Chapter 6 - Laughter Amidst Danger
The blaring sound of warning trumpets still echoed through the air as Zeno, Gobu, and Bloo rushed toward the gathering crowd. The townspeople had already begun to panic—some slammed windows shut and barred doors, while others fled toward underground shelters. But those more seasoned—the adventurers and guards—moved with practiced urgency to their assigned positions.
Zeno paused briefly in front of the announcement board near the town square. A guard had just hammered a hastily-written notice:
> Threat approaching from the eastern forest. Most likely a Class-C monster group. All registered adventurers are requested to report at the East Gate. Double pay for participants.
Zeno sighed. "Double pay, huh? That's only if we come back in one piece."
Gobu read the note slowly and nodded. "Looks like... this will be more serious than those forest wolves."
Bloo let out a sluggish gurgle, like a slime being dragged to work on its day off.
Zeno patted Bloo's head. "Come on, no backing out now."
They sprinted toward the East Gate. Along the way, they passed all kinds of adventurers—some clad in shiny armor, others in tattered robes with nothing but wooden staffs. One burly man wielding a hammer the size of a calf laughed out loud to his friend, "Hope the monsters are tough! Just got this new hammer, hasn't seen blood yet!"
Zeno smirked. This world was strange. Some feared monsters, others hoped for them.
At the gate, chaos reigned. The gate captain—a towering man with a beard like steel wool—was barking out defensive formations.
"We'll build barricades near the farmland beyond the wall! They're coming from the river bend," he shouted. "Adventurers, form your own groups! Don't get in each other's way, but don't stray too far from the main line!"
Zeno, Gobu, and Bloo positioned themselves on the left flank.
Right beside them, a group of young adventurers struggled to assign roles. One of them—a scrawny guy with thick glasses—dropped his staff three times in five minutes.
Gobu whispered, "They look more like a chess club than a battle squad."
Zeno almost laughed. "Let's just hope they're not the first to die."
A voice shouted from the watchtower above, "Enemy in sight! Around twelve... no! Twenty! Mixed ogres and shadow creatures!"
Tension rippled through the ranks. Zeno tightened his grip on his sword.
"Gobu, guard Bloo's left side. Bloo, if things get rough, use your slime shield."
Bloo gurgled in agreement—well, more like puffed up like an approving balloon.
Heavy footsteps shook the ground.
The first monster broke through the tree line—an ogre with crooked horns, wielding a giant club. Behind it, several dark figures with glowing red eyes floated forward, more shadow than solid.
One ogre let out a roar and charged. The battle began.
Zeno parried the first blow and sidestepped with precision, slashing the beast's shoulder. Gobu swept in from behind, slicing at the ogre's knees—a perfect combo.
Bloo, surprisingly fast for a slime, tackled a sneaky shadow creature trying to flank Zeno. He enveloped it, then PLOP!—slammed it into the ground like sentient glue.
"Love your style, Bloo!" Zeno shouted.
Bloo bubbled happily, then mimicked a punch to the air... despite lacking arms.
Meanwhile, Gobu fended off two ogres at once. He waited, stepped back, then called, "Zeno! Above!"
Zeno looked up—an ogre was leaping from a large rock to crush them.
"BLOO!!"
Without hesitation, Bloo expanded into a slime shield, and—DOOOF!—the ogre bounced off like a sack of potatoes.
Nearby adventurers gasped.
"Who brought that slime? That was amazing!" one of them yelled.
Zeno chuckled dryly. "They sure don't seem to mind now."
Gobu laughed. "Maybe we should start renting Bloo out."
The battle raged for about thirty minutes. But thanks to solid coordination and teamwork, the attackers were pushed back.
Zeno struck down the last creature—a bat-like shadow monster—which dissolved into black mist.
Silence.
Adventurers cheered. Some collapsed onto the ground, others laughed in relief. The gate captain walked over, nodding at Zeno and his team.
"You three... not bad. Especially the slime," he said honestly. "You said they're monsters?"
Zeno nodded.
The captain eyed Bloo and Gobu thoughtfully, then sighed. "I've seen enough good today. Maybe it's time this town opens its doors a little wider."
Zeno just smiled.
As night fell and they returned to town, a surprise waited outside their inn.
A small child stood with a loaf of bread. He looked shyly at them, then stepped forward and held it out to Bloo.
"I saw you fight the monsters... You were awesome. Even if you look like jelly."
Bloo hugged the bread like it was a gold medal. Gobu, standing beside him, whispered, "You're a hero, Bloo."
The boy grinned and ran home.
That night, the inn's dining room was warm and filled with candlelight and the soft creaks of the wooden floor. Zeno leaned back in his chair, watching Bloo and Gobu divide bread and soup (Bloo just dipped into the bowl and bounced in satisfaction).
"Gobu," Zeno asked quietly, "do you regret coming with me?"
Gobu shook his head. "No. I used to think I was just a discarded creature. But now... I have a reason to stand tall. And friends to stand with."
Bloo let out a soft, warm bloop in agreement.
Zeno lowered his head, shoulders trembling slightly.
"Zeno... are you crying?" Gobu asked.
"No," Zeno replied quickly. "Just... got a speck of hope in my eye."
Gobu burst out laughing. Bloo imitated the sound, which came out more like a deflating balloon.
They slept that night in a tiny shared room, with straw beds and coarse pillows. But to them, it felt like a palace.
As he lay there, staring at the wooden ceiling, Zeno whispered, "Tomorrow, we start a new page. We'll become part of this world. Slowly, even if we have to laugh in the face of danger."
In the distance, a night trumpet echoed—not an alarm, but a sign that the city still breathed.
And so did their hope.
Author's Note:
Hey everyone,
First of all, thank you so much for reading up to Chapter 6. I just wanted to let you know that I haven't been feeling well lately—physically and mentally. I'm currently taking some time to rest and recover.
Because of that, Chapter 7 and the next updates might be a bit delayed. But don't worry—I'll do my best to keep the story going for all of you who've been following it.
Your support means the world to me. Please take care of yourselves too, and I hope to be back with more very soon.
– ZivanMuliadi