the Slime Who Chose to Clean"
Edward stared at the notification blinking on the computer screen. His brow furrowed slightly.
"I'd be an idiot to waste the last of my mana on this nonsense," he muttered, reaching for the connected vial with the clear intention of unplugging it from the device. After all, it was the power source.
But curiosity, sharp and persistent, kept clawing at his mind. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it… he couldn't.
A sigh escaped his lips.
"Damn it…"
Without thinking any further, he pressed the confirmation button firmly.
As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat. And this particular curiosity was about to change his life forever.
The screen exploded in a flash of intense blue light that engulfed him completely. Blinded, Edward closed his eyes on instinct. When he opened them again… he was no longer at his desk.
He found himself standing in a radiant meadow, bathed in warm, brilliant sunlight. The breeze rustled the tall grass, and in the distance, a dark, silent forest stretched toward the horizon—enigmatic and foreboding.
Edward's eyes widened as he took in the scenery, unable to look away. Yet anyone watching him would have noticed something odd: he no longer had a human form.
"Wow… this is the first time I've felt sunlight," he whispered, his voice trembling, a mix of wonder and relief. "This... feels so good."
He closed his eyes, letting the warmth flow across his gooey surface. For the first time in years, his "imaginary muscles" relaxed.
"Whatever… I'll just enjoy it. I'll take it as a gift from the heavens, no matter how long it lasts," he said aloud. "Once it's over, I'll go back to surviving… as always."
He tried to turn around, but didn't move the way he expected. Instead of walking, he rolled. Confused, he looked down.
No legs. No feet. No arms.
Just a constantly dripping, green, gelatinous mass.
"What the hell…?" he muttered as he poked his new body. He could move the slime, yes, but awkwardly—like a new suit that didn't fit quite right.
Then, almost as if responding to his thoughts, the mass began to shift. It compressed, molding itself into a small humanoid figure, about seventy centimeters tall, entirely made of glowing slime.
"Well… at least now I have a body I can move," he said with a smile, accepting his new form. He spun around once, noticing he could now move more easily.
Behind him, a ruined village stretched into the distance. Several figures were watching him from afar. They weren't human… but they weren't fully monstrous either. They looked like players, just like him, though their bodies appeared more defined—closer to human.
"Don't tell me this is another one of those gross ones like yesterday," Loli whispered to Sig, eyeing Edward suspiciously.
"He doesn't look gross… more like jelly," Sig replied, tilting her head, clearly intrigued.
Both had arrived at the same time as Edward, so it was impossible not to notice him.
"Obviously a slime," Bert commented calmly, studying Edward. "We had the option to evolve into one when we chose our current forms."
Lua, who was approaching with steady steps, shared Loli's caution, but waited for Sia's analysis before voicing any judgment.
"Don't worry, boss," Sia said with her cheerful, robotic tone. "Slimes are basic evolution types. It's like he skipped the spirit phase and entered directly as a slime. That's a good thing. Unlike the toad-man and the goblin, who had to meet horrible conditions to get their bodies, being a slime just takes a small level jump. No special requirements."
Lua exhaled silently, relieved she wouldn't have to deal with something as unpleasant as last time.
Noticing the stares and whispers, Edward raised a dripping, gooey hand and smiled timidly.
"Hi… is it okay if I ask how long a medium-quality mana vial lasts in this game?" he asked politely.
The simple, honest question seemed to win everyone over.
"A medium-quality vial gives you about 100 minutes of game time," Bert explained. "But time moves twice as fast here, so it's actually 200 minutes."
"One hundred… and two hundred in this world?" Edward repeated, eyes wide. A genuine smile spread across his gelatinous face. "I've never played a game before… but this is amazing. To be here this long… wow," he said, clearly moved.
Then, with a more serious tone, he asked:
"Can I ask… why am I a blob?"
"You should probably check your status panel," Bert suggested. "Just say 'status panel' and it'll appear."
"Got it. Thanks."
Edward nodded and clearly said:
"Status panel."
[STATUS PANEL]
Name: Edward
Level: 1
Race Level: 0
Race: Slime Devorador (Rare Class, Physical Type, Low Tier)
Title: None
[STATS]
Health: 100
Mana: 130
Damage: 1
Defense: 1
Strength: 2
Endurance: 3
Intelligence: 4
Speed: 3
Dexterity: 3
Luck: 2 (fixed)
EXP: 0/100
[EQUIPMENT]
• None
[ABILITIES]
• Forma Humanoide – Allows adopting a humanoid slime form. Enables basic interaction with tools and weapons. Offers no combat enhancement.
• Devorador – When devouring objects, creates a weak copy with 1 point in each stat. Lasts 20 minutes or until destroyed.
• Cuerpo Antifísico (Passive) – Grants total immunity to non-magical physical damage. Only vulnerable to magical or special-property attacks.
