The wild dog didn't seem to notice him at all, drool dripping from its mouth as it crept forward. Its ribs stuck out beneath its scruffy coat—it was clearly starving. While wild dogs were known for their sharp sense of smell, they couldn't detect magical creatures like him, especially ones without any scent.
'Perfect.' He thought, watching the dog as it turned its back on him and padded deeper into the cave, completely unaware of his presence.
The moment was now.
'Now!' he urged himself, springing forward in a blur. His slimy body shot toward the dog's leg, wrapping tightly around it before the creature could even react.
"Grrr!" The dog snarled, twisting its head and snapping its jaws toward him, but he was faster. Dodging the sharp teeth, he spread himself across its back, covering more of the dog with each passing second.
'Gotcha.' He thought with satisfaction, feeling his grip tighten. The wild dog struggled fiercely, but it was no use. He was already in control.
The taste wasn't bad either—gamey but oddly satisfying.
Thankfully, he didn't have a normal stomach, so no matter how much he ate, he never felt full. Instead, he had a Common Skill called [Stomach], which stored everything he consumed inside his body. It also meant he didn't have to worry about hunger for weeks, maybe even months.
[Trait [Keen Smell] has been acquired.]
As the dog's body dissolved into him, he felt a new ability click into place: [Keen Smell]. It enhanced his sense of smell, allowing him to detect subtle scents and even track anything he had encountered before. It wasn't flashy, but it was practical.
Testing it out, he sniffed the air and immediately caught the scents of nearby creatures. Unfortunately, nothing interesting stood out—just more wild dogs and an occasional wild boar.
'Not great options.' He thought, disappointed. While he could gain skills from these animals, most were basic survival traits, with no magical properties to make them truly valuable.
As the digestion process finished, he noticed his body had grown again, now roughly the size of a mastiff. He stretched, feeling the new strength coursing through him, but as he stood there, a strange thought crept into his mind.
'What's my goal here?' he wondered, the question hitting him like a wave.
Up until now, survival had been his only focus—eat, grow, repeat. But this time, it was different. The wild dog wasn't some tiny insect or bat. It was bigger, stronger. Killing it should've felt significant, but it didn't.
Strangely, it hadn't bothered him at all.
Even the act of devouring raw animals—something that would've disgusted him in his old life—felt natural now. Too natural.
And that's what worried him.
In his previous life, he'd been the furthest thing from a predator. Just a sickly young man who could barely leave his bed, let alone harm anything. But now? He didn't even hesitate. No second-guessing. No remorse.
It was like he'd been rewired, his instincts shifting to fit his new form.
'Am I changing?' he thought, a flicker of unease passing through him.
But he shook the thought away. Survival came first. Everything else could wait.
He remembered his old life—a life spent almost entirely in his bedroom, surrounded by medical equipment keeping him alive. His parents, though wealthy enough to afford the best home care, had slowly begun to drift away from him. Maybe, after years of watching him struggle, they had given up hope. Instead, they focused on his younger brother—the healthy one, the heir who would eventually take over the family business.
But he didn't resent them. How could he? His time had always been limited, and he knew it. He didn't want to make things harder for them. Let them focus on their future, on the son who could carry their legacy.
Now, though... Now things were different. He was alive again, but for what?
'I don't have a goal.' He realized. So far, everything he'd done in this new life was about survival. Eating. Killing. Growing stronger. But unlike Rimuru, who had purpose from the moment he met Veldora, he had nothing. No companions. No direction.
He glanced down at his slimy, ever-changing body. There had to be more to this second chance than simply staying alive, right?
Then, a memory surfaced—one that hit him like a bolt of lightning. Back in his past life, all he had ever wanted was to be free. Free from sickness. Free from pain. Free from the medical equipment that chained him to his bed, day in and day out. Free from anything and everything that shackled him.
"I want to be free." The black slime said aloud, his voice echoing softly in the empty cave.
He couldn't physically smile, but in his heart, he was grinning. Freedom. That was it. That was what he wanted. He didn't just want to survive—he wanted to live, to do whatever he wanted, to break free from every chain that dared to bind him.
