Chapter 1 – "The Other Slime"
"...What the hell happened?"
Those were Rai's first words as he regained consciousness. The last thing he remembered was pushing someone out of the way of a speeding truck—and then, darkness.
But now he couldn't feel his body. No arms. No legs. No warmth.
Just a strange, stretchy feeling…
"...Oh no," he muttered. "Don't tell me—"
[Answer: You have perished in your previous world. Reincarnation process complete.]
"...Great Sage?" he guessed.
[Confirmed. I am the entity assigned to guide your soul.]
Rai laughed softly. "So it's actually happening… I really got Truck-kun'd into another world."
[Correction: Impact was caused by a human-driven vehicle, not a truck-themed entity.]
He chuckled again. "Still the same energy as I imagined. Alright, Great Sage — what am I this time? A hero? A dragon?"
[Negative. You are classified as a Slime.]
"...A slime." He paused. "Wait, seriously? Like that slime?"
[If referring to Rimuru Tempest, affirmative.]
Rai froze. "Hold up. You mean… Rimuru exists in this world right now?"
[Confirmed. Temporal displacement detected. You have reincarnated three years after Rimuru Tempest's ascension as a Demon Lord.]
Rai absorbed that (literally and mentally). "Well, damn. Guess I missed the whole Great Jura Forest drama."
He bounced experimentally, discovering his new body was squishy and smooth. He absorbed a rock, analyzed it, then a flower. His Predator skill kicked in automatically, dissecting and cataloging everything inside him.
He grinned internally. "Okay, that's awesome. I can see why Rimuru had fun with this."
[You have acquired the skill: Magic Sense.]
The world around him came into view — glowing, detailed, and alive. The air shimmered with magicules. In the distance, he sensed a group of orcs.
"Monsters, huh?" Rai said, smirking. "Let's test these skills out."
A few minutes later, the forest shook.
BOOM!
Slash!
Crackle!
Rai darted through the trees in slime form, morphing into a humanoid body — blue-haired, golden-eyed, and wearing black clothes formed from his magic. His sword glowed with energy as he sliced through an ogre-like creature.
[Analysis: Victory achieved. Magicules absorbed.]
"Not bad," he said, stretching. "Guess I'm a natural at this."
But instead of resting, Rai smiled wider. "Alright, who's next?"
The forest trembled as a stronger presence appeared — a massive lizard-like beast with red scales.
[Warning: High-level monster detected.]
"Perfect," Rai whispered. "Don't warn me. I want this one."
As the creature roared, Rai activated Predator and Black Flame, launching a surge of heat that engulfed the monster. It countered with a tail whip, but Rai caught it midair, laughing.
"Nice try, but I've got regeneration, too!"
In minutes, the battle ended. The monster's remains dissolved into his slime body, energy flowing through him like lightning.
He stood among the burning trees, victorious.
[You have acquired new skills: Fire Resistance, Enhanced Strength, Dragon Skin.]
"Now this is living," he said, grinning. "I can see why Rimuru loves this world."
But before he could relax, he sensed a familiar aura nearby — warm, powerful, and divine.
"...Wait a second," he muttered. "That feels like—"
A cheerful voice echoed through the air.
"Heyyy! Another slime?!"
Rai turned to see a pink-haired girl descending from the sky, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Milim Nava," he whispered.
She landed with a thud, grinning ear to ear.
"You're like Rimuru! Are you his little brother or something?"
Rai smiled nervously. "Something like that. Name's Rai."
Milim's eyes sparkled. "Cool! Let's fight!"
He blinked. "Wait—what?"
Too late. The battle junkie had met the battle goddess.