Originium Slugs are extremely common creatures on Terra. Moreover, Originium Slugs vary by region. Generally, the Originium Slugs near a volcano are all standard Originium Slugs, with maybe a few Lava Originium Slugs at most.
But..
What were these things!!
Although they all had the basic appearance of an Originium Slug, their features were all bizarrely different.
Some of the Originium Slugs had octopus-like tentacles on their undersides, and on top of their hard shells, there was a flower-like organ. Below the flower, a single eye grew from the front of the Originium Slug's body. Some Originium Slugs had four complete legs and a hard shell, but in the spot where a mouth shouldn't be, they had grown long, sharp, and incredibly ferocious teeth.
Some Originium Slugs had sharp, pointed mouths like a Peashooter, while others had massive bodies with highly arched carapaces, looking like gas tanks.
"Ah!!"
Ceylon screamed, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. She was, after all, just an ordinary girl, raised in a wealthy family, receiving the finest education, and attending Victoria National University. She was a proper Victorian noble lady. How could she have ever seen this kind of monster, especially at night..
These monsters... she remembered... they were the ones she had seen a few days ago!!
At this moment, Ceylon finally understood. No wonder the dive team her father sent couldn't find them in the sea. It turned out these monsters didn't live in the water at all, but on the mountain!!
These weren't hamster-sized Originium Slugs like Lucas.
These monsters, while not as big as a person.
Were comparable to medium-to-large-sized dogs. Each one came up to Ceylon's waist...
Ha...
Terrified, Ceylon turned and ran. However, the path back down the mountain was already blocked by these monsters, and who knew how many more were in the forest. So Ceylon didn't dare try to force her way down the mountain, instead fleeing toward a relatively safer area.
But running like this only led her deeper into the massive volcano.
And.
As she approached the center of the volcano, the surrounding air temperature gradually rose. She could even faintly smell sulfur in the air. Sulfur is toxic. While a small amount might not affect the human body, staying in an area where you can smell sulfur for a long time will definitely lead to sulfur poisoning.
However, the pack of monsters behind her relentlessly chased Ceylon.
She couldn't turn back, forced to go deeper and deeper into the volcano.
As she went deeper, the terrain became unfamiliar to Ceylon.
Although she had been to the volcano many times, this was her first time in the core depths. She didn't recognize it at all and could only run inward.
The further in she went.
The more primitive the volcano's forest became. The ground was overgrown with weeds. Due to the proximity to the crater, the weeds were all a withered yellow. Some of the tree branches were sharp and pointed, with very few leaves. Because she was running in such a hurry, and since Ceylon was just an ordinary university student—even if she could control some Originium Arts, she wasn't an Infected and needed a staff to cast them.
Moreover, she wasn't a combatant. It was dark, and she was sprinting wildly on such a rugged and dangerous volcano. After just a short run, Ceylon's thighs were covered in scratches. Her specially-made black stockings were torn by the sharp branches, instantly turning into a battle-damaged version.
What do I do! What do I do!!
Ceylon had no idea what to do. With the monsters chasing her so relentlessly, she didn't even have a chance to take out her phone and call Schwarz.
It wasn't just Ceylon who was shocked.
Lucas, as an Originium Slug, was also extremely surprised.
What were these things?
Seaborn? Horror fish?
No!
Although they had some characteristics of Seaborn and horror fish, they weren't. They also had many of the unique traits of Originium Slugs. But... why couldn't Skadi and Laurentina, the two Abyssal Hunters, sense them?
Originium Slugs were terrestrial Infected creatures perfectly adapted to Originium, feeding on it. Seaborn were creatures of the sea. Strictly speaking, although these two creatures had no direct similarities, to some extent, Originium Slugs were like the Seaborn of the land. A single Originium Slug wasn't strong, but a swarm of them was an enormous threat. How could these two completely different creatures fuse together?
What exactly was going on?
Had the Seaborn already evolved to this extent?
After running for a while longer, the mountain terrain became increasingly rugged. Ceylon, not paying attention, was tripped by a thick tree root on the ground. The container holding Lucas went flying from her hand. After tumbling head over heels, Lucas controlled the Originium Slug's body and did his best to crawl back toward Ceylon.
At this moment.
Ceylon was in despair.
She forced herself to climb up through the pain, only to see the monsters relentlessly pursuing her. There was no chance to escape. She could only watch in despair as the monsters charged at her.
Suddenly!
A male voice resounded abruptly in Ceylon's mind.
"Miss!!"
There was no time to call for help. Lucas had to rely on the limited conditions he had right now to find a solution.
Lucas manipulated the Originium Slug's body to crawl to Ceylon's hand.
The voice, imbued with a special kind of soul power, instantly exploded in Ceylon's mind, temporarily calming her from her state of panic.
"Who?!"
Ceylon looked left and right but saw no one. Finally, her gaze landed on the hamster-sized Originium Slug by her fingers.
"Miss, if you don't want to die, please open your mind!"
Lucas extended the tiny tentacles from beneath his Originium Slug body and touched Ceylon's finger.
Soul Exchange—
However.
The moment Lucas's soul entered Ceylon's body.
A powerful suction force.
Pulled Lucas's soul right back out of Ceylon's body and into the Originium Slug. Along with his soul, ninety percent of the Originium energy in Ceylon's body was also sucked out.
