NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Slimy Meal
Taki heard the rain drops, and had a shiver creep up his spine. The water that touched the leaves turned into acid, so walking through the forest would be suicide at this moment.
He sighed, his belly rumbling.
'If I can't get food at the forest, I should go deeper into the dungeon. I don't think those Slimes are edible, but at least there might be bats or something like that.'
Taki lifted himself up from the ground, and started walking towards the deeper end of the cave. He didn't walk, but stumble forward, as his body was drained, and his legs injured.
He ventured deep into the dungeon, but all he could find was a small pool of water, which he had no idea where it came from. The dungeon was eerily quiet, with the sound of running water having disappeared. He tested the water with the tips of his fingers, and after confirming it wouldn't melt his insides, drank it.
He laid down near the lake, and felt another dizzy spell. He quickly fell asleep, laying down on the rocky floor.
--- --- ---
Taki slowly opened his eyes, staring at the rocky ceiling. A small hole in it let some sunlight inside, which hit him directly in the eye.
'Ow, that's bright. Didn't I close the curtains before sleepin-'
He bolted upright, remembering where he was, and what he was now. Surrounding him were a dozen Slimes, all green and small. They all seemed to be arguing with each other. emitting angry 'Poyo' sounds, and gesturing with their gooey bodies.
'They... are arguing? Well, they don't seem to have noticed me yet.' Taki thought to himself, as he accidentally stumbled over a stick.
He fell down and crashed on a pile of sticks and leaves, which he recognized as the ones he spent an afternoon gathering. The Slimes went silent.
The Slimes and Taki stared at each other for a moment, when another slime entered the room. It was the same color as the others, but it was larger. It had a Bonny inside him, which wasn't digested or corroded, rather, it was in perfect condition.
The smaller slimes parted way to give the bigger slime an entrance. The bigger Slime approached Taki, who was still speechless. It spit out the Bonny at the ground and it immediately started hacking and grasping for air.
"Po-Yo, po." The big Slime said, nodding at Taki. It turned around, and started talking with the other Slimes, as if it was giving an eloquent speech.
Taki's tail instantly pierced the Bonny's head. He was starving, and couldn't think of anything else but eating, as if voices shouted inside his head, constantly screaming at him to eat.
He took the sticks and leaves and started rubbing them together, and soon enough, he had a bonfire. He sharpened a stick using his tail's tip, and stabbed the dead Bonny with it. He held the Bonny's corpse above the small fire, and waited.
He hadn't noticed, but the room grew eerily quiet. The big Slime turned around, and all of them stared at Taki, with curious eyes. The smell of roasted Bonny filled the room, and some of the Slimes started drooling.
Taki noticed that the Bonny's fur was starting to char, and removed the stick. He was about to bite into the Bonny, but noticed the Slimes staring intently at him, even the big one.
'Ghuh... It can't be helped, they look hungry too.'
He used his tail to cut the Bonny's body in half, and split their half into thirteen pieces. He threw the pieces close to the Slimes, and began eating his long-awaited meal.
It was still pretty terrible, but at least it was edible.
The Slimes all walked to their respective small pieces, and started chewing on them. Several surprised 'Po-yo' sounds spread across the room, as the eyes of the Slime gleamed and smiles formed on their gooey maws.
Taki was too focused on his meal to notice that.
The big Slime had small, blue and gooey tears drooping its eyes. It approached Taki and the small bonfire, poking Taki with a small tentacle that it extended.
Taki turned his head to the Slime, and saw the expressions on every Slime's faces. They all seemed happy, and slightly bigger, somehow.
"D-Did you guys like the cooked meat?" Taki said, still dumbfounded. His confusion seemed to be only growing and growing, and he thought he was going to explode from it soon.
"Poyo!" the Slimes said in unison, jumping up and down on their spots. The big Slime nodded, and pointed the appendage to the fire. "Poyo?"
"Y-You guys can understand me? And you want more?" Taki said. 'I hope they don't throw me in the fire and eat me later.'
"Poyo." the Slimes nodded in unison.
Taki gave the Slimes a sly grin, and pointed to the room's entrance.
"Go fetch me more animals, and I'll cook them for you!"
The Slimes answered "Poyo!" in perfect unison, and bolted, well, slid out of the room in a hurry.
Taki sighed. "The more time I spend living in this other world, the more confusing things get."
He took the zDungeonPhone from the ground, and turned it on again.
[Dungeon Ownership transfer initiated.]
[You must get the access key from the dungeon to continue.]
[Access Key: ]
"God fucking dammit." He slammed the phone down onto the ground.