part1 · 006-ep6

Episode 6: The Slime

The slime hopped.

"...!"

Ren leapt sideways.

—Splat.

The semi-transparent body landed right where Ren had been standing a moment before.

"That was close..."

Ren steadied his breathing. This thing wasn't as big as the wolf. But he couldn't afford to be careless. To survive here, he needed to defeat the monster in front of him.

Ren tightened his grip on the stone in his hand.

"...I can do this."

He told himself so. The slime came closer, slowly. Ren watched it, motionless.

It was slow. Only in the instant it attacked did it leap high.

"In that case..."

Aim for the next time it jumped. The slime's body contracted.

"...Now!"

Ren sprang aside. And as it passed him, he smashed the stone down into it.

—Gonn!

"...!"

The slime's body rocked violently. But it didn't fall.

"It's still...!"

Ren put distance between them. The slime turned back around. It hopped again.

Ren dodged. Swung the stone. Dodged. Swung. Over and over.

His arm hurt. His breath was ragged. Even so, he didn't give up.

"This is it...!"

Ren raised the stone with both hands. The slime leapt.

That instant.

He brought it down with everything he had.

Wham!

The slime's body slammed into the ground.

And.

The semi-transparent body slowly collapsed in on itself.

"...Huh?"

Ren froze. The slime was disappearing. It broke apart into particles of light, until at last nothing remained.

"...Did I beat it?"

He looked at his hands. They were shaking. He'd been terrified. He had run, again and again.

And yet.

Just now, for the first time, he had defeated a monster with his own strength.

"...Me?"

That instant. That voice rang out in his head.

《World's first monster slaying confirmed.》

Ren lifted his head.

《Bestowing special reward.》

"...Again?"

White light wrapped around Ren's body.

《Unique skill—》

《Survival Adaptation》

The light faded. For a while, Ren couldn't say a word.

"...Survival Adaptation?"

Its meaning flowed into his mind.

《Survival Adaptation》

《Abilities necessary for survival adapt and improve in response to environment and experience.》

"..."

Ren looked at his body. Nothing had changed drastically. His strength hadn't suddenly multiplied. His wounds wouldn't heal in an instant.

Just.

A tiny bit. His body felt lighter, he thought.

"...Must be my imagination."

Ren tilted his head. Then he looked at the ground.

Where the slime had been, nothing remained.

"..."

Ren set the stone down. He looked at his hands. Still shaking.

"That was scary..."

And yet.

He hadn't just gotten away. He had beaten it himself.

For the first time, Ren understood what it would take to survive in this place.

—He had to fight.

And.

—He had to live.

　　　　　◇

That night. Ren lay curled up in the shadow of the rocks.

There was nothing to eat. He'd drunk a little water, and that was all. Cold. Sleepy. Exhausted.

But he was afraid to sleep. The wolf was out there. There might be other monsters, too.

"..."

Ren hugged his knees. If he were home, this would be about the time his mother was making dinner. His father would be coming home. The three of them around the table.

He remembered scenes like that.

"...Mom."

He closed his eyes.

"...Dad."

No answer. Ren let out a small breath.

"...I have to go back."

Get outside. See Mizuki.

And—

go back to an ordinary life.

That was all he thought about.

Ren didn't know. About the life that would begin from this day.

One day.

One week.

One month.

One year.

And ten years.

How it would change his body. His senses. His way of thinking. Everything.

For now. He was still just a fifteen-year-old boy. An ordinary boy, stretched to his limit just trying to stay alive.