What happened next shattered his entire worldview.
The witches—radiant and energetic—began experimenting with the Slimes on the spot. They sat down cross-legged, attempting to channel their magical energy through meditation. But their spiritual power was overwhelming, chaotic… and lethal.
One by one, the Slimes began to die.
Unlike Evil Eyes, Slimes lacked the necessary spiritual compatibility. They were among the weakest of magical lifeforms. And so, just like the unfortunate men before them, they were used once—and discarded.
> "Oh my god… these really are witches. A world ruled by witches!"
Hidden among the bouncing crowd, Future Skywhale trembled in fear. His Slime form was soft and squishy—utterly defenseless. He watched, horrified, as his people were annihilated in magical trial runs. He was just one more spark away from joining them.
Thinking quickly, he played dead—merging in with the fallen Slimes, scattered like jelly-colored corpses across the forest floor. If a witch had chosen to use him... his pride wouldn't have survived, even if his body did.
Sure, if he were still a man, maybe he could stomach it.
But now?
He was a Slime.
The witches, unaware of his deception, continued their conversation with giddy delight.
> "Not bad! My bottleneck to advancing to Level 3 is loosening."
> "Sure, each Slime can only be used once, but they're way better than those slimy Evil Eyes!"
> "Let's bring the rest back and try breeding them. If we can mass-produce them…"
> "This is a major discovery! We've found a replacement species! Mentor Adeline—our great Level Five Witch—will definitely reward us!"
They prattled on like schoolgirls who'd just uncovered a secret candy stash. Then they left, chattering and skipping back into the woods.
Behind them, only devastation remained.
Slime corpses littered the forest floor—a gruesome mosaic of melted hopes.
And yet, one survivor remained—Future Skywhale, the lone king without a kingdom, buried beneath the fallen.
> "So this is a witch's world... but those witches weren't the scholarly, mysterious kind from fantasy novels. They were twisted, lewd, chaotic… downright unholy! Who does that to something that cute?!"
He lay there, heartbroken.
He had just arrived in this new world, full of hope and vision, only to watch his species be snuffed out like fireflies in a storm.
And then—he remembered that joke someone had made in the forums:
> "Look at that muscular ahoge. It's ten times stronger than any man's arm. Women won't be able to resist!"
Well, they certainly hadn't resisted.
His species was a hit all right—just not in the way he had hoped.
> "I'll never speak of this again. Never. Not even if I live a thousand years."
And yet, a thousand years later, the Spear of Witchcraft recorded:
> "In the Year 301 of the Babylonian Calendar, a mysterious figure known only as the Alchemy Emperor Grantham emerged from the depths of Bolkara Forest. To this day, no one knows what race the Emperor belonged to—or why he bore such intense hatred for the Rose Sect witches."
"HAHAHAHA!"
Ethan, watching from the real world, nearly fell off his chair laughing. He clutched his stomach, wheezing.
> "It used to be Evil Eye Tentacle PLAY… now it's Slime Tentacle PLAY? This game is out of control!"
Moments later, another group entered the clearing—women in black robes, elegant and refined, emerging silently from the undergrowth.
> "They're gone now," one whispered. "How could they harm such adorable creatures? Wait… there's one left?"
Future Skywhale panicked.
> They saw me! I'm done for!
But instead of attacking, these women gently scooped him up and carried him away.
---
This new coven was clearly different.
They were poorer, packed into a humble stone hut, and far more reserved. After some discussion, they decided to keep him—not as a familiar, but as a pet.
And so, Future Skywhale began a new life.
Trapped in Slime form. Owned by a band of witches. Held in a magical world.
And forced… to learn.
Unlike Ethan, he didn't have access to the Hive Mind. If he wanted to communicate, he'd have to learn the language from scratch. So, while nestled in their care, he began listening. Every word. Every sentence. Slowly, over years, he pieced together the native tongue.
He also learned about magic. Real magic.
And he learned something else: this wasn't just a fantasy.
This was his second life.
And in this second life—everything was turned up to 100%. Pain, emotion, sensory feedback—there was no buffer. If he were tortured, it would hurt just as much as in the real world. If he died? That was it.
> "This game is too hardcore," he whispered one night. "You eat. You sleep. You learn languages. It's like moving to a foreign country—but you're also a jellybean."
Three years passed.
He'd learned the language.
He'd observed their world.
And he'd discovered a harsh truth: the evil witches ruled everything. Men were treated like livestock. And the small coven that had adopted him? They were rebels—a gentle order known as Elizabeth's Coven, composed of seven young girls who dared to defy the Rose Sect.
They called this secret hideout their home. And they called him... pet.
To Future Skywhale, their rebellion was laughable.
Naïve. Childish.
He was a middle-aged tech tycoon in real life. These girls were idealists playing hero in a world that didn't care.
The strongest among them, Elizabeth, was barely a Level 2 Witch.
On this particular day, the girls were gathered again, excitedly whispering about new developments.
Melly, the bubbly blonde with ocean-blue eyes, was the first to speak.
> "Elizabeth, did you hear? In the Rose Kingdom, Slimes have officially been approved as familiars. Just like Evil Eyes!"
Elizabeth—tall, slender, with black hair and black eyes—nodded with surprise.
> "Even though they're weak and can only be used once, they're so cute, they've become insanely popular. And they reproduce quickly—way better than men. You can buy them in the market for just ten Rose Coins!"
Melly chirped, "Ten coins?! That's less than what I paid for a beginner's staff!"
Another added, "I heard Lady Lilith say that the Slimes actually helped reduce demand for men in the kingdom. The Kingdom of Babylon is recovering thanks to them!"
> "They're adorable and perfectly made for cultivation use. It's like they were designed for us!"
The girls giggled, clapped, and practically sang praises to the Slime race.
---
> O my kin...
> We came to conquer this world. To found a new dynasty. But who could have foreseen this?
Future Skywhale, normally cool and collected, could only sit in stunned silence.
> This... This is a catastrophe!
His species—his masterpiece—was being worshiped... not as a triumph of evolution, but as a sacrificial tool.
> "You're calling us saviors? You're thanking us for replacing your tortured men?"
> "I wanted to be a Messiah… but not like this!"
He could take no more.
> "Enough."
The room went still.
> "I can talk," he said.
All seven witches froze.
Eyes wide. Mouths agape.
Their Slime just... spoke.
> "Help me," he continued. "I can lead you in the fight against the evil witches. Together, we can save your coven—and my species."
For a long moment, no one breathed.
Then, one of the witches whispered:
> "The Slime… can talk?"