Chapter 66
We all stare at Aka now that its evolution is complete.
"It hasn't changed..."
"It hasn't changed."
"Woof."
"...(shakes)"
Its appearance had barely changed at all.
It's a red, hemispherical slime.
Is this an evolution where its appearance doesn't change, like Momo's?
I check its status.
Aka
Fake Slime Lv. 1
Its Race name had changed.
Apparently, Aka had evolved into a monster called a Fake Slime.
Fake―――it means fake or imitation, right?
Since Aka had absorbed a Mimic's magic stone and made full use of its 'Mimicry' ability, this might be a fitting evolution for it.
If its 'Mimicry' ability has been enhanced, that's reassuring for us too.
I lift Aka up between both hands.
"Congratulations on your evolution, Aka. I'm counting on you from now on, too."
"...(shakes)"
―――I'll do my best.
That's what it seemed to be saying.
Seeing Aka shake with such determination made me feel a little warm and fuzzy.
Now, I'm curious about Aka's evolved abilities, but before that, let's move somewhere else.
This place is too conspicuous, and I'd like to move somewhere a little more peaceful.
We head into a nearby building to take a break.
We didn't enter the shopping center out of consideration for Ichinose-san.
Ichinose-san doesn't have 'Stress Resistance.'
It would probably be better not to make her look at that mountain of corpses.
In fact, she had looked like she was about to throw up even when we only briefly mentioned it.
Ichinose-san has pretty ordinary mental fortitude in that respect.
So we enter a nearby building at random.
"The roof and walls are somewhat damaged, but it's fine for taking a rest."
"Yes."
We begin preparing lunch while gazing at the blue sky through the open ceiling.
What should we have?
Hmm, curry should be fine. The retort kind.
I heat up some retort curry and a pack of instant rice in hot water.
"...It smells good."
Ichinose-san looks excited at the smell of curry.
Everyone likes curry, after all.
Then her stomach lets out a low growl of hunger.
"..."
Ichinose-san bashfully turns her face away... Ah, you were already looking away.
Her face and ears are just a little red. Heh.
"Here you go. Oh, add whatever seasonings you like."
I take out some seasonings at random from the Item Box.
Even with retort curry, adding pepper or garam masala makes a pretty big difference in the taste.
Personally, I like adding garam masala and grated ginger.
My particular preference is to use freshly grated ginger, not the kind that comes in a tube.
I like that flavor.
"Ah, then excuse me. I won't hold back..."
Oh, Ichinose-san uses sauce.
Quite the bold choice. She knows what she's doing.
"Woof!"
Momo chomps down on its dog food with relish.
As for Aka... it was eating random scraps nearby. What a free spirit...
"Mmm... Curry really is delicious."
Right? The spoon just keeps moving.
Oh, now that I think about it, it's been a long time since I've eaten with someone else.
When I get home, I'm alone, and I never ate with anyone at work, either.
Momo was with me, so I never felt lonely, but―――
"...It's surprisingly nice."
"Huh?"
"No, it's nothing."
I gloss over it and decide to focus on my meal.
Mmm, curry is delicious.
Now that we've finished eating, I guess I'll check Aka's abilities.
I'm sure its 'Mimicry' ability has been enhanced, but...
I ask Aka what it can do now.
In response, Aka shakes its body and transforms.
This is―――
"...A weapon?"
It's the 'Orc Cleaver' I use.
Aka has mimicked it.
I actually hold it in my hand, but I don't feel anything strange at all.
It's just like the real thing. Can I use it like this?
"...(shakes)"
Aka urges me to try using it.
So I try cutting through some furniture that happened to be nearby.
It cuts cleanly.
Wow, that's incredible.
It's no different from the real thing... No, is this actually sharper than the real one?
I mean―――
"Aka, when did you eat something like an 'Orc Cleaver'?"
Aka was only supposed to be able to mimic things it had absorbed.
Did that change when it evolved?
...(shakes, shakes)...(shakes rapidly).
Hmm, I see.
I don't understand.
No, I do kind of understand what it's saying, actually.
According to Aka, when it wrapped around my entire body to protect me from monster attacks, it learned the shape and sharpness of the weapons I was carrying.
Apparently, its 'Mimicry' ability was enhanced through evolution, allowing it to mimic things to some extent based on its own imagination without directly absorbing them.
Furthermore, depending on the strength of its imagination, it can turn a blade into something like a whip or extend the handle and transform it into a spear.
...Isn't this thing way too capable?
That surprised me a little.
"...A cheat slime."
Ichinose-san mutters under her breath.
Yeah, I thought the same thing.
"...! (shakes)"
Aka vehemently protests, demanding that I take it back. Hmph!
That sight makes me feel a little warm and fuzzy.
Incidentally, although the range of things it can mimic has broadened, it still seems unable to mimic living creatures.
Well, if it could do that much, it really would be a cheat.
Still, being able to become a weapon is truly amazing.
Along with its defensive abilities, Aka should become even more dependable from now on.
Now that we've confirmed Aka's abilities, let's decide what we'll do next.
"...Aren't we going to hunt monsters and level up?"
As always, Ichinose-san seems to be going with a 'Go All-Out!' strategy.
Why is she so proactive in that area despite being a shut-in and a shy person?
"That's true, but I think we should gather supplies and information in parallel."
Food, drinking water, and a safe place to sleep.
In this monster-filled world, all of those are incredibly precious and important.
With Ichinose-san's ranged firepower added to the party, our balance has improved as well.
Judging from the battle just now, unless an upper species or named-class monster appears, we probably won't fall behind anytime soon.
That means we should be able to focus on other matters, too.
It's already been four days since the world changed.
It wouldn't be strange for groups or communities to have formed by now.
Like Nishino-kun and the others.
Schools, municipal offices, and athletic parks are the most likely emergency shelters.
We could gather information from the people in places like that.
I'm also curious about what the government and the Self-Defense Force are doing.
After all, we still don't know why the Self-Defense Force unit that was wiped out by the High Orc came all the way here.
Well, whether there are any politicians capable of functioning normally in a world like this is highly questionable.
Even so, there would be no harm in finding out.
"...But, Kudo-san, getting supplies is one thing, but can we really negotiate properly?"
"Ugh..."
She really knows how to hit me where it hurts.
No, I know that.
I know it all too well.
Ichinose-san and I are both seriously lacking in communication skills.
That's why we'll search discreetly.
Besides, although I haven't acquired it yet, there's also a 'Negotiation' Skill.
If I acquire it, our dealings with other people should improve... hopefully.
"Ichinose-san, if we work hard, we can make it work. Don't you think 'possibility' is a wonderful word?"
"But no matter how much you multiply zero by possibility, the answer is still zero, isn't it?"
Please don't say things like that. It hurts.
Ah, she's depressed too.
This is a self-destruct attack.
Momo and Aka's gazes are painful.
"F-For now, let's head toward the city center. We'll hunt monsters along the way while looking for places where survivors are likely to have gathered."
Then we'll secretly eavesdrop from the shadows and gather information.
Ichinose-san is shy, and I'm no good at dealing with people face-to-face, either.
This is probably the safest option.
Ichinose-san agrees.
...Wait, isn't this exactly what we've been doing up until now?
No, I'd lose if I worried about it.
Still, the city center...
I wonder how my coworkers are doing now.
Are they alive? Or dead?
"..."
Well, I suppose either way is fine.
We weren't that close.
It's not like we'll ever see each other again anyway.
Well then, shall we get going?