Slime Immortal.

Chapter 181 Returning to Instinct
Chen Yu didn't feel anything special about the scene, but Arno seemed to have some deep-seated memories stirred up.

He reached out and gently stroked the hardwood round shield on the weapon rack, its fingertips tracing the marks of varying depths on its surface, a look of nostalgia in his eyes.

"How about it? Is this place alright?" Nelly strolled over.

Arno nodded, his tone tinged with emotion: "It's great, full of... the atmosphere of real combat. I just never thought I'd have the chance to stand on this training ground, a symbol of knightly glory, again in my lifetime."

"I heard that you participated in the knight training camp of the White Horse Kingdom in your early years?" Kahn asked from the side.

Arno readily admitted, his voice calm: "That's right, but later... due to a sudden illness, I was ultimately eliminated and had to leave that place."

"It's a pity to hear that."

Kahn expressed appropriate sympathy, then straightened his expression and got to the point.

"Since that's the case, you should be clear about the rules, so I won't go into details."

"Then, mount your companion and let us have a fair duel." His tone was solemn and serious, full of the ritualistic feeling between knights.

Arno's expression froze, and he turned to Nelly somewhat awkwardly. "Uh, Aunt, didn't you tell Knight Kahn that I... I don't have a mount yet?"

Nelly suddenly realized and spread her hands innocently: "I saw you acting all confident the other day, and I didn't even see you practice riding. I thought you had already mastered it, so I forgot to mention it."

"Besides, where are you going to find a horse for Gore? Just have Kahn lead the way and make do with a lizard mount."

"Yes, Lady Nelly."

Kahn waved to his subordinates, and several caveman knights who were waiting nearby immediately obeyed the order and quickly walked to the lizard stable next to them. Soon they brought out a grayish-brown lizard mount that looked relatively docile.

Kahn explained, "We found this guy about two weeks ago in an underground cave near Gore, and he's the only mount the Knights haven't been assigned yet."

"Its temperament is fairly mild, but it's a bit afraid of strangers. It might be a little disobedient when it encounters unfamiliar people, so you need to be patient."

"If you feel it's not suitable, we can spend more time finding a more docile or more powerful mount for you."

"No need for that, this will do." Arno waved his hand.

He wasn't picky, but he had never ridden a lizard before and didn't know what it would feel like.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Arno cautiously approached the lizard mount.

Just as Kahn had said, this guy was terrified of strangers. As soon as Arno approached, he became restless, his thick neck thrashing about and his four paws scratching the ground anxiously, as if he wanted to escape this tense environment at any moment.

"Sweetie, relax, buddy, I mean you no harm..." Arno took a deep breath, using his past experience in taming horses, slowed his movements, and soothed him in a calm tone, while slowly approaching and extending his hand to let him become familiar with his scent.

After a while, the lizard mount seemed to gradually get used to his presence and was no longer so resistant to his touch. Arno seized the opportunity and tried to flip himself onto it.

At first glance, his actions of calming the person down and putting them on the saddle seemed quite convincing, and the taming process appeared to be quite successful.

However, the problem soon became apparent.

Because there was almost no prior coordination between Arno and his lizard mount, when Arno tried to control it to move forward, the lizard walked erratically and executed commands haltingly, completely unable to synchronize.

"Trouble..."

Arno scratched his head, looking somewhat troubled.

The way he was used to handling horses was obviously different from that of the lizard, and this first time riding one felt quite awkward.

If it's just to pass the trial, perhaps with his current strength and swordsmanship, even if his riding skills are a bit rusty, it would be barely enough.

But the problem is—the boss made a bet with my aunt!

He absolutely cannot lose!

If a subordinate fails to protect his boss's prize because of his poor riding skills, then he is a very incompetent subordinate.

Nelly immediately noticed his embarrassment, put her hands on her hips, hummed smugly, and her face was full of confidence.

Just as Arno was racking his brains, the slime on his shoulder suddenly moved.

Chen Yu wriggled the gel and spat out the talent ball that Bat Slime No. 2 had sent earlier.

"Feeding this to it should help."

"okay."

Upon hearing this, Arno immediately took the soft, gel-like ball. He reached out again and brought it close to the lizard mount's mouth, coaxing, "Good boy, eat this. It's good stuff."

The lizard mount was initially somewhat resistant to Arno's hand, but upon seeing the alluring gel ball, its gaze was instantly captivated.

For some reason, it found the lump of food to be delicious, causing its mouth to water involuntarily.

