Slime Observation Records
Today, two new types of slimes joined my ranks. I’ve summarized my initial observations below.
Stone Slime
Skills: Hardening Lv2, Physical Attack Resistance Lv2, Digestion Lv3, Absorption Lv3, Division Lv3, Mimicry Lv10.
These slimes look exactly like the ordinary stones you find scattered everywhere outside. As expected, they seem to consume only rocks. For now, they don't appear to have any particular preference regarding the type of stone or its mineral content.
However, when I gave them specific stones, they changed color to match perfectly. They even replicated the texture. As an experiment, I closed my eyes, rolled one lightly across the ground, and then opened them; it took me quite a while to find it again. I could only retrieve it because our contract allowed me to sense its position; finding one by sight alone would be nearly impossible.
Further testing revealed that they prefer Earth-attribute mana and that their bodies are physically affected by Earth Magic. In the future, I want to increase their numbers and see how they react to different materials like mana stones, ores, and gemstones.
Weed Slime
Skills: Vitality Strengthening Lv5, Photosynthesis Lv5, Digestion Lv1, Absorption Lv1, Growth Stimulation Lv5, Division Lv8, Mimicry Lv9.
Much like the Stone Slime, this species grows weeds from its body that look like they could be found anywhere. If one were to hide in a thicket, it would be just as difficult to discover.
Their diet consists of weeds. I tried offering them medicinal herbs and poisonous plants from my stockpile, but they showed no interest. However, they did eat the Kotsubuyarikusa I gathered during the instruction course the other day. I'm not sure if that counts as a weed or if this specific individual simply prefers grains. Since I can’t reach a conclusion yet, I want to increase their numbers to perform a comparative study.
Fortunately, the weeds they eat and the fertilizer they require are easy to obtain in abundance for free. They also seem to be a fast-breeding type, so I expect their numbers to grow quickly.
Perhaps because they are plant-based, Weed Slimes prefer Wood, Earth, and Water-attribute mana. I also tried giving them fertilizer made by the Scavenger Slimes, which they seemed to enjoy. Since Fluff Slimes also like that fertilizer, it’s possible that plant-type slimes have a general preference for it. I intend to continue my observations and experiments.
With both of them, I’ll need to focus on increasing their population first...
"Right, speaking of increasing numbers."
Bloody Slime
Currently under observation. The effects of the poison seem to have faded, so I can rest easy on that front. Regarding their future development, I have already confirmed they have antibodies against Bush Snake poison. However, since they already possessed the Poison Resistance and Disease Resistance skills, it’s likely they have antibodies against other toxins and illnesses as well. I want to verify that moving forward.
I'll need to increase their numbers for those tests, but that requires a substantial amount of food. Currently, Sieg-san’s shop is my primary supplier, but I’m already taking everything he can generously provide. It’s impossible to get more from him.
That means I need to find other sources. The Saionji Company comes to mind, as they handle meat processing. However, if I went that route, I’d likely have to entrust the slimes to someone at the Lenaf branch to raise them for me.
Thinking closer to home, the Adventurer Guild should have a butchery facility. I heard during the training course that anyone can use it for a fee. I’ve never used it myself, so I don’t know how they handle the waste, but I might be able to get some blood there. Even if I can’t, I might be able to take any discarded bones or meat scraps to use as feed. It wouldn't hurt to ask. I’ll make a point to do that soon.
"...I guess that’s that."
I put away my brief notes. I had already finished dinner; was there anything else I needed to do today? Oh, right.
"Come to think of it, I wonder how those mushrooms are doing..."
As of yesterday, some thin sprouts had started to appear. I headed to the mine tunnel where I had stored the mushroom beds to check on them before bed.
"...A sound?"
The moment I opened the first door I’d installed the day before, a noise reached my ears. Something small was scratching at the inner door. Had a Small Rat gotten inside?
"Detection...!"
My cautious scan picked up a reaction. There were dozens of signatures behind the door—too many to count easily. Moreover, they didn't feel like Small Rats. They were something much smaller. I hurriedly summoned a Sticky Slime and set up a series of adhesive traps.
"Ready."
I confirmed the traps were set. I had my Light Magic for illumination and the rear door was shut. Bracing myself for whatever might come, I threw open the inner door.
"!!"
Mushrooms were running.
They were mushroom monsters with two legs growing out of their bases. They were scurrying away from me as I opened the door, bumping into the tunnel walls and tumbling over.
"...Could these be Running Mush?"
I didn't know them as monsters, but I had studied them as medicinal ingredients. Running Mush. As the name implied, they were "running mushrooms." They were mushrooms that had undergone a Mana Mutation due to magical influence, making them an extremely rare material for magic medicine.
Their effects included nourishment, tonic properties, and physical constitution improvement. Above all, they acted as a powerful catalyst to enhance the efficacy of finished medicines. However, if the original mushroom was toxic or had specific medicinal properties, those would be amplified as well, requiring careful handling.
They were far rarer than ordinary mushrooms, and because they ran away on those legs, they were exceptionally difficult to harvest. They were primarily found in the Numere Wetlands, especially during the rainy season. Beyond their rarity, they were considered lucky charms that brought fortune and wealth, as areas where they were discovered often saw massive mushroom harvests the following year.
Despite their reputation for being incredibly rare, there were seventy or eighty of them running around right in front of me.
"Are they a different species? Monster Appraisal."
Running Mush. Skills: Spore Creation Lv6, Spore Scattering Lv4, High-speed Movement Lv6.
