A thousand years have passed since the founding hero Grandwargon established the nation.
They have protected and developed their history, culture, and technology.
The current king, Gazel Dwargon, is the third in line from the founding king, but he exudes the same boldness as his grandfather in his youth.
He is renowned as a great hero and a fair ruler of this land.
Under his rule, the land is a free trade city, a hub for trade among different races, and thus maintains a neutral stance.
The current king will not tolerate any acts of violence within the city.
Even the empire to the east avoids openly antagonizing the armed nation of Dwargon, a well-known fact among adventurers.
Once you antagonize Dwargon, there is no second chance; they ruthlessly devastate their opponents.
The name of the armed nation is not just for show!
The high-powered magic corps, protected by a wall of heavily armed infantry, ensures that any opponent is annihilated by the firepower of magic without even breaking through the wall of infantry.
For a thousand years, the dwarven army has been known for its invincibility.
What supports this reputation...
is the high-tech equipment they produce.
Their weapons, made with the most advanced technology, far surpass those made by humans.
Moreover!
Humans have decided to form a bond of friendship, not conflict, with the dwarves.
Therefore, those who encounter monsters under their rule and foolishly start a fight are few.
A city where humans and monsters coexist.
It is one of the most heterogeneous places on this earth.
Of course, it is a city overflowing with tools of violence, yet it is a nation that enjoys peace.
The fact that the headquarters of weapon merchants are far from conflict might be a bit ironic.
A procession formed in front of the gate.
A massive gate, installed as if blocking a natural large cave.
This gate only opens when the army moves, and it seems to happen once a month.
Unfortunately, it was closed today.
Below it, a small entrance for passage is installed.
The procession was formed on the left passage. The right passage is probably for suppliers of nobles and other high-ranking individuals.
Standing in line, I observed the surroundings and thought to myself.
Even on the left side, some people have free passage, while others are checked in separate rooms, a variety of situations.
It is a strict security system that does not tarnish the name of the armed nation.
Once inside, it seems one can move freely...
However, it is quite a grand procession. The waiting time here might be longer than the journey itself!
While I was thinking about this,
"Hey, hey! There's a monster here! We're not even safe yet, can we kill it here?"
"Hey, what are you lining up for! You're so arrogant, you guys. If you don't want to die, give up your spot!
And leave everything you have. I'll let you off this time!!"
They were spouting meaningless words...
No, it was a voice with the intention to harm us.
There are only two of us here: Gobta and I.
Even if we brought a group with only loincloths, it would be unnecessarily conspicuous.
We decided that Gobta and I would go, based on my suggestion.
Rigle seemed to want to come too, but I refused.
They are camping at the entrance to the forest, waiting for our return.
For that reason, even though there are only two of us, we might look like a good bounty.
It seems the two adventurers who dislike standing in line had their eyes on us.
"Hey, Gobta, did you hear something?"
"Yes, I heard something..."
"Did they cause trouble when we came here before?"
"Of course! We were beaten up badly here and picked up by kobold merchants! If we hadn't been picked up, I might have died~"
"...We're being provoked, then, is there nothing we can do?"
"It's like the fate of a weak monster..."
It seems we are being provoked. Moreover, it's natural...
I wish they had told me this earlier.
He was bowing his head, as if having an epiphany.
Finally, he can talk to me without being nervous, but will he revert to his old self after this failure?
I'm a bit worried.
"Hey! You little monster, don't ignore us!"
"Rather, isn't the talking slime, Rare? Can't it be sold as a spectacle?"
The two continued their annoying conversation.
I might be known for being as compassionate as a Buddha, but I'm starting to get angry.
"Gobta... do you remember the rules I told you before?"
"Yes! Of course!"
"Good. Then, close your eyes and ears! Absolutely don't look this way!"
"? I don't really understand, but I got it!"
Well, I, who set the rules, am the first to break them...
Thinking about it, it's not good for educational purposes.
I made Gobta close his eyes to avoid interference... Let's clean up the trash!
At that moment, the gaze of the man on the right moved.
He confirmed the three in front of him, who were grinning.
The two in front of me are a swordsman and a man in heavy armor, probably a thief.
The three are two men in robes, likely a mage or a priest, and a large warrior.
I predict that these three are a party, and the two are trying to drive us away to secure their place in line.
Then, the three will come and secretly deal with us, and join the two as if nothing happened.
Probably, that's their plan.
If there's a weak monster, they'll kill it and take its belongings.
They thought it out well.
But... this time, their opponent is me!
"Hey! Keep your place in line! I'm being generous, so I'll forgive you if you move to the back now!"
The provocation begins.
The two were momentarily stunned, but their faces quickly turned red.
They have a low boiling point.
"You damn little monster... don't look down on us!"
"Hey, you're dead! I was thinking of letting you go if you left your belongings, but not anymore!"
They spouted third-rate thug lines.
Huh. In Jenekon, they say that a very scary-looking uncle must point at you to work.
There are also prankster uncles with tattoos on their bodies.
This level of young punk intimidation is nothing to me.
"You damn little monster? Are you talking about me?"
"Of course it's you! A slime, a little monster among little monsters!"
"Come here quickly. Since you can talk, I'll make you a monster's slave instead of killing you!"
A monster's slave? Is there such a thing?
Putting that aside for now.
The merchants and adventurers around us are starting to notice the commotion.
Let's draw attention first.
I'm not sure if there's a concept of self-defense, but if there's even a little testimony from behind, I'll be grateful.
But, is there no kind human who will help?
If I were a cute girl, there might be, but as a slime, it's unlikely.
"You're calling me a little monster, a very disrespectful thing! And a slime?"
"What? You look like a slime to me!"
"You? That's a ridiculous thing to say...! I can't forgive being treated as a fool by a punk like you! I'll kill you!"
