I manage to get rid of the feeling of danger only after running for almost five hours. While running I ran into many avians but luckily, they weren't as perceptive as the cockatrice for they couldn't see through my camouflage. And most of them were airborne.

That was tiring as hell. I think I need to rest for bit.

As I rest while leaning on a tree I conjure up a sparrow and cast Arc's eyeball spell on it to install the eyeball in its eye sockets.

After doing that I will it to take to the sky and fly around. As it starts to fly higher and higher it manages to go over the trees and reach the sky.

As it circles around I can see my surroundings more clearly. I will it to head north. But just after flying for ten minutes it gets attacked by something that I couldn't see and dissipates.

But just before it got destroyed I managed to see something interesting. After coming back, I start heading north again. Since north is mainly occupied by avians there isn't much of danger as there would be in other directions.

After walking for about thirty minutes I finally see what I saw through my bird's eyes.

Next to a small shrub I see a small transparent blob with blue tint.

Slime. After coming here, I finally got to see a slime. As big as my head. Looks adorable. Just as I was about to approach it

"I wouldn't advise that."

"Why, it's just a slime."

"Just a slime? Where on earth did you got that kind of gut to call a strongest creature in this forest "just a slime"?

"What? Strongest?"

"Yes. Slimes are strongest creatures in this forest. If there is anything stronger than them that would be The World Tree."

"Seriously? Those adorable blobs are strongest in here?"

"I already told you that, you cretin. Get it in your empty head."

"Even stronger than you?"

"Yes, even stronger that me. Stop making me say something so unpleasant you cretin."

"If they're stronger than even you how come they are inside the second boundary?"

"Even though slimes are strongest in here they don't cause much of a disturbance. They just mind their own business. Stronger creatures get more territorial stronger they get. So, in case something else intrudes in their territory they tend to get into fight. Since they are so strong they cause ton of disturbance to their surroundings. So, The World Tree doesn't like that. I was born after boundaries took effect. But according to my ancestors, before boundaries came to effect powerful creatures used to roam about and fight with their lives on the line around here. And one day World Tree got annoyed by that and slaughtered them where they were.

On that day many ancestors of the creatures in this forest died. So, after that incident boundaries came to effect. As for slime World Tree actually likes them the most. They don't rampage, don't provoke others to fight. They simply mind their business. Smarter ones know to avoid them and more stupid ones provoke them and simply get dissolved."

"Wow. Didn't expect that at all. So, I guess I better avoid it then, right?"

"You don't have to avoid them, just don't piss them off. If you piss them off they will dissolve you then eat you. Even if you try to run they will simply shapeshift into something faster than you then eat you."

"Well, that's morose for something this adorable."

As we were conversing something swoops down and swipes the slime. As I got a closer look I see it was an eagle like bird with beak like woodpecker. But after coming down and grabbing the slime it got stuck like that. No matter how hard it struggled it failed to get free. As time passed it gets pulled into the slime's body little by little. After only twenty seconds it was gone without even leaving bones.

Got to admit that was morose. I knew slimes dissolved their preys but I didn't think that ones here was this strong. They are usually depicted as weaklings except for a certain novel about an overpowered slime.

"That was an example of the dumber ones. Smarter ones wouldn't have done that. They would have just left the damn thing alone. So, just pass by it quietly and keep heading north."

After passing by the slime quietly, I simply keep walking north. About ten minutes later I see a giant bird. Looks like a dodo but enlarged almost thirty times. As I noticed it from ten meters distance I hoped it wouldn't notice me but fucking fox snaps a twig next to me and it immediately looks to my direction. And it starts to sprint in my direction without a second thought.

As it gets near it manages to notice me next to the fox and changes its target to me. Fucking pipsqueak. I don't think I can kill it just yet. It's too fucking huge.

As I ponder on what to do a lightbulb lights up in my head as I suddenly remember about the slime. As soon as I got the idea I immediately turn back and run back to the slime.

Only after running for about two minutes I come across the slime once again. And immediately run toward it. The dodo is right on my tail and doesn't notices the slime. I jump over the slime and keep running. While running I stop hearing dodo's footsteps behind me and peek behind me.

What I saw startled me a little as I see the thirty meters tall dodo struggling to get free from an adorable little slime stuck to its leg.

After seeing that dodo isn't chasing me anymore I stop and turn back. And what I'm seeing is pretty damn brutal. As slime pulls the dodo into its body, part that got sucked in is dissolved immediately and since dodo is still alive it can feel the pain and screeches as hard as it can.

I'm pretty sure feeling of being dissolved is nothing nice. After about two minutes there is nothing left of the thirty meters dodo. And the slime just starts bobbing along its way.

"Well, thanks a lot pipsqueak."

"What did you just call me you cretin?"

"Pipsqueak, you got a problem with that?"

"Know your place you cretin. I can kill you with a wave of my paws."

"Then show me. I know you're nothing but a projection now. We both know that tree will kill you if you cross the boundary. So, if you want your memento back you better cooperate. Next time you pull something like that I will turn back."

"You better be grateful that I loved my father dearly. If I didn't I would simply leave and wait for you to cross the boundary. And when you do I will kill you. But that memento is too important for me. so, for now count your blessings you cretin."

Another applicant for my list to kill. I will kill this pipsqueak when I come back to burn the tree.

Anyway, my encounter with the strongest worked out in my favor I believe.