Syl: Chapter 1 - 10 (Patreon)

Chapter 1: Meeting Gramps

I died. At least, that is all that I can remember. I'm unsure how it happened or even who I was, but I'm positive that was the outcome.

While trying to make sense of the situation, despite my lack of memories, a thought comes to me intuitively: I should open up my Status Menu. I focus my mind as if I've done this many times, and a window appears within my subconscious.

Name: ?̶͈̮̹͇͐̽̀͊?̶̺̱̲̪̻̼̫̞͛̉͜͠?̸̛̭̖̲͇͈̬̖̮̐̒͘͜?̶̦̼͓̄̓?̷̛̜̒̏̈́͌?̵͓̦͈͉͈̔͝͠ ̷͙̙͙̫̏̇͂̽͠?̴̭̽̃̽?̶̪̻͙̟̪̜̰̭̟͋̏̊̈͆?̸̨̭̰͓̼͓̑̃̊́͘?̴̻̲̤̣̰͚̺͐̌̔̌̿̃͜?̵͕͇̹͚̰͍̹̻̖͑͊?̴̪̰̈̏̀͒̂͜͝͠?̴͕̖̯̠̼͙̓̌͘͜

Race: ?̷̢̭̥͎͎͚̉̈̅͗̕?̵̧̧̛̩̭̹̗̍̾͐͒̓?̸̢̨͔̥̘͔̠̻̌́͛̌̓́̌͝͝?̴̛͕͑̉͂͐̆̕?̸̡̛̳̖͍̦̩͓͓̤̏̋̽͝

Class: ?̴͎͎̱̘̗̣̭̖̥͊͜ͅ?̸̢͉̈́̀͒̈͊̏̀͑̎̌͐̇?̶̨̨̩̝͖̞̖͔̘͎̟͉̓̃̓̌͗̆̿̈́̕?̵̧̛̖̻͙̱͉̔̔̇́̃͒̉̐͋̈̌̔

Status: Dead

Unfortunately, it provides no help other than confirming I'm dead.

'Thank you, Captain Obvious....'

I continue floating in the endless void for what feels like an eternity until a simple wooden stool appears. I stare at it briefly and then suddenly find myself sitting in it.

'Well, I was getting tired of floating...'

"Ah! You've finally arrived. Greetings." a loud but cheerful voice suddenly enters my mind.

"I can't believe you died in such a ridiculous way. I don't think I've ever seen such a waste of 5 Reincarnation Points." as he continues talking, I get the mental image of a grandfather.

I looked around but could not find its source. I'd open my mouth to speak, but it seems like I don't have one. I'm unsure how I am even sitting since I can't see my body.

'Reincarnation Points? That sounds familiar.' I think to myself.

"Indeed it should! In your previous life, you had many accomplishments and died a spectacular death, earning a boon for the world and a feast for us." the voice answers as if reading my mind.

'What!?' I try to interrupt with my thoughts screaming, but the voice continues.

"Because of this, we rewarded you 5 Reincarnation Points for your next life to get a headstart. You spent your first point to be born a noble, your second point to be a prodigy, and your final 3 points to unlock Dimension Magic. Honestly, you were practically built for greatness, and we thought your previous feast would pale in comparison. It should have been a banquet!"

'I'm sorry? I don't even know how I died.'

I feel a crushing disappointment like the grandfather who once was proud of me is giving me a scolding.

"You were poisoned on your birthday by your older brother."

'On my birthday, seriously!?'

"I suppose he felt his inheritance as the firstborn was severely under threat by a walking prodigy showing off a legacy magic. Honestly, this is one of the reasons we should get rid of Noble being a reincarnation option."

'How was I poisoned? Surely they tried to save me if I was a noble?'

"You dug into your favorite cake like it was about to sprout legs and run away. You were going at it so fast that people thought you were merely choking, which unfortunately gave the poison enough time to do its job."

I feel so ashamed even though I don't remember any of this. I stare into the void, wishing to disappear. I can't believe that my past self was such an idiot.

"Anyway, it's time for your next life. Unfortunately, you earned no Reincarnation Points because you didn't accomplish anything noteworthy this time."

Guilt. Shame. I close my eyes, hoping for the mental lecture to be over.

"However, your soul has a pretty good track record, and I feel you did not get your fair chance. Not to mention being poisoned on your birthday..."

'A second chance? A do-over?' I feel a small bubble of hope blossoming.

"Not quite. We can't just give points away."

'Bummer, I guess there's no such thing as a free meal.'

"However, we do run experiments on new reincarnation options to see if they have any future potential. Instead of having a default life, could I put you in one of these experiments?"

Although he is giving me a choice in the matter, I feel an otherworldly pressure telling me that I need to accept, or he will be disappointed in me. I'm not sure why I want to impress this disembodied Grandpa, but I'm sure I can do it this time. I must just stay away from any poisoned cake.

'It sounds like an upgrade over starting with nothing, so sign me up!'

"Excellent! I'll get the paperwork in order."

'Wait, I had some questions...'

The sound of a book being slammed shut echoes in my head, and the stool I was sitting on disappears beneath me. Suddenly, I feel myself begin to fall into the void below.

'Is he rushing this so I can't change my mind? What sort of experiment is this?'

"Enjoy your next life. I expect big things from you!"

That is the last thing I hear before the void below rips open into a blinding light, and my consciousness fades.

The blinding light slowly begins to fade as I start to hear life around me. Around me, I heard birds chirping, the rustling wind, water trickling, and something... sloshing?

I tried to blink but can't seem to. Eventually, I started making out shapes, which slowly came into focus. I saw the sky above me, the ground below me, a nearby stream, a forest in the distance, and what appeared to be a city with very high walls. Many round blue shapes around me seemed to be bouncing around.

'Wait, why can I see so much all at once? I didn't even turn my head?'

I tried to move my body but seemed to fall over and roll forward. However, my vision didn't change with my body's orientation and continued to come into focus.

'Do I have a full 360-degree vision? That seems very good, is this Grandpa's blessing?'

My vision focuses more, and I see that the blue ball shapes have a rather liquid-like texture and have a colored jewel in their center. My mind is tickled with the answer.

'Why am I surrounded by slimes?' I asked myself before I screamed out in horror. 'Status!'

Name: -

Race: Slime (Blue) LV 1

Class: -

Status: Healthy

'Grandpa... Why did you turn me into a slime? This feels more like a punishment than an experiment. Is this because I wasted your Reincarnation Points?'

Unfortunately, my thoughts go unanswered as I watch the slimes around me going about their business. A few seem to be 'eating' some plants by slowly dissolving them, which they do by engulfing them inside their slime body. Other slimes are sitting lazily by the stream, others seem to be trying to jump or bounce, and two larger ones are even chasing after a rabbit.

Deciding to see what my new slime body looks like, I attempt to head towards the stream. Thankfully, moving my new body came to me without too much difficulty, almost instinctually. Upon reaching the stream, I get close enough so that my reflection is within range, where I see a blue slime with a crimson-red core. I moved erratically to confirm the owner of the reflection.

'Damn... I really am a slime.'

I look at the closest slime nearby, whose core is also a reddish color, although, compared to my own, it seems much more dull.

'At least my core is a rather vivid color.'

My self-reflection is interrupted by the arrival of humans carrying baskets full of jars while some of the scruffier-looking ones are carrying buckets.

'Humans from that nearby city, I'm guessing. I hope they don't mean any harm. My fellow slimes don't seem to be panicking.'

The humans spread amongst the slimes, and I watched one of the first pick up a slime with one hand. After placing their basket carefully, they held the slime over one of their many jars, and he unsheathed a belt knife. Horror filled my mind as I watched the human cut into the slime, and the jelly was amputated from the slime and deposited into the jar below.

'Or are they just too stupid to know any better!?' I scream as I watch the humans, one after another, follow the same steps.

