Poison and Departure

Chapter 4 · Poison and Departure

The ash-white rock walls, devoid of any color, were covered in dark green moss. Sticky, black liquid dripped constantly from above. In the cracks etched into the dilapidated steps below the rock walls, thumb-sized purple mushrooms grew.

Plop! Plop!

A strange sound suddenly echoed in the dim space. Before long, a deep blue Slime appeared. Its jelly-like body was full of elasticity as it bounced its way forward.

"Not bad, there's some here too."

Soon, Lu Minghao stopped in front of these colorful mushrooms. He skillfully enveloped them with his body and dissolved them. Immediately, a faint purple hue appeared on Lu Minghao's originally blue body, and his Magic Element also strengthened slightly.

Poisonous Mushrooms. Lu Minghao had stumbled upon these a few days ago. After consuming them, they not only provided him with a large amount of nutrients and slightly enhanced his Magic Element, but also granted him his first offensive ability: 'Poison'.

After discovering the effects of the Poisonous Mushrooms, Lu Minghao had spent the past few days searching the sewer he was born in. The few mushrooms here should be the last of their kind in the vicinity.

"Speaking of which, I should be the strongest Slime around here by now."

After absorbing the last few Poisonous Mushrooms, Lu Minghao turned and looked at the other Slimes in the sewer behind him. Thanks to his Gluttony ability and the Poisonous Mushrooms, Lu Minghao had been growing rapidly lately. The Magic Element that had just been born within him had also multiplied several times over.

Furthermore, besides the Magic Element, Lu Minghao had also tested his new abilities recently. A single drop of poison, no bigger than a water droplet, had directly corroded a basketball-sized pit in the ground. Even the nearby Slimes had died instantly just from being exposed to the lingering poisonous gas.

At the time, even Lu Minghao had been startled by his own toxicity. He had never expected it to be so terrifying. Setting aside its outrageous corrosive properties, the sheer toxicity alone would likely kill an ordinary person within seconds of smelling it.

After witnessing the power of his poison, Lu Minghao, to prevent a total wipeout of all the Slimes except himself, had promptly eaten the entire patch of ground that had been corroded. He had also taken the opportunity to "bury" the Slimes that had been poisoned to death.

"It's time to leave. Staying here can no longer satisfy my growth needs."

The next second, Lu Minghao looked at a small mountain of garbage not far away. Above the mountain was a half-human-height opening – the exit from this sewer. Lu Minghao had discovered it two days ago, but at the time, he had been busy searching for Poisonous Mushrooms.

Now, all the Poisonous Mushrooms in this sewer had been completely devoured by him. Furthermore, he had even eaten almost everything else in the sewer – the rocks, plants, discarded weapons, and even the bones of unknown creatures. All that remained were the walls, the soil, and the filth-laden garbage.

In other words, in less than half a month since Lu Minghao's birth, this sewer had been almost emptied by his bottomless Gluttony and digestive capabilities. From now on, unless Lu Minghao gave up on rapid growth and chose to eat dirt, he had to leave.

Actually, Lu Minghao had another option: to devour all the Slimes here, his own kind. However, Lu Minghao had abandoned this choice. After all, they were his kin. If they were Slimes from somewhere else, Lu Minghao wouldn't have minded, but these ones... he'd pass.

"I'm leaving. I'll come back to see you if I get the chance."

With that said, Lu Minghao jumped directly towards the pile of garbage. His elastic body carried him to the opening in a few bounds. He glanced back at his brethren, a complex emotion stirring within him.

In his past life, he was indeed human. But now, he was a Slime. And in a sense, the Slimes below were his only family. Yet, due to his inner thoughts, Lu Minghao felt a sense of not belonging.

"I am a monster now!"

The next second, Lu Minghao looked at his sky-blue, jelly-like body. His mindset began to shift. Regardless of who he was in his past life, he was now just a Slime. As for considering himself human just because he was human in his past life, that was completely impossible.

Not to mention that he was now a Slime, and humans would kill him without hesitation if they found him. Moreover, whether the humans in this world were the same as the humans in his past world was a question in itself.

"I am just a Slime who wants to survive!"

With a final glance at his carefree kin behind him, Lu Minghao left the sewer where he was born. As for his companions, he would let them continue living here. This sewer, filled with filth and stench, which even Goblins disdained, was a paradise for weak Slimes.

The ash-white rock walls, covered in cracks from the erosion of time. On the damp, slippery sewer floor, Lu Minghao cautiously moved forward. Along the side, floating in the foul-smelling sewer, were various kinds of garbage and filth.

This was the scene Lu Minghao saw after leaving the sewer he was born in. Based on his observations, the sewer he was born in was likely located downstream, a gathering place for large amounts of garbage and waste.

However, it was precisely because of this that the place, filled with stench, filth, and even toxic air, had become a paradise for Slimes. After all, besides Slimes and insects, even Goblins would find it difficult to survive in such an environment. Goblins, after all, needed some normal food.

"What is this?"

Suddenly, Lu Minghao, who was moving forward, heard a rustling sound coming from a distance. Based on the vibrations in the air and the sounds, it was clearly more than one creature. And it seemed highly likely they were heading in Lu Minghao's direction.

"What on earth is it? Logically, I just left the sewer I was born in."

Lu Minghao looked towards the source of the commotion ahead. Although he was internally confused, his body honestly crawled towards a corner. His liquid-like body squeezed into a crack, and he secretly observed the direction of the sound.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

Before long, several Giant Rats, the size of house cats, appeared in Lu Minghao's vision. Perhaps it was due to the influence of Magic Elements or because the sewer was too suitable for rats to live, but they had all grown so plump.

However, at this moment, the Giant Rats were completely unaware that a Slime was observing them from a corner. They continued to run forward in a panic. Judging by their appearance, they seemed to be quite frightened by something, and one of the Giant Rats clearly had a wound.