Thirty days had passed since I swallowed Veldora. What had I been up to?
Well, think about it. If you were being attacked by a monster,
what would you do?
I mean, I was a slime now. It would be hard for me to zip away
from a slavering attacker, much less defend myself.
So I'd been spending my time thinking about how to fight back.
Along the way, I'd also been consuming any particularly oddlooking herbs or glowing rocks I stumbled across.
There was a fair amount.
I was still in the region Veldora described as teeming with
local magic by Sariel, and nearly everything I found there was hipokute herbs.
Which was about what I figured. More healing potions for me, I
suppose.
I also found that most of the glowing stones and such around here were what was called "magic ore," which could supposedly be refined into a metal harder than iron or steel and highly compatible with magic.
I was kinda hoping for something a little less common, but I didn't even know whether orichalcum or crimson ore existed here, even if they were famous back on Earth.
I shouldn't be too greedy.
So, as I was chowing down on all these yummy herbs and rock, an
idea came to mind!
If I could spit out water fast enough to give me powers of flight, maybe I could slice right through foes, too, like a high-pressure water jet cutter?
Sariel: 「(....)」
Rimuru: 「(No, no, I know what you're thinking. You're probably thinking I was about to screw it up again, aren't you?)」
Sariel: 「(Yeah? You can't blame me for thinking so.)」
Rimuru: 「(You really shouldn't look down on people like that. I was good in a pinch, you know.
They always wrote that in my report cards at school and stuff—"excellent work when he
applies himself." So yeah, I think it'd work.)」
Sariel: 「(Seriously? In my report cards at school, they always wrote—"Always surpassing expectations without even trying. Truly a genius." So yeah, go find your size, sticky.)」
Rimuru: 「(I'm not sticky, you femboy!)」
Sariel: 「(...Femboy? FEMBOY?!?! Oh—you're so on!)」
—And the arguments came by naturally...
Back, I went to the underground lake from before. Just as I had
imagined, the pool was pretty big.
The air felt supremely tranquil to me.
Even Sariel seemed to take a deep, cool breath.
There were no creatures around—not even in the water, I assumed, what with all the magic soaked up inside it—which made it all the quieter.
Pure, unadulterated nature! It was truly a sight to see.
But back to business. I moved right into the "action" phase last time without testing a single thing, which was fairly ill-advised.
That, and I ejected too much water at once, propelling myself far quicker than intended.
There was no game plan whatsoever.
Sariel: 「(Truly remarkable. I heavily underestimated you, Rimuru.)」
Damn it, he's mocking me, isn't he.
This time, I'd keep it at
water-pistol level, expelling just a bit at a time.
—Just taking a mouthful
of water and—*fllpght*—spitting it out.
Here I go.
Hmm. There's not much water coming out. Too small of an exit hole? I expanded it a bit.
Water shot out with a little more energy this time, dousing a nearby boulder I was targeting.
A promising sign.
Sariel: 「(That's better)」
Good, it seems he's recognizing the slight improvements. Gotta up my game.
After a few more minutes spent adjusting my water levels, I
decided to boost the pressure just a tad more before opening wide.
Launch. Then again. Then again, gradually upping the output as I
kept my water-gun practice going.
It was starting to take form, yes.
But, okay, while a shot of water might sting a bit, I didn't think it'd deliver a particularly decisive attack.
So now what?—I thought to myself as I took a dip into the lake to
gather my thoughts.
Whenever I was tired, that was my cue to hit the bath for a bit.
Sariel just sat cross-legged on a magic ore, staring right into me.
I think he's staring at my soul? Nah, I don't think he can do such a thing.
(Author: 「..... Well shit.」)
I let that thought escape my mind.
I wasn't just splashing around for kicks, all right?
Besides, it also gave me a chance to use Magic Sense and observe
myself floating and sinking in the water.
I reminded myself of a
jellyfish, kind of.
Maybe I could vibrate my body's surface to create currents or
something?
I gave it a shot, running magical force across my "skin" to control the particles around me.
The vibration ran across my entire body, so I tried to point it in a single direction—and that was all it took to get me moving.
Nice!—I spent a little while whizzing around the water like that, enjoying the experience.
A nice change of pace, to be sure, but I totally wasn't just messing around, all right?
Let's keep that straight.
VOTW: 「Skill: 『Current Movement』 acquired.」
I thought it was the Sage for a moment, but it turned out to be the World Language instead.
