That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Light Novel, Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It’s dark .

I can’t see a thing in this total darkness .

Where is this? Rather…what happened?

If I remember correctly, I think I was being made fun of…something about being a sage or great sage…

And then I fully regained my consciousness .

My name is, Mikami Satoru . A 37 year old nice guy .

Back then on the road, I protected my junior from work, from a random slasher, but got myself stabbed .

Good, I remember . It’s all right, it isn’t the time to panic yet .

Anyhow, For the cool me to become flustered, at least it has to be on the level of during the time I was an elementary schooler, when I was unable to suppress the urge to sh*t my pants .

It was when I tried looking around my surroundings that I realized . My eyes wouldn’t open .

Not knowing what to do, I tried scratching my head…to find that my hands weren’t responding .

Putting all that aside, I wonder where my head is .

How disorienting .

Oi oi, just wait a second .

Give me some time, so I can calm down .

In these kind of moments I’m supposed to count prime numbers, right?

1, 2, 3… Daah!!!

Wrong . This isn’t it . In the first place, 1 isn’t a prime number was it?

No no, that doesn’t matter either .

This isn’t the time to be saying such stupid things, aren’t I in deep trouble?

Eh? Wai-…what’s up with this?

Perhaps…could it be that it’s too late to do anything other than to panic?

I hastily check whether I was hurting anywhere .

There is no pain . I feel comfortable .

I can sense neither cold nor heat . This space I’m inside of is really quite cozy .

I’m a little relieved about that .

Next I check the rest of my limbs . Let alone moving a single finger, my arms and legs gave no reaction…

What does this mean?

It’s not like I’d lose my limbs over just getting stabbed…what’s going on?

To begin with, I can’t open my eyes .

I’m in some pitch-dark space, unable to see a thing .

My heart was gripped in a terrible anxiety I’ve never felt before .

It seems…I’ve entered a vegetative state, or something like that?

Though only my awareness remains, maybe my nerves have been severed which is why I can’t move?

No no no, anything but that!

When I think I’ve been finally saved, it turns out I’m a human vegetable . This is the worst, but at least my lower half is fortunate enough to feel something .

Though either way, there’s no doubt this is a disaster, to think I’ve become a vegetable that can only think, I’m in hell…

My mind fills with the worst imaginations, beginning to turn the initial confusion into despair .

I want you to just think about it .

A human locked up in darkness will go insane in the blink of an eye . My situation matches exactly that, furthermore, I can’t even suicide .

When you can only wait for the encroaching madness, it’s impossible not to despair .

But at that moment,

A sound of touching something,

And I felt it with my body .

Hn? What’s this…

I focus all of my senses on that touching sensation .

On the side of my stomach? Something that felt like grass was gently brushing against me .

As I concentrated further on that area being touched, I came to vaguely understand the span of my own body . Occasionally, I could feel pointy ends prodding me in places .

That made me somewhat happy .

Even now, I was still blind in the darkness . However, of all the five senses, I experienced the sense of touch again .

Becoming interested, as I tried moving towards that grass,

Slither .

And I felt myself moving .

I…moved?!

At this moment, I clearly confirmed that I was not on top of a hospital bed . It was because in the area below my…stomach? I could feel the shape of something rugged, like rock .

I see…I have no idea what’s going on, but apparently I’m not at a hospital .

On top of that, I can’t see .

Seeing as I also can’t hear a single sound, it’s most likely I’ve gone deaf .

Though I’m not sure where my head is, I keep moving closer to the grass . Directing my consciousness towards the grass making contact with my body, I follow that sensation .

I can’t smell a thing . Perhaps, I’ve lost my sense of smell as well?

Also, how should I say…I’m not sure of the shape of my own body .

I don’t want to admit it, but I have a hunch that the shape of my body is strangely similar to that of a certain streamlined, jelly-like “monster”, which is quite popular among RPG lovers .

Such thoughts have been going through my mind for a while now .

No no…that can’t be the case, really . However the circumstances may be, that just can’t…

For the time being, let’s put those suspicions aside .

