Kazuki Arata had once tripped over his own shoelaces and accidentally set off a chain reaction that stopped a volcanic eruption. That was still somehow less ridiculous than what happened last night.
He woke up on the soft mossy floor of a jungle glade, sun filtering through dense canopies overhead, birds chirping harmonies that belonged in some enchanted dream. Smile was sitting on his chest. Not resting. Sitting. Like a king on a throne.
"Good morning, Your Goopness," Kazuki groaned, brushing his hair away from his face. "Where even are we?"
The slime gurgled happily. It didn't answer, of course—it never did. But the way it wobbled made Kazuki feel like it was mocking him.
From a high branch above, Kiji-no-Hane ruffled his magnificent wings and sneered.
"You teleported us during your sleep again. This is the third time in two days," the eagle hissed. "I swear, your mana control is that of a drunk raccoon."
"I… I don't remember doing that!"
"You never do."
Kazuki sat up with a groan. The place was new—vibrant, green, humid. Thick vines coiled around ancient trees. Mist clung to the air like ghostly silk. The ground squished beneath his weight, alive with pulsing mana.
It was beautiful.
It was eerie.
It was not anywhere near where they were supposed to be.
The Jungle of Hissoku
A sign half-buried in moss confirmed it:
「You now enter: Hissoku no Mori」
—Forest of Silent Fangs.
A chill ran down Kazuki's back. Even Smile stopped bouncing. Kiji-no-Hane landed beside him, talons carving shallow trenches into the earth.
"There are no towns nearby," the eagle said. "No guild outposts either. This is deep wilderness… And not the cuddly kind."
Kazuki gulped. "Dangerous?"
"Let's just say I wouldn't nap here if I were you."
Trouble Brewing
As they pushed deeper into the jungle, something felt off.
The mana here wasn't like in the city or the mountains. It was heavy. Slow. Thick and almost sticky, like it was waiting to pounce. Kazuki glanced at his interface—his level hadn't changed, but his mana control was twitchy.
Smile occasionally hopped in random directions, like it sensed something moving beneath the soil.
"Maybe we should go back," Kazuki said nervously. "Or, y'know… dig a hole and wait for danger to pass?"
But then came the whisper.
It was faint at first. A hiss on the edge of thought. A voice that didn't enter through the ears—but straight into the brain.
"Two legs… chaos-bound… How curious."
Kazuki froze. So did Kiji-no-Hane.
"Did you hear that!?"
"Yes," the eagle growled. "And I don't like what it means."
Smile puffed into a bubble and deflated dramatically.
"Little system-breaker," the voice hissed again. "Come closer. Let me see what your chaos tastes like."
The King Beneath the Roots
They followed the whispers. Not because it was smart—because Smile started bouncing in that direction with purpose.
Soon they arrived at a giant tree. No, a titan. It rose so high the top vanished into mist. At its base, twisted roots curled around an ancient stone shrine, cracked and bleeding with slow green light. And at its center… a massive snake lay coiled in slumber.
Pitch-black scales shimmered like obsidian mirrors. A golden crest curled above its crown like a flame frozen in motion.
Kazuki didn't move.
The King Cobra opened one eye.
It was slit-pupiled. Ancient. Amused.
"I felt your magic from leagues away. A thread of chaos dangling in my jungle. How noisy."
Kazuki bowed instinctively. "Um. Hi?"
Kiji-no-Hane stiffened. "You are… Naga-Rai."
"So the sky king remembers," the cobra coiled higher. "And yet he brings me a clown with broken fate."
Kazuki blinked. "Hey, I'm not a—wait, broken fate?"
Smile bounced forward and squelched once.
Naga-Rai eyed the slime.
"You bring… that. Hah. You must be the fool fate whispers about. The one who falls and yet stands tall."
Kazuki scratched his head. "That sounds vaguely nice. I think?"
"Child of chaos," the snake said, slithering down from his perch, "I have slumbered long. Guarding this place. Testing intruders. But you—you amuse me."
"Shall we see if your luck can dodge venom?"
A pulse of poison mana burst out—so sudden and overwhelming it nearly knocked Kazuki off his feet. Kiji-no-Hane took flight immediately, shielding Kazuki with a gust of wind feathers.
But Smile simply bounced forward, absorbed the blast, and belched.
The poison dissipated.
Naga-Rai blinked slowly.
"…Hah. You really are a walking error."
Trial by Venom
What followed was… not exactly a battle.
It was more like a dance of death, with Kazuki ducking under trees, tripping over vines, and dodging venom blasts purely by mistake. Smile warped reality just enough to keep him alive, while Kiji-no-Hane refused to interfere, citing "trial rules."
After thirty minutes of hilariously unintended counterattacks (including an accidental tree collapse and a waterfall slide), Kazuki crashed face-first into the shrine.
A stone fell. Landed on Naga-Rai's tail.
"…I yield," the cobra said after a long pause. "Any longer and I might actually die of laughter."
Kazuki, drenched in mud, blinked. "So… I passed?"
"You tripped through my trial. No one has ever done that. I am curious what other nonsense follows you."
The snake lowered his head.
"Very well. I shall slither in your shadow. Let the world see what happens when venom walks beside chaos."
🟣 New Companion Acquired!
Naga-Rai – The Regal King Cobra
Joined the party!
Special Trait: "Venomous Rule" – his presence passively weakens enemy mana flow.
Bond Level: 1 (Slightly amused)
As the sun dipped below the canopy, the party made camp beside a bubbling stream.
Kazuki flopped onto his back, arms spread wide. "How… do I keep getting friends like this?"
Kiji-no-Hane perched in silence.
Smile snuggled on his chest.
Naga-Rai coiled nearby, watching the firelight flicker.
"Chaos," the cobra murmured, "is strangely… contagious."