It hasn't been a year yet since Hiro had came to this world. The reason behind the sudden event is still untold, but whatever it is, he doesn't give it care. He's just an ordinary person and the only thing he can do is to live ordinarily; there is no way he would ever try to live recklessly like the ones who had come at the same time as him.
Reminiscing of the past, all he could realize was just how hard his life had become after he had left his original world. Being an Otaku in a world where any kind of entertainment he has gotten used to was nowhere to be found was difficult, and with the kind of person he is, it just seemed impossible he would survive. The Anime and Mangas' which were the only thing that was keeping him alive and going are now gone, and without them, he just couldn't find anything else to become his reason to continue. Well... That was until he realized just really what kind of world he has gotten himself into.
Since the beginning, he always has been a pervert. If it wasn't for the Eroges and other things he had, he would've already done a crime. Those elves, cat-girls, and milky-cow-tits were the container of his lust. Back then, he would only see them on the screen of his cellphone, but now, all of those things are his reality; he couldn't be more glad about it.
'To get laid and get a harem' - that has now become his reason to survive - and survive he did. Doing all he can to save up money, his dream was finally close to completion...
Only until it was suddenly destroyed by the companion he thought would never betray him.
[ That guy... it never even crossed my mind he would ever do something like that...! ] with grimace written on his face, he utters his words with hatred. It was clear what his intention was. He wanted to kill him. Hiro doesn't know his reason, but killing somebody is the last thing he thought Ced would ever do.
Of course, after Ced has gotten close to him, he became assertive and confident, but before that, he was the timid kind of person who barely talks. There was no way he would be dubious towards him. But what just happened earlier tells a different story - he saw a different friend, rather, an enemy.
[ Tsk... I'll definitely get him...! ] and so he says, but...
( That would be impossible... I think I'm already done for... )
Seeing the current situation he has gotten into, hope became a faraway word.
In the never-ending darkness that envelops him, who knows what kind of danger is waiting for him. Usually, the deeper the cave is, the more dangerous the monsters will be encountered. And after falling from a long height, he obtained many injuries, he couldn't lift his feet anymore, so fighting would be out of the question. All that he could do now is wait for his demise: to be eaten alive or die in starvation.
[ And here I thought it was just an ordinary cave... ] he murmurs in hopelessness, feeling as if the task had betrayed him too.
When he accepted this task to discover whatever is inside this place, it was still and only classified as an ordinary cave. No one really knows how far it would get, and because it was still unknown, it was only named as a 'cave', not a labyrinth nor a dungeon. But now, definitely, it must be some kind of labyrinth. What's the difference between a cave and a labyrinth? He doesn't exactly know, but base on his experience, he's sure it's the other.
Waiting, the pain has finally reached his system. His injuries must've been so severe that it took a while before his body has registered them.
Now, it's not just the hopelessness that is killing him, the pain has also started to torture his body.
[ Khu...! ] the groan forcefully escape his mouth as the pain continues to become more deadly.
Trying to resist the moan of pain, he bit his own lips. Even if he's sure he would probably die, he just doesn't want to get eaten by some gruesome monster, so he does his best to not attract any of them. Doing whatever he can, he bit off his lips hard till blood has started to stain it. But no matter what he does, the pain overcomes his tenacity.
Then... finally, after a few minutes of persistence, all was in vain as something had already noticed his existence in the dark cave.
*Shlop Shlop Shlop
He heard the sound of something glutinous. It was a very odd sound; it doesn't seem to be coming from footsteps, it's also not heavy and overall, not intimidating. He had never heard anything like that coming from any monster before, but whatever it is, it must be strong.
( I'm dead now! For sure! ) panicking, he tried to move his arms to try and stray himself away from it. His legs were surely injured, but his arms are not, so he used them with his remaining energy to move away from the danger that is slowly coming towards him.
*Clang!
As he continues to move away, suddenly, a sound came from his side. Looking where it came from, he saw the small bottle where he stored a piece of the stone he found earlier.
It must've gotten caught on his clothes, but now that it's free, it gave off bright blue light in this realm of darkness. And for the first time, the current condition of his injured body was revealed to him. Seeing it, he almost wanted to puke in its gruesomeness.
He was more injured than he thought. The path from where he dragged his body away is now dried and watered with his own blood, moistening the dirt which will become his grave.
[ Ack! So this is how it will end, huh? In the end, I haven't even got a nip to suck on... ] making it his last words, he decided to give up.
But with one last bit of curiosity to reveal what was the lucky monster who will feed off on his weak body, he took the glowing stone from its bottle. In the end, his curiosity has led him to do what he thought he wouldn't. Pointing the dim light in front of him, where the monster is coming close by, he stares his eyes... and...
( ... )
....
....
[ Ahh... A slime... ]
The word which escapes his mouth explains it all. What has revealed in front of him was just a single slime. A slime looking like any other... However, this particular slime has one trait that differentiates this one into the others: it's devoid of color.
Usually, slimes would be at the same color as the things they eat. Slimes that eat grass will turn green; those which eat rocks will turn gray, and those which absorb water will turn blue, yet this one, it doesn't have any color - only a plain invisible white. Hiro theorized two possibilities on his head; the reasons why the slimes have such a trait was because it only eats fresh rock or... It has just been born...
