Clive was on his way back towards Garrett's forge when a high pitch sound split the night air. It began as a whisper, then swelled to a cacophony with the howling of distant winds, followed by shrill animal cries.

  Around him, windows that had been dark moments ago flickered with lamplight as villagers were roused from their sleep.

  "What’s going on?" Clive muttered, turning toward the source of the disturbance.

  At the far end of the square, the air fractured, creating a vertical tear in space. Its edges pulsed with violet black flames that cast shadows across the cobblestones. The tear widened, revealing not the buildings that should have been visible through it, but an absolute darkness that seemed to swallow the moonlight.

  Then, something emerged.

  A viscous, gelatinous tentacle, glistening with an oily sheen, oozed through the tear. A bulbous mass followed through it. It was a pulsating orb of translucent slime, with darker nuclei floating within its form that glowed with the same faint black light as the portal's edge.

  "Gods above," Clive whispered, frozen in horror as the creature hauled itself fully into the square. Its amorphous body slithered across the cobblestones with a wet, sucking sound, leaving behind a trail of viscous residue that dissolved the mortar between stones where it touched.

  But it wasn't alone.

  Behind it came smaller slimes. They flowed forward in waves, their gelatinous bodies shivering and quivering.

  [Shadowslime]

  Power level: 15

  What’s going on… Certainty?

  [Certainty: Hmm, seems like Hades has made his move.]

  Hades… Who? What do you mean?

  [Certainty: Can’t say much more. Good luck, Clive. Try to survive.]

  Huh? Survive what?

  [Certainty: …]

  Certainty?

  [Goddess of Certainty is currently unavailable. Please try again later.]

  Damn it.

  [New Quest: Survive the Incursion]

  [Reward: 2 Certainty Point]

  "It's an incursion!" came a shout from across the square. Clive turned to see a man in a nightcap leaning out of a second-story window, his face pale with terror in the moonlight.

  “The Demon King attacks!”

  From the eastern edge of the square, the clanking of metal heralded the arrival of armored figures. "Gather the town guards!" The cry spread from house to house as shutters flew open and faces appeared in windows, expressions shifting from sleepy confusion to horror.

  The largest slime surged forward. Its mass split and reformed as it engulfed a market stall, causing the wooden structure to creak and dissolve with a hiss of acrid steam. Several of the smaller slimes broke away from the main group, flowing toward the nearest houses.

  A squad of town guards arrived on the scene, their armor hastily donned, some still fastening straps as they formed a line between the slimes and the closest cluster of homes.

  "Shadowslimes," One of the guards hissed.

  Their captain, a broad-shouldered man, raised his sword.

  "For Marblehaven!" he cried, and his guards surged forward in formation.

  What followed was both valiant and futile. Swords slashed through gelatinous bodies, parting them momentarily only for the wounds to seal immediately after. Spears thrust into the larger masses simply disappeared, consumed as the slimes flowed up the shafts toward the horrified guards. One guard swung a heavy mace into a medium-sized slime, only for the weapon to sink in and become stuck, pulling him off balance and into the creature's embrace. His screams cut off sickeningly as the translucent mass enveloped his head.

  [Shadowslime immune to physical damage]

  "Fall back!" the captain shouted, his voice cracking with desperation. "They're immune to physical attacks. We need the mages!"

  A young guard broke from the retreating line, running toward the eastern district. Clive recognized him as Jerome, the gatekeeper. "Summon the Arcanum mages!" Jerome called out, his voice fading as he disappeared down a side street.

  The guards regrouped, forming a defensive perimeter as the villagers fled behind them. But the slimes continued their relentless advance, flowing around obstacles, merging and splitting at will. One guard fell, then another, their armor offering no protection as the acidic touch of the slimes began to eat through metal and flesh alike.

  The captain fought with desperate courage, but Clive could see the fear in his eyes as he realized they were fighting a losing battle. The mages would come too late. The villagers trapped in their homes would be consumed.

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Something hot and fierce ignited in Clive's chest. He couldn't stand by and watch as their world dissolved into slime.

  His hand moved to his color palette.

  "What are you doing, fool?" the captain called out. "Run while you—"

  [Paint: Red Fireball I]

  He painted a perfect sphere of crimson flame that hovered in the air. Then, with a gesture, Clive sent it hurtling toward the largest slime.

  The fireball struck the center of the gelatinous mass and exploded in a spectacular burst of scarlet flame. The slime's body boiled and hissed, parts of it evaporating instantly while others blackened and hardened like caramel. A high-pitched keening filled the air as the creature's form destabilized, chunks of partially solidified slime falling to the cobblestones with wet smacks.

  [Shadowslime is weak to magic]

  [Red Fireball Dmg x2]

  For the first time since they emerged from the portal, the slimes paused in their advance. As one, their amorphous forms rippled, bubble-like sensory organs forming across their surfaces as they all turned toward Clive.

  The remaining guards stared in astonishment. The captain's mouth hung open for a moment before he recovered his composure.

  "The rest of you, protect the villagers!" he shouted to his remaining guards. Then, he turned to Clive. "It seems we have a mage after all."

  "I'm not a mage," Clive said quietly, reaching for more red pigment with his other hand. "I'm a Pictomancer."

  “A what now?” The guards looked at each other in confusion.

  Before they could ask more, three of the slimes changed direction, flowing across the square toward Clive, stretching and contracting their bodies with each movement. But they were too slow to reach him.