That bit of playing around just earned me a new skill.
Oh, but it wasn't playing around, okay? I was just relaxing a bit.
Thanks to that, though, I could now flit around in or on the water at a pretty decent clip.
If need be, I could use 『Water Pressure Propulsion』 to speed things up, too.
Considering I didn't need to
breathe, fighting in the water might actually give me an advantage for all I knew. Good for fleeing into, at least.
Sariel: 「(Do you even know how to get us out of this cave? I'm trying my best not to underestimate you, so make that grow, hm?)」
Rimuru: 「....」
Sariel: 「(Figured… *Sigh* Follow me, I've got a way outta here.)」
If he says so. I mean, I did really badly wanna get out of this place.
He led us to some point where lots of monsters were.
I didn't see that one coming.
Sariel: 「(*Sigh*—Sorry guys, but you're fodder.)」
What the hell does he–
Rimuru: 「(—Haa?!)」
He… He just used some white light magic! That was so cool. Hey you, did you see that?
«Received. That is the magic category, Holy Magic.»
Holy, huh. I wonder if a monster like I-san could do such.
Sariel: 「That wraps the silly charade up. Hey Rimuru, you'd get a lot of abilities from devouring these monsters, right?
A devouring spree it is! Let's do quick and get outta here. It's getting stuffy.」
Well, if he's got no problem with it, it's time to hunt!!
I quickly gobbled up all the monsters he unalived.
I wasn't grateful for the snake head, so I decided to try something out.
If I was going to keep pursuing the water-gun approach, I'd have to apply constant pressure to my jet output for an extended period of time.
Instead, I decided to picture the cylinder of a car engine,
applying pressure to my inside while releasing a comparatively small amount of water per go.
Adjusting the pressure and the diameter of my output hole allowed me to adjust the force of expulsion, just like before.
And thankfully, just as I'd hoped, it worked. A small jet ejected sharply out of my body.
But that was it enough to do the job. I'd have to use this method with serious concentration.
Adjust output diameter, adjust pressure… and try putting a bit of spin on the water as you eject it, too.
There was a lot to think about as
I kept rehearsing it.
Sariel: 「(Hmm, try to make the jets as thin and flat as possible, then apply a small spin or something.
That way, air resistance would not slow its velocity. Keep the mental picture, and you'll see some results.)」
That's it! That was the mental picture I had to keep in mind.
Let's do as he said. He probably has more experience than I do.
Slicing through with water. I had to make the jets as thin and flat as possible, applying just the right spin to them.
So I gave it a whirl. And it worked!
The cylindrical shot of water fought through the air resistance fast enough to leave afterimages, just like a blade… then slashed its way right through the rock.
With enough force to astound even me.
It was the pinnacle of my efforts, the best results of my week of practice.
Even the World's Voice acknowledged my achievement.
VOTW: 「Skill『Water Blade』 acquired.」
「Skills 』Water Pressure Propulsion』, 『Current Movement』, and『Water Blade』 acquired.
Combining and upgrading to extra skill 『Control Water』.
Whoa! It really did work. Extra skills were supposed to offer a
completely different level of force than regular ones.
Sariel: 「(See? That's a good start for your first day.)」
I did owe him thanks, but he probably doesn't need it.
Now, I had a way of defending myself. It was just about time to head off.
Sariel: 「(Let's get ourselves outta this cave, eh?)」
Rimuru: 「(But how are you–)」
He didn't let me finish as he went over to a certain corner I even hadn't considered going to.
And just then, there it was.
Sariel: 「(Well. Finally.)」
One hundred and twenty days had passed since I got reincarnated
at the banks of this cavern lake.
The path from the underground lake to the surface took the form of a single long cavern path, which I was currently bouncing and oozing my way along.
Sariel led the way with confident strides as if to say, "Watch and learn, brat."
I wasn't going to mind the superiority vibe he was giving off, but it was still suffocating.
I feel like a naive brat indeed with how he presented himself. Not that it matters in the end.
I was moving quite a bit better than I'd originally pictured.
Even in the dank darkness, harnessing 『Magic Sense』 made it look as bright as a sunny day to me.
Back when I was blind, I was too focused on my footing to notice,
but slimes can actually truck along pretty quickly when they want to.
I never got particularly fatigued, but there was no real reason to hurry either, so I tended to keep it at a regular walking rate by human standards.
