The goddess blinked, her sky-blue hair rippling. "Slime? Are you sure about that? It's… well, it's not exactly a powerhouse. Most souls go for something with a bit more punch."
Dan just shrugged. "It said 'no complex emotions.' That sounds pretty good. And 'overlooked.' I'm good at being overlooked."
"But it's so weak to start," she pressed gently. "You'll be at the bottom of the food chain. Literally, in some cases. Most slimes just… dissolve things slowly and get stepped on."
"Sounds familiar," he said, not unkindly. "Look, I'm not aiming to be a hero or conquer a kingdom. I just want things to be… less. Less noise, less expectation. Slime seems pretty low on the expectation scale." He thought about the description again.
'Can absorb and analyze organic and inorganic matter. Potential for versatile evolution.' Maybe there was something there. Or maybe not. Either way, it sounded quiet.
The goddess let out a small sigh. "You really are a peculiar one. Most souls are clamoring for power, for a chance to be someone important. You want to be… goo." She paused, then a small smile returned to her lips.
"Alright. Slime it is. Your choice. But don't come crying to me when a goblin uses you to polish his boots."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he replied. Crying seemed like a lot of effort.
"Very well," she said, her voice regaining its cheerful, business-like tone. "Let's move on, then. Even a slime needs a little something to get started." The panel in front of him changed. The race selection vanished, replaced by a new heading.
[Select Initial Abilities/Traits (Choose 3):]
Below it, a long list started to populate. It scrolled for a while, much longer than the race list.
[> Mana Affinity (Minor)]
[> Increased Regeneration (Small)]
[> Physical Resistance (Slight)]
[> Poison/Acid Immunity (Basic Slime Trait - Free)]
[> Camouflage (Basic)]
[> Silent Movement (Basic)]
[> Enhanced Sense (Smell/Vibration)]
[> Rapid Digestion]
[> Absorb & Analyze (Core Slime Trait - Free)]
[> Emotional Dampening (Racial Trait - Free)]
[> Skill: Sticky Shot]
[> Skill: Harden]
[> Trait: Quick Learner]
[> Trait: Resourceful]
[> Trait: Fearless (Or rather, Emotionally Unreactive)]
[... and 150+ more options]
He noticed a few items were already marked as "Free," like 'Absorb & Analyze' and 'Emotional Dampening.' "So, some of these are built-in for slimes?"
"Correct," the goddess confirmed. "The freebies are inherent to your chosen form. You get to pick three additional ones to give you a bit of a head start, or to lean into a particular style of… sliming, I suppose." She sounded like she was trying very hard not to laugh.
Dan scanned the list. 'Mana Affinity' sounded like magic, which he wasn't sure he cared about. 'Regeneration' seemed useful if he was going to be stepped on a lot. 'Fearless' or 'Emotionally Unreactive' caught his eye, as it was already tagged onto 'Emotional Dampening'. It seemed like a good fit for his general outlook.
He thought about his old life. Being overlooked was one thing, but constantly being fragile might get annoying even for him.
"Okay," he said, pointing a non-existent finger. "Let's go with 'Increased Regeneration (Small)', 'Physical Resistance (Slight)', and…" He paused, looking at 'Fearless (Or rather, Emotionally Unreactive)'. "That 'Fearless' one seems to fit the theme."
The goddess nodded. "Solid, if unexciting, choices. Defensive. Sensible for a slime, I guess. Are you sure you don't want something a little more… active? Like 'Sticky Shot'? Or 'Poison Spit'? Something to fight back with?"
He considered it. Fighting back meant engagement, it meant things noticing him. "Nah. Less interaction is better. If I'm harder to squish, maybe they'll just leave me alone."
"Ever the optimist," she chuckled. "Alright, selections locked in."
"Well, that's pretty much everything on the pre-departure checklist," she said, the shimmering panel vanishing into the colorful void. "Your race is chosen, your initial traits are set. You're ready for a new beginning."
