Chapter 10: Chapter 8
There are our free ticket to jail. Never thought I'd be glad to be sent there. What do these scallywags want?
These canon fodders were quite predictable, babbling about being outside the city and wanting to get rid of us. But what I didn't anticipate was them approaching me first.
"Oi oi, what do we have there?" the first guy said, followed by his friend. "Well, well, look who decided to come out of their cave! You're as pale as my ass, Mr. vampire. Ready to get your fangs kicked in by us real tough guys?"
He's far too close, invading my personal space, and his wretched breath assaults my senses.
Huh ? I detected a new fragrance, where does it come from ? I look around but quicly realize it's coming from the juice box in front of me. new aroma tickles my nostrils. I glance around, only to swiftly discover its source - the juice box before me.
Unbeknownst to me, I begin salivating at the mere thought of tasting human blood for the first time, a desire the onlookers quickly catch onto.
They chuckle mockingly and taunt, "You monster, wanna drink my blood, eh?"
These guys are teasing me, I guess that's an invitation. I took a step closer, still daydreaming until Rimuru's voice snaps me back to reality.
"Mamoru, are you okay ?" he asked, concern in his voice.
The human lover came in clutch to save the day.
Come on, I also like them.. in my own way.
"Perfectly fine," I managed to say, forcing a bitter smile, though it was evident that it couldn't be further from the truth. That's a shame, he intervened just when I was about to have a scrumptious beverage.
"Oh, so your pet slime, one of the lowliest monsters, can talk!" the blond man sneered.
My mouth dropped open in shock. Not only are they provoking me, but they're also angering Rimuru. These fools must be seeking their own demise.
"Are you referring to me?" Rimuru asked, a vein popping on his forehead.
"Yes, they are," I said, maintaining a calm facade. "If you still want to 'save' them, you should make them run away or something."
For Rimuru, that seemed to be the most reasonable way to deal with these individuals.
He proceeded to activate [Mimicry]: Tempest Storm Serpent. Rimuru transformed into a massive serpent, towering over everyone around, nearly three times their size.
Oh, so he must have encountered this monster in the sealed cave. I wonder if he found the remains of the other monsters I defeated. A serpent is definitely more intimidating than a large dog.
Instead of resorting to any special skills, he opted for a simpler approach. Rimuru expanded his body, growing larger and more imposing, and emitted a ferocious hiss directly in their faces.
*Slam*
They crumpled to the ground, completely overwhelmed by fear.
Rimuru couldn't help but panic at the sight. "Oh no, are they... dead?" he exclaimed, his voice filled with worry.
"They can't die just from a little scare, well, I hope not," I muttered to myself, cautiously approaching the motionless figure on the ground.
With a mix of curiosity and concern, I extended my hand and poked the still body.
I reassured Rimuru, "No worries, they're just unconscious. You scared them so much that they fainted. Great job!" I added, giving him a thumbs-up, relieved that no serious harm had come to them.
He can't have all the fun. Now that those fellows are unconscious on the ground, practically handed to us on a silver platter, why not take advantage of the situation and impose a blood fine as punishment?
A blood fine... blood tax... hmm, I'll consider it later, perhaps even create an IRS for blood taxes...
I swiftly descend and collect their rightful payment.
Oh, the explosion of flavors overwhelms my senses, leaving my head in a fuzzy state. I owe my gratitude to Shrewd One for imposing limits on me, preventing me from draining them dry.
As I move on to the second one, I find myself losing awareness of my surroundings. Even when Rimuru warns me, "Mamoru! The guards are approaching!" and reverts back to his slime form, I simply respond with a dismissive, "Yes, yes," before extracting blood from the third and final individual. I express my gratitude, saying, "Thank you for your blood donation. Unfortunately, I have no chocolate to offer."
Just as I finish, the guards arrive and take us into custody. They request, "Please cooperate and come with us."
"Yes, yes," I comply nonchalantly.
...
I find myself lying on a bed, realizing that I must have fallen asleep. As I slowly open my eyes, a surge of energy courses through me.
I quickly jump off the bed, feeling better than I have ever felt before. Human blood truly surpasses that of any other species in quality, I silently acknowledge to myself. However, my attention is soon drawn to the sound of voices nearby.
"That's pretty much what happened," I recognize Rimuru's voice saying.
Ah, we're in Dwargon, in a cell to be precise.
"Mhm, that aligns with the testimonies of the witnesses," responded a dwarf named Kaidou before adding, "But was it really necessary to suck their blood? We noticed two small bite marks on their necks. You can't tell me those are mosquito bites..."
I looked away, not wanting to dwell on the subject. However, neither Rimuru nor I needed to respond, as a guard came rushing into the cell. Saved by the bell.
The guard reported that the captain's companions had sustained severe injuries from an armorsaurus while mining for ores.
With the current recovery medicine available, their injuries couldn't be healed. What terrible luck...
Ah, Rimuru is quick to grasp the situation. He's already filling a barrel with his own medicine. That's a "get out of jail free" card right there.
"Captain, captain," said Rimuru, trying to catch the attention of the dwarf and show him the medicine he had made.
The dwarf captain hesitated, but seeing no other way to heal his friends, he took the medicine.
One hour later, he returned with his friends, and we were finally free.
---
Magic acquired from the scallywags:
- Wind
- Fire
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone