In the void between life and death, Genesis—once a battle-hardened adventurer named Gen—felt his consciousness unravel. A fatal blow from a dragon's claw had ended his tale, or so he thought. Now, awareness trickled back like sap from a wounded tree. No body, no limbs. Just... slime. Cool, gelatinous ooze clinging to damp moss in a sun-dappled forest.
*Status,* he thought instinctively. A ethereal blue screen flickered in his mind:
**Name: Genesis (Reincarnated Slime Mold)**
**Level: 1**
**HP: 10/10**
**MP: 5/5**
**Special Ability: Mimic Devour - Consume monsters to copy one of their powers permanently.**
*What the hell? Isekai'd as fungus fodder?* Gen pulsed with irritation, his gooey form quivering. The forest hummed: chirping birds, rustling leaves, distant roars. Survival first. He extended a pseudopod, probing the soil. A fat earthworm wriggled nearby. *Easy prey.*
He lunged, enveloping it. The worm thrashed, dissolving in acidic enzymes. A rush of energy flooded him.
**Acquired: Burrow (Lv. 1) - Tunnel through soft earth at low speed.**
*Better than nothing.* Gen burrowed shallowly, emerging near a berry bush. But hunger gnawed deeper. Slimes needed mass to grow.
Hours blurred into exploration. He oozed uphill, avoiding a patrolling horned rabbit—too risky. At a stream, he slurped algae, gaining minimal mass. *Gotta level up.* Night fell, stars piercing the canopy. A glow pulsed ahead: bioluminescent fungi. *Jackpot.*
Devouring clusters, he swelled slightly. **Mass +2%.** Then, a twig snapped. Gen froze as massive shadows loomed—goblins? No. A girl, maybe 16, with wild auburn hair, leather armor, and a staff crackling with mana. Beside her lumbered a wolf the size of a pony, its fur matted with scars, eyes glowing amber.
"Mary, scent anything?" the girl whispered. The wolf—Mary?—sniffed, nose twitching toward Gen's hiding spot.
*Discovered already?* Gen's goo retracted defensively.
Mary growled low, circling. The girl knelt. "What is that? A slime... but glowing? Not like the dungeon trash."
She poked him with her staff. Zap—a spark tested his MP. Gen retaliated instinctively, latching onto Mary's paw. The wolf yelped, but instead of dissolving, Gen felt a surge.
**Mimic Devour failed on Tamed Beast. Pact Proposed: Bond with Mary (Dire Wolf, Lv. 12). Share powers to grow stronger? Y/N**
A pact? Mary's eyes met his gelatinous core, intelligent, curious. The girl gasped. "Mary, you feel it too? It's... offering alliance."
Gen pulsed affirmatively. *Yes.* Light enveloped them.
**Monster Pact Formed! Shared Skill: Pack Hunt (Lv. 1). Mary's Loyalty: High.**
The girl grinned. "I'm Elara. You're no ordinary slime. Join us—forest's full of monsters ripe for devouring."
Genesis swelled with potential. From goo to legend. The adventure oozed forwad.