I immediately start trying to run away, thinking I can get to the forest away from this slaughter. My 360-degree vision gives me the perfect horror show as I watch a child run to catch up to me.

'Nooooooooo!'

The boy grabs me and throws me into his bucket as I try to squirm and get away throughout the process, but it's futile. His childlike strength is herculean in comparison to my jelly muscles.

"Xxxxxx xxxxx xxx'x xxxxxxxx xx xxxx..." The boy says something, but I can't understand the words that come out. He pulled out his own knife, which looked well-used and looked after.

'Please let me go! I don't want to die again!'

The boy can't hear my screams as he brings the knife down.

'I'm sorry, Gramps... Looks like I'll be seeing you again shortly.'

Chapter 2: Gooey Harvest

Strangely, I did not die or even feel pain as the boy's knife pierced into me. I kept waiting and waiting to see the void again and hear Grandpa again, but it did not happen.

The boy used his non-dominant hand to lift me while his other sliced away parts of my blue slime, which fell into the bucket below. There was no pain, but it was a bizarre feeling to watch my slime be disconnected from my 'body' like the child was peeling a potato.

'I'm thankful this isn't killing me, but this feels very violating... Being manhandled by a small child.'

When the slime disconnected from me, it suddenly lost its semifluid consistency. It immediately plummeted to the bottom of the bucket, which explained why the boy was lifting me to stop me from reabsorbing the slime below.

After a few minutes, the boy lifted me from the bucket, placed me on the ground, and petted my head. The pruning effectively reduced me to over half my size and mass.

"Xxx xxxx xxxx'x xx xxx, xxxxxx xxxxx." He again said something I could not understand and gave me a toothy smile.

He reached into his pocket, producing a moldy bread loaf, and dropped it on me. I wanted to screech in disgust as it entered me and then slowly began to dissolve.

'Thank goodness I don't have taste buds... Although it feels weirdly pleasant to absorb things like this.'

I sat unmoving as the hard bread dissolved, watching my fellow slimes also be cut away and stored into jars or buckets.

'I do wonder why this didn't hurt or kill me; is this not the equivalent of being amputated or disemboweled?'

While I observed the slime harvest, I unfortunately got the answer to my question. An older child was busy cutting away when his blade struck against the pale red core of the slime. There was a cracking sound, and immediately, the entire slime lost form, and all of the liquid plummeted into the bucket. The core hit the bottom of the bucket with a dull clank sound, and I felt my entire being shudder in horror.

'I have to protect my crimson core at all costs.'

An adult runs over to the kid and smacks him over the head, shouting something at him. The kid rubs his head in pain while bowing frantically to the adult. They conversed momentarily, and the man pointed towards the city with a scowl. The boy starts frantically running back toward the town while holding his bucket carefully.

'I guess it was an accident, and they aren't intentionally killing us slimes? But to be able to lose my life at the mistake of a child is a terrifying conclusion.'

Each human sticks around until their containers reach capacity, and then they start heading back towards the city. As the last of the humans disperse, the slimes start heading towards any nearby foliage to eat again. I noticed that the bread was fully dissolved, and I had regained some of my previous mass.

'Eat, regenerate slime, get harvested, and repeat... It sounds like an awful existence, so no, thank you. I should try to recover my size and get out of here.'

I head towards a nearby flower and engulf it as it slowly dissolves. I can feel my mass slowly recovering, but it feels vastly inferior to that moldy bread.

I notice the slimes all congregating towards a location, and I cautiously follow them to find a woman wearing a bloody apron and holding two large sacks has arrived. She reaches into the sack to pull out its contents and then tosses chunks of meat and bone towards us. The slimes frantically head towards the meals, and I even manage to get a piece of fuzzy meat for myself, which I frantically engulf.

Once her first sack is empty, she lifts her other bag and turns it inside out, dumping a large amount of rotten garbage. She coughs and scrunches her face, clearly upset with the smell, and walks off. Much to my dismay, I watch the smaller slimes who didn't manage to snag some meat start eating the garbage.

'Our blue slime is valuable enough for them to keep us fed. Or we are garbage disposal, and they trim us down so we don't grow too big and become a threat?'

One of the slimes who didn't get a piece of meat starts heading towards a smaller slime who did. I figure they will fight over the food, but it becomes even more horrific as I watch the slime engulf the smaller one, meat and all!

The smaller slime tried to struggle, but I watched it shrink inside the larger slime. There's a quiver in the center, and eventually, the core of the smaller slime itself suddenly dissolves!

'My human brother poisoned me, and now I just watched my slime brethren eat each other... I wonder if my soul peaked before my last reincarnation because this feels truly cursed.'

While I was focusing on the battle, another slime snuck up on me and started to try to engulf me.

'No! Let me live! You can have the stupid piece of meat!' I scream mentally and try to back away from the slime. There's a weird suction between us, and I feel it stealing my slime mass from me.

My frantic struggle got nowhere, so I tried to find a solution.

'If only I could get to its core before it reaches my own, then I could absorb or break it, but I don't think I could engulf it, and I can't think of a way to grab it directly.'

<Would you like to spend 1 Trait Point to purchase [Pseudopod]? Trait Points remaining 1.>

Something appeared in my mind that feels very similar to my Status Menu.

'What? If it will help me, then yes!'

<Trait [Pseudopod LV 1] obtained. Trait Points remaining 0.>

I felt a rush of knowledge enter my core, and I felt a greater control over my slime. I picture a tentacle bursting forward into the enemy slime and grabbing its core. My slime jiggles in anticipation and seems to harden to create this fake limb, which jets out to pierce the slime and envelop its' rose-red core.

Crunch.

<Slime (Blue) LV 1 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Slime (Blue) Core absorbed. Trait [Mana Slime] gained.>

<Existing Trait [Mana Slime LV 1] improved to [Mana Slime LV 2].>

'Huh...'

Chapter 3: Slime-Eat-Slime

As the hostile slime core shattered, it relinquished its hold on the surrounding slime, which drew in and surrounded me, increasing my size and mass appropriately. It felt amazing, and neither the bread nor meat I had previously absorbed could even compare to merging all that slime into my being.

I waved my new appendage around to give it a feel, retracted it, and then produced it again from my opposite side. I tried to form another one, but no matter what I tried, I couldn't have more than a single tendril arm.

'I think it was called pseudopod...'

<[Pseudopod LV 1]

It can create and control numerous tendrils equal to the trait level of the available slime mass.

The degree of manipulation increases per level.

Quantity and size distribution are limited to available slime mass.

Compatible with other slime traits.>

'Gramps, is that you? Are you answering my questions?' I asked mentally but got no response. 'So if I can raise the level of Pseudopod, I can have more tendrils. Hopefully, I can figure out how to raise the level because this saved my life.'

At the edge of my focus, I noticed the larger slime that engulfed the other slime was approaching me. I wondered why but noticed I was still on top of the fuzzy meat, which was dissolving much too slowly for my liking.

'How hungry can you be? You stole a piece of meat and ate another slime, yet you still want more?'

I produced my Pseudopod and waved it threateningly at the approaching slime, but it showed no sign of stopping. Anxiously, I waited until it got within range and thrust my Pseudopod like a spear into the slime to reach for its core. However, as my tendril went deeper and deeper into the slime, I could feel my control over it gradually fading until I only had a thin sliver of a tendril left.

'Damnit, this bugger is a lot more acidic than the previous slime, and it just ate my arm!'

I refocus my effort, picturing a much thicker spear of slime, and I can feel my unused mass shrinking to accommodate my image. With a burst, the slime spear shoots forward and penetrates the hostile slime. Again, I can feel the control of the edges of my limb shaving away, but this time, it's thick enough to reach and grab the core.

Crunch.

