His thoughts were soon proven correct.
A gray mist roamed the forest, descending like a searching specter... before definitively lunging at every last demon.
There was no precise targeting, only a pure, primal attraction.
The gray mist surging toward the swamp was reflected in Chen Yu's tiny, bean-like eyes. His instincts roared with desire for the mysterious fog, but his reason forced him back down into the depths of the foul-smelling mud.
He soon discovered that hiding was pointless. The gray mist was all-pervasive; like a true ghost, it ignored his physical form and seeped into his body.
HSSS... 'It's a little itchy.'
A Slime's sense of touch was very simple, capable of feeling little more than pressure and pain. This was the first time his body had ever experienced an "itchy" sensation.
But as the gray mist continued to pour in, the itchiness vanished, replaced by a light, airy sensation. It was like floating on clouds—so relaxing and liberating that he couldn't get enough.
'Wait a minute...'
'This is bad.'
'I'm hooked!'
[Willpower Check: Pass]
[Race Check: Fail]
[You have entered an Abnormal Status (Greed)]
By the time he realized it, it was too late. An inexplicable frenzy had already spread silently throughout his entire body.
His body was screaming. Every fiber of his Gel was twitching with hunger, shrieking for more—more Magic Power... He began to float upward involuntarily, wanting to reach the source of the Magic Power, to greedily devour it, to tear it apart... to possess it completely!
His oily green Gel head poked out of the swamp, and the world of white noise was suddenly filled with the furious roar of a downpour.
The wind howled, and the forest trembled.
Bean-sized raindrops battered Chen Yu's head. A thread of cold and pain seeped deep into his mind, jolting him awake and pulling him back from the abyss of desire.
Peering through the hazy curtain of rain, he saw what looked like the figures of many demons flitting through the gloom, illuminated by the fluorescent moss. Some were as small as mice, others as large as wild boars. Their goal was the same: to chase the unknown source of Magic Power.
The torrential rain had long since drowned out the rest of the world, yet amidst the chaotic din, Chen Yu could still clearly discern a terrifying howl that pierced the downpour.
It was the roar of a beast from deep within the forest—low and savage, carrying a primitive, wild power that instantly triggered the deepest-seated fear instinct in his Slime body, causing his transparent, gelatinous form to tremble violently and uncontrollably.
'What in the world is in the depths of the forest?'
Chen Yu fought to suppress his instincts and submerged himself once more.
This time, he didn't dare linger outside and planned to dive straight back to his nest.
Halfway there, a green shadow suddenly emerged from the murky water and engulfed him.
It was Slime Mama, who had come out to find him.
Back inside the warm, reassuring Gel, Chen Yu's frayed nerves finally began to settle.
What made him curious, however, was that Slime Mama seemed completely unaffected by the gray mist's Magic Power. As they burrowed into the earth, he could see bog worms curled up asleep in the soil, also safe and sound.
Compared to the surface, it was strangely quiet underground.
'Then why was I affected by the gray mist's Magic Power?'
'If I have to pinpoint a difference between me and these Low-tier Demons, it's probably that I have a Magic Organ.'
'It seems the Magic Organ is the key to perceiving the gray mist's Magic Power.'
SQUISH.
Slime Mama squeezed into the Slime Nest and placed Chen Yu back in his grassy nook.
Slimes are demons that need sunlight, rain, and dew to grow. Thus, over the long cycle of day and night, they evolved the need for sleep. The routine of foraging by day and resting by night was completely ingrained in their nature.
He plopped into the grassy nook, pushing aside the small, fluorescent specks within. They didn't react, merely sleeping peacefully. Their bouncy Gel bodies rose and fell gently with the rhythm of their breathing.
The peaceful, reassuring atmosphere influenced Chen Yu. Drowsiness washed over him like a tide, gradually submerging the island of his frenzy, pulling his reason down with it.
An unknown amount of time passed.
He fell asleep.
He slept soundly, deeply.
His slightly larger body rose and fell in a steady rhythm alongside the little ones around him.
At the entrance to the Slime Nest, Slime Mama quietly stood guard, protecting the little ones through the night.
...
「The next day.」
The crisp chirping of birds passed through the paper window of the thatched-roof house. Lying on the bed, Chen Yu's eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.
