The next day.
“Ora!!” [Glen]
I’ve been walking through the jungle since this morning, and the pace is faster than yesterday. The reason is solely because Glen is in great shape. I was a bit worried since he drank quite a bit last night, but he’s actually even more energetic today.
‘As expected, nothing beats a delicious meal with a ton of liquor and a good night’s rest!’
I nodded in agreement when he said that this morning. There were magical tools to help with preparing food, but he must’ve had to deal with restrictions when it came to eating and drinking in the forest. He needed a large amount of food due to his constitution, after all, so it must have been a limiting factor that made it difficult for him to exert his full strength.
Yesterday, I let him eat and drink as much as he wanted, and I let him sleep in a decent room too, so that’s probably why he can now unleash his true power. I’m surprised to learn that he wasn’t even in perfect condition yesterday, though, but I suppose it makes sense.
“Wait.” [Glen]
But then, Glen-san suddenly stopped. It was unusual behavior from the guy who usually just charges in head first whenever he spots an enemy.
There were two reasons behind his achievement of reaching S-rank. One was of course his constitution, while the other was a skill called Intuition.
‘Intuition’ is by no means an uncommon skill, and in fact, even non-adventurers can have it. However, in his case, due to his rash personality, he has honed it through life-or-death situations that would’ve normally spelled death for an ordinary person. As a result, he is able to understand most situations with high precision.
“It feels troublesome further ahead.” [Glen]
“Troublesome? So, it’s not a powerful monster beast up ahead?” [Ryouma]
“Yeah, it just feels annoying.” [Glen]
Does that mean there’s a lot of weak monsters? But if it’s the Raptors, there should have been a lot of movement already, and if there’s a nest, Glen would have also charged in already. If so, then it must be something else.
“Can we avoid the problem if we take the long way around?” [Ryouma]
“Probably.” [Glen]
“In that case, what’s up ahead is probably a swarm of Gluttony Flies.” [Ryouma]
“What is that?” [Glen]
“Simply put, they’re giant carnivorous flies. Oh, but they’re not too big, at most being 5cm but with sharp fangs. They swarm any animal they come across regardless if they’re dead or alive, tear through their flesh, then go back to their nest. They’ll repeat it as many times as necessary until the target is turned into bones.” [Ryouma]
They’re kind of like flying piranhas.
Each wound left might not be that big, but that only makes it so that there’s a higher chance of being eaten alive. They also have a habit of leaving leftovers in their nests to feed their offspring, so the meat rots, and there’s a risk of bacterial infection upon being bitten by them. Even if one manages to escape, there’s a high chance of exhaustion due to bleeding, which simultaneously also adds the risk of attracting other monsters. All of that makes them potentially more frightening than piranhas.
Since they won’t attack unless you enter their territory, the safest approach is to just avoid them. Fortunately, we noticed them with plenty of time this time. With enough preparations, getting past them shouldn’t be too difficult.
I’ll cast another barrier magic inside the rain protection barrier, this time a lightning-based one targeting living beings. And just in case, I’ll place a Stone Slime here too. Preparation complete.
“That was quick. You sure that’s enough?” [Glen\
“Gluttony Flies are certainly dangerous, but their body remains that of an insect, so they’re not very durable.” [Ryouma]
That’s why their strategy is also hit-and-run. They swiftly approach at high speed and tear apart the flesh then retreat. So the countermeasure involves taking advantage of this behavior. We use our bodies as bait, leading them into the lightning barrier to make them self-destruct. It’s like the old electric insect killers that used to be commonly placed in convenience stores.
“Even if it fails, we can just teleport away. And I’m sure you’ll be fine even if you’re bit.” [Ryouma]
“Well, it does just feel troublesome, not dangerous.” [Glen]
“Also, ‘Hoteru Rafflesia,’ which has a symbiotic relationship with Gluttony Flies, sells for a high price.” [Ryouma]
“Seriously!? Then I guess we really have to go.” [Glen]
The scent of money made Glen-san push even faster than before he stopped, and soon an unpleasant buzzing sound became audible. Small insects gathered in swarms, emerging like clouds… However, as they touched the barrier, they crackled and burst, dying one after another.
