Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 40: Epilogue of Chapter 1

Episode 40: Epilogue of Chapter 1

“……”

After defeating the monster, I tried to absorb the scattered pieces of flesh around me.

“(…No good, huh?)”

There’s no taste. I can’t absorb the |Mana|.

Slimes can’t absorb the corpses of their own kind.

…As I suspected, the monster’s body was, after all, that of a Slime.

“(……)”

I shifted my focus to the scattered roots nearby. I picked one up and tried eating it, but I couldn’t obtain |Mana| from this either.

Unlike the Slime’s flesh, however, this felt different. It was more like the root itself didn’t contain |Mana|, as if I were chewing on sand.

“(Yuck, it’s disgusting.)”

I spat out the tough, barely dissolvable root and looked around. It had to be somewhere.

“(…Found it.)”

After searching for a bit, I located a seed. If my last strike had hit directly, it might have been shattered, but it seems I missed slightly. Many of the roots were violently torn, but the seed itself was unscathed.

“(Is this withered…?)”

The seed had a slight crack, from which a sprout was growing. But it had turned brown.

“(This shriveled sprout… I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before.)”

I stared at it intently. There were seven cotyledons. They were split into two groups, with three on one side and four on the other, overlapping in a strange formation.

(Note:

Cotyledon is an embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants, one or more of which are the first leaves to appear from a germinating seed.)

“(…Well, whatever.)”

I crushed the seed in my hand and dissolved it with [Decomposition Liquid].

During the battle, there had been quite a bit of noise. Adventurers or monsters might have been drawn here by the sound. I’d better leave before things get complicated.

“(…Besides, I have other things to do.)”

Scooping up the remaining pieces of the monster’s flesh, I left the clearing.

“(Alright, that should do it.)”

At the site of the Slime’s nest, a bit to the west, I stood before a particularly large tree and murmured softly.

In front of me was a hole, about the size of a barrel. Inside it were several gel-like substances.

Needless to say, those gels were the remains of dead Slimes.

“(May you rest in peace. Though I have no idea where dead Slimes go.)”

After folding my hands—which I had reshaped to resemble human hands—I bowed, then filled the hole. I raised the dirt slightly, giving it the appearance of a grave.

“(…Goodbye, everyone.)”

With that, I turned away from the grave and headed deeper into the forest. My goal to grow stronger remained unchanged.

“(Humans would be troublesome to run into.)”

The areas with thin |Mana| usually had more humans.

Speaking of humans, I had gathered the bodies of those who had died in the Slime’s nest and laid them together in one spot. Burying them without permission might confuse their families. I didn’t know the religious customs of this country either.

At least I was able to help the chubby guy escape, and I hoped he would guide others to retrieve the bodies. I had collected their weapons to prevent Goblins or other creatures from stealing them, and I built a fence using nearby trees. But who knows how effective it would be in keeping monsters out.

All I could do was hope their bodies wouldn’t be devoured.

“(…Oh yeah, I met the Red Ogre.)”

Suddenly, I remembered the strange sprout. On the forehead of the Red Ogre I had fought so fiercely, there had been a similar odd sprout.

At the time, I hadn’t paid much attention. Now that I recalled it, that one had seven cotyledons as well.

If that’s the case, then the Red Ogre might also have been…

“(What the hell is that seed?)”

My frustration grew.

It wasn’t fear of the unknown that bothered me—it was anger.

“(Could there be more of them?)”

There had already been two examples. It wouldn’t be surprising if there were three or four. In fact, it would be strange if there were only two seeds.

“(So, is there some source behind them?)”

A tree? A flower? Or something else entirely?

If there’s something out there that spreads seeds that transform its hosts into such abominations, I can’t just leave it alone.

“(…Well, it’s not something I can deal with right away, though.)”

It was unlikely that such a being was in this forest. If it were, I would have encountered more seeds by now.

“(I’ll just have to be patient and keep searching.)”

With that conclusion, I calmed my restless thoughts. I didn’t even know if I could defeat it with my current strength. In the end, my goal remained the same.

“(To grow stronger, that’s all. I just have one more reason to do so now.)”

To gain the power I saw in that Forest Turtle that day. And to avenge my fallen comrades.

With renewed determination, I headed deeper into the forest.

Original Author’s Comment:

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Thank you for reading up to this point. Chapter 1 ends here.

If you found it enjoyable, I would greatly appreciate a rating or a follow.

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Next, there will be two Side Stories before moving on to Chapter 2.

(Note: There is side story for this chapter that you can buy using coins or membership.)