I was thinking.
Last time I mentioned that perhaps the odds of getting a liquid metal slime was reset when I turned the game off. I now think that the odds can go up, too.

While hunting for liquid metal slimes in front of Coburg Castle dungeon's entrance, I was also hunting for jowlers because they drop seeds of agility; then I realized the rate that jowlers drop the seed is also extremely low. When they don't drop the seeds, I would go on for hours without getting a seed from them no matter how many of them I defeat. But when they do, they drop a couple of them within a few battles.

Making this observation, it hit me.
When jowlers drop the seed of agility, I must have better odds!

Of course, this is completely baseless.
But I needed to rely on my inspiration even if it meant nothing. I've already hunted more than 500 liquid metal slimes, and I was having no fun doing this. I had no reason to continue this now that my gigantes has maxed out, too. I needed something to hang onto.

Anyway, I'd play for a while, and if jowlers weren't dropping any seeds I'd save the game at Coburg Castle and reset the game. I would go back to the dungeon entrance area and wander around. As usual I'd do this at two in the morning, half asleep.

I'm watching TV while barely taking peeks at the DS screen. By this time I wasn't paying much attention, and didn't even notice that jowlers dropped a seed of agility two battles in a row, which is quite rare.

I thought it was strange how the screen wasn't changing to the world map even though I beat the battle. I look at the DS screen to see what was going on.

...and there it was.

Liquid metal slime. It was there.

The one I just defeated, it was there.

It got up, and it was looking at me.

Looking at me. As if it wanted to join my party.

I mean, it came!!!!!!! Liquid metal slime!!!!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (it's in the middle of the night, so I screamed that in my head)

"What's this!? The liquid metal slime gets up and looks over as if it wants to join the party! Allow the liquid metal slime to join the party?"

Not that I was shocked, but because I was so used to turning down monsters (like the minidemon and the minidemon), my right thumb almost automatically went for "No" for a second. Ahh! Not that! "Yes"! "Yes"! But before that, a commemorative picture!!!


I double checked that the cursor was on "Yes" and pressed the A button with my trembling hand…


"The liquid metal slime joins the party! It happily clambers into the wagon. However, the wagon is full! Which party member do you want to send off to Monty, the monster monitor?"

Good bye, gigantes.


And, hello, Merc.

The 541st liquid metal slime.


I was so excited that my head started to hurt (then again, maybe it's because I've been up late every night), but I couldn't tell anyone about my accomplishment...

I couldn't sleep for a while, but time passed and it was the next day.

When I bragged about my achievement at work,

"Look! A liquid metal slime became my party member!!!!!!"

and they said,

"Oh"

and brushed it off.

You fools! Fools that don't understand the worthiness of liquid metal slimes!!!!

It's okay. I've finally finished this lonely quest, and I am happy. Truly. I don't feel that I've wasted 50 hours of my life at all. Really. I mean it!

...In my mind I believe I've beaten DQV. I thought that I could beat the final boss without regret if I recruited a liquid metal slime, but I don't have the willpower anymore. Even though I had the will to defeat 541 liquid metal slimes.

In closing, I'd like to say that this story's lesson is to never give up! I think. I wish you all success. I wish you all liquid metal slimes!


★ Final stats when liquid metal slime was recruited
Play Time: 70 hours, 15 minutes
Location: Near the Coburg Castle dungeon
Number of liquid metal slimes defeated: 541
Level of Party Members:
* Hero Lv 99 (MAX) Weapon: flametang boomerang
*Slime Lv 99 (MAX) Weapon: poison needle
*metal slime Lv 20 (MAX) Weapon: poison needle
*archdemon Lv 80 Weapon: Hela's hammer
gigantes Lv 7 (MAX)
Bianca Lv 46
Daughter Lv 56
Son Lv 99 (MAX)
*Allies that participated in battles



Epilogue:
Afterwards, I still wasn't inspired to beat the game, so I was wandering about the Coburg Castle dungeon area again. After a few battles, the 10th liquid metal slime after I recruited one asked to join my party... What the...!? It took me 50 hours to get one... and now 10 minutes to get another one!?

So now I have two liquid metal slimes. Two recruited after defeating 551. Maybe the 1/256 rate is correct after all.