"???"
Ten thousand question marks flashed through Lucas's mind.
What was going on?
He had no idea what had just happened.
A large portion of Ceylon's strength was suddenly drained. She had barely been able to stand up before, but now she couldn't stand at all. She could barely even prop herself up.
Looking at the approaching monsters.
Ceylon despaired.
Suddenly, an Originium Slug, about the same size as the monsters, rushed out. Its iridescent, colorful carapace slammed into one of the monsters. The flower-like monster was sent flying.
Ceylon slowly opened her eyes.
She saw...
An Originium Slug, about the size of a Tibetan Mastiff, blocking her path.
Ceylon's eyes widened.
She was all too familiar with that beautiful, iridescent carapace.
"Wucai??"
How did it suddenly get so big?
On the other side, Lucas was also completely confused..
His soul in this Originium Slug body couldn't leave this body, as if it were welded in place. So he couldn't perform a Soul Exchange with Ceylon. But he could still 'jump' his consciousness, even if this soul fragment couldn't leave the body. But... he could directly absorb Ceylon's Originium energy.
Seriously..
Was there an Originium Slug with this kind of ability?
Lucas felt a bit confused.
And.
Lucas could clearly sense that these Originium-Seaborn-monsters... seemed to be... craving him.
Craving him?
???
"My name is Lucas Reeve."
Lucas, turned into an Originium Slug, greeted Ceylon. Iridescent scales, a shell as black and shiny as armor. He extended a small 'finger' from the body hidden within the 'armor' and gave Ceylon a wave.
Ceylon: "???"
"Lu... Reeve??"
Wait, why does an Originium Slug have a person's name?
Hold on!
Ceylon paused.
That wasn't what she should be complaining about.
Why can an Originium Slug talk?!
Tsk tsk...
Lucas didn't know how many retorts were welling up in Ceylon's heart. He had plenty of his own.
To think that after living for so long, he'd one day be fighting in the body of an Originium Slug. So this was what an Originium Slug's vision was like? And it was all ovals, ovals. It reminded Lucas of a certain reincarnated slime.
Rule: "Originium"
The Rule was bound to Lucas's own soul. The moment he obtained the Rule, even parts of his soul he'd never 'visited' would automatically gain this Rule.
At this moment.
Under the mobilization of the only power within his body.
Golden runic chains suddenly burst forth from the surface of Lucas's Originium Slug body. These runic chains wrapped around Lucas's body and then spread outward. In that instant, Lucas could sense all the Originium within a small half of the volcano.
As the Rule was activated.
The power within this Originium was gradually guided out of its shell. The center of Lucas's body seemed to become a vortex. This Originium energy gathered in front of Lucas from all directions. Soon, a condensed Originium energy sphere, pitch-black with hints of crimson, coalesced.
Lucas swallowed it.
The next second.
BOOM!!
An incredibly powerful beam of Originium energy shot out. The pitch-black pillar of light pierced straight through the volcano, shot through the sky above Siesta, and streaked across the sky like a meteor or a bolt of lightning.
As for the group of monsters in front of Lucas, which had been so frenzied a second ago, they were completely annihilated by his attack in the next. In front of him, a large swath of the lush forest was obliterated. Some trees were completely gone in the middle, leaving only their trunks. And where the beam had passed, it left a long, deep trench, with smoke still lazily rising from its center.
"Not bad power."
Lucas extended a small hand and gave a very human-like thumbs-up.
He was quite satisfied with that attack.
It was a bit like a Tailed Beast Bomb.
As for Ceylon behind him, she was already numb from watching.
She seemed to have turned to stone.
Her pretty face was petrified, stiff. She looked at Lucas, who was the size of a Tibetan Mastiff.
That... was way too big, wasn't it? It was even bigger than before.
So big...
Ceylon glanced at the container she had used to hold Lucas earlier, thinking to herself.
That definitely won't fit anymore.
However, after a short while.
The attack just now had completely drained Lucas's reserves. He had been huge a moment ago, but after a few seconds, he shrank visibly. He wasn't hamster-sized anymore, but slightly smaller than a rabbit.
He seemed to have entered 'Sage Mode'.
Ceylon was a little afraid to approach Lucas.
Because... just now.
Lucas's display was too intense.
It was a bit scary.
"Hello, Miss~"
Lucas moved the Originium Slug's body to look at Ceylon.
This Originium Slug body of Lucas's was, compared to others, quite cute. Not so terrifying.
Er....
When Lucas turned around, he froze for a second.
Since Lucas's Originium Slug body wasn't large, his 'soul vision' started from the bottom up.
Because Ceylon had been drained of most of her Originium energy by Lucas just now, she had very little strength left. She could only barely prop herself up with her hands to keep from lying flat on the ground. Her face was pale and weak, and her eyes, as brilliant as gems, shimmered with moisture.
And.
Because of all the running.
Ceylon's clothes had been torn here and there by the stiff branches. Her flat stomach was partially visible, and the stockings on her lower half were in tatters. Her jade-white thighs were marked with bright red welts, as if she had just been whipped. The battle-damaged aesthetic was maxed out.
Ceylon looked utterly pitiful and moving, inspiring a desire to protect her.
Er..
*Defeated Young Mistress and the Slime.avi*