Disclaimer: I don't own Tensura so don't sue my ass.
————————
Grinning, I headed towards the town square which seemed lively and had plenty of people around. The place was relatively packed and noisy, with lots of people carrying bags, tools, and weapons. Moving some things I couldn't recognize back and forth through the streets. It had an Arabian Night kind of feeling, almost like i was Aladdin or something.
I had to cast Illusory Magic on myself because my presence still seemingly elicited a lot of looks from people. I seriously don't want the attention right now. The next second, a thin layer of energy enveloped my body and people's leading gaze were suddenly deluded. It seems magic can do pretty much anything. Even though that might not be exactly true, i haven't encountered anything that can't be resolved through my understanding of magic.
I slipped through the crowd and walked straight to the food stands. Most of them, appeared to be selling an assortment of foods. They were perfectly lined up, each booth connected to each other on both sides of the lane. Making a pathway right in the middle of the street.
My vision glossed over the foods until I recognized something I could eat. It was skewed meat and vegetables, in other words a kebab. Its delicious aroma wafted through the air, making my stomach grumble. My mouth was watering and I swallowed a chunk of saliva. It had been years since I was able to actually eat something. I could distinctly remember, I wasn't able to eat anything due to the illness that affected my heart also stunning the majority of my other internal organs. I was straight-up tortured by the pop-up ads and commercials on the internet. But never mind that, I can finally eat something and be happy again. Wish you could've been here to see it and celebrate with me Dad.
My face was covered with a hood but i could 'see' just fine. Probably because of my [Mana Perception], which converts the magicules in the air into information with great precision. Recognizing light and sounds but now, with my body, I can smell shit again.
"Can i please have some of those?" I asked the middle aged man in the stand. He had a beard and tanned skin, bulging muscles that made him look somewhat intimidating. But to my surprise, he responded with some jumbled words I couldn't understand.
"T*** ***** ** ****** *****r *****"
What the hell is going on? I noticed the middle-aged man's face shift to a look of confusion, probably struggling to understand me as well.
«Solution. Initializing [Mana Perception] to decipher intent. Successful.»
"Did you hear me? I said that would be twenty copper coins," The man said suddenly in great fluency.
Oh I can understand him now. Thanks [Philosopher]. Wait, i don't have twenty copper coins. What do i do?
I accelerated my perception speed to think things through.
'Hmm… I could always take from people after all the only law in this world is the strong dominate. Though, I don't know when the final boss is going to show up plus I'm not really sure how I stack up to other people in terms of strength. They might even have more overpowered abilities than me.'
(A/N: I highly doubt that bro.)
«Suggestion. There is a high probability the individual in front of you possesses an answer.»
'Right.'
Rubbing the back of my head, I leaned in closer to the man and asked, "Do you have any idea where I could find some cash? I'm out of money right now."
For a moment, it seemed like the man still didn't get what I was saying, but maybe I was just imagining things.
Chuckling, the man responded, "Hahaha Here I thought you were sick. You seem old enough, why don't you sign up to become an adventurer? Or you could always work for me. I'll pay you… how about… 12 silver coins for your efforts?"
"Make it 15 and I'll work for you."
"No problem, but I'll have to see your face first."
'Ugh, I really wanted a reason to avoid work.
Honestly, I'm just not feeling it right now or ever. It's frustrating because l've never had to worry about money before. Well, I can't rely on Dad anymore, so I guess I'm on my own. It's a tough situation, but I'll just stick it out until I have enough cash to dip. My only alternative would be resorting to theft and intimidating people with my powers, but that feels completely jerky. After all, they could have abilities too. So for now, I'll just play by the rules.'
My thoughts came more from a contrarian nature than moral conviction. From my previous life, I realized the world is cruel like that and I can only look out for myself.
When granted everything, I could only lay there and die. My family had it all, from money to power and everything. But I never got to fully experience those things. I was robbed of it all by sickness. In this life, I'm going to do what I feel like and whenever I feel like it. No one or thing is going to decide for me how I live and if they try? I'll crush them.
"There goes my cool and mysterious look," I remarked as I pulled down my hood and dispelled my magic.
"Oh, that wasn't what I expected, and you seem young too. You must be from another country. It was a smart move to steer clear of becoming an adventurer, really is a dangerous job and I wouldn't want that for a kid like you. By the way, kid, what's your name?" The man said, keenly observing me.
