"Did I really get reincarnated… after all that?"
The thought slipped out of his lips as his blurry vision slowly cleared.
What greeted him was not a hospital ceiling… nor the cold darkness of death.
Instead—
Water.
Endless flowing water.
"…Huh?"
He blinked.
Then blinked again.
And finally realized—
He was inside a small wooden bucket, floating helplessly along a river.
"…What the hell?!"
Before he could even process the absurdity of his situation, a deafening roar tore through the sky.
ROOOAAARRR!!!
His head snapped upward.
A massive shadow loomed above—
A dragon.
Its emerald scales shimmered under the sunlight, and violent gusts of wind spiraled around its body like a living storm.
And it wasn't alone.
Humans.
Several figures stood midair, clashing against the beast with weapons that glowed with energy.
A battle.
A real, terrifying battle.
"Are you kidding me…?!"
The dragon opened its jaws, and the air itself seemed to distort.
Then—
A tornado formed.
A monstrous one.
It swallowed everything in its path.
Including him.
"WAIT—!!"
The world flipped.
The river vanished beneath him.
The sky spun wildly as his tiny body was thrown into the air like a ragdoll.
And then—
Darkness.
Pain.
That was the first thing he felt when he regained consciousness.
"…Ugh…"
He groaned softly.
His body was stuck—no, entangled—in something rough.
Branches.
He was hanging from a tree.
"…I'm alive?"
The realization hit him harder than the fall that came next.
THUD!
"AAAH—!"
He hit the ground and rolled, his tiny limbs flailing helplessly.
Before he could recover, a strange voice echoed nearby.
"…At last, the time has come,To meet someone… oh, what fun…"
"…What?"
His body froze.
Slowly, carefully, he turned his head.
And peeked.
What he saw—
Was a slime.
A black one.
Glossy. Wiggly. Suspiciously alive.
Their eyes met.
Silence.
One second.
Two seconds.
Then—
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
"AAAAHHHH!!!"
Both of them screamed at the same time.
The forest fell silent again.
The slime stopped first.
"…Huh. Just a human child?"
Its body wobbled slightly, as if thinking.
"…Should I kill it?"
"WHAT THE HELL, HOW CAN YOU KILL A SMALL BABY?!"
The voice came out of nowhere.
The slime jolted.
"…Who said that?!"
It spun around, scanning the area.
"Show yourself! Come out and fight me! I am the great Demon Slime!"
A pause.
Then—
"Oye. Can't you see me? I may be small, but how are you ignoring me?"
The slime froze.
Slowly… very slowly… it turned back toward the baby.
"…You?"
Realization hit.
"The voice… it's coming from you?!"
The baby glared at it.
"Obviously."
"…Hey, small meat. Can you understand me?"
The baby's expression darkened instantly.
"Yes, you dumb moron. And who the hell are you calling small meat, you medium-sized jelly?"
"…Jelly?"
The slime paused.
"Is that some kind of food? I once went to a human kingdom long ago… nearly died after killing a bunch of them…"
It stopped mid-sentence.
"…Wait. That's not important."
Its body trembled.
"How are you talking to me? And understanding monster language? That makes no sense…"
It began muttering to itself.
"…Did I eat poison? Am I hallucinating? Am I about to die?!"
Meanwhile, the baby frowned.
"So… it's real."
His gaze turned distant.
"I really got reincarnated… This isn't a dream."
Fragments of memory flickered in his mind.
"I remember… getting shot… and then… a voice saying, 'I found—'"
He winced.
"…Tch. My head hurts just thinking about it."
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
"Wait a minute…"
He straightened—well, as much as a baby could.
"System!"
Silence.
"System, open!"
Nothing.
"…Hello? Status? Inventory? Anything?!"
Still nothing.
His face fell.
"…Seriously?"
A moment later, he sighed.
"Why am I even doing this…? Like some reincarnated high school cliché…"
He paused.
"…Did reincarnation lower my IQ or something?"
Silence.
Both of them sank into deep thought.
Then—
"I should leave."
The slime slowly began to slide away.
"…This child is trouble."
But before it could escape—
The baby was suddenly right in front of it.
Their eyes met again.
"…!"
The baby reached out and touched it.
A faint light flashed.
A strange mark appeared on both of them—
Then vanished.
The slime froze.
"…Impossible."
Its voice trembled.
"How… HOW?!"
"I—the great Demon Slime—have become a monster pet of this child?!"
Tears welled up.
"My life is over…"
"I've been enslaved by a human baby…"
The baby smiled.
A creepy, unsettling smile.
He poked the slime again.
The slime shivered.
"S-so you're my pet now… the great Demon Slime?"
The atmosphere turned cold.
The slime felt genuine fear for the first time.
Then the baby spoke again—
"You're taking me wherever you were going."
His grin widened.
"You seemed pretty excited earlier."
Inside, the slime panicked.
What?! Take him there?!
If she sees this… I'm dead!
An ancient being like her… she'll kill me instantly!
Then—
A thought.
Wait…
She might be able to break the contract…
Yes… yes! If I beg her…
And I can even offer this human child as a gift!
Its mood instantly improved.
Meanwhile—
"Oye!"
The baby's voice snapped it back.
"Are you taking me or not?"
The slime quickly replied—
"Yes! Definitely!"
Hehehe… you're finished, small meat…
It began moving.
"HEY!"
The slime stopped.
"…What now?"
The baby frowned.
"Do you expect me to run behind you?"
A pause.
"Carry me."
The slime's body visibly sagged.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
But it had no choice.
If not for this contract… I would've eaten you long ago…