BXBX NOVEL Chapter 5: Slimes
\'In the <NO> the slimes were a special lifeform.\'
They were one of the oldest species to have existed in this world and they possessed a unique ability to adapt to their environments.
\'They are the only creatures with the most known varieties present in this world.\'
There are simple round slimes, there are formless sticky slimes, there are slimes that resemble tentacle creatures, slimes that could use magic, slimes that could use elemental powers, slimes on the same standards as the highest order existences and there are even higher intelligence slimes that have humanoid forms.
\'All slimes had the ability to [Adapt] to their environment better than the other beings.\'
One of the reasons we could find these creatures practically in places all around the world was the special adaptive powers they possessed.
\'I was surprised when that name and level appeared on top of its head all of a sudden.\'
There were slimes of all forms and nature. Some were good and friendly so people kept them as pets and companions, some used them as tools and since they were some of the simplest lifeforms possessing only a body and energy core, they were easy to deal with as well.
"I thought it was going to attack me when it came running in my direction."
But, thankfully, that was not the case.
"It looks pretty cute."
The colorless blob that resembled the head of a jellyfish was playing around in the same place where he had slipped and fell.
There was some kind of green moss floating on the water\'s surface and this slime seemed to be eating this green stuff.
\'Can it even see me?\'
It wasn\'t far from him so he thought it would attack him at any moment now. But, instead, the creature was happily enjoying his moss.
After his observations, he was pretty sure that the creature surely knew about his existence as well.
It knew he was there since it could sense him as well as everything in the water with its unique senses.
It was merely a blob that seemed harmless. But, it was still higher level than him, which meant there was a good possibility that it was stronger than him.
"I have to kill these things?"
He found out with some more time that the lake was actually filled with these creatures.
There were nine of them just around this place and with more moss he gathered from the lake surface, more of them might gather around there.
"Hmmm…"
He could pretty much kill them all as easily as he wanted.
They were easy to deal with and most of them were only around (Level-3) to (Level-5).
He was (Level-1) and, as he had confirmed, he really had a talent for observation.
Perhaps it was thanks to all his deep focus and \'Zone\' time with his work that he was able to focus much better than what his partner had expected.
"Subjugation…"
Now, as he waited for his clothes to dry down, he sat on the shore with a few leaves covering his important parts.
He kept his shield out just in case something happened, and watched the transparent, cute creatures.
"If I had an appraisal skill, I could have seen their actual status windows instead of just the basic identified information."
It wasn\'t easy to get skills, but some important skills were basic necessities. {Appraisal} was one of them… and yet, not many people had it.
"Hmmm…"
The green lotus that he had found was in fact a rare herb that he had heard about in the past.
The trees around him were also infused with Mana– a special natural energy that mages use.
Even the lake water that these slimes were swimming in and the slimes themselves possessed Mana, making them more special than the normal water slimes.
\'This must be some secluded space that not many people know about. Or else the system wouldn\'t have thrown me here for this tutorial quest.\'
He was in a special place, so he filled his inventory with things that his observation identified as something useful or important.
It wasn\'t every day that tutorials happened in places as amazing as this one. He had a good opportunity, and he did not wait for anything and filled his inventory completely.
Now… the only thing remaining was the tutorial quest.
"Huuu… well."
He was uncertain, but it did not seem like these slime creatures were dangerous.
So, he did something any curious person would do in his position, and walked back inside the lake.
"Please don\'t hurt me."
He walked inside the lake, prayed for his life once again, and reached a spot surrounded by the slime creatures.
"Let\'s see…"
He gathered some moss from the lake surface, and as soon as he did that, the slime\'s attention was attracted to him.
-Shrrrrrr…!
They all started swimming towards him at a speed that most certainly was not safe!
"No. no no no! Go that way!"
He was suddenly afraid that these creatures would crash into him and he would die without even his clothes on– he was even more afraid of the possibility that he would get summoned to some other place if he failed this tutorial quest in that state.
-Chu-pk!
He threw the moss away from him right before the slimes crashed in him, and sensing the movement of the moss, the slimes also changed their direction and ran to where the moss had fallen.
"Phew…"
He thought he was going to die at that moment. Thankfully, he survived.
"So you go after the treats just like a puppy, hun?"
He watched them eat a bunch of moss, fight for a bigger portion, and finish it in a matter of seconds.
-Shrrrrr…!
Then he saw them swimming back towards him even faster than earlier, got scared once again, and hurriedly gathered more moss to throw at the creatures– but he wasn\'t fast enough this time.
-Dham!
One of the slimes crashed into him right before he could throw the moss away.
-Shrrr! Sharrrr! Shrrrup!
And, just like a skipping stone thrown on a lake surface, he was thrown all the way out of the lake… and crashed into a tree out on the shore.
"Augh!"
Then he coughed up blood. And was injured internally, as well as physically.
"..."
After that, he lost consciousness. And was left on the shore, covered in fine sand and blood, naked, with all nine of the Slimes enjoying the food that he had prepared for them.