After another season of forced sleep, I was finally awake, Sadly, I had no clock to tell me how long I'd been out. However, I now had 30% of my stats back.

At least the system had remained active during my slumber, and I could read my synthesized skills, like 100 times... but still, <Synthesis> is amazing! Not only did my skills become stronger this way, but it's also definitely better to level up one skill than two or three separately.

Anyway, it was time to get back to work…. I still had to recover and check out my surroundings before making my escape. So, I made an imaginary stretch while hanging upside down from the ceiling, then slid down from it.

<Slime Movement> for the win here. Because sliding and attaching myself to the wall felt so natural, as if I had been doing it my whole life.

After coming down, I devoured one of the six bugs I had collected. They hadn't even tried to free themselves while I was out…

Then, I continued my exploration while dragging the remaining five along, while hoping to find something else to devour.

Of course, I would do it if things got too dangerous. But man, I'd even prefer a lizard with bones and meat over a disgusting insect. Except for White, every other insect or spider should go to hell, where they originally came from.

"RRAAAAAAAAWWWWWRRRR!" Suddenly, I heard a monstrous scream from the end of the cave passage. So, I ate immediately three more bugs to reach full strength before using <Split> to leave Mini-Me2 as a failsafe. 

Afterwards, I devoured another bug to return to 100%. Luckily, devouring something really reversed the drawbacks of splitting myself. 

Securing the last bug to the wall with <Thread>, I decided to investigate the monster who called out like that. It was as if the roar had triggered something in me...

While using <Hiding> to become nearly completely invisible, I moved to the exit of the passage. And what I saw there nearly made me poop my nonexistent pants.

Three enormous green snakes from the same race as the one who had met me at the hole toward the Upper Stratum, and a swarm of bee-like monsters, were facing a behemoth of a beast. 

Even though it didn't look like a traditional dragon, I instinctively knew it was one. A four-legged mix of serpent and wolf with metallic blue scales that shone like diamonds in my enhanced sight. 

It had what appeared to be red crystals growing from its body, forming horns on its head, wing-like crystals on its shoulders, spikes on its tail, and claws on its feet.

But what made my slime body vibrate uncontrollably were the yellow eyes on its fierce face that resembled those of one of the alpha wolves.

Seeing those eyes was like staring Death itself in the face. It was breathtaking, at least for someone who does breathe...

 

 

The next moment, the snakes and bees began to attack the majestic creature. The snakes bit into its white chest and legs, while the bees started to stab it in the back with their stingers.

But the dragon-wolf remained unimpressed. After letting them attack and seeing that they did no damage, dark energy began to leak from its body until *Boom!* the energy exploded and destroyed the attacking monsters completely.

… This thing was the very definition of a monster. But why does my body instinctively want to move closer? This restless feeling...

Nah, nope, nada, nein, net, never, screw this, I'm out. My brain must have turned to liquid, like my body, because everything in me wanted to fight that thing...

<Proficiency has reached the required level. Acquired skill [Parallel Thinking LV 1]> This skill sounds nice, but with the way my body has been behaving lately, I think it might be the first sign of schizophrenia…

 

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Parallel Thinking

Grants the ability to think about multiple things at the same time.

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Yeah, schizophrenic for sure…

<Skill synthesis available. Process?> huh, a new message? Yes, do it. <Skills [Concentration], [Parallel Thinking] have become [Mind LV 1]>

 

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Mind

A combination of mind-enhancing skills. That also grants a clear mind and protects against mind control skills.

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After gaining the skill, the pulling suddenly disappears, and I finally know what to do. The same thing as before… I need to get the hell out of here!

Moving back towards the tunnel, my <Detection> skill suddenly kicks in, and I can sense a somewhat familiar presence nearby. With the help of <Parallel Thinking>, I move my body forward while checking the surroundings with my 360° view.

Then I spot something white, disappearing in the dust cloud created by the explosion. Can it be? No, White wouldn't be so stupid as to come here. Would she? Nah, my new mind skill is probably playing tricks on me... I hope.

Having a very bad feeling about it, I use <Split> to create a 10% Mini-Me3 to follow the white thing, hoping it's not the spider I know.

