The Slime King's Captive

The Slime King's Captive Xiu

Watch out for fire, thieves, and Pepper—this was the conclusion Rimuru had reached after suffering painful lessons while shopping with Pepper that afternoon.

In the end, her heart was simply too soft. She did not really know how to refuse a beautiful woman's requests.

The sorrow of a shut-in nerd!

"It's getting late. Big Sister Pepper will treat you to a feast!"

Pepper checked her watch and spoke with a grin.

"Which McDonald's combo?"

"Which McDonald's combo?"

Pepper looked utterly confused, unable to understand what Rimuru meant.

Rimuru cleared her throat and put on a serious expression, looking every bit like a tiny host. "In the scorching summer, the people of Maine ate McDonald's Combo No. 1. Far away in South Florida, people preferred Combo No. 2. Meanwhile, mountain folk in the Tennessee Mountains, far from the big cities, ate Combo No. 3, while the people of California, also by the sea, preferred Combo No. 4..."

Pfft!

Pepper doubled over with laughter, thoroughly amused by Rimuru. "Seriously, where did you learn all that? Your prejudice against American food culture runs way too deep!"

Rimuru smiled. Of course, she knew it was just a joke.

What she had just recited was "A Bite of America," written by netizens in imitation of the style of A Bite of China when the show had become wildly popular in China.

As for whether it was true? It was best to just laugh about it!

Just as northerners could not get used to all kinds of rice-based food from the south, people from different countries experienced food differently.

Eating habits formed from childhood created a unique "food stomach."

Westerners were very stubborn about flavors. Once they got used to a certain taste, they would likely never change it for the rest of their lives. They would not readily accept any flavor they had never tried before.

If she wanted to conquer America with authentic Chinese cuisine, she might lose everything down to her safety shorts.

The supposedly authentic Chinese dishes that were wildly popular in Europe and America—General Tso's Chicken and Chop Suey—had all been specially altered to suit Western tastes.

Chinese people did not even know what those two "authentic" Chinese dishes were!

Restaurant.

"Mm, this is way too delicious!"

Rimuru ate with immense enjoyment, her face brimming with happiness and smiles.

Miss Shizue, thank you so much. Having a sense of taste was wonderful! Being surrounded by delicious food again was wonderful!

Seeing Rimuru's blissful expression, Pepper even felt as though light was shining from her entire body.

Rimuru was just too beautiful, too adorable!

That was also why Pepper liked spending time with Rimuru. Whether they were shopping, wearing women's clothing, or simply eating like this, Rimuru always managed to surprise her.

Staring at her like this might have been very rude, but Pepper simply could not help herself.

Pepper even felt that all the stress and irritation caused by Stark Industries' plunging stock price had been swept away.

Little Rimuru was absolutely a stress reliever and a source of joy!

"You should eat too. Why are you just staring at me like that?"

"Okay, okay!"

Pepper's appetite greatly improved. She had never felt the food at this restaurant tasted so delicious.

This was one of Pepper's favorite restaurants, and she came here often, but today's food was far beyond anything she had imagined.

Happiness and joy really were contagious!

Pepper even thought that having an adorable daughter like Rimuru would not be bad either!

The moment that thought appeared in her mind, Pepper was startled. Was that really something she should be thinking?

Oh no, had she been poisoned by Rimuru?

But before long, Pepper felt that something was off.

Rimuru was eating far too much. She had already eaten enough for two adults, hadn't she?

If an ordinary person ate this much, Pepper would probably have called them a glutton.

But Rimuru? She was just an adorable little foodie!

Ten minutes later.

Pepper was completely frightened. "Rimuru, aren't you eating a little too much?"

"Am I?"

While chewing on a piece of steak, Rimuru looked around.

Only then did she realize that not only Pepper, but many diners around them were staring at her in stunned disbelief, frightened by her astonishing appetite.

Uh...

They were scared already?

Foolish humans. Rimuru was rather disappointed—she had not even reached half-full.

Even so, Rimuru sensibly set down her knife and fork. She had memorized this restaurant; she could come back to eat next time!

Come to think of it, with her current appetite, if she became a food streamer, she could easily crush every big eater in the world. It would be impossible for her not to become famous!

A million-dollar annual salary, marrying a beautiful rich woman, becoming a CEO—none of it would be a dream!

But what the hell appeal did a million-dollar annual salary have for her now?

After the meal.

Pepper repeatedly snuck glances at Rimuru's flat little belly, clicking her tongue in amazement.

How exactly had someone as petite as Rimuru managed to eat such an enormous amount of food?

She was very curious!

On the street.

The driver and bodyguards had been waiting for quite some time. Ordinary people might have long since grown impatient.

But their superb professionalism left not the slightest trace of displeasure on their faces, only solemnity and gravity.

Just as Rimuru and Pepper were about to get into the car, a man holding a knife suddenly charged out from the crowd.

The man's eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted with madness. "My life savings! You Stark Industries scum, go die!"

This man had clearly planned it for a long time. His timing and angle were particularly tricky, and neither the driver nor the bodyguards had anticipated such an incident.

Pepper was also frightened senseless by the sudden turn of events. Her body froze, and she even forgot to move. She could only watch helplessly as the thug's boning knife stabbed toward her chest.

Just as Pepper thought she was certainly going to die and instinctively closed her eyes, her vision suddenly blurred. Then she saw the rapidly charging thug lose his balance as though he had slammed into a steel pipe, crashing headfirst onto the ground.

"Rimuru?"

Pepper looked at Rimuru standing in front of her and involuntarily covered her mouth, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief.

She had nearly been scared out of her wits by that thug, yet Rimuru had knocked him down with a single punch?

Oh my God, that was too unbelievable!

Was Rimuru omnipotent?!

Was there anything she could not do?

With Rimuru's intervention, the bodyguards finally reacted. Before the thug could come to his senses, they pinned him to the ground and completely subdued him.

The thug had gone mad. Like an earthworm, even while the bodyguards held him firmly against the ground, his body continued to writhe as he tried to fight another three hundred rounds.

Unfortunately, reality was cruel. Every bit of his struggling was utterly futile!

Eventually, the thug completely broke down. He lay there like a puddle of mud, though he continued to curse. "Shit! Damn it! Isn't Tony Stark a genius? I trusted you people so much! I bet my entire fortune on Stark Industries stock! Why did you shut down the weapons division? Why did you shut down the weapons division?!"

This shareholder, who had been utterly screwed over by Tony, wept as he spoke. Those who heard him grieved; those who saw him shed tears.

The United States was a nation of guns. Had this man lost so much in the stock market that he could not even afford a gun anymore?

Pepper: "..."

Rimuru: "..."

The onlookers: "..."