by Fuse
Report. Mimicry of the unique skill Predator, combined with the synthesis and separation skills of the unique skill Deviant, has earned you the extra skill Universal Shapeshift.
Not only did it work, it bore unexpected fruit.
I had wondered, with my Deviant skill’s synthesis and separation traits, could I just recreate whatever unique aspect of a monster’s abilities I happened to need at the time and nothing else? Despite testing it out on the field for the first time, it went pretty darn well, I think.
Now I could transform smoothly, without a lot of effort on my part, and I could even select the part of the monster I wanted—for that matter, busting out traits from multiple monsters at once. Using a direwolf or a black snake as a base would make me look like some weirdo chimera, but I was free to use my human form instead, apparently.
The most notable trait of this skill: I could control all my abilities at once without much limit. In other words, I had even more freedom with my attacks than before.
The black-haired ogre shuddered, mist covering his entire body. He fell to the ground, still bolt upright and unable to move. Facing the brunt of my B-plus-level black centipede transformation was enough to stop even him in his tracks.
But the ogres weren’t your run-of-the-mill foes. The moment I felled the black-haired one like a mighty tree, two others lunged at me. In a moment, the purple-haired ogress was upon me, cannonball-like mace swinging in the air. The blue-haired one was lurking behind her shadow, ready to land a surprise attack when I wasn’t paying attention. It was a well-practiced example of teamwork, but with Magic Sense, I could see it coming a mile away. Veldora had told me no one would ever sneak up on me again, and he was right.
The noble-faced ogress sneered, eyes like two long slits. I waited for the moment she raised her mace high, then pointed my left hand at her and unleashed a spinning flurry of Sticky Steel Thread. The flexible strands, strong enough to even keep Ifrit restrained, had been synthesized with Deviant to grow even more durable. They now cocooned the ogress, and she couldn’t escape, no matter how she struggled. All that training really did pay off.
As I sung my own praises in my mind, a sword shot at me from a blind spot below. The blue-haired swordsman had aimed straight for my heart. But I didn’t panic. Magic Sense had told me he was there, so I was just thinking about how I’d handle him.
I decided to use my right arm as a shield to deflect the straight sword. After the dull thunk of steel striking against something solid, the sword broke neatly in two.
The ogre’s eyes widened in surprise as I landed my follow-up, a straight jab from a scaly right arm. I had deployed Body Armor—the scale defense from the lizards in the cave—up and down my hand and forearm, and it made short work of the blue-hair’s chest plate. It shattered, ensuring I had defanged him without hurting myself a single bit along the way. I didn’t really need Body Armor here—Resist Melee Attack linked with Multilayer Barrier was enough to annul any potential damage to my arm—but hey, just in case, you know?
That meant three ogres were out of the picture. That left the pink-haired ogress Ranga was tangling with, the haughty-looking red-haired one, and the elder ogre, still standing there and gauging my every move.
“Do you see how strong I am now? Are you willing to hear me out a little?”
“Silence! Now I am more convinced than ever—you lie at the very root of this calamity. It was your cohorts who led those fetid pigs to destroy our home, was it not? A simple horde of orcs would never be enough to defeat us normally. It was you! The magic-born who doomed us!”
Um? The magic-born who what? This was getting to be one serious misunderstanding. And when that red-haired ogre said pigs, was he talking about orcs? Rigur and his crew had suggested there was some kind of struggle going on over forest territory…
“Wait, you’ve got the wrong—”
I attempted to state my case, only to be stopped by a premonition behind me. I turned around—the elder wasn’t there. Was the other one lecturing me just to divert my attention?!
In a panic, I turned, blocking a strike from behind with my right hand. It was a shock, someone evading Magic Sense to get so close undetected. Thankfully, the unique Great Sage skill sped up my thought processes to a thousand times faster than normal. The elder unsheathed his blade in a flash, and I was just barely in time.