<Slime (Blue) LV 2 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Racial Experience threshold reached. Slime (Blue) is now LV 2>

<1 Trait Point is now available>

<Slime (Blue) Core absorbed. Trait [Mana Slime] gained.>

<Existing Trait [Mana Slime LV 2] improved to [Mana Slime LV 3].>

'So it was level 2... Must have had a habit of eating other slimes.'

Once again, as the core is gone, my body automatically claims the slime mass. It's a euphoric feeling, like I'm becoming something more. Looking around, I notice that there is still some leftover meat, and slimes continue fighting over it.

'Well, it looks like it's a slime-eat-slime world. I might as well help myself!'

While heading towards two slimes trying to engulf each other, I imagine my slime spear again, and as soon as they are within range, I fire it forward. Crunch. I ignore the popups in my head while I immediately retract and then fire it out again to the other slime. Crunch. My slime mass rapidly increases from claiming the goop from both the dead slimes in front of me, and the euphoric feeling rushes over me while I look at the prompts in my head.

<Slime (Blue) LV 1 defeated. Experience gained.> x2

<Slime (Blue) Core absorbed. Trait [Mana Slime] gained.> x2

<Existing Trait [Mana Slime LV 3] improved to [Mana Slime LV 5].>

'Mana Slime seems to increase every time I eat another slime core, whereas I didn't gain a level up despite eating two this time.'

I form a tendril to grab the piece of meat that the slimes were fighting over and bring it inside my form. Then, I create a much thinner tendril, which I extend as far as possible to grab an unoccupied bone and deposit it inside.

'Now that I have more slime mass to work with, my Pseudopod seems better than ever. I wonder if Gramps will explain Mana Slime to me?'

<[Mana Slime LV 5]

This slime contains a rich and dense concentration of pure mana based on its trait level.

Mana Slime is a highly sought-after resource used mainly as an alchemical reagent, and its price can vary based on its purity level.

It can also be ingested raw for emergency mana recovery.>

'Thanks Gramps! I wonder why you answered this but not my other questions?' Despite my optimism, my question goes unanswered again, so I digest the info I got given about Mana Slime.

'So that explains what the humans were doing this morning... Wait, aren't I just making myself a big juicy target? Does this even help me at all?'

I'm by far the largest slime around now, but despite that, the other slimes show no sense of danger and are still openly attacking one another over food. I wondered if I shouldn't feel guilty about absorbing my brethren, but they looked absolutely mindless, as one even rammed into me attempting to reach my food.

I form a large tendril and lift the slime. While I grasped it, I attempted to push more slime mass into my limb, which swelled and engulfed the smaller slime.

<Proficiency gained. [Pseudopod LV 1] improved to [Pseudopod LV 2].>

'Amazing, so by practicing or trying new things with my tendrils, I can improve it.'

I form a second tendril and wave it around with glee.

'If I had a face, I bet I'd be grinning like an idiot.'

<Slime (Blue) LV 1 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Slime (Blue) Core absorbed. Trait [Mana Slime] gained.>

<Existing Trait [Mana Slime LV 5] improved to [Mana Slime LV 6].>

The slime I had held and engulfed in my Pseudopod had perished, although I barely gained any mass due to its small size.

'I should probably hide in the forest, as I don't feel like being the prize pig at the harvest festival. Once I've found a nice hiding spot, I can decide how to proceed. Do I keep eating and growing? I was the size of a tiny dog, and now I'm the size of a child. Would my slime not just become unwieldy? I'd certainly just be making myself a larger target.'

<Would you like to spend 1 Trait Point to purchase [Slime Density]? Trait Points remaining 1.>

'Slime Density? I want to say yes, but could you please explain?'

<[Slime Density]

Allows compression of slime mass, which reduces size and increases density.

Maximum Density, Efficiency, and Control scale with trait level.

Compatible with other slime traits.>

'Another amazing suggestion, Gramps, sign me up!'

<Trait [Slime Density LV 1] obtained. Trait Points remaining 0.>

Chapter 4: Compression Testing

Once I gained [Slime Density LV 1], I could feel the layout of my slime body a lot more clearly, such as the current compression level of various areas of my slime mass and even down to the individual pseudopods. At the moment, I could only compress my entire body or each Pseudopod, but I can imagine that as I leveled up the trait, I could have far greater control over what areas I raise the density of.

Using the knowledge of my new trait, I compress my body back down to just a little bit larger than my original size. I tried to compress more slime mass, but this was the limit at my current level. Despite my diminutive size, I felt safer and more solid with this higher-density slime.

I was curious to see the effects of higher-density slime, so I compressed one Pseudopod while leaving the other uncompressed, and then I slammed both tendrils into each other with as much force as I could muster. Splat! It was like throwing a water balloon at a brick wall, and the uncompressed Pseudopod exploded on contact.

'Very impressive! If I keep increasing the density of my slime mass, then I can prevent something from entering my body and reaching my core.'

I had another idea I wanted to test as I recreated my destroyed Pseudopod, leaving it uncompressed, and moved toward two nearby slimes. I placed my two tendrils in two different slimes and then waited while staring intently. My theory was that the higher-density one would be much harder to dissolve, and sure enough, I could feel my control being peeled away layer by layer in only one Pseudopod.

Before I lost my Pseudopod, I tried sending more slime mass to it while also trying to compress it. I could feel my slime mass drain from my main body to reinforce the density, and the peeling sensation eventually stopped. Satisfied with the results, I surround the core of each slime with my tendrils. Crunch! Crunch!

<Slime (Blue) LV 1 defeated. Experience gained.> x2

<Slime (Blue) Core absorbed. Trait [Mana Slime] gained.> x2

<Existing Trait [Mana Slime LV 6] improved to [Mana Slime LV 8].>

'I haven't leveled up yet; do I need to defeat a level 3 monster, or have I just not defeated enough? Also, I wonder if [Mana Slime] has a maximum level?'

Looking around, I can see that the slime buffet has ended, and the slimes are returning to their earlier activities. I'm surprised how many are still alive, as I was not the only one who ate a few cores.

'Well, I have two more things I want to try out before I head into the forest, and I don't wish to destroy all of my mindless brethren... If only a small number of slime are left, the humans might become suspicious.'

I head towards the most giant slime I can see, hoping it might be a higher level, and start pumping more slime mass into one of my pseudopods. The tip of my Pseudopod starts to form into a ball, and I start compressing while this happens. As its size swelled, I felt the limb wasn't strong enough to hold on to its own.

'Maybe if I had a higher level of [Slime Density], the limb would be strong enough? Something to work towards. Let's use two hands.'

I use my free tendril to support the weight of the dense ball and stop increasing the size. It's a bizarre sight, like a big-slimy mace, and my main body has diminished in size to distribute slime mass towards this experiment. I then bring down the impromptu weapon on the large slime, which explodes like an overripe fruit. Splat! Crunch!

<Slime (Blue) LV 2 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Racial Experience threshold reached. Slime (Blue) is now LV 3>

<1 Trait Point is now available>

<Slime (Blue) Core absorbed. Trait [Mana Slime] gained.>

<Existing Trait [Mana Slime LV 8] improved to [Mana Slime LV 9].>

I finally gained another level, which felt great! However, I didn't think about what would happen to the slime mass as it explosively flew out into the vicinity. Thankfully, quite a lot of the slime mass got stuck to my mace, and a portion of it splattered in my face, but the rest either fell on other slimes or soaked into the soil.

'Maybe I can think of it as distributing the wealth to my poorer brethren if I pretend slime mass is our currency.'

While mentally sighing over the loss of blue goo, I prepare for my next experiment by recollecting my slimy mace. I want to try to form a needle out of densely compressed slime, an improvement of my slime spear that saved my life.

I keep compressing one of my pseudopods, but I can't get it to match up with my mental image, which means I need a higher-level trait. I keep trying to brute force it, and I actually feel a dull sort of pain tremble in my core and quickly stop.