  Two guardsmen pushed forward, positioning themselves as a barrier between Clive and the oncoming threats. They planted their feet firmly, steel shields raised in defense.

  "Stand back, mage!" shouted the guard on the left, a burly man with a braided beard. "Let those who are trained handle this!"

  Not a mage…

  The slimes slammed against the shields with surprising force, their gelatinous bodies spreading upon impact like water hitting a wall. But unlike their earlier attacks, this time they were repelled easily, sliding off the polished metal surfaces without leaving a mark.

  "Reinforced shields!" called the second guard, a wiry woman with short-cropped hair. "The captain had them blessed by the Temple of Light last solstice!"

  Clive nodded in acknowledgment but didn't lower his brush. Instead, he stepped to the side, getting a clearer view past the guardsmen.

  "I can help," he said. "Keep them distracted!"

  The guards exchanged a skeptical glance but held their position as the slimes regrouped for another assault. Clive dipped his brush into the crimson pigment, feeling the heat build within it as he channeled his power.

  [Red Fireball I]

  A sphere of intense flame materialized before him, then shot forward, streaking past the guards to strike the centermost slime. The creature let out a high-pitched whine as the fire engulfed it, its body bubbling violently before collapsing into a steaming puddle.

  Not waiting for the remaining slimes to react, Clive repeated the motion five more times in rapid succession.

  [Red Fireball I] x 5

  The second fireball caught a slime as it tried to flow around the guards' position, while the third struck the remaining slime just as it began to retreat. Both creatures met the same fate as the first—reduced to inert, smoking residue on the square's cobblestones.

  The bearded guard turned to Clive with newfound respect in his eyes. "That was—"

  His words died in his throat as a low, ominous hum emanated from the portal. The tear in reality pulsed, its edges stretching wider as the darkness deepened.

  "Something else is coming."

  The portal stirred again. Armored figures emerged, stepping one by one through the tear.

  Dark knights in black plate armor. Their helmets were fashioned in the likeness of snarling beasts, with no eyeholes visible. Each carried a long, serrated blade that trailed wisps of shadow like smoke.

  "Shadowknights," the female guard breathed, her voice tight with fear. "I thought they were just stories to frighten children."

  [Shadowknight x 6]

  Power level:30

  Level 30. They were stronger than his level 27. And there were six of them.

  The knights formed a perfect semi-circle around the portal, their movements synchronized as if they shared a single mind. Then, in unison, they turned toward Clive and the guards.

  "Artillery!" shouted the captain from across the square, where he had reorganized his remaining forces. A line of guards with crossbows took aim, loosing a volley of bolts that whistled through the night air.

  The shadowknights made no effort to dodge. The bolts struck their armor with metallic clangs and shattered, falling harmlessly to the ground.

  [Shadowknight is resistant to piercing damage]

  Clive didn't wait to see more. He swept his brush through his palette, channeling all he could.

  [Red Fireball I]

  The orb of fire roared toward the nearest shadowknight. It struck the armored figure dead center, engulfing it in a conflagration so intense that the nearby guards had to shield their faces.

  When the flames dissipated, the shadowknight stood unmarred, not even a scorch mark on its armor. It turned its helm toward Clive.

  [Shadowknight is resistant to fire magic]

  [Red fireball dmg x 0.25]

  Damn it. Fire doesn't work.

  Clive's mind raced as he watched his fireball dissipate against the Shadowknight's armor without leaving so much as a scorch mark.

  But it has to have a weakness. Think, Clive, think!

  Around him, the clash of steel against the knights' armor rang out as the guards fought valiantly but ineffectively. A young guardswoman cried out as her blade shattered against a knight's pauldron, the impact sending her stumbling backward.

  Metal armor. Conductive. The realization struck Clive.

  "Electricity," he muttered, his fingers reaching for his palette. He plunged his brush into the vibrant yellow. The color hummed against his fingertips, crackling with potential energy that made the hairs on his arm stand on end.

  His brush traced jagged lines that hung suspended in the air before him, gathering power with each stroke. The yellow pigment began to glow.

  [Paint: Yellow Lightning I]

  With a final flourish, Clive completed the pattern and thrust his hand forward. A blinding arc of electric energy erupted from his brush, hissing and spitting as it lanced across the square. The lightning bolt struck the nearest Shadowknight square in the chest, enveloping the armored figure in a web of dancing electricity.

  [Shadowknight is weak to lightning magic]

  [Yellow Lightning DMG x 1.5]

  The knight convulsed violently, its serrated blade clattering to the cobblestones. Sparks cascaded across its armor, finding every joint and seam, penetrating deep into whatever dark essence animated the construct. With a sound like metal being torn apart, the knight dropped to one knee as sparks of yellow energy continued to dance across its form.

  "Sweet gods, did you see that?" one guard breathed.

  "Fire and lightning? What kind of mage—"

  "Dual-element caster," another whispered in awe.

  “Is there even such a thing…”

  "Come on lads. I don't care if he's the Archmage himself!" the captain barked. "He found their weakness! Press the attack!"

  A ripple of renewed hope spread through the defenders, but it was short-lived. As if responding to an unheard command, the remaining five Shadowknights pivoted in perfect unison. They raised their left arms, each revealing a small shield.

  [Anti-Magic Shield]

  "They asked what manner of mage I was. I told them I was something far more dangerous—an artist with nothing left to lose." —The Legendary Moonlight Artist