But something about my arm felt unusual. My skill set kept me from experiencing pain, but—oops—he had lopped the thing right off. This old guy’s skills were incredible. Even with Multilayer Barrier and Body Armor in place, it was like he could cut through paper.
“Mmh… I must be growing senile. I was sure I had decapitated you there…”
Senile, my ass. His physical skills were no match for his companions, but his speed was ridiculous. He was lethal.
Retrieving my amputated arm, I stepped back a little ways.
“Sir Rimuru?!”
“Stay back! I’m fine!” I shouted, shooing Ranga away. The elder was too dangerous for him to handle. He looked confused for a moment but turned his attention back to the pink-haired ogress, apparently trusting me.
“I will not miss next time,” the elder said as he resheathed his sword and readied it anew.
No way I would underestimate his advanced age now. I needed to show him everything I had.
Apparently waiting for the moment I was fully focused on him, he leaped up, and with a shout of “Die for my comrades!” slashed at me from my flank.
“Hah!” the red-haired ogre shouted, still targeting me. “Losing an arm should be the end for you. You were strong, I’ll grant you that, but you were arrogant. You thought you could take us on alone, but that was your undoing!”
He had a unique way of moving, too, one that let him stab at my weaker points head-on. He must have seen me as enough of a threat to not bother keeping alive.
Master-level teamwork like this was a huge pain in the ass. I was incredibly strong, so I didn’t pay much attention to it, but I was really just an amateur in a fight. Whatever rubbed off on me during phys ed class was about all I had.
Getting all serious against a total newbie seemed a little immature, but then again, I did tell them I couldn’t lose. I suppose I had it coming. But I still had to make it out of this scrape, by hook or by crook.
I considered the situation as I worked to keep the two at a distance. Taking them on with a single arm sounded like a steep order, so I used my Predator special skill to reabsorb it. Self-Regeneration, the slime-intrinsic skill I started with, was good enough to heal me when paired with Predator in the past. Hopefully, it could handle more delicate surgeries like this…
Report. Combining the mimicry skill of Predator with the slime-intrinsic skills Dissolve, Absorb, and Self-Regeneration has earned you the extra skill Ultraspeed Regeneration. This comes at the cost of the slime-intrinsic skills Dissolve, Absorb, and Self-Regeneration.
Losing all those slime skills at once seemed kind of a hefty price to pay, but I couldn’t complain about the results. I never used those things anyway, given that Predator covered for them all.
Launching Ultraspeed Regeneration, I focused on rebuilding my right arm. The arm I had consumed was taken apart and instantly absorbed into my body—and in the blink of an eye, it was back. It was crazy fast, like none of my recovery skills from before. “Ultraspeed” was right.
…Oops. No time to gape at my own handiwork. Let’s try a quick bluff.
“Heh-heh-heh… Ahhh-ha-ha-ha-ha! Did you think cutting a simple arm or two off meant you had won? Well, sorry to disappoint you. I will admit to underestimating you all earlier, though. Time to get a little serious!”
I removed the mask and placed it in a pocket. The ogres, already spooked at how fast I had rebuilt my arm, were positively stunned by what they saw under the mask. Releasing my full magical aura made my hair begin fluttering in the air. They must’ve instinctively sensed the danger.
“You monster!” the red-haired one intone
d. “I’ll kill you with everything I have! Ogre Flame!”
I guess fire was his ace in the hole. I was immediately the center of a hellish vortex that might have been two thousand degrees or more.
“That little spark? That won’t work!”
It would have vaporized anyone other than me, but Cancel Temperature meant that it didn’t even singe my hair.
Seeing his finisher fail so spectacularly sent the red-haired ogre, for the first time, into an obvious panic. He kept his head through sheer force of will, resolutely staring at me. He wasn’t broken yet, I had to hand him that, but considering I didn’t want to kill him if I could, I kind of wish he accepted defeat sooner than later.
Right now would probably be my best chance.