His goal was simple: to become the strongest. Strong enough to free himself from anything that could hold him down. Even the gods above wouldn't stand in his way.
The moment he solidified that thought, a deep, otherworldly voice boomed in his mind.
[Condition met. The World Psalms of [Dystopia Slime] has begun.]
[Demon Lord Seed has been granted to entity [Black Ooze].]
[Unique Skill [Chaos Order] has been granted to entity [Black Ooze].]
[Chapter 1: Cave of Obscenity has begun.]
[Verse 1: Arrival of Destruction has commenced.]
"As I thought." He muttered, his voice calm but tinged with excitement.
It was the Voice of the World, yet the notification style felt eerily familiar. It reminded him of Re:Monster.
For the first time since his reincarnation, a clear goal burned in his mind. Freedom—and power. Enough power to claim everything this new world had to offer.
His journey had officially begun, and along with it came something unexpected—a True Name. He instinctively knew better than to share it. A True Name was a dangerous thing to reveal, especially in a world where curses and sealing magic could be used against him. Best to keep it to himself.
Then there was the Demon Lord Seed. The name alone sent a thrill through him. It sounded like something pulled straight out of Tensura. If he nurtured it correctly, he could one day awaken as a True Demon Lord after completing a Harvest Festival. The idea was fascinating, almost too good to be true.
As for his new skill, [Chaos Order], it was equally intriguing—and more than a little dark. The skill grew stronger the more chaos and destruction he caused, fueled by the fear and infamy he generated. Right now, the boost was minuscule—just 0.01% of his full strength. To increase that, he needed to become infamous on a much larger scale. It was a grim but strangely captivating power.
What struck him the most wasn't the skill itself, though—it was how little hesitation he felt about using it. Killing humans, destroying villages... In his old life, the very thought would have been horrifying. Now? It felt... right.
Necessary, even.
If that was what it took to survive and reach his goal of true freedom, then so be it. People could call him a monster, a heartless bastard, or whatever they wanted. It didn't matter. In this new world, survival came first. His life came first. Everyone else? They were just obstacles.
With his goal clear in his mind, he left the cave with a renewed sense of purpose. His plan was simple: devour more creatures on the way to the nearby human village. Maybe, if he consumed a human, he could even take on their form—perhaps even his old one from his past life.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
About an hour later, he stood atop a hill, gazing down at the village below. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the settlement bathed in the soft glow of lantern light. Most of the villagers were already inside, their homes dim and quiet. The streets were empty, save for the occasional flicker of shadow from livestock—chickens scratching at the dirt, pigs snoozing in pens, and cows lazing in their enclosures.
On his way here, he'd taken down several wild dogs and boars. The boars, in particular, had been useful, granting him a new Common Skill called [Wild Charge]. It allowed him to hurl himself at enemies with incredible force, the damage scaling with the distance he covered. It wasn't flashy, but it was practical.
He had also grown again. On the outside, his size had increased just a bit—he now looked like a blob the size of two cows standing side by side. But internally? That was where the real change was. He'd realized that while his external size grew incrementally, his internal capacity expanded far more. Despite his outward appearance, his insides were now vast enough to store the equivalent of thirty wild dogs and boars combined.
Thanks to [Body Fluid Control], he could alter his size at will, stretching or shrinking as needed to fit his surroundings. It was a handy ability, and he was already brainstorming ways to use it.
Now, standing on the hill, his next move was clear. He needed information about the village—its layout, its people, and its defenses. He spotted a small house on the edge of the settlement, isolated from the others. It seemed like the perfect place to start.
The livestock was tempting. Devouring a cow or pig would undoubtedly make him stronger. But the risk was too high. The noise might wake the owners, and that would ruin his plan.
Instead, he crept closer to the house, his body melting into the shadows of the night. It was time to gather what he needed—and maybe test just how far he was willing to go in this new life.
He didn't plan on wiping out the whole village in one night—he wasn't strong enough to handle thirty-plus villagers all at once. That was just asking to get himself killed.
