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 113: GABA Chart

Episode 113: GABA Chart

(Note: Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) level is thought to play a major role in controlling anxiety, stress and fear.)

A burst of screams erupted.  

That’s the only way to describe the massive panic that broke out.  

Where I leaped into was like a staging area for these Golem-like creatures.  

In a space resembling a parking lot, dozens—maybe even over a hundred—of Golem-like beings were standing neatly in rows, while people who looked like technicians were imbuing them with |Mana|.  

However, the sudden appearance of a Sovereign Beast caused them to collapse in fear, screaming as they ran for their lives.  

The Golem-like creatures, charged with |Mana|, began to move as if to protect the fleeing people. They turned away from the gate and started heading straight for me.  

“Believe it or not, listen up. I have no intention of fighting.”  

I tried to communicate this. But, as expected, no one was listening. All the humans were too busy running away.  

Well, this was no surprise. I didn’t expect them to listen on the first try either.  

“If it weren’t for these Golem-like things, this would’ve been a bit easier.”  

“Well, good luck with that.”  

“Yeah, though I don’t really think they’re much to worry about.”  

Cheered on by Fisu, who was hiding behind the wall, I faced the Golems.  

They fired beams and swung |Mana|-infused blades at me, but their movements were so slow that I almost yawned. Their |Mana| was weak, too. The ones around here seem to be on the level of Greater Beasts.  

“(Destroying them would be bad, huh?)”  

Now that I realized this was a human city, I decided to keep the destruction to a minimum to form friendly relations.  

The problem, though, is how to do that. How do you neutralize a Golem-like creature?  

… For now, I decide to just throw the nearest enemy away.  

This staging area is pretty spacious, so there’s no shortage of places to toss them. I keep throwing them one after another, holding back just enough strength to avoid breaking them.  

Since I’m being careful not to damage them, the number of enemies isn’t decreasing. In fact, some Golems that left earlier are returning and joining the fight. But it doesn’t matter. My goal is just to buy time.  

And if I keep dealing with the Golems like this, eventually—  

“(—Here it comes.)”  

“[Wind Slash]!”  

A gust of wind swept through. And in the same instant, a sword flash followed.  

A man who had just appeared closed the distance in an instant and slashed at me.  

What was surprising was his speed, outpacing even ordinary Sovereign Beasts.  

“(Well, he’s not as fast as the Dragon from the Demon Cult.)”  

I thought of the Dragon, one of the strongest beasts I’d encountered, and blocked the slash with my forest chains.  

It was a semi-transparent sword. From the cross-like hilt, a |Mana| blade extended.  

Wielding it was a tall, imposing man with long, light-green hair tied back. His muscular body was clad in red armor.  

He narrowed his sharp eyes and exhaled deeply before launching his next attack.  

“[Wind Step], [Heavy Slash]!”  

“(So, he can fly? A skill like [Aerial Leap], huh?)”  

He stepped into the air.  

In an instant, he took the high ground. And in the next, he changed direction, lunging at me.  

Meanwhile, the Golems kept firing their |Mana| beams, but he weaved through them with impressive agility.  

It wasn’t just his speed—his movements were high-level too.  

“… !?”  

“(But direction doesn’t matter much to me, y’know.)”  

A high-speed ambush from above.  

Certainly, it would be effective against beasts that have their eyes facing forward.  

They’d have to tilt their heads up, causing a delay, and most creatures are structurally weak against attacks from above.  

But I’m a Slime. I can see in all directions, and I can move the top of my body freely.  

So, I bent the upper part of my body, catching the |Mana| blade with my body.  

“Blade Off! [Wind Step]!”  

The man reacted swiftly.  

He deactivated the |Mana| blade and kicked off the air, quickly putting distance between us.  

He retreated further than before and left the Golems to attack me while he watched carefully.  

He must’ve realized I could keep up with his speed. Now, he’s probably trying to figure out how to break through.  

… It’s about time.  

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?”  

“A |Mana| transmission…? No, who could…”  

The man furrowed his brows and quickly scanned the surroundings.  

But he couldn’t find the source of the voice. Not even thirty seconds had passed since his arrival, and there were no signs of reinforcements coming yet.  

… Well, the speaker is right in front of you, though.  

“Up ahead, in front of you. The blue cube being attacked by those Golem things.”  

“A beast… is speaking?”  

The man’s reaction was even bigger than before, his eyes widening.  

He didn’t lower his guard but gave me a perplexed look.  

“Yeah, uh… I’m not a beast. I’m a human from the surface. I might look like a monster, but that’s just because I used magic to transform.”  

“… I can’t believe that.”  

“It’s true.”  

“!”  

Fisu’s voice echoed out.  

This time, it wasn’t a silent voice using [Communication] but her actual voice. That seemed to shake the man even more.  

“It’s no wonder you don’t believe me, but could you at least stop the Golem-like creatures from attacking? I’m acting as a shield for now, but at this rate, the girl behind me is going to get scared.”

I told him this in a somewhat exaggerated manner. This was all part of the plan.  

By highlighting that I had a delicate girl with me, I forced him to halt the attack and bring the situation to negotiations. That’s why I had Fisu refrain from fighting until now.  

The imposing man with long hair fell silent, likely pondering over the situation.  

After weighing various possibilities, he took a few steps back and issued commands to the Golems around him.  

“Command: Cease Attack. Defensive Formation.”  

“(Is that [Communication]…? No, it’s something slightly different.)”  

The Golems, following the |Mana|-infused command, flawlessly formed ranks in front of the man.  

The first and second rows of Golems raised |Mana| shields, while the Golems behind them took aim at me with their |Mana|-based weapons.  

With the attacks stopped, Fisu stepped out from behind me.  

She was still in her armor, but her axe was stored away by me.  

To prove she wasn’t being held hostage, she walked all the way to the back of the Golem formation. It was only then that the man finally relaxed his guard.  

“…I never thought you were actually human. I apologize for the disrespect of pointing my sword at you. My sincerest apologies.”  

“Nah, it’s our fault for approaching in such a confusing form. I’m sorry too.”  

I tried to convey this in as cheerful a tone as possible.  

Honestly, I didn’t lose even a single point of health, so there was no need for an apology.  

“More importantly, we just fell down here from the surface… from above the ceiling over there. We don’t know anything about this city or the fact that there’s a city underground. If you wouldn’t mind, could you tell us more about it?”  

“Of course. Not that I think it will make up for my mistake, but I’ll gladly help in any way I can.”  

However, he added a caveat.  

I could guess what was coming next. It was probably something like, “Can you undo the magic and prove that you’re really human?”  

I had anticipated this part of the conversation, so I had prepared a response.  

“Could you undo that magic? It’s frightening the people.”  

“Ah, sorry. This magic doesn’t wear off for a while once I’ve used it—”  

A suspiciously flimsy excuse.  

Before he could say anything else, I quickly changed the subject.  

“—More importantly, what’s with the Golem-like creatures you guys are using? I fought something similar up on the surface. Are they connected somehow?”  

“Wh-what?! Could it be… from the legends…?”  

I pulled out the upper half of the “Colossus.”  

Seeing that thing with a golden dragon head, the man’s eyes widened in shock.  

This was the plan: divert his attention with something else interesting! And gradually make him believe I was human without question!  

I came up with this idea from watching Fisu, who believed I was human without ever seeing me in human form.  

As expected, it seemed there was some connection between the “Colossus” and this underground city. The imposing man completely forgot about me, utterly captivated by the sight before him.  

Seeing this, I grinned to myself in satisfaction.