Primordial Slime: I Devour The World

Tanaka walked into the guild.

The doors were heavy wood with iron handles, and the moment he pushed them open noise hit him like a wave.

There were a lot of people in it.

Shouting. Laughing. The clink of mugs. The smell of stew and sweat and leather.

He saw elves with long hair and sharp eyes.

Dwarves with braided beards and axes on their backs.

Humans.

And... humans with rabbit ears.

”Wait, rabbit ears. Are they humanoid fanged rabbits. If so, I think the fanged rabbits can evolve to humanoid form.”

The thought made him pause for half a second. Back home, the fanged rabbits were still small and fluffy. If they could grow into this... he’d have to tell them. Later.

The place was filled with noise and catcalling.

In one corner, a group of tough looking men were leaning over a table. Armor dented. Weapons laid out like they owned the place. And they were calling to a dark skinned elf who was totally ignoring them.

She sat alone.

She had black hair which was tied at the back. Dark skin. Silver armor that looked well-used but clean. She wasn’t drinking. She wasn’t laughing. She was just writing something on a piece of parchment with a steady hand. Probably her registration.

Tanaka noticed she was the only dark skinned elf in the guild. The other elves were all light skinned. Pale gold, pale pink, pale blue. And they were pointedly not looking at her. Talking to each other. Laughing. Like she wasn’t even there.

”Hello beautiful, we haven’t seen you around here. What do you say you leave here and come have fun with us?”

One of the adventurers spoke. Tall, scar across his cheek, sword propped against the table.

His friends laughed.

The dark skinned elf didn’t look up. ”Let me go human, I have no business with you.”

Her voice cracked at the end. Practically begging them, but trying hard not to sound like it.

The men moved closer.

”Come on. One drink. That’s all we’re asking.”

”You look lonely over here.”

Nobody else interfered.

Not the dwarves. Not the other adventurers. Not even the other elves.

Tanaka frowned.

They should protect her. They’re the same race, right?

But the light skinned elves just kept talking. One of them glanced over, saw what was happening, and looked away quickly.

The dark skinned elf’s hand tightened.

Tanaka wondered who these men were. B-rank? C-rank? Just bullies with big swords?

He wanted to check their soul records. See if they were dangerous.

He focused on them for a second.

Nothing happened.

”Oh, I see. I can’t see anybody’s soul record uh. Must only work on people related to me.”

He sighed. That was disappointing. Back in town he could see everything about the wolves, the goblins, the slimes. Here he was blind.

He looked at the elf again. She was trying to stay calm but her ears were twitching. She looked uncomfortable. Tired.

Tanaka decided he’d dealt with enough bullies in his past life.

He walked to the counter instead of straight to them. No need to start a fight before he even had a guild card.

The receptionist behind the counter was a young human woman with blonde hair tied in a braid. She plastered a smile on her face the second she saw him.

”Yes, how may I help you today.”

Tanaka returned the smile. Back on Earth, he had learned smiling solved most problems, of course the knowledge was from other players.

”I’d like to register as an adventurer.”

He paused.

”What are adventurers by the way?”

The receptionist blinked. Then laughed, but not in a mean way.

”Oh. First time in a city?”

Tanaka nodded. ”First time in a guild.”

”Right. Well,” she pulled out a thick book and a blank registration form, ”adventurers take quests. Monsters, gathering, escorts, investigations. The guild gives them out, we take a cut, you get paid and rank up. Simple.”

She slid the form across the counter.

”Name?”

Tanaka hesitated.

Name: None.

That was what his Soul Record said. But he couldn’t write that.

”Tanaka.”

It felt weird saying it out loud after so long.

”Just Tanaka.”

The receptionist wrote it down. ”Race?”

”Human.”

Technically true. He was in human form right now.

”Class?”

”Uh sorry, what’s class?” He asked.

The receptionist stared at him and sighed. People were really insufferable.

”A class is something you’re born with. Everyone gets it when they turn 14. Sword Saint, Fire Mage, Beast Tamer, Holy Priest. It decides what kind of magic or skills you grow, what weapons suit you, what quests fit you. The guild uses it to file people.”

Tanaka nodded slowly.

So that’s how humans work. They’re born with it.

Monsters are different. We have Magic Cores. That’s what decides what we are.

Devourer. Leader. Wolf Lord. That’s a monster’s ”class”.

”Right,” Tanaka said out loud. ”Beast Tamer.”

Well he had lots of monsters under his command.

The receptionist wrote it down without looking up.

”Beast Tamer. F-rank. Here’s your tag.”

She continued. ”Rank starts at F. You’ll need to do three E-rank quests to move to E. Here are today’s listings.”

