Chapter 116: One Year.
Chapter 116: One Year.
Upon hearing the news that there would be an event at Slime Land, the Great Eater rushed there immediately.
– Glutton.
– Eats way too much.
– Has an insatiable appetite.
These were all things he’d heard for a long time.
But he never really cared.
Because he loved to eat.
He loved it so much that you could say he lived just to eat.
If there was a restaurant known for its food, he would seek it out and eat there.
He didn’t gain weight easily, and he enjoyed exercising.
He ate a lot and moved a lot.
Outwardly, there were no major problems.
But inside, it was a different story.
After living like that for twenty years, he developed diabetes.
He despaired at the fact that he could no longer eat freely.
If life’s pleasures are gone, what’s the point of living?
He even considered just eating whatever he wanted and leaving this world early.
Around that time, the <Random Jelly Slime (Mild Flavor)> appeared in the world.
No matter how much you ate, it had zero calories and was a magical food that helped your broken body function again.
The Great Eater always had <Random Jelly Slime (Mild Flavor)> in his mouth.
No matter how much he ate, he never got tired of it.
It was already widely known that people tasted their favorite flavors when eating <Pure Jelsl>.
But the fact that the more varied your favorite flavors, the more diverse the taste and texture of <Pure Jelsl> became, wasn’t as well known.
<Pure Jelsl> had a wider variety of flavors than anyone could imagine.
Since the Great Eater enjoyed a wide range of tastes, he had tried many and had many favorite foods.
No matter how many times he ate <Pure Jelsl>, it always delivered a different flavor and texture.
Each bite felt new.
Whenever he craved something sweet, he popped <Pure Jelsl> into his mouth.
That sweetness soothed his ailing body.
When he wanted something crunchy, he ate <Popcorn Cotton Candy Slime> in its kernel form.
When he felt emotionally weak, he put <Random Jelly Slime (Extremely Spicy Flavor)> in his mouth.
Most of the time, he got a really harsh flavor, but it whipped his appetite into shape.
As he continued living like that, he could visibly see his fasting blood sugar dropping in the mornings.
His diabetes wasn’t cured.
Still, the prospect of overcoming what’s considered an incurable disease was now within reach.
Instead of despairing and giving up the future just because life’s pleasures were gone, and focusing only on present indulgence-
He was now able to take care of both his current and future life.
That happiness grew even greater when Alchemy Slime opened Slime Land.
<Churros Slime>, <Cotton Candy Slime>, <Ice Cream Slime>, <Sandwich Slime>, <Tanghulu Slime>, <Rice Cake Slime>, <Chicken Slime>. Any food SLimelove had featured in her Mukbang could be found inside Slime Land.
Of course, <Churros Slime>, <Sandwich Slime>, <Chicken Slime>, and the like had slight differences in taste and texture compared to the real thing.
But the taste and texture were arranged so they felt novel rather than awkward. If you got used to these flavors and textures, real food might start to feel fake by comparison.
All these delicious foods had zero calories.
For people who had to control their diet due to illness and such, Slime Land was a paradise.
And in that paradise, an event was held.
An event where you could eat as much cake as you wanted.
The Great Eater had no choice but to drop everything and rush over.
His heightened sense of smell, sharpened by anticipation, found the hole leading to the cake zone.
He immediately went inside.
There was a paradise where honey and slime flowed.
Everything, even the trees growing from the earth, was edible.
But it would be a mistake to think all the trees were just Baumkuchen.
Depending on the type of tree, the taste or aroma was different.
Even the chocolate tasted different depending on its color.
The soil ranged from red bean paste to cocoa paste and came in many varieties.
If you dug into the dirt, you’d find a layer of red velvet cake.
In some places, there was a tiramisu layer.
There were also drinks for when you got thirsty.
There was a stream flowing with sparkling water.
There was a rock where cola sprang forth.
There was even a tree with sweet sap running inside.
And it wasn’t just the trees-other plants were delicious too.
The vines were chewy.
The flowers were fragrant.
The moving Rafflesia smelled terrible, but once in your mouth, it melted softly.
As he tasted everything, the Great Eater made a vow.
‘I’m going to taste everything here over these two weeks.’
Picking up, tearing, and hunting for things to eat as he wandered around, the Great Eater spotted a castle floating on the clouds high in the sky.
Realizing that the harder something was to reach, the tastier it was, the Great Eater had a hunch.