The ogres were by and large stopped, wary of what I might try next. Let’s bust out something huge to break ’em all at once. And if that didn’t work—if they still didn’t want to hear my story—then I’d have no other choice but to finish them off.
Please let this be enough, I prayed as I made my final move.
“You want to see what real fire is like? Look at this!”
I let the Dark Flame whirl around my left arm. I was hamming it up, I knew, but I had to if I wanted to make my foes grovel before me.
“M-my brother!” the pink-haired ogress tangling with Ranga shouted, the fear apparent on her face. “That flame… Your illusory arts are nothing compared to it!”
It shocked her, at least. Her brother’s Ogre Flame was a mystical art, one that turned his very aura into flames. Mine, meanwhile, was an innate skill, which must’ve thrown her a little.
“Heh-heh-heh, you’re right! But I’ve got something even more fun than that!”
Now it was time for some Dark Thunder from my right hand. I needed this to be the clincher, the thing that finally scared them out of their wits. No need to hold back, although I couldn’t waste all my magic on it, either. I adjusted the force to around a third of its usual level, then sent the particles flowing.
“Behold, my true power!” I screamed as I loosed a bolt of Dark Thunder at a handy boulder nearby. It instantly evaporated, and a beat later, a blast echoed. There wasn’t even any soot left behind. Just like when I tested it, maybe even a bit stronger.
Damn, this thing’s crazy! Maybe there was a need to hold back. I knew I had poured fewer magicules into it than last time. It didn’t make sense. It should’ve been a third as strong, enough that I could fire several bolts if I wanted…
Received. Compared to Dark Lightning, Dark Thunder consumes—
I didn’t ask for it, but the Sage swooped in to explain. Basically, it was stronger since it was more focused on delivering a powerful strike on a limited range, which meant it used far less magic. That was why it did more damage with fewer particles.
I was starting to think this Dark Thunder was a bit more unique than I suspected. Just like Dark Flame, it was hard to figure out when it was best to use. It made my heart race, and I was the one wielding it. Good thing I didn’t try it on myself, I thought. It was nothing I could rely on Multilayer Barrier to save me from.
So how will the ogres respond?
“…Tremendous. It pains me to say this, but your powers are in a class far above ours. However, as the next in line to lead my band, I was raised to take pride in my race. How could any leader allow his fallen comrades to suffer in silence? Whether I succeed or not, I must strike a return blow!”
“…Young master, let me join you!”
Great. The exact opposite effect. Now the red- and white-haired ogres were playing the tragic heroes, their faces bewildered. They were ready to sacrifice their lives against me. It wasn’t how I meant to end this, but against that attitude, it’d be hard to suppress them without causing their deaths.
So there’s no other way?
Whether they were mistaken or not, I couldn’t let them run free now—it’d just lead to further trouble later. I hated to say it, but I was starting to understand it was their own damn fault for being so stubborn.
Just then, the fetching ogre princess shouted out.
“Please, wait!”
The pink-haired ogress stood before her red-haired brother, arms open wide to stop him in his tracks.
“My brother, you must think calmly about this. Such an all-powerful magic-born using low-minded tricks to send the pigs to our homeland? It is absurd, for he himself is strong enough to lay waste to all of us single-handedly. He is unique, to be certain, but I am no longer sure he is with the horde that attacked us.”
“What?!” The flustered redhead looked at me. “But…perhaps…”
“Guys, I keep telling you, you’ve got me all wrong! Are you finally ready to listen?”
Steam was billowing from the spot where the vaporized boulder used to be. It was more than enough to back up the ogre princess’s argument. The redhead glanced at her, then me again, finally falling to a knee.
“My apologies. Perhaps I was driven into having the wrong idea about you. I hope you will accept my deepest regrets.”
So he finally admitted he was maybe wrong about this. I appreciated the thought. It came as a relief.
“Well, no point talking here. How about we go back to the village? You guys come along. I’ll be glad to feed you, at least.”
