Chapter 188: Companion Slime

As expected, being accepted by people in the world feels good.

It’s a way to give back, and since it works now, I started making and selling new <Slime>.

<Companion Slime>!

<Slime> is a very easy creature to raise.

It eats anything you give it, doesn’t get sick, doesn’t fight, doesn’t require walks, and it’s fine to leave it alone for a few days.

It’s a pet that surpasses the former popular pet rock.

Unlike pet rocks, you can properly communicate with it.

Considering the popularity of the [Slime Course], this <Companion Slime> is definitely going to be a hit.

-Yeonseul you dogXX!

It’s strange; among the people who came to buy <Companion Slime>, I hear someone cursing.

-3-star. Please, 3-star. God, Buddha, Yeonseul-nim, Slime God, please give me a 3-star! …It’s a 1-star!

Hey, the <Companion Slime> that’s listening will be disappointed.

If you start by lowering the affection before raising it, you’ll suffer later?

That’s right.

<Companion Slime> has rarity levels.

I made it thinking of it as a slime raising game.

Of course, there should be rarity and gacha.

But I have a conscience, so I clearly disclosed the probabilities.

You only get one chance to draw.

No exchanges.

Re-rolling is obviously not allowed.

Life can’t be reset.

-The probabilities are too low!

You’re trying to get everything raw from the start.

You don’t need to get a 3-star from the beginning.

It’s not a competition game.

If you invest time and raise it step by step, the stars will go up.

Unlike other game companies, I don’t discriminate based on birth.

It’s just that the starting points are different.

Raising a 1-star is easier than raising a small turtle.

It just slowly wriggles and eats food.

If you press it, it reacts with a slight twitch.

Think of it as the level of particularly lazy kids among the <Rock Slime> in the [Slime Course].

When it reaches about 3-star, it’ll be like the <Wig Slime> that Hans handles.

So, you don’t have to draw a 3-star necessarily.

Just wait while calmly building rapport and growing it, like handling <Wig Slime>.

And there are drawbacks to drawing a 3-star from the start.

Relationship formation becomes tricky.

<Companion Slime>’s personality changes depending on how you raise it.

If you raise it like leaving it alone, it’s more likely to become laid-back.

If you spend time with it always, it’s more likely to become spoiled.

To grow it into the type of <Companion Slime> you want, it’s better to start from 1-star.

A 3-star <Companion Slime> is more likely to have a picky personality.

I clearly explained these points in advance.

So, why are they all struggling to draw a 3-star?

They’ll regret it later, but I won’t know?

“Hey, Ash.”

Ash immediately drew a 3-star with eyes that see through the world.

“Are you confident you can raise it well? I told you 1-star is easier to raise.”

“No problem.”

We’ll see.

I can’t imagine Ash raising something well.

Veronica, who has eyes that pierce the world, also drew a 3-star.

“Veronica, are you confident?”

“Yes.”

I can’t imagine Veronica raising something well either.

Hans also drew a 3-star.

How on earth do they know which egg is 3-star?

“It’s unexpected. I thought Hans would raise it step by step from 1-star.”

“I plan to grow it quickly to assist Lime.”

Just how far do you intend to raise it?

That’s <Secretary Slime>, not <Companion Slime>, right?

Other employees also took one <Companion Slime> each.

Not just employees, but customers too took one each.

The price of <Companion Slime> is zero.

So, the <Companion Slime> I made spread out into the world one by one.

For reference, food costs are paid.

You can feed it anything, but if you want to give your child food that’s good for growth, visit Slime Land.

At Slime Land, we’re selling special food that accelerates the growth of <Companion Slime>.

***

[I curse your fate!]

The Elder Lich prepared a curse using the fragment of the god, feeling like its heart was being torn out.

This was a resource to regenerate the world that had been sacrificed and destroyed to reach an even higher realm.

But now, on the brink of death, it meant nothing.

The curse originated in this world, but the fragment of the god came from outside.

Since the curse is based on the fragment of the god, it can’t harm the one enveloped in that golden flame.

That flame was created from the wish to burn all beings that invade the world.

How can it take the most effective revenge on the opponent who crushed its wish?

The Elder Lich knew the answer.

Because it had experienced it itself.

[You….]

Before the curse aimed at the Holy Knight’s precious ones could be created.

Chains of light shot out from the Holy Knight’s bracelet and began to bind the curse.

‘That won’t do!’

The Elder Lich divided the curse and escaped through the gaps in the chains.

The chains split into several branches and chased the curses.

Some were bound strongly.

Other curses spread into the world while weakly sealed.

The Elder Lich changed its words.

[Disaster will befall this world because of you!]

***

Friday, June 16th.

Yesterday, my body changed strangely.

I was so scared that I cried a lot.

But the flames didn’t come out.

No matter how much I cried, the flames didn’t come out.

Mom came to the room surprised, but the flames didn’t come out.

Mom had a worried expression.

She asked if my body was okay.

It’s okay.

I like this body.

Because the flames don’t come out.

—

June 17th Saturday.

I can eat anything.

I can eat things I didn’t like before and they taste good.

But the more I eat, the more my level goes up.

Level going up is bad.

Because the flames get stronger.

Still, it’s okay now.

Because the flames don’t come out.

—

June 19th Monday.

I obtained a skill called [Stealth] that I don’t really understand.

Looking it up in the dictionary, it seems like a skill that hides the body.

I used it to surprise Mom.

Mom was startled and ran to the room.

I said ‘boo’ from behind, but Mom cried.

I felt like crying too.

I tried hard not to cry, but I remembered that the flames don’t come out.

So I just cried.