'Is this the slime equivalent of a headache or just too much mental strain? Maybe I should try a quantity practice approach.'

I hold out my two pseudopods and compress one to the comfortable limit. Then, I compress the remaining Pseudopod while simultaneously trying to decompress the first one. Compress, decompress, compress, decompress... I keep repeating this process while hoping that this counts as training. What comes to mind is that I'm flexing my muscles or doing bicep curls, and as I keep repeating the process, I feel myself flow into a rhythm.

<Proficiency gained. [Slime Density LV 1] improved to [Slime Density LV 2].>

If I had a mouth, I would have screamed with glee, so both my tendrils do a happy wiggle instead. I can instinctively feel a better understanding of my slime mass and its current density. I once again set my body's density to the new comfortable maximum and shrink considerably, and then I begin forming my needle.

I compress a long and thin tip of my Pseudopod as much as possible, a much higher density than my main body, and I only stop once I feel my core begin to strain. I'm satisfied even though it looks more like a rapier than a needle. I thrust it into a nearby slime; the pointed edge pierces both slime and core like a knife through hot butter.

<Slime (Blue) LV 1 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Slime (Blue) Core absorbed. Trait [Mana Slime] gained.>

<Existing Trait [Mana Slime LV 9] improved to [Mana Slime LV MAX].>

I raise my rapier above my head and give it a happy wiggle.

'So [Mana Slime] stops at 10. I wonder if that's the limit for everything. Although now that my slime has maximum richness, I don't feel like sticking around to be harvested.'

With a swish of my rapier tendril, I point it to the forest.

'Let's go!'

Chapter 5: Trees and Information

On the way to the forest edge, I saw a rabbit nearby and attempted to grab it with a tendril, but sensing danger, the rabbit evaded and fled. I was only mildly curious since I remembered the slimes earlier chasing a rabbit, so I didn't bother pursuing it. My ability to move with haste could have improved; I could do short bounces or 'ripple' forward, and attempts to use my pseudopods didn't have noticeable improvements.

Trying to make the best use of the slow travel and not waste time, I continued practicing my pseudopod compression. I wanted to know if I could also work on getting my third Pseudopod by adding some steps to my slime flex, so I added plenty of wiggles and would also periodically absorb and recreate the tendrils.

The forest was quite a sight, with plenty of vegetation and critters. As I progressed deeper into it, I grabbed a few plants but noticed they continued to give almost no slime mass.

'I guess the world doesn't want any vegetarian slimes.'

Eventually, I came across a dirt path cutting straight into the forest. I decided to avoid the path while trying to get deeper, as I didn't want to risk being spotted by humans. It was getting noticeably darker, and I wanted to find a safe resting spot.

'I could try to find a hole to hide in... Or I should try hiding up a tree?'

Looking up at a tree with a thick trunk, I decided to see if I could climb. I pressed up against the trunk with a wet squish, then wrapped my two pseudopods around it and tried to see if I could lift myself. My slime was slightly adhesive, so my slime climb was far easier than I expected, and eventually, I found myself drooping over a large branch.

'Okay... I think I'm pretty safe up here. Status!'

Name: -

Race: Slime (Blue) LV 3

Class: -

Status: Healthy

'This isn't enough. I want to see more... Details?'

Emblems:

[Experiment]

Traits:

[Mana Slime LV MAX]

[Pseudopod LV 2]

[Slime Density LV 2]

[??? LV 0]

Trait Points remaining 1

Skills: -

Skill Points remaining 0

'Okay, I can see all my traits, and apparently I have no skills, but what are Emblems and Experiment?'

<[Experiment]

This soul is currently trialing a potential new Reincarnation Point option.

Success will lead to a permanent addition to the Reincarnation options and a reward for the individual soul.

This emblem serves as a mark to prevent test contamination from direct interference from -̵͎̖̠̥̀̉̈́̋d̷̀̃̊͋ͅm̶͔̈́̃̀͛-̶̨̰̇̓͗̃n̵̞̳̤͗́͒͜͝ͅi̵̠̲̝͂̾̊͜͝-̵̯̪̋̊̌̇ẗ̶͉̪̙̼̗́̒̽r̶̳͍̼͖͖͐̉̏̎-̶̦̲͕̗͕̋̊̽̔ṫ̴̬̱̩̙̠̎͆̍͝o̵̘͔͕̞̔̈́r̵̜̥̋͑̓̌̿s̸͕̓́̂̉.

Due to the experiment involving a non-sapient race, basic instincts, and trait guidance will be provided until the first evolution.

This emblem is immune to identification. This emblem cannot be equipped.>

'So this is Gramps both marking me and providing me some early assistance. I wish the guidance function didn't have a time limit, but I guess it's only intended to compensate for my lack of parents to raise me.'

I stared at Emblems heading into the mental window and tried to 'poke' it with my mind, but nothing happened.

'If only I could get an explanation of Emblems, which can apparently be equipped? Also, what the heck is evolution? So many questions.'

Sadly, Gramps doesn't respond. I then bring my focus on [??? LV 0] and 'poke' it.

<[??? LV 0]

A trait partially learned through trial and error.

Transforms into a full trait by demonstrating basic mastery or through manual purchase.>

'Okay, that sounds amazing. So I don't need to buy everything. Considering I don't have skill points to spend, I'm curious if this is how I get skills.'

I try mentally poking things in my menu, hoping to find some other features.

<Would you like to spend 1 Trait Point to upgrade [Slime Density LV 2]? Trait Points remaining 1.>

'No!'

The prompt vanishes, and I sigh in relief.

'So, I can spend points to upgrade, but I'd rather get brand new traits. This could be a good option if the trait was difficult or impossible to practice. Is there a list of traits?'

<Trait List unavailable without an Orb of Enlightenment.>

'The hell is an orb of enlightenment? Gramps, this seems very unfair. I want to look for a trait to protect my core.'

<Would you like to spend 1 Trait Point to purchase [Core Refinement]? Trait Points remaining 1.>

'... Explain, please.'

<[Core Refinement]

The Core is the most vital part of a Slime, combining the functions of the Heart and Mind while also containing the soul.

This trait enhances all basic Core functions and moderately improves durability scaling with level.>

'Ugh, my head... err... core hurts from all of this information, so improving my mind may help. I definitely want more durability, even if it's only moderate. Thanks, Gramps, I will buy core refinement.'

<Trait [Core Refinement LV 1] obtained. Trait Points remaining 0.>

My mind screams in pain as my entire core is overwhelmed with a burning sensation, and I lose all vision. I can feel it growing. My pseudopod tendrils flail wildly, and I nearly fall from my branch before I restrain myself to the branch and squeeze it as tightly as possible. Eventually, the burning subsides, my vision returns, and I feel exhausted.

'Shit! Why!?' I scream mentally to the silence.

I want to collapse into a puddle and sleep, but I'm worried my branch isn't secure enough after nearly falling.

'One last task for the day... Ugh...'

I maneuver over to the tree trunk and form my rapier, which manifests in record time, and I repeatedly stab at the trunk. Plik. Plik. Plik. Splat. Despite using my maximum density, the results are different from what I expected after how it performed against the target dummy slime.

'I vastly overestimated my compressed slime... I might be in trouble against anything harder than wood. I could eat my way through it. I only need a hole big enough to fit my core.'

I use my other Pseudopod to envelop the side of the trunk and press against it, hoping to start dissolving it. Then I stabbed through my slime with my rapier. Plik. Plik. Plik. Combining dissolving and stabbing seems to be progressing nicely, and eventually, the hole is large enough to enter.

Going partially inside, I focus my dissolving downwards, form two rapiers inside my slime mass, and stab away at the floor.

'I just need to make it deep enough to hold all my slime.'

The outside is already completely dark when my tree hole finally feels large and secure enough to contain me. My slime gushes in, and I start to settle in for torpor. My core drifts slowly down to the bottom of my slime mass.