I decided, I would try the one last untested sense of the five human senses .

But I don’t know where my mouth is . What to do?…

Suddenly, a voice sounded in my head .

Ha?

Wha-, come again?

Unique skill [Predator]…you say?

Rather, what’s that voice?

I did feel like I was hearing a weird voice, even when I was talking with Tamura, so it wasn’t just my imagination?

Is somebody there?

Nevertheless, this puts me on edge . It was, rather than someone being nearby…I had a feeling that the words were surfacing from within my mind .

It gave me the impression of something inhuman, or should I say, like the automated sounds of a computer .

For the time being, it’s a NO!

To say the least, I’m a Japanese person who knows how to say no after all .

In my mind I thought “NO”, and waited to see what would happen .

I get no response . I waited for a while, but the voice didn’t come .

Apparently, it doesn’t ask for a second confirmation . Did I choose wrong? Is this a game you get stuck on if you don’t say yes?

Like in an RPG, I thought that the same message would be continuously repeated until a “YES” was confirmed, but it seems I was mistaken .

Calling out to me just to ask a question, then neglecting me . Such an impolite guy .

To be honest, hearing that voice had made me just a little bit happy .

I was somewhat regretful .

Well, it can’t be helped now .

I’ll continue from where I left off testing my sense of taste .

I move my body towards that grass from before . Concentrating on the part of my body in contact with the grass, I confirmed where it was and leaned on it .

Covering the grass entirely with my body, I ascertained it’s texture . Indeed, there’s no doubt this really is grass .

While I was confirming that, the grass in contact with my body began to dissolve . I wondered if my body was melting, but it seems only the grass was affected .

And then, I came to realize that the components of the dissolved grass were being taken into my body .

Apparently, I dissolved and absorbed the grass . In other words, instead of using a mouth, my body can absorb grass through contact .

By the way, there was no flavor at all .

To sum it all up, it’s like this .

It appears, I’ve stopped being a human . I’m almost certain of this .

And that means, I really did die from getting stabbed?

It’s not really a question though, I’m pretty sure of that fact now . That being the case, I’ve concluded that this isn’t the hospital, but a rocky area that allows for grass to grow .

What happened to Tamura?

What about Sawatari-san?

Has my PC been safely destroyed?

There was no limit to the questions . But it’s probably too late brooding over those things . I have to think about what to do from now on .

Or should I say…wait up .

I wonder what’s happened to me . Come to think of it, based on that earlier sensation…

Once again, I began focusing on sensing my body .

Jiggle . Jiggle .

My body was moving rhythmically .

In the pitch dark, I spent some time exploring and better understanding my own body .

And…

How could this be!

I was such a handsome specimen, not to mention overflowing with manliness, but now I’ve been reduced to this streamlined and polished form!

What, how idiotic! This is unacceptable!!!

PR/N: *Chuckle Chuckle*

While sensing the boundaries of my body, however I looked at it, I ended up being reminded of that “thing” .

No no, I mean, really?

It’s not like I dislike them okay? Yeah . I even think they’re adorable in a way!

But see here, if you asked people, “Would you like to become one?”, then most likely 90% would concur with me .

Nevertheless, I suppose there’s no other way than to face the reality…

That somehow, I’ve been reincarnated as a slime .

Munch munch .

Munch munch munch .

There I was, eating grass .

Why you ask? It’s obvious!

Cause, I’ve-Got-Time, yo!

After grudgingly accepting the fact that I was a slime, the days passed reasonably well .

To start with, in the beginning, I was first concerned with food supply .

I was set on testing to see if a slime’s body could feel hunger . Just to be sure, I moved while checking the immediate surroundings, and found a place where grass was plentiful .

Surprisingly, that place was not too far from the first batch of grass I’d found .

When needed, I could feed on the grass, and as for water I’d somehow make do with grass sap .

Because I couldn’t see my surroundings at all in the darkness, it was good luck finding a place so near . Moving around in itself was a matter of life or death .

Afterwards, I began experimenting

I tried counting 50,000 sheeps . I got tired of it .

I tried sleeping, but never felt drowsy at all .

