A path leading out from the underground lake.
It was a single tunnel.
With a boyo boyo, I ascended the path.
Moving around was actually more pleasant than I'd expected.
Even places where light failed to reach were perfectly visible thanks to [Magic Sense].
Because of my slime biology, I could move freely in any direction—but slimes weren't particularly fast to begin with.
Normally, I moved at a walking pace, though I could run if I wanted to. And since I didn't get tired, stamina wasn't an issue.
Still, with no real reason to hurry, I kept a moderate pace.
I swear this had nothing to do with the trauma of the first time I ran and fell straight into the lake!
Now then… which way led to the surface?
Even if I thought about it, there was no way to know. Fortunately, Great Sage had already created a map of this place.
> Answer. Should I display the current location? [YES]/[NO]?
Absolutely [YES]!
Man, I really loved auto-mapping.
I remembered a time when I hadn't.
Back in old games, you'd sit there with a pencil and paper, carefully recording every step you took to reach the goal.
Planning each move had been fun.
But people gradually started relying on guides, and eventually, mapping became a standard feature.
No more pleasure of the hunt…
And once you got used to it, there was no going back.
Still, without features like this, you'd probably be hopelessly stuck in most modern games.
Anyway, enough reminiscing. Time to put this useful skill to work.
I checked the map displayed in my mind, picked a route, and headed down it.
Chiro chirori!
A monster.
Just above the ground, right in front of me, a giant serpent appeared.
Compared to snakes from my previous world, you could almost call it cute—if you ignored the hardened scales and pitch-black body.
Like a frog facing a snake?
Nope. I was a slime, not a frog.
My first prey had appeared.
Alright—let's start the hunt.
I tried to move stealthily toward it.
Kisha—!!!
I was threatened.
So much for stealth.
"No good. I won't let you go!"—or at least, that was probably what it would say if it could talk.
A fight, huh…!
I had a secret technique I'd honed through a full week of practice.
Still… if you wanted to fight something like this, you'd better be ready to die.
To put it simply—I was scared.
Don't panic.
If I really thought about it, I'd faced something far more terrifying.
Right. Big Sis Veldara.
Compared to that dragoness, this snake was nothing.
…Huh? Suddenly it didn't seem so scary anymore.
Yeah.
I could do this.
After calming myself, I carefully observed the serpent.
It seemed to think I was frozen in fear and let its guard down—probably deciding how best to eat me.
Alright then.
Let's see how the magic Big Sis taught me works in practice.
Bishun!
Without hesitation, I fired a Wind Blade formed from Storm Magic at the serpent's neck.
Zuban!!! Hyuuuun—dosu. Gorogoro… zun.
It happened in an instant.
The serpent's head fell.
No resistance. No struggle.
The Wind Blade had cleanly beheaded it.
I could only gulp.
Just a moment ago, there'd been a dangerous monster right there.
…This was even stronger than I'd imagined.
If I'd used that on a human, it would've been a gruesome mess.
Good thing my first opponent was a monster.
By the way, current stomach occupancy was about 30%: Veldara 15%, water 10%, medicine and miscellaneous items 2%, metals and resources 3%.
I wanted to use many of the magic that Veldara taught me.
But Water manipulation was Very efficient to use.
My Water Bullet used less than a cup of water, and I could freely regulate its size (and naturally, increase it if needed).
Even firing thousands of shots wouldn't drain my reserves.
Honestly, this might be even better than ordinary magic.
If monsters showed up, I'd greet them with a water blade and it's over.
Now then—back to the snake.
Time to eat, analyze, and see what I could gain.
Let's try it.
The result—
Inherent Skill [Heat Detection]: Allows detection of nearby heat sources. Camouflage and concealment skills are rendered ineffective.
Inherent Skill [Noxious Mist Breath]: Releases a corrosive toxic breath. Effective range: 7 meters. Spread angle: 120 degrees.
Along with these, I gained the ability to mimic the serpent's form.
The poison focused mainly on corrosive damage—effective against both equipment and flesh.
Pretty deadly for ordinary adventurers.