“Ryouma! Where’s that other monster!?” [Glen]
“Look for a red flower! That’s Hoteru Rafflesia! They make up the nest of the Gluttony Flies, so they should be in the direction they came from!” [Ryouma]
“Found it!” [Glen]
Just one of them is annoying, but when they gather in countless numbers, the fluttering becomes really noisy. I had to raise my voice just to talk to Glen-san. He found it right away.
“Got it!” [Glen]
He leaped away, and a vine tried to strangle him, but he pulled on it instead, then tore the Hoteru Rafflesia away from the tree.
“This sells?” [Glen]
“Just the flower petals, so just cut that part off and let’s go.” [Ryouma]
The monsters desperately resisted, but Glen-san just ignored them and brought it before me.
It was already on the verge of death, but vines akin to wriggling tentacles extended from the giant flower of Hoteru Rafflesia. At the center was a large hole where Gluttony Fly larvae could be found, AKA a cluster of maggots. It was not a pleasant sight.
Swiftly cutting away the petals with my sword, I released the Hoteru Rafflesia. After that, we quickly moved away from the Gluttony Fly territory, then took a short break and got a full body cleansing from my cleaner slime.
“This feels good.” [Glen]
“I’m glad to see that you appreciate slimes now.” [Ryouma]
“Well, it’s comfy, after all. It’s not that I dislike baths, but I don’t feel like taking the time to get in.” [Glen]
“Yeah, you certainly don’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d spend a long time bathing.” [Ryouma]
I figured it would be favored by those who prefer a quick, no-fuss shower like crows. If I had the luxury of keeping a Cleaner Slime as a pet in my previous life, I would have used it a lot myself. While it’s nice to soak in the bath leisurely, it’s a different story when it comes to having the time and energy for it…
“So, how much does this flower sell for?” [Glen]
“I’ve only read about it, but supposedly, it’s enough to buy you a house on its own.” [Ryouma]
“This flower? Nobles sure are weird. They pay for the weirdest things.” [Glen]
“It’s a monster living this deep into the Great Forest. There’s the threat of the Gluttony Fly too, so it’s not something that’s easy to acquire. No amount of money will do them good if no one goes to pick it up for them. They probably think it’s still affordable if they only have to spend money to get it.” [Ryouma]
The red dye obtained from the petals of the Hoteru Rafflesia is called ‘Noble Blood.’ The name is derived from its beautiful red color that resembles fresh blood. There are also interpretations that liken the ecology of Hoteru Rafflesia to aristocrats who levy taxes on commoners to indulge in luxury.
While discussing such stories, we resumed our journey. Then, once again, there seemed to be a strange presence in the direction we were heading.
“This sensation somewhat resembles a human’s.” [Glen]
“There’s a person out here?” [Ryouma]
“Yeah, but it’s not a group of people, just one guy. Actually, I’m not entirely sure it’s a person.” [Glen]
…Well, we did manage to make it all the way out here ourselves, so it’s not that strange for there to be someone else here.
“Undead?” [Ryouma]
“I doubt it. The air would be thicker and more oppressive were it undead. Don’t you have any ideas what it might be?” [Glen]
“I’ve never heard of a monster that resembles a human other than the undead.” [Ryouma]
We’re getting quite close to Cormi Village, so there’s a possibility of undead coming our way… For now, considering it’s an unidentified presence, we’ll increase caution and proceed. Soon, near the base of the Heat Emitting Tree, we spotted a male adventurer wearing a battered armor. He was covered in wounds and was lying on the ground, blood flowed from various parts of his body. He seemed dead as he wasn’t moving in the slightest, but then the man let out a groan.
“Uu…” [Man]
“Light Ball.” [Ryouma]
I unleash light magic without even asking anything.
Glen-san said he’s not undead, but this was the Great Forest, so that amount of bleeding should have long attracted monsters. Even if he were human, he wasn’t in any condition to answer my questions, so this was the fastest way to confirm.
The light ball hit the man directly, but there was no change in him.
There was no reaction on his part, so is he really human?
What even are the odds of happening into someone like this this far out in the Great Forest?
“What now? He’s kind of suspicious.” [Glen]
“I can use healing magic, so I’ll give it a shot. Are you alright? Can you hear me?” [Ryouma]
I approached the man with caution. I tried calling out to him, but he just groaned. He didn’t attack me either, so before long, I reached the side of his body.
