Believe it or not, judging by the title alone—you’ve probably guessed it. This so-called Phantom Beast named Nia? Her true form is a Slime… Yeah, *that* kind of Slime. The jelly-like, squishable blob that occasionally stars in… certain illustrated books as a “lady’s companion.”

In most isekai worlds—and RPG games—Slimes are rookie monsters. The weakest of the weak. Zero dignity. They come in all colors, usually blue. But Nia? As mentioned before, she’s golden.

Gold usually screams “premium edition”—like a noble-tier upgrade or a king’s aura. Darwin’s theory says animals rarely evolve flashy golden coats. Too eye-catching. Too easy to hunt. If something *is* that shiny? It’s usually a beast so terrifying, predators back off just seeing it from afar.

When Ilan’s group mentioned the legendary golden Phantom Beast, I’d imagined something majestic. Maybe a Beast King with shape-shifting powers. Something strong enough to solo a Sword Saint. The kind of monster a protagonist would recruit later. Definitely not… ordinary.

All this to say: I never expected the fearsome Phantom Beast to be a Slime. Okay, a *golden noble* Slime. Sure, some novels feature OP Slimes—but those are rarer than wild pandas. Not the norm.

“Holy crap?!” The words slipped out when I saw that giant, bouncy jelly… Slime.

The Slime—Nia—shuddered at my outburst. Then she said something that shocked me even more: “What did you just say?”

It wasn’t the words that stunned me. It was the *language*. She spoke *Chinese*. This Slime… was a transmigrator too?!

“For the nation’s good, I’ll risk my life?” I tested with the secret phrase.

“Why flee disaster or seek fortune?” Nia shot back fluently.

“Tiger of the Mountain God?”

“One-two-four-five!”

“Touma’s little third?”

“Shirley’s a bitch!”

“Fellow countryman!” After that meme exchange, I knew. Only someone from our world would nail those references. Same squad.

“Luo Sa?” Aefina stared at me, utterly lost. Even if she knew Chinese, the memes were impenetrable.

While Aefina blinked in confusion, Nia bounced over.

Aefina instantly blocked me with a claw, eyes sharp on Nia. Nia halted mid-hop, jiggling slightly. “I mean no harm, really…”

Seeing Aefina’s distrust, Nia added, “You can sense it—I can’t beat you. And Luo Sa? I’d never hurt him. I swear.” She produced a parchment scroll. Wait—her whole body’s transparent! Where’d that come from?!

A tendril extended from her gelatinous form, unrolling the scroll toward Aefina. “If you doubt me, I’ll sign a binding contract.”

“…” Aefina fell silent, then glanced at me. “Luo Sa?”

“Trust her.” I don’t know why, but I did. Humans? I’d be wary. Too many novels taught me about human ugliness. But a Slime? My guard dropped. Way lower.

“I’m Nia,” she pulsed with friendly mental waves.

“Hold up—why do I feel something weird?” I frowned at her.

“Weird? What weird?” Aefina scanned the area, then lowered her head. “Nothing’s here…”

“No, no—I mean… why do you *feel* friendly?! You don’t even have a face!” Staring at her blob form, I got this overwhelming sense of warmth. Seriously unsettling.

“Oh, that? Emotional leakage is a side effect of True Sight. Can’t turn it off.” As Nia spoke, a white flash rippled through her. Suddenly, info flooded our minds:

**[True Sight: Eyes that pierce all illusions. A prerequisite for touching truth. Holders of True Sight disdain deception.]**

“See? ‘Disdain deception’ means my emotions leak out.” Nia sighed. Clearly, this skill had screwed her over before.

Man, I’m jealous. True Sight? Back home, people called my eyes “dead fish eyes.” Why don’t *I* get a “pierce all illusions” skill? Where’s Hachiman’s blessing?! Unfair!

“Your dead fish eyes aren’t Hachiman’s truth-seeing ones… Wait, this has nothing to do with eyes!” Nia brutally dismantled my fantasy.

“You’ve got a point… WAIT. That was my *inner monologue*! I didn’t say it out loud! I’m not some edgy protagonist who skips quotation marks—I use them properly! How’d you hear it?!”

“Didn’t I say True Sight sees *everything*?” Somehow, I could *feel* her smugness radiating from that faceless blob. Next she’ll have a cicada mocking me.

“How is ‘everything’ this broad?!” If we were both protagonists, she’d be the author’s favorite. I’d be the kid adopted after being fished from a dumpster behind a phone store.

“And what’s with that skill description? Don’t tell me this is a game world and I’m just an NPC.” Brain-text felt weirdly familiar… but where from?

“Uh… that’s from my [System]. You know, *the* System?” Damn it. Nia’s definitely the favorite. She even has a cheat system.

“Limu? Never heard you had one. Did [Sage] evolve into it?”

“Mo Mo? She’s guarding home—I didn’t bring her. But ‘Limu’? Explain.”

“Ah… ignore the nickname. Who’s Mo Mo?”

“My spirit guide from transmigration. No combat skills, but she knows *everything*. Huge help. And don’t call me Limu. Call me Lady Nia.”

“I’ve got questions for Mo Mo. Sure thing, Limu. No problem, Limu.”

While Nia and I chatted, a bored Aefina had wandered off to nap nearby. I rushed to her side. Her giant eyes lifted to me… The pressure was intense.

“Aefina, come with us to Nia’s place. Then we’ll head to the capital. Wherever you go next—I’ll be there.” I gently touched her claw.

“…” She didn’t speak. Just shifted her claw aside so its edge wouldn’t nick me. That tiny tenderness made her even more captivating. My lords, I love Aefina.

“Let’s go. I need answers. Important ones.” I held out my hand again.

“If Luo Sa wishes… then yes.” Her voice was softer now—nothing like the first time she’d spoken in this form. Back then, I nearly went deaf.

“Come. I have things to ask. Things to say. Promises to keep. Norma was right—I was wrong. So… I want to tell you.” *Everything. My past. That I love you. This time, no more silence.*

Just as the moment felt perfect—

The mood-killer arrived. Or rather, bounced.

Nia hopped between us, utterly oblivious to the ruined atmosphere. Unlike normal Slimes—pillow-sized, square ones (not the wife-printed kind)—Nia stood shoulder-high when still. Her dewdrop-shaped body was wider than tall. So her bouncing? Loud. Very loud.

“Aefina… so beautiful. Are all Great Dragons this lovely?” Nia gushed.

“M-me?” Aefina flinched at the praise.

Aefina was a Silver Dragon—but nothing like the dragons in books.

I’d never seen another dragon, but illustrations always showed lizard-like beasts with long necks, powerful limbs, and thick chests. Built for strength.

Dragons were long creatures, yes—but necks and tails dominated their length. To move freely, their torsos needed immense muscle. Most dragons radiated raw power.

Not Aefina. Her frame was slender—elegant. In human form, she seemed fragile. In dragon form? Pure grace. No brute force. Just breathtaking beauty.

“No dragon holds a candle to *my* Aefina,” I bragged, as if Nia had complimented me.

“Says the guy who’s never seen another dragon. Almost choked on my snack—wait…” Nia paused, muttering under her breath, “Huh… so that’s it…”

“Come with us, Aefina,” Nia invited warmly.