Primordial Slime: I Devour The World

Morning arrived quietly in the Eldoris Dominion.

The streets of Crystal Square were silent. There was no great bell tolling. No emergency. No meeting. No celebration. The naming ceremony had ended. And yet, something was different. The mana in the air felt thicker. The Crystal Tree’s azure motes were dancing in the morning light, swirling lazily between the buildings. Under the tree, Tanaka slowly opened his eyes.

"Where am I?"

He blinked a few times, the grogginess clearing as he realized something was very wrong. His body felt heavy. Tanaka tried to move, but nothing happened. Before he could try again, something bounced into his side.

Boing!

"Tanaka!"

Tanaka’s body rolled sideways.

"Ow!"

"You fainted!"

"I noticed!" Tanaka groaned.

Sora bounced around him happily. "You scared me!" Tanaka pushed himself up off the ground. "I fainted?" "After naming everyone!" Tanaka stared at him. The memories of the previous day flooded back, Eldrin, Raizen, Sylva, Drakar, Torga, the goblins, the wolves, the rabbits, the kobolds, the moss turtles, the slimes, the ogres, and finally Sora. After naming all of them, declaring them to be part of the Eldoris Dominion, Tanaka’s body had suddenly gone numb.

The mana in the air, the power he felt, the sensation of his very being expanding. It had all been incredible. Tanaka’s eyes narrowed as he looked down at his body. "...There was something else."

Sora bounced lightly. "What?"

"I felt stronger." Tanaka opened his Soul Record. A translucent screen hovered before his eyes, displaying his status. He stared at it in disbelief, then at Sora. "What?" "What happened?" Sora bounced around excitedly. Tanaka slowly read his status.

[ Soul Record

Name: Tanaka Eldoris

Race: Arch Devourer Slime

Rank: B

Magic Core: B

Age: 2 Years, 6 Months ]

Tanaka’s eyes widened. "Arch Devourer Slime." His race had changed again. And his rank had improved as well. From C to B. Tanaka smiled. "So that’s what happened."

Sora bounced excitedly. "You’re stronger!" "Much stronger." Tanaka closed his Soul Record. He could feel it in his mana, his body, his senses. Everything was denser, stronger. But something else was bothering him. He looked around at the Crystal Square. "I don’t think I’m the only one." "What do you mean?" Sora stopped bouncing. Tanaka smiled. "Something happened to all of us yesterday."

___________

A short while later...

The leaders gathered beneath the Crystal Tree. Eldrin stood at the front with Raizen at his side. Sylva, Drakar, and Torga stood nearby. The five Ogres stood behind them. Rogan, Raishin, Raveana, Relia, and Ryuken. And, of course, Sora stood beside Tanaka. Tanaka looked around at the group. "There is something I want you all to do." The monsters all listened closely. "I want you all to open your Soul Records." A few monsters exchanged glances. Sylva raised an eyebrow. "How?" Tanaka blinked. "You don’t know?"

The leaders shook their heads. Tanaka groaned. He smacked a tendril against his forehead. "Right. Of course you don’t know." He sighed, looking around at the gathered monsters. "Your Soul Records are something you can view in your mind. Focus on it, think about your status, and say..."

He paused.

"Soul Record."

The monsters all stared at him. Raizen tilted his head. "Soul Record." Nothing happened. Tanaka chuckled. "Don’t just say it. Focus." Raizen closed his eyes. A few seconds later, they opened again. A translucent screen hovered before his eyes. His expression changed. "It worked." The other monsters immediately became excited. "How?"

"Let me try!"

"Soul Record!"

"Soul Record!"

"Soul Record!"

Tanaka laughed as dozens of monsters tried to open their Soul Records. Some were successful right away. While others had to struggle a bit. The younger monsters became excited every time a screen appeared. Eventually, nearly everyone had learned how to open their Soul Records.

Tanaka smiled. "Good. Now check them."