I borrowed the power of the slimes to examine his body, but other than being covered in wounds, there wasn’t anything unusual about his body.
“‘High Heal’”” [Ryouma]
I cast healing magic on the limbs that were in an especially bad state, and for the first time, I realized something was off.
The bleeding wouldn’t stop.
“!?” [Ryouma]
The moment I was distracted, the man’s body collapsed. All the bones in his body seem to have disappeared, making him soft. He twisted and squirmed like a worm as he attempted to lean onto me with a posture that, for a human, would be like puffing out their chest.
“Hmph!” [Ryouma]
Reflexively, I pushed him away with the Fist of Wind, and the creature crashed into the Heat Emitting Tree behind. It collapsed like a soft rubber doll. Without any hesitation, I drew my sword, enveloped it in flames, and slashed at it.
However, the “creature” showed no sign of concern and immediately tried to flee. It didn’t regenerate like the undead snake from yesterday, but the sight of a person’s upper body detaching itself from the lower body and crawling away with only the strength of its arms was a scene straight out of a horror movie.
Then the “creature” completely lost its human form and transformed into a small take ostrich.
“Ah!?” [Ryouma]
It tried to flee at the speed of a real take ostrich, but I wasn’t about to let it escape.
“‘Barricade’! ’Bind Ivy’!!” [Ryouma]
I conjured a wall of trees to keep the unknown creature from escaping, then I successfully captured it by manipulating the surrounding vines.
These two wood-element spells aren’t easy to use in places with few trees, as they require either plants or vegetation, but they’re in their natural habitat here in the Great Forest.
“You’re not going anywhere!” [Ryouma]
Despite being entwined by vines, the creature tried to break its body again to escape, but before it could, I made it my familiar.
“!” [Ryouma]
“Oh, it stopped.” [Glen]
When the contract was completed, the creature stopped moving. As a connection formed between us, I knew that the contract was a success.
“Just what is this thing?” [Glen]
“Apparently, it’s a kind of slime.” [Ryouma]
I used Monster Identify on it, and its true identity came to light.
Mimic Slime
| Skill Name | Level |
|---|---|
| Mimic | 10 |
| Mimic Memory | 2 |
| High-Speed Movement | 8 |
| Lure Carnivores | 2 |
| Enlarge | 7 |
| Shrink | 7 |
| Consume Prey | 3 |
| Digest | 4 |
| Absorb | 4 |
“Mimic Lv10… when it transformed from the upper part of the human body into a Take Ostrich, for just a moment, it became a slime again, so that’s when I realized its true identity.” [Ryouma]
“So there’s a slime like this too, huh. Its movement aside, it looked just like a human.” [Glen]
“It was completely human inside too at the start. I couldn’t discern any differences even though I was examining it. It even attempted to escape by transforming into a take ostrich, so that it could take advantage of its high-speed movement skill. Does that mean in a mimicked state, it can reproduce the abilities of the mimicked target? It wouldn’t surprise me if the Lure Carnivores skill belonged to the Take Ostrich.” [Ryouma]
I instructed the Mimic Slime, which had returned to its slime form, to mimic a Take Ostrich. When I had it run around a bit, its speed was indeed comparable to that of a real Take Ostrich.
“That’s amazing. It looks like it would have a ton of uses.” [Glen]
“The monsters in this forest sure are weird.” [Ryouma]
The Mimicry Target Memory skill, alongside Mimicry, is likely a skill that memorizes the targets for mimicry. This assumption comes from the fact that when I checked what else the Mimic Slime could mimic, it could only mimic two types: the Take Ostrich and the Raptor.
It seems the appearance of the man from earlier was a one-time thing, and it can no longer mimic that form. Perhaps there are certain conditions that need to be met for it to freely mimic.
I was surprised to see that it possessed both the Enlarge and Shrink skills even though it’s just one slime, but I believe that’s so that it can adjust its size according to what it’s mimicking. The size of the Mimic Slime in its original form is about the size of a basketball, after all. Even if it mimics at this size, it would only become a hand-sized monster, and I don’t think it would be able to deceive its threats.
There’s the Consume Prey skill too.
