Water and Fire Twins Magician

Jacques looked at the shiny slime in his hand and suddenly realized that their form was not completely fixed, but rather similar to a fluid, somewhere between liquid and solid, and it would change color. For example, just now a wind-type cave wolf happened to crawl over the wall next to it, and the slime's body was like being stained with green paint, with a few emerald green spots, and then it gradually dissolved like paint dripping into water, blending with the original color. When the cave wolf walked away, the emerald green also disappeared, and the slime returned to its original color.

"This color change is very special and beautiful, isn't it? This is also the reason why slime-type monsters are often kept as ornamental pets." Gandalf explained: "Because they are easily affected by the external environment. If they are often brought by their owners, they will gradually change into the color and shape that are characteristic of their owners."

Jacques kept staring at the five cave bears on the stairs who were pointing at the slime.

"I see." Gandalf suddenly said, "Why don't we use this characteristic of slime to find the weakness of the barrier? A creature composed of pure magical elements may be more sensitive to the elements than my sanctuary."

"No, compared to this..." Jacques stood up: "We searched every tree and blade of grass here before, but still missed a place..." He turned around and looked at the dark stairs connecting the second and third floors of the ruins.

"...It's true... It seems that I am getting old and confused." Gandalf's tone was a little embarrassed.

"It doesn't matter. This must have been done intentionally by the designer of the ruins." Jacques climbed the stairs holding the shiny slime in his hand.

The slime in his hand suddenly became very unstable. Its shape was like a candle that could be extinguished at any time in a strong wind, and the silly smile on his face turned into a pitiful look.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, this matter is very important to me, please be patient for a moment."

"Your words sound a bit like those of an older man with bad intentions coaxing a little girl."

"Shhhhh, shut up."

Jacques kept comforting the very unstable slime in his palm while slowly walking up the stairs and carefully observing his surroundings for any unusual circumstances.

But unexpectedly, after walking up only a dozen steps, the slime disappeared with a "puff".

"Oh... I'm sorry. I will take good care of your crystal core." Jacques respectfully put the slime's crystal core into his pocket, then turned back to find another slime.

This was repeated several times, and every time I walked to the same position, the slime disappeared. I didn't know if it was scared to death or for some other reason.

Could it be that there is something inside these stairs that the monsters are very afraid of? Maybe that is what Jacques and his companions are looking for.

"What should I do? I looked with my eyes and touched with my hands, but I didn't find anything unusual. Do I have to tear down the entire passage and knock down the walls?" Jacques was at a loss.

"It shouldn't be necessary. Otherwise, your father and all the ancestors of Marsala can't all come and tear down the wall and rebuild it, right?" said Gandalf.

"That makes sense. There are no signs of repairs on these steps and walls." Jacques nodded.

"We can try finding some slimes that look stronger. This should be the right direction," Gandalf suggested.

"Makes sense."

Jacques started to sweep again, waiting for the shiny slimes to spawn and trying to find the stronger ones among them.

Suddenly, something strange appeared among the slimes.

Jacques pushed aside a group of slimes crowded together and found an alien hiding among them.

It was a dull gray-black slime with a disgusting expression.

Jacques picked up the fiercely resisting slime and imprisoned it between his palms.

"Hey... Gandalf, what do you think of this one?" Jacques stretched his hand far away, not wanting to approach it at all.

"Ugh... It's indeed a slime I've never seen before... and it looks... so disgusting." Gandalf also felt a little disgusted.

"Yes, yes, I think so too, and...it looks a little familiar, like someone I've seen before..."

"It seems... the more I look at it, the more it resembles... It's just like that guy's slime brother. That disgusting man... Look! Does this little thing look angry? It's like it knows we're saying bad things about that guy."

"You think so too, right? But I don't have a deep impression... Do I know that person?"

"Of course, you have known him since the first day you were born. He is the fat Cardinal Paul." Gandalf said with gritted teeth, "The despicable man who plotted against me behind my back."