giggled, still pressing lightly against his side. "Is that bad?"

Lucas groaned, rubbing his temples. "I don’t even know anymore."

There was a brief pause before the slime spoke again, its voice filled with certainty. "From now on, I will follow you."

Lucas snapped his head toward it. "Excuse me?"

The slime wobbled closer. "I’ve never seen another human before. You are the first."

Lucas took a slow breath, trying to process that. "Wait... you’re telling me you’ve been here all this time and never found anyone else?"

The slime’s form shivered. "No. Only creatures that move... and creatures that hunt. But never a human."

Lucas frowned. "What kind of creatures?"

The slime hesitated. "Things that slither. Things that watch. Things that... consume."

Lucas didn’t like the sound of that. "And you think sticking with me is the smart idea?"

The slime pressed closer again. "You are warm. And you talk. I like that."

Lucas sighed. "That’s not a good reason."

The slime jiggled playfully. "It is for me."

Lucas groaned. "Okay, look. This isn’t exactly a travel-friendly world. You sure you can keep up?"

The slime bobbed enthusiastically. "Yes! I can move fast. And I can change shape."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Change shape?"

The slime’s body suddenly wobbled and began to shift. In an instant, it compressed itself into a small, almost spherical blob, then stretched into something resembling a snake before reforming back into its previous state.

Lucas blinked. "Okay. That’s... actually kind of useful."

The slime jiggled proudly. "See? I will not slow you down."

Lucas exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. Do what you want. But don’t expect me to babysit you."

The slime let out a soft, happy sound before bouncing once. "Then, I will stay with you."

Lucas muttered under his breath. "Yeah, this won’t be a problem at all."

As he turned toward the cavern entrance, the air outside still thick with unnatural stillness, he had a sinking feeling that this was only the beginning of something much stranger than he had anticipated.

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute. How did you even find me? Was it just a coincidence?"

The slime jiggled slightly before shaking its semi-transparent head. "No. I found you because of your warmth."

Lucas frowned. "My warmth?"

The slime bobbed up and down. "Yes. You are warm, and I can feel warmth from far away. That is how I found you."

Lucas crossed his arms, his mind working through the information. "So, you’re saying you can track heat? Like... a living thermal scanner?"

The slime tilted its head. "Thermal... scanner? I do not know those words. But I can feel warmth."

Lucas sighed. "Right. Of course, you don’t know what that is."

He was about to ask something else when the slime continued, its voice slightly more curious.

"There is more warmth."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "More warmth?"

The slime nodded. "Yes. Below the cliffs. Many."

Lucas stiffened. "Wait. Many? You mean, a lot of them?"

The slime jiggled affirmatively. "Yes. I feel them below the rocks. A gathering of warmth."

Lucas’s mind immediately jumped to the most obvious conclusion. "That sounds like... people. Humans."

The slime blinked. "Humans? Are they humans?"

Lucas stared at it, his expression turning serious. "You don’t know?"

The slime hesitated before shaking its head. "I do not know. I only know warmth."

Lucas exhaled, running a hand through his hair. If the slime was right, then there were people nearby. A lot of them. And if that was true, then he needed to see it for himself.

"Take me there."

The slime tilted its head. "You want to see the warmth?"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah. If there really are people, I need to know."

The slime hesitated for a brief moment before bouncing lightly. "Okay. Follow me."

Without another word, the slime turned and began moving, gliding effortlessly across the rocky terrain. Lucas took a deep breath and followed.

If there really were humans here... then maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t as alone as he thought.

Lucas and the slime moved swiftly across the uneven ground, the cold air biting against his skin as they descended toward the encampment. As they reached the bottom of the cliff, the sight of large tents and wooden barricades greeted them.

Lucas let out a relieved breath, his lips curling into a small smile. "They’re human."

Finally. People. Civilization. A way out of this place.

But beside him, the slime remained still, its form subtly trembling.

"Are they truly human?" the slime murmured.

Lucas frowned, turning to it. "What do you mean? Of course, they are."

The slime shifted uneasily. "They are warm, yes... but it is not the same warmth as yours."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

The slime hesitated before continuing, its voice quieter. "When I sleep, I dream of humans. Their warmth feels soft, gentle, like yours. But these ones... they are warm, yet they make me feel sick."

Lucas’s expression darkened slightly. "Sick?"

The slime nodded, its translucent form rippling. "Yes. Their warmth is different. It does not comfort. It... burns. It twists. It reminds me of something horrible."

Lucas’s stomach tightened. "What did you see in your dreams?"

The slime wavered before speaking, its voice unnervingly empty. "In my dreams, humans were kind. They smiled. They helped each other. But these ones..." It trembled slightly. "They hold whips. They strike others—those with long ears. They laugh while others cry. They... ride them."

Lucas’s breath hitched. A deep unease settled in his chest.

"Are you sure?" he asked, though he already felt like he knew the answer.

The slime’s voice barely wavered. "Yes. And when I feel their warmth... I do not like it."

Lucas clenched his jaw. This was no longer just about finding people. If the slime was right, then something was very, very wrong with this place.

Steeling himself, he stepped forward. "I need to see this for myself."

Approaching the largest tent, he noticed something unsettling—the lack of guards. No one was outside keeping watch. Were they too confident? Or just careless?

Pushing aside the heavy fabric, he stepped in.

And immediately froze.

Rows of iron-barred cages lined the inside of the tent. And inside those cages—

Elves.

Dozens of them.

Bruised. Shackled. Some with fresh lash marks on their backs, others slumped against the bars, their eyes hollow and lifeless. The air reeked of sweat, blood, and despair.

Lucas’s fingers curled into a fist. The slime had been right.

This was no ordinary camp.

It was a prison. A slave camp.

Lucas’s breath caught in his throat as he took in the scene before him. The dim torchlight flickered against the iron cages, casting twisted shadows over the bruised and battered bodies inside. The elves—men, women, even some children—sat in silence, their once-proud figures reduced to something fragile and broken.

His stomach twisted.

The slime had been right.

The warmth he felt in this place wasn’t the warmth of comfort—it was the heat of suffering.

He was about to step further inside when a weak, raspy voice called out from one of the cages.

"Human... Do you remember me?"