I counted prime numbers, which became incomprehensible as time went on . There’s no way I could do that .

Trying to play Shiritori alone was simply futile, so what could I do by myself to kill time…

*Shiritori = Japanese word-chain game

If the internet was available, I’m confident I could waste away any amount of time, but there’s no cellphone games or anything at all .

This was pure agony .

Meditating like an ascetic monk, just isn’t possible for an amateur .

Another thing is that while uncertain, there seemed to be no other living creatures in this place .

Up till then I hadn’t felt the slightest hint of other creatures .

Well…though I couldn’t be sure of it in the current state of disabled sight, hearing and even smell, at the very least I hadn’t been attacked so far .

Thanks to that, I’ve been living peacefully without fearing for my life .

And so, at the end of enduring the glorious pain (to my mind) I was able to come to a conclusion .

I don’t get hungry . Also, I don’t require sleep .

Not once did my stomach growl, nor did I become drowsy .

Just how many days it took, I don’t know . Being in total darkness all the time, I never felt the passage of time .

During that period, I didn’t hear that odd voice in my mind again . Though I wouldn’t mind his company right now .

And so, I’m eating grass because of no other choice .

Since there’s nothing else to do, I’m eating grass for the sensation of popping bubble-wrap it gives .

Lately, I’ve discovered in my body, that the grass I absorb is being decomposed and the broken down components are accumulating .

If asked, what significance does that have, I would reply that there is none .

I was just afraid, that if I didn’t do something I would go mad .

Nowadays I’ve grown accustomed to two things . Absorption and decomposition, rinse and repeat .

At this point, I found something of a mystery .

It was a question formed long ago upon discovering my lack of appetite for food, in relation to excrement . I had no need for food, but what about excretion?

The answer? It’s unnecessary!

Until now, I have not once discharged any excrement whatsoever .

It’s not strange that a slime doesn’t need to eject waste, but then, where does all the grass I’ve harvested disappear to?

Upon inspection, I didn’t sense any changes from my original form .

Just what is going on?

Say what? I got a reply!!!

But did I ever use the skill? I replied “NO” back then .

What did you say… . This time a smooth reply came . Leaving that aside, I want to know, what happens when you use the skill?

Predation: Draws the target into the “Stomach” . However, if the target is a sentient creature, the probability of success will greatly decrease .

Affected targets: Not limited to organic matter and inorganic matter, also affects skills and magic .

Analysis: Able to analyze and research targets affected by Predation . Craftable items can be produced . Copies of materials can be produced . Upon succeeding in analyzing the technique formula, the targeted skill or magic can be acquired .

Stomach: Stores targets affected by Predation . Also, able to store materials produced through Analysis . Anything stored in the “Stomach” will be unaffected by time .

Mimesis: Able to mimic the appearance of target affected by Predation, gaining equal ability to the target . However, limited to targets that have been successfully analyzed for information .

Isolation: Stores harmful elements that are unable to be analyzed . Targets are rendered harmless, and converted to magical energy .

Those were the explanations for the 5 main abilities>

Eh?… Eh?

I haven’t been this confused in a long time . Those abilities, they sure sounded amazing… . It feels like, those abilities shouldn’t be used by the likes of a slime .

Wait, before that,

The voice that answers my questions, what is it? Is somebody there?

Great Sage huh… . It was so bothersome when it was making fun of me, but now it’s become so reliable . I’ll be relying on it more from now on .

Frankly, I’m okay with this situation now .

Perhaps this loneliness that I believed to be endless can be healed .

But this “voice” might just be an auditory hallucination that I invented . Nevertheless I’m okay with that .

For the first time in a while, I experienced my heart grow lighter .

Status

Name: Mikami Satoru

Species: Slime

Titles:     None

Magic:     None

Skills: Unique Skill 『Great Sage』

Unique Skill 『Predator』

Slime Inherent Skills 『Dissolution, Absorption, Self-Regeneration』

Resistances:

Heat Fluctuation Resistance EX

Physical Attack Resistance

Pain Immunity

Electrical Resistance

Paralysis Resistance

It’s dark .