This was definitely not because my last flirtation with exuberant locomotion landed me nicely in the water.
As we went on, I found that the path was blocked by a large gate
—the first man-made object I had seen in this cave.
Hmm, it's very suspicious, but it didn't throw me off much.
Rimuru: 「(Hey, were you the one who made it?)」
Sariel: 「(Nah. It should probably be a mythical figure who wanted to prevent any type of problem with the dragon. You know how humans could be at times.)」
Ah, I see.
Some of the naive ones would set off to slay "the legendary beast that had tormented the lands for years."
But that was not the topic of concern.
It was just like any of the dozens I had seen before in RPGs.
Every boss room usually had a gate in front of it.
So how to get it open? Water Blade my way through the bars? It
seemed like a decent idea, but as I thought it over, the door opened by itself with a *Creak*.
Flustered, I scurried over to one side of the path and watched.
Sariel: 「(Hm? That's weird. No one would try such a foolish thing, so what's with today?)」
Rimuru: 「(Hide, you idiot!!)」
Was I nervous?
Yes. I still couldn't talk, exactly. I had no vocal cords, and I'd been poking around my
body for something I could use as a substitute, but no dice yet.
Staying here until I had more success was one option, but unlike the water blades, I really had nothing to go on.
For now, it'd have to be
Telepathy or nothing—and if my would-be conversational partner
couldn't use that, then so be it.
But here was this slow dude, standing there as if he owned the whole cave and forest outside.
It's not the greatest of situations, but there you go.
Either way, I couldn't goof around in here forever.
I wanted to see the outside world, and if I could, I'd love to run into some fellow Japanese otherworlder castaways.
If we ever get a good time to pass, I'd like to ask this dude of his origins.
Learning some magic could be fun,
too!
It was time to get started. No time like the present, and all that.
Veldora wasn't giving me any particular responses or signs inside me.
It almost felt as though I'd lost him, but I knew that wasn't the
case.
We had a promise, besides. Next time we meet, I better have
some funny stories I can share with him.
Who knew what would be awaiting me? I hardly knew what to expect, but I knew I wanted it.
Why's Sariel still standing… there?
Where the hell did he go!?! I swear he was here a second ago!!
「Whew! We finally got this thing open. The whole lockin' mechanism
must've rusted out…」 Someone said.
「Yeah, I'll bet. Nobody's even tried going in for three hundred
years or whatever, right?」replied a second voice.
「There is no record of anyone attempting an entry. Are you sure
we're safe? We are not leaving ourselves open to sudden attack…? commented a third.」
「Gah-hah-hah-hah!」, laughed the second one.
「Come on. Maybe this guy was invincible a few centuries back, but it's just a big overgrown lizard, y'know? I told you guys 'bout how I bagged a basilisk solo once, didn't I? It'll be fine!」
「I was wondering about that, actually」, the third replied.
「Are you sure that's the truth, Kabal? A basilisk is a B-plus-ranked monster. You truly handled that by yourself?」
「Quit playing dumb! I'm B ranked, y'know! Some huge reptile ain't gonna faze me!」
「All right, all right. Just keep your guard up, if you could. And
remember, we can always use my escape skills if things turn sour…」
「Can we save the friendly chitchat for later?」 The first interjected.
「I need some quiet. It's just about time for me to activate Concealing Arts!」
Three of them, it sounded like, none of them making much of an
effort at stealth.
And I understood everything they said, too. Odd.
«Received. Your Magic Sense skill can be adapted to decipher sound waves that have
willful meaning stored inside them.»
Okay. So I couldn't speak to them, but I could get what they were saying.
That was good. I was never too gifted at foreign languages.
I was always one of those kids in the back of the class, bitching all like, "Why do I need this? I'm never gonna live outside of Japan, anyway! Save it for somebody who will!"
Now that I was actually in that position, something told me that
excuse wouldn't work for much longer.
—Time to hit the books, I guess.
But that wasn't important. What should I do?
That was a tougher question than opening the door, for sure.
I didn't know what they wanted, but if I had to guess, they were adventurers.
Treasure hunters, maybe?
These were the first humans I'd encountered in this world—I had an urge to tail them to see what they were up to.
Sariel gave me the feeling a demon would, so perhaps he's part of a race with demonic alignment?
I dunno, maybe he's the devil himself.
As long as he does not try to eat my soul or something, I'm cool with him.
But… ooh, where is he, by the way?
