Primordial Slime: I Devour The World

The battlefield had gone strangely quiet.

The Greater Wyverns stood behind their lord, their enormous wings folded as they watched the two figures standing in the middle of the ruined street. Zarathiel stood several meters away, his golden eyes fixed on Tanaka.

Neither moved.

The wind passed between them, carrying dust through the broken streets of Rosen City.

Tanaka swallowed.

”Look, Zarathiel...”

The Wyvern Lord’s eyes narrowed.

”I understand why you’re angry. Your subordinate was killed, and humans were responsible. But you’ve already destroyed the walls, injured the guild members, and made your point.”

Zarathiel’s expression remained cold. ”So?”

Tanaka sighed. ”Can’t we just stop here?” A low growl escaped Zarathiel’s throat.

”You ask me to stop after one of my people was murdered?”

”Yes.”

Tanaka raised both hands.

”I’m not asking you to forgive them. I’m asking you to leave.”

Zarathiel stared at him for several seconds.

Then he laughed. It was deep, arrogant, and carried the weight of something that believed itself far above everything standing before it. ”You truly are strange.” Tanaka’s eyebrow twitched. ”Is that a yes?” ”No.” Zarathiel spread his wings slightly.

”I am Zarathiel. Lord of the Storm. I do not retreat because another monster asks me to.” Tanaka sighed again. ”Of course.” The two began moving. Tanaka kept his eyes on Zarathiel while slowly stepping across the ruined stone. The wyvern followed his movement, never allowing Tanaka to leave his sight.

Tanaka’s mind raced.

He’s not going to listen.

I can’t fight him here.

Not in front of everyone.

If I reveal what I really am, the humans will know. If I run, Zarathiel might chase me.

There has to be another way.

”Zarathiel.”

”What?”

”One more time.”

Tanaka stopped.

”Please.”

The Wyvern Lord’s eyes narrowed.

”Leave.”

”That’s all I’m asking.”

”I said no.”

Tanaka’s expression hardened. Then Zarathiel opened his mouth. Mana erupted around him. Tanaka’s eyes widened.

”Wait.”

A torrent of lightning and wind exploded from Zarathiel’s jaws. The attack tore through the battlefield. Tanaka immediately raised his hand.

”Devour.”

The enormous breath attack struck him. For a moment, the entire battlefield disappeared beneath a storm of energy. Nira’s eyes widened.

”Tanaka!”

The flames and lightning vanished.

Devoured.

Tanaka stood exactly where he had been.

His clothes were torn, but his body remained untouched.

Soul Record Updated

Skill Obtained.

Tanaka didn’t bother reading it.

He already knew what had happened.

He had obtained the attack.

Interesting.

Zarathiel’s golden eyes widened slightly.

”You devoured my breath?”

Tanaka lowered his hand.

”Apparently.”

The Wyvern Lord stared at him.

Then his expression changed.

Pride disappeared.

What replaced it was something far more dangerous.

Anger.

”You possess a troublesome skill.”

Tanaka smiled nervously. ”Yeah.” Zarathiel lowered his head. ”Then let us see how much you can devour.” Tanaka’s instincts screamed. Something was wrong. The air changed. Zarathiel’s aura suddenly exploded outward.

Tanaka’s body froze. His smile disappeared.

The pressure was completely different from before. Intimidation had been overwhelming. This was something else.It wasn’t simply pressing against his body.

It was invading him. His muscles stopped responding. His mana circulation became sluggish. Even his thoughts felt heavy. Tanaka tried to move.

Nothing.

His knees buckled.

He caught himself before falling.

What... is this?

Zarathiel walked toward him slowly.

”My Unique Skill: Dominance. You are strong. Tanaka. But you are still young.”

Tanaka gritted his teeth and trembled.

”Get...”

He forced his arm upward.

”...away...”

Nothing happened.

Dominance crushed his resistance. Tanaka’s eyes widened.

This isn’t like Intimidation.

It’s controlling my body.

He tried to activate another skill. His mind refused to cooperate. His human form was becoming a weakness. Zarathiel stopped in front of him.

”You have two choices.”

Tanaka struggled to breathe.

”Submit...”

Zarathiel’s golden eyes glowed.

”...or become prey.”

Tanaka’s vision blurred. His human body couldn’t handle this. He couldn’t fight Zarathiel like this. He couldn’t even move. His thoughts drifted toward the forest.

His home.

Tanaka clenched his fist.

No.

I can’t lose here.

His human form had been useful. It had allowed him to walk through Rosen City. Eat their food. Talk to humans. Make friends. But it wasn’t his true body. Tanaka slowly smiled.

”Fine.”

Zarathiel’s eyes narrowed.

”What?”

Tanaka’s body began to change. His skin softened. His limbs collapsed inward. The human form melted away. Zarathiel watched in silence as the young man disappeared. A small dark blue slime landed on the ruined ground.

”Then I’ll fight you as a monster.”

He charged.

Everyone stopped to watch the battle.

Leap.

Tanaka activated leap. He landed on Zarathiel’s head and immediately used Earth Impact. The result was destructive.

The floor cracked apart as the two fought. Tanaka manipulated his size to match Zarathiel.

Their fight was cash of skills.

Wind Breath!

Leap!

Stone Body!

Earth Impact!

Sharp Claws!

