Chapter 195: "I'll go catch it now."

Overwork that doesn’t think about the future.

Plus, powerful alchemy potions that don’t consider one’s own body.

With these two things, Hans’s body, which had been completely ruined, healed when he was afflicted with the Curse of Sloth and became a Slime.

But he was already in a state where he had lost all motivation.

Except for earning money, he felt that his life was full of failures.

He did nothing.

He stayed locked in his room and decayed.

The Saint found him like that.

“Come with me. Even if you failed, as long as it’s not all over, you can start again, right?”

The Saint assigned him work.

He was tasked with the difficult job of selling products made from <Slime>.

It was something started with the mindset of a former office worker, and it was a situation where one wanted to tell him to quit the business immediately.

<Slime> products were seen by many as cutting and selling body parts, so the image was bad.

There was no distinctive feature that felt vastly superior to existing products.

There was the problem that only one person was motivated, while the others weren’t really into it.

If there were clear results, one might have been motivated, but there weren’t.

“You should give up.”

“I don’t want to give up.”

“It doesn’t make money.”

“If it’s about money, I can earn it.”

“Why are you so obsessed?”

“If <Slime> products become popular, it will be easier for you all to be accepted by people.”

Like how something that looks strange is not disgusting if it’s tasty.

If there’s a necessity that goes beyond disgust, the image changes.

Understanding the Saint’s thoughts, Hans did what he could.

He had already shed his laziness.

But sales still hit rock bottom.

“<Slime> has slightly different characteristics depending on whose it is.”

The situation changed when it was not them, but the Saint who started making <Slime> directly.

Like weaving threads with good characteristics by mixing various kinds of fibers.

The Saint mixed Slimes received from each and created one product.

“It’s interesting.”

Compared to <Slime> products made separately by each, there was a dramatic improvement. Even if the image was bad, it gained value for use.

As <Slime> products received positive feedback, those who weren’t keen on it also became motivated.

Just as their company seemed to be growing.

The world’s top alchemy company picked a fight.

They completely disassembled the <Slime> products the Saint had mixed and made and sold similar alchemy products.

Hans saw this as a check, but the Saint thought differently.

“Is he like an elementary school kid bragging that he can make something better?”

The Saint exchanged a few letters with the chairman of the alchemy company Sole Alchemy and then went to meet him directly.

“What on earth is that appearance??”

There, the Saint met an alchemist who was half-turned into a Slime.

“It’s an experiment.”

“That doesn’t seem like an experiment; it looks like you’ve been hit by a curse.”

“I’ve properly isolated the curse. I’ve just allowed it to influence me because the thing inside is interesting.”

“Oh, I see.”

The Saint felt the presence of a barrier wrapping around the curse inside the alchemist. It was rather in a strengthened state.

The world’s top alchemist had isolated the curse that was on him with chains of the [Barrier] skill.

He could have strengthened the chains to not be affected by the curse.

But the alchemist made a different choice.

He noticed that there was an extraordinary being in that curse and became interested.

So, he did the crazy thing of experimenting on his own body.

Understanding that, the Saint said one thing.

“That seems like a method with too many problems.”

“It’s fine.”

“It doesn’t look fine, that’s why I’m saying it.”

“There are things that can’t be seen by the eyes of someone who isn’t an alchemist.”

“I’m not awakened as an alchemist, but I pride myself on knowing quite a bit about Slimes. And since I’m not an alchemist, there must be things I can see. That’s why Ash invited me, right?”

“That’s true. I admit it.”

“First, shall I properly check your condition?”

“Alright.”

Expert in spacetime.

Expert in barriers.

The two’s compatibility was quite good.

Ash, who had initially ignored the Saint, gradually began to properly recognize him as time passed.

“You are a true alchemist.”

The Saint didn’t bother to argue that he wasn’t an alchemist.

Because he knew the meaning of ‘true alchemist’ that Ash was talking about.

“Thanks for the compliment.”

The research to restore the original body of the person turned into a Slime continued.

Unfortunately, this didn’t yield clear results.

Strangely enough, a prototype of a technique to change other materials into <Slime> using <Slime> as a material was completed.

The efficiency wasn’t that high, but even ordinary alchemists could create a larger amount of <Slime> with a small amount of <Slime>.

-Simulation end.

***

Makina finished the simulation.

Everyone, including the S-rank Hunter caught up in the anger that appeared behind Arrogance and rampaging, was saved by that child.

This proved the fact that people can be saved if that child is there.

But this is only the story when that child isn’t late.

Makina brought out the ending of another simulation.

If that child’s growth is even a little delayed, all endings are twisted.

One child swallowed their mother first.

One hunter swallowed their colleagues.

One man committed slaughter.

One man disappeared without a sound.

One girl fell.

One alchemist was subjugated.

And the one Saint who was late for everything.

After being attacked by the hidden Curse of Anger.

He was consumed by anger toward himself and turned into a disaster.

Only when timed right can that child save people.

Makina was saved by that child.

Chris didn’t meet that child.

That child was late.

Even if he’s right next to her now, she can’t even recognize it.

How on earth can he protect her without being late when she’s in danger?

Makina didn’t plan to keep running away forever.

If that child gives up on meeting her directly, she planned to slyly contact him again.

The meaning Makina conveys to that child by fleeing is just one.

I’m sorry for not keeping the promise, though.

Can’t we just go back to that kind of relationship where we pretend not to know, even though we do, like before?

Playing games together, chatting, and not digging deeply into each other’s identities.

Can’t we go back to that life from back then?

And there’s just the right gift at the end.

Even an ordinary alchemist has the technique to make <Slime>.

This is a clue to solving one of the problems that child is worried about.

What would happen to people’s lives if the Alchemy Slime dies and <Slime> production stops?

