Published: August 2, 2025
Today, four chapters are updated simultaneously.
This story is chapter one.
I steady my breathing and release mana toward the three slimes.
The slimes... tremble their bodies and leap toward the mana. The emotion conveyed is joy.
At first glance, it looks like the slimes are just shaking, but thanks to my mana sensing skill, I can tell the slimes are gradually absorbing the mana.
“As I thought...”
Yesterday, after seeing an evolving slime emit and absorb mana from its body, I pondered mana and slimes.
First of all, since heal slimes use healing magic, they definitely possess mana. I believe the cause of their evolution into heal slimes is also healing magic.
At that time, I wondered if there might be slimes capable of using fire or water elemental magic, and I experimented accordingly. However, as that experiment only resulted in injuring the slimes with offensive magic, I had to stop. But how about this time?
Slimes that can use various elemental magic. Previously, I predicted that if there were slimes using healing magic, there should be others capable of different magic. That was confirmed recently by Mayleen's story.
For existing slimes, I think it’s still possible to evolve them with food as before. The question is whether slimes treat mana as food...
I release mana again, this time imagining it as fire elemental magic, visualizing the mana burning like gas. I’ve heard the visualization differs person to person, but this is the first time I’ve transformed the innate non-elemental mana within the body into fire elemental mana for the purpose of fire elemental magic.
This transformation is an essential skill for using elemental magic. Normally, magic is cast simultaneously with this conversion, so stopping just before casting to release the mana with its attribute changed is a first for me.
“Using magic this way demands more nerve than usual...”
Probably because I’m not used to it.
“Don’t you dislike non-elemental mana?”
Trying to release the raw non-elemental mana again, I feel the slimes absorb less than before.
Testing with other attributes, I found that out of the three, two absorb earth elemental mana most, and one absorbs dark elemental mana the most.
It seems individual slimes have preferences for mana attributes.
I wonder if mana has flavor?
Anyway, the slimes seem happy, so I’ll continue with this approach.
Then, while waiting for the cloth to dry, I keep supplying mana until just before it runs out, take a break, and then collect the dried waterproof cloth. I return to town and head to Mr. Zeke’s butcher shop.
“Welcome! What kind of meat are you looking for today?”
The one who greets me at the butcher’s is a teenage boy, probably around 14 or 15 years old.
“Excuse me, I have something to discuss with the shop manager, Mr. Zeke. Could I have a moment?”
“Sure thing. Manager! A customer is here for you!”
Hearing this, Zeke appears from the back workshop, wearing blood-stained clothes.
Pale skin, sickly thin frame, and blood-stained clothes... his appearance at work is scary in a different way than Mr. Wogan...
“Ryoma-kun, is there something you need?”
“Yes, actually...”
I explain the situation and make my request.
“...I see, there’s such a slime, huh? Alright, do you need it right away? Today, some young adventurers managed to hunt a large catch, so we have plenty.”
“Thank you very much, I’ll take some.”
I’m led into the workshop. Inside, five men are working, and hanging from many hooks and ropes attached to large beams near the ceiling are beasts dripping with blood.
“This way.”
I’m guided under those beasts. There are two large containers filled with blood. They’re almost the length of the room.
“Thank you. Is it okay to let them drink directly from here?”
“Sure.”
With permission granted, I place the bloody slime into the container. The bloody slime immediately absorbs the blood, draining every drop in the container.
“Hmm... seems useful.”
“Do you think so, Mr. Zeke?”
“There’s work involved in drawing out and discarding blood. Even otherwise, the containers need frequent washing... and since they’re large, they’re heavy and tough to handle.”