The world felt peculiar through the slime.
The surroundings were a light shade of blue, as if someone had applied a sky-blue filter to everything.
Everything around was magnified. The grass that filled the surroundings was larger than the torso, and the beautiful Adrinal tree standing there looked like a giant from some myth. This was probably due to the slime’s size being incredibly small.
The most noticeable thing was the strange sensation enveloping the entire body.
A sensation akin to an unknown current covered the entire body. It felt like floating in water or being enveloped in a warm cloud.
All these sensations were so unfamiliar that Taehyung involuntarily shivered, sweeping his hands across his body.
Once he returned to the 3rd POV through the summoner’s eyes, Taehyung felt the need to try something.
“Hey. Can you hear me?”
But there was no response.
“Hey, Slime? Primordial Slime? Can you hear me?”
Squirm!
No response. Instead, the slime just wobbled its plump body. Taehyung chuckled.
“I guess it can’t talk.”
He realized that, indeed, the slime couldn’t speak.
However, what was certain was that this creature could understand Taehyung’s words.
“Slime. If you can hear me, bounce your body once.”
Squirm!
The slime immediately shivered its body.
“Try it twice.”
Squirm!
The slime squirmed its body twice, resembling a wobbling pudding.
“Yeah, it understands.”
That was a relief. At least, there was some form of communication.
Initially, it didn’t make sense for there to be no communication. The target of the Link skill was a powerful entity with a strong will.
In other words, it meant that the entity strongly desired to form a master-servant contract itself.
[Summoned Creature Information]
Species: Primordial Slime
Class: Primordial Slime
Possessed Skills: Parasitism, Absorption, Mutation, Evolution
“Four skills? Quite unusual for a slime.”
All the skills were quite extraordinary as well.
He had suspected that this slime wasn’t an ordinary one, and it turned out to be true.
Taehyung thought that, as far as he knew, no slime in this world possessed four skills.
“Slime, let’s do well together.”
Squirm!
The slime shivered its body. Its tiny trembling figure was quite adorable.
“Your name can’t just be Slime.”
Certainly, this creature didn’t have a name.
Taehyung decided to give it a name.
“Um. Since you keep squirming, I’ll name you Gloki.”
[The Primordial Slime has been named as Gloki]
And so, it became Gloki.
Taehyung tried various ways to communicate with Squirm and learn more about it.
Certainly, Gloki had a sense of self. It understood and responded to most of Taehyung’s words. However, it couldn’t grasp complex language. Perhaps, if it was compared to a human, its level of self-awareness might be that of a child rather than an infant.
It felt like having acquired a pet that was entirely beyond conventional understanding.
In any case, Taehyung decided to try giving it some instructions.
“Gloki, I’ll be doing something else, so try doing something.”
Having said that, Taehyung blocked his senses and returned to his usual spot.
At the same time, Squirm began to move.
Sluggish.
Very slowly. Almost to the point of inducing a yawn.
But, of course, it was a slime, so that was expected.
The most frustrating thing for Taehyung was undoubtedly one thing.
“It would be nice if we could have a proper conversation.”
One-sided communication.
Well, it couldn’t be helped.
Taehyung surveyed the surroundings with the Summoner’s Eyes. Gloki was in the middle of a vast grassland. Unfamiliar creatures roamed here and there, peacefully grazing on the grass.
“It seems safe.”
Taehyung judged that it could be left alone. He decided to communicate with Squirm again.
“Gloki, I’m going to do something else, so try doing something.”
After saying that, Taehyung once again returned to his usual spot.
And at that moment, Gloki began to move.
Squishy.
Extremely slow. That Teahyung yawned two times.
* * *
Naturally, the two tribes that became one didn’t harmonize well from the start.
Disputes were frequent. It was natural. Although they were of the same species, it wasn’t easy for individuals who were previously hostile to mix easily.
However, orcs were a simple species. They were so simple that people might describe them as excessively ignorant, but they had the advantage of being straightforward and without any hidden agendas.
Moreover, they had a simple and effective method for resolving conflicts: the duel.
They fought and became closer. Orcs were no strangers to the idea that males bond through fighting. Orcs excelled in this.
Under Karim’s leadership, a large-scale friendly duel took place. Although it was labeled as a friendly duel, it involved several days of intense battles. There were quite a few casualties, but the outcome was a great success.
Orcs fought against each other, releasing the accumulated tension. The gazes they exchanged afterward held no malice.
At that moment, the members of the Blue Axe Tribe seamlessly merged as if it had been that way from the beginning.
