Vichtor’s room was unique—unexpected for royalty.His bed rested against one side of the chamber, its frame carved from sturdy oak. White pillows and sheets lay neatly atop it, woven from giant spider silk, smooth and cool to the touch. Draped over them was a thick blanket made from woolf wool—a material taken from a creature that, true to its name, grew soft fleece in place of its usual mane.The bed was positioned so the boy could gaze out through the glass windows at the twin moons.
Aside from it, the room held only three other items: a simple wooden desk, a tall wardrobe that stretched all the way to the ceiling, and a plain wooden box resting quietly in the corner with books on top of it.
He lay comfortably on his back, staring up at a book well-known among all adventurers—The Bestiary. With a lazy flick of his fingers, he turned away from the minions section and landed on the page describing slime ecosystems.
➤ Primary Slimes
In this world, slimes are broadly categorized into three primary types, all commonly ranked F.
Red SlimesHighly aggressive by nature, red slimes will attack any adventurer on sight. Though physically weak, they are slightly swifter than most variants.Rank: F
Blue SlimesNeutral and generally non-hostile, blue slimes possess a sturdier internal structure that allows them to jump to impressive heights.Rank: F
Yellow SlimesLazy creatures most often found sleeping in the cool shade beneath tall trees. They rarely react unless disturbed.Rank: F
➤ Pack Variants
When slimes gather in packs, mixed-color variants may appear.
Green Slimes (Yellow + Blue)Typically lazy, yet capable of high jumps. When surrounded by others, their temperament shifts, becoming curious and mischievous.Rank: F-
Orange Slimes (Yellow + Red)In social environments, these slimes abandon laziness in favor of aggression. Their favorite attack is the bite, although the attacks deal no damage since the creature is all gelatin and no fangs.Rank: F
Purple Slimes (Blue + Red)Aggressive like their red parents, purple slimes use powerful leaps to strike. While their attacks are harmless, they are intelligent enough to retreat when threatened.Rank: F
➤ Rare Slimes
Beyond common variants, three unusual slime classifications exist: White, Environmental, and Black.
White Slimes (Snow Slimes)This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.As lethargic as yellow slimes, white slimes emit cold breath. They populate snowy biomes.Rank: D+
Environmental SlimesSome slimes are capable of evolution. When cleaning the forest of rotting corpses they may inherit properties from what they absorb.Examples include slimes developing beaks after consuming birds, ears and tails after consuming rabbits, or poisonous traits that raise their rank to E.
Black SlimesA rare and dangerous anomaly. A slime that survives long enough—typically reaching its ninth year—may evolve into a black slime. Its body becomes dense and lead-like, dramatically increasing its mass and strength.Its attacks are said to strike with force comparable to shotgun rounds.Rank: D+
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—none of this information was new to Vichtor, and because of this, his attention had drifted elsewhere.
“I already know all this stuff…” he muttered. “But I’ve read every drawn book brother Alexisz brought—mangas, as he likes to call them…”
His gaze shifted to the wooden box across the room. The last volume was atop of the stack, and it was a cliffhanger too.
"That Rimuru guy was about to evolve into something cool again. I can tell!"
The daydream ended abruptly when the book slipped from his fingers and dropped squarely onto his face.
“Ouch!”
He let the book rest on his nose, too lazy to push it away. Instead, he turned his head and stared off to the side.
Or perhaps he was simply lost in thought.
A thought that swept away by a soft thump against the bed.
The culprit was none other than Kuro, a blue slime. Vichtor’s seventh birthday gift—a round, volleyball-like creature he often played with whenever he was home.
“Oh, Kuro!” he exclaimed, lifting the book away and scooping up his companion. After giving the slime a firm hug, he asked, “Do you wanna play, buddy?”
Kuro wobbled happily in his hands, letting out a cheerful sound. “Pufufu!”
Vichtor flopped back into his relaxed position on the bed, cradled Kuro in his palms, and tossed him over the bed's edge. The slime smacked softly against the wall before bouncing right back into the boy’s hands.
They repeated the motion again and again, laughing and playing, until nearly an hour slipped by without either of them noticing.
Kuro had long since settled.
The blue slime had molded itself against Vichtor’s side, its cool, pliant body being the perfect counter for the summer's heat.
The boy stared at the ceiling.
At some point, the silence had grown heavy—quite uncomfortable.
His vision blurred.
The slime snoozed with a barely audible sound.
“Puf…”
That did it.
"Thirty-eight." he mumbled with a sigh...
Vichtor reached into his pocket with a slow motion and pulled out a small wooden canister. Its surface was etched with delicate leaf-shaped drawings, dulled from years of handling.
He opened it up.
Inside were several small silk packets, neatly folded and tied with pale green thread.
Dreamrot.
A plant of beauty and health.
When refined by alchemists, its leaves were crafted into items resembling tea bags—capable of producing brews with powerful healing properties. The effects stacked gently, mending the body while easing the mind, leaving behind only a trace of euphoria.
When simply warmed, however, Dreamrot became something else entirely.
A potent drug.
One that flooded the senses with overwhelming bliss—yet paradoxically cleansed the body of itself almost immediately. Its healing nature prevented tolerance from ever forming, robbing the user of physical dependence while leaving behind something far more dangerous.
A psychological craving.
Vichtor didn’t think about any of that.
He never did.
He took one of the packets and brought it to his mouth, biting down gently. The cloth gave way, releasing a burst of sweetness across his tongue.
Strawberries.
The tension in his shoulders melted almost instantly. His breathing slowed, deepened. The ache in his muscles dulled, then faded, replaced by a warm, floating calm that wrapped around him like a blanket.
His hand curled faintly against Kuro.
“Good night,” he whispered—to the slime.
Sleep came easily.