Without hesitation, the lizard stuck out its tongue, curled it up, and swallowed the ball of talent.

With a "glug," the gel ball slid down his throat. The lizard mount's body trembled slightly, as if it sensed some kind of strange change. When it looked at Arno and the little slime on his shoulder, its wariness and unfamiliarity had largely dissipated, replaced by a sense of familiarity.

"Hiss..." It let out a low, gentle groan and nuzzled Arno's arm affectionately with its large head.

The sight drew expressions of surprise and admiration from the surrounding caveman knights.

"It was tamed so quickly?"

"As expected of someone who has participated in the kingdom's formal knight training."

Nelly looked at Chen Yu suspiciously and lowered her voice, saying, "Hey, little one, you're not cheating, are you? I'm watching you. Don't try to get away with anything."

Chen Yu blinked innocently, "Of course not, it's Arno's personal charm."

"Really? Fine, I'll trust you this time, but you have to come with me to watch the game outside the arena, so you don't do anything underhanded."

Arno patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, boss, I will do my best."

"it is good."

Chen Yu's gel-like body swayed up and down, and he secretly secreted two small clumps of special gel. After telling Arno how to use it, he lightly jumped and landed on Nili's outstretched palm.

"Hehe, come with your aunt to the stands, little guy, don't try to cheat."

Nelly held him in her arms like a hand warmer, and together with the other caveman knights, they left the center of the training ground and came to the viewing area on the edge.

In the arena, only Arno, riding his lizard mount, and Kahn, who was on high alert, remained.

Following his boss's instructions, Arno secretly affixed one of the clumps of gel to the lizard mount's forehead.

Immediately afterward, a hint of surprise flashed in Arno's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

He merely nudged the lizard's belly with his heel, and the previously unruly mount obediently began to trot nimbly and steadily to the front of Kahn.

Kahn was slightly surprised, but did not ask any further questions. He simply said in a deep voice, "Mr. Arno, I am ready to begin at any time."

"I'm ready too."

Arno closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, the edges and sharpness that had been worn down by life burst forth from his eyes once more, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

At that moment, he felt as if he had traveled back in time to his youth, to those passionate years when he spent his days dealing with sweat, training, horses, and monsters. And this time, there would be no more surprises.

He will become a true knight.

The two faced off in the arena, and an invisible aura began to rise and clash, as if a tense fighting spirit permeated the air.

Seeing this from the sidelines, Nellie couldn't help but marvel: "Wow, this aura actually looks pretty impressive."

She shouted into the arena, "Kahn, don't hold back, teach this young man a lesson for me. Don't hold back, or you'll regret it."

Upon hearing this, Kahn paused slightly, gripped the enchanted round shield and spear in his hands, and then nodded seriously.

"Yes, Lady Nelly."

He turned to Arno, his tone slightly apologetic but more earnest, "Mr. Arno, I'm sorry, but orders cannot be disobeyed."

Chen Yu also bounced around in Nellie's arms to encourage Arno: "Arno, show your full strength and spirit, don't let them underestimate you."

"Yes!"

Arno responded loudly, suddenly drawing the broadsword that looked quite heavy. He gripped the hilt tightly with one hand, his eyes fixed intently on Kahn.

“Come on, Knight Kahn!” he hissed.

"it is good!"

Without any unnecessary words, Kahn immediately jerked the reins, urging his lizard mount to charge.

The lizard's initial speed was astonishing. It pawed at the ground with its four claws and charged towards Arno like an arrow released from a bow, its speed even exceeding that of a galloping horse on the plain.

Although Arno was already on high alert, he still suffered from his lack of experience. He didn't expect the lizard mount to start moving so quickly. In just a moment, Kahn had already rushed in front of him, thrusting out his spear with a cold glint.

He hastily raised his sword to parry, but he did not expect that Kahn's thrust was a feint. The spear twitched in mid-air, bypassed the broadsword's defensive range, and pierced into the gap in his arm.

Arno's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively leaned back to try to dodge. His lizard mount seemed to have a mind of its own, as if it could predict his movements and coordinate with his shift in center of gravity to help him narrowly avoid the attack.

His horsemanship was unusual.

This stone descendant doesn't seem as simple as he appears.

The thought flashed through Kahn's mind. Instead of rushing close to Arno to engage in a prolonged fight just because he had the upper hand, he steered his mount to quickly create distance, cautiously observing and looking for the next opportunity.