____________

Raizen was the first to speak. His golden eyes narrowed as he looked at his Soul Record. "Star Wolf King." Tanaka’s smile vanished. "What?" Raizen looked at him. "My race is Star Wolf King." Raizen looked at his paws. "I can feel the difference." He flexed them, and the stone beneath his claws cracked. Raizen immediately stopped. "I may need to be more careful."

Tanaka laughed. "Definitely." Behind him, the wolves all checked their Soul Records. One after another, their expressions changed. "Star Wolf Warrior."

"So am I!"

"Me too!"

The pack became excited. Tanaka looked at the beta. "Raxolf." The big wolf stepped forward. He opened his Soul Record, and his eyes widened. "Star Wolf Lord." Raizen looked at him. For a moment, the two wolves just stared at each other. Then Raxolf lowered his head. "My King." Raizen nodded. Tanaka smiled. "The hierarchy makes sense." A Star Wolf King, a Star Wolf Lord, and Star Wolf Warriors. The wolves had become an organized pack of powerful fighters.

______________

Sylva looked at her Soul Record. She stared at it for a few seconds before looking up at Tanaka. "Lunarpelt." Tanaka blinked. "Lunarpelt?" Sylva nodded. "That’s my race." Tanaka’s eyes widened. "That’s different from the others." Sylva continued reading, then her eyes widened as well. "I have a new ability." "What is it?" Tanaka asked. "Human Transformation." Sylva said. Tanaka stared at her. "Seriously?"

Sylva nodded. She focused, and a mix of silver and green mana surrounded her body. Her rabbit form began to change. When the light dissipated, a young woman stood before them. The group was silent. Tanaka looked at Sylva, then at her new form. "Can you maintain it?" Sylva looked down at herself, then nodded. "Yes, I can." A few of the other rabbits immediately rushed forward.

"Our records!"

"Check yours!"

The rabbits opened their Soul Records.

"Race: Moonhare."

"Seriously."

"Human Form too."

"But it is limited. It says it can be maintained for only twelve hours."

Tanaka smiled. "So you can transform too." One of the Moonhares nodded. "But only temporarily." Sylva looked at the others. "This changes things." Tanaka nodded. "It might." The rabbits had become powerful warriors. And now they could transform into humans as well.

________

Drakar checked his Soul Record. He shocked. Tanaka looked at him. "What did you get?" Drakar stared at the screen. "Wyrmkin." Tanaka’s eyes widened. The kobold leader slowly clenched his fists. "I can feel it." His body had become stronger. His senses were sharper. His presence heavier. Behind him, the other kobolds checked their Soul Records.

"Greater Kobold."

"Me too."

"Same."

Tanaka nodded. "Looks like the entire race evolved." Drakar smiled. "My people have grown."

Tanaka smiled back. "They have."

________

Torga opened his Soul Record. The old Moss Turtle looked at it, then chuckled. "Interesting." Tanaka looked at him. "What happened?"

Torga showed him. His evolution had made him stronger, tougher, and his mana capacity had improved. He was an Ironcarapace Turtle. The other Moss Turtles around them had also evolved. They were now Stoneshell Turtles. Their shells were harder, their bodies more durable. Their presence was stronger. Torga slowly moved one of his legs. "I feel like I could carry twice what I used to." Tanaka smiled. "Then I suppose we’ll have to test that." Torga chuckled. "I was hoping you’d say that."

________

Tanaka turned to the goblins. Most of them had already discovered their changes. A few had become Greater Goblins, while others had turned into Hobgoblins. Tanaka looked at them closely. The change was obvious. The Hobgoblins were stronger and more durable than the Greater Goblins.

____________

The Ogres were next. Tanaka looked at the five warriors. "Alright. You five."

Rogan stepped forward. "Finally." Raishin said nothing. Raveana crossed her arms. Relia held her staff. And Ryuken stood at the front, his amber eyes calm. Tanaka nodded. "Open your records."

They did. Rogan first. His eyes widened. "Kijin." Rogan grinned. "That sounds strong."