And the two drew their weapons.
Ah! Finally, these guys pulled out their swords.
Ah... My first conversation with a human is like this... What bad luck. Monsters are more friendly.
The people around us started to move away, as if trying to observe us from a distance.
The gatekeepers also noticed the commotion and started to move busily.
Well, then.
I slowly moved forward.
And,
"Heh heh heh. A punk, you say? A slime?... When did I become a slime! Oh, were you mistaken?"
I said something that sounded like I had a trick up my sleeve.
But, no matter how you look at it, I'm a slime. It's natural to see me as a slime from the beginning.
This is just for show!... Probably.
"What? Don't get too cocky!"
"Hmph! If you're not a slime, show your true form quickly! You won't be able to make excuses after you're dead!"
They seem to be waiting for me to transform.
As planned!
I think I can win even as a slime, but it's hard to watch, so I'll pass! I think I'll cut them in half.
It's difficult to control the power to just make them faint.
"Fine. I'll show you my true form!!!"
I shouted and released a small amount of mana.
Of course, a small amount.
Some people noticed the small amount of mana and looked around.
A few people noticed from a distance.
The two in front of me and their apparent companions didn't seem to notice.
These guys... they're not very observant.
I've observed the situation. Now, what should I transform into?
A mist emerges from my body.
And, it covers my form... After the mist clears, a monster appears.
A black wolf.
Huh? When I imitated a prey and immediately transformed before, I was in the form of an Arang.
Now, it's like an evolved Ranga with black fur.
And, a body that surpasses even Ranga.
Two horns on the forehead.
Imitation: Black Ranga (Black Storm Wolf)
...It seems that if the lineage of the prey I consume evolves, my imitation ability evolves as well.
This feels like the stage just before Ranga's evolution. I feel an overwhelming power.
The two fools will probably run away when they see this.
I thought so, but,
"Hah! Even if you change your form, you're still a slime!"
"Hey, hey, did you think you could scare us and run away!"
...They didn't notice at all!!!
Hey, hey, can't you see the level of danger just by looking!?
In the first place, if a slime transforms, it should be some kind of illusion or something, and you should be on guard.
But, these guys don't care at all.
They seem to be at ease, thinking their three hidden companions will help...
I have more abilities available.
Five in total: 'Super Senses', 'Telepathy', 'Intimidation', 'Shadow Movement', 'Black Lightning'.
Shadow Movement is a skill the Ranga are currently training.
The goal is to hide in the shadow of a bonded partner and come out when called.
Right now, they're just practicing entering the shadow, so it's far from complete.
Then, Black Lightning... I know without testing it. If I test it, the poor men in front of me will turn into black ash.
Since my prediction is off, I expect a more severe state. So, I have no skills to use.
If overwhelming force works on fools, that would be fortunate! In a sense, fools are invincible, right?
No matter what, the people watching are starting to get scared and lose their strength.
"Well, well... It's settled. Since you're annoying, come at me!"
I gave up the first attack.
What happens if I receive damage in my imitation form?
I experimented once with a lizard.
When I continued to receive attacks and the damage exceeded a certain threshold, the imitation was canceled.
At that time, there was no damage to the slime's main body.
Probably, the body is composed using mana, so the damage doesn't reach the main body.
The limitation is that it takes about 3 minutes to transform again, and each transformation costs mana.
The amount of mana used is negligible for me, so it's not a problem. There's no time limit.
In other words, it's fine to let them attack as they please.
Even if the opponent is strong, I can return to slime form and run away instantly.
In response to my words,
"Huh, die!"
"Uwooo!!! Wind Slash!!!!"
The thief threw a large dagger.
And, the swordsman, is it a skill? He glowed his sword green and came to cut me.
Kaaah!
Clang!
Throwing three large daggers simultaneously was impressive, but they didn't have the power to pierce my fur.
On the swordsman's side, unfortunately... his sword broke with a snap.
"What did you just do?"
I asked, treating them like fools, as villains often do.
More than that, I really didn't receive any damage.
Was that a form?
"Unbelievable! What kind of hard fur is this..."
"It can't be... This can't happen!!! My sword is silver! It's supposed to increase its power against monsters!!!"
...But, isn't silver soft? What are you talking about... this guy.
"Hey! Help me, too!!!"
It seems the swordsman called for help, as if it was no longer a time to hold back. Indeed, the three were his companions.
"Huh! You're finished now!"
"Well, well... I didn't expect our turn to come!"
"Slime's transformation magic? I'm interested. Let's dissect it while you die!"
"Since he hasn't moved since just now, the magic will probably be canceled if he moves. What do you think? Is that the key!?"
They were making assumptions on their own.
And the five of them spread out around me and attacked simultaneously.
The thief, a slash with a short sword.
The swordsman, a skill, a cutting attack with a sword wind. (Strangely, he's quite good.)
The heavy knight, "Heavy Slash!!!" a one-hit attack with a greatsword.
The mage, "Fireball!" a magical attack.
The priest, preparing a magical defense against my attack.
As a party, it's a good composition, I guess.
Unfortunately for them, none of their attacks affected me...
I glanced at them.
They were so shocked they couldn't even speak.
Now might be a good time to intimidate them.
Roar?????????!
I roared and tried to intimidate them.
But, it failed.
Even the onlookers fainted or were in various states of shock...
In short, it turned into a disaster.
Oh no... What should I do? I felt like holding my head.
Huh? The five?
The five who were hit by the intimidation at close range.
Well, what can I say...
It's up to your imagination, I guess.
My 'Mana Sense' detected the approaching forms of Dwargon guards.
One word.
Looking at the variously affected people, I thought, "I don't want to clean this up," and started to escape from reality as if it were someone else's problem.