Chapter 40
I stared at the Red Slime trembling at my feet.
The slime looked at me expectantly.
It doesn't have eyes, though.
Apparently, this guy really wanted to become my companion.
Not to toot my own horn, but what attracted it to me?
This slime must be blind. Oh, right—it doesn't have eyes.
I scratched my head.
"...I told you before, but I wasn't planning to make you my companion―――huh?"
While I was speaking, I noticed something.
Inside the Red Slime's body.
Aside from a small nucleus like a pickled plum, there was another object floating inside it.
"That... is that a magic stone?"
A brown magic stone floated inside the Red Slime's body.
It looked somehow familiar, or rather...
"Isn't that the magic stone I used to have?"
When I said that, the slime trembled.
It was probably saying yes.
This guy...
"Give it back. I was going to give it to Momo―――"
"Woof!"
As I reached toward the slime, Momo stepped between us.
"...Momo?"
"Woof! Whuff."
Momo barked at me as if to protect the slime.
Huh? Momo, what's wrong...?
Did I do something to make you hate me?
Oh no, I'm about to cry...
"W-Woof!"
Seeing my panic, Momo hurriedly explained, as if saying, "No, that's not it!"
Then it gently plopped a forepaw on top of the slime and looked at me.
The slime's body quivered. That movement was kind of cute.
"Momo... could it be that you want that slime to become our companion?"
"Woof."
Momo nodded.
Apparently, Momo wanted this slime to become our companion.
Or maybe...
"Hey, Momo. Could it be that you threw the magic stone outside earlier so you could give it to this guy?"
"Woof."
Momo nodded again.
So that's what it was about. That explained Momo's mysterious action during the meal earlier.
For a magic-stone-loving Momo, it had seemed odd, but now I understood.
Momo had noticed that this slime was outside.
And, with some plan in mind, it had given the slime the magic stone.
The reason for giving it a magic stone... The possibilities that came to mind were strengthening it or perhaps granting it a Skill.
Just as Momo had eaten the Shadow Wolf's magic stone and acquired the 'Shadow' Skill, perhaps this slime had also...
The slime seemed to have just finished digesting the Mimic's magic stone.
"Woof."
"...(shiver)"
Momo barked at the slime.
The slime trembled and transformed its body.
"Oh, wow..."
An involuntary exclamation escaped me.
The slime's body gradually changed into an empty plastic container.
Ah, that's the trash I fed it.
"Transformation... no, a Mimicry Skill..."
This was incredible.
There was no visible difference.
I touched it to test it, but even the texture was unchanged.
Only its weight was different. It was probably still as heavy as it had been in slime form.
And, just like the Mimic, it didn't react to 'Enemy Search.'
What an incredible Skill.
"Woof."
When Momo barked again, the slime returned to its original form.
Then the slime and Momo, now back in their original forms, looked at me expectantly.
...Could that have been their way of appealing to me?
Like they were saying, 'I can do this!'
"...Momo, did you realize that feeding the slime the Mimic's magic stone might give it a Mimicry Skill?"
"...Whuff."
It probably just had a hunch.
That was more or less Momo's answer.
Was it wild instinct?
Even so, Momo's intuition was far too amazing.
≪The Red Slime is looking at you as if it wants to join your party. Will you accept it?≫
The heavenly voice echoed again.
I stared at Momo and the slime.
Then I let out a deep sigh.
"Haaah... All right, Momo. You win."
A slime with a Mimicry Skill.
This way, it really wouldn't get in the way of my Skills.
If anything, since physical attacks couldn't hurt it, it would be more than adequate as a fighting force.
More importantly... this was the first time Momo had voiced an opinion of its own.
Then I had no choice but to trust it.
Momo—and this slime.
This time, I selected Yes in my mind.
≪The Red Slime has joined your party≫
≪You have met the required conditions≫
≪You can now acquire the Job 'Monster Tamer'≫
≪The Job 'Beast Tamer' has been merged into 'Monster Tamer'≫
≪If you choose the Job 'Monster Tamer,' you will start at Level 2≫
Oh, a new Job had been added.
'Monster Tamer,' huh...?
Judging from the heavenly voice, it seemed to be an advanced Job of 'Beast Tamer.'
I was curious about the Skills it would grant, but I wouldn't find out until the third Job became available.
"...(shiver)"
Perhaps because it was happy to be accepted, the slime trembled excitedly.
Momo was petting the slime, too, as if saying, 'Good for you!'
Woof-woof, quiver-quiver, fluff-fluff.
...What's this? So cute.
I checked my Status.
The slime had been added to the Party Members section at the very bottom.
It displayed Red Slime LV 5.
So monsters had levels, too...
Unlike Momo, it had no name displayed.
But without one, it would be inconvenient when calling it.
"Hey, Red Slime. If you're okay with it, can I give you a name?"
When I said that, the slime twitched.
Apparently, it wanted me to give it one.
"Hmm... Then how about 'Aka'?"
Red Slime, so Aka.
Even I have to admit it's a pretty straightforward name.
But the Red Slime seemed to like it.
It trembled happily.
Whoa, it's stretching its body like mochi.
When I checked my Status, a name had been added to the Red Slime.
Momo
Shiba Inu LV 9
Aka
Red Slime LV 5
And I noticed that Momo's level had gone up, too.
It was almost at LV 10.
"All right, let's go."
"Woof!"
"...(shiver)"
And so, Aka the Red Slime became our companion.
With our new companion, Momo and I left the apartment building.
Meanwhile―――.
"Uaaaaaaaaah! S-Shibata! H-help... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
Blood sprayed through the air, and another one of their companions collapsed.
Shibata stared blankly at what was happening.
It made no sense.
What was going on?
How had this happened?
To gather food, they had expanded their search area and made it this far.
Their progress had been remarkably smooth.
The monsters they encountered had been no more than one or two Goblins or Zombies at a time.
With their levels raised and their group working together, those monsters had been no match for them.
'Let's go a little farther.'
Whose words had those been?
No one had objected.
Having defeated monsters, leveled up, and acquired new Skills, Shibata and the others had grown overconfident.
They could do it. They could even take on stronger monsters.
Let's gather a ton of food and surprise everyone.
With that in mind, they expanded their search area and came this far.
But their winning streak came to an abrupt end.
They reached a large shopping mall.
There, they encountered a 'monster' far beyond anything they had imagined.
"W-What the hell is that thing...!?"
Shibata, a delinquent-looking student, trembled as he hid in a nearby thicket.
"Aaaaaaaah!"
Another companion's scream rang out.
Should I save them? No, it's impossible. I can't win.
That thing was on a completely different level.
"Hah... hah hah... Damn it!"
After taking several shallow breaths, Shibata made his decision.
"H-Hey! Shibata!? Where are you going!? W-We have to hurry and help them―――u-uaaaaaaaaaah!!"
With his companions' screams at his back, Shibata fled.
He chose 'escape.'
While the monster was distracted by his companions, Shibata ran, trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and it.
(I'm sorry... I'm sorry, everyone...!)
He begged forgiveness in his heart for abandoning his friends.
Even so, his feet kept moving.
"I-I have to hurry and tell Nishino-san. Hurry... hurry...!"
Someone... someone had to survive and get word back.
They had to warn the surviving companions about that monster.
As he ran in terror, the monster's roar continued to echo in his ears.