( Should I be glad or not? With a slime, it would take at least a week before it will be able to completely eats me off... ) the look of disappointment appears on his face as he stares at the pitiful strut of the small slime. Even the act of bouncing towards him was so slow that he wishes it would do it faster.
*Shlop Shlop!
Still, it continues to bounce towards him, its body distorts at the most simple impact.
[ I doubt you would even be able to kill me off... ] as if the slime was able to understand, Hiro decided to talk to it.
A companion on his death is at least a leap off than dying alone.
[ I guess I'm lucky I won't be eaten by a scary monster, huh? If a monster is this cute, then I'll gladly offer it my dead body. But... If it's this small, it would take it at least a week before it turns me into mere bones... Well, whatever... ] for the first time, all the negative emotion swelling up inside Hiro, and all the twisted expression he had made so far have disappeared.
He didn't need to raise his guard to this monster, and now that he's prepared to die, he finally decided that it's time to stop thinking of anything else, hence, he returned to his normal self.
*Shlop Shlop
[ Hmm? What is it? Do you want this? ] moving the glowing stone on his hand, he noticed that the slime was targeting it.
[ So, you're the kind of slime which feeds on minerals, huh? ] switching his stare between the slime and the stone, he spoke again - and continues as he talks with the small monster.
[ Sorry, slime-chan, but if I give this to you - ] he said as he decided not to give it to the slime. But before he could finish his sentence, the slime made a huge leap towards his hand, covering it entirely with its slimy liquids.
[ He-Hey! ] turning his hand into a fist, he prevents the slime from absorbing it. But the resilient slime did not give up and enters its liquified body into the gaps of his fingers.
[ Hey! I don't want to die in complete darkness! You...! ] with a bit of strength left, he shook his hand to throw the slime away, but it was stronger than he thought, and removing it seemed impossible.
A minute of struggle had passed, and Hiro was not able to do anything against the slime as it absorbs the stone completely, leaving the cave again in darkness.
Then, again, his eyes were not able to see anything. But though it was dark and there was nothing to be seen anymore, that doesn't mean that his other senses have also gone away, as he could still feel the sensation of the slime covering his hand, despite the pain that is trying to overcome the sense of his touch.
Realizing that the slimy feeling of the slime was much more comfortable than the feeling of the stabbing pain from his injuries, he decided to focus on it.
And that small action had made him realize something...
If the slime can absorb the stone so easily, then shouldn't it be able to also melt and absorb his skin? It was odd how it doesn't seem to be hostile towards him. He has fought slimes before, and he actually knows the sensation when a slime is trying to melt your skin, that was why, he knows that this particular slime is not a threat to him.
His guess earlier was right. The slime really focuses its meals on minerals, but then again, even a slime which does the same still has the tastes for human. Why would it not try to melt him when its already latch onto his skin? Now that he thinks about it, he realizes that before its action, there was also its odd appearance.
He knows that all slimes are supposed to have colors of their own, then why is this one doesn't have any?
These question circles around his head as his eyes begin to adjust to the darkness. It isn't really a bad thing as he loses focus on the pain that is itching in his body, so he started to work his brain more.
( Maybe it's a new kind of slime? ) he guesses, and still continue to focus on the sensation of the slime more.
But as time passes, another odd thing had happened...
[ This is... ] Hiro exclaimed in surprise as he saw what had happened to the slime.
Covering the entirety of his hand, it suddenly began to glow, slowly, from dim to bright. With it, suddenly, the cave began to lit up again, only now, it spreads in a longer radius. The slime must've absorbed the trait of the stone too, and now, it began to glow without it even trying.
And to Hiro's surprise, the slime began to move again. Removing itself from his hand, it rode towards his legs, where his injuries are. Then, slowly but surely, it sucked up all the blood that moisten up his skin and clothes.
Surely, he thought that it would continue to dig itself up into his open wounds, but instead, it only washed it away, clean of blood and dirt, preparing it for the process of self-healing.
He hasn't heard of any kind of slime that does something as this one does: a slime that can absorb minerals and absorb liquid without any purpose of hurting a person.
As Hiro watched the scene happening in front of him - before he knew it, his wounds have already been washed and have stopped bleeding. The life-threatening form of his injuries earlier is now gone and has already turned into a healing scar.
[ He-Hey... How convenient... ]
~~~
In the deep, silent cave where the only sound to be heard was his own voice and the sound of wet splashing, Hiro had found a small hope. Only if he will be able to gather his strength and completely heal his wound, then he will be able to at least try and escape this mysterious place.
[ I can use this...! ] in the darkness, he tried to shout with joy, but the burn in his throat didn't let him, so what he did was only closer to a mewl.
*Shlop Sclop
But as his mind wanders off into the positive news, thinking of the plan he had come up with, he did not notice that the slime was already nowhere to be found and has already been replaced with something else.
[ You must be kidding me, right? ] he couldn't help but murmur as he saw the form that was in front of him -
Like looking in a mirror, he found himself staring at the eyes of his own doppelganger.