Observing all of these scenes, Taehyung felt the strength of the orcs once again.
Two tribes that had lived separately for hundreds of years, seemingly blending so effortlessly. If they were humans, it would have been an impossible feat. Rather than merging, there would have been frequent conflicts and animosities.
This was something only possible for orcs. Even though they had lived apart for so long, a strong sense of kinship was deeply rooted in their subconscious.
That was the strength of the orcs. Despite being currently overlooked by everyone, they were destined to become something significant. Taehyung believed that everyone would soon recognize their potential.
*
Sometime later, among the orcs of the Blue Axe Tribe, there was a growing number of individuals claiming to have had strange experiences.
“Shaman, I feel something strange. Do you have any idea what it might be?”
“A strange feeling? What do you mean?”
“Lately, I keep seeing something that’s not really there.”
“Hmm… just saying that doesn’t give me much to go on. Can you be more specific? What is this ‘something’ you’re talking about?”
“I don’t really know. It’s like a thin thread, or a round bead, or even a square gem. It’s weird. When I try to focus on it, it disappears. Could it be some kind of ghost haunting me?”
“Is there any discomfort? Anywhere you feel unwell or dizzy?”
“No, there’s nothing like that. I’m perfectly fine.”
Despite seeking advice from Shaman Kurpha, the orcs, all with different symptoms, were unable to pinpoint the cause. Some saw things in thin air, others felt a warmth or coldness throughout their bodies, and one even claimed to see a little child running around in the sky. It was confusing, and Kurpha was unable to offer a clear explanation.
Frustrated, Kurpha immediately conveyed this news to Karim.
“Even the Orc God has not spoken on the matter, so I can’t make any hasty speculations. Personally, I suspect it might be a contagious disease spreading through Kaizen Great Forest. We might need to take precautions, Chief.”
But Karim shook his head.
“It’s not a contagious disease, Shaman.”
“Not a contagious disease? Do you have any thoughts on what it might be?”
“The Lord has bestowed a blessing upon us. It’s a Blessing of the Forest. Our kin can now sense mana, just like those pointy-eared creatures.”
“Mana? Is that really true?”
“It is.”
Kurpha shivered all over.
Feeling mana? How could that be possible? Orcs couldn’t use mana. More precisely, their mana sensitivity was extremely low. Instead, they were gifted with great strength, robust bodies, and tireless stamina.
While records from a thousand years ago mentioned High Orcs freely using mana like humans or elves, the current orcs were different.
That was the situation, so Kurpha’s astonishment was quite natural.
“Oh, Orc God…”
Kurpha trembled as he spoke.
Feeling mana? It was unbelievable.
Karim continued, “It’s a blessing from the Orc God. Those close to the Orc God cannot manipulate mana.”
“Is that so… I am unable to feel it, Chief.”
“That’s expected. You are close to the Orc God. Those who receive the divine message cannot manipulate mana.”
“I see… That’s regrettable. It seemed quite interesting.”
Karim played with mana several times before growing bored and casually extinguishing the faint blue light emanating from his hand.
“Anyway, it’s not a contagious disease, so you can rest assured. It’s a blessing, if anything.”
“That’s a relief then.”
Kurpha wiped his forehead in relief. Simultaneously, he felt a sense of awe towards their leader.
“Indeed, our Lord truly sent a blessing to us on this land.”
Certainly, the Lord did. How else could such a miracle happen? Who else could bring about a blessing that allowed the entire group to sense mana?
“With this power alone, the unification of the Kaizen Great Forest is not just a dream.”
Thinking so, Kurpha conveyed his continuous gratitude to Taehyung, their Lord.
*
As Karim and Kurpha continued their conversation, in a corner of the Blue Axe Tribe village, where the Blue Axe tribe members were on guard duty, Orc Kakul suddenly tilted his head.
“Something feels off.”
It was as if someone was staring at him.
He looked around. However, no one was there. The only visible creature was a squirrel outside the village.
“No one seems to be around. Why do I feel like someone is staring at me?”
Kakul squinted his eyes and carefully examined the surroundings.
Still, there was no one to be seen.
Kakul scratched his head with a dumbfounded expression.
“I must be imagining things.”
Recently, he had been feeling tired, maybe because of that. Now, he was seeing things, not just feeling mana.
Maybe he needed a good rest. He hoped his duty would end soon.
However, during his duty, Kakul’s senses tingled.
It wasn’t just a sensation; it was an intangible feeling, a premonition.
