The vegetation cultivated by the slime was special.
The mudfield provided the water and nutrients plants needed to grow.
Wetlands made the soil fertile.
The effect of the White Deer Horns was layered on top of that.
The slime's power to cultivate spirit herbs had doubled.
Not only 1-Star Demon Beasts reacted to those spirit herbs and fruits......
'Why do those things keep showing up?!'
Even 2-Star Demon Beasts reacted to them.
At first, fox and cat Demon Beasts appeared.
SQUEAK—
SQUEAK—?
SQUEAK—!
At their appearance, the One-Horned Rats hid in their burrows.
After those creatures came prowling wolf Demon Beasts.
SQUEAK—
SQUEEEAK—?
SQUEAK—!
The One-Horned Rabbit pack fled far from the mudfield in alarm when the wolf Demon Beasts appeared.
There was also the difference in realm.
And the predator–prey relationship.
Together, they drove away all the 1-Star Demon Beasts near the mudfield.
'They make every hunt come up empty!'
Of course, that was not entirely true.
THUD— THUD— THUD—
SQUEAL—
SQUEAL—?
SQUEAL—!
Boar Demon Beasts like the One-Horned Boar continued to visit steadfastly.
'I put so much effort into this.......'
He had eaten the White Deer's dung and horns, strengthening his power to cultivate vegetation.
The result was far too meager for so much effort.
AWOO—
AWOOO—
AWOOOOO—
The howling of the wolf Demon Beasts drove away all the lower-realm Demon Beasts.
Various 2-Star Demon Beasts, from raccoons to venomous lizards, also visited the mudfield.
The reason 2-Star Demon Beasts came near the slime's mudfield.
Was that the spirit fruit had become equivalent to a medicinal pill that could advance their realms.
Not only humans but the demon race too was obsessed with advancing its realms.
Realm was both strength and authority.
They would do anything for it.
They even braved great danger.
The 1-Star Demon Beasts leaped into the mudfield prepared to die.
That was how tempting the spirit herbs and fruit cultivated by the slime were.
'But... the 2-Star creatures don't fall into the trap easily.'
They realized the spirit herb and fruit atop the mudfield were a trap.
Even so, they could not easily leave.
They watched for an opening while testing the situation.
'Those things are surprisingly distracting.'
They not only interfered with his hunting.
Having higher-realm Demon Beasts nearby was also deeply irritating.
The difference of a single Star was greater than expected.
Even in the mudfield that favored the slime, carelessness could get him eaten.
'But... unlike the 2-Star creatures, most of those at 1-Star are herbivores.'
The 1-Star Demon Beasts in this region were rabbits, rats, deer, boars, and similar creatures.
'There seems to be some rule here... Is it related to their food?'
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
'Right. Demon Beasts rise to higher realms by eating a lot, don't they?'
The thought had merit.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth was absorbed by plants.
Herbivores ate those plants.
Carnivores hunted the herbivores.
Spiritual energy accumulated along the food chain.
'Hmm... that certainly seems plausible.'
Most 2-Star Demon Beasts were predators.
They ate creatures such as One-Horned Rabbits and One-Horned Rats.
'The others are similar.'
Centipedes, scorpions, spiders, mantises, venomous snakes, poisonous toads, venomous lizards, and the like possessed reasonably powerful weapons such as poison, webs, and scythes.
'Then will bears, tigers, and lions appear farther inside the secret realm?'
There could be differences between secret realms.
'And if I go to the sea, tuna and whales will appear as powerful Demon Beasts.'
He felt as though he had glimpsed one of this world's hidden truths.
However......
'It's a pointless thought. This is a game anyway.......'
A game's setting could be arranged however its creators wanted.
The developers might simply have placed them without much thought.
Then, at last, an incident occurred.
***
One of the creatures prowling around the mudfield......
Could no longer resist and finally acted.
'I knew it would be that one.'
The creature that leaped into the mudfield after the spirit fruit.
Was a One-Horned Snake.
It was a type of water snake Demon Beast at 2-Star of the Qi Refining Realm.
It was a Water-attribute Demon Beast.
It must have decided that it could win in the mudfield.
SPLASH—
SPLASH—
It cut through the mudfield like water and approached the slime.
'Yikes, its target isn't the spirit fruit. It's me.'
HISS—
HISS—
FLICK—
Their realms might have differed.
But if the slime were ambushed, he could still be eaten.
The snake had decided to deal with him first.
'Go, Mud Slimes!'