I can’t see a thing in this total darkness .

Where is this? Rather…what happened?

If I remember correctly, I think I was being made fun of…something about being a sage or great sage…

And then I fully regained my consciousness .

My name is, Mikami Satoru . A 37 year old nice guy .

Back then on the road, I protected my junior from work, from a random slasher, but got myself stabbed .

Good, I remember . It’s all right, it isn’t the time to panic yet .

Anyhow, For the cool me to become flustered, at least it has to be on the level of during the time I was an elementary schooler, when I was unable to suppress the urge to sh*t my pants .

It was when I tried looking around my surroundings that I realized . My eyes wouldn’t open .

Not knowing what to do, I tried scratching my head…to find that my hands weren’t responding .

Putting all that aside, I wonder where my head is .

How disorienting .

Oi oi, just wait a second .

Give me some time, so I can calm down .

In these kind of moments I’m supposed to count prime numbers, right?

1, 2, 3… Daah!!!

Wrong . This isn’t it . In the first place, 1 isn’t a prime number was it?

No no, that doesn’t matter either .

This isn’t the time to be saying such stupid things, aren’t I in deep trouble?

Eh? Wai-…what’s up with this?

Perhaps…could it be that it’s too late to do anything other than to panic?

I hastily check whether I was hurting anywhere .

There is no pain . I feel comfortable .

I can sense neither cold nor heat . This space I’m inside of is really quite cozy .

I’m a little relieved about that .

Next I check the rest of my limbs . Let alone moving a single finger, my arms and legs gave no reaction…

What does this mean?

It’s not like I’d lose my limbs over just getting stabbed…what’s going on?

To begin with, I can’t open my eyes .

I’m in some pitch-dark space, unable to see a thing .

My heart was gripped in a terrible anxiety I’ve never felt before .

It seems…I’ve entered a vegetative state, or something like that?

Though only my awareness remains, maybe my nerves have been severed which is why I can’t move?

No no no, anything but that!

When I think I’ve been finally saved, it turns out I’m a human vegetable . This is the worst, but at least my lower half is fortunate enough to feel something .

Though either way, there’s no doubt this is a disaster, to think I’ve become a vegetable that can only think, I’m in hell…

My mind fills with the worst imaginations, beginning to turn the initial confusion into despair .

I want you to just think about it .

A human locked up in darkness will go insane in the blink of an eye . My situation matches exactly that, furthermore, I can’t even suicide .

When you can only wait for the encroaching madness, it’s impossible not to despair .

But at that moment,

A sound of touching something,

And I felt it with my body .

Hn? What’s this…

I focus all of my senses on that touching sensation .

On the side of my stomach? Something that felt like grass was gently brushing against me .

As I concentrated further on that area being touched, I came to vaguely understand the span of my own body . Occasionally, I could feel pointy ends prodding me in places .

That made me somewhat happy .

Even now, I was still blind in the darkness . However, of all the five senses, I experienced the sense of touch again .

Becoming interested, as I tried moving towards that grass,

Slither .

And I felt myself moving .

I…moved?!

At this moment, I clearly confirmed that I was not on top of a hospital bed . It was because in the area below my…stomach? I could feel the shape of something rugged, like rock .

I see…I have no idea what’s going on, but apparently I’m not at a hospital .

On top of that, I can’t see .

Seeing as I also can’t hear a single sound, it’s most likely I’ve gone deaf .

Though I’m not sure where my head is, I keep moving closer to the grass . Directing my consciousness towards the grass making contact with my body, I follow that sensation .

I can’t smell a thing . Perhaps, I’ve lost my sense of smell as well?

Also, how should I say…I’m not sure of the shape of my own body .

I don’t want to admit it, but I have a hunch that the shape of my body is strangely similar to that of a certain streamlined, jelly-like “monster”, which is quite popular among RPG lovers .

Such thoughts have been going through my mind for a while now .

No no…that can’t be the case, really . However the circumstances may be, that just can’t…

For the time being, let’s put those suspicions aside .

I decided, I would try the one last untested sense of the five human senses .

