Slime on a Mission

Chapter 5 - Slime on a Mission

Shiro's slime-body bounced lightly against the windowpane of his room in the research district, the morning sun washing the walls in gold. Three days had passed since his evolution, and the buzz of magicules had finally started to settle in his system.

Yet something stirred in him.

A hunger.

Not just for food, but for discovery. He itched to get out—to touch the soil, sniff out ingredients, and maybe sink his pseudo-teeth into something that squirmed.

I need to know what's out there, he thought. Flavors don't grow on bedsheets.

He practically sloshed out of his room when the knock came. A mission briefing from Rimuru awaited: a simple scouting run, accompanied by a goblin escort.

To Shiro, waking up as a slime had been weird.

Being named as one—and subsequently leveled up by a reality-warping mass of magical energy—was weirder.

Now, he found himself wobbling behind a goblin guide, halfway into Tempest's surrounding forests, and rapidly approaching peak weirdness.

"I'm still basically goo," he muttered. "I don't even have legs. Or arms. Or a backpack. How is this even a scouting mission?"

Gobta, his goblin escort, turned with a grin. "Don't worry, Shiro-sama! Rimuru-sama said you'd be fine. And you've got me!"

Shiro didn't find that especially reassuring.

[System Notification: Mission Initialized]

[Objective: Environmental Familiarization & Ingredient Sampling]

[Assigned Escort: Gobta (Rank: B-)]

[Status: Active]

The forest loomed with vibrant life—sunlight filtering through thick canopies, massive roots breaking up the soil like veins, and distant cries of monsters echoing through the underbrush.

Shiro's [Ingredient Instinct] pinged every few minutes.

[Ingredient Identified: Sporeleaf Bush — High fiber, possible detoxifying properties]

[Analysis: Mineral Deposit — Composition: Iron, traces of Mana Quartz. Marked for future extraction]

[Notice: Mana Beast Proximity Detected — Caution Advised]

Each ping added to the growing map in his mind—a subtle overlay of icons, flavors, and energy readings.

[Skill Acquisition — Extra Skill]

[New Skill Acquired: Forager's Mapping]

[Effect: Generates a localized topographical and magical resource map based on ingredient and terrain analysis]

His skills were working overtime.

"This place is a full-on wild pantry," Shiro whispered. "If I had a knife and a portable stove, I could run a whole pop-up here."

They passed blooming fungi that shimmered with faint bioluminescence, ferns the size of parasols, and moss-covered stones that oozed faint magic.

[Ingredient Consumed: Lumo-Fungi — Taste: Mildly sweet with mineral tang. Effect: Minor Night Vision Boost]

[Ingredient Consumed: Feral Lapin — Taste: Gamey. Effect: Increased Jumping Force]

"Are you… eating things mid-mission?" Gobta asked, a little green around the gills.

"It's called field analysis," Shiro replied. "And this bunny just gave me the hops."

Gobta blinked. "That's kinda cool."

They ventured deeper into the forest. The underbrush thickened, the air turned damper, and a low rumble made both of them freeze.

[Notice: Hostile Entity Detected — Species: Forest Razorhog. Classification: C+. Status: Aggressive]

From the brambles burst a tusked, boar-like beast with moss growing along its shoulders and sharp, bark-like armor on its hide. It snorted, eyes glowing red, and charged.

"Gobta, dodge!" Shiro shouted.

Gobta rolled left as Shiro launched himself into the air with a spring-loaded bounce.

The Razorhog slammed into a tree, splintering bark everywhere.

"New plan?" Gobta panted.

Shiro scanned quickly. [Ingredient Instinct] kicked in again.

[Ingredient Identified: Wild Starch Root — Volatile if powdered and inhaled]

Shiro's slime core pulsed. "Cover me!"

He darted toward a patch of gnarly roots and quickly mashed them with a stone, creating a fine dust. With a wind-assisted toss—thanks to Gobta's fire spell scroll—they launched the powder into the Razorhog's snout.

It reared, snorting violently.

Then sneezed.

Violently.

The explosive sneeze sent it careening into a thicket. After a few more grunts and snorts, the Razorhog scrambled to its feet and bolted into the forest, howling.

"…Did that actually work?" Gobta asked.

"Apparently," Shiro said, still jiggling with adrenaline.

Gobta grinned. "Totally my idea."

Shiro didn't argue. Let him have it.

Once the coast was clear, they harvested what they could from the Razorhog's trail—seared hairs, tusk shavings, and a slab of meat carved carefully from the brush it had crushed.

After a few more hours of foraging and mapping, Shiro's pouch was full of assorted root samples, dried fungi, and forest greens. His skills logged their effects one by one, silently expanding his mental archive.

By the time they returned to Tempest's gates, the sun was dipping low, and Shiro was buzzing with satisfaction—and residual magicule traces.

Rimuru would probably ask for a full report.

He had one ready.

Field-tested. Freshly flavored. And packed with possibilities.

[Milestone Achieved: First Field Mission — Ingredients Gathered, Hazards Logged, Culinary Curiosity Engaged]