The slime commanded his subordinates to block the One-Horned Snake's path.
HISSS—
HISS—
It swallowed some Mud Slimes and knocked others away with its tail.
But there were too many.
With hundreds attacking, disposing of the pests was no easy task.
Its swimming speed briefly slowed.
'Earth Attribute Enhancement!'
Earth was the mutual restraint of Water.
Earth blocked water.
The mudfield grew thicker and more viscous.
The area close to the Horned Slime began turning into a wall of earth.
The slime blocked the One-Horned Snake's advance.
HISS—
WHOOSH—
WHOOSH—
Water sprayed from the One-Horned Snake's mouth.
The current began thinning the mudfield again.
Seizing that opportunity......
'Let's go!'
The slime moved first.
He swallowed the One-Horned Snake headfirst.
Then he ate the rest, from its torso to its tail.
'I'm the bigger one.'
The slime was the size of a large wild boar.
The One-Horned Snake was a water snake and not particularly large.
He expanded the Devouring Sac inside his body and swallowed it in one gulp.
WOBBLE—
WOBBLE—
The One-Horned Snake thrashed inside the slime's stomach.
HISS—
Water sprayed from its mouth again.
WOBBLE—
WOBBLE—
The slime was a highly elastic pouch.
Like a bouncy ball, he dispersed the impacts.
He absorbed every attack from the One-Horned Snake as his body wobbled.
Before long, it grew still.
When the Water energy protecting the One-Horned Snake disappeared.
It gradually began dissolving in the slime's digestive fluid.
'When you think of a slime, you think of Devouring.'
When he finished digesting the One-Horned Snake......
[New ability, Waterflow Control, has been registered.]
'I got one!'
He had gained a new ability for the first time in a while.
It allowed him to control the flow of water.
'The One-Horned Snake was a Water-attribute Demon Beast, so I wondered.......'
By good fortune, he obtained a useful ability.
Waterflow Control was the most basic ability of a Water-attribute Demon Beast......
But that also made it an ability with many applications.
'How should I use this?'
There would be a use that suited the slime best.
'Well, it isn't urgent. I'll think about it slowly.'
For now, he had disposed of one of the 2-Star Demon Beasts prowling near the mudfield.
Many eyes had watched the battle.
They belonged to other 2-Star Demon Beasts coveting the spirit herb and fruit he cultivated.
Several disappeared afterward.
They had realized that the 1-Star Demon Beast hiding in the mudfield was no pushover.
It could eat creatures of higher realms.
After they disappeared.
1-Star Demon Beasts returned to the area around the mudfield.
Drawn by the fragrant spirit herb and fruit, they fell into the mudfield.
'What a relief.'
He had eliminated the creature that targeted him.
Now he could comfortably resume hunting with bait.
***
CAW—
CAW—
'Why is that thing here?!'
The crow Demon Beast was still only at the entry stage of the Qi Refining Realm.
It had no business being here.
This region contained 1-Star and 2-Star Demon Beasts.
One mistake, and it would easily become prey.
'Good. I'll get my revenge this time.'
Eating the One-Horned Snake had granted him a new ability.
It was Waterflow Control.
The slime had considered how to use it.
'If it's the Water attribute, shouldn't I use a Water Cannon?'
It was a basic skill possessed by Water-type monsters in Pokémon.
The slime was well suited to a Water Cannon.
Gathering water and firing it all at once made for a surprisingly useful attack.
For now, it was closer to a water gun than a Water Cannon.
Because he had not mastered the technique, its accuracy was low.
As he aimed the water gun at the crow flying toward the spirit herb and fruit......
'Huh? Something is strange about that thing.'
The crow Demon Beast had brought another Demon Beast behind it.
It was being chased by a 1-Star One-Horned Falcon Demon Beast.
'Heh heh, serves it right for being greedy.'
It was wrong to come this far just to pluck the spirit herb and fruit.
This was not an easy place for that creature.
'I'll watch and see what happens to it.'
He postponed firing the water gun.
He watched it being chased.
The One-Horned Falcon pursued the crow Demon Beast as it dove toward the mudfield.
It was a steep dive.
Then......
The crow Demon Beast pulled up just above the spirit herb and fruit.
It narrowly avoided the mudfield.
But the One-Horned Falcon pursuing it could not do the same.
Its attention had been captured by the spirit fruit.
It was an item that could raise its realm.
SPLASH—
The result of being distracted by greed for a moment was disastrous.
It plunged straight into the mudfield.
