A lone slime stood on the plain. It was a small, liquid creature—an archetypal slime, considered the weakest monster in this world. Unlike poisonous slimes with their myriad toxins or giant slimes large enough to engulf humans, which required trained knights or adventurers to handle, this standard slime was far from a threat. An ordinary adult could easily kick it to death, and even playful children could end its life with ruthless attacks. It was truly a weak, weak monster.
The slime wobbled gently in the breeze on a pleasant grassy field. One might think it had been separated from its companions, but slimes lacked the memory capacity to remember such things. Low intelligence, low abilities—this was why they were called “trash monsters.”
However…
Hmm… This is bad, the slime thought.
This slime was an anomaly. It could think and feel emotions. Although it couldn’t speak aloud and its emotions were simple and subdued, this was astonishing in itself. To researchers of monsters, such a slime would be an extraordinary find, immediately captured for study.
To think our final boss would appear out of nowhere… This is the price of wandering thoughtlessly, the slime mused.
For slimes, the final boss was none other than a child. Knights? Adventurers? They didn’t bother with creatures that posed no threat to people. Slimes had to watch out for children who played by mercilessly smashing them. Thus, slimes avoided places where children might be—near villages and towns.
This was a basic survival instinct. Unfortunately, slimes typically lacked the intelligence to understand this, except for this one peculiar slime. It had barely escaped from a group of slimes that had been decimated by a group of playful children.
Why, then, had such an intelligent slime been associating with its low-intelligence brethren?
“My meat shields are gone!” That was the crux of it. Slimes were weak. This intelligent and emotional slime was no different; it could be easily killed by a child’s kick.
Thus, it had used its fellow slimes as shields or decoys to survive. But those shields had been quickly destroyed, leaving it all alone.
Now, what should I do…? There are no children to torment me, nor are there any monsters. This place is perfect for living… except there’s no water here, it thought.
The lack of water was the reason it couldn’t stay. Water was essential for a slime’s body. Without it, it would truly die. The slime’s core allowed it to regenerate as long as water was available, which was perhaps their only advantage. But this advantage was now a burden. While slimes could also consume magical energy, a weak slime attempting to steal magic from others was usually met with death. Despite its high intelligence, this slime had no more abilities than any other slime.
Why do I have such high intelligence and emotions? it wondered. If it were like other slimes, it would have been crushed by children and died quickly. But having intelligence and emotions meant it wanted to live and took action to ensure its survival.
Perhaps it would be better to spend my remaining time here until I die of thirst. At least here, I can spend my final moments peacefully, it thought. Struggling to survive was exhausting. It had sacrificed its fellow slimes and fled desperately—what awaited it at the end of such a struggle? Instead of continuing to fight, it considered embracing a peaceful end.
“Grrrr…”
Ah, it’s over for me, the slime thought, accepting its fate as a wolf monster appeared in front of it. Slimes were liquid creatures with a core that was inedible and easily crushed if they got in the way. Now, the slime was directly in the wolf’s path. Without seeing it as a threat, the wolf casually lifted its paw, as if to kick a pebble aside. Just as the slime accepted its imminent death, the wolf suddenly turned around.
The wolf’s face contorted with panic.
And then…
“Yelp! Yelp!” The strong-looking wolf let out an unlikely cry of fear and bolted away. The slime’s life was spared, but the presence that had scared off the wolf was now approaching.
Take me with you, too, the slime internally screamed, but it was futile. Unable to speak, it could only watch as the wolf disappeared. Soon, the sound of footsteps approached.
Finally, the figure appeared before the slime.
A human?
A man with golden hair and an impeccably structured face stood there. His expression was so emotionless it seemed almost mechanical, creating an aura of intimidation. As he looked down at the trembling slime on the ground, the slime felt a chill deep within its core.
In that moment, the slime understood why the wolf had fled in terror. Normally, humans were mere prey for such creatures, yet this one had made the wolf run. The reason was now crystal clear.
This man… is on another level!
It wasn’t about strength or weakness. There was something about this man that instilled an undeniable sense of defeat.
Please, just pass by without doing anything! the slime wished, but that hope was shattered when the man reached out his hand.
Ah… This is the end for me. My short life as a slime ends here… the slime thought, resigning itself to its fate as the man’s hand approached.