Sariel: 「I'm still here. It's just a stealth skill like the one they had, but way more complicated.」
I see. Now I'm glad he's my friend. I'll probably ask him to teach me that skill.
Imagine the endless possibilities. Ooh, yes!
Sariel: 「(...That's one mentality you've got there.)」
Rimuru: 「(Shut it!)」
I forgot that we still had this mental link.
Let's clear our thoughts.
What if a slime who couldn't speak their language showed up; what would they do? Slice me up with impunity, I'd bet.
Better save it for next time. Safety first. I could save the human stuff for when I could
talk to them.
The slim man leading the trio had done something, and the three of
them faded from sight.
Not entirely, mind you. He
did mention a "concealing" something or other—some kind of skill, presumably.
I wonder what he learned that for. Not for sneaking into people's bedrooms, hopefully…
How scandalous. I'll have to make
friends with him later.
Sariel: 「...…」
Once the trio went out of sight down the path, I sprang back into
action.
There is no need to rush this. It wasn't as if this would be my last chance to meet people.
Slow and steady wins the race, as the ancients said, and I believe them.
Sariel: 「(Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get moving.)」
Through the door, I went, and before any of them could come back to check on things, I was gone.
Proceeding a fair distance from the door, we arrived at an intersection with several paths branching out from it. Which one would bring us to the surface?
Thinking about it wouldn't help much.
Sariel: 「(Don't worry yourself. I've got this.)」
Those were the words of the one who knew better, so I followed.
He led the way for some time, but then suddenly stopped and ran backward to stand behind me.
*Flick!* *Flick!*
Our eyes met. There it was.
Slowly, I averted mine.
There was a gigantic, ominous-looking serpent in front of me, a jet-black one with thorned scales, tough skin, and an appearance that made the snakes of Earth look positively
cuddly.
This creature in my path made me feel like a deer—or a slime
—in the headlights.
My mind went blank. Maybe I'd be okay if it didn't notice me?
Slowly, I tried to slide myself back to stand behind Sariel.
No luck. The black snake reared its head upward, matching my movements.
It flicked its tongue at me as
it silently menaced me with its eyes. Damn it. It's not letting me of the hook!
Rimuru: 「(Bastard, you threw me in the lake!!)」
Sariel: 「(Haha, have a nice dive with the sharks, buddy!)」
I would deal with the traitor later. Now, I had a "friendly visitor" to keep company.
We didn't need to exchange any words for that much to be
clear.
Should I fight it? I had this killer finisher that I'd spent the last week training for, didn't I?
It's just that… you know, fighting a monster like this would take a bit of an… extra *Woosh*—!!
In other words, I was crapping my pants.
But hang on. Get a hold of yourself. Thinking about it, I've been through scarier stuff before.
Remember Veldora? Compared to that dragon, this guy… Hell, maybe it's not so scary after all.
Maybe this is all gonna work out!
With a somewhat calmer mental state, I took a moment to size up
the dark snake.
It must have been thinking that it had stunned me into silence, that I was unable to move.
Probably coming up with ways
to land the final strike on me.
Maybe it found the concept of
swallowing me whole to be too bland or something.
Well, no point holding back.
Without another moment's
hesitation, I squared up toward the snake's neck and unleashed a
『Water Blade』.
With a lethal-sounding fwissh, the blade pierced through the air and struck the monster.
It all happened in an instant—so quick, I doubted my eyes.
Without a single bit of resistance, the 『Water Blade』 lopped the black snake's head off.
The snake was so huge, so ominous looking, I was sure I'd
be nothing but a midafternoon snack to it.
This skill… might have been a tad stronger than I thought.
If I'd used it on that adventuring trio, things might've gone all slasher film pretty fast.
Good thing I'd had the foresight to try it on a monster first.
Before I go on, let's do a quick recap of what was occupying my
stomach at the moment.
Veldora, 15 percent. Water, 10 percent.
Medicinal herbs, recovery potions, and the like, 2 percent. Ore and other materials, 3 percent.
Grand total, about 30 percent in use.
Each Water Blade strike used not even a regular cup's worth of water, so… sheesh, I could probably spit out thousands of these before I even began worrying about running out.
Hell of a lot more efficient than some stupid magic spell. I think I'll be relying on this against monsters for a while to come.
So about this snake... Would it have any abilities I could steal by absorbing and analyzing it?
There is no time to waste. Let's give it a shot!