‘There’s definitely something unbelievably delicious up there.’
The Great Eater searched for a way up, but couldn’t find one.
Sensing it would be a long-term challenge, he returned home.
Thinking it would be hard to taste everything while working, the Great Eater immediately contacted his company on Monday to ask for time off.
Of course, he was refused.
When the Great Eater tried to hand in his resignation, his boss desperately tried to stop him.
As a result, he was able to get leave starting Tuesday.
Still, it was clearly impossible to be gone for the full two weeks.
He had to change his plan.
‘I will absolutely taste what’s in the sky castle.’
With that resolve, the Great Eater returned to Slime Land.
Fortunately, he could start from the location he’d saved on Sunday, so his goal was still within reach.
There had to be a way up.
It didn’t seem likely that they’d just put that thing up there as decoration.
The Great Eater moved directly beneath the sky castle.
On the way, he climbed a tree with spots and picked a cow-shaped fruit.
Inside was a soft bread filled with milk cream, pea paste, and red bean paste.
After coming down from the tree, he found something.
“I found it!”
Chewing on a sweet and bitter cake shaped like ginseng pulled from the ground, he kept walking.
Picking up and eating this and that as he went, he eventually arrived right below the sky castle.
There was a clearing, and in the center was a sunken patch of ground.
Suddenly, a fairy tale popped into the Great Eater’s head.
The Great Eater turned back and picked another cow-shaped fruit.
He placed it in the hole and covered it with cookie crumbs from around.
Then, a long beanstalk grew rapidly from the hole and reached the castle in the sky.
‘Do I have to climb this?’
He bit off a piece of the beanstalk, and it tasted like green tea cake.
As he chewed it and hesitated for a moment, the Great Eater raised his hand upward, just like when moving inside Slime Land, and shouted.
“Up!”
A tentacle shot out from the beanstalk and pulled the Great Eater inside.
Just like when using the Tunnel Slimes, his body shot straight upward.
Arriving at the sky castle above the clouds, the Great Eater tore off a piece of cloud first.
The fluffy cloud, soft as cotton, tore apart easily.
It was similar to cotton candy, but much chewier.
Also, unlike cotton candy which doesn’t come back together when clumped, this one was so elastic it quickly returned to its original shape.
The Great Eater stuffed his mouth full of cloud.
It left a cool sweetness and melted away instantly.
It tasted exactly like he imagined clouds would as a child.
The Great Eater scanned the area and spotted a black cloud.
He went over and took a bite.
It was tangy, sweet, and gave a little zap.
After tasting the area around the castle, the Great Eater quietly snuck inside.
Thud, thud. There was a giant walking, shaking the ground.
Its movements weren’t very fast.
The Great Eater carefully made his way to the innermost part so he wouldn’t get caught.
Anything especially delicious would be kept in an important place.
In the room at the center of the castle, he found a nest.
Inside the nest was a golden egg.
The Great Eater tasted the nest first.
It was a delicious, crisp biscuit stick.
Next came the highlight of this trip.
The Great Eater carefully picked up the egg.
It looked like a golden egg, but its texture was as bouncy as a peeled boiled egg.
When he bit into it, his teeth pierced a thin membrane and something smooth slid into his mouth.
It left the scent of vanilla and a gentle sweetness as it slid down his throat.
“Wow….”
It was a pudding so good it left him speechless.
He had once tried an expensive pudding made by a master craftsman, but this one put that to shame.
He was devouring the golden egg pudding with gusto.
“Kuaaargh!”
The giant Slime, coming to check on its nest, roared in fury and charged.
Even so, its speed wasn’t that fast.
If he stood still, he’d get caught, but if he kept moving quickly, he wouldn’t.
The Great Eater grabbed all the remaining eggs and ran.
He safely escaped down the beanstalk.
“Kuaaargh!”
The giant Slime only let out angry noises instead of chasing him.
The next day.
The Great Eater returned to the sky castle.
This time, he wasn’t alone.
His family and friends, who had been utterly captivated by the golden egg pudding, were with him.
Unfortunately, the nest was empty, but that was fine.
There was still plenty to eat in the castle.
The Great Eater and his companions ran around, devouring everything from bricks to chandeliers.
“Stopkuaargh… Don’tkuaargh… Eatkuaargh…”
The giant’s voice chasing them somehow sounded sad.
***
Did I make the area around the tower too hard?