FLAP—
FLAP—
The One-Horned Falcon tried to take flight again.
But its wings, buried in mud, could not move properly.
'Thank you for the meal.'
The One-Horned Falcon became food for the slime.
As he enjoyed his meal......
'The spirit herb and fruit are gone.'
The crow Demon Beast had eaten the spirit herb and fruit he had cultivated so carefully.
'Agh! You damned crow. Just wait until I see you again.'
He intended to hit it properly with the water gun.
Before long, it appeared again.
***
'Something about it seems different.......'
The crow Demon Beast had advanced to 1-Star.
'It's because of the spirit herb and fruit it ate last time.'
They had been 2-Star spirit herb and fruit the slime had cultivated with great care.
They had advanced its realm at once.
'Agh. This pisses me off. It advanced by stealing my stuff!'
It had raised its realm by shamelessly stealing from someone else.
'This time, I'll hit it with a Water Cannon.'
It was closer to a water gun than a Water Cannon, but......
He aimed it at the crow Demon Beast.
'Fire!'
WHOOSH—
WHOOSH—
WHOOSH—
If its accuracy was low, he only had to fire repeatedly.
THUD—
'I hit it!'
But... something was strange.
He had hit something other than the crow Demon Beast.
It was a 2-Star One-Horned Goshawk.
The shot had struck the creature pursuing the crow Demon Beast closely.
'Damn it!'
The One-Horned Goshawk glanced toward him.
In that instant, the crow Demon Beast rapidly dove toward the spirit herb and fruit.
Seeing that, the One-Horned Goshawk resumed its pursuit.
THUD—
As before, the crow Demon Beast pulled up above the mudfield.
Once again, it narrowly avoided the mud.
But the One-Horned Goshawk could not avoid it and crashed.
FLAP—
FLAP—
The One-Horned Goshawk struggled desperately to take flight again.
'Ah... now I'm conflicted.'
Should he protect the spirit herb and fruit from the crow?
Or catch the One-Horned Goshawk before it escaped?
'Obviously, the 2-Star Demon Beast.'
The slime could grow another spirit herb and fruit.
But a 2-Star Demon Beast was not easy prey.
Fighting one normally required him to accept considerable danger, as with the One-Horned Snake.
When prey was served up to him like this......
'Thank you for the meal.'
He had to eat it.
While the slime digested the One-Horned Goshawk......
The crow leisurely ate the spirit herb and fruit and departed.
After that......
It brought a 2-Star Demon Beast behind it every time.
'Clever creature. This leaves me unable to do anything to you.'
The scales tipped between the spirit herb and fruit and the 2-Star Demon Beast.
'Obviously, the 2-Star Demon Beast.'
Even if he gave the spirit herb and fruit to the crow, that was more profitable.
He set aside his desire for revenge because of the benefits the crow Demon Beast brought him.
For now, keeping it alive was better.
It needed to continue bringing him 2-Star flying Demon Beasts.
'I have a favorable matchup against flying Demon Beasts.'
SPLAT—
FLAP—
FLAP—
Once flying Demon Beasts crashed into the mudfield, they could not fly properly.
Mud clung to their wings and prevented them from exerting their strength.
They were easy prey for the slime.
'Fucking sweet!'
If he ate the crow Demon Beast.
Those easy hunts would end.
He had no choice but to let it live.
Thus, a symbiotic relationship formed between them.
The slime raised his realm by eating the prey the crow brought him.
'At last.......'
He completed his Evolution to 2-Star.
'What changed?'
First, he grew larger.
His Mudfield Creation ability also improved.
He could now create a mudfield extending nearly one hundred meters in every direction.
'I grew another horn.'
His horn split to either side like a goat's horns.
'Wait.'
[Mud Demon Beast Horns: Mudfield Creation. Have the effect of nurturing vegetation.]
[Mud Demon Beast Horns: Waterflow Control.]
The functions of his horns had separated.
Each horn had become specialized.
His ability to control waterflows became more precise and powerful.
'Good. Let's test it.'
ROAR—
ROAR—
ROAR—
[New ability, Water Cannon, has been registered.]
The water gun truly became a Water Cannon.
Its accuracy increased, and it grew more powerful.
'This will be useful. Ha ha.'
Until now, the slime had lacked a ranged attack.
Close combat was dangerous.
A ranged attack allowed him to strike an opponent first.
The slime had grown stronger.
The Water Cannon enabled a variety of strategies.
'Let's go!'
With this, he could challenge higher realms and regions.