After all, caveman knights do not have an advantage in pure strength; what makes them stronger is their rock-hard physique and endurance.

On the other hand, Arno was wielding a broadsword, yet he swung it with ease and steady breathing. He guessed that Arno's strength must not be too low, probably close to the limit of an ordinary warrior, only slightly inferior to his own.

Unlike human knights who favor head-on charges and direct confrontations, caveman knights have lived for generations in narrow tunnels and complex jungles, and their tactics tend to be more flexible and mobile guerrilla warfare.

Even if they are not as strong as their opponents, they can still wear down human knights by relying on the great endurance brought by their racial talents and the unparalleled agility of their lizard mounts in complex terrain.

Therefore, an ancient proverb circulates among cave dwellers: "Observation is the sharpest weapon of cave dwellers."

Cave dwellers are better at patiently observing while maneuvering, figuring out their opponent's attack patterns, strength, and habitual movements, and then seizing the opening to launch a fatal blow.

This is the fighting instinct their ancestors forged with blood and lives while hunting in the perilous underground world.

After probing, Kahn quickly retreated, taking advantage of Arno's lack of skill in controlling the lizard mount, and began to linger at the edge of the training ground.

He was like a patient hunter, sometimes making quick incursions and launching one or two swift, harassing thrusts with his spear. Whether he hit or missed, he would immediately retreat and never linger in battle.

They kept draining Arno's energy, trying to provoke him and make him reveal a bigger weakness.

"Arno, give it your all, beat him up!" Nelly excitedly waved her fists, as if she were actually there, as if she were the one fighting him.

Chen Yu looked up and asked curiously, "Didn't you bet he would lose? Why are you cheering him on?"

With Arno not around, Nelly could finally extend her index finger without any hesitation and gently poke the soft, bouncy slime in her arms, chuckling as she spoke:

“Silly boy, your aunt doesn’t want him to lose. A bet is a bet, but if he wins, it means the family will have another powerful stone descendant. I’ll be overjoyed.”

"But in my opinion, it seems a bit difficult for him to win."

"I disagree. You just wait and see."

Chen Yu's entire gel-like body exuded a calm aura, and then he snuggled into Nellie's arms to find a more comfortable position.

"Well, you must have secretly left him some backup plan, right? Confess!"

"No."

"Really not? I don't believe it!" Nelly gently scratched the slime's "ticklish spot" with her finger, trying to get it to tell the truth.

While the two were still engaged in a pointless argument, Arno once again dodged Kahn's attack.

He was about to retaliate when he discovered that Kahn had already retreated far away, creating a safe distance between them once again.

Kahn's riding speed was clearly abnormal. Not only was the lizard mount itself powerful, but it also seemed to be receiving some kind of speed boost from the knight class, making it difficult for him to react in time.

However, it was this feeling of frustration that, like a spark falling into dry tinder, ignited Arno's long-dormant fighting spirit.

He was no longer anxious; instead, he became completely immersed in the battle. His mind raced, and the knightly tactics and training instincts that had been buried deep in his mind for many years began to take effect.

A thought flashed through his mind. He pretended to pursue, and once again swung his broadsword fiercely, deliberately not immediately withdrawing his strength to defend, thus exposing an opening in his body.

Although Kahn suspected Arno of doing it on purpose, he didn't intend to let this good opportunity slip by, after all, his margin for error was much higher than that of this Stoneborn who hadn't yet become a knight.

The lizard mount lunged forward, its spear whistling as it tore through the air, aiming straight for Arno's vulnerable left hand.

【puncture】

Just when he thought Arno was about to be unable to dodge, his mount miraculously changed direction once again, helping Arno dodge the spear and deliberately circling behind Kahn's right-hand side to create a blind spot and area of ​​vision.

【Hack】

Without any hesitation, Arno used the momentum of his mount and the twisting force of his waist to slash down with his broadsword at Kahn's vulnerable right rear side.

Kahn was, after all, an experienced knight. In the critical moment, his fighting instincts left him no time to think. He simply twisted his body and used his sense of touch to shield his left arm with the enchanted round shield behind him.

"clang--!!!"

The broadsword and the enchanted round shield collided solidly, the sound of the impact making one's eardrums tingle.

An immense force, far exceeding Kahn's expectations, surged through the shield like a burst dam, reaching his arm and numbing half of his body.

wrong!

This is not the power an ordinary soldier should possess!

His expression changed slightly, and he almost lost his grip on the shield. His lizard mount was also pushed and staggered backward several steps.

(End of this chapter)