'What's he talking about? Adventurer? I'm guessing it involves fighting. Nevermind that, I just wanted to lay low for a bit and see what's considered common sense around here.'
Should i give my real name though? Nah. He seems kind of sus. There is no way someone would be this nice to a foreigner without having some sort of motive. Is bro secretly a slave trader? I did see a few slaves earlier. Am I his new target or something?
He wanted my name right? Apparently, monsters like me get stronger after getting a name. I'm not sure how I will go about getting one cause according to [Philosopher], I can't name myself which I think is just bs. I wonder if my real name is 'normal' in this world. I feal like I'll be announcing I'm from another world if i said my real name. I'll just use an alias for now.
"I go by Saiya, nice to meet you," I said, shaking his hand enthusiastically.
"Likewise, I'm Miyers."
*Rumbling*
'Awkward.'
"Hahaha, I understand now. You must be hungry, have some, besides i can't have my boys starving on the job," he says, handing two skewers of meat to me.
I quickly chowed down on the meats and left no crumbs behind. While the flavor was a bit bland, the roasting brought out enough goodness to make up for its lack of proper seasoning. The vegetables blended nicely with the meat, making it a delicious and nutritious choice. It's always nice to add healthy foods into meals, even though I can't get sick anymore.
"Thanks."
I might start cooking some dishes for myself in the future, but l'll need more ingredients and better equipment. If the information in my head is accurate, I might even need to set up a small farm.
'Can we do it [Philosopher]?'
«Affirmative. It is plausible.»
So, that was how I got my first job ever. I realized I might have misjudged the man cause he seems to be genuinely kind-hearted. I knew this was a fact because of [Philosopher]'s art [Truth Measurement]. It lets me see through any target and uncover their 'Truth.' At first, I had thought it was just a lie detector but it turns out to be so much more. By linking the art with [Mana Perception], l can pick up things I normally wouldn't be able to with just [Mana Perception] alone. Things like sensing the flow of someone's mana and aura, allowing me to avoid confrontations with strong people. Like there has to be some jacked dude over at the castle area, because the strong energy wavelengths emanating from that place is no joke. Though, judging from its nature, the person is likely human. For the most part, I can tell how powerful someone is by looking at them and exposing the subtleties of the target. Like a person's gaze, breathing, speech patterns, movement of muscles, and more. All these factors are calculated to determine what someone's intentions might be. Definitely one of [Philosipher]'s many benefits I would have died without.
'By the way [Philosopher], what's the difference between arts and skills again? Like, I know we got [Truth Measurement] after extensively analyzing people and objects we met but I'm not sure how that relates to martial arts or Magic?'
«Answer. Arts are techniques executed entirely through an individual's own capabilities and effort rather than the automatic processes of skills. In retrospect, utilizing the investigative aspects of your Unique Skill: [Philosopher] in a manner outside it's rudimentary use resulted in the acquisition of the Art: [Truth Measurement].»
'Ahhh, I think I get it now. I wonder if I can make one with [Freak].' i thought in fasination.
In any case, my job entails me moving the merchandise that gets bought through various kingdoms and working at the food stand with Miyers. Apparently, due to coleus acting as the shield protecting the various western states, they are supplied with all sorts of equipment and materials through merchants. The convoys pulled by sand lizards carry a bunch of things. Me and a bunch of other people are tasked with transporting them.
———
During these few days of work, no one has suspected me of being a monster thanks to my human form and my 'god level acting skills.' I hide in alleyways at night with my slime form and work during the day. [Philosopher] and I experimented with [Inventory], storing various things from objects to living creatures and we discovered it can't sustain life as there isn't any oxygen in [Inventory]. It is essentially an empty vacuum that contains and isolates anything. I or rather [Philosopher] came up with a nearly perfect way to suppress my magicules. It's achieved by constantly stuffing my aura-rich magicules into [Inventory], isolating the 'presence' I emit and concealing my overall magicule reserves. So, it would take someone pretty strong to see through my disguise.