[PROFESSIONS]
• None
[TITLES UNLOCKED]
• Otherworldly Player
• Unstable Form
…
"So I'm a Devourer Slime…" Edward murmured, closely examining the information on his panel. He didn't fully understand everything, but the abilities were clearly explained, and that immediately caught his interest.
"Wow, he got a rare class right from the first evolution! That's awesome," said Sia inside Lua's mind, excited. "There's a reason he started with a physical form instead of going through the spirit phase. He's definitely not a common slime. His abilities are powerful!"
As part of the integrated system, Sia could access the status panels of all connected players. Her analysis was always on point.
Lua approached Edward, who stared at her in slight surprise. Unlike the other figures he had seen—like the small blue-haired fairy, only a few centimeters taller than him—Lua looked like a giant. But after looking around, he realized the truth: he had shrunk. Everything around him confirmed it.
"If you have any questions, you may ask now. I am this area's guide," Lua said calmly, her gaze fixed on the slime with seriousness, but no hostility.
"I see… actually, my main question would be: what am I supposed to do? I've never played video games before. This is all… strange to me," Edward replied honestly.
"You can do whatever you want," Lua responded, tilting her head slightly. "Or, you could start with one of the missions on the town's mission board." She pointed deeper into the village.
"I see. I'll do that for now. Thank you very much," Edward said with a small bow. His manners were impeccable… though they felt a bit forced, as if he were far too used to following orders or keeping a submissive posture.
That small gesture didn't go unnoticed by the others. Especially Alfred, who watched the slime carefully.
Not because he related to him—Alfred worked for Sig, yes, but by choice. He loved his craft and felt indebted to Sig's father. Edward, on the other hand, seemed like someone who spent his life trying to please others, like an overworked servant.
Everyone stared at Edward with a mix of curiosity and confusion as he walked toward the village, nodding politely and flashing a nervous smile—almost like a circus animal, Bert thought, though without malice.
"Well… that was a bit strange," said Sig, watching him walk away.
"A little, yeah. But everyone's different. Like yesterday, we spent enough time cleaning. Today I'll focus on crafting talismans," Bert added casually, not giving it much importance.
"That's true. I've got the materials to build my first puppet. Alfred, help me carve the spider legs! Loli, you too!" said Sig, suddenly excited.
"Of course!" Loli replied with an energetic smile.
Alfred nodded, as calm and diligent as ever.
Meanwhile, the group's elder had entered the village long before the others. As soon as dawn broke, he headed to the fields to water the crops—his usual routine.
…
"Fuuu… it's weird being stared at by everyone," Edward muttered once inside the village, as the lingering gazes began to fade. He walked slowly, taking in every detail. Most of the houses were in ruins, and the village center stood out—surrounded by strange magical lanterns, a large bonfire with stone seats, and not far off, a wooden board clearly set up as the mission hub.
Edward walked over, immediately recognizing its function:
Available Missions Panel
Hunting Missions
• Defeat 10 Level 1 Demon Beasts
Reward: 5 Fragments
• Defeat 10 Level 2 Demon Beasts
Reward: 10 Fragments
(Other similar missions...)
Gathering Missions
• Collect 10 Logs
Reward: 1 Mana Stone
• Collect 10 Stones
Reward: 1 Mana Stone
• Collect 10 Glue Bowls
Reward: 1 Mana Stone
(Other similar missions...)
Repair Missions
• Fully Repair One Village House
Reward: 1 Large Mana Stone
• Fully Repair the Main Village House
Reward: 3 Large Mana Stones
• Repair the Village Well
Reward: 1 Mana Stone
• Repair Part of the Village Wall
Reward: 1 Mana Stone per meter
(Other similar missions...)
Maintenance and Improvement Missions
• Clean the Village
Reward: 5 Mana Stones
• Illuminate the Village
Reward: 1 Medium Mana Stone
(Other similar missions...)
"Fragments… I guess those are some kind of currency, or maybe something you need to survive here," Edward thought, reading through the list. "And the beasts… they're probably in that forest from earlier. Hmm… I'm not really in the mood to go into some dark, dangerous place when I have no idea how this world works. Cleaning or repairing sounds safer."
His eyes settled on the last section.
"Yeah… that sounds more like my thing. Actually, it's kinda like my last job," he mused. "I used to clean too… although it was the remains of weird animals we processed into food."
With that thought, Edward began walking around the village, inspecting the area until he found a zone littered with debris—rotted wood, loose stones, collapsed walls.
"Well… let's test one of my abilities," he said with determination, raising a hand.
His body dropped its humanoid shape and turned into a slime ball again, quickly slithering over to the rubble. Within seconds, the debris began to dissolve as it was absorbed into his body.
"Wow… this is so strange. But it feels… oddly relaxing," Edward murmured, feeling a bubbling sensation inside, as if this task connected with something deeply familiar. Something natural.