My search for a slime had begun.
I soared through the endless skies above the Great Jura Forest, black wings slicing through the air, each beat like a sentence passed by fate — condemning me for sins I had yet to commit. But no slime appeared.
Only an unbroken, suffocating chain of trees sprawled beneath me like an emerald ocean. I spotted a few monsters here and there, but my mind was set. I needed a slime. I needed power. Unlike Rimuru, I didn't have the luxury of plot armor (chole).
Flap… flap…
Hours passed before luck, at last, favored me. On my way back to the cave — my temporary base, the resting place of Charybdis's core — I finally spotted one. A slime.
It was small. Pathetically small. Barely the size of a child's fist. But I wasn't picky.
Swooping down, I engulfed it whole, not even bothering to examine it, and darted back into the cave like a black shooting star .
"Hey, listen— I need the aura farm too—"
But before I could finish, a searing, molten pain erupted inside my throat and stomach.
"Argh!"
I crashed to the cave floor, my entire body spasming violently. It felt as if my organs were being branded from within.
[Consumption of a slime has triggered instinctual defense. The slime has begun consuming you from the inside. Survivor has begun adapting…]
The agony was relentless — like countless red-hot needles stabbing into my insides without end. My avian form twitched, letting out broken croaks of agony.
[Resist Skill: Corrosion Resistance acquired.]
[Advena has successfully extracted structural data of the slime. You have acquired Intrinsic Skill: Mimicry.]
[Intrinsic Skills: Absorb & Dissolve, Self-Regeneration.]
Between ragged breaths, I felt my shredded, liquefied insides slowly knitting themselves back together as Self-Regeneration kicked in.
"That... was not worth it. Shit, that hurt."
Cognitus, now. Can we consume the Charybdis core?
[Affirmative. However, probability of success is 15%. To increase probability, most effective method would be to evolve and obtain a vessel capable of containing large quantities of magicules. Additionally, acquiring a purification skill would significantly improve chances.]
"Fuck."
Well… can I at least use Mimicry to get a human form? Being a bird is fine and all, but I'd prefer to be—well—human.
[Correction: You lack any structural data on humans. Transformation is limited to consumed creatures. If you prefer, I can compile a bestiary of consumed species to track available forms.]
"...Fine. Just do it. I need a minute to breathe."
The pain still lingered under the healing flesh, as if my nerves were remembering the torment. Was this what hell felt like?
[Correction—]
"I know!" I snapped hoarsely, cutting off Cognitus mid-sentence.
A heavy, awkward silence settled inside the dimly lit cave. Only my own panting broke it.
[To check available Mimicry options, use your status window. Displaying now.]
A faint shimmer glowed before me as Cognitus activated Minor Illusion, casting my status like a holographic game interface:
Name:
Race:
Windrunner Pipit – A small aerial species innately attuned to the element of wind. Agile and favored by sky spirits.-former
Gale Pipit – A large aerial species infused with the essence of storms. Swift and powerful, it rides the skies with grace, its flight echoing the speed and force of lightning. As the wind once favored its kin, the storm now calls it its own.
Mimicry Options:
Windrunner Pipit
Gale Pipit
Velstryxes
Leech Lizard
Barghest
Slime
Age: 29 days old
Skills:
Resist Skills:Poison Resistance, Mental Wall, Corrosion Resistance
Intrinsic Skills:Windborne Flight, Heat Vision, Flame Mane, Coercion, Absorb & Dissolve, Self-Regeneration
Common Skills:Keen Sight, Predation Instinct, Poison Claw, Thought Communication
Extra Skills:Gale Skim, Resonant Cry, Minor Illusions, Rain Prince
Unique Skills:Survivor, Athanatos, Advena, Cognitus
Beside each mimicry option, a vivid image of the creature hovered, cataloguing my evolution path. It was surreal.
"Ahh… fuck, man. What's my life come to…" I muttered. Darkness slowly crept into my vision. My body, exhausted and overwhelmed by Advena's after-effects, slipped into unconsciousness.
body changing evolving unnaturally
Meanwhile —
Within a majestic capital, deep inside the infirmary, a crimson-haired man sat upright. Two large horns spiraled from his head — one black, one white — giving him the appearance of a monstrous yet regal oni. A Kijin.
Standing by his side was a beautiful woman. Her black hair flowed down in elegant twin tails, held in place by golden jewelry that glimmered under the soft lantern light. Past the ornament, her locks transitioned into a striking lime green. She was none other than Towa, Queen of Raja.
Despite her composed appearance, a pale tint marred her skin — the toll of naming a monster and sacrificing a significant portion of her energy.
The doors creaked open. A stubby, stout man entered, dressed in rich purple noble attire, a black cap resting upon his head. His long, unnatural ears protruded outward, and a wide, slimy grin stretched across his face like an oil spill.
"Your Highness, if I may…" he said, voice slick. "The situation with the toxic waters has worsened. The number of infected continues to rise."
He rubbed his hands together, like a merchant eager to bargain — or a vulture circling a weakened prey.