'What a day... Goodnight, Gramps...'

Chapter 6: Jellyfish Slime

Waking up to light and the sounds of the forest was a refreshing experience; I half expected to wake up floating in the void, and I'm glad I safely survived the night. My core felt pristine, and I wish I could see what it looked like after obtaining [Core Refinement]. However, my slime mass felt... odd. I exited the safety of my tree and sat perched on the branch to examine my slime mass, forming my two pseudopods and giving them a look over as well.

By the way, I figured out an excellent way to sit securely on my branch; I enveloped myself over the branch and then raised the density around the branch to form a grip. I was initially worried I'd eventually eat into the branch, but ever since I got [Core Refinement], I can selectively turn off my dissolving.

Crystal-clear gaps were floating in my blue slime, and as I stared at them, I was nearly overwhelmed with an instinctual desire to purge it as soon as possible.

'I'm unsure what this is, but it's ruining my perfect blue complexion. It's not mixing with my slime mass, so let's try just pushing it out.'

I could feel the effects of [Core Refinement] in my control and movement of my slime, and I effortlessly isolated the fluid and pushed it outwards from my slime to expel it. I could feel my size deflating from this, but my instincts were praising me and filling my core with endorphins, so I just watched in silence as it trickled down to the forest floor. By the end, a large puddle had formed, and some birds had even arrived and were splashing and drinking from it.

'That might have been water, probably very pure with how crystal-clear it was. Us slimes must be pretty damn useful to those humans if we can turn garbage into mana slime, and even our waste becomes water.'

The birds eventually get scared off from their bath time by a small pig-like creature with very tiny tusks, which then greedily starts drinking the water. I suddenly felt ravenous, my instincts demanding me to replenish my slime mass, and I began to lower both my pseudopods cautiously behind the pig.

'I probably look like a stupid jellyfish with my blob up top and tendrils dangling below.' I chuckle to myself.

I start sending slime mass to my pseudopods; one is becoming my trusty slime rapier while the other is expanding enough to engulf the pig thing. With coordinated precision, I begin my sneak attack, my rapier going for the neck while my other Pseudopod envelops its behind to lift its rear legs and prevent escape. The pig squeals in horror and tries to bolt, but I am strong enough to lift its legs as planned. My trusty slime rapier, unfortunately, fails to meet my lofty goals for it and only gets a few inches deep into the pig's neck, and I have to attempt a 'death by a thousand pinpricks' approach instead. I keep lifting and stabbing until, eventually, the thrashing pig stops.

<Boar LV 0 defeated. Reduced experience gained.>

'It had no level... Does that mean it was a baby? Well, I wanted food and not experience anyway.'

I plop the lifeless body inside my slime mass, eager for my meal, but it's dissolving very slowly. [Core Refinement] should have improved my dissolving, but this was slower than the meat the humans gave me. After considering it, I should cut the meat, expose it to more slime, and improve the dissolving process. I formed my compressed pseudopods and reached into myself. Even though it was a bit bizarre, I didn't want to lose any boar by doing this outside.

I grab a leg with a tendril, form my rapier with the other, and try to compress around the boar with my body to hold it in place. While pulling the leg, I stab at the joint repeatedly, and eventually, it rips off. I repeat this process with the remaining legs. While the idea disturbs me initially, I also flood slime through its mouth and simultaneously start eating away at the boar from the inside. I sensed the process sped up, and my slime mass steadily increased.

Examining the boar, I can see its small tusks are almost unblemished, and I get the idea to keep and use them. I set two dissolving orders to my slime: avoid the tusk and focus on the flesh and cartilage. A warm feeling spread through my core from the strain, and I hoped to get [Core Refinement LV2] soon to ease my burden.

'When I get trait points, I should dump them into [Core Refinement]. It has definitely improved all aspects of me. Anyway, let's try to extract those tusks with a new idea for my pseudopods.'

I focused on my Pseudopod and tried to make a claw, which proved to be quite a mental struggle as my Pseudopod seemed reluctant to split. Hoping to ease my mental burden, I retract one of my pseudopods and give the remaining one my entire focus. Once again, I can feel my core straining, but I keep focusing.

<Proficiency gained. [Core Refinement LV 1] improved to [Core Refinement LV 2].>

A wave of tremendous relief floods my core, and I want to celebrate, but I feel so close to making my claw. The extra mental processing immediately proves its worth as I split the tip of my Pseudopod and immediately start to raise the density to strengthen the form of my claw.

Once my claw is sufficiently condensed, I give it a few snaps to try it out. There's sadly no satisfying clacking noise when the claw tips meet, but I still feel absolutely giddy at my success and find myself wiggling my clawed tendril in joy.

'Hehe... My pseudopod has become a pseudoclaw.'

With nobody to laugh at my bad joke, I bring the claw to the base of the tusk, which has become quite tender from all the dissolving. I snap the claw shut with as much force as I can muster and begin to tug.

Snap, tug, tug, release, snap, tug, tug, release.

I keep repeating this process until, after much time and effort, the tusk is finally extracted. Before I can even mentally celebrate, I'm interrupted by a mental notification.

<Trait [??? LV 0] has become [Shape Slime LV 1].>

'Explanation, please!'

<[Shape Slime LV 1]

Improves and assists in shaping slime mass into various shapes, objects, or tools to mimic their use.

Complexity and creation speed scales with level.

Successful creations can be mentally stored for automatic creation.

Compatible with other slime traits.>

'Yesssssss!'

Chapter 7: Tree Traversal

Old Tom looked at the grassy plains with a frown, his tanned and wrinkled face showing immense displeasure. There were far fewer slimes than they expected this morning, and this would be normal after a slime feeding as they would sometimes dissolve one another by accident as they fought over the food scraps. But if that had happened, there would be a few much larger slimes from the results, which always produced a higher quality mana slime for an unexplained reason and were quite sought after.

Some of these recurring larger slimes even had nicknames from their more notable colored cores; his granddaughter was in tears this morning when she couldn't find the slime 'Rosey' who was named after its rose-red core and would always produce very high-quality mana slime.

Tom's thoughts were interrupted by the friendly voice of Bertha,

"Do you think it was goblins?"

"Gods, I hope not. If they are trying to raise a shaman, we'll need to mobilize the guild with an emergency quest," Tom replied, spitting in disgust.

Monsters were bad enough as is, but sapient monsters with class levels have the potential to be a nightmare. Ordinarily, goblins only had access to the basic classes they were born with, such as Fighter or Scout, but on rare occasions, one could even get a magic class if they met the right conditions. There was an infamous goblin tribe whose matriarch discovered that if she ingested copious amounts of blue slime, she would keep birthing goblin shamans. Her tribe raided countless villages and smaller settlements and even attempted to attack a walled city directly as she went mad with the power of her magical spawn. When they finally ended the vile creature's life and studied her corpse, they found her mana levels were abnormally high, which in turn was causing her spawn to be born with the mana capacity required for a shaman.

"Hopefully, it was just a few starving wolves since they have a history of eating slime out of desperation." Bertha tried to reassure Tom, wiping the meat blood off her hands onto her apron.

"It could be, but I'll ask the guild to put up an extra goblin extermination quest just to be sure.

They continued to chat for a while longer, then headed home. Many of the poorer townsfolk were extremely unhappy with the poor harvest today.

After my successful first extraction, I moved on to the remaining tusk to repeat the process, and eventually, I had my second reward. Now that I had secured both tusks, I wanted to see the benefit of my new trait, so I dismissed the claw that took so much prior effort to make to start fresh. Honestly, [Shape Slime] was absolutely amazing as it almost effortlessly recreated my claw, as if following a blueprint and instructions. I made a second claw and snapped both repeatedly like a threatening crab.

