Three years had passed since Takebayashi Ryoma and Jack Mercer disappeared into the depths of the Forest of Gana.Every day remained peaceful — filled with training, research, and quiet survival — and neither boy felt even a hint of desire to leave.
"All right… food time," Ryoma said, like breathing.
What once was a crude shelter had become a carefully-designed underground dwelling:
Two neatly made beds
Twin work desks —→ one neat with sorted plans→ one drowning in ink-filled notes
A full herbal and potion storage shelf
Stone lighting fixtures with embedded magic stones
A vented kitchen hearth and drainage trench
A "slime wing" deeper inside
Research alcove with glassware, cages, and chalk diagrams
A reverent corner with statues of Gain, Kufo, and Lulutia
Jack called it:
"The bare minimum acceptable standard for scientific civilization."
Ryoma called it:
"Home."
Fresh river water flowed through a carved stone channel —something Jack insisted was necessary for morale and bone density.
While Ryoma practiced martial arts — calm breathing, precise footing —Jack wrote until the quill squeaked, muttering new theories to himself.
And above all else — they shared the same obsession:
Slimes.
■ The Curiosity That Changed Everything
It began not long after they arrived.Ryoma tamed a single slime out of curiosity—
Six months later, he woke to find its body sticky like glue.
[Monster Appraisal]→ Sticky Slime
That discovery became a spark —an experiment —a mission.
Ryoma ensured their health & living conditions.Jack tracked their evolution, diets, reactions, and magic signatures.
They noticed:
Wild slimes = barely survive
Their slimes = thrived
Because the boys fed them everything:
✅ Extra food scraps✅ Bones, fur, and offal from hunts✅ Poisonous weeds (Jack marked them carefully)✅ Ryoma's used bathwater (Cleaner Slimes loved this)✅ Waste from the compost pit (Scavenger Slimes discovered here)
Jack logged every detail.
"Slimes evolve to survive what they endure and consume."— Slime Research Codex · Evolution Theory #01
The cave soon became a living laboratory.
■ 📘 Slime Research Codex — Official Entries
Organized by Jack Mercer, Former Laboratory Assistant / Aspiring Slime ScholarFormat verified by Monster Appraisal
Entry No. 001 — Regular Slime ClassificationCommon MonsterDescriptionBasic omnivorous slime. Body ~20 cm. Core-shock = death.NotesWeak — yet unnervingly adaptable.
SkillsDigest 2 / Absorb 3 / Split 1
"The perfect control group." —Jack
Entry No. 002 — Sticky Slime
Diet influence: Green Caterpillars
Produces viscous adhesive fluid capable of trapping small prey.Training influences skill evolution (mobility + secretion control).
Skills — RegularStrong Sticky Solution 4 / Hardening Sticky Solution 1 / Sticky String Shot 1 / Jump 1 / Consume 3 / Absorb 3 / Split 3
Skills — Large Fusion VariantStrong Sticky Solution 5 / Hardening Sticky Solution 4 / Sticky String Shot 3 / Maximize 2 / Minimize 4 / Physical Resist 1
"Industrial-grade glue. Potential profit margin: astronomical."—Jack
Entry No. 003 — Acid Slime
Diet influence: bone-rich & dense fibrous materials
Dissolves hard organic matter efficiently.Shows minor control over shaping absorbed wood material — unexplained.
SkillsGenerate Acid 3 / Acid Resist 4 / Physical Resist 1 / Woodworking 1 (???)Jump 3 / Absorb 4 / Digest 4 / Split 2
"Unexpected craftsmanship. Further study required."—Jack
Entry No. 004 — Poison Slime
Prototype subject: Pur — Jack's familiar
Diet influence: structured exposure to poisonous flora
Body shifts toward violet coloration. Gains venomous secretion.
SkillsGenerate Poison 3 / Poison Resist 3 / Paralyzing Agent 3 / Physical Resist 1Spear Mastery 1 (???) / Jump 3 / Absorb 3 / Digest 3 / Split 3
Jack: "Deadly but classy."Ryoma: "Please don't let it touch the stew."
