Preparations Before Leaving

Chapter 15: Preparations Before Leaving

Time slipped away quietly as Lu Minghao ate, digested, and ate again every day. Since he was in the sewers and couldn't see the sun, Lu Minghao didn't know how much time had passed. However, judging by the noticeable decrease in the neighboring granaries, it had been at least a week.

"Burp~ Speaking of which, why haven't those Giant Rats in the underground kingdom made any moves? So many of their kind are already gone."

Lu Minghao lay in the cave, observing the Giant Rats below, whose numbers had clearly decreased by a third. The ground, once crowded, now had many empty spaces due to Lu Minghao's frenzied predation over this period. This also meant that Lu Minghao spent considerably more time hunting recently, provided he wasn't discovered.

But strangely, even with this, the Giant Rats in the underground kingdom showed no significant reaction, as if unaware of what was happening above. The same applied to the Giant Rats on the surface. Despite their weak intelligence, they had sensed danger, yet they only gathered together, showing no intention of leaving.

"I don't know what these Giant Rats are planning, but I need to be more cautious lately."

As he spoke, Lu Minghao retreated into the cave, and the shadow beneath him began to twist and stretch, eventually sealing the entire entrance. This was a new way Lu Minghao had recently developed to use 'Shadow Escape,' manipulating shadows to form a curtain. While it didn't offer much defense, the shadow's color served as the best camouflage in the pitch-black sewers. As long as one didn't get too close, they wouldn't notice anything unusual.

"After digesting these Monsters inside me, I should successfully advance to the peak of Lower Demon. Then I'll directly kill all the remaining Giant Rats below, devour them, and leave. The current situation is just too strange, and I have a bad feeling about it."

In the dark cave, Lu Minghao looked at the information on his Talent panel, secretly assessing his own strength. He was prepared to flee, as everything here gave him an odd feeling – the incredible numbers of Giant Rats, their reaction after he hunted so many of them, and the human who was captured earlier. The string of events was too bizarre.

Moreover, Lu Minghao felt like something was watching him from the shadows while he hunted recently, and his bad premonition grew stronger. It was highly likely that this place was about to become the center of some event.

For this reason, Lu Minghao planned to have one last chat with his good neighbors before making his escape. As for what would happen here, Lu Minghao had no desire to be curious. After all, he was very clear about his own strength and position.

Even though he had been devouring Giant Rats recently, they were merely Lesser Demons. He hunted them stealthily, and he himself was only a Lower Demon. To the true powerhouses of this world, he was an insignificant existence that couldn't even withstand a single glance.

He truly couldn't withstand a single glance; the powerful pressure could directly crush his body and soul. Therefore, Lu Minghao reminded himself every day that he was still weak, to prevent himself from becoming arrogant and courting death.

"I really envy those protagonists who have immense power from the moment they appear. Unlike me, who has to struggle to survive in the sewers, where even a single meal is so difficult to come by."

Recalling his experiences since birth and the increasingly slow growth of his Magic Elements and physical strength due to the insufficient nutrients provided by Lesser Demons, Lu Minghao couldn't help but sigh. As a fellow Slime, Rimuru's starting point completely surpassed his, with top-tier magic potions and magic ore readily available everywhere.

Furthermore, he initially encountered a Calamity-class (Special S-rank) Dragon, Veldora, known worldwide by the title Storm Dragon, one of the world's five strongest Dragon species. Veldora bestowed the name Rimuru Tempest upon him and became his first friend, instantly granting him the power of a peak Upper Demon.

"Forget it, envy is useless. And power directly bestowed isn't as meaningful as what I gain through my own efforts. I'm not envious at all!"

The next second, Lu Minghao forcefully shoved his envy aside. He was a Slime destined to become the strongest Demon Lord through his own power. How could he envy someone who relied on cheating?

Of course, there was one thing Lu Minghao didn't say: if he were given Rimuru's opportunities, he wouldn't hesitate in the slightest. Who wouldn't want to cheat if they could? It was only because he couldn't that Lu Minghao had to develop himself discreetly in the sewers.

"As expected, even in a transmigration world, I have to rely on myself!"

Looking at the Talent panel before his eyes, Lu Minghao's resolve grew stronger. Since he couldn't cheat, he could only rely on his own efforts. As for those who said Lu Minghao's Talent was cheating, please, that was his own Talent, his own power. How could it be called cheating?

Suddenly, the dark cave was illuminated. Lu Minghao's round body emitted a bright yet gentle light. Visible Magic Elements in the air poured into Lu Minghao's body continuously. In just a few seconds, Lu Minghao's Magic Elements and physical strength increased severalfold.

Now, compared to when he first advanced to Lower Demon, Lu Minghao's strength had at least increased tenfold. And the two Talents on his panel, which were initially only a sliver of blue, now had their colors split halfway between blue and white.

"Peak Lower Demon, and I can clearly feel Gluttony's craving for food. From now on, as long as I obtain enough food, I will become a Middle Demon."

Lu Minghao swayed his jelly-like body, easily transforming it into various shapes. A tentacle-like arm struck the cave wall with a light blow, leaving a crack nearly ten centimeters deep. The crack continued to corrode under the poison carried by the arm.

"Although I didn't achieve my initial goal, I can't worry about that now. I need to quickly make one last haul and leave."

Feeling the power within him that seemed capable of destroying everything, Lu Minghao reminded himself again that he was just a weak Slime, and this was all an illusion brought about by the sudden surge of power. Although he felt capable of destroying everything now, in reality, without using poison, it would take considerable effort to destroy even a village inhabited by ordinary humans.

However, it was much better than when he was born and couldn't even defeat a goose.

"So, for the last hunt. Although the nutrients provided by Lesser Demons are now pitifully small, their sheer numbers are enough. Besides, after leaving these good neighbors, I don't know when I'll be able to eat my fill next."

The shadow sealing the cave entrance before Lu Minghao slowly disappeared as it writhed. Lu Minghao's elastic body bounced to the edge of the opening. He looked down at the dense mass of Giant Rats below and muttered to himself. At this moment, Lu Minghao's body had turned a mesmerizing purple, exuding a dangerous aura.