Hi! I'm now a Sli...no, PORING!
A plain-faced woman walked down the busy roads of Ginza one autumn day. She wore an orange scarf, and a brown coat over a nice maroon shirt and black long skirt. Her footwear is a pair of office lady shoes. She has 7:3-sideswept wavy hair.
This woman's name is Mikami Satoko, age 37, almost 40 years old.
A Career Woman.
She worked her way up the ladder. From a typical Corporate Slave, to a now General Contractor, thus has knowledge on how to build buildings and plumbings. She graduated an engineer after all in College.
It was OK as a kid at first, but when puberty happened, she could see her classmates pair up left and right yet no boy ever goes near her that caused her to become self-conscious, wondering where she lacked at. Thus she worked hard in girly skills and even using supplements but one thing that never changed, is the fact that her face is still a factor.
However, she was also a realist.
Jaded by the fact that no guy would want to be the boyfriend of that plain-faced girl, she resolved to be better than anyone instead. It makes her parents proud at least.
She threw herself in her studies, took gym, many activities, and had many friends with whom she enjoyed gaming and karaoke with.
End result, she has enough skills to appeal in future jobs, and these friends she made scored her a good job after College! Connections ROCK!
Then this topic happened.
'Dear, you're of marriage age now.' said Mrs. Mikami in their home at their living room. 'It's time to set up an Omiai.'
Satoko dreaded those because she knows full well...that it will not end well.
Nobody responded to any Omiai Attempts of her parents.
'Whyyy? Our Satoko's a good, accomplished girl!' Mr. Mikami cried indignantly, wailing to his wife, pointing at the many certificates on their walls. 'How come nobody responded?!'
'Mom, dad, let me be frank.' Satoko sighed like any defeatist would. She long apathetically accepted this cruel fact, that she would be a lonely woman all her life. 'Ever since Junior High, there IS a dang good reason I never had a boyfriend...I'm too plain-faced!' she would tell them. 'No boy looked my way despite my grades or how good was I in Cooking Class. A woman's face plays a good factor in pairing up these days and a face is what I don't have.'
'WHAT?!' her indignant parents howled, offended on her behalf.
'People hook up these days just over good looks?!'
'Whatever happened to personality?! Why, in my day...' as her parents rambled in rage, distressed on their daughter's behalf and it took Satoko and her older brother to calm their enraged parents down. That their dear, accomplished daughter has no marital future for a stupid, shallow reason. At least their just-as-accomplished son has a girlfriend...so at least through him they'd have grandkids.
At least her brother has a girlfriend.
(He had three failed relationships, before by the time he was thirty, he scored a winning girl.)
So Satoko became a career woman, a competent one she rose up the ladder that by her thirties, she's now a General Contractor, earning easy money, and has a hefty insurance policy, making her family the beneficiaries.
Back in her youth, she enjoyed her life. Anime and Manga in her teens and going to cosplay conventions, and traveling when she was in her 20s, before taking adulthood seriously at 30, beginning to earn money for her retirement that for one who earns big money, she still lives with her parents than spend some of her salary in a cramped apartment anyway.
She helps out at home since hey, her mother ain't getting any younger to do the chores. But in her spare time, she plays Visual Novel games.
But one day, at age 37, she was about to go to work, about to cross the road when she...felt something sharp stab into her and her purse snatched by a man in a thick jacket, face mask and a beret hat. It was...a long knife and she felt her heart get sliced a bit...
"Eh..." and she collapsed, weakened from the fatal hit. When she collapsed, panic ensued, especially with an obvious knife handle sticking out of her back. "So getting stabbed feels hot? Who got me killed?" and piercing pain too as she then feels cold. "I think I have an internal injury...I'm losing blood fast that I'm feeling cold. That's bad isn't it?"
/Confirmed. Generating body that doesn't require blood./
/Confirmed. Acquisition of Stab Resistance, successful./
/Continuing...Acquisition of Physical Attack Resistance, successful./
"Huh? Who said that? Sounds like a computer's voice...so robotic. Maybe I'm hearing things, but whatever, I'm dying. And I feel weird. So this is what dying is like? This uncomfortable hot and cold feeling?'
/Confirmed. Acquisition of Heat Resistance, successful./
/Confirmed. Acquisition of Cold Resistance, successful. Acquisition of Heat Resistance and Cold Resistance results of Acquisition of new skill Thermal Fluctuation Resistance, successful./
"It hurts a lot...I don't think I can tell niichan that this hurts a lot..."
