Chapter 21: The Costs of Cannibalism
"The CEO just got eaten by the intern, Rimuru," I transmit, my obsidian membrane shimmering with a dark, metallic light. "We have a serious problem. The 'Orc Disaster' just went through a forced merger with a Majin... and the new entity is very, very hungry."
I hover in the stagnant air, watching the grotesque spectacle below. Orc Lord Geld—now a behemoth of grey, armor-plated muscle—wipes a remnant of purple Majin essence from his jaw. The ambient magicules in the marsh are being sucked toward him as if he's a black hole in a business suit.
Notice. Evolution complete. Entity: Orc Disaster (Geld). Threat Level: Disaster. Unique Skill [Starving] has evolved into [Glutton]. He is no longer just hungry; he is an all-consuming deficit.
Azathoth, give me a risk assessment. If I get too close to that thing, does it try to 'acquire' my assets?
Analysis. [Glutton] allows for the consumption of organic and inorganic matter to sustain the swarm. Physical contact is highly discouraged. Suggestion: Maintain Spatial Motion distance and support Rimuru's containment strategy.
"I've got this, Shinji!" Rimuru's voice rings out across the battlefield.
The blue slime blurs into motion. It's a collision of two opposing economic philosophies. Rimuru is all about integration and growth; Geld is about hostile liquidation and consumption. Rimuru launches a barrage of [Black Flame], but the Orc Disaster simply absorbs the heat, his skin knitting back together as he consumes the very magicules of the attack.
"He's eating the overhead!" I pulse, my internal monologue screaming at the sheer inefficiency of the fight. "Rimuru, stop throwing raw energy at him! You're just funding his recovery! You need to out-consume him, not out-blast him!"
I look at the 200,000 Orcs surrounding the center. They are standing still, their milky eyes fixed on their King. Through the [Starving] trait I copied earlier, I can feel the "Soul Debt" radiating from them. They aren't fighting for glory; they're fighting because they are starving, and Geld has promised them a feast that never ends.
Notice. Sub-skill [Law Manipulation – Copy] is sensing a unique frequency. The Orc Lord is projecting his 'Hunger' as a command signal. If this signal is disrupted, the swarm's coordination will collapse.
Disrupt it? Azathoth, I'm a capitalist, not a saboteur. But if the swarm collapses, the Orc Lord loses his primary resource base. That's a classic supply-chain disruption.
[Law Manipulation – Copy]
I focus on the broadcast frequency Geld is using to keep his army in sync. It's a heavy, oppressive law—a "Command of the Ravenous."
Acquiring [Command Law: Hive Mind]... Success. Warning: Soul Capacity usage at 39%. User is approaching the 50% threshold for stabilization of conceptual laws.
Ugh. My core feels like it's being compressed by a mountain of spreadsheets. I need to finish this before I start glitching out.
[Transaction Domain]
I expand the domain to its absolute limit, covering the immediate Royal Guard of the Orc Lord. I don't apply physical pressure this time. I apply information pressure.
"Attention, employees of the Disaster Corporation," I broadcast, my voice a cold, terrifying resonance that echoes inside the Orcs' skulls. "Your King is currently insolvent. He is consuming your future to pay for his present. I am here to offer a debt-restructuring plan."
I use the copied [Command Law] to broadcast a counter-signal: Satiety. It's a lie, of course. They're still starving. But for a split second, the biological law I'm projecting makes their brains believe they've already eaten. The Orc vanguard falters. The rhythmic thumping of the army stops.
"What... what is this?" Geld rumbles, his massive head turning toward me. His eyes, burning with yellow malice, lock onto my dark sphere. "Who interferes with the feast of my people?"
"I'm the auditor," I pulse, my membrane vibrating with the strain of holding the law. "And I'm declaring your kingdom bankrupt. Rimuru! Now! While his 'server' is lagging!"
Rimuru doesn't miss the opening. He expands his own body, turning into a massive, translucent blue dome that begins to envelop the Orc Disaster. It's a battle of consumption now—[Predator] versus [Glutton].
I float back, my magicules burning through my reserves as I maintain the "Satiety" lie to keep the 200,000 Orcs from intervening.
Notice. Magicule Reserves: 89.4%. Soul Capacity: 39%. The battle of consumption has reached a critical impasse. Rimuru Tempest is attempting to shoulder the 'Sins' of the Orc race.
Sins? Please. In my world, we call that a 'Debt Transfer.' Rimuru is taking on their liabilities to acquire the assets. It's the ultimate high-risk play.
"Eat him, Boss," I transmit, my internal persona watching the blue dome close over the grey giant. "Just don't expect me to help with the indigestion afterward."
Current Magicule Reserves: 89.4%. Location: Center of the Marsh. Status: Rimuru consuming Geld. Orc army neutralized by Shinji's 'Satiety' law.
Chapter End.