Suddenly, I Became a Slime

In an instant, I ducked into the dense and muddy water to avoid the filthy tongue flying toward me. It seemed quicker than trying to pull myself out of the way.

To be honest, I had considered just letting that tongue snag me and entering its body. Maybe I could devour it from the inside and resolve this mess without too much hassle.

But there were too many issues with that plan.

The immediate revulsion I felt toward the tongue was secondary.

...The creature’s body was just like mine—a jelly-like form. Somehow, the thought of implementing my plan left me uneasy. It felt like it wouldn’t work anyway.

So, I retreated back into the mud.

Suddenly, my perspective shifted upward rapidly. It had grabbed my knowledge pouch with its tongue. It was a bit ridiculous that catching just one pouch caused all this.

It was as if pulling one yam had uprooted a whole bunch of them.

But then again, it wasn’t surprising.

And so.

Like a yam being pulled along its vine, I was yanked into the air. The force was so strong that the mud stuck to my body fell off in clumps.

The creature seemed unprepared for how easily it could lift me. Its clumsy movements suggested it hadn’t properly adjusted its strength.

As if riding a wild amusement park ride, I found myself staring at the creature’s enormous mouth.

...I hadn’t planned to go this far, but now that I was here, I had to make the best of it.

And then.

Darkness didn’t come—as I had expected. The creature’s body, like mine, was semi-transparent. Instead, my body became stained the same brownish color as its surroundings. It wasn’t that our bodies merged but rather that the creature’s form enveloped me.

Thinking it had won, the creature clumsily staggered and lay down in the muddy water as if completing some ritual.

Observing the floating objects inside its body only fueled my irritation. Once the creature settled, I started considering how to take it apart in a way that would make headlines.

First, I assessed my condition.

The sensation was similar to what I’d experienced earlier—something sticky clinging to me and squeezing tight. When I released my own mucus, the creature’s secretions couldn’t stick to me.

...Come to think of it, using my jelly abilities now feels second nature. Admittedly, this technique was hastily devised as the mucus clung to me, but since it worked, I had no complaints.

Still… I had overlooked one detail.

The device around my neck had vanished.

I couldn’t tell whether it was floating inside the creature or had fallen outside. The thought of my head being detached from my body made me shudder.

Not that losing my head would be fatal—I’d survived such incidents before. But the sensation was indescribably unpleasant, and I’d rather avoid it.

More pressing was the question of how to teach this thing a lesson.

Scanning its insides, I struggled to figure out how to attack. I’d only infiltrated two bodies before: a whale and a nameless mass of meat. Both had clear pathways and visible internal organs, despite their immense size.

But this creature was different.

Like its exterior, everything inside was translucent jelly. No identifiable organs stood out—just a uniform brown.

Annoyingly, it felt like fighting myself.

I sensed a rhythmic pulsing somewhere but couldn’t pinpoint its source.

Sigh.

At times like this, there’s only one option.

I hardened my soft fingers. It felt like turning into a cartoon character.

Then, I started tearing through the creature’s body indiscriminately.

The squishy sensation of ripping through jelly was surprisingly satisfying. It reminded me of those viral slime videos on the internet. Maybe people imagined this texture when they watched them.

Granted, the circumstances here were vastly different.

Grabbing a chunk of its soft inner mass, I pulled hard. Like mozzarella cheese, its body stretched and tore. To prevent the piece from being reabsorbed, I stuffed it into my own body.

Its flavor was awful, but the results were worth it.

The creature, previously curled up as if asleep, started writhing like someone in severe pain. Its erratic movements might have made a human dizzy, but they didn’t faze me. Encouraged by its suffering, I tore and consumed more of its innards.

Oddly, this made me feel like a monster. But since this thing had harmed humans, I felt no guilt.

...Feeling guilty now would be ridiculous anyway.

For a brief moment, I felt bitter. But then my resolve returned when I found something resembling my cherished knowledge pouch.

Should I be grateful for its poor digestion?

While rummaging through its body, I couldn’t help but wonder:

What are anomalies like this really for?

Some help humans, but most seem hostile. It’s a question I can’t answer. So.

For now, I should focus on the task at hand—

But suddenly, my perspective shifted rapidly. The pressure on my body eased. Regaining awareness, I saw the creature’s wide-open mouth. Beyond it lay the outside world.

It seemed intent on vomiting me out.

This was a new experience, albeit a refreshing one. But honestly, it should never have swallowed me in the first place.

Sensing an opportunity, I extended tendrils in every direction. Not to grab hold of anything but as sharp, solid spears.

And then.

With a peculiar sound, my tendrils pierced through the creature’s body.

[Squelch!]

The creature retched violently, expelling its internal fluids. The mucus enveloping me surged outward. Yet, like an anchored ship, I held my ground.

Firmly fixed in place, I resumed ripping through its insides with my hands.

[Squelch!]

The creature’s grotesque cries echoed from its open mouth.

Wait a minute.

How can this jelly-like thing make sounds?

...That’s irritating.

Annoyed, I tore through its body even more vigorously. Then, I found something similar to the cherished object inside my body.

Could this be its core?

As I reached for it, the creature suddenly retracted its tongue into its body. Watching something meant to exit suddenly reverse course was unsettling.

Its trembling tongue slowly approached me as if suppressing pain.

I abandoned my reach for its core and grabbed its tongue instead. It felt damp and unpleasant, like a beating heart.

I tightened my grip, hardening my hand into a sharp edge. Then I shredded its tongue.

Watching the severed chunks reminded me of the ox tongue I once ate abroad. I’ll probably never eat that again.

Anyways.

The creature’s desperate attempt to expel me by secreting more mucus was futile.

Completely dismantling the creature, I emerged clutching what seemed to be its core.

Though I was technically already outside, I watched as the creature’s body gravitated toward its core. Despite its frailty, its vitality was remarkable.

What should I do with this?

There were two options:

Destroy it here, or…

Take it outside with my knowledge pouch.

As I deliberated, an eerie sensation made me scan my surroundings. A swarm of toads was slowly advancing.

Though much smaller than the one I just dismantled, their numbers were alarming.

Wait, was that thing not the end?

A cold sweat dripped down my jelly-like form.

I might be stronger than I think, but no one beats overwhelming odds.

...Time out.

But my thoughts didn’t reach the outside world.

The swarm of tiny toads, as if seeking vengeance, charged at me with ferocity.

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