/Confirmed. Acquisition of Pain Nullification, successful./
/Creation of a body that does not require blood, successful./
"...dying alone sucks...one of my friends isn't even nearby...I don't want anyone to know I keep erotic BL in my computer...I can't get rid of it now, I don't want my parents to know I'm into that sort of thing, how embarrassing. I wished I deleted it..."
/Deletion of data has failed due to insufficient information. Consistency not found among theoretical values. As an alternative measure, Electric Current Resistance, acquired. Attached is Paralysis Resistance. Acquisition, successful./
"Well, I'm dying alone." by that she was unmarried and childless. "Maybe instead of waiting for a boy to like me, I should have been more aggressive and assertive. I should do the pursuing."
/Unique Skill: Predator. Acquisition, successful./
"They say that if a person is a virgin at age 30 is a magician, then I should be a Sage since I'm nearing 40 years old. Maybe I should be a Great Sage instead?"
/Extra Skill: Sage, acquired. Continuing, Sage will transform into Unique Skill: Great Sage, successful./
"I'm dying soon. I hope in my next life, I'll be born a beauty. That way, I can finally get married and have children of my own. I hope I'll be as lucky as mom someday...and meet a good man. It doesn't matter what kind of man he is."
/Creation of a body that does not require blood, has visual appeal and capable of procreation with any male, successful. Ultimate Skill: Universal Maternity, acquired./
And she died.
Her family soon found out, and distraught over the news, howling in rage and grief at who killed their daughter for her purse, cursing her killer.
xxx
Hmmm?
She's...conscious?
...I died, right? Sooo why am I still around? I can't open my eyes...I can't...move my arms and legs?
Dread and unease slowly creep their way into my heart.
Could this… be what they call a vegetative state?
Consciousness separated from nerve endings–immobile… is this what it is?
No, no, no, no! Please don't let that be true!
Just when I thought I was saved...vegetative state? What could be worse? Even losing a half of my body would be preferable!
And yeah, both outcomes would be terrible. But to be alone in this darkness, without any senses, isn't that just hell?
Having imagined the worst scenario, panic has quickly turned into despair.
I want to think it over.
They say that when people are confined in darkness, they quickly go mad. I happen to be in that state right now, and cannot even kill myself.
Rather than despairing, the only thing I can do is go insane, huh?
And then,
*Touch*
There was a sense of touch.
Hmm? What is...
All my senses were focused on feeling that sensation
With a horizontal stroke across my belly(?), I felt something akin to grass.
Focusing my entire consciousness on that area, I slowly began to make out the shape of my body. And by the way, the grass's tip felt prickly against my body.
It kind of made me happy.
Yet, I'm still in complete darkness. And although I regained only one of the five senses, I could finally feel again.
Amused, I decided to try to head towards that grass.
I could feel my body move.
It...moved?!
At that time, I was pretty certain that I was not on top of a hospital bed. Under my belly(?) I could feel some hard – rock, maybe.
I see...though I don't really get it, I am not in a hospital.
Moreover, my eyes still can't see.
Can't hear anything either, but it could be just that I've gone deaf.
Although I don't know if i am facing it or not – I can't feel my head, after all – I'll head towards the grass. I'll learn about myself through contact.
No scent in the air either. Could it be? Did I also lose the sense of smell?
And seriously, I just can't understand the shape of my body.
I really don't want to accept it, but it seems sleek, jelly like–the kind that is really famous in RPGs–the appearance of that kind of monster.
Am I a Poring now? Lotsa Porings back when Ragnarok Online was in vogue. I killed many Porings as a Novice just to level up faster.
I have been entertaining that possibility in the back of my head for a while now. No more denying it. If I am such a thing now, at least LET ME OPEN MY EYES?!
Oh! I can see! I looked for any source of water in this dark cave with glowing rocks for lighting just to see what I am now.
I'm in a dark cave...and I'm really, a Poring. They're cute for Slime Monsters at least.
Thus, I decided to try the last of the five human senses that I've ignored up until now.
But… I don't even know where my mouth is. What to do?
/Activate Unique Skill: Predator? YES/NO/
Suddenly, there was a voice in the back of my head.
Wha, what was that?
Unique Skill: Predator?
And what was that voice?
I thought I heard a strange voice while dying before, but I guess I wasn't just hearing things, huh.
Is someone there? Yet, somehow that doesn't fit. More than someone being here, it's more like words appearing in my mind.
The voice lacks intent and ego; very passive, like the voice that would come from a computer, calling it synthesized would perhaps be most accurate.
For now, NO is my response.
I am Japanese who can say no, after all.
Bringing up the words NO in my mind, I wait for a response. Yet it did not come. I waited for a bit, but felt no voice.
Seems like I won't be getting a second question. Did I choose wrongly? Could this be a game that ends when I don't choose YES?
I thought that it would be the same as in an RPG–the same question repeating until I chose YES...I guess I was wrong.
Asking a question and then leaving, what a rude guy.
Though I have to admit, hearing a voice did make me slightly happy.
I slightly regretted the decision.
Well, nothing can be done now.
I guess I'll go back to trying to taste something.
I moved my body towards that piece of grass. While verifying my sense of touch, I leaned my body on the piece of grass. I'm a slime now, so I guess I should eat what's available to myself?
I envelop the object with my body to confirm what it is...and I was right–it is, in fact, grass.
While touching the grass, the piece that was in contact with my body melted. And while I was worried that my body had melted, it seems to have been the grass only.
And thus, I understood that by melting the grass it was incorporated into my body.
It seems, the grass melted because it entered my body. In other words, rather than enveloping it, I seem to have swallowed it.
And by the way, it had no taste.
This is, in other words, that kind of thing.
I'm not a human.
That is, I seem to have died from that stab wound, right?
And that was not a question, I am completely certain of this fact. And thus, rather than a hospital bed, I can confidently say that I am at some rocky place where grass grows.
Some suspicions still remain. But, fretting over this won't achieve anything at this point. I have to decide what to do next.
My body moves with rhythmic motion. Boing, boing I go! Poring~!
In that pitch black darkness, I spent some time to figure out my appearance. Round jelly! Can't see my face yet though.
From all that I have gathered about my body, only that description seems appropriate.
I don't hate it, right? Yeah. Some could even call it cute, after all.
But well, If you were asked 'Would you want to become one?', I'd say 90 percent of people would reply the same way.
However, all I can do is accept this situation.
It seems that I have reincarnated as a slime. No, PORING! Porings are better than Slimes!
And what do Porings do? Eat grass and flowers.
Why? It's obvious!
I. HAVE. NOTHING. TO. DO!
Since I have accepted, albeit grudgingly, the fact that I became a sli-PORING, a day has passed.
The first concern on my mind was, of course, food.
I first tried to see if this body can feel hunger. For that purpose, I first checked my surroundings and found a place where grass seemed to be abundant.
On that note, I need to point out that the first grass was right by my side. When needed, I could eat it, and it's sap seems to be usable in its own way. Being stuck in this complete darkness, I am very lucky to have had it so close. Even basic motion could result in death, after all.
And so, let's experiment.
After counting fifty thousand sheep, I got bored.
I tried to see if I would fall asleep, but don't feel even a little bit tired.
I tried counting prime numbers, but didn't know the next one, so I gave up.
Shiritori by oneself is also pointless, is there a way to kill time by yourself other than eating?
If there was Internet, I could waste my time away endlessly; cellphone games would also do. But this, this is torture.
Meditating like an ascetic monk is impossible for an amateur like me.
One thing I am still uncertain about: where any animals run around here.
There have been no signs of them until now.
Well, I can see, but not hear or smell anything, I can't say there have been none close by until now, but I haven't been attacked by one until now, at least.
Thanks to that, without fearing for my life, I am leisurely living.
That is the conclusion I reached after heroically suffering this mental agony.
I do not feel hunger. Nor do I need sleep.
Seriously, my stomach neither craved food nor did I ever desire sleep.
As to how many days had passed–I could not tell in this darkness.
Nor have I heard that strange voice again. If I had, I wouldn't mind playing along now.
Thus, since I have nothing to do, I am eating grass.
Since I have no other way to kill time, I am quietly munching on some grass.
Now, I've accumulated and dissolved so much grass in my body that I can sense it.
If you asked what purpose that served, I would confidently respond: none.
I am just afraid that if I don't do something, I'll go crazy.
I've gotten used to the routine around here. First Absorb, then Disassemble, end with Store, and then repeat.
And that's where I found a point to investigate.