After playing around with my claws, I looked at the remains of my food; most of the meat was gone by now, and its internals thoroughly dissolved. Its leathery skin was ruined, with multiple holes where my slime attempted to eat it. The bones were picked clean and looked somewhat decayed.

'Maybe I should only eat meat and organs, and I could collect hide and bones for something useful.'

I left the hide and bone to continue dissolving since they were already partially ruined, and I did not want to waste the food. I formed my slime rapier, which took on a much more refined form thanks to my new trait, and then floated one of the tusks to its tip. Initial tests weren't successful, as the tusk would shoot deeper inside of me upon stabbing, and I had to lower the density of my rapier somewhat so that I could put a reinforced density around the tusk to hold its position better. Managing multiple densities in a single area was tough, and I prayed for my trait level to arrive swiftly. I stabbed a few times and was happy with the noticeable improvement, and I made sure to test a slime rapier without a tusk since I wanted a comparison from before I got [Shape Slime].

Now, I wanted to try it on something living, but I wanted to stay amongst the tree branches to retain my element of surprise - the slime jellyfish strategy worked disgustingly well. I needed to improve my traversal speed, and I was sure I could use my pseudopods more efficiently.

I flung a tendril out and grabbed a higher branch of a nearby tree, then released my body grip on the branch I was sitting on and tried to swing... It went horribly, and I splatted against a tree and then the ground with a disturbing squelching sound. I tried two tendrils and then lifting myself upwards, and it worked but was frustratingly slow. The back of my mind kept tickling me like I was missing something obvious. I crawled back up and attempted another swing, only to embarrass myself further.

Splat. Splat. Splat.

Eventually, I had a brilliant idea of shifting my mass along my destination tendril to relocate myself. But, much to my disappointment, my body refused to reallocate all of its mass and would always stop at a certain threshold.

'What am I missing? Why can't I move all my slime?'

I focused on the orange sky above; it was late afternoon, and I would soon need to return to my tree hole. I stared at the glowing orb in the sky and sighed.

'I'm sure this tingling feeling in my mind is Gramps laughing at me. Ugh, my head hurts.'

Head. Mind. Core?

'Right... My actual self is my core, which keeps a minimum amount of slime around me. Could I move my core?'

I felt desperation as I was on the verge of an epiphany. I quickly flung out a pseudopod and latched onto a higher tree branch. I focused mentally on my core. Move. Push. Travel. Go! My perspective abruptly changed as I flew towards the branch like a missile. My slime mass rapidly followed after me like it was magnetically attracted to my core. My core tapped against the branch, and pain assailed me so much that I immediately let go of the branch and fell to the ground below with a massive splash.

I screamed in pain and rolled on the ground with my tendrils flailing wildly. I was shocked at how much it hurt, and I could only hope I didn't do any real damage to my core. Eventually, I got myself under control, but I felt miserable.

'Shit! That was so stupid. I desperately need to raise my core's defense if a simple branch felt that bad. But at least I proved I can move my core, so let's try that again, safely this time...'

Again, I sent up a pseudopod to latch onto a branch, although this time, I confirmed there was a lot more slime mass at the destination to act as a cushion to catch my core. On the bright side, this time, I required much less effort to move my core and soon found my vision flying through the air again until I reached my slimy cushion.

'Success!'

I wanted to do a happy wiggle but stopped myself, frustrated at the pain that still throbbed in my core. I flung a tendril to another branch and promptly sent my core again. It was getting quicker and easier with each success. I continued to practice as I headed towards my tree hole, feeling very satisfied with my new traversal method. Before the final jump back home, I created two tendrils, latched one to my current branch, and sent the other to my tree. I then sent slime mass along the tendril and focused it on the halfway point between the branches. Then, I flung my core to the middle and was very happy when I stopped safely, suspended and hanging between two branches.

<Proficiency gained. [Pseudopod LV 2] improved to [Pseudopod LV 3].>

I grinned happily at that surprise message and produced my long-awaited third tendril from my center position. Bad mood be damned, as this was a moment deserving of a happy wiggle, and my freshly-produced Pseudopod was more than up for the task, which it completed with gusto.

After an appropriate amount of wiggle time, I headed to my tree hole and entered inside. It felt a little cramped from the extra slime mass I had gained from the boar, which had finished dissolving at some point. I worriedly checked for my tusks, and thankfully, I still had them in a pocket of dense slime.

I formed three trusty slime rapiers without the added tusk and poked away inside my tree hole, doing some last-minute expansion. Once completed, I decided to get an early night sleep. Tomorrow, I have some ideas to try out.

'Goodnight, Gramps...'

Chapter 8: Core Processing

I woke up feeling fresh and ready for the day, and best of all, no more pain in my core. I exited my tree hole and spread out on the branch, noticing that once again, I had water mingling amongst my precious bright azure slime. I created a bowl with my [Shape Slime] at the end of a pseudopod and filled it with ejected water. When all the water was gone, I examined the reflection of my core in the water; it was definitely rounder than I remembered, and the intensity of crimson seemed even more vivid.

'My core isn't fat, is it?' I joked to myself.

I wanted to see if I could use this water to catch birds, so I lowered the slime-shaped bowl to the ground and extended the arm portion of the attached Pseudopod to run along the ground and against the tree. By not dangling from the tree branch directly to the ground and bowl, I hoped to make the slime arm appear less conspicuous.

Now, I just needed to wait and keep myself occupied by continuing to practice my skills. I needed [Slime Density] to catch up now that [Pseudopod] ranked up, as both were acquired almost back-to-back, so I assumed it was just a little behind. From how I ranked up [Core Refinement], it was from putting mental pressure on my core by doing strenuous or too many tasks at once. I assumed from the trait description I could also rank it up by testing its defenses, although I had no immediate plans to throw my precious core against branches or rocks - I was not a masochist.

Yesterday, I figured out that I could program my core to do a routine task, which it would do to the best of its abilities seemingly forever unless I changed the order or overloaded my mind. I could grip the branch with slime compression, avoid dissolving certain body parts, or even carry my tusks in a pocket of slime; my core did all these tasks for me without complaint. I could imagine any human being green with envy over my core's mental processing power.

Using this function, I wanted my core to train two skills at once automatically throughout the day by having the slime around my core compress and decompress around my core repeatedly. My goal was that by squeezing my core, I'd be training [Core Refinement] with the mental strain of the automatic task and testing its defense from the compression, and [Slime Density] would also get a workout for free as a bonus.

At first, I did the task manually, and I could feel the pressure building around my core. It was not pleasant, as if my head was trapped in a vice, and I sighed with relief when I decompressed. I repeated this manually several times and then handed the task to my core. I monitored that it was doing the job correctly and did a celebratory wiggle after it repeated the tenth repeat. This alone utilized perhaps sixty percent of my core's mental function capacity, while my little tusk pocket only took five percent.

'I guess I'll get more capacity as I level up [Core Refinement]. Or is there a trait I can add more directly?'

<Insufficient Trait Points to purchase [Sub-Core]. Trait Points remaining 0.>

'Gee Gramps, I'm sorry for slacking on the level-ups. Can you please explain?'

<[Sub-Core]

Adds a small independent core that can act as a substitute core.

The complexity and quantity of task assignments scale with trait level.

Primary senses can be projected through the sub-core temporarily.

Requires 8 hours of rest and slime mass to regenerate if destroyed.

This trait can be selected multiple times, each purchase producing an additional sub-core with an independent trait level.>

'Okay, that sounds impressive. I especially like the part about projecting my senses through it. Couldn't I put my sub-core into a tendril to look around corners or peak through a hole without risking my real core? Definitely going on my shopping list.'

Coming out of my little world, I finally pay attention to my surroundings and notice that birds are splashing in the water already. The birdbath bowl suddenly snaps like a beartrap, and all the birds within are caught. They flail in the water while slime mass floods in and replaces it, and then their struggles slow down and eventually stop. I surprisingly get no notifications of their deaths, but it does at least feed me. I eject the water at the roots of my tree, extend a tendril towards a nearby tree, and start moving. It's time to do some experience hunting and level up so Gramps doesn't shout at me for being insufficient.

