Lucian had spent a couple of weeks settling into his new ranch in the Hidden Valley. His slime army had grown steadily, and the place now felt more like home with each passing day.
His life, though peaceful, was filled with experiments and exploration. He continued to work with his slimes and started learning how to use his newly acquired adaptability skill in innovative ways.
But there was one thing that Lucian didn't expect: he actually enjoyed the monster hunting.
The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the valley as Lucian stepped out of his small home. His slime army was already assembled, waiting for orders.
"Scavenger Slimes, you stay here and clean up the leftovers." Lucian gave his orders as he looked out toward the forest.
He didn't need to go far. Just a few hundred yards out, he spotted movement in the trees.
A wild boar-type monster was munching on grass, unaware of Lucian's presence.
"Poison Slimes, prepare to weaken it."
The Poison Slimes slithered out of his pack, their slimy bodies glistening in the low light. They positioned themselves around the boar, ready to release their toxic mist the moment Lucian gave the signal.
Lucian's Beast Tamer skill kicked in, allowing him to communicate with the slimes. He could feel their readiness and knew they would strike at the perfect moment.
"Sticky Slimes, on my mark. Prepare to trap it." Lucian whispered.
The Sticky Slimes began to ooze their biodegradable plastic, waiting for the signal to create the perfect trap.
As the wild boar lifted its head and sniffed the air, Lucian felt the opportunity was right.
"Now!"
The Poison Slimes released a noxious cloud, making the boar stagger and fall to the ground. It tried to charge, but the Sticky Slimes quickly ensnared it with their plastic-like substance, effectively trapping it.
The Cleaner Slimes were already at work, dissolving the boar's remains, and Lucian moved in to finish it off quickly.
The battle had lasted less than five minutes, but it was enough to secure fresh monster meat for his experiments.
Lucian grinned. "Another successful hunt."
Back at his ranch, Lucian gathered the corpse of the boar-like monster and began to process the meat. He had learned from experience that monster meat was not something you could just eat raw.
Unlike animals without magical ability, monsters often had a magical essence that could be harmful if consumed without proper preparation, especially for weaker races like humans. The meat was rich with mana and could potentially cause magical poisoning if eaten directly.
To avoid this, humans typically had to process the meat by cooking or boiling it to remove the excess mana. This was an easy step that most people could handle.
However, Lucian had something else in mind.
He wasn't afraid of experimenting with the unknown.
"Let's see what this can do for me."
Lucian bit into the raw monster meat, feeling the magic course through his system. Although it always hurt his stomach everytime he does it. He knows that it will be worth it.
His body immediately began to react. The mana flooded his cells, and the burning sensation that should have caused pain was instead absorbed by his body as it adapted.
Lucian closed his eyes, feeling his innate adaptability skill working at full force. It wasn't long before the magic settled inside him.
When he opened his eyes, he felt a new sensation—a lightness in his stomach, and a strange connection to magic.
The skill he had just unlocked was called [Digest].
It allowed him to process and adapt to magical substances—like monster meat—without any ill effects. He could now consume magic-infused substances directly and absorb their properties, adapting his body to the new power.
The knowledge rushed into his mind. Lucian could feel the magic within him becoming a part of him, almost like a new limb. He could now digest magical substances more efficiently, gaining some of their abilities or attributes with each meal.
"This will definitely come in handy."
Lucian didn't stop at just eating monster meat that even if poisoned cmcan still be eaten thanks to his poison resistance.
He used the boar's remains in a variety of other experiments. He had a new goal—creating new slimes
For example, he started feeding monster blood to some of his normal slimes. After several days of waiting, a new Slime emerged, the blood slime. It eats blood and is great to suck the blood of monsters.
He tested various combinations, from Sticky Slime's resin and monster bones to using the boar's liver in conjunction with his Cleaner Slimes. Each time, he learned something new about the potential of mutating slimes and their connection to the environment around them.
"So much potential." Lucian muttered, watching the new slime hybrids begin to develop unique characteristics.
Lucian's journey had only just begun. He had learned how to hunt, process monster meat, and use his innate Adaptability skill to his advantage. The ranch was growing, his slimes were evolving, and his knowledge of magic and alchemy was expanding with every passing day.
The future was uncertain, but Lucian knew one thing for sure—he was on a path that would lead him to incredible power and knowledge. And he had only just begun scratching the surface.