People aren’t coming into the tower.
It’s like when you work so hard on birthday cooking that the cake you put the most effort into gets ignored.
I designed the area around the tower together with Marco.
Working with him, who loves exploration, we packed in all sorts of features.
We didn’t just make it a maze; we set up several places where you’d get sucked in without even realizing it.
Maybe that’s why people are busy exploring the forest.
Even those who tried to reach my location quickly seem to be slowing down, maybe because the more they rush, the more they feel like they’re stuck in a swamp. Then they get distracted and drawn in by something else.
Will things change a bit in the second week?
Anyway, the event is booming.
As word spreads that it’s not just a cake-eating event, more participants are joining every day.
Some people even bring friends or colleagues.
But skipping out is not allowed.
School anniversary?
I have your personal info here, you know? I know exactly which school you go to.
To the office worker playing hooky over there. Go back to your job before I report you to your company.
Skipping cram school? Hmm… Should I let that slide? But you have to actually go starting tomorrow, okay?
Ma’am over there. No matter how good the cake is, this isn’t a restaurant or a delivery company. Even if you ask to have a whole log packaged and sent to your house, I’m not doing it.
I dealt with things happening inside Slime Land as I felt like.
Time passed and the sun set.
The sky was dark, but inside Slime Land it was still bright.
Still, it’s time for people to head home.
No matter how much you want to stay, you need to go back now.
You can always come again tomorrow, or the day after.
With things quieting down, I checked what my Slimes were up to for the first time in a while.
Our Slimes, who enjoy pulling pranks on their creator, what could they be doing?
Aha.
I see.
The ever-popular Pack Slime has pulled off another stunt.
So now it’s decided to stick to people’s cheeks too.
Pack Slime is famous for improving eyesight when you stick it on your face.
It even cures rhinitis and restores your sense of smell.
Sight and smell.
Maybe that wasn’t enough, because now Pack Slime has started acting as a hearing aid too.
There’s nothing it can’t do.
Sound is vibration.
If those vibrations are transmitted to the cochlea’s auditory cells, you can hear sound.
That’s not a challenge for Pack Slime.
Not just Pack Slime-Pillow Slime or Gargle Slime could be used as hearing aids too. Pack Slime is just the most convenient.
Also, the Slimes that my kids and I make come with my skills as passive abilities. Even if it’s weak, the Healing☆ skill works. If you keep wearing Pack Slime on your ear, any issues with your hearing might be healed.
My Slimes are still making the world a little better, bit by bit.
I took out my watch.
Three. Two. One.
Tick, tick, tick, and it was midnight.
One. Two. Three.
Nothing’s happening.
Well, how much does it matter that Earth has gone once around the sun?
This year had a leap day, so it was even one day longer than usual.
I never actually knew the exact time I turned into a Slime.
By the time I woke up, I had already become a Slime.
So I can’t know exactly when a year has passed.
Well, as long as nothing goes wrong, it’s fine.
Still, maybe I should be careful today.
It might seem like I’m letting the day pass by too indifferently, but I don’t want to give any special meaning to today.
If you Awaken, you can gain a lot of power.
It truly changes your life.
So, there are people who treat the day they Awakened as another birthday and celebrate it.
But I have no intention of doing that.
Because I don’t think it’s something worth celebrating.
‘Isn’t it a good thing? Thanks to you becoming a Slime, so many people found happiness.’
Thanks to me becoming a Slime, I was able to create various Slimes, including Slime Land.
Because of that, many people were healed, and even lands that had died were revived.
The world became a better place.
Good things happened to me, too.
I built up wealth that would never run dry.
I became an honorable S-rank Alchemist.
I became a celebrity everyone recognizes.
I achieved tremendous success.
But these things didn’t happen just because I became a Slime.
They happened because I worked hard.
It’s true that I couldn’t have achieved these things if I hadn’t become a Slime.
But that doesn’t mean just becoming a Slime would let anyone achieve them.
If someone else had Awakened as a Slime, they wouldn’t have been able to do all this in just over a year.
These are things I accomplished because I, as a Slime, worked tirelessly.
Is that too arrogant of me to think?
Anyway, I don’t want to think that the world became a little happier because I was cursed and turned into a Slime.
So I don’t want to celebrate the fact that I became a Slime.
Unless it’s the day I first sold the Insole Slime, maybe.
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*drooling….
ahem, TyftC