Lacking an appetite brings forth another question: what about excretion? Clearly food is unnecessary for this body, but what about excretion?
The answer was...it's unnecessary!
I have yet to excrete anything after all this time.
Being a Poring and all it is not unexpected for this things to be unnecessary, but, in that case, what is this Store thing all about? Ooh. Item Box, maybe?!
From what I've noticed, I haven't been changing in any way.
But in that case, what happens with what I eat?
/Solution. It is stored in the stomach associated with Unique Skill: Predator. At this moment, less than 1% is occupied./
What? A responseーーー!
But, since when have I been using that skill? I've selected NO, after all.
/Solution. Unique Skill: Predator has not been activated. Substances entering into the body are automatically stored. This function is modifiable./
Huh. The responses are much more smoother now. Not that it's important.
About the skill, what will happen if I use it?
/Solution. The effects of Unique Skill: Predator are...
Predation: To absorb the target into the body. However, if the target is conscious, the success rate greatly decreases. The affected targets include organic matter, inorganic matter, skills, and magic.
Analysis: The absorbed target is studied and analyzed. Craftable items can then be produced. Should many items gather, a duplicate can be produced. In the case of successful skill or magic analysis, the same technique can be acquired.
Stomach: The target can be stored. Items produced can also be stored. There is no storage time limit.
Mimicry: Replicate the target's appearance. The skills and abilities used by the target can also be used. However, this depends on the successful analysis and acquisition of relative information regarding the target.
Isolation: Materials harmful or unnecessary for analysis can also be stored. They will be used to replace magic energy.
These five points are your power./
Eh? EH?
It's been a while since I last trembled with excitement. Somehow, I just heard of some incredible power. Such an amazing ability has never been held by a Poring before.
Wait, before that.
The voice that hears my questions, what is this? Is there someone there.
/Solution. This is an effect of the Unique Skill: Great Sage. For the sake of quickly utilizing your skills, a response function has been added./
Great Sage, huh. Interesting.
Then what were the grass I ate before?
/Answer: they are Hipokute Herbs. They only grow in places rich with Magicules. It is used as an ingredient in salves and Healing Potions./
Ooh, how to make one?!
/Answer: to process a Full Potion, 100 Hipokute Herbs must be processed. Extract their sap, and combine with Magicules. It can regenerate lost limbs, organs, full-cure diseases and cure even the worst of poisons./ Guide elaborated. /As for lower quality potions, a Full Potion is diluted to obtain High and Low Potions. To make a High Potion, a Full Potion must be diluted 1/20 of its original concentration. For a Low Potion Production, it would be 1/100./
Can I make it the way I am now?
/It is possible with your Analysis Skill./
Yosh! Extract the sap of all herbs I took! Then I can absorb magicules, right? What are magicules anyway?
/Magicule is a portmanteau of magic and molecule. Its is the source of power in this world. Magicules are formed by Spiritrons. Although being a special kind of energy by nature, magicules are still able to have causal effects on regular physical matter and physical phenomena as well. To any lifeforms that are not Monsters or Humans that turned themselves into Majin, Magicules are toxic and might even cause them to die if the Magicule concentration is high enough./
/However, there are exceptions like some animals, plants, or Humans that might survive the toxic effects of the demonic matter and instead mutate to become Monsters themselves. Other exceptions are those who build up innate resistance against Magicules or evolved into higher levels like Enlightened and Saints, two of which, are true Human Evolutions but rarer than Majin outcome as such humans are chosen by the World itself. Other than that, even Spirits are susceptible to Magicules, since coming into contact with Magicules might corrupt them and turn them into half-monsters, half-spirits. It should be noted that even Monsters themselves have a tolerance limit and can be harmed by overwhelming amount of magicules./
/You can absorb them to process the Full Potion. However, as you have consumed 5385 Hipokute Herbs, you have the additional option of creating Elixir, a potion that can both restore health and Magicule Reserves. And that is not yet a discovery in this world./
Holy cow! Teach me how, so we can begin! I can use magic with Magicules?
/Yes./
This oughta be fun!
Suddenly, even if she's a Poring now, she got excited. Sure this is real and not an RPG, but you seriously can't blame her for the adventure she's in for now, right? Right?
Thus Satoko asked Great Sage a loooot of questions, while adventuring in this cave dungeon she's in now...and was able to learn magic, having access to Water Manipulation magic, particularly Water Blade.
Not bad, for a Poring.