Among others. The city was taking the full brunt of the two monster lords.

The difference in their sizes should have made the fight impossible. Tanaka knew that. Yet he still charged. Zarathiel swung one massive claw. Tanaka compressed his body. The claw passed over him. He immediately expanded his body around Zarathiel’s arm.

”Devour!”

Nothing happened.

Tanaka’s eyes widened.

The same invisible force from before pushed through his body.

His body was rejected from Zarathiel’s flesh before he could consume anything.

”Damn it!”

Zarathiel pulled his arm back and slammed Tanaka into the ground.

Boom!

Tanaka bounced several times across the stone street before finally stopping. His body flattened against the ground.

Pain.

That was the first thing he felt. Pain unlike anything his slime body had experienced before. Tanaka quickly pulled himself together.

Stone Body.

His entire body hardened.

Zarathiel was already above him. The wyvern’s enormous claw descended. Tanaka used Leap. His body launched upward just before the claw struck. The ground exploded. Tanaka landed on Zarathiel’s back.

”Earth Impact!”

His entire body slammed downward.

BOOM!

The impact cracked several of Zarathiel’s scales. The Wyvern Lord roared. Tanaka smiled. It worked. Then Zarathiel twisted. Tanaka barely had time to react. A wing struck him. His entire body was sent flying.

He crashed through the wall of a nearby building. The building collapsed around him.

Tanaka lay buried beneath the rubble. That hurt. He pushed himself free.

Across the battlefield, Zarathiel was already waiting. The Wyvern Lord had barely moved. Tanaka’s expression became serious.

I’m not strong enough.

Zarathiel charged. Tanaka activated Leap. He jumped over the wyvern’s head. Wind exploded behind him. Zarathiel had swung his tail. Tanaka twisted in midair. The tail missed him by centimeters. He landed.

Stone Body.

Earth Impact.

His body struck Zarathiel’s leg.

Crack!

Another scale broke. But Zarathiel didn’t fall. Instead, he looked down.

”Is that all?”

Tanaka froze.

Zarathiel’s claw came down. Tanaka barely escaped. The claw struck the ground. Another crater appeared. Tanaka bounced away. He couldn’t fight him directly.

Every time he attacked, Zarathiel countered.

Every time he tried to use Devour, Dominance prevented it. And Zarathiel was simply stronger. Much stronger.

Tanaka tried changing tactics. He became smaller. Then larger. He flattened himself against the ground. He stretched his body like a rope. He jumped from building to building. He attacked from different angles. None of it mattered. Zarathiel adapted to everything.

A gust of wind caught Tanaka midair. He was thrown toward the sky. Before he could recover, Zarathiel appeared above him. Tanaka’s entire body stiffened. The Wyvern Lord’s claw struck.

BOOM!

Tanaka fell from the sky. He crashed into the street hard enough to create another crater. His body struggled to reform. His vision blurred. He couldn’t breathe. Slimes didn’t need to breathe. Yet somehow, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Tanaka tried to move.

His body barely responded. Zarathiel landed several meters away.

”You are powerful for your age.”

Tanaka’s body trembled.

”But you lack experience.”

Zarathiel slowly walked toward him.

”You have power. But you don’t know how to use it. And that devouring ability of yours...”

His golden eyes narrowed.

”...is useless against me.”

Tanaka tried to activate Devour. Dominance immediately suppressed it. His body refused to obey. For the first time since becoming a monster, Tanaka felt helpless. Zarathiel raised his claw. Tanaka tried to escape.

”Too slow.”

The claw struck. Tanaka’s body was torn across the battlefield. He crashed into another building. This time, he didn’t immediately recover. Nira stared at the scene in horror.

”Tanaka!”

She tried to stand. Her legs shook. She couldn’t. The pressure from Dominance was still affecting everyone around them.

Tanaka slowly pulled himself out of the rubble. His body was smaller now.

Weaker. He had never been beaten this badly. Not by wolves. Not even by the Stone Guardians

Zarathiel approached again. Tanaka wanted to run. His body wouldn’t move. He wanted to use Devour for the upteenth time. Dominance stopped him. He wanted to fight. His body was exhausted. Zarathiel raised his head. ”This is the end.” Tanaka looked up. The Wyvern Lord opened his jaws. Mana began gathering.

Wind.

Lightning.

A storm condensed inside his mouth. Tanaka’s instincts screamed.

Move!

MOVE!

His body didn’t listen. Nira’s voice suddenly reached him. ”Tanaka!” His eyes shifted toward her. She was still on one knee. Her sword was planted into the ground. She was shaking. But she was looking directly at him. ”Don’t lose.” Tanaka stared at her. ”We are all dependent on you.” His mind went blank. The words echoed through him. Images flashed before his eyes.

Eldrin

The wolves.

The rabbits.

The goblins.

The little slime.

Even currently Rosen City.

Everyone was depending on him. Tanaka’s body trembled. He didn’t want to die. Not here. Not after everything he had built. Not after finally finding people he cared about. Mana gathered inside his Magic Core. Tanaka’s eyes widened.

”I DON’T WANT TO DIE!”

The world seemed to freeze.

[ Soul Record Updated.

Tanaka glanced at it properly this time. Perhaps something useful had appeared.

Skill Obtained.

Magic Casting Lv.1

Spell Obtained.

Ooze Surge ]