This time, it was real. Definitely.
Without a second thought, he swiftly turned his head and hurled a small axe he had kept in his belt into the empty space above his head.
Swoosh!
Thunk!
Exerting all his strength, the thrown axe flew through the air and hit something tiny that seemed like a point.
Simultaneously, the strange sensation he had been feeling disappeared.
Thunk!
The arrow hit the ground without much fanfare. Kakul immediately descended from the watchtower to confirm the shot.
“An owl?”
Kacool muttered as he pulled an axe from the owl’s corpse.
“This owl, it looks oddly unpleasant.”
Although it appeared to be an ordinary owl, it strangely gave off a bad vibe.
Little did Kakul know that it was the heightened sensitivity effect influencing his perception.
*
Gloki continued to move diligently.
“Just do something.”
Since Taehyung said that, Gloki had never stopped moving even once.
It was uncertain how much time had passed—whether it was days, weeks, or even a month. He simply followed his master’s orders.
The casually spoken words of his master were deeply engraved in Gloki’s consciousness, becoming the first goal of his slime life.
Thinking only of that, Gloki moved and continued to move.
Finally, he spotted his goal.
Gloki’s target was the creature ahead, many times larger than Gloki himself. He diligently crawled towards the creature.
Crawl, crawl.
He crawled up and entered the creature’s mouth.
Squishy.
Instinct pointed the way. Gloki instantly grasped what he needed to do.
He crawled up through the darkness with no end in sight. At the end of the climb, he reached somewhere.
And, he seized the space.
In that moment,
[Gloki attempts to parasitize the muscular rabbit.]
[Body control in progress. 01%]
[Body control in progress. 02%]
.
.
.
[Body control in progress. 98%]
[Body control in progress. 99%]
[Body control complete]
[Gloki explores the components of the muscular rabbit.]
[Gloki discovers exceptional jumping ability in the components of the muscular rabbit.]
[Gloki absorbs the discovered component.]
The vitality in the eyes of the muscular rabbit noticeably decreased. At some point, the muscular rabbit fell with a thud.
Gloki popped out of the fallen rabbit’s mouth.
Squirm!
Gloki bounced his body once.
Thud! Thud!
In an instant, he started bouncing forward with tremendous jumping power.
The world felt peculiar through the slime.
The surroundings were a light shade of blue, as if someone had applied a sky-blue filter to everything.
Everything around was magnified. The grass that filled the surroundings was larger than the torso, and the beautiful Adrinal tree standing there looked like a giant from some myth. This was probably due to the slime’s size being incredibly small.
The most noticeable thing was the strange sensation enveloping the entire body.
A sensation akin to an unknown current covered the entire body. It felt like floating in water or being enveloped in a warm cloud.
All these sensations were so unfamiliar that Taehyung involuntarily shivered, sweeping his hands across his body.
Once he returned to the 3rd POV through the summoner’s eyes, Taehyung felt the need to try something.
“Hey. Can you hear me?”
But there was no response.
“Hey, Slime? Primordial Slime? Can you hear me?”
Squirm!
No response. Instead, the slime just wobbled its plump body. Taehyung chuckled.
“I guess it can’t talk.”
He realized that, indeed, the slime couldn’t speak.
However, what was certain was that this creature could understand Taehyung’s words.
“Slime. If you can hear me, bounce your body once.”
Squirm!
The slime immediately shivered its body.
“Try it twice.”
Squirm!
The slime squirmed its body twice, resembling a wobbling pudding.
“Yeah, it understands.”
That was a relief. At least, there was some form of communication.
Initially, it didn’t make sense for there to be no communication. The target of the Link skill was a powerful entity with a strong will.
In other words, it meant that the entity strongly desired to form a master-servant contract itself.
[Summoned Creature Information]
Species: Primordial Slime
Class: Primordial Slime
Possessed Skills: Parasitism, Absorption, Mutation, Evolution
“Four skills? Quite unusual for a slime.”
All the skills were quite extraordinary as well.
He had suspected that this slime wasn’t an ordinary one, and it turned out to be true.
Taehyung thought that, as far as he knew, no slime in this world possessed four skills.
“Slime, let’s do well together.”
Squirm!
The slime shivered its body. Its tiny trembling figure was quite adorable.
“Your name can’t just be Slime.”
Certainly, this creature didn’t have a name.
Taehyung decided to give it a name.
“Um. Since you keep squirming, I’ll name you Gloki.”
[The Primordial Slime has been named as Gloki]
And so, it became Gloki.