The rest also indicated they were Kijins. Tanaka stared at the five of them. "You five..." He felt their mana, their bodies, their presence. He had felt that domineering aura only once. "Have become monsters with the power of Monster Lords."

The other Ogres immediately checked their Soul Records. Their expressions changed. "Greater Ogre."

"So am I."

"Me too."

Tanaka looked around at the two hundred Ogres. They had all evolved into Greater Ogres. He laughed softly. "Yesterday I was naming an army." He looked at the five Kijin. "Today..." He smiled. "I apparently have one."

Raveana cracked her knuckles. Tanaka immediately pointed at her. "No."

She blinked. "I didn’t say anything."

"I know that look." Raveana grinned. Ryuken quietly shook his head. Rogan laughed. Even Raishin’s expression softened.

____________

The slimes were next. Tanaka looked around the Crystal Square. The place was filled with bouncing blue bodies. But now their mana signatures were much stronger. One slime checked his Soul Record. Greater Slime. Another. Greater Slime. Another. Greater Slime. Tanaka smiled. "Almost all of you evolved."

The slimes bounced excitedly. "We’re stronger!" "We’re Greater Slimes!" "We evolved!"

Sora bounced around them. "My turn , my turn. Tanaka laughed. "Alright, alright." Sora proudly opened his Soul Record. "High Slime." Sora tilted his body. "Is that good?"

Tanaka nodded. "Oh, I have a unique skill Skill Theft lv. 1. It says I can analyze and steal skills. How does it work?" Tanaka looked at him. "I don’t know yet." He marvelled at the ability. The name alone was interesting. Sora’s evolution was different from the rest. Tanaka smiled. "We’ll figure it out." Sora bounced happily. "Okay!"

____________

Tanaka slowly looked around the Crystal Square. Thousands of monsters. Thousands of Soul Records. Thousands of changes. The naming ceremony had truly changed everything. The goblins had evolved. The wolves had evolved. The rabbits had evolved. The kobolds had evolved. The Moss Turtles had evolved. The slimes had evolved. The Ogres had evolved. And Tanaka... had become a B-Rank Arch Devourer Slime.

He still didn’t understand what it meant. He looked up at the Crystal Tree. The leaves gently swayed in the morning wind. Tanaka smiled. "I didn’t expect this." Eldrin approached him. "Perhaps you underestimated what you had built." Tanaka looked around at the Crystal Square. At the houses, the roads, the workshops, the farms, the training grounds, the Dungeon Sanctuary, the Crystal Tree, and his people. His smile grew. "Maybe I did."

______________

Six months later...

The Eldoris Dominion had changed. The population continued to grow. More houses were being built. The farms were expanding. The Craft Quarter was being improved. The training grounds were being reinforced. Watchtowers were being built along the borders. New roads were being constructed. Patrol routes were being established. The wolves had become more organized. The goblins had expanded their workshops. The rabbits had built larger gardens and orchards. The kobolds had begun creating better tools and equipment. The Ogres had become the backbone of the construction efforts. The slimes had been transporting supplies. The Turtles had been invaluable. And the five Kijin... had become the most powerful warriors in Tanaka’s army.

The Eldoris Dominion was no longer just a settlement. It had become a nation. But Tanaka knew they had only just begun.

_______________

One evening, Tanaka stood on the wall, overlooking the Crystal Square. Sora bounced beside him. The sun was setting over the Great Verdant Forest. The Dominion stretched out before them. Tanaka looked at the roads, the districts, the farms, the workshops, and the people. Three years ago, it had all been a slime settlement. Now it was something more. Something greater.

Tanaka smiled. "We’ve come a long way."

Sora bounced. "What’s next?"

Tanaka looked out over the Great Verdant Forest. There were still many places to explore. Many unknown monsters, dangers, and opportunities. He looked back at the Eldoris Dominion. His smile widened. "The Eldoris Dominion has been born." Sora bounced excitedly. Tanaka looked up at the horizon. "Now let’s develop our nation."