“Hey, are we not continuing?” [Glen]
“Ah, sorry. I got curious about this slime’s ecology.” [Ryouma]
“Researchers sure are hard to understand.” [Glen]
“Huh? Oh, did I mention I was researching slimes?” [Ryouma]
“No, but people like you like to push jobs onto me. You summoned a ton of slimes yesterday too, so it was obvious.” [Glen]
So that’s how it is. He’s an S-rank, so there’s bound to be jobs from the country, and among those could also be jobs to procure a research specimen. Knowing him, he probably wouldn’t accept those jobs, though.
Anyhow, the matter has been dealt with, so let’s just put aside the matter of the Mimic Slime for later.
We continued along our way again, and four hours later, it’s become evident that all the vegetation other than the Heat Emitting Trees have been trampled over.
“It’s a lot easier to move here.” [Glen]
“There’s a lake not far.” [Ryouma]
At the checkpoint lake could be found many large monsters that mainly active near the waters. One such species was the ‘Cannonball Rhino’, which boasted an average body length of around 5 meters and tended to form crashes. When such massive creatures move, it’s no surprise that things would be trampled in the wake of their path.
“So large monsters like to frequent this place. What’s the rank of those cannonball guys?” [Glen]
“Individually, they’re B. The skin and fur covering their body are far more resilient than armor, and they’re also resistant to magic. Despite their large size, they have fast legs, and when they reach adulthood, they can even use neutral magic.” [Ryouma]
A robust and heavy body, strengthened with powerful magic. When the entire crash gathers into a single unit, the force of their charge reaches terrifying levels, and a direct hit would prove fatal. According to past records, stray individuals that wandered out of the forest have even broken through city gates and outer walls with their charges, earning them the nickname ‘Wall Breaker.
“The Cannonball Rhinos here are gentle compared to the other monsters, so let’s do our best to avoid them even if there are other monsters present.” [Ryouma]
“Okay, but if they find us, it’s not our fault anymore.” [Glen]
“Okay.” [Ryouma]
This guy really doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy to avoid his enemies. I can’t even imagine him hiding himself, so let’s just pray that those rhinos don’t spot us.
While talking among ourselves, the lake eventually came to view.
“…There’s nothing around. That’s good.” [Ryouma]
We should get a move on while there aren’t any monsters around.
“We’ll go east along the lake from here and find ourselves a narrow stream. If we follow it straight, we should get to the village in an hour.” [Ryouma]
“Looks like we’re making it today then.” [Glen]
I confirmed the direction with the compass, then headed east. Monsters attacked us along the way, but there was nothing to panic about. Occasionally, the ‘Blade Rat,’ a winged assassin of the jungle with membranes as sharp as blades, would attempt surprise attacks on us. At first glance, it might seem small, cute, and potentially marketable as a pet in the city, but it’s without a doubt an assassin of the forest that would ruthlessly target the neck while gliding. Just like the Gluttony Fly, it’s not something that ought to be underestimated just because it’s small.
“Hey, looks like there’s an undead this time. A lot of them too.” [Glen]
Even I can tell that the presence of living creatures was gradually diminishing. You could also say that the forest was teeming with life until now. There’s no doubt about it. Cormi Village is near.
“They’re here.” [Glen]
“I’ll deal with the undead with my light magic. Glen-san, you make a path for us.” [Ryouma]
As we noisily pushed through the grass, one zombie reacted and turned towards us. This time it was obvious that it wasn’t a living person, what with its wide open abdomen and its throat that has been torn apart by something.
“Light Ball.” [Ryouma]
There was no need to wait for it to approach. I shot a Light Ball at it and cleanly blew its head off. That should take care of it.
“Shura!” [Undead 1]
“Hyuu… Hyuu…” [Undead 2]
“Garururuu…” [Undead 3]
“Lightshot!” [Ryouma]
Our path along the stream turned into a series of battles with the undead. There were a lot of Beast Zombies too, monster corpses that have turned undead. It felt as though all the monsters we’ve fought until now have turned into undead and were fighting us again.
I feel like there was a game like this before, but it doesn’t make me happy one bit!
“It stinks! I really don’t want to hit zombies with my bare hands, but why are there so many of them?” [Glen]
“No doubt because of Cormi Village.” [Ryouma]
I shot my Lightshot consecutively, sending flying the undead around me one after another, while Glen-san cut open a path.
“I can see the gate!” [Ryouma]
4 years after transmigrating, 6 days after entering the Great Forest, I finally arrived at my hometown.
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