I shouldn’t use this skill anymore.

—

June 23rd Wednesday.

I asked Mom if I could go to school.

She said no.

She said it’s not good if people see this appearance.

Mom seems to not like this body very much.

But I like this body.

I can write in my diary like this.

And Mom can hug me.

—

June 28th Thursday.

I hear voices.

I’m scared.

—

July 4th

The voices said.

If people see this appearance, I won’t be able to meet Mom.

Bad people will take me and hurt me.

The voices said Mom hates this appearance.

So if I stay like this, Mom will hate me too.

The voices said the flames haven’t disappeared; they’re just preparing to get stronger.

I’m scared.

—

July 1st

Looking in the mirror, I saw flames inside my body.

It seems like the flames will come out again.

I’m scared.

—

Month 1st

Scared. Scared. Scared.

Someone help me.

No, I can’t get caught.

Scared. Scared. Scared.

—

The small child swallowed whatever it could get its hands on.

It had to level up.

‘Yes. Level up.’

The voices said.

If I level up and get new skills, there won’t be any more scary things.

Finally, the level went up.

[You can select a skill.

1. General Skill: Transform Lv. 1.

2. Special Skill: Special □□.]

A different alarm came out than before.

Until now, skills were just acquired.

And I couldn’t read the second skill’s letters.

‘Choose the first skill.

Then all your worries will be solved.

You’ll become the appearance of a normal child.

Without worrying about spouting flames.

You can go to school.

You can hang out with other kids.

You can hug Mom as much as you want.

You can do whatever you want.’

The child tried to reach for the first skill.

At that moment, the second skill struggled as if throwing a tantrum.

‘Don’t worry about it. Just choose the one above.

You don’t want to stay as a monster forever, right?

Close your eyes tightly and acquire the skill.

Then it’ll be fine.’

Then the second skill struggled even more strongly.

[2. Special Skill: Special □□.]

I could read the letters that I couldn’t read before.

‘Choose quickly! Choose it!

Are you going to stay locked in your room forever?

Do you want to burn your Mom again!

Press 1 right now!

If you don’t, you’ll never make friends for the rest of your life.

You won’t see Mom and you’ll live alone forever!

You’ll turn into flames and burn everything around you for life!’

[2. Special Skill: Special Divide.]

‘Choose quickly!’

At that moment, flames burst out from the child’s body.

‘Choose it!’

Feeling the fear that it had to obey the voices, the child reached for the skill above.

Suddenly, the door opened and someone grabbed that hand.

“Wait a minute, please?”

With a kind voice, a hand pierced through the flames and stroked the child’s head.

“That’s right, that’s right.”

Then, the voices that had been echoing in his head quieted down.

The flames rising from his body also subsided along with it.

“Were you scared? It’s okay now. I’m here.”

A man he had never seen before picked up the child.

The child calmed down with the warmth transmitted along with the body heat.

“Let me see….”

The man’s eyes slightly furrowed.

He hugged the child tightly.

“It’s okay. Don’t worry. Oppa will handle it somehow.”

***

What would have happened if the curse had gone to someone else?

That story had no salvation.

No matter who the curse went to, they were defeated by the curse.

There was a difference in mental strength, but the influence of the unique skill that the child possessed was significant.

That child had the ability to separate the curse, but others did not.

So, they enabled other people to do the same thing as that child.

They set it up so that the curse could be expelled through [Special Divide] just like that child.

The result didn’t change much.

Most people acted selfishly without hesitation.

Even if they resisted, most couldn’t overcome the initial fear.

Rarely, there were people who overcame the first curse, but they were defeated by the second curse.

The second curse targeted the host’s weakness.

There were people ruined by gluttony.

There were people trapped in lust and unable to escape.

There were people who acted arrogantly and got stabbed in the back.

There were people who rampaged in anger and were subdued.

In that way, everyone was ruined.

It was proven that not everyone could be like that child.

That child was just special.

It was right for other people not to muster that kind of courage.

But is there really no way to overcome it at all?

Makina added just one variable to the simulation.

What if that child had awakened normally?

Then, the story’s direction changed completely.

If that child awakened on the same day as the child with the blessing’s flame, the Ribbon cult wouldn’t even be able to attempt summoning the Evil God’s Fragment.

They would have been wiped out before that.

If the awakening was delayed, this time the Elder Lich was subdued before it could do anything.

If the awakening was delayed further, this time the Lich’s curse was sealed along with the Evil God’s Fragment at the moment it tried to cast it.

Should I delay the awakening further or nerf that child’s ability?

After pondering, she delayed the awakening once more.

Then, this time, the child with the flames made a bracelet containing his own power and gave it as a gift.

That bracelet tore apart the curse.

The torn curse divided into seven pieces and entered different people’s bodies.

It was an unexpected situation, but it felt just right.

Makina proceeded with the simulation.

In the simulation, that child saved the little child captured by fear.

After realizing that the curse could be separated somehow, but restoring the already changed body back to original was extremely difficult.

He persuaded the little child and the parents.

I’ll find a way to return to normal.

And if the world tries to reject the little child who has turned into a Slime.

I’ll change the world myself.

He declared it as confidently as the sun.

That child has always been like that.

No matter how difficult something seemed, if he thought it had to be done, he would stick his head into it.

But after getting his head broken, he fell into a slump.

During the time when his confidence was overflowing, that child was unstoppable.

After awakening and gaining power, that child regained that confidence.

‘It was like that back then too.’

Makina recalled her meeting with that child.

As a result of believing he could change the world and rampaging.

A certain idiot who became an internet ghost.

The story from when he was captured by fear.