The results were… not bad. In addition to the ability to disguise myself as a black snake, I gained the following two skills:
«Heat Source: Intrinsic skill. Identifies any heat reactions in the local area. Not affected by
any concealing effects.
Poisonous Breath: Intrinsic skill. A powerful breath-type poison (corrosion) attack. Affects an area seven meters in front of the user in a 120-degree radius.»
It looked as if this poison had a corrosive effect on its target,
damaging whatever equipment or flesh it touched.
A normal adventurer would probably have a lot of trouble against this guy, wouldn't they?
Though who could say, really, given the kind of magic
available in this world.
That flashy move Sariel pulled of was definitely some type of high-ranking magic category of the sort.
Wait, speaking of which–
Rimuru: 「Did you see that!? I was so cool! You really thought you had me under the bus, huh?」
Sariel: 「Nah. I could've handled it myself, but I wanted to see how you'd deal with it.
The result was achieved. You impressed me.」
Good. The impression wasn't negative, so it isn't bad, right?
I spent a little while analyzing the skills of this snake I'd just
vanquished.
The more cards in my hand, the better, I figured. The results:
1. Mimicking the black snake increased my bodily volume.
2. The skills I'd just earned could be invoked without having
to mimic the snake's form, although their performance
could suffer as a result.
To go into further detail:
1. I could break down and store the monsters I consumed with
Predator in my stomach.
I'd used Predator on my own body
in order to repair damage, and this provided some spare
cells to help with that, in other words.
2. "Intrinsic skills" appeared to be skills that were exclusive to
a certain type of monster.
My Absorb, Self-Regeneration,
and Dissolve skills were intrinsic to me as a slime.
However, to use intrinsics, I needed to take the form of the monster in question, or else I couldn't bust them out all the way.
I could still use them in part, though, and some skills—like
Sense Heat Source—seemed to work just fine either way.
Putting it all together: Predator freakin' rocked. I couldn't wait to track down some other useful skills with this thing.
Looking at the map in my brain, I figured Sariel truly knew the way.
We delved into a branch of the cave I'd never seen before.
We hadn't once repeated the same path, so I had no doubt about it.
He must've been from outside, too.
If so–
Rimuru: 「Hey dude, how's the outside world like?」
Without turning to look at me, he replied.
Sariel: 「Would you like for me to spoil the fun before you even see it?
Well, I must say it's a really beautiful world. But just like on earth, it has its ugly side.
Don't expect it to be all roses and rainbows like the ones we see in our everyday isekai mangas and animes.」
Rimuru: 「So, you're also an otherworlder like me, eh? I figured…」
Sariel: 「Yeah?」
Like that, our conversation began.
We talked a lot about the experiences he had back on earth.
It turns out he wasn't some chad or sigma guy like I expected.
He was just your average person.
Well, he did Excell in his studies, but he was an introverted virgin through and through.
At least I wasn't the only… no, I almost let myself in the dumpster.
He was still sixteen back then. I was a 37 year old man.
The comparison was stupid. He was only a few months legal when he died.
I am a dude who many would expect to have kids crying for ice cream.
Yet, I was still a pure man, untouched, not to talk of having kids.
I don't really mind it now. I have a second chance… No, I don't.
I'm a fucking slime!! No son whatsoever!!
I don't plan on killing somebody just because of a humanoid form I lack—nuh-uh.
But that would be something to consider on a later date.
As it turns out, there are actually demons in this world.
He was actually reincarnated as a demon. I bet he's gonna be tricky to beat.
If so, it was better to use him to clear the monsters here, no?
But here's the case: He's actually using me to get some sort of peace!
Not that I mind, but that's cheating!!
After some time spent on recapping our previous lives, we were greeted by a sight that had wholly eluded me for the past three days.
We must have been getting close to the entrance—to the great
outdoors.
Moss and weeds were starting to appear on the walls and
ground.
And I didn't know where the sun was, but the light, dim as it
was, was starting to make its way inside. Which meant it was daytime.
Along the way, we had a few more monster encounters.
To be exact:
A centipede monster ("evil centipede," rank B-plus)
A big spider ("black spider," rank B)
A vampire bat ("giant bat," rank C-plus)
A big shelled lizard ("armorsaurus," rank B-minus)
No more of those black snakes, though. Maybe that was the only
one.
They were all pretty strong. Not that I'm one to talk, given that
『Water Blade』 was still enough to end a battle all by itself.
