Leaving Martha to manage the expansive farmstead, Fufi and Bob trudged through the forest to find a different magical girl, or possibly a nymph that possessed a connection to a magical girl. Despite Martha's occasional check-ins, the vastness of the farmstead overwhelmed a certain slime girl, consuming most of her time and limiting her interactions with Alex and the others. Consequently, the responsibility of safeguarding Alex's soul tree fell solely upon the shoulders of Merumeru.

  In an area patrolled by a vigint squishy blue girl, various farm animals posed potential threats. The cow, with its suspicious side-eye and constant chewing motions, seemed particurly menacing. Its unusual behavior left Merumeru uncertain about its intentions. Sheep, with their adorable fluffy wool, were another concern. They devoured any pnts they could reach. Chickens, however, appeared to be harmless. They possessed beaks, but cked the threatening features of Fufi, the slime girl's companion. Additionally, they were the only creatures on the farm shorter than Merumeru, reducing their intimidation factor.

  After careful consideration, Merumeru concluded that a protective wall around the tree was the most effective solution against the farm's animal threats. The following day, armed with knowledge gained from Alex about crafting sand bricks differently from stone and cy, Merumeru began construction. She remembered Fufi's emphasis on cuteness at the adventurer's guild. Incorporating gss bricks into the wall would not only enhance its appearance but also allow light to filter through. Excited to showcase her improved skills, Merumeru eagerly embraced the challenge of building a charming and functional wall around the tree.

  As Merumeru continued stacking bricks in a circur pattern, she pondered aloud, "Should I incorporate a door into this wall?" The only creature within earshot was the rge bull from earlier.

  The bovine responded with a "Mooooo" while grazing on grass. Merumeru gnced at the cow but promptly resumed her work when it didn't react further.

  Upon finishing the final brick, Merumeru excimed, "Pipes are what this wall needs. Pipes are the best!"

  The slime girl then went to the cart where the pipes from the dungeon were stored. The right shapes to make a gate out of them were not present. However, that didn't matter to Merumeru. She was the best plumber in this forest and could just eat the metal and turn it into the shape she needed inside of her. Slimes are amazing after all.

  Merumeru began to craft a pipe-gate. In about an hour she had a nice grid of conjoined pipes that was the same size as the entrance to the inside of the walled area.

  "Pipes are awesome! You know what would make this better? More pipes!" Merumeru pulled more pipes slowly from her body.

  The bovine ate and observed. He didn't move his head much but she still got the feeling he was staring. Maybe it was just something about cow eyes but this one seemed to always be staring.

  "Now we just need to attach it to the wall and make it swing. Hmm how to do that?" Merumeru thought, picturing a hinge.

  The cow snorted and walked a few paces closer to eat some fresh grass.

  "I don't think he likes me." Merumeru eyed the encroaching bovine. “My what big horns you have.”

  The bull stopped chewing. Uh oh.

  "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to do some plumbing. Mister cow, stay away please." Merumeru made a shooing motion with her little hands.

  The bull took a step forward.

  "Moo." The rge creature walked forward and inspected the newly erected wall, sniffing loudly as he went.

  "I'm just building a wall around the apple tree. No farm animals are allowed! That is the new rule. I just made it up right now. So you have to listen." Merumeru tried to sound brave but the cow was much bigger than her.

  "Mooo." The bovine continued to inspect the wall, nostrils fring.

  "It is pointless, you can't break the wall. Once I finish this gate you have to stay on the other side. So don't try anything funny." Merumeru watched the beast approach the wall.

  "Moooo," the bull repeated, a bit louder. He tested the wall by leaning against it.

  Merumeru watched with pride as the wall stood firm, a testament to her abilities despite her small stature. A zy bovine wandered away in search of more grazing.

  Seizing the opportunity, Merumeru completed the gate, crafting a hinge from dissolved and reformed rusted metal. Using her slime powers, she merged the hinge into the stone and created a tch on the other side, imitating gates she had seen on the farm. This "pipe gate" showcased the wall's superiority, making it the best gate on the farm.

  Merumeru's achievements as the creator of the best wall and gate earned her the title of "best girl." As a reward for her remarkable pipe gate and spin-spin well pump creation, the system presented her with a message. A delightful fanfare pyed in her mind as the information washed over her, a well-deserved recognition of her exceptional work.

  [Level up! Css Plumber is now level 2]

  [New ability unlocked portal pipe]

  Portal pipe: With this skill the best slime girl crafts a pipe that links to another pipe that is exactly the same in another pce. Only those dressed in the sacred plumber outfit can enter the portal pipe and come out the other end. Pipe-kun will reject entry to any not appropriately dressed.

  Merumeru's triumph of leveling up was short-lived as trouble loomed in the form of a menacing herd.

