章 2: Disruptor
"Who... Who's there? Who spoke?!"
To his great astonishment, Cliff received no response, only silence. He looked around, hoping to locate the strange being that had spoken to him. But there was no one in sight...
Cliff picked up the small crystal to examine the creature he had just encountered. He was trying to follow the advice of the strange voice or, at the very least, this "strange creature."
The problem was that he wasn't at all familiar with terms like "skill" or "mana." How was he supposed to know how to use them? He had no idea... But one thing was certain: he had been kidnapped and taken to a strange forest, filled with even stranger creatures.
What guarantee did he have that the so-called "slime" wasn't even more dangerous? The creature had literally tried to dissolve him! Who was to say that, in this forest, he wasn't just walking around as tasty meat?
"I won't allow that," Cliff muttered.
"Screw it. I'm too young to die; I'm only 27 years old, and I have so many plans!"
He realized that all he could do now was try to survive in this unknown forest.
Playing with the small crystal in his hand, he wondered how to absorb the "essence" it supposedly contained.
Maybe it could be beneficial to him?
There was only one way to find out.
Should he try breaking the crystal? Was there some liquid he was supposed to drink?
Cliff grumbled to himself, "It's moments like these that I wish I had answers…"
He closed his eyes, held his breath, and focused on what he held in his hand, imagining that he was inhaling the energy directly from it.
Suddenly, a slight pain coursed through his veins, as if some kind of energy had been injected into them. He grimaced in pain, trying to resist this strange new sensation.
Then the voice, seemingly from nowhere, whispered in his ear:
[You have absorbed the essence of a slime.]
[You have acquired acid resistance.]
[You have acquired the pseudo-slime transformation.]
[You can now use acid secretion.]
"Huh... does that mean this strange voice is telling me about the weird things I'm doing?" Cliff wondered.
"And since it says I can secrete acid, which might be related to the creature I just killed, it's like I've absorbed its genes..."
Curious, Cliff continued to analyze the stone in his hand. He noticed that the once scarlet, glowing stone was now just a transparent crystal. He pocketed it, knowing it was time to continue his journey.
Minutes turned into hours, and the landscape darkened. It was already late.
Desperately searching for a place to take shelter in this unknown forest, Cliff had the disturbing thought that the forest itself seemed to suggest that his flesh wouldn't be any less appetizing with a pinch of despair.
"Damn... I don't even want to imagine!"
He climbed a tree, surprised at how supple and agile his body was. Perhaps it had something to do with the slime creature he had slain earlier?
With no time to dwell on the thought, he clung to a broad branch and decided to spend the night there, hoping to remain undisturbed by anyone or anything.
Unfortunately, the poor young man hadn't realized that he himself was the disturber.
Perched on the branch, his eyes widened as he spotted something shocking. In an instant, Cliff drew his sword.
On another branch, a few meters away, a snake—large enough to swallow him whole—was calmly digesting whatever unfortunate creature it had just devoured.
The reptile had jet-black scales, as if all the darkness in the world had gathered there. Judging by its two dagger-like fangs...
It was venomous.
Cliff held his breath, frantically searching for another way out, hoping to avoid becoming the snake's dessert.
"I wonder what kind of creature it swallowed to get a belly that size. Whatever it was, it's my size. Damn! Where the hell am I? Not even Australia has animals like this... Or maybe I just didn't know?"
Cliff carefully twisted his body, trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to wake Uncle Snake from its digestive nap.
A shiver ran down his spine as he realized that snakes had thermal vision, meaning the mere fact that his body emitted heat could make him detectable to this abomination.
"Judging by its thick scales, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to cut through with my katana. Trying to slice it would only provoke it—in other words... suicide!"
Cliff thought carefully for a moment and decided to stay on the branch, keeping a close eye on the giant reptile. He might have to forgo sleep tonight, but it would be for a good cause.
At least for his life...
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