But the bat guy did dodge my blades long enough to get a few bites in, and my attacks just bounced off the lizard guy's body if I didn't hit it at the
right angle.
They wouldn't all go down easy.
The centipede concealed itself long enough to attack me from behind, but between 『Magic Sense』 and 『Sense Heat Source』, I had enough of a bead on my surroundings that I was fully prepared.
One『Water Blade』tossed behind me was all it took to end that encounter.
The spider, on the other hand… Oof!
I always had a hang-up when it came to bugs in the first place. It was as if I was physically repulsed by them.
Just one look was enough for me, thanks.
Transforming into a slime must've powered up my mental fortitude as well, though—enough that I fought that guy without running away screaming.
Sorry, dude, you're getting full blast!
Five Water Blades at once,
thrust deep into its thorax. I didn't want it in my sight for another moment.
Not that it stopped me from consuming it afterward, though, nor any of the other guys.
Survival of the fittest and all. The spider and centipede gave me a little pause, yes, but I soldiered on.
If any cockroach monsters showed up, though, I was definitely
making a sprint for it.
It wasn't a matter of winning or losing.
Just because I could didn't mean I always should.
Between this and that, I managed to absorb quite a few monsters
in this cave.
Let's go over the skills I acquired.
Black snake: Poisonous Breath, Sense Heat Source
Centipede: Paralyzing Breath
Big spider: Sticky Thread, Steel Thread
Vampire bat: Drain, Ultrasonic Wave
Shelled lizard: Body Armor
I harnessed the Great Sage to research all the skills I picked up.
Basically, I didn't use 『Poisonous Breath』 from the snake.
I actually transformed so I could try it out against the lizard, and…like, whoa.
All that armor didn't do jackshit for the armorsaurus. It literally melted into a puddle of goo before my eyes.
Grossest thing I'd ever seen in my life, all those organs and bits of flesh all over the place. I had to spray another salvo of mist to break down the rest of the chewy bits.
Last time I'd have to see that, hopefully.
Really, this breath was almost too much of a force to be reckoned with.
I didn't want to use it much, if possible. Sense Heat Source,
though, was awesome.
Pretty much every living creature emits heat.
Combining this with 『Magic Sense』 meant that I was all but impossible to ambush.
There was no telling what kind of magic or special skills I'd run into once I started dealing with humans or intelligent high-level
monsters, so I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
Next up, the centipede. I hardly wanted to mimic that guy with how it looked and all.
Its breath had about the same range as the black snake's, and its form was about the same size as well.
As I figured, trying to use it in slime form limited the range to only about a meter.
It could come in handy for a surprise attack, I supposed, but if a foe was already within that radius, I'd be sunk unless I transformed or ran, so…
The lizard's armor, as I mentioned, put up zero resistance
whatsoever to 『Poisonous Breath』. I couldn't expect much from it.
Besides, I already had Resist Melee Attack, so there wasn't much point.
Using it in slime form just made my external surface a bit tougher, kind of like the metallic slimes that show up in that one RPG series and give you lots of EXP.
It gave a nice metal sheen to my lightturquoise body; whatever it did to me must've changed the way the light reacted to my surface.
I didn't want to test how I took damage with that on, though, so its effect remained a bit of a mystery.
That little extra tint might help scare my foes into submission, though.
That about wrapped up those three. The real meat, so to speak, lay in the other two.
They were pretty darn fascinating.
First, the spider. Who wouldn't want to imitate that famous
superhero, who does all the spidery stuff?
Firing webs from his hands powerful enough to let him swing around skyscrapers and all that?
Sticky Thread, it seemed, was originally meant to let the user
encase their prey in webs, rendering them immobile.
But could I use it to do some fancy web-rope slinging of my own? Let's try it out!
Point it at that tree branch, and… *Whoosh*—!!…*Swiiiiiiing*...…
Sariel: 「....」
Rimuru: 「So, uh, on to Steel Thread, no? What? Sticky Thread? I've never heard of it.
Just some skill that leaves you hanging around motionless in the air.」
Sariel: 「That's gonna be the next thing on my bucket list…」
Rimuru: 「Uhh, sure thing?」
Pass. On to Steel Thread. I guess this is meant to block your foe's attack.
The spider uses it to help it create an effective (i.e., labyrinthine) web, the Sage told me.
So I busted a thread out and whipped it against a tree.
Whoosh! Snap!