——
Race: Acidic Slime
Level: Black Iron Lv.2 [EXP: 6/20]
Cultivation: Qi Cultivation Lv.3 [Spiritual Power: 0/30]
Health Status: Healthy [HP: 80/80]
Race Talent: Devouring and Digesting Lv.2
Other Talents: Acid Secretion Lv.2
Skill List: Kaiyuan Treasure Scroll Lv.4, Artifact Manipulation Skill Lv.3
Reputation Title: None (An unknown Slime)
——
"Hm?"
As Chen Yu got up from his wooden bed, he noticed that not only had his Cultivation reached the Qi Cultivation Third Layer, but his Devouring and Digesting skill had also reached Lv. 2.
'It seems to be thanks to the gray mist's Magic Power from last night.'
The price, however, was that as soon as his consciousness fully took over his body, waves of hunger instantly assailed him from his stomach, which was now urging him to eat.
Chen Yu scrambled out of bed to light a fire and cook. He took some fermented bamboo shoot pickles from a jar and ate them with hearty white rice. After devouring six large bowls, the torturous hunger in his stomach finally began to subside.
After satisfying his grumbling stomach and feeling a faint warmth spread through his body, he sat back down on the wooden bed and let his consciousness sink completely into his Slime body.
The commotion from last night's storm had been huge; he couldn't wait to see what had happened outside.
Inside the Slime Nest, as morning arrived, the little ones in the grassy nooks gradually woke up, blinking their bean-like eyes as they hopped back and forth.
If you were to ask what their greatest interest was, it would be "bumping" into their biggest brother and enjoying the thrill of being sent flying. Like a slide at a kindergarten playground, it was one of their few, and most fun, forms of entertainment.
Chen Yu awoke from his deep sleep. His body, which had been as flat as a puddle, gradually regained its shape and volume.
Ignoring the mischievous little ones around him, Chen Yu hopped out of the grassy nook and saw that Slime Mama had already left early to forage.
He slipped out of the nest, swam beneath the mud, and stirred the murky water as he floated upward.
Before he even surfaced, he vaguely sensed that the swamp had changed.
'Huh?'
'How did the water suddenly turn so green...?'
He drew closer to look, only to realize it wasn't water at all, but countless Slimes swimming just below the surface.
They were even bigger than him, as if they had sprung up overnight.
Seeing his own kind, Chen Yu was about to offer a friendly greeting, but three of the Slimes closed in around him. The pheromones they released were an overt provocation, as if they were baring their teeth and growling, "Get out of here."
'Oh...'
'So they're gangster Slimes.'
He figured these outsiders wanted to fight for territory in the swamp and had decided to pick on him.
'Of all the Slimes to pick on, they had to choose me,'
Chen Yu had no intention of being polite with these Slime hooligans. Three acid-coated Poisonous Sting swords he had stored inside his body shot out abruptly.
THWUMP... The Poisonous Stings plunged into their bodies. The Slime Acid coating them sizzled in the water, causing the rival Slimes to twist in pain, struggle wildly, and finally flee in disarray.
Chen Yu wasn't worried about the three Poisonous Sting swords. He had spent the last few days messing with the Poisonous Sting Bees and had collected plenty of Poisonous Stings. He had some stashed in the Slime Nest, and still had four more hidden inside his body.
After he easily defeated the provocative Slimes, the other Slimes watching from the sidelines realized how formidable Chen Yu was and silently swam away.
With no other Slimes to block his path, Chen Yu continued his ascent and surfaced.
The first thing he saw was bright sunlight. Last night's storm had knocked many leaves from the trees, and now the sun could shine down on the swamp unobstructed.
Even the perpetual stench of decay that hung in the forest had been washed clean by the rain, leaving the air much fresher.
He cautiously poked out a pair of eyes to observe his surroundings.
On the rocks, on the moss-covered ground, and even among the branches, Slimes were sprawled out everywhere, sunbathing.
Lifting his gaze to the Swamp Oak Tree ahead, he saw Poisonous Sting Bees gathering meat between the branches to repair their storm-damaged nest, while Moss Monsters and bog worms fed beneath the tree as usual.
Farther in the distance, some unfamiliar figures seemed to be squirming and crawling about.
Beetles, jumping mosquitoes, giant pincer ants...
After the night's frenzy, the Swamp Forest was much livelier than before. But for the forest's weak Slimes, this simply meant more natural enemies and predators. It was not good news.
'I hope they don't disturb the tranquility of this land,' he thought.
After surveying his surroundings, a set of messy footprints on the damp ground caught Chen Yu's attention.