"Ah. Of course there's a line."
I grumbled, glaring at the absurdly long queue that snaked down from the massive, metallic gates of Dwargon. It must've stretched a mile at least, filled with merchants, mercs, and misfits—all eager to get in.
Now that I was seeing it up close, though… it was a pretty good door.
The hinges weren't even visible—they were built into the wall, removing the usual weak points you'd expect in fortress design. Every part of it screamed 'built by paranoid geniuses.' Dwarves never did anything halfway.
Gobta had warned me ahead of time: Dwargon only had one entrance, and they ran very strict inspections. Apparently that was their way of saying Don't bring your goblin army or pet monsters in unannounced.
So, naturally...
"I should probably hide."
"That would be wise, Akuma-sama," Rigur said with a respectful bow. "I fear the dwarves might... react poorly if you waltzed through the gates in your true form."
Yeah. Felborn weren't exactly known for blending in.
Still, this gave me the perfect excuse to test something I'd been meaning to try. There was a trait I'd recently recalled—Tieflings, or Felborn as the ancient texts called us, were hunted to extinction long before Veldora's imprisonment. And you don't get that level of persecution without developing a few tricks to survive.
Illusions, shadowmelding, cursecraft—they weren't just magic; they were instincts. I should really investigate more when I have time. There were no records of Felborn extinction in the novel. Only vague rumors.
An ancient demon was supposedly behind it. No one knew who or why. Not a Primordial, either—Diablo would've found them boring, the Three Demonesses were too busy playing their weird game of dominance, and Guy... well, genocide wasn't usually his style unless you annoyed him first.
Which meant…
There's another one out there. Someone not in the original timeline.
A ripple. A consequence of my reincarnation?
Great. More problems for future me.
But for now—focus.
With a snap of my fingers, a puff of pale white smoke cloaked me, subtle but effective. To the naked eye, nothing seemed different. But judging from how Rigur and Gobta blinked in surprise, the illusion was a success.
"How do I look?" I asked, voice now slightly rounder, goopier.
"Incredible, Akuma-sama!" Rigur saluted. "You look just like a humble slime. Regal, yet... unthreatening!"
Perfect. To the average passerby, I was just a cute blue blob. Better to be underestimated.
"All right. Let's move."
I sent Rigur and the others to set up camp in the nearby forest. No need to drag an entire muscle-clad goblin warband and a thunder wolf into the spotlight. Subtlety was survival.
Me and Gobta got in line.
And immediately, I was reminded of every government office I've ever hated.
"This line... is just like the ones back in my world."
"Hm?" Gobta tilted his head.
"Forget I said anything."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
I bit my tongue. Gotta stop dropping isekai references so casually. Revealing I'm an otherworlder this early would complicate things. And I like things controlled.
Of course, the universe hates my sense of control.
"Hey! Hey, check it out! Monsters outside the gate! We can kill 'em, right? Not like we're in the city yet!"
"Yeah, why're you even standing in line, ya little freaks? Move aside before we put ya down. Leave your stuff too—then maybe we'll let you limp off."
Ah. Idiots.
Right on cue, like bad actors in a low-budget drama.
"Did you hear something, Gobta?"
"I did… yes, sir."
You were supposed to say no, but whatever.
"Did you run into trouble last time you were here?"
"Of course! They beat me half to death. Kobold merchants had to peel me off the ground like roadkill! I owe them a meal."
"…So violence is unavoidable?"
"It is, uh... the fate of the weak?"
Weakness is a state of mind. And these clowns had no strength or civility.
"Yo! You ignoring us, freaks?!"
"Hey, that slime talks. Talking slime's gotta be worth some coin!"
Heh. If only you knew.
I'm not just rare—I'm extinction-tier.
But I held back. People used to complain I had a short fuse. But look at me now—fully provoked and still resisting the urge to vaporize these degenerates.
Character development, right?
"Gobta," I said, smiling tightly. "Remember my rules?"
"Y-Yes, Akuma-sama! Absolutely!"
"Good. Then this is one of those times that are an exception."
"Um... all right? But—"
Too late.
The guy on the right took a step toward me—and I noticed a second group watching. A trio grinning like jackals waiting for blood. Probably planning to pick over the corpses afterward.
One had a sword. Another wore leather. Bandits, for sure. The other group had two robed figures and a burly axe-wielder. Probably low-rank adventurers, thinking they were hot stuff.
I dropped the illusion in an instant.
The moment my real form flickered into view, the cowards stepped back.
"Wh-what the—?! That's not a slime!"
Congratulations, genius. What gave it away? The horns?
"Is it a demon?!"
"If it was, the guards would've sounded the alarm already!"
Ah. Right. We're literally in front of the gates.
Time for a speedrun.
"You're all too stupid to live," I said casually, raising my hand. "Greet whatever goddess cares enough to take your soul."
With a flick of my wrist, one man's armor crumpled like paper, folding inward as an invisible pressure snapped his ribs and organs like twigs.
"Wha—"
Next one. The loudmouth.
I decided to be merciful. Sort of.
With a lazy motion, I plucked his sword from its sheath using a telekinetic thread and watched it spin mid-air like a predator tasting the wind.
Their screams were... oddly melodic.
One quick slash—then another—and then I drove the blade straight into the man's crotch.
He shrieked like a dying soprano. Beautiful.
I smiled, satisfied. Nothing like a well-timed punishment to reset expectations.
Illusion back on. Slime form restored.
Just in time for the guards to show up.
...Wait.
Oh, crap.
"I wasn't supposed to kill them."
Oops.