Taste

The sun slowly set, and darkness began to shroud the forest. The surroundings were utterly silent.

Mo Li carried Rimuru through the forest. Strangely, they had not encountered a single monster along the way, for reasons unknown.

Even when they did spot monsters, the creatures immediately fled at the sight of the two of them.

To be honest, not only was Rimuru puzzled, but even Mo Li could not make heads or tails of it.

Although Mo Li had read the novel Cute King several times, he had only reread the climactic and exciting parts. He did not know much about the details. Besides, ever since being reincarnated into this world, he could not guarantee that other things had not changed under the butterfly effect.

For now, though, the plot did not seem to have deviated much.

"Mo Li, I want to eat."

At that moment, Rimuru interrupted Mo Li's thoughts.

Three black lines seemed to appear over Mo Li's head when he heard that.

"Ever since leaving the cave, you've been lying in my arms and haven't walked a single step. I haven't even said I'm hungry! Yet you're the one saying you want to eat now."

Mo Li lectured Rimuru.

"No, no! I want food!"

Rimuru began throwing a tantrum.

Mo Li could only feel helpless at the sight of her.

Just as Mo Li was about to look for food, he suddenly remembered something.

"Wait, Rimuru. You're a Slime now. Are you sure you still have a sense of taste? No, are you sure food even has a flavor to you now?"

Upon hearing Mo Li's words, Rimuru's Slime head seemed as though it had been struck by lightning.

"That's right... Do I still have a sense of taste?"

"Waaah! I can't taste delicious food anymore!"

Rimuru burst into tears.

Seeing Rimuru like this, Mo Li was at a loss. To be honest, he had no good solution. At least for now, food truly had no taste for Rimuru. Even if things followed the plot, it would not be particularly late before she regained her sense of taste, but it would not be early either. That meant Rimuru would have to keep eating flavorless food for quite some time.

Mo Li was speechless at Rimuru's lack of composure. Who would believe that this was the famous Cute King, one of the Three Kings of the Otherworld? Crying like this... The butterfly effect really was terrifying. It had not only turned Cute King's past life into that of a woman, but had also changed her personality so thoroughly. Watching Rimuru like this exhausted Mo Li. He had wanted to ride Cute King's coattails! At this rate, living a peaceful life would not be easy for him. Most likely, he would have to become a babysitter.

"Waaah, waaah, waaah..."

The crying irritated Mo Li a little. He then spoke to her gently.

"Alright, stop crying for now. I only said it was possible; I'm not certain. Don't be so desperate, okay? Besides, don't you have Great Sage? Just ask it for a solution."

At Mo Li's words, Rimuru instantly stopped crying. Mo Li had never seen anyone change expressions so quickly in his past life.

"And eating is a small matter. Haven't you noticed something strange?"

Mo Li brought up the matter that had been bothering him.

"What's strange?"

Rimuru asked with an innocent expression.

Seeing her like this, Mo Li's assessment of her deepened. It seemed that not only had she been a girl in her past life, but she probably had not been very intelligent either.

"Haven't you noticed that ever since we entered the forest, we haven't encountered a single monster? Even when we do, they turn around and run. Don't you find that strange?"

Mo Li voiced his doubts.

"Aren't they afraid of you?"

Rimuru's casual response left Mo Li dumbfounded.

"Afraid of me?"

Mo Li was confused.

"Look at yourself. You obviously don't look like a low-ranking race. On top of that, both of us have enormous magicules. Of course they'd be scared."

Rimuru said it as though it were only natural.

Hearing Rimuru's words, Mo Li quickly called out to Gamer.

"Gamer, use Magicule Perception on me."

Only then did Mo Li realize that his entire body was radiating immense magicules, like a mountain. Combined with his appearance, which resembled an Eastern Dragon, it was no wonder. The only difference was that his magicules were not black, but a dark golden-yellow like the old man's, steady and imposing like him.

"Damn it, so that's why no monsters showed up in front of us?"

Mo Li finally understood the reason and felt like crying without tears.

He then drew all the magicules radiating from his body back inside.

Rimuru looked at Mo Li in confusion.

"Mo Li, what are you doing?"

"We just arrived in this world and don't know much about it yet. If we act so high-profile, aren't you afraid some powerful person will discover us and subjugate us? Or that other monsters will gang up on us? By then, it'll be too late to cry. And who knows what other powerful beings are in this great forest? We should be more careful."

Mo Li spoke to Rimuru with a grave expression.

After hearing his explanation, Rimuru felt a lingering fear and hurriedly withdrew all the magicules from her body.

Mo Li said nothing more at the sight. There was another reason as well: the future plot. Mo Li had never forgotten his current goal—to build Tempest, the Demon Country Federation. He could not lose sight of the greater goal over a minor matter. If he remembered correctly, Rimuru's first subjects in the original story were a group of weak Goblins. They were the foundation of the Demon Country Federation and could not be lost.

"Alright, let's keep going."

Mo Li suggested.

"Why keep going? It's already dark. Shouldn't we rest for a while?"

Rimuru asked in confusion.

"Didn't you want to eat something to see whether you still have a sense of taste? Let's find some food and test it first, then rest. Besides, it's not like you have to walk. I'm carrying you, and you're still complaining?"

Mo Li said.

Rimuru was touched by his words.

"Ari, you're so nice."

"Alright, enough talking. Let's hurry up and look."

Not long afterward, Mo Li found a kind of red fruit growing on a tree.

"Ari, look! There's fruit!"

Rimuru said excitedly.

"Stop shouting, I see it. Wait here. I'll go pick some."

Mo Li set Rimuru down from his arms, leaped onto the tree, picked several of the ripest fruits, and jumped back down.

He placed the fruits before Rimuru and said,

"Give them a try. These are the ones that look the best."

Without wasting words, Rimuru formed a mouth with Congealing Liquid and swallowed them one after another.

"Just as expected, there's no taste."

Rimuru looked dejected.

Mo Li could not bear to see her like that.

"Ask Great Sage. It should have a way."

Mo Li suggested.

Rimuru immediately communicated with Great Sage in her mind.

"Ari, you were right. Great Sage has a solution."

Rimuru said in delight.

"Alright, you can rest easy now, right?"

Mo Li gently said as he stroked Rimuru in his arms.

"I can, I can."

"Alright, it's getting late. We should find a place to rest for a while. We'll deal with tomorrow when it comes."

Mo Li said.

"Right."

Rimuru agreed.