At a certain spot in the lake, the path leading to the surface was a single cave.
I moved forward with a plop-plop sound.
It was surprisingly easy to move.
Even in the pitch-black darkness where light did not reach, it appeared as clear as daylight through the vision enhanced by 'Magic Sense.'
I hadn't noticed before because I had been checking the ground as I moved when I couldn't see, but the slime's movement speed wasn't that slow.
I could move at a normal walking pace and even run slowly.
I wasn't tired, but I wasn't in a hurry, so I moved at a normal walking pace.
It's not that I was traumatized by running and falling into the lake!
After a while, a large door blocked my path.
An artificial object inside a cave.
It was suspicious, but it wasn't surprising since it's common in RPGs.
It's typical to have a door before a boss room.
Well, how do I open it?
Can I cut it with a Water Blade?
As I was thinking,
Creakkkkkkkkkkkk!!!
The door creaked and opened.
I was startled and hid in a corner to observe the situation.
"Finally, it's open. It was locked, and the keyhole was worn out..."
"There's nothing we can do. No one has entered in 300 years, right?"
"There's no record of anyone entering. More importantly, are you sure it's safe? What if something attacks us suddenly...?"
"Hahaha! Don't worry. 300 years ago, it might have been invincible, but it's just a big lizard! I've soloed a Basilisk before. Don't worry!!"
"That, I've always thought, is a lie. A Basilisk is a B+ rank monster. It's impossible for you to solo it, Mr. Kabal?"
"Idiot! I'm B rank too! A big lizard is no match for me!"
"Okay, I understand, but don't get too confident. If something goes wrong, I'll use my 'Forced Escape' to run away..."
"Alright, I get it. You two, be quiet. I'm about to activate my 'Stealth Skill'!"
A noisy trio entered.
What is this?
Strangely, I can understand their words.
ใAnswer. When will is imbued in the voice, 'Magic Sense' can convert it into understandable language in the brain.ใ
Indeed.
I can't speak, but I can understand what they're saying.
Lucky me. I was bad at English.
Living in Japan, I thought there was no need to study foreign languages.
Only those planning to go abroad need to work hard, right?
But this time, that excuse won't work. I'll need to study eventually...
Whatever.
What should I do?
Opening the door is a bigger puzzle...
I don't know why they came, but they seem to be adventurers.
Are they looking for treasure?
They are the first humans I've encountered in this world. I want to follow them.
But... if I go out as a slime, a monster that can't speak...
I might be killed on the spot.
I'll give up this time.
I'll show myself to humans only after I can speak.
I observed the situation for a while.
The dry-looking man did something, and suddenly the three of them became blurry. But they didn't disappear.
He mentioned 'stealth.'
It's probably a skill.
Can I spy on them at will...? What a despicable guy. I wonder why he learned it...
I'll need to be friends with him next time.
After confirming that the three of them had disappeared, I resumed my movement.
No need to rush.
Just because I can't meet humans this time doesn't mean I won't.
I moved cautiously, step by step. "The faster you go, the more you'll have to backtrack" is a good old saying.
I quickly passed through the door before the three returned and moved away from the spot.
After passing through the door and moving a bit, I reached a point where the path branched out in a complex way.
Which path leads to the surface?
There's no way I can know.
I chose one path and moved forward.
Swoosh!
Our eyes met.
I slightly averted my gaze... because a terrifying large snake was right in front of me.
Compared to the snakes from my previous life, this one was much scarier, covered in thorn-like scales and pitch black.
The snake glared at me, a slime, like it would a frog.
Should I try to avoid it? If it hadn't noticed me, maybe I could have...
I tried to retreat, but...
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
I was threatened.
No way. I won't let you escape! It was clear without words.
Should I fight...!
I have a special move I learned through a week of special training!
But... fighting such a monster requires preparation.
To summarize, it's terrifying!
But let's not panic. Thinking about it, I've thought of something even scarier.
Yes, Veldora. Compared to that dragon...
Hmm? Maybe it's not as scary as I thought.
Is this... okay?
Calmly, I observed the black snake.
The black snake, thinking I was scared and wouldn't move, was relaxed.
It seemed to be thinking about how to deal with me.
Well, I won't back down...
Pew!
Without hesitation, I aimed at the black snake's neck and used "Water Blade."
Boom!!! Whoosh, thud. Roll, roll... thump.
It happened in an instant.
To my disbelief, the "Water Blade" cut through the black snake's neck without any resistance.
It was a terrifyingly large snake that I could have swallowed in one bite.
This... is more powerful than I thought.
If I had used this on the adventurers, it would have been a splatter. Fortunately, I tested it on a monster first.
Additionally, the current usage of my stomach space is: Veldora 15%, water 10%, herbs and recovery potions 2%, minerals and materials 3%, totaling 30%.
The amount of water used for "Water Blade" is about a cup (the size is adjustable, so the amount can be controlled).
I can shoot thousands of "Water Blades" without worrying about the water supply.
It seems more useful than clumsy magic.
If a monster appears, I'll use "Water Blade" for a while.