It’s the answer to solving that problem.

Maybe I can give this as a gift of reconciliation and aim to restore the relationship.

Makina was a coward.

That’s why change was scary.

And she rejected it.

But it seems that child has no intention of leaving it like that.

That child clearly saw Makina.

She must have acquired a skill that allows her to recognize me.

“Makina. If you’re a coward, then I’m a greedy one.”

A barrier spread around Makina.

This level won’t be useful.

It seems like he’s put in effort to catch me, but meanwhile, Makina hasn’t been idle either.

I’ve prepared plenty of escape holes in case of emergencies.

A new barrier tried to block Makina’s escape, but she dodged it cleverly.

“Really…. Can’t you muster the courage to meet me with that effort? Well, I didn’t think you could catch me this way.”

That child smirked.

“I’ll go catch you now.”

And then he collapsed just like that.

***

[Trait: Slime☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ has leveled up to 95.]

My level is 95.

At level 90, I got the skill without making a fuss and quietly passed it.

Makina is not omniscient.

In the sea of information, she’s close to omniscient, and in modern society that relies on electronic information technology, her power is almost god-like.

But still, she doesn’t know everything.

The way Makina knows what skills I obtained is through observation.

She can’t know unless I use the skills I got.

Since she doesn’t have a status window.

The skill I got last time is [Copy+]. A skill that can imitate other people’s skills and abilities.

It seems like an amazing skill, but in reality, it’s not that great.

I can handle most things without copying someone else’s skills.

I had to copy skills and abilities like Veronica’s eyes that make the impossible possible for me.

The quality of the copy is far inferior to the original, especially if the original is strong.

After copying Veronica’s eyes in a degraded form, I was able to recognize Makina’s existence.

Though I pretended not to know.

Afterward, when Makina wasn’t observing me, I quietly went to find Veronica.

“Can I copy your ability a bit so I can see the same scenery as you?”

I got permission from Veronica and copied the skill and ability.

If I get the owner’s permission, I can produce a slightly better result.

It’s still not up to the original, but I could recognize Makina quite clearly.

Though I still pretended not to know.

Next, I just need to copy Makina’s skills.

But degraded copies are worse than nothing.

If I go to meet her with a degraded skill copying Makina’s abilities, I won’t be able to do anything in front of her overwhelming power.

She’d just set up something like a firewall, and I wouldn’t be able to move.

It would be a bit better if I copy with permission.

But that’s not going to happen.

She’s the type who keeps running away even in uncertain situations where we might meet.

Do you think she’ll nicely agree if I say I want to meet her so I’ll copy your skills and abilities?

So I waited for the next opportunity.

When I reached level 95, the status window offered me two skills.

[Transform]

A skill that allows me to take on a human form and

[Enhance (One-time)

– You can grow one skill.]

It was a one-time skill that allows me to enhance one of the skills I have.

The status window isn’t just teasing me by keep offering [Transform] skills.

In the end, it’s a matter of my heart.

The reason [Transform] skill didn’t come out at levels 85 and 90 is because I had decided to prioritize going to meet Makina.

But the fact that it came out again this time is probably because I think this might be the last skill for real.

Where is the limit of my level?

Maybe it stops at 99 and doesn’t go up anymore, and this might be the last skill.

Because I still have worries about that and lingering attachments to the [Transform] skill, the status window keeps offering [Transform] skills.

There’s also the option of choosing the [Transform] skill now.

Then I can live as a human.

As I thought before, I can create one clone without any abilities and turn it into a human with the [Transform] skill.

With the power of the curse, manipulating memories wouldn’t be hard.

Leave all matters related to <Slime> to the Alchemy Slime and

Leave the SLimelove channel to PengRhyme and

I can just live as an ordinary human.

Go back to university again.

Worry about my decreasing balance and look for jobs.

Get a job at Slime Land.

Date, get married,

And while struggling with kids, still be happy.

I can live like an ordinary human.

While saying this plan to Makina,

“Let’s go back to our old relationship.”

If I say that, maybe she’ll agree?

Real name, age, gender, face, nationality.

Go back to that time when I didn’t know any of that.

Even if I find out something, just pretend not to know in that kind of relationship.

Maybe Makina is hoping for that.

If it’s happy, it’s a happy ending.

But in return, the barrier between reality and virtual will never collapse.

“Makina. If you’re a coward, then I’m a greedy one.”

I let go of my lingering attachments and grabbed the wind.

[Are you really going to enhance the Copy+ skill?]

[The skill will be used immediately upon acquisition.]

[Once the skill is used, it cannot be canceled.]

I pressed [Yes].

[The Copy+ skill grows into the Reproduction★ skill.]

Immediately reproduced Veronica’s eyes and saw Makina, whose frequency of lingering around me has increased recently. I grasped Makina’s core ability and duplicated it with the [Reproduction★] skill.

Finally, I can step onto the same stage as Makina.

First, I formed a barrier to imprison Makina.

As I had prepared in advance, barriers sprang up from all sides, blocking Makina’s escape route.

I didn’t just launch <Satellite Slime> into space and lay <Tunnel Slime> under the sea to easily interfere with the information network for no reason.

I set that up to use in situations like this.

But Makina slipped away cleverly.

As expected, setting traps against a stalker is difficult.

“Really…. Can’t you muster the courage to meet me with that effort? Well, I didn’t think I could catch you with this method anyway.”

Even if she escapes, it doesn’t matter.

It’s just to delay time, that’s all.

With the skill I just obtained, I can’t catch Makina, who is moving around completely freely.

“I’m going to catch you now.”

With that, I stepped into Makina’s world.

***

“Hmm….”

It’s a bit shocking that my soul is in the form of a slime?