Chapter 1: Reincarnation

So many heroes, villains, and other kinds of people roamed the world that making a name for oneself had become quite a challenge.

In recent years, however, a few outstanding figures emerged, ones that would be remembered for generations to come.

One of those names had unfortunately perished, sacrificing himself to save thousands of lives.

With a smile on his face, the eighteen-year-old hero died, much to everyone's protests. He became known as The Benevolent and Great Hero—Arthur.

As a mere soul, he waited for his judgment.

What Arthur didn't know was that his process was different from others due to his achievements and loyalty to The Light Goddess, Lirelia.

While most people reincarnated without even knowing it, Arthur remembered his past life and death. He even wound up in a white room, with a ceiling more blinding than the sun.

"So warm~~" he moaned, despite being a wisp of a soul.

A few minutes later, another source of light coalesced before him. Just staring at it warmed his heart, and taking his eyes off its golden fragments felt like a challenge he didn't want to take.

The orb enlarged into a circular portal from which a woman emerged. She had lustrous golden hair cascading down her white dress, which emphasized her otherworldly beauty without objectifying her.

The Goddess displayed a very human reaction upon stepping into the room, blinking in wonder as she couldn't see Arthur's soul.

He opened his mouth—or at least whatever souls had. "I'm here, Goddess Lirelia."

"Ah, you're sitting on the floor! As diligent as in your lifetime!" Lirelia clasped her hands and exclaimed with a wide smile, her cheeks warming up.

Approaching the little soul, she excused herself and respectfully sat down on the marble floor, directly in front of Arthur, who had to angle his head—or his round form—up to look at her.

She was like a giant to him, which Lirelia noticed. She picked him up and cradled him in her hands, raising him to match her line of sight.

"How I wish I could take you to the Divine Mount with me! But you deserve a new life without any worries, and I cannot interfere with the reincarnation circle unless one achieves enough to become a divine servant."

"It sounds like I've achieved more than enough! I'm deeply honored to be regarded so highly by you, Goddess Lirelia! Thanks to your blessings, I was able to save so many people and friends, which was my purpose in life. I'm so proud of that!"

The Goddess shook her head. "Your unyielding belief in my light and genuine compassion were the reasons you could become such a shining star, one that I wish to claim for myself. Your noble sacrifice has given rise to a new generation of great heroes who look up to you. You deserve so much more… yet."

Arthur's sacrifice had used up the achievements of his past lives, where he'd been as kind and noble as always. He spent so much to save others that his next reincarnation wouldn't be as a human.

He would be reincarnated as a slime, one of the weakest monsters.

"I've always preached that there's a purpose to every life and that everyone deserves happiness and warmth. I don't mind becoming a slime if it means I can contribute to the world. I can only pray that my death as a slime will contribute to a potion that saves a life."

Lirelia bit her lip and knitted her eyebrows.

Before she realized it, she embraced the small soul and pressed him to her chest, shaking her upper body from side to side in a protest no one would ever witness.

"I refuse to let you die in such a way!" she cried.

As a mere slime, Arthur would die within days since humans and other races hunted slimes for potions. Slimes reproduced without mates and in abundance, and their properties allowed for the mass production of low-grade potions.

This was why Arthur hoped his next death would at least serve this purpose. Given his class, he couldn't hope for more.

Lirelia, however, suddenly came up with a plan. "It's against the rules to bless a soul before it takes shape in the reincarnation circle, but I'll do it so you can keep your consciousness and wield my light despite being a slime! I'll baptize you in The Holy Shrine of Light! I'll also ask other goddesses to bless you! You shall survive no matter what, Arthur!"

"That sounds like a lot of trouble! I don't want to inconvenience you!" Arthur protested, only to receive a rare glare from Lirelia.

She firmly said, "I'd like you not to question my resolution."

Arthur timidly nodded.

With a sleight of hand, Lirelia summoned a small, golden-white shrine on her palm, designed like a traditional Japanese shrine. Resting on her other palm, Arthur sized up the shrine before his goddess joined her hands together, prompting him to enter.

"It is the last time we will see each other. In this shrine, I'll bless your soul with my light. It's a long process, and I may need help from another goddess. Believe in me. I'll never let you perish!" Lirelia confessed.

Arthur nodded. "I've always believed in you, Goddess Lirelia!"

Rolling into the shrine, Arthur fixed himself inside. When its miniature doors slid shut, his soul was forced into slumber.

Without wasting time, Lirelia opened another portal, traveling to other goddesses to find one who would help her stabilize the blessing in Arthur's soul and aid him in his new life.

At the end of her journey, only one goddess got on board.

The Beast Goddess.

"If he's a boring one, I'll have my beast followers rip him to shreds!"

"Arthur is far from boring!"

Unaware of Arthur's charm, The Beast Goddess lent him her blessing, one that matched Lirelia's prowess, and swore to observe him often.

A few thousand years later, Arthur came to exist.

A rare white slime appeared in a hidden room of the dungeon.