Everything is a bond of fate.
Every bond formed returns as cause and effect.
The seed you plant today will inevitably bear fruit before you one day.
Those were the opening lines of the memoir written by an old emperor who once conquered a continent.
At the end of his life, what he ultimately realized was that the wheel of fate always turned full circle.
The stage on the Black Tower's 50th floor, where I had closed my eyes amid bitter betrayal.
That seed of cause and effect had crossed this otherworld and fallen before me as fruit once more.
A new body and a new perspective.
What sort of upheaval would the snowball set rolling by this adorable jelly body create?
A cool and peculiar sense of anticipation blossomed from deep within my chest.
***
The light faded.
I was flung from the other side of the mana vortex. Fortunately, I was not thrown to the ground.
My body floated with a gentle sense of buoyancy before settling softly on the earth.
I looked around.
Ancient trees soared toward the sky, the rich scent of grass tickled my nose, and dazzling golden sunlight poured through the leaves.
I knew this place. Of course I did. The scenery was all too familiar.
How could I possibly forget it?
'......Yes, this is.'
The Black Tower's first floor.
I had been transported to the 「Forest of Beginnings」, the starting point of the Black Tower.
It felt as though someone had struck me on the back of the head. How had I failed to realize it?
I had gotten far too excited while picking up and eating sweet Mana Stones inside that unknown cavern.
This Slime into which I had reincarnated.
The Smash Skill I had acquired in the mental realm.
Were they not all unique traits of the monsters I had encountered countless times while climbing the Black Tower?
It was the moment I understood where the monsters I had faced until now came from.
But now was the time to focus on what would happen next.
It was silent in every direction.
I could not yet see any enemy threatening me nearby.
I settled upon the soft moss and stabilized the mana in my core.
I calmly organized my thoughts about how I should act.
Come to think of it, this truly was a cruel twist of fate.
Only a few days ago, I had been history's strongest Hunter, hunting elite demonic beasts.
And now I was inside the body of a Slime, considered the weakest even among low-level demonic beasts.
At least there was some good fortune.
I had finished adapting to my unfamiliar body.
Thanks to the instincts I had learned in practice by rolling and colliding inside the Dragon's nest, I could now move this jelly body quite freely.
'Why don't I loosen up a little?'
Boing, boing.
I lightly struck the ground and moved nimbly through the undergrowth.
Controlling my elasticity, I leaped lightly onto a tree branch.
My movements were astonishingly light for a Slime.
'It can't compare to my original body, but this one might be rather good too. No, this is all because I am the man with the greatest talent in history......!'
Ahem, anyway.
From above the undergrowth, the Forest of Beginnings looked as peaceful as ever, but countless threats lurked beneath the surface.
Rustle.
An unpleasant scraping sound came from below. I tilted my round head.
A Horned Rabbit with bristling gray fur entered my field of vision.
It was a low-level demonic beast commonly found on the Black Tower's first floor.
Its snout twitched.
It seemed to have discovered me.
SQUEAK—!
Its eyes glowing red, the creature sprang ferociously into the air.
The sharp horn on its forehead flew straight at my soft body.
An ordinary Slime would have been pierced through, destroying its core.
But I was no ordinary Slime.
I spun my core.
Twisting my body lightly, I slipped past the fatal trajectory.
SWOOSH.
The Horned Rabbit's decisive strike pierced empty air and swept past.
It was the principle of softness overcoming hardness, yielding to an opponent's force.
The creature flailed in confusion in midair.
I did not miss that fleeting opening.
I instantly drove the mana circulating through my core to the edge of my jelly.
The Smash Skill I had awakened in the mental realm.
Part of my transparent body protruded in the form of a large, solid hammer.
'Go.'
THUD—!
The heavy rupture shattered the forest's silence. The brutal blow sent the creature flying by its torso.
SCREECH—!
With its dying cry, the Horned Rabbit's body crashed into the ground. It then turned into blue particles, scattered, and left behind one small Mana Stone.
Tap.
Landing lightly on the ground, I gulped down the Mana Stone left as loot.
Yum, gulp.
A small amount of mana was absorbed into my core.
Compared with the Supreme-Grade elixirs I had eaten in the cavern, it tasted as bland as water.
But the sensation of hunting a monster and absorbing its strength was exhilarating in itself.
[Your proficiency with the Smash Skill has increased slightly.]
A pleasant alarm rang, and I bounced away excitedly to scout my surroundings further.
A shallow hill within the forest.
I detected a strange dissonance amid the familiar terrain.
The texture of the mana scattered through the air, its subtle flow, was converging as though drawn into one place.
'This direction......'
I searched my memories.
A hidden place unknown to novice Hunters on the Black Tower's first floor, where a so-called Hidden Piece was concealed.
Depending on specific conditions.
It offered a reward with very powerful effects, but not enough to make rankers go out of their way to seek it.
I changed direction and followed the current of mana. A rocky area soon appeared.
A colossal moss-covered stone wall stood there, with a narrow crack at its base too small for even an adult man's fist.
If I still had a human body...... I would have needed to use a special Skill to acquire the Hidden Piece.
But my circumstances were different.
SLIP.
I loosened my body's viscosity to the limit.
My jelly body spread flat like spilled water.
I slid flexibly into the narrow crevice like a snake. I glided into the darkness without feeling the slightest friction, a perfect infiltration.
It was an absolute advantage enjoyed only by the Slime race.
A small chamber lay inside.
At its center, a star-shaped essence containing a faint light shone.