Well, this snake...
If I devour and decompose it, can I learn its abilities?
I immediately devoured it.
The result...
Unique Skill 'Heat Detection'... Detects heat reactions in the surroundings. Nullifies the effect of stealth.
Unique Skill 'Poison Breath'... A powerful poison (corrosive) breath. The effect range is about 120 degrees and 7 meters.
I can now assume the form of a black snake.
This poison seems to deal damage and have a corrosive effect (equipment and flesh damage). It would be quite difficult for a normal adventurer to fight, right?
But with magic in this world, it might be easier than expected.
I spent some time analyzing the black snake's abilities.
The more options I have, the better.
What I found out:
1. When I assume the form of a black snake, my volume increases.
2. Special skills can be used even without assuming the form, but their power may decrease.
To explain:
1... I seem to store the bodies of devoured monsters in my stomach.
When I was injured before, I devoured the injured part and repaired it, but it feels like spare cells.
2... Unique skills are specific to the monster. My 'Dissolve, Absorb, Self-Regeneration' are examples.
To use a unique skill at 100% efficiency, I need to assume the form of that monster.
However, partial use is possible, and skills like 'Heat Detection' can be used normally.
In summary, it feels like this:
'Devourer,' truly a versatile skill.
In the future, I want to acquire many useful skills.
Three days have passed since I fought the black snake.
I'm still in this cave.
I don't feel the cold, but it might be quite cold since no sunlight reaches here...
I had one worry in my mind.
No, I know it's unlikely.
But I can't help but think about it.
So... what if,
I'm lost?
No, no. That's impossible.
But, is it? I've never heard of getting lost in the first cave.
Isn't this cave supposed to be the starting point?
Besides, the trio of adventurers entered without hesitation...
It's fine. It's just a long path.
Still, I'm glad I'm a slime.
If I were a human in this world, I would have collapsed from hunger by now.
I never thought I'd be grateful for being a slime.
But not knowing the way is unsettling.
Is there a way to know the path?
ใAnswer. Should I mark the path you've taken in your brain? YES/NOใ
Ha! I burst out laughing.
What! There was such a convenient function? Tell me sooner!
I unconsciously criticized it.
This is YES!
Auto-mapping, the dark path!
I used to think that way.
In old games, you had to prepare paper and a pencil and map out the path step by step.
The joy of checking the ground and moving forward step by step.
That was the joy of conquering.
But people started relying on walkthroughs, and before long, mapping became a standard feature in games.
The true joy of conquering was lost.
Most importantly, once you get used to the convenience, it's hard to go back.
Well, if the first large-scale game didn't have a mapping function, it would have been impossible...
Let's use this convenient function quickly.
I looked at the map in my brain.
Did I see it wrong...? It shows that I've been looping in the same place several times.
I, a pro who has dedicated my life to conquering, can't be lost!
...
...
...
It seems I can be.
Following the map in my brain, I explored a part of the cave I hadn't been to before.
I encountered a landscape I hadn't seen in the past three days.
Hehehe.
To trick me, this cave is quite something!
Let me praise this cave honestly.
I'm definitely not directionally challenged!
The entrance of the cave, or a passage to the outside, might be nearby.
Moss and weeds started appearing in the cave.
The place was faintly lit, as if sunlight was reaching it from somewhere.
That means it's daytime now.
I had several battles on the way to this point.
Monsters I encountered:
Giant centipede (Evil Mukade: Rank B+)
Large spider (Black Spider: Rank B)
Vampire bat (Giant Bat: Rank C+)
Armored lizard (Armor Saurus: Rank B-)
The black snake was the only one I encountered, not a second one.
They were all formidable opponents.
I defeated them with one "Water Blade," but...
The centipede dodged several "Water Blades" and tried to bite me, and the lizard deflected the "Water Blade" if the angle was bad.
I can't be complacent.
The giant centipede tried to ambush me from behind, but
With 'Magic Sense' and 'Heat Detection,' I was always on guard.
I countered with a "Water Blade" aimed at my back.
The large spider was dangerous.
To begin with, I hate bugs.
I have a physiological aversion to them. Just looking at them makes me say, "MIANHAMNIDA."
But, being reborn as a slime seems to have strengthened my resolve, and I could fight without running away.
Sorry, but I'll use my full power! I thought and cut it with the maximum number of "Water Blades."
I didn't want to see it for a long time.
I devoured all of them.
In this world, it's survival of the fittest. The loser becomes the victor's food.
Most importantly, I hesitated to eat spiders and centipedes.
In that sense, I worked hard.
But if a cockroach monster appeared, I would run away before eating it.
It's not about winning or losing.
There's a great saying in this world: "Running away is victory."
The skills I acquired are as follows:
Giant centipede... 'Paralyzing Breath'
Large spider... 'Web, Steel Thread'
Vampire bat... 'Bloodsucking, Ultrasonic'
Armored lizard... 'Body Armor'
Thus, I gained new powers and successfully emerged from the cave to the surface.
For the first time since being reborn in this world, I reached a place where sunlight poured down.