Once I get into the rhythm, I'm shocked at how quickly I can move from branch to branch. I tried to only go in one direction so I could find my tree again without too much difficulty. After some scouting, I locate a boar, although this one has no tusks, and I position myself on a branch above it as it forages herbs. I lower my three pseudopods, one to grab the hind legs and two to form rapiers tipped with a tusk. The boar squeals in panic as I rob it of movement, and then two rapiers pierce its throat.

<Boar LV 0 defeated. Reduced experience gained.>

The corpse is rapidly lifted with my three tendrils and tossed inside. I inserted slime into its mouth to eat at the inside and eventually the flesh, but I tried to give the order to avoid dissolving the hide. I watch as the hair and dirt on the skin melt away and happily nod when I don't see it eating beyond that. Below, a larger boar with two massive tusks burst into the scene, looking rather frantic, and squeals in anger.

'I might have just killed his mate, and I might need two tendrils to pick up this big boy.'

I start compressing two tendrils to the limit, preparing each one to grab a leg.

<Proficiency gained. [Slime Density LV 2] improved to [Slime Density LV 3].>

'Looks like this job and my auto compression finally paid off.'

I give both tendrils some extra reinforcement, and thankfully, I've got a meal fueling the extra slime mass required for this density. Waiting for the right moment when the pig is sniffing the last spot where his missus was previously foraging, my two tendrils lash out and wrap around his hind legs. He lets out a rage-filled squeal and tries to turn around but is unable to as soon his legs get lifted, and his chin slams against the ground.

Once he's off the ground, the poor pig can only seem to squirm and squeal helplessly. I form my rapier with added tusk and try stabbing it in his neck repeatedly, causing superficial wounds, but nothing like what happened with the smaller and presumably female boar.

'If I had enough slime mass, I could engulf him, stop him moving, and eat him, but I don't have enough to cover his entire body in dense slime.'

I stare at his squealing mouth, then look towards my third tendril and grin at the nasty idea I've thought of. I lower my remaining tendril to his head, but he is still flailing wildly, and one of his tusks nicks it. I watch the portion of slime fall to the floor, feeling miffed at the waste. I attach the third tendril to his back this time and then snake my way toward his mouth and violently inject my slime inside. He tried to bite the slime, but I made sure to compress it, and I didn't think boars had sharp enough teeth to rip through. Eventually, I reach his throat and start distributing slime mass to the tip and expanding to fill up the cavity, which causes the boar to flail even wilder and more frantically until it jerks and goes dead still.

<Boar LV 2 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Racial Experience threshold reached. Slime (Blue) is now LV 4>

<1 Trait Point is now available>

I felt both happy and a little bit disappointed at the notification. That was easier than my other fights, which had desperation or frantic moments. I slid closer to the tree trunk for a wider perch, then brought up the boar and deposited it inside. Its corpse floats in the expanding slime next to the other, which is barely a husk now.

I temporarily stop my automatic core compression to free up some mental capacity and focus on eating these boars, but I set orders to ignore the tusks and the hide. My slime eagerly gets to work. Meanwhile, I form my rapier and stare at it for a moment.

'Once I stopped trying to stab him, I'd argue it was maybe even easier than any of my previous fights. I just thrust slime in his throat and choked him.'

I form and bring another tendril next to my rapier and shift its form erratically into strange shapes.

'Perhaps... I should stop trying to fight as a human would and fight more like a monster?'

Chapter 9: Treetop Assassin

I focused on eating the remains of the two boars, spitting out bone after bone without a scrap of meat or sinew remaining. A small pile was growing on the forest floor, and I wondered if some creature would find them appealing. I carefully extracted the two large tusks and placed them with my smaller ones, although I still felt I needed to retire my rapier until I got better traits. After much time, my work was finally complete, and I stared at the perfect hide floating inside me and my tusks.

<Skill [??? LV 0] has become [Dissection LV 1].>

'Wait, what? Dissection?' I questioned and waited for Gramps, but there was silence.

'Does he seriously only help me if I ask about traits?' I grumbled as I opened up my Status Menu.

Name: -

Race: Slime (Blue) LV 4

Class: -

Status: Healthy

Emblems:

[Experiment]

Traits:

[Mana Slime LV MAX]

[Pseudopod LV 3]

[Slime Density LV 3]

[Core Refinement LV 2]

[Shape Slime LV 1]

Trait Points remaining 1

Skills:

[Dissection LV 1]

[??? LV 0]

[??? LV 0]

Skill Points remaining 0

'Wait, not only do I finally have my first skill, but I'm close to getting two more?' I'm shocked by this information, as I clearly need to pay more attention to my Status Menu. I gave [Dissection] a mental poke.

<[Dissection LV 1]

This skill helps butchering, skinning, harvesting, and dismantling beasts and monsters.

Accuracy and speed scale with skill level.

Intuition with valuable parts for rarer creatures requires a higher skill level.>

It sounded useful, although I would not have spent a skill point on it if I had any. But I got it for free, so no complaints. I was eager to discover my other two potential skills, but another matter was becoming rapidly apparent. I looked at my slime with a heavy sigh.

'I've gotten fat.'

After eating the two boars, I was absolutely massive. My slime was practically overflowing from the tree, and when I tried to compress myself down, the tree creaked a bit from the weight.

'Looks like raising my slime density and compressing my size doesn't just magically reduce the weight. I wonder if I could store my excess slime?'

<Would you like to spend 1 Trait Point to purchase [Core Storage]? Trait Points remaining 1.>

'That [Experiment] emblem really does only helps me when I ask questions about traits. I might be in trouble when the helper feature of it goes away. Anyway, Gramps, please explain [Core Storage]'

<[Core Storage]

Allows the core to act as a dimensional storage unit.

Initially only able to store slime mass, extra storage options are unlocked from trait levels.

Storage volume scales with trait level.

Storage does not degrade over time.>

'Ugh... That is exactly what I needed, but I wanted to get [Sub-Core]. But I suppose my actual core still has mental capacity remaining, and moving around the trees with all this excess slime would make it hard to remain stealthy. Please, buy [Core Storage].'

<Trait [Core Storage LV 1] obtained. Trait Points remaining 0.>

I felt a mental cavity open up in the mind of my core and thought of putting slime mass in it. I felt myself shrink as the slime stored away rapidly, and then I tried to retrieve it and felt myself balloon out again. I compressed some slime to the maximum density and attempted to store it away, curious if it would be allowed and if it would retain the density level. The answer to both questions was yes, which made me ecstatic - a discovery deserving of a happiness wiggle.

I deposited a large portion of dense slime until I felt nimble enough again to move and then moved back to my temporary home. My sense of direction could have been better, but I eventually found the large tree again. I deposited my tusks in the hole and left the boar hides to hang on the branch, which would act as a unique marker for my trip home. I didn't think animals would try to eat such clean hides if I left them here, although a wandering human could steal them.

I took a moment to activate my automatic core compression to resume training my traits and then flung myself from tree to tree. It was time to hunt.

Grappling from branch to branch, I searched for any potential prey and came across another large boar. I snuck over it and repeated my earlier method: two tendrils to lift the legs and prevent escape, and then suffocate it with slime down the throat.

<Boar LV 1 defeated. Experience gained.>

It was disappointingly easy. This time, [Dissection] tickled my mind and confirmed that tusks, hide, and meat were the only things of value. I tried to move around with the boar, but it was a bit too large and cumbersome, so I focused on digestion and harvesting, spat out the bones, stored the slime mass, and moved on.

The only other animal worth eating after that was a sizable horned rabbit, which I found bizarre. The edge of its horns had dried blood stains. I waited for my opportunity, withdrew some slime mass, and engulfed the entire rabbit. It barely had a chance to struggle and soon died.