She turned the board around.

E-Rank Quests:

1. Goblin Extermination - Forest East - 20 silver

2. Herb Gathering - Meadow Plains - 10 silver

3. Lost Cat - Residential District - 5 silver

4. Escort Merchant - To River Town - 30 silver

Tanaka scanned them. Goblins. Not his goblins, would these goblins be like them.

Behind him, the catcalling got louder.

”Don’t be like that. We’re just being friendly.”

”Yeah, come sit with us. We’ll even buy you a drink.”

The dark skinned elf stood up abruptly, knocking her chair back. ”I said let me go.”

One of the men grabbed her wrist.

That was enough for Tanaka.

He turned around fully. ”Hey.”

Five heads turned toward him. The receptionist behind the counter also stopped writing.

”What?” Scar-face said.

Tanaka kept his voice even. ”She said let her go.”

”And who are you? Some F-rank trash? Get lost before we—”

Tanaka took one step forward. He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t pull a weapon.

But something about him made the man’s grip loosen.

The dark skinned elf pulled her arm free immediately and stepped behind Tanaka. Not hiding. Just... out of reach.

”Thank you,” she whispered.

Tanaka gave a small nod without looking back at her. ”You good?”

”Yes. Thanks to you.”

The scarred man looked between them, then laughed and picked up his mug. ”Whatever. Not worth it.” He and his group sat back down, but the mood at their table had soured.

The guild went back to being noisy, like nothing happened. Tanaka turned back to the receptionist. She was staring at him with a new kind of look.

”You finished your registration?” she asked.

”Yes. How about you uh....”

”Um... I’m Nira,” she said quietly. ”Thank you. For that.”

Tanaka glanced at her. Up close he could see the faint scars on her arms and the tiredness in her eyes.

”Tanaka.”

He gestured to the quest board. ”You here for a quest too?”

She nodded quickly. ”Yes. I need money. And rank. I just arrived in this city three days ago.”

”Goblins pay the best for E-rank,” the receptionist cut in. ”But be careful. They’ve been more aggressive lately.”

Nira picked up the goblin extermination paper. Tanaka did the same.

They looked at each other.

”Same quest?” Tanaka asked.

Nira gave a small, relieved smile. The first real one he’d seen from her.

”Looks like it.”

”Then let’s go together,” Tanaka said. ”Safer that way.”

Nira hesitated for half a second, then nodded. ”Okay. Partners.”

As they walked toward the guild doors, Tanaka could feel eyes on his back. The other elves still weren’t looking at Nira. The tough guys were pretending not to watch.

Tanaka didn’t care.

”So,” Nira said as they stepped into the street. ”Have you ever killed a goblin before?”

Tanaka thought about the goblins in his town. The ones who made him weapons and cooked him food.

”Well no,” He said. ”More like partners.”

Nira didn’t ask what he meant.

She just adjusted her sword and fell into step beside him.

____

Back inside the guild, the noise had gone back to normal. Mugs clinked. Stew was served. But at the corner table, the mood was still sour.

Scar-face slammed his mug down harder than he needed to. Beer sloshed over the side.

”F-rank trash,” he muttered. ”Who the hell does he think he is?”

One of his friends, a broad-shouldered man with a missing ear, picked at his teeth with a knife. ”Did you see the way the elf ran to him? Like he was her damn guard dog.”

”She’s new,” said the third one, younger, with greasy hair. ”Dark skinned. Probably doesn’t have anyone. Easy target.”

Scar-face wiped beer off his hand and stared at the doors Tanaka and Nira had just walked out of. His jaw was tight.

”We should’ve taken her,” he said quietly. ”Could’ve made some money. Sell her off in River Town. Dark elves fetch a lot.”

The greasy-haired one nodded. ”Guild doesn’t care. No one else stepped in. Means it’s free game.”

”Yeah,” Scar-face agreed. But he didn’t sound convinced.

He remembered the way Tanaka had looked at him. One step forward. No weapon. No shout. And his hand had just... let go. Like his fingers weren’t his own.

He didn’t like that feeling.

”Forget it,” he said finally, forcing a laugh. ”F-rank and some stray elf. Not worth the trouble. There’s easier prey.”

His friends nodded.

Across the room, one of the light-skinned elves watched them from behind his drink. He’d seen the whole thing. When Scar-face’s eyes flicked toward him, the elf quickly looked away and pretended to be deep in conversation.

The receptionist was still watching the door from behind the counter. She let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and went back to stamping forms. Her hands were shaking a little.

”First day and he’s already making enemies,” she thought. ”Beast Tamer, huh?”