No more days inside a city in Western Japan.
A tall man with jet-black hair, wearing a long trench coat, walks briskly down a quiet suburban street. Next to him are two friends, Mika and Trisha—what started as casual companionship has begun to shift into something more for him today. The trio strolls leisurely, enjoying the calm atmosphere of the neighborhood.
"So, what do you guys want to do today? See a movie, or maybe go out to eat?" Mika asks, glancing at her friends expectantly.
"Going out to eat sounds good. What do you think?" Trisha responds with a smile, nudging his side lightly.
He nods in agreement, about to reply, when suddenly he notices a figure approaching rapidly—a man cloaked in a dark hoodie, wielding a large, curved knife. The threat is clear: he's coming straight for the girls. Without hesitation, the tall man pushes them aside and instinctively steps forward, placing himself between them and the attacker. The assailant lunges, stabbing towards his abdomen, but the man twists sharply, narrowly avoiding the blade as the knife plunges into the ground.
"So this is how I die," he thinks, stunned. "Honestly, I was expecting something more... grand—like a powerful sage or a hero. Instead, it's just me, caught off guard."
A voice suddenly intrudes, as if from a game or an anime character: "Notice skill, Great Sage has been equipped." Understanding dawns—he's going to be reincarnated, as he's an anime enthusiast. But instead of choosing a typical hero or sage, he opts for something else.
"It would be great to have the ability to detect incoming fire attacks or cold sensations, so I wouldn't feel the cold or bleed so much," he muses internally.
His body responds to these thoughts: resistance to thermal fluctuations, stabbing attacks, and pain is activated—his body becomes resistant to blood loss, no longer needing to bleed out.
He continues to think about powers he'd want: "If I could have any power, I'd choose to resurrect monsters, summon shadow soldiers like Sunwoo, or attract shadows to myself," he considers as he bleeds heavily.
A system notification echoes in his mind: "Notice: skills, stretching, and skill storage—your shadow army has been added. You do not have access to those shadows unless you summon them. You must defeat your own to activate them." He realizes this limitation but remains intrigued.
"That's right—I want to be a predator, hunting and consuming everything," he resolves, and a new unique skill appears: "Predator."
"If possible, I want all the abilities Jen Woo had at the end of season three," he requests.
The system responds: "Synthesizing skills has been added."
He feels the rush of blood loss and knows he needs to act fast. "Wait, am I going to be born human or something else? I should ask."
His last thought before blacking out: "I want to keep my reproductive organs—if I get reincarnated as a slime, I still need to reproduce naturally."
During the blackout, he perceives an endless void, sensing his human body dissolving as he is transported elsewhere—limbs vanish, senses fade, and movement begins.
Next, he feels the presence of surrounding plants and faintly glimpses his surroundings. He tries to speak, only to find his body dissolving into his new form, yet somehow, he feels energized.
"I'm Andrew Webber, so I guess I got reincarnated. I should've asked for a system panel, but I can't see one, so it's useless," he thinks.
As a slime, he spends days adapting, barely able to see but able to sense his environment. He begins absorbing plants, mimicking the path of Rimuru Tempest. Most of his skills remain inaccessible until he's killed monsters, but at least he doesn't need sleep or food, which comforts him.
He contemplates his limited powers: "Stretching might work, but I'd need to kill the target first. How do I do that? Telekinesis is hard without hands. I wish there was an easier way."
Great Sage's voice answers: "Answer: Focus your mind on a target; your ruler's authority will compel it to die if you command."
"So, you're my unique skill, Great Sage?" he asks.
"Yes," the voice responds.
"Then, can you tell me all my skills—excluding the ones I already know?" he inquires, curious.
The system responds: "Your first unique skill allows you to absorb creatures and beings inside your body, analyze them, and mimic their abilities. You can also release harmful objects that cannot be analyzed. Your second skill is thermal regulation, maintaining cool body temperatures in extreme heat or cold. The third is reproduction—allowing you to ensure others can give birth or impregnate using your reproductive fluids."