<Jackelope LV 2 defeated. Experience gained.>

The only thing of value was its horns, so I ate the rest and then went home. I hung the new pelt and went inside my tree hole, ready for sleep.

Eventually, I found myself in a routine - wake up, eject water, hunt one or two creatures, drop my goods off at home, hunt again, return home, and sleep.

<Boar LV 1 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Boar LV 2 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Boar LV 0 defeated. Reduced experience gained.>

After sneaking up on that last boar, I finally unlocked my second hidden skill.

<Skill [??? LV 0] has become [Stealth LV 1].>

<[Stealth LV 1]

Helps the user hide their presence, scaling with skill level.>

It made sense that I was heavily relying on my treetop ambush tactics.

<Jackelope LV 2 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Deer LV 0 defeated. Reduced experience gained.>

<Deer LV 0 defeated. Reduced experience gained.>

The deer were nothing special, and I was honestly surprised they even gave a notification. I didn't even bother to skin them; at least they gave me a lot of slime mass. When I returned home, I received my third skill.

<Skill [??? LV 0] has become [Mapping LV 1].>

<[Mapping LV 1]

The user gains a mental sense of direction, allowing one to retrace their steps or explore new areas.

Higher skill levels provide more function and lead towards a mental map.>

At my current skill level, [Mapping] only gave me the four cardinal directions. However, this made me feel more confident in exploring further away, which was needed as the nearby wildlife was becoming scarce. I wanted to eat more to store more slime and eventually increase [Core Storage], and I wanted to gain more experience to reach level 5 for another trait point.

When I woke up the next day, I decided to head straight East from my tree, as I had the vague insight that going West would lead to the human city. I kept heading East and noticed the trees becoming a little sparser. Eventually, they opened into a clearing with a shimmering pond.

'Time to add some fish to my diet.'

Chapter 10: The Pond

A feeling of excitement bubbled up inside me as I stared at the pond, wondering what creatures I might find nearby. The slime instincts the strange [Experiment] emblem sometimes fed me were tickling the corners of my mind, causing me to gaze longingly at the water. Blue slimes must enjoy being near water, for whatever reason, as I remembered my brethren hanging around the stream when I first woke up.

My only concern was that I would be leaving the safety of the treetops to approach the pond, but thinking back to how easily I killed multiple boars, I felt strangely confident. With a wet splat, I hit the ground and did a few hops and a slime crawl - both felt terribly slow after I had gotten used to moving around with my Pseudopod.

My previous confidence sputtered with worry, and I decided to see if I could adapt my tendril grappling movement to a ground-based option. I flung a tendril forward, which did not travel far since the ground wasn't flat or clear enough. I then threw another tendril out, but at an upward arch, it flew a much better distance. When the tip of my tendril hit the ground, I raced into action and flung my core while also spreading the exit point of my tendril out to cushion my landing. As my core moved, the slime rapidly followed afterward, and soon I found myself at the destination tendril, the entire process making me look and move like a strange slimy slinky.

I practiced a few times until I could do it speedily enough and even tried throwing out a secondary tendril ahead while in mid-flight to chain together these movements.

<Proficiency gained. [Core Refinement LV 2] improved to [Core Refinement LV 3].>

'It looks like the days of auto-compression training and complex slime manipulation have finally paid off,' I thought with a happy jiggle.

Satisfied, I traversed to the pond edge, taking in my surroundings as I approached. A few wildlife were drinking from the opposite end of the pond, and I noticed dog-sized flying bugs darting back and forth along the water's surface. The pond was relatively clean, only having a few patches of algae. When I reached the water's edge, I leaned my slime mass and raised my core to peak into the depths. The pond wasn't that deep except in the center, where I could not see the murky depths, and I could see plenty of fish-like creatures swimming.

I produced a tendril and poked the water, finding it hard to break the surface unless I used a compressed tendril. I tried an uncompressed and limp tendril and found it floated on the surface.

'As stupid as it sounds, I guess blue slimes having an affinity with water makes sense.' My thoughts are interrupted as a few fish come to see if my floating tendril is food.

The fish cautiously poke at the slime and take a few nibbles, and due to the low density, they even steal a few chunks. Mildly annoyed, I want to catch and eat those fish myself. I form my second tendril above my head and create a spear, then wonder if I could create a fishing net and struggle for a few moments and make that. Withdrawing some slime mass from [Core Storage], I then use it to extend out my net tendril and another to help hold it. Once sufficiently far away to hopefully not spook the nibbling fish, I deposit the net into the pond as smoothly as possible and trawl it through the water.

I catch quite a few fish that aren't smart enough to flee and lift my net out of the water happily. I dump more slime into the net while enclosing it, and soon, there's a bubble of slime filled with fish - which I promptly eat.

<Proficiency gained. [Shape Slime LV 1] improved to [Shape Slime LV 2].>

I assumed the fish would not give any experience points, so the sudden prompt surprised me. Honestly, I had forgotten all about [Shape Slime] since I did most of its functions without its help before I got it. I'm surprised it took this long to increase since I assumed it was passively helping me anytime I create a rapier or claw.

'Perhaps it gets more experience when I try to create new shapes? Extra reward for experimentation? I wonder what else affects trait and skill gain.'

I try other ways of catching fish and feeding myself more slime mass, such as the spear, my trusty rapier, a claw, and even a smaller net. [Dissection] doesn't tell me they have anything worth harvesting, but they dissolve fast, lacking strong bones or tough hide, so I eat them whole.

All my fishing has seemingly disturbed one of the residents of the pond. I notice a large shadow approaching from the water, so I fire a tendril backward and slinky away to a safer position. I've turned off auto-compression, raised my slime mass to maximum density, and even withdrew some extra slime to increase my size. A massive frog-like creature emerges from the pond with a sickly green-tinted skin covered in blackish-purple splotches.

'This damn thing is bigger than four boars put together!'

It lets out a belching croak and stares directly at me.

'I wonder what level this thing is, or if I cou-' my thought is interrupted, as without warning, its tongue fires at lightning speed towards me and smacks into my slimy exterior.

The tongue failed to penetrate too deeply into my slime, and I sighed with relief until I realized it was latched onto my slime and was actually trying to pull me into its maw. In a panic, I constructed a rapier and stab at the tongue—it bounced off. I create two claws and try to claw and tear away at the tongue—the frog merely gives a hearty croak as if mocking me.

I'm trying to think of some shape or weapon I could use to cut this tongue, and I can feel it trying to pull me towards it, but I'm gripping the ground tightly with my large surface area. The frog, to my horror, decides if it can't win this tug-of-war, then it will simply approach me.

My mind goes frantic as the monster frog trundles forward, and the only solution I can think of is to sacrifice the slime mass and flee. Mentally, I partition off the slime around the tongue and drop control of it; the frog's tongue snaps back into its mouth, and I see it happily ingest my slime. It even licks its lips!

I've thrown out a tendril to run away, but I'm not fast enough, and the frog tongue has already latched on me again. I quickly partition off the slime, which rips off without negatively affecting my escape momentum. Its tongue rapidly retracts, and I watch it smugly eating more of my slime.

I kept repeating my slinky movement until I reached the forest edge. In my escape, I dodged the tongue twice, possibly just by fluke, as it stole a third portion of slime from me before I was finally out of its range.

Considering the density of the slime stolen, I had lost more than I gained during my fishing trip. I felt humiliated as I tried to find weaker prey to stock up on slime mass before I went home.

<Boar LV 1 defeated. Experience gained.>

<Proficiency gained. [Dissection LV 1] improved to [Dissection LV 2].>

All my harvesting paid off, but I'm not in the mood to celebrate. I throw the pelt on the branch, head into my tree hole, and spit out the tusks.

I need to get stronger.