Luckily, all the houses were made of wood, which made sneaking inside ridiculously easy. Softening his body, he slipped through a small gap in the wall of his chosen target's home.
Inside, he spotted his prey: an older man, maybe in his 40s, snoring peacefully in bed.
Perfect.
He crept closer, silently climbing onto the bed. To make sure there wouldn't be any screaming if the guy woke up, he immediately wrapped himself around the man's face, smothering him in a cold, sticky embrace.
"Mmmfff!!"
The man let out a muffled gasp, his body jerking violently. But it was already too late. The slime's grip tightened, his form sinking deeper. The man's struggles weakened with each passing second until finally, there was nothing. No movement. No breath.
Just silence.
'Got him.' He thought with a strange mix of satisfaction and indifference. Absorbing the old man felt... normal now, like it was just another part of life. Within moments, the villager dissolved entirely, leaving behind nothing but an empty bed where he once lay.
[Language Skill [Human Language] acquired.]
[Job Skill [Job - Farmer] acquired.]
[Job Skill [Job - Fisherman] acquired.]
"Nice." He muttered, though no one was around to hear him.
The [Human Language] skill was the real prize—it would let him understand and speak any human tongue. No more guessing at strange words or gestures. The farmer and fisherman skills, though? Kind of boring. They crammed his brain with knowledge about tilling soil and catching fish, neither of which sounded particularly exciting. Still, information was power, so he wasn't going to complain.
He glanced around the house. It was simple and unremarkable—a bed, a rickety wooden table, and shelves filled with random supplies. Definitely nothing resembling treasure. Just the typical belongings of a humble farmer.
"Looks like the old guy lived alone." He said, his gaze landing on a small pile of coins on the table. A few coppers and a single silver. Not much, but he took them anyway.
With a shrug, he slid back outside, his gooey form slipping through the same gap he came in through. His attention turned to the livestock pens nearby.
'Might as well make the most of this trip.'
The animals didn't even notice as he quietly slithered toward them under the cover of darkness. One by one, he consumed the old man's cow, pigs, and chickens, the night remaining still and eerily calm.
[Common Skill [Milk Generation] acquired.]
[Common Skill [Egg Incubation] acquired.]
He stared at the notifications, feeling equal parts amused and baffled. The cow had given him [Milk Generation], a skill that let him create milk using the liquid in his body. He couldn't imagine needing it anytime soon, but it might come in handy down the line.
The chickens had granted [Egg Incubation], a skill designed for hatching eggs faster. Also not immediately useful, but hey, it was something.
The pigs and roosters? Absolutely nothing.
"Figures." He muttered, shaking off the disappointment.
With the livestock handled, he turned his gaze back to the village, already planning his next move. The night was young, and there was still so much to explore—and consume.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
"Missing...?" The village chief muttered, stroking his chin as he listened to the young man standing before him. The news had come as a shock—five entire households had vanished without a trace.
Their village wasn't big to begin with, just fifty or so households. Losing five meant 10% of their population was gone overnight. And it wasn't just the people. Every bit of livestock from those homes had disappeared too.
"Yes, chief." The young man said, his face grim. "At first, we thought they might've run away, but there weren't any tracks. No signs at all."
The whole village was on edge. If five families could vanish so quietly, who knew who might be next? Fear spread like wildfire, the kind that burned hotter in small communities where rumors traveled faster than facts.
"The adventurer task—has it been posted?" The chief asked, trying to keep the worry out of his voice. Answers. They needed answers.
"Yes, sir. As soon as we realized they were gone, I sent Mike to the nearest town to put up a quest at the adventurer's guild." The young man nodded.
"Good." The chief said with a sigh of relief.
"Tell everyone to stay vigilant at night until help arrives. We can't afford to lose anyone else."
"Understood." The young man bowed slightly, then left the meeting hall, his steps heavy with tension.
The village outside was eerily quiet. Doors were locked well before sunset, and the usual chatter of daily life had turned into hushed whispers of fear. Families huddled together inside, peeking out of windows with uneasy glances.
Everyone knew something was terribly wrong. And if this mystery wasn't solved soon, the growing fear would turn into full-blown panic.