He requests: "Analyze the plants I've been eating and tell me what they do."
The system replies: "These plants are typically used in healing potions and are found in areas rich with Magicules."
"What are Magicules?" he asks.
"Magicules are the fundamental building blocks of all magical creatures," the system explains. "They enable living beings to use magic."
"Then make potions from all the plants I've consumed," he orders, continuing to eat more plants, even discovering some magic stones. Suddenly, he falls into a lake.
"Don't do that blindly—be careful when moving at high speed underwater," he cautions himself, realizing his telekinesis might not work underwater. He concentrates, transforming water into a jet to propel himself out, skimming across the surface until he hits something—something unfamiliar.
"Hey, can you hear me, little one?" a deep voice asks, startling him.
"Can you hear me? It's not good to ignore me," the voice persists.
He tries to speak but realizes he has no mouth. "It's hard to talk without a mouth, so please calm down," he thinks, sensing familiarity but failing to recall exactly who is speaking.
"Big words for such a small one. Do you know who I am?" the voice demands before a massive figure appears— a colossal, black-and-blue dragon.
"Yes, I am Valdora, a true dragon—one of only four in this world," the dragon announces with a booming laugh.
"Don't forget our deal—slime. I have a question," Valdora says.
"Sure, what's your question?" he responds.
"Most slimes can't talk or think, so are you unique?" Valdora queries, curious if more like him exist.
"As far as I know, I'm the only one who can speak. I haven't seen any others like me," he replies, reflecting on how his life shifted from normalcy to chaos—friends, a brutal stabbing, and now rebirth as a slime.
"That's strange, usually beings are summoned here with their original bodies intact. Most can't be reincarnated into another world," he notes.
"Interesting. I might look for them, see how their bodies reacted to this world," he ponders, considering absorbing or summoning them as shadows.
"You're leaving so soon?" Valdora pouts.
"I could stay a little longer," he considers.
"Yes, please. Stay as long as you like," Valdora says.
"Hey, Valdora, how did you end up in this cave? Are you trapped here?" he asks.
"That's a story from 300 years ago. I burned down a town, and someone came looking for me. I fought back, but I started taking the fight seriously and lost. She stole me away—imprisoned me in this cave," Valdora explains.
"She must've been powerful to seal a dragon like you," he says.
"Yes. She's a summon, bound here by a seal cast by 30 mages—imprinted she can't disobey her master," Valdora replies.
"That's messed up," he murmurs.
"In this world, it's survival of the fittest—only the strongest survive and rule," Valdora states.
"So, you've been stuck here for 300 years. Maybe we could become friends?" he proposes.
"I see us becoming friends—the magic storm dragon and a slime," Valdora agrees.
"Alright, so you don't want to be friends?" he pretends confusion.
"No, wait, I didn't say that. Give me a moment to think," Valdora replies, pondering.
"I suppose I can make an exception just this once," he offers.
"You're leaving so soon?" Valdora pouts again.
"I could stay a little longer," he affirms.
"Yes, please. Stay as long as you like," Valdora says.
"Hey, Valdora, how did you end up in this cave? Are you trapped here?" he asks.
"That's a story from 300 years ago. I burned down a town, and someone sought revenge. I fought back, but she captured me in this cave," Valdora explains.
"She must've been powerful," he comments, imagining the strength needed.
"Yes. She's a summon—imprinted with a seal by 30 mages—making her obey her master," Valdora confirms.
"That's terrible," he says.
"Here, only the strongest survive and rule. That's how things work," Valdora states.
"So, maybe we could become friends?" he suggests.
"I see us becoming friends—the magic storm dragon and a slime," Valdora repeats.
"OK, so you don't want to be friends?" he asks.
"No, wait, give me a moment," Valdora thinks.
"I suppose I can make an exception," he offers.
"I guess you'll be here alone otherwise," he remarks.
Before turning to leave, he hears Valdora call out: "Wait! Yes, I'll be your friend!" turning back to face him.