...It's dark.
The darkness envelops everything, preventing me from seeing any shape or figure.
I should be in a cave or somewhere underground, right? I remember dying… and then that strange, weightless feeling.
At the very last moment, I recall hearing some voice about Predator or Sage or something.
Hmmm…
With that thought, I regained consciousness.
My name is Mikami Satoru. A 37-year-old man who lived an ordinary life—until I died saving my kōhai from a street slasher.
And now…
I've been reincarnated.
Alright~, remembered. I'm okay. I'm not panicking.
Well, this is already my second life, so maybe Dad was right after all—practice makes a man perfect.
And really, could a cool guy like me even panic?
Hah. That's about as likely as a grade school kid shitting his pants.
When I tried to look around, I couldn't open my eyes.
Well, that was expected.
Setting that aside, when I attempted to touch my head…
My arms didn't respond.
Even more strangely, I couldn't tell where my head even was.
No pain, though.
Actually, I felt pretty good.
Neither hot nor cold. The surrounding atmosphere was strangely comfortable.
I could relax a little thanks to that.
Touch.
There was a sense of touch.
All my consciousness focused on that sensation.
With a horizontal stroke across my belly (?) I felt something similar to grass.
The tips felt slightly prickly against my body.
It made me oddly happy.
Yet, I was still in complete darkness.
Although I had only regained one of my five senses, at least I could finally feel something again.
Amused, I decided to move toward the grass.
I could feel my body shift.
At that moment, I became fairly certain that I wasn't lying on a hospital bed.
Beneath my belly (?) I could feel something hard.
Rock, maybe.
I see…
«Activate Unique Skill [Predator]? [YES]/[NO]»
Suddenly, a voice echoed in the back of my head.
Was that the voice I heard before losing consciousness?
Unique Skill [Predator]…?
The voice lacked any emotion.
It sounded like a synthesized, computer-generated voice.
For now…
[NO!]
I pushed the answer through my thoughts and waited for a reply.
Nothing came.
I waited a little longer, but the voice didn't return.
Seems I won't be getting a second question.
Did I mess up my choice?
Could this be some kind of game where refusing the first option means I lose everything?
While touching the grass, the portion in contact with my body suddenly melted.
For a moment, I panicked.
Wait.
Did my body just melt?
No.
The grass was melting.
And then I realized something even stranger.
The grass had disappeared into my body.
It had been absorbed.
In other words…
I swallowed it.
By the way…
It had no taste.
…
Yeah.
I'm not human anymore.
I've been reincarnated as a slime.
A slime.
Seriously?
Of all things…
A slime?!
I can't help but laugh internally.
Well, considering I died, perhaps I shouldn't complain about the form I'm given.
At least I'm alive.
First [Absorb], then [Disassemble], then [Store], and repeat.
These herbs seem important.
They're used to make healing potions.
Their name…
Hipokute, right?
Wait.
How do I even know that?
Did the knowledge come with my reincarnation?
Or perhaps something else is providing the information?
I decided to investigate.
«Answer: It is stored in the stomach associated with Unique Skill [Predator]. At present, less than 1% of storage is occupied.»
But…
Since when have I been using that skill?
I clearly selected [NO] earlier.
«Answer: Unique Skill [Predator] has not been activated. Substances entering the body are automatically stored. This function is modifiable.»
Huh…
The responses are much smoother now.
Not that it matters much.
Still…
About the skill.
Explain the features of Unique Skill [Predator].
«Answer: The effects of Unique Skill [Predator] are as follows.»
Predation: Absorbs the target into the body. If the target is conscious, the success rate greatly decreases. Targets include organic matter, inorganic matter, skills, and magic.
Analysis: Absorbed targets are studied and analyzed. Craftable items can be produced. If sufficient materials are gathered, duplicates may be created. If a skill or magic is successfully analyzed, it can be acquired.
Stomach: Stores absorbed targets and produced items. There is no storage time limit.
Mimicry: Replicates a target's appearance. The skills and abilities of the target can also be used, provided sufficient analysis data is acquired.
Isolation: Materials harmful or unnecessary for analysis can be isolated and stored. They may be converted into magicules.
…
These are the functions of Unique Skill [Predator].
I couldn't help but feel a shiver of excitement.
This is insane.
I have absolutely no idea what kind of world I've been reincarnated into, but a skill like this is clearly abnormal.
Absorbing matter.
Analyzing it.
Storing it.
Replicating it.
Even analyzing and acquiring skills or magic…
That's ridiculously powerful.
And apparently, I have another Unique Skill too.
If Predator alone is this absurd, I wonder what the other one can do.
Great Sage.
Introduce yourself.
«Answer: Unique Skill [Great Sage]. Assists in the optimal utilization of all skills. Ensures 100% efficiency, perfect control, and real-time management of abilities.»
«Unique Skill [Great Sage] possesses the following five primary Functions.»
---
1. Thought Acceleration — Thought Processing ×1000
This ability drastically accelerates the user's thinking speed by one thousand times.
To me, a single second in the real world can feel like one thousand seconds of internal processing time.
2. Analytical Analysis
The core analytical function of Great Sage.
It allows me to:
Analyze beings, objects, skills, magic, and phenomena.
Break them down into data.
Identify their structure, weaknesses, and potential uses.
Make optimal decisions based on probability, efficiency, and survival.
3. Parallel Processing
This ability allows Great Sage to separate my consciousness into multiple independent thought streams.
All of them can operate simultaneously without placing a burden on my main consciousness.
4. Chant Annulment
Normally, magic requires lengthy chants.
Great Sage instantly calculates and stabilizes spell formulas internally, removing the need for verbal chanting.
Magic can therefore be cast at pure thought-speed.
5. All of Creation
The highest-level perception ability of Great Sage.
It allows me to:
Comprehend any non-concealed phenomenon in the world.
Understand natural laws, magical structures, elemental composition, life energy, and spatial interference.
Instantly perceive how things exist, interact, and function.
«"Understand the world itself."»
Great Sage, huh…
Seems pretty reliable.
Actually…
She's incredibly reliable.
If I really have these abilities, then surviving in this unfamiliar world might not be as difficult as I initially thought.
I don't know where I am.
I don't know what kind of world this is.
I don't know why I was reincarnated as a slime.
And I certainly don't know what awaits me outside this cave.
But for now…
I'm alive.
I have a body.
I have strange powers.
And I have a voice inside my head that can answer my questions.
All things considered…
This is actually a pretty good situation.
At the very least, I now have someone I can talk to.
Someone who won't abandon me.
Someone who can guide me through this unfamiliar world.
Great Sage.
From now on…
I'll be depending on you a lot.
«Answer: Understood.»
For some reason, hearing that emotionless response made me feel strangely reassured.
I couldn't help but smile.
And for the first time since I opened my eyes—or rather, regained consciousness—
My heart felt completely at ease.
.
.
.
Status
Name: Mikami Satoru
Species: Slime
Title: Reincarnated One, Otherworlder
Magic: None
Unique Skills: [Great Sage], [Predator],[Dimensional Travel]
Intrinsic Skills: [Dissolve], [Absorb], [Regenerate]
Resistance Skills:
Thermal Fluctuation Resistance
Physical Attack Resistance
Piercing Resistance
Pain Immunity
Electricity Resistance
Paralysis Resistance