  The next wave of attacks originated from an unexpected source - the sheep. A compact group of range rats approached the wall, sniffing it inquisitively. Merumeru anticipated their cunning tricks, but they appeared unmotivated in their assault, which perplexed her. Alex had mentioned that with each wave, the attacks were supposed to intensify, but the sheep wave seemed easier than the previous cow wave. Despite this anomaly, Merumeru remained vigint in preparation for the third wave.

  Following the sheep's departure, a new flock arrived - the chickens.

  "Hello, little fel." Merumeru said to the first bird who pecked around in front of Merumeru. She was safely standing behind the closed and tched gate.

  "Begok." The chicken clucked back.

  Several more chickens approached the wall, initially appearing more absorbed with the ground. Upon investigating the wall, some chickens fpped their wings and successfully nded on sections of the pipe gate. Merumeru's attempt to shoo them away merely resulted in them fpping higher and nding even higher. She realized her mistake: the wall was too steep for the chickens to climb, but the gate was not, as they could tch their small, cwed feet onto it.

  Eventually, the chickens found their way onto the wall via the gate. Some of them seemed to enjoy being on top of the wall, a behavior that puzzled Merumeru. Their actions made little sense to her; they simply walked around and pecked at things. She had expected a hostile enemy to charge straight towards the tree, but the chickens did not. She wondered if they were simply foolish.

  Meanwhile, the rest of the flock remained busy scratching and digging. However, they gradually approached, seemingly drawn by the fpping noises of the climbing chickens. Before long, several chickens were strutting on top of the wall as if they owned it.

  "What's going on here?" Merumeru wondered. Could the chickens be plotting an assault? This was nothing like Alex’s adventure in the clockwork dungeon.

  Near the wall, the cattle gathered. In contrast to before, there was only one bull present. Like before, the entire group of cows were chewing on something. Do cows ever stop chewing? Fortunately, the herd didn't appear to be regrouping for another assault. She kept a watchful eye on them. Those cows might be up to something sneaky. Maybe the bull gathered reinforcements for a second attack since the wall had previously defeated him.

  On the other side of the wall, a rge worm emerged from the dirt, causing several chickens to interrupt their strutting on top of the wall to rush towards the wriggling worm. The birds unched themselves off the wall with fpping wings. Although chickens couldn't fly properly, they could fp their wings loudly and glide towards anything that caught their attention.

  "What on earth are you doing!?" Merumeru yelled at the chickens in astonishment.

  The worm was completely oblivious to the impending danger. In a split second, the first chicken arrived, its sharp beak pecking at the worm and pulling it out of the ground. The bird didn't hesitate, swallowing the worm whole in one merciless bite. Merumeru gulped, amazed by the chickens' boldness and efficiency. They devoured their opponents without hesitation, showing no mercy.

  "Behold the mighty chickens' predatory prowess!" Merumeru excimed, marveling at their skills. The worm stood no chance against them.

  The rest of the chickens descended upon the area, indulging in a feast of worms and insects. Merumeru observed them closely, watching for any suspicious behavior.

  "Aha! You're allies, protecting Alex from leaf-eating bugs!" Merumeru excimed, jumping up and down before the brood of chickens.

  The chickens turned their attention to Merumeru.

  "How about joining the tree protection army? Interested?" Merumeru inquired, but the chickens remained silent, their attention span seemingly limited.

  "I'll take that as a yes. You're all hired!" Merumeru decred, gesturing with her hand.

  Merumeru had successfully completed the tree defense event, though it unfolded differently than she had anticipated. The only comparable experience she could recall was Alex's tale of defending the prince from sirens in a dungeon. For him, the waves grew increasingly intense, but for her, they became easier. The cow wave posed the greatest challenge, followed by the sheep wave, which was less formidable. Surprisingly, the chicken wave consisted entirely of allies.

  Amidst the setting sun, some chickens chose to roost on the wall instead of returning to the hen house. Merumeru interpreted this as a desire to guard the tree. However, despite attempts to provide them with chicken-sized guard posts and helmets, the chickens knocked off the helmets, failing to grasp Fufi's intelligent pn.

  The night passed peacefully. After three days of tree defense, Merumeru decided to explore the portal. Although the chicken army showed no objection to her pn, she still took the time to create a sister pipe to the one in the adventurer's guild basement. Guided by her earlier dungeon run, Merumeru hoped the pipe would lead her to an underground pce filled with coins and turtles. However, her initial attempt had proven unsuccessful due to the need for paired pipes, as indicated by her portal pipe skill. She could pair the pipe to the one in the adventurer’s guild but that was it for now.

  Merumeru sensed Alex's unease about the missing nymph. Despite the diligent search, the nymph remained elusive. The slime girl suspected that a treasure in the dungeon might offer assistance. Additionally, it was crucial to determine whether the antagonists had overcome the trap she'd set before their departure. To communicate her pn, she created a drawing on a stone tablet, depicting a stick figure, and left it on the farmhouse porch. The visual that should make her pns obvious to anyone that saw it.

  melchi