The ground floors, one through three, were connected by standard staircases. You could reach the third floor without having to traverse the second. It seemed only the basement levels followed a strictly linear, one-way layout.
Maybe the upper levels were for legitimate research, while the basement was reserved for the illegal and dangerous stuff. That was my theory, at least, but a quick investigation revealed that the upper floors served as a residential area. I peeked into what looked like private quarters and helped myself to some snacks.
Let them think a mouse stole them. Munch, munch. Ah, that hits the spot. I’ll digest this cookie slowly to savor every bit.
『...This has a strange taste,』 Miti remarked through our link.
『That’s called "sweet," Miti. Do you dislike it?』
『Sweet. I like it.』
Miti’s reactions were becoming more frequent. I really wanted to let her eat something delicious. I decided to bring a few souvenirs back for Annette as well.
Aside from the food, there wasn't much to find on the ground floor. My colleague had been right—even in my Halo form, our sense of taste was shared. A slime’s palate was a bit of a mystery, but the sensations were clear.
『Alright, let's head back to Annette for now. Do you think you can manage with Auto Mode?』
『Leave it to me.』
She was certainly motivated. I shifted into my Halo form and—go! My perspective clipped slightly into the walls as we moved.
Then, on the way through the first basement floor, we dropped from the ceiling and landed right in front of someone. A man in a white lab coat—a researcher. Before he could even think about screaming, Miti latched onto his head.
Splat. His head dissolved instantly. The human-eating count for my mission ticked up to three.
『...Wait, what!?』
『Humans are delicious. I like them. Snacking is good.』
A wave of nausea hit me from the taste of lukewarm blood filling our shared body, and I scanned our surroundings in a panic. No witnesses.
『J-just eat everything! Make it clean, don't leave a single drop of blood!』
『Okay.』
Miti dissolved and absorbed every trace—clothes, body, the works. Her mass increased slightly, but she used Miniaturization to maintain her original size. I might have accidentally created an absolute monster.
『...Mmph! I learned a new move!』
『Oh?』
Apparently, predation could unlock skills.
『Thrust!』
Swish! A sharp, needle-like tentacle shot out with a whistle, piercing the wall. It was the kind of terrifying attack where a monster stabs you through the skull from the ceiling. It had enough power to punch right through solid masonry.
『Ah. I made a hole.』
『Whatever, let's just get out of here for now.』
If a researcher went missing, they might start another slime hunt. I needed to finish "cleaning" this institute before the situation spiraled out of control. The time for the uprising was drawing near... or rather, I had just been forced to move the schedule up.
But first, I had to find Annette’s sister.
"Ah. Slime-san. Welcome back."
"Mm."
We were back in Annette's cell. I was about to swap places when Miti pulled a cookie out of her inventory.
"Here. A gift. Sweet. Delicious."
"Wow, a cookie? Where did you get this?"
"? Inside."
"Inside, huh? Miti, have you... changed somehow?"
"Spirit-sama is here now."
Miti pointed at me with a tentacle.
"I see. So you’re just like me, aren't you?"
"The same?"
Annette pointed a bandaged hand at her own red horn.
"This isn't kind like yours, though."
"We’re matching! Matching!"
"Ahaha... I suppose we are."
Annette gave a weak, tired laugh. Miti was certainly energetic. I decided to let her handle the interaction; it seemed like it was doing wonders for her emotional development.
Miti rolled over and snuggled into Annette’s lap.
"...A perfect fit."
"It is, isn't it?"
"It’s calming."
"...I see. It’s calming."
Annette reached out to pet her, but stopped herself with a small "ah" and pulled back. She knew her heat-generating hands would burn Miti. It was a sweet gesture. I decided to leave things to Miti for a while longer. I needed to log out and grab some real food.
『I'm going to eat, so I'll be gone for a bit.』
"Okay!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Spirit-sama is going out for a while. I'm house-sitting."
Her vocabulary really had improved after eating those three people. If she hits twenty-five, is she going to become some kind of genius slime scientist?
I was back after finishing my meal.
I’d ended up buying a convenience store bento... mostly because the VR tasting experience had left me wanting to wash the flavor out of my mouth. My food budget was going to be a disaster this month. Even a cheap bento couldn't compete with the steak Penpen had served me.
『I'm back.』
"Mm. Spirit-sama, welcome back."
Miti gave her body a little wiggle, having stayed snuggled in Annette's lap the whole time.
『Ready to go explore the basement?』
"Okay. Annette, I have to go now. See you later."
"Oh, right. See you later, Miti."
The slime body, now thoroughly warmed from the contact, rolled away.
"I’m going to go find your sister."
"Sister?"
"Hmm?"
"...Oh. Yes. Sister? My sister, right."
"Annette’s sister."
"I see. I’ll be looking forward to it."
Annette smiled, but it felt wrong. It was forced.
Moreover, her red horn looked larger than it had just a short while ago. In such a brief span of time? It was growing far too fast. This was bad. I needed to find whatever research data they had on those horns. I'd have to investigate the nearby rooms thoroughly.