And lopped the trunk right off.
With 『Magic Sense』, I could tell that this Steel Thread would be
extremely difficult for the naked eye of a human to detect.
If I worked with it a little, I bet it could be a decent weapon.
I spent a little time doing just that in case it would come in handy later.
Finally, the bat. To be honest, out of this entire zoo, I had the
greatest expectations for the bat.
But—I mean, geez,『Drain』?
If it hits, you could use 70 percent of your target's skills for a limited period of time.
Big shit! Predator was far more effective. Talk about a precipitous drop in quality.
And what's the point of sucking someone's blood when you can just
analyze their data instead?
I'll just toss that one aside.
Ultrasonic Wave, on the other hand, piqued my interest.
This skill had the effect of confusing your foes or making them lose consciousness, but it was originally used for echolocation.
Just like bats back on my home planet, you could use these sound waves to suss out exactly where you and other objects were positioned.
But the skill didn't matter to me. The sonic waves it emitted did.
This slime was about to get his voice back. Talk about a stroke of luck.
Instead of having to reinvent the wheel from the cells I had, I could just absorb a relevant monster and take the skill for myself.
Can I form it into a voice, though? That's the tricky part.
So, I continued my research.
Restlessly, forgoing all sleep (not that I needed it), I followed Sariel around for three days and three nights, testing it out.
The end result:
Rimuru: 「I COME FROM OUTER SPACE!」
Silence… then–
Sariel: 「Sure you do, buddy, sure you do...」
Ah, I forgot he's still there.
But still, it was perfect!
It was still a bit distorted, like someone tapping at their throat while yelling through a box fan, but it was definitely a voice!
Now, all I had to do was fine-tune it!
Trying my best to calm my excitement, I began the long, arduous voice-adjustment process.
Sariel seemed to just endure whatever I throw at him.
These supersonic waves were so useful. I thought I remembered
reading something about a weapon that used sound waves.
A sonic buster or sonic blaster or something like that? Could I do that?
«Received. There is a chance that the skill "Super Vibration" may be derived from 『Ultrasonic Wave』. This can not be acquired at this time.»
So I need to derive it or change the skill somehow?
There's not much to go on, but nothing doing for now, I guess.
Not like everything's gonna be handed to me on a silver platter.
Maybe I'm getting too greedy, but the more cards in your hand, right?
There's no need to push things along too fast, though. Obtaining vocal cords is a huge coup by itself. I should be happy with it.
Sariel: 「You're using the bat's ability to let out ultrasonic waves, but you'll need to reduce the frequency by altering the velocity in order to affect the wavelength of your voice.
If you wanna affect the velocity, just reduce the force you use to release the sound waves. That'll affect everything as a whole.」
I see. The dude's giving me some good details there.
I think I was too loud? Yeah? Probably.
Looking back, I'd obtained a ton of skills in pretty short order as I wandered around, continuing with my research as we aimed for the exit.
And while it took some time, we eventually made it. The outside world.
This will be the first time that I got to bask in the sunlight of this world.
Sariel: 「We could've reached this place way earlier than you think, but you just had to deal with all those monsters, huh?」
Rimuru: 「Well, I needed to prepare myself for any incoming threat, so—you know?」
Sariel: 「Yeah, yeah, sure. I get it. But with me around, I don't see any fool daring to attack you without receiving some good 'ol smack in the face.」
Rimuru: 「..... You ran away from a snake, leaving me to do the dirty work. How is that a form of protection?」
Sariel: 「Not that it matters, but you seem to enjoy your killing spree, so why interfere?」
Rimuru: 「Lies!」
Sariel: 「Hehehe.」
He chuckled it off whilst giving me the "it's no big deal"—treatment.
Well, as he said, I did enjoy the whole survival training, so it's a win-win.
Sariel: 「See?」
Rimuru: 「See-my ass!!」
Like that, we resumed our arguments.
Well, to the outside world it is!
—————————————————————————————————
「Note: Well, another chapter brought to you by yours truly. It's a bit of stitching here and there to get this. Not that I care…
I know I talked about the MC's point of view, but that might have to wait for the next chapter. I know, I know, I'm not a dude of his words, but… you know what? Forget it.
Well, it's me being a scammer and writing blah-blah-blah for the word count to reach a certain threshold, so do mind me if you can.
So, thanks for reading this mess of a chapter, and adiós, mòn amigós!!」
Word Count:「6220」