She drifted a little closer, her dawn-sky hair almost seeming to glow. "I have to admit, I expected a bit more… enthusiasm. A new world, magic, a fresh start. Most souls are practically vibrating with excitement by this point." She tilted her head. "You're still just..."
He gave the equivalent of a mental shrug. "Sorry to disappoint. Maybe I'm just not a vibrating kind of soul."
"Perhaps," she mused. "But I have a feeling this new world might shake things up for you, whether you want it to or not. It has a way of… engaging people." She smiled, a little mysteriously this time.
"Just one last thing before you go. This world operates on a system of growth. You'll start at Level 1. Gain experience, overcome challenges, and you'll grow stronger, unlock new abilities. You know, the usual."
"Levels. Got it," he said. More video game stuff. At least it was straightforward.
"Good luck, Dan the Slime," she said, her voice like wind chimes one last time. "Try not to get eaten on your first day."
Then, the endless, colorful space around him warped. It squeezed, twisted, and for a moment, he felt a strange pressure, like being pushed through a very small tube.
The next sensation was… dampness. And the smell of wet earth and decaying leaves.
Above him – or maybe it was more like all around him, it was hard to tell without a head to turn or eyes to focus – light filtered down in shifting green patches. Leaves, way up high. He could hear the distant chirp of birds, a soft rustle like wind moving through the forest.
It was surprisingly quiet.
Then, a familiar, soft glow bloomed in his awareness, right in front of what would have been his face.
[Welcome to the world of Xylos]
[Current Status:]
[Name: Dan]
[Race: Slime]
[Level: 1 (0/100 EXP)]
[HP: 20/20 (Small Regen)]
[MP: 5/5 (Latent)]
[Core Attributes:]
[Strength: 1]
[Vitality: 3 (Base 2 + Physical Resistance)]
[Agility: 2]
[Intelligence: 5]
[Wisdom: 5]
[Perception: 4]
[Traits:]
[> Absorb & Analyze (Core Slime Trait)]
[> Emotional Dampening (Racial Trait)]
[> Poison/Acid Immunity (Basic Slime Trait)]
[> Increased Regeneration (Small)]
[> Physical Resistance (Slight)]
[> Fearless (Emotionally Unreactive)]
[Skills:]
[None Acquired]
So, this was it. Level 1. A slime in a forest. The stats from the panel just registered in his mind, clear as day. He could feel his new body – a sort of cool, slightly jiggly blob – against the dirt and the roots of the big tree.
It wasn't bad, he thought. Just… different. And very, very still. For a moment, he just sat there, a small, blueish lump in the shade. The 'Emotional Dampening' was definitely working. No panic, no real confusion, just a calm sort of observation.
He tried to move. There wasn't exactly a 'muscle' to flex. It was more like… pushing his substance forward. He oozed a little, a slow, sticky ripple across a patch of moss. It wasn't fast, but it worked.
A dead leaf, brown and brittle, lay right in his path. Well, one of his traits was 'Absorb & Analyze.' He wondered how that worked. He extended a pseudopod – a little bulge of himself – and touched the leaf. Then, he just sort of… flowed over it, enveloping it within his blobby form.
There was a slight tingle.
[Dead Leaf absorbed.]
[Organic Matter gained: Trace]
[Nutritional Value: Negligible]
[Analysis: Common deciduous leaf. No special properties detected.]
[EXP Gained: 0]
"Huh," he thought. "Zero EXP. Guess dead leaves aren't exactly prime leveling material." Still, the process was interesting. The leaf just… dissolved inside him. No chewing, no mess. Just gone. And he knew what it was. Simple, but kind of neat.
He oozed a bit further, feeling the different textures of the forest floor: soft mud, rough twigs, smooth pebbles. Each thing he passed over gave a tiny bit of information if he focused.
The 'Fearless' trait was also pretty handy; a large, black beetle scurried past, practically brushing against him, and he barely registered it beyond a mental note: 'Beetle. Chitinous. Probably crunchy.' No urge to recoil, no flicker of alarm.
This whole slime thing might actually be kind of peaceful.