I never expected death to come so suddenly. One moment I was living the usual boring corporate life—paperwork, ramen cups, and an endless supply of unpaid overtime—and the next, I was face-to-face with a knife.
A robbery gone wrong. That's what the police report would probably say.
But I wasn't thinking about that as I bled out on the cold pavement. No, my final thoughts were far more mundane.
"I should've cleared my browser history..."
Life has a way of screwing with you in the most ironic ways possible.
???
[Initializing soul transfer...]
[Analyzing regrets...]
[Optimizing reincarnation based on mental structure...]
[Complete.]
"Wha—what's happening?"
I couldn't see. I couldn't feel. I couldn't even hear, technically. It was more like a consciousness floating in a digital soup of information. Something—or someone—was talking to me. Or maybe it was talking at me.
[Due to excessive karmic build-up and sacrifice without desire for reward, you have qualified for special reincarnation privileges.]
[Chosen form: Slime.]
[Unique Skill: Predator obtained.]
[Extra Skill: Great Sage obtained.]
Slime? I tried to protest, but my mouth didn't exist yet. Wait—Predator? Great Sage? Isn't that...
"...Wait a minute. Don't tell me this is—!"
Forest of Jura
My vision returned with a blur. I found myself surrounded by trees taller than skyscrapers, glowing mushrooms, and distant roars echoing from unseen beasts.
I was... on the ground. Or rather, in the ground. A blob. A literal blue blob.
"...This has to be a dream," I muttered. Or tried to. The sound came out as a squishy gurgle.
Then a voice echoed inside my mind.
[Great Sage: No, this is not a dream. You have been reincarnated as Rimuru Tempest base to your memories. Current body status: Slime. Energy levels: Stable.]
"Great Sage...?" I asked internally.
[Affirmative.]
Everything clicked in place. This wasn't some random isekai setting. I was in Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken. And not just any character—I was Rimuru, the protagonist.
...
"HOLY SH—"
[Language restriction activated.]
Right. Family-friendly anime world. Got it.
The next few days were a chaotic blur. I stumbled around the forest like a newborn, feeding off plants, absorbing magical herbs, and avoiding monsters that looked like they belonged in a D&D campaign. But I wasn't helpless.
The Predator skill allowed me to devour anything organic—and analyze it. And Great Sage was like having a tactical AI with the personality of a grumpy librarian.
[Analyzing Rock Lizard... skill: Scale Harden acquired.]
[Analyzing Lesser Wisp... skill: Flame Touch acquired.]
Before I knew it, I had a growing arsenal of powers. But none of that prepared me for what happened next.
One Week Later
It was supposed to be a normal afternoon—or as normal as a slime's life in a monster-infested forest could be. I was sitting under a large leaf, meditating and playing around with my recently-acquired mimicry ability, when something odd happened.
A blue holographic screen popped up in front of me. But this wasn't the standard status window.
[You have been invited to join the Anime Dimensional Chat Group.]
[Accept invitation? Y/N]
"Huh?"
I blinked. Or… whatever the slime equivalent was.
[Great Sage: Unknown magical phenomenon. Not originating from this dimension.]
"Should I... accept it?"
[Caution is advised. However, the anomaly does not appear hostile.]
"Well... screw it. YOLO."
I mentally pressed Yes.