Taehyung tried various ways to communicate with Squirm and learn more about it.
Certainly, Gloki had a sense of self. It understood and responded to most of Taehyung’s words. However, it couldn’t grasp complex language. Perhaps, if it was compared to a human, its level of self-awareness might be that of a child rather than an infant.
It felt like having acquired a pet that was entirely beyond conventional understanding.
In any case, Taehyung decided to try giving it some instructions.
“Gloki, I’ll be doing something else, so try doing something.”
Having said that, Taehyung blocked his senses and returned to his usual spot.
At the same time, Squirm began to move.
Sluggish.
Very slowly. Almost to the point of inducing a yawn.
But, of course, it was a slime, so that was expected.
The most frustrating thing for Taehyung was undoubtedly one thing.
“It would be nice if we could have a proper conversation.”
One-sided communication.
Well, it couldn’t be helped.
Taehyung surveyed the surroundings with the Summoner’s Eyes. Gloki was in the middle of a vast grassland. Unfamiliar creatures roamed here and there, peacefully grazing on the grass.
“It seems safe.”
Taehyung judged that it could be left alone. He decided to communicate with Squirm again.
“Gloki, I’m going to do something else, so try doing something.”
After saying that, Taehyung once again returned to his usual spot.
And at that moment, Gloki began to move.
Squishy.
Extremely slow. That Teahyung yawned two times.
* * *
Naturally, the two tribes that became one didn’t harmonize well from the start.
Disputes were frequent. It was natural. Although they were of the same species, it wasn’t easy for individuals who were previously hostile to mix easily.
However, orcs were a simple species. They were so simple that people might describe them as excessively ignorant, but they had the advantage of being straightforward and without any hidden agendas.
Moreover, they had a simple and effective method for resolving conflicts: the duel.
They fought and became closer. Orcs were no strangers to the idea that males bond through fighting. Orcs excelled in this.
Under Karim’s leadership, a large-scale friendly duel took place. Although it was labeled as a friendly duel, it involved several days of intense battles. There were quite a few casualties, but the outcome was a great success.
Orcs fought against each other, releasing the accumulated tension. The gazes they exchanged afterward held no malice.
At that moment, the members of the Blue Axe Tribe seamlessly merged as if it had been that way from the beginning.
Observing all of these scenes, Taehyung felt the strength of the orcs once again.
Two tribes that had lived separately for hundreds of years, seemingly blending so effortlessly. If they were humans, it would have been an impossible feat. Rather than merging, there would have been frequent conflicts and animosities.
This was something only possible for orcs. Even though they had lived apart for so long, a strong sense of kinship was deeply rooted in their subconscious.
That was the strength of the orcs. Despite being currently overlooked by everyone, they were destined to become something significant. Taehyung believed that everyone would soon recognize their potential.
*
Sometime later, among the orcs of the Blue Axe Tribe, there was a growing number of individuals claiming to have had strange experiences.
“Shaman, I feel something strange. Do you have any idea what it might be?”
“A strange feeling? What do you mean?”
“Lately, I keep seeing something that’s not really there.”
“Hmm… just saying that doesn’t give me much to go on. Can you be more specific? What is this ‘something’ you’re talking about?”
“I don’t really know. It’s like a thin thread, or a round bead, or even a square gem. It’s weird. When I try to focus on it, it disappears. Could it be some kind of ghost haunting me?”
“Is there any discomfort? Anywhere you feel unwell or dizzy?”
“No, there’s nothing like that. I’m perfectly fine.”
Despite seeking advice from Shaman Kurpha, the orcs, all with different symptoms, were unable to pinpoint the cause. Some saw things in thin air, others felt a warmth or coldness throughout their bodies, and one even claimed to see a little child running around in the sky. It was confusing, and Kurpha was unable to offer a clear explanation.
Frustrated, Kurpha immediately conveyed this news to Karim.
“Even the Orc God has not spoken on the matter, so I can’t make any hasty speculations. Personally, I suspect it might be a contagious disease spreading through Kaizen Great Forest. We might need to take precautions, Chief.”
But Karim shook his head.
“It’s not a contagious disease, Shaman.”
“Not a contagious disease? Do you have any thoughts on what it might be?”
“The Lord has bestowed a blessing upon us. It’s a Blessing of the Forest. Our kin can now sense mana, just like those pointy-eared creatures.”
“Mana? Is that really true?”
“It is.”
Kurpha shivered all over.