Entry No. 005 — Scavenger Slime
Environment influence: continuous waste digestion
Solves sanitation issues. Produces fertilizer beneficial to agriculture.Reproduces faster than all known variants.
Skills — RegularDisease Resist 5 / Poison Resist 5 / Foul Feeder 5 / Cleanse 6Deodorize 6 / Deodorant Solution 4 / Stench Release 4Jump 1 / Consume 6 / Absorb 3 / Split 6
Skills — Huge Variant (>500 merged)
Nutrient Reduction 4 / Maximize 3 / Minimize 5 / Physical Resist 2
Jack: "Waste management solved."Ryoma: "Toilet clean = quality of life+++"
Entry No. 006 — Cleaner Slime
Behavior influence: prefers post-bathwater
Removes grime, dead skin, ink errors — improves hygiene drastically.
SkillsCleanse 4 / Deodorize 6 / Deodorant Solution 4Disease Resist 5 / Poison Resist 5Jump 1 / Consume 3 / Absorb 3 / Split 1
"Affordable spa service." —Jack"Very ticklish." —Ryoma
Slime Population Count
930 total
Ryoma's once-frayed heart healed through routine. Jack's once-abused talent thrived through discovery. Life was perfect. Until it wasn't.
During a calm afternoon hunt, Ryoma spotted five armored figures among the trees.Not bandits.Not hunters.One was badly wounded.
"U-Urgh…""Hang in there, Hughes!""Camil, your magic?""Sorry… still empty…"
They're in trouble. I can at least help.
Ryoma stepped from the brush—then froze. How do I talk to people again?Before he found words, steel flashed.
"Who goes there?!"
"Wait," the man in the rear commanded, raising a hand. He stepped forward with calm authority. "My apologies. This is no place for a child. Are you lost?"
Ryoma fumbled his reply. "I… was hunting."
"Alone?"
He nodded once.
"Did you need something from us?"
Ryoma pointed at the bleeding man. "He… hurt."
He reached to his belt pouch—the swordsman stiffened again—so Ryoma quickly pulled his hand away from his knife and instead offered a small potion bottle with both hands.
"…Medicine?" the swordsman asked.
"Injury… bad. Use." His speech, stiff but sincere.
They exchanged glances. The mage—Camil—inspected the potion and poured it gently into the wounded man's mouth. Color returned, breath steadied.
"Thank you," the leader said. "This will help."
"Rest… at home," Ryoma said. It sounds weird but I hope they understand…
They followed into the trees.
■ Whispered worries…
"What kind of kid lives out here?""He seems harmless…""That potion worked.""He might have a campsite."
Exactly what Ryoma hoped.
He stopped, listening carefully to the forest.
"What is it?" the leader asked.
"Trap caught prey. Soon…"
A Sticky Slime appeared, dragging a horned rabbit by a sticky filament. The sword flashed again—
Ryoma jumped forward, scooping slime and rabbit."…A familiar?" the swordsman asked, this time lowering the blade himself.
Ryoma nodded.
They continued until the cliffside home came into view.
"Please wait," Ryoma said.
He pressed his palm to the rock. Earth magic softened stone; a clean rectangular doorway formed, light spilling out.
Inside, aroma drifted — herbs and roasted meat.
Jack stood there in a soot-dusted lab coat, sleeves rolled up, a wooden spoon in hand over a simmering stone pot. Pur bounced near his feet, proud of helping carry ingredients.
Without turning, Jack called:
"Entrance accessible. Barrier armed. Dinner almost ready. Try not to track blood on the floor."
Ryoma breathed in relief. Perfect timing.
The adventurers stared:
• organized home• neat lighting• two boys managing everything• slimes watching from every corner
Impossible — and yet undeniable.
"…Come in," Ryoma said, voice quiet but steady.
The forest wind whispered behind them.The cave's warmth beckoned ahead.
Two boys.Hundreds of slimes.And the moment everything changed.