But I don’t know where my mouth is . What to do?…

Suddenly, a voice sounded in my head .

Ha?

Wha-, come again?

Unique skill [Predator]…you say?

Rather, what’s that voice?

I did feel like I was hearing a weird voice, even when I was talking with Tamura, so it wasn’t just my imagination?

Is somebody there?

Nevertheless, this puts me on edge . It was, rather than someone being nearby…I had a feeling that the words were surfacing from within my mind .

It gave me the impression of something inhuman, or should I say, like the automated sounds of a computer .

For the time being, it’s a NO!

To say the least, I’m a Japanese person who knows how to say no after all .

In my mind I thought “NO”, and waited to see what would happen .

I get no response . I waited for a while, but the voice didn’t come .

Apparently, it doesn’t ask for a second confirmation . Did I choose wrong? Is this a game you get stuck on if you don’t say yes?

Like in an RPG, I thought that the same message would be continuously repeated until a “YES” was confirmed, but it seems I was mistaken .

Calling out to me just to ask a question, then neglecting me . Such an impolite guy .

To be honest, hearing that voice had made me just a little bit happy .

I was somewhat regretful .

Well, it can’t be helped now .

I’ll continue from where I left off testing my sense of taste .

I move my body towards that grass from before . Concentrating on the part of my body in contact with the grass, I confirmed where it was and leaned on it .

Covering the grass entirely with my body, I ascertained it’s texture . Indeed, there’s no doubt this really is grass .

While I was confirming that, the grass in contact with my body began to dissolve . I wondered if my body was melting, but it seems only the grass was affected .

And then, I came to realize that the components of the dissolved grass were being taken into my body .

Apparently, I dissolved and absorbed the grass . In other words, instead of using a mouth, my body can absorb grass through contact .

By the way, there was no flavor at all .

To sum it all up, it’s like this .

It appears, I’ve stopped being a human . I’m almost certain of this .

And that means, I really did die from getting stabbed?

It’s not really a question though, I’m pretty sure of that fact now . That being the case, I’ve concluded that this isn’t the hospital, but a rocky area that allows for grass to grow .

What happened to Tamura?

What about Sawatari-san?

Has my PC been safely destroyed?

There was no limit to the questions . But it’s probably too late brooding over those things . I have to think about what to do from now on .

Or should I say…wait up .

I wonder what’s happened to me . Come to think of it, based on that earlier sensation…

Once again, I began focusing on sensing my body .

Jiggle . Jiggle .

My body was moving rhythmically .

In the pitch dark, I spent some time exploring and better understanding my own body .

And…

How could this be!

I was such a handsome specimen, not to mention overflowing with manliness, but now I’ve been reduced to this streamlined and polished form!

What, how idiotic! This is unacceptable!!!

PR/N: *Chuckle Chuckle*

While sensing the boundaries of my body, however I looked at it, I ended up being reminded of that “thing” .

No no, I mean, really?

It’s not like I dislike them okay? Yeah . I even think they’re adorable in a way!

But see here, if you asked people, “Would you like to become one?”, then most likely 90% would concur with me .

Nevertheless, I suppose there’s no other way than to face the reality…

That somehow, I’ve been reincarnated as a slime .

Munch munch .

Munch munch munch .

There I was, eating grass .

Why you ask? It’s obvious!

Cause, I’ve-Got-Time, yo!

After grudgingly accepting the fact that I was a slime, the days passed reasonably well .

To start with, in the beginning, I was first concerned with food supply .

I was set on testing to see if a slime’s body could feel hunger . Just to be sure, I moved while checking the immediate surroundings, and found a place where grass was plentiful .

Surprisingly, that place was not too far from the first batch of grass I’d found .

When needed, I could feed on the grass, and as for water I’d somehow make do with grass sap .

Because I couldn’t see my surroundings at all in the darkness, it was good luck finding a place so near . Moving around in itself was a matter of life or death .

Afterwards, I began experimenting

I tried counting 50,000 sheeps . I got tired of it .

I tried sleeping, but never felt drowsy at all .