And so the conflict that started for reasons unbeknownst came to a peaceful conclusion.
The hobgoblins began to awaken, perhaps because the princess released the spell on them. It must have been one heck of a charm, considering all the noise from my magic didn’t bother them at all. For my part, I released the Sticky Steel Thread covering the purple-hair and sprinkled a bit of potion on the unconscious blue-hair.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with the black-hair, but it turned out Deviant was more than enough to separate the paralysis from his body. Normally, you’d need magic or medicine to handle that. I’d used Paralyzing Breath without thinking of the consequences very much—I’d have to make sure there was an easy way to undo it next time. That, I regretted a little.
Nobody was seriously hurt, so we all headed for the village. And just like they promised before I left, there was some magnificent food waiting. That’s Rigurd for you. The ultimate bureaucrat. His organization skills were nuts.
I still didn’t feel hungry, but I had been looking forward to this since morning. It had been a physically active day, and between that and the test of my taste sense coming up, I was champing at the bit.
And here it came. That first forkful of meat.
It’s so gooooood!!
I thought I might cry.
The flavoring was a worry for me earlier, but they had taken the juice from assorted types of fruit to make a sauce. The promotion to hobgoblin status must’ve upgraded their palates, too, and they were now experimenting with all sorts of new recipes.
This magical beast was cowdeer, right? Well cooked, it was tasty enough even without any extra spices or such, but adding some fruit to the mix provided a very different—and very engaging—sensation to my taste buds. It did wonders to mask the gamy flavor and tie a neat little bow over the whole package.
That was how Lilina, the goblin lord overseeing our food stocks, and Haruna, the proud cook, explained it. I followed their suggestions as I cleaned my plate, taking in the experience I’d missed.
Speaking of which, they were pretty ecstatic when I gave them the salt I had collected. They knew what it was, I guess, but had given up on securing any because it was too expensive.
I suppose, to a goblin race mainly preoccupied with survival up to now, seeking out new flavorings wasn’t too high a priority. They got the requisite salt in their diet from the flesh and blood of their prey, and beyond that, they didn’t think deeply about it.
I advised them not to go overboard with their salt intake, just in case. Not that I was sure monsters could suffer from high blood pressure in the first place.
The pink-haired ogre made a surprising contribution, too. She knew a gre
at deal about herbs and aromatics and the like, and she brought in a few wild grasses we could use to hide the meat’s more unpleasant odors. “I hope this will atone for our rudeness a little,” she said as she helped collect the ingredients. She was a high-level creature, and she worked briskly, putting the freshly evolved hobgoblins to shame.
The other ogress—the one with purple hair—was just eating along with the others, though. Perhaps female ogres weren’t necessarily banished to the kitchen in their society. If it was this delicious, I wasn’t going to care about genders.
It wasn’t long before pink-hair was getting along swimmingly with the rest of the goblinas in the village. They’d try to learn as much as they could from her, I was sure. It was nice to have another positive influence around town.
All’s well that ends well, I suppose. The roast-meat feast I was so looking forward to went off without a hitch, and our new companions were all too happy to join us as we drank through the evening.
CHAPTER 2
EVOLUTIONS AND CLASHES
We decided to sit and hash things out with the ogres the next day. We chose the log house built atop the recently burned-out public square in the center of the village.
Mildo, youngest of the three dwarf brothers, had done a great job crafting it from the basic sketch I drew on a plan of wood. My previous stint as a general contractor gave me at least that much knowledge, as I measured out the dimensions and such as best I could with charcoal on wood and handed it over.
It was the Great Sage, and the new freedom my body offered, that made it possible. Plus, the drafting tools the dwarves brought over. With a bit of effort, you could get something almost as accurate as from a computer. I was starting to feel like I could whip up a skyscraper in no time flat.
Mildo had no problem comprehending the blueprint—maybe my drafting approach was a lot easier to understand than whatever was this world’s mainstream.