Though against Veldara's magic, it'd probably still be an easy win.
I spent some time analyzing the new abilities.
Better to increase my options while I could.
Things I confirmed:
1. I gained the ability to transform into the serpent.
2. I could use its skills without transforming, though at reduced effectiveness.
In other words—
I could store the bodies of monsters I'd eaten and analyzed.
My body regenerated damaged sections, but it felt like being patched together with living stitches.
Inherent skills were abilities unique to a monster's race—similar to my own [Dissolve], [Absorb], and [Regenerate].
Unless I fully transformed into the appropriate monster, I couldn't draw out 100% of those abilities.
However, some skills—like [Heat Detection]—could be completely assimilated as my own.
To sum it up—
I seriously loved [Predator].
It was absurdly useful.
---
Three days passed after defeating the serpent.
I was still inside the cavern.
I didn't feel cold, but it was probably well below freezing.
Sunlight didn't reach this far at all.
Honestly, being reborn as a slime had saved me.
If I'd been a normal Otherworlder, I'd have collapsed from hunger long ago.
After traveling through several more tunnels, I reached another open space.
Moss and weeds grew everywhere.
Light streamed in from somewhere above, bathing the vegetation in color.
It had to be daytime.
I'd fought many battles to get this far.
An Evil Centipede (Rank B+).
A Black Spider (Rank B).
A Giant Bat (Rank C+).
An Ammosaurus—Carapace Lizard (Rank B-).
Those were the four species I encountered.
Aside from the first serpent, I hadn't seen another of its kind.
They were all powerful foes.
Each defeated by a single Magic Spell.
An epic battle—ending in one move.
I use Black Lightning and Storm of destruction, though that was way over kill for this Level of Monsters.
Well, the bat dodged the lightning a few times, and the centipede was tricky because of the firing angle.
Still, I couldn't relax.
The centipede erased its presence and attacked from behind—but that didn't work against [Magic Sense] and [Heat Detection].
I fired several water bullets backward and finished it off.
The spider was dangerous in a different way.
I hated spiders.
Purely psychological—just seeing one made me want to freeze.
But maybe reincarnation had strengthened my heart.
I fought without running.
Sorry—but I went all out.
Five water blades sliced it apart.
I didn't want to look at it any longer than necessary.
Of course, I ate them all.
Survival of the fittest.
Lose—and you get eaten.
I hesitated with the centipede and spider.
But I managed.
If a cockroach monster exists, though—I'm running. No hesitation.
There's a saying for moments like that:
He who fights and runs away lives to see another day.
The skills I acquired were:
[Paralysis Breath] — A breath attack that induces full-body paralysis on contact.
[Sticky Thread] — Generates adhesive threads capable of binding targets.
[Steel Thread] — A reinforced version of Sticky Thread, sharp and durable enough to cut flesh and armor.
[Vampirism] — Absorbs vitality and magicules from the target upon contact.
[Ultrasound Waves] — Emits high-frequency sound waves for detection and disorientation.
[Body Armor] — Hardens the body to reduce physical damage.
With these new powers in hand, I finally made my way out of the cave.
For the first time since my rebirth, sunlight bathed my body.
Though—right before that—I encountered a trio of adventurers from Bulmund.
.....
Status
Name: Rimuru Tempest
Species: Slime
Divine Protection: the Storm Crest
Title: Reincarnated one, Otherworlder, Little Brother of Strom dragon Veldara.
Magic: «Strom Magic», «Death Calling Winds», «Black Lighting», «Storm of Destruction», etc
Unique Skill : [Great Sage],[Predator],[Dimensional Gacha]
Intrinsic Skill : [Dissolve], [Absorb], [Regeneration]
Extra skill : [Water Manipulation], [Magic Sense]
Acquired Skill : [Heat Detection] [Noxious Breath] [Sticky Thread] [Steel Thread][Paralysis Breath] [Body Armor] [Vampirism] [Ultrasound Waves]
Resistances Skill: Thermal Fluctuation Resistance , Physical Damage Resistance, Piercing Resistance, Pain Resistance, Electricity Resistance, Paralysis Resistance.