<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skills [Split LV 1], [Naming LV 2] have become [Split LV 2] and [Naming LV 3]>

Huh, these skill level-ups are great! Thanks to naming it, the stats of my Mini-Me3 have risen by about 15%, increasing by 5% with each <Naming> level. 

While <Split> has only cost me about 8% of my abilities and energy instead of the 10% it should have. I should probably concentrate on spamming my skills soon instead of letting them level up on their own…

But first, I send Mini-Me3 in the dust cloud while I get the hell away from here myself.

After returning to the trapped bug on the wall, I wanted to devour it to regain full strength, but then I had an idea. Why should I eat this gross thing when another Mini-Me can do it?

So I ordered Mini-Me2, who was hiding nearby, to come out and devour it. Also, to find out if the <Merge> skill is broken, as I suspect it could be.

The small, cute Mini-Me2 wobbles cutely to the gross bug and then extends its body unnaturally while glowing, before devouring the bug in a few seconds while growing bigger.

Then I call it back and use <Merge> since <Devour> doesn't work on it, and it fuses back with me. <Merge completed, assimilation into the user's body was successful>

Yes! Not only do I not need to endure the process of devouring gross things, but I also get the stats and probably the skills of the monster my slime buddy devours.

That means it's time to become stronger... I split myself about 8 times, creating 10% Mini-Me2 to Mini-Me9, and set them loose. First, they should devour all the bugs before venturing out into the labyrinth...

<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skills [Split LV 2], [Naming LV 3] have become [Split LV 5] and [Naming LV 4]>

The last 10% slime only cost me only 1% of my stats...

From now on, I will <Split> myself more often and keep my eyes everywhere that way. This will not only make me stronger in the long run but also allow me to find the exit more easily because I will position my slimes in every Stratum...

Maybe someday I will even be able to fulfill my monster side wish and devour the dragon that roams around like a king here...

But before that, I need to eat some bugs to recover and find a safer place. So, I devour more bugs while visualizing myself eating chips to bear the crunching sounds, which are happening inside me right now…

<Proficiency has reached the required level. Skills [Body Repair LV 5], [Energy Recovery LV 1] have become [Body Repair LV6] and [Energy Recovery LV 2]> Nice, I don't need to get hurt to level up these two skills. This is very convenient and overpowered... I like that.

After laughing like an evil mastermind about my overpowered skills, well, mostly I simply vibrated, but it's the evil intent that counts... I returned to the hole leading to the Upper Stratum.

The problem was the freaking snake was still there, lying in the place where I had landed when I first arrived... Does it think it's my nest or something, and that I'll return someday?

Well, I did return, but that's not the point here...

 

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Elroe Baladorado

Level: 6/10

Skill Points: 250

Status

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HP: 400/400

MP: 135/135

SP: 395/395

OSP: 25/395

Offense: 350

Defense: 320

Magic: 125

Resistance: 300

Speed: 330

Skills

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Active Skills:
Poison Fang LV 7

Perception Skills:
Heat Perception LV 5

Resistance Skills:
Poison Resistance LV7

Passive Skills:
Dragon Scales LV2 • Night Vision LV7

Description

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Also known as Snake. A huge snake-type monster that seems to be able to swallow a whole person. It has the skill that can be seen in the dragon class, called Dragon Scales. By the effect of Dragon Scales, it has a high defensive ability for both physical and magic damage. Its danger level is C.

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Ah, I understand it's hungry from the way its overall stamina looks, and it doesn't want to move around a lot, thinking it can find easy prey here. Even though its current prey has higher stats...

*Wobble, wobble,* What the heck is this? When I examine the <Dragon Scales> skill, my body starts vibrating like crazy. Could it be that my slime self has an issue with dragons?

My body only began behaving like this when I encountered the dragon wolf. It's funny that the weakest being, a slime, appears to dislike the possibly strongest being there is... wait, or is that the point?

Does the weakest being want to challenge the strongest to prove how strong it really is? It seems to be the case, as my slime body calms down after I realize this.

So let's satisfy my body's desire. I wanted to try some things out anyway.

 

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