I counted prime numbers, which became incomprehensible as time went on . There’s no way I could do that .

Trying to play Shiritori alone was simply futile, so what could I do by myself to kill time…

*Shiritori = Japanese word-chain game

If the internet was available, I’m confident I could waste away any amount of time, but there’s no cellphone games or anything at all .

This was pure agony .

Meditating like an ascetic monk, just isn’t possible for an amateur .

Another thing is that while uncertain, there seemed to be no other living creatures in this place .

Up till then I hadn’t felt the slightest hint of other creatures .

Well…though I couldn’t be sure of it in the current state of disabled sight, hearing and even smell, at the very least I hadn’t been attacked so far .

Thanks to that, I’ve been living peacefully without fearing for my life .

And so, at the end of enduring the glorious pain (to my mind) I was able to come to a conclusion .

I don’t get hungry . Also, I don’t require sleep .

Not once did my stomach growl, nor did I become drowsy .

Just how many days it took, I don’t know . Being in total darkness all the time, I never felt the passage of time .

During that period, I didn’t hear that odd voice in my mind again . Though I wouldn’t mind his company right now .

And so, I’m eating grass because of no other choice .

Since there’s nothing else to do, I’m eating grass for the sensation of popping bubble-wrap it gives .

Lately, I’ve discovered in my body, that the grass I absorb is being decomposed and the broken down components are accumulating .

If asked, what significance does that have, I would reply that there is none .

I was just afraid, that if I didn’t do something I would go mad .

Nowadays I’ve grown accustomed to two things . Absorption and decomposition, rinse and repeat .

At this point, I found something of a mystery .

It was a question formed long ago upon discovering my lack of appetite for food, in relation to excrement . I had no need for food, but what about excretion?

The answer? It’s unnecessary!

Until now, I have not once discharged any excrement whatsoever .

It’s not strange that a slime doesn’t need to eject waste, but then, where does all the grass I’ve harvested disappear to?

Upon inspection, I didn’t sense any changes from my original form .

Just what is going on?

Say what? I got a reply!!!

But did I ever use the skill? I replied “NO” back then .

What did you say… . This time a smooth reply came . Leaving that aside, I want to know, what happens when you use the skill?

Predation: Draws the target into the “Stomach” . However, if the target is a sentient creature, the probability of success will greatly decrease .

Affected targets: Not limited to organic matter and inorganic matter, also affects skills and magic .

Analysis: Able to analyze and research targets affected by Predation . Craftable items can be produced . Copies of materials can be produced . Upon succeeding in analyzing the technique formula, the targeted skill or magic can be acquired .

Stomach: Stores targets affected by Predation . Also, able to store materials produced through Analysis . Anything stored in the “Stomach” will be unaffected by time .

Mimesis: Able to mimic the appearance of target affected by Predation, gaining equal ability to the target . However, limited to targets that have been successfully analyzed for information .

Isolation: Stores harmful elements that are unable to be analyzed . Targets are rendered harmless, and converted to magical energy .

Those were the explanations for the 5 main abilities>

Eh?… Eh?

I haven’t been this confused in a long time . Those abilities, they sure sounded amazing… . It feels like, those abilities shouldn’t be used by the likes of a slime .

Wait, before that,

The voice that answers my questions, what is it? Is somebody there?

Great Sage huh… . It was so bothersome when it was making fun of me, but now it’s become so reliable . I’ll be relying on it more from now on .

Frankly, I’m okay with this situation now .

Perhaps this loneliness that I believed to be endless can be healed .

But this “voice” might just be an auditory hallucination that I invented . Nevertheless I’m okay with that .

For the first time in a while, I experienced my heart grow lighter .

Status

Name: Mikami Satoru

Species: Slime

Titles:     None

Magic:     None

Skills: Unique Skill 『Great Sage』

Unique Skill 『Predator』

Slime Inherent Skills 『Dissolution, Absorption, Self-Regeneration』

Resistances:

Heat Fluctuation Resistance EX

Physical Attack Resistance

Pain Immunity

Electrical Resistance

Paralysis Resistance