Feeling mana? How could that be possible? Orcs couldn’t use mana. More precisely, their mana sensitivity was extremely low. Instead, they were gifted with great strength, robust bodies, and tireless stamina.
While records from a thousand years ago mentioned High Orcs freely using mana like humans or elves, the current orcs were different.
That was the situation, so Kurpha’s astonishment was quite natural.
“Oh, Orc God…”
Kurpha trembled as he spoke.
Feeling mana? It was unbelievable.
Karim continued, “It’s a blessing from the Orc God. Those close to the Orc God cannot manipulate mana.”
“Is that so… I am unable to feel it, Chief.”
“That’s expected. You are close to the Orc God. Those who receive the divine message cannot manipulate mana.”
“I see… That’s regrettable. It seemed quite interesting.”
Karim played with mana several times before growing bored and casually extinguishing the faint blue light emanating from his hand.
“Anyway, it’s not a contagious disease, so you can rest assured. It’s a blessing, if anything.”
“That’s a relief then.”
Kurpha wiped his forehead in relief. Simultaneously, he felt a sense of awe towards their leader.
“Indeed, our Lord truly sent a blessing to us on this land.”
Certainly, the Lord did. How else could such a miracle happen? Who else could bring about a blessing that allowed the entire group to sense mana?
“With this power alone, the unification of the Kaizen Great Forest is not just a dream.”
Thinking so, Kurpha conveyed his continuous gratitude to Taehyung, their Lord.
*
As Karim and Kurpha continued their conversation, in a corner of the Blue Axe Tribe village, where the Blue Axe tribe members were on guard duty, Orc Kakul suddenly tilted his head.
“Something feels off.”
It was as if someone was staring at him.
He looked around. However, no one was there. The only visible creature was a squirrel outside the village.
“No one seems to be around. Why do I feel like someone is staring at me?”
Kakul squinted his eyes and carefully examined the surroundings.
Still, there was no one to be seen.
Kakul scratched his head with a dumbfounded expression.
“I must be imagining things.”
Recently, he had been feeling tired, maybe because of that. Now, he was seeing things, not just feeling mana.
Maybe he needed a good rest. He hoped his duty would end soon.
However, during his duty, Kakul’s senses tingled.
It wasn’t just a sensation; it was an intangible feeling, a premonition.
This time, it was real. Definitely.
Without a second thought, he swiftly turned his head and hurled a small axe he had kept in his belt into the empty space above his head.
Swoosh!
Thunk!
Exerting all his strength, the thrown axe flew through the air and hit something tiny that seemed like a point.
Simultaneously, the strange sensation he had been feeling disappeared.
Thunk!
The arrow hit the ground without much fanfare. Kakul immediately descended from the watchtower to confirm the shot.
“An owl?”
Kacool muttered as he pulled an axe from the owl’s corpse.
“This owl, it looks oddly unpleasant.”
Although it appeared to be an ordinary owl, it strangely gave off a bad vibe.
Little did Kakul know that it was the heightened sensitivity effect influencing his perception.
*
Gloki continued to move diligently.
“Just do something.”
Since Taehyung said that, Gloki had never stopped moving even once.
It was uncertain how much time had passed—whether it was days, weeks, or even a month. He simply followed his master’s orders.
The casually spoken words of his master were deeply engraved in Gloki’s consciousness, becoming the first goal of his slime life.
Thinking only of that, Gloki moved and continued to move.
Finally, he spotted his goal.
Gloki’s target was the creature ahead, many times larger than Gloki himself. He diligently crawled towards the creature.
Crawl, crawl.
He crawled up and entered the creature’s mouth.
Squishy.
Instinct pointed the way. Gloki instantly grasped what he needed to do.
He crawled up through the darkness with no end in sight. At the end of the climb, he reached somewhere.
And, he seized the space.
In that moment,
[Gloki attempts to parasitize the muscular rabbit.]
[Body control in progress. 01%]
[Body control in progress. 02%]
.
.
.
[Body control in progress. 98%]
[Body control in progress. 99%]
[Body control complete]
[Gloki explores the components of the muscular rabbit.]
[Gloki discovers exceptional jumping ability in the components of the muscular rabbit.]
[Gloki absorbs the discovered component.]
The vitality in the eyes of the muscular rabbit noticeably decreased. At some point, the muscular rabbit fell with a thud.
Gloki popped out of the fallen rabbit’s mouth.
Squirm!
Gloki bounced his body once.
Thud! Thud!
In an instant, he started bouncing forward with tremendous jumping power.