Yep, no mistake. They were definitely Running Mush. Incidentally, looking at their skills, I felt like I understood why the next year’s harvest would increase.
"There's no way this was a natural occurrence."
They were undoubtedly born from the mushroom beds I’d been cultivating. Looking closely, the Running Mush looked exactly like the mushrooms I’d intended to grow, aside from the legs tipped with sharp-looking claws.
"I just wanted to grow normal mushrooms."
Running Mush are the result of a Mana Mutation—a transformation caused by mana. That meant mana had to be involved. Where could they have absorbed enough mana to trigger a mutation? I used Water Magic to water them, but could that really be enough? Running Mush are supposed to be quite rare; I didn't think a tiny amount of mana would be sufficient...
Wait, maybe it was the Scavenger Slime fertilizer? A slime’s body is essentially mana, so if the fertilizer they produced carried that energy...
Regardless, if this keeps up, I won't be able to grow ordinary mushrooms!
"I'm not losing money on this, but it’s still a bit disappointing..."
Well, for now, I had to catch and process them. I’d worry about the rest later. Since they were medicine ingredients, I wondered if the Medicine Slimes would eat them? I had to prepare a shipment of medicine anyway, so maybe I could try making something new.
Thinking about what to do with them once they were caught, I began herding the Running Mush into the traps like a sheepdog.
One hour later.
I made a mistake... though maybe it turned out for the best?
A single Medicine Slime was rolling around on the floor of the compounding room, radiating an intense emotion of pure bliss from eating the Running Mush.
"It really ate a lot..."
I was the one who gave it the first one, but that was supposed to be it. Unfortunately, I’d carelessly left the basket of processed Running Mush nearby while I started on the new mushroom beds. In the meantime, the Medicine Slime had used its tentacles to devour them one after another. By the time I noticed, more than ten were gone.
I had intended to monitor its condition after just one. At least it didn't seem to be getting sick.
However...
"Monster Appraisal."
Medicine Slime. Skills: Medicinal Fluid Creation Lv5, Poison Resistance Lv3, Disease Resistance Lv5, Physical Attack Resistance Lv1, Jump Lv3, Digestion Lv3, Absorption Lv3, Division Lv3, Spearmanship Lv1.
...The influence of the mushrooms was clear. Its Medicinal Fluid Creation skill had jumped up by two levels. When I checked the types of fluids it could produce, I found three new additions:
Nutrient Fluid Tonic Fluid Medicinal Effect Strengthening Fluid
"Fluids that look perfect for making supplements or energy drinks..."
It seemed that by consuming the Running Mush, the slime had become able to produce fluids with the same properties. These looked like they would be tricky to use—especially the third one.
Medicinal Effect Strengthening Fluid: A liquid that reacts with the mana in a medicine to enhance its efficacy. Since overly potent medicinal effects can sometimes act as poison, caution is required.
I had no idea how much this fluid would actually strengthen a concoction. With existing recipes that use Running Mush, the dosages and methods are well-established, but there were no such guidelines for a fluid created by a Medicine Slime. Furthermore, I couldn't be sure if it was identical to the mushroom itself, so I’d have to experiment to ensure its safety.
It wasn't something I could use immediately. I decided to make a note of it as a future task.
The next day.
"You really are something else..."
When I stopped by the Commerce Guild on the pretext of delivering medicine, the Guild Master looked at me with pure exasperation.
"One thing after another; you never let me get bored, do you? I could understand finding four or five, but bringing in over thirty Running Mush at once is unheard of."
And that was just what was left after I fed them to the Medicine Slimes...
"I'm sorry for always causing trouble."
"...So, you tried to grow mushrooms for yourself, but they all turned into Running Mush. Now you want to know how to grow normal ones?"
"That's right. I think they'll be fine as long as I don't use mana, so I was hoping you could tell me where to get fertilizer that doesn't contain any."
"Fertilizer, huh? I’ve never handled anything for mushrooms. Mushroom cultivation is usually considered more of a hobby... Why don't you just eat the Running Mush? These look like they were originally edible mushrooms, and I hear those types of Running Mush are delicious."
Is that so?! I only knew about their medicinal properties.
"I haven't tried them myself, mind you. I couldn't bring myself to do something so wasteful."
"That's a fair point."
Running Mush could be used in a vast array of medicines, including treatments for diseases considered incurable. They fetched a price of 100,000 Suut per mushroom even at the source. Depending on the location and timing, the price could go even higher. I could probably build a fortune just by selling these.
Of course, the taste was more important to me. ...Wait, if they're more delicious than normal mushrooms, is this actually fine? No, I’d be in trouble if the medicinal effects did something strange to my body.
"Fine, I'll arrange for some standard fertilizer that farmers use. You'll have to test which ones work for mushrooms yourself. In exchange, give me one Running Mush and take on another request for medicine. We'll call it even for the cost and the labor."
"Thank you very much!"
"I'll be making a profit on the medicine too, so it's a fair trade."
While she was having the ingredients for the medicine prepared, we made small talk, and I heard something concerning.
"Bandits? Near here?"
"I’ve heard a few reports of suspicious people moving this way. There only seem to be four or five of them. Apparently, a bandit gang was wiped out near Gaunago recently, and the rumor is these are the survivors. I don't know if they plan to cause trouble here, but be careful when you're outside the city. You probably look like a prime target to them, regardless of how strong you actually are."
"Thank you for the information."
I decided I’d head to the Adventurer Guild to check the request boards.