'As expected, no one has touched it yet.'
The Tower was in the state immediately after its creation, and only the vanguard could obtain this Hidden Piece.
Without hesitation, I threw my body over the star-shaped object.
Gulp.
A refreshing mint fragrance filled my mouth.
The vitality of the star, different from the Mana Stones I had eaten in the cavern, permeated every part of my jelly.
[You have obtained a Hidden Piece!]
[ Item ] Star's Blessing (Special)
▸Basic Effect: While active in the Forest of Beginnings, basic mana regeneration increases.
▸Active Effect: For a short time, Star's Blessing will pay the mana cost of your actions in your place.
▸Restriction: Star's Blessing will automatically vanish when you leave this field.
Blue energy revolved mysteriously around my core once.
Star's Blessing sparkled within my transparent body.
Star's Blessing would replenish my insufficient mana at a critical moment.
'A battlefield where unknown threats lurk. It is always best to keep at least one trump card in reserve.'
A satisfying sense of fullness.
I slipped out of the crevice again.
I moved a little deeper on foot—no, by rolling my body.
Alien traces began to appear among the dense trees.
Broken branches and ground that had been dug up roughly.
And faint remnants of mana left behind by hunted monsters.
They were traces of novice Hunters sweeping through this place.
As I advanced farther, I saw a snare cunningly installed between the tree roots.
A rather crude hunting tool woven from steel wire.
'Does anyone really get caught in such a shoddy trap?'
I lightly jumped over the wire. The instant the underside of my jelly touched the steel line.
CLANG—!
With a sharp metallic sound, the wire snapped viciously upward.
But the snare meant to constrict its prey slipped straight through my soft body. That was thanks to a Slime's unique flexibility and physical resistance.
I felt an exhilarating sense of freedom.
An absolute advantage in compatibility.
The blue jelly swam through the air as if mocking the trap set by the Hunters.
This time, I climbed a tree and surveyed a wider stretch of the forest.
I could see a group of Goblins wandering in the distance.
Had they also been swept here by the Black Tower's summons? I still felt a little reluctant to approach them for a conversation, so I decided against it.
'Then is it about time I met the humans......?'
It was obvious how they would react if I appeared before them as a Slime.
They would recklessly draw their weapons first and treat me as experience points.
'Haa, what a troublesome situation.'
Just as I fell into thought.
RUSTLE—!
It began without warning.
The undergrowth shook, and a sharp whistle tore through the air.
"Oh! It's a Slime!"
"Heh, what a relief. Nothing is easier than a Slime."
The enemies charged without warning.
Two gleaming iron swords flew mercilessly toward my blue jelly body.
As expected, they seemed to have mistaken me for a monster native to the Forest of Beginnings.
I had no intention of meekly accepting their blows.
I released the viscosity pressed against the ground like a spring. Tracing a light parabola, I leaped into the air and leisurely evaded their attacks.
Then I noticed their red armbands and the ornate golden dragon emblems engraved on their chests.
'Huh.'
The attackers were...... Chinese Hunters......!
They were Chen's subordinates, the people who had betrayed me and cast me into hell!
So that was how it was.
I landed lightly and quickly assessed the situation.
I still did not know what would happen if a monster like me died here.
But from a Hunter's perspective, death in this place was merely a concept.
Even if they were forcibly returned to reality with a penalty, their physical lives would remain intact.
Furthermore, the growth they achieved through hunting would expand the strength of the Chinese guild.
It would help their country seize control of the Tower.
Then there was only one thing I had to do.
Stop them here so they could not expand their influence inside the Tower.
As Han Yuri, South Korea's strongest Hunter, I had to do it.
I also had to do it as Han Yuri, the Slime reborn in another world.
I see.
I spun my core and drew up blue mana.
"Huh? This thing's pretty fast for a Slime?"
"Ha, that changes nothing! Don't panic. Surround it and cut off its escape!"
The Chinese Hunters closed the distance while releasing vicious sword energy.
But even if I had become a Slime, I was still Han Yuri, once the strongest Hunter.
Such a crude encirclement was enough to make me snort.
I compressed my round body like a bullet.
I launched myself fiercely toward the man on the right, who had the largest opening.
SWISH—!
I sharpened the end of my jelly like a keen awl.
Highly compressed mana, an application of the Smash Skill I had learned in the mental realm.
Dizzying elation surged through me. Destructive mass gathered. The sharp jelly spear traced a blue arc and pierced the man's armor in an instant.
CRACK—! CRRRACK—!
"Aaaaargh!"
With a scream, the first man shattered into dazzling light.
"Wh-what the hell! What is this monster?!"
The remaining man recoiled in terror.
Using the rebound from rolling across the ground, I immediately shot up beneath his chin.
THUD—!
The jelly transformed into a solid hammer and struck his jaw without mercy.
"Urk!"
He could not even voice a death cry.
The Tower's System forcibly expelled the second man as well.
A clean and satisfying strike.
[Slime (Common) has defeated Player Wang Wei (China).]
[Slime (Common) has defeated Player Liu Hai (China).]
[Enemy defeated!]
[Double Kill!]
[The Slime is on a Roll!]
Familiar System windows appeared one after another before my eyes.
My core trembled.
The mana left behind by the men was absorbed into my body, making my blue color deeper and more lustrous.
A small Slime stood proudly among the pieces of broken armor.
The concave, star-shaped eyes on its round body shone brilliantly with joy.
'Haaah, Slimes are the best. I love Slimes, love them, love them......!'