Chapter 1: Death, Rebirth, and the Ice Dragon
Rain poured heavily over the dark alleyway.
A young man, Ren Kaido, stumbled backward, clutching his stomach as blood seeped between his fingers.
"Why… me?" he muttered, watching the man who stabbed him vanish into the shadows.
He had just stopped a mugging, and this was his reward a knife through the gut. The world dimmed as he collapsed, eyes reflecting the neon lights above.
His last thoughts:
"If only… I had power. Power to protect… to rule my fate."
A Voice Beyond Death
When Ren's consciousness returned, it was floating in darkness.
"Your wish for power has been heard."
"System initializing… Reincarnation commencing."
Ren tried to open his eyes but he had none. His body felt soft… formless.
"Huh? Why can't I move my hands?"
A window appeared in front of him:
[Reincarnation Complete]
Species: Slime (Unique Variant)
Title: Abyssal Core
Special Ability: Devour, Analyze, Mimic, Evolve, Construct Realm
Wait… I'm a slime?!"
He wobbled helplessly, surrounded by wet stone walls. The dungeon air was cold, and the faint growl of monsters echoed in the distance.
The Ice Dragon
A thunderous roar shook the ground.
Ren's slime body trembled as frost spread along the dungeon floor.
Before him was a massive dragon her scales shimmering like diamond ice.
"A slime? You dare enter my domain?" the dragon's voice echoed in his mind.
"W-Wait! I didn't mean to!"
She exhaled, unleashing a blizzard that froze half the chamber. Reflexively, Ren used his new power:
[Devour]
The blizzard was absorbed into his body along with the icy mana it carried.
"What… kind of slime are you?" the dragon growled.
Ren pulsed with strange energy, realizing he could understand her emotions. She wasn't angry she was lonely.
"I'm not here to fight," Ren said through telepathy. "You're trapped here, aren't you?"
The dragon lowered her head slightly. "Cursed to remain for eternity… until death."
"Then live inside me," Ren said boldly. "I'll carry you with me not as prey, but as my partner."
Silence. Then a soft, icy laugh echoed.
"You are an odd one, little slime… very well."
Light enveloped her, and the dragon's spirit merged into Ren's core.
[You have absorbed: Frost Dragon Velnara]
[New Skill Acquired: Ice Dominion]
[Unique Trait Gained: Dragon Core Fusion]
The Birth of a Kingdom
Years passed within the deep forest that surrounded the dungeon. Monsters once wild now bowed before him.
Ren now known as Abyssal Slime King Velren created a haven for monsters, spirits, and even exiled demons.
He built his Kingdom of Monsters, hidden within the Forest of Eternity.
Demons came seeking alliance. Humans came with fear and curiosity.
Knights, kings, and even demon lords would one day stand before him.
The world had changed.
And so had the weak man who once died in an alley.
Now, he was something far beyond human
"I am Velren, King of the Abyssal Slime… and this world will remember my reign."