Chapter 15: Growth
The return to the village was different. The slimes were no longer bouncing mindlessly.
They gathered around the hunting slimes, listening to their stories, which were conveyed to the young ones with the help of mana. One slime showed how it had been thrown out by jumping off the wall.
Boing!
The other slime imitated it.
Boing!
Tanaka watched the show.
...Maybe I should have taught them discipline first.
The little slime proudly bounced up to the rock, flattening it and, after a few seconds, returned to its original shape.
It looked at Tanaka as if expecting praise. Tanaka could not help but smile.
Ten out of ten for enthusiasm.
That evening, all hunting slimes gathered around the elder’s cave. The remnants of the Magic Core from the battle still remained in their bodies.
One after another...
The slimes began to glow.
Tanaka was surprised.
They’re changing...
The glow was not that strong.
It was not an evolution.
The mana in the slimes’ bodies simply had a calmer rhythm.
Tanaka tried to see if he could see their soul records and it worked.
Interesting, I can see it. Might be because I have become their leader.
[ Skill Acquired
Survivor Lv.1
A common skill for those who possess a sharp instinct for survival.
Slightly increases endurance.
Slightly lowers damage taken. ]
It was a very simple and humble skill, but it was there for all hunting slimes, and even some of the younger ones who had helped to protect the cave.
Tanaka was surprised.
So that’s how it was.
By fighting together, they all received Survivor.
The little slime bounced up and down happily.
It also had a glow around it, which meant it had received Survivor Lv.1.
Tanaka smiled.
Good.
This way, all slimes became slightly more difficult to kill, which, in itself, was quite a valuable lesson for today’s training.
As the little slime bounced, a familiar warmth spread through Tanaka’s body.
It was similar to the other slimes, but his glow was significantly stronger.
Devourer became more active.
The endless maw within him opened for the first time since the fight with the stone monsters.
Hungry.
Tanaka looked at his Soul Record.
[ Unique Skill
Devourer
Level 2
Analysis speed increased.
Digestion efficiency increased.
The amount of mana consumed decreased. ] .
Tanaka blinked.
It... leveled up?
He focused on the skill, and a bunch of information flowed into his mind.
He could analyze the incoming attacks faster.
The mana from the devoured skills would be used more efficiently.
The skills he devoured in the future would be digested easier.
Tanaka grinned.
That’s... great!
It wasn’t much, but there was no need for a tremendous increase in power.
Each additional percent made Devourer more reliable, and that was exactly what Tanaka needed.
The next morning, the training began.
This time, Tanaka took a step back and watched.
He corrected the slimes and analyzed the battle.
An hunting slime took command of one of the squads.
Another took command of the second squad.
Without realizing it, the village began to develop its system.
Leaders, hunters, and young slimes who had to rely on the help of others.
Tanaka was satisfied.
Good.
A village should not rely on only one slime.
Their second trip to the dungeon was much more successful.
The stone monsters were defeated with relative ease.
The hunting slimes no longer charged recklessly.
They surrounded the enemy and took care of the weak ones.
Even if one slime was thrown back, the other one took its place.
Tanaka rarely had to help.
The little slime was everywhere.
It saved one slime, distracted the other monster, and even threw rocks at the incoming enemies.
At one point, it bounced right on the head of a stone monster and confused it.
Tanaka was about to laugh.
Where did you learn that?
The little slime proudly bounced away before the hunting slimes killed the confused monster.
As the battle raged on, Tanaka took some time to test Devourer.
One of the stone monsters punched him in the stomach.
Instead of the mana from the attack being absorbed by him slowly, as it usually did, it almost immediately began to be devoured by Devourer.
The attack was significantly weakened.
The same happened when one of the monsters tried to attack him with a burst of compressed earth mana.
Tanaka swallowed it whole, and it vanished into the endless darkness within him.
It hardly affected him at all.
The increase in Devourer’s level really showed.
Tanaka was pleased.
Devourer became more efficient, not stronger.
By sunset, the village returned to the cave for the second time.
All were tired, and all were happy.
Well, as much as it was possible for slimes to be happy.
Near the cave entrance, the little slime bounced up and down, throwing Tanaka a few more shiny stones.
Tanaka looked at the rock in his hand.
It was bright and sparkled with tiny flecks of gold.
He looked at the little slime.
...Seriously?
Boing!
You think every shiny rock belongs to me now?
The little slime bounced twice more, confident that it was right.
Tanaka sighed.
Fine.
He put the rock in his Storage Ring.
His collection of completely unnecessary treasures was expanding, taking up space in the ring next to the mana crystals.
Incredibly enough, this sight filled Tanaka with joy.
That night, Tanaka sat near the center of the village.
All around him, slimes slept soundly for the first time since the hunters attacked the village.
Tanaka looked out into the distance, watching the cave entrance.
The hunters would return someday.
Tanaka had no doubt about that.
But when they arrived, they would no longer find a timid slime village.
They would find monsters who had learned to survive.
And monsters, Tanaka knew, could evolve.