We got to mess around more with [Freak] as it is the only skill I hadn't fully mastered yet. Despite Existential Outcome taxing the shit out of my mind and draining the hell out of my energies, it allows me to pull off shenanigans with little effort. According to [Philosopher], I can twist all sorts of physical laws to fuck with physics, alter the way elements function once their in close proximity, generate pretty much any properties I can think of or even ones that are authentic in nature, phase through solids like a goddamn ghost, temporarily amplify my overall parameters by altering my variables instead of the ones I interact with and a whole lot more. As long as I'm in the equation, I can influence any process. In fact, it appears my imagination is literally the limit and of course my lukewarm status as a slime. My body is so fragile and my reserves are too low to keep up with my skills. Frankly, It's like I'm all Hax and no balance in my stats.
(A/N: Yh that's my bad bro.)
If I run out of energy during a bout, that's it and i'll just get no diffed by some small fry. In the Desert of Death, I had the dense and concentrated magicules in the air to rely on in a pickle. I will be cooked in a battle of attrition out here. I need to find a way to overcome the energy situation first before fortifying my defense.
'Yo [Philosopher], can you make a skill that increases my internal magicule reserves?'
«Negative. The required energy for the creation of a skill of such a magnitude requires three times your maximum limit.»
'Huh, I knew it wouldn't be that easy even though my [Freak] makes it look easy as fuck.' I thought, trying to think up an alternative. Then, I seemingly had a breakthrough.
'Right! I have [Inventory] so can't we just stockpile magicules in there? I was originally going to use it to store a heap of things but if i can increase my magicules this way, i don't mind carrying stuff on my person. It would be like a reserve for my reserve?'
«Answer. The process has been initialized.»
'Nice.'
«Notice. After further analysis, the process has been deemed flawed due to your recovery speed not matching the speed at which the energy is isolated within the [Inventory].»
'Great just great. You have any ideas of how to bypass the flaw?'
«Examining possibilities..... Survey Completed. Possibilities includes the constant siphoning of the limited magicules in the atmosphere into [Inventory], the creation of a skill that increases your recovery period, the—»
'Hold on, I thought you said I don't have enough energy to create such a skill?
«Negative. You desired a skill that increases the overall magicules you can store not a skill that speeds up the recovery rate of your stored energy once depleted.»
'I see, create the skill then while i'll focus on draining the magicules in the air.'
«Acknowledged. The acquisition of the Extra Skill: [Rapid Recovery] is successful.»
I might just leave all this stuff to [Philosopher] cause I, who has special needs, can't hope to help her with all that. It took me a while to understand some of the stuff in this world, while it took [Philosopher] nearly instantly to grasp topics both from Earth and this world. Well, I could already feel my power soaring to greater hights. The thought of getting stronger filled me with delight and a bloodthirsty smile appeared on my face. I really have been acting more and more like a monster, haven't I?
All that's left is to try out Existential Outcome in a real battle.
On the other hand, I was lost on how to up my defense.
«Solution. The art Diamond Path will fortify your overall defense. The process involves coating the body with a layer of aura, solidifying the material body, and providing the properties of hardness.»
'That seems easy enough. But wait, couldn't I also do something similar with Morph?'
«Affirmative.»
I'll probably just do both then, after all you can never be too careful.
Right now, I wanted to try out my new Flight Magic i recently learnt through Pursuit of Truth. I mean, who wouldn't want to be thousands upon thousands of feet in the sky like the man of steel himself?
Promptly, i utilized my magic to levitate and refine my balance before shooting into the upper atmosphere. I switched over to [Motion Manipulation] to propel myself at greater speeds, soaring higher and higher with every sonic boom I created in the air. I moved fast enough to break the sound barrier, exerting a lot of kinetic energy. The view of the capital Herbaria, progressively became smaller as i cleared the clouds and slowed down to watch the long sunset in the vast distance. Out of habbit, i stuck out my tongue to feel the fresh air collide with it's surface, drying it up in the process. I saw all sorts of airborn creatures slightly below my current position from birds that made melodious sounds to scary wyverns that terrorized the skies. I focused my vision to peer past the desert, further through the mountains and reached a forest. There was grasslands as far as my enhanced perception could reach.
"What a sight, I sure am lucky to have died. Honestly, I was really hoping to see you again, Mom, but this... is so much more than I ever imagined. Could it be you also got sent to another world?"
"My only regret is leaving Dad and the others behind…."
I sighed while closing my eyes, basking in the warm sunlight of the sunset in the distance as it turned night following the couple of minutes that i stayed suspended up here. As absurd of a thought it was, I could only long to see them all again, including Mom. I thought it was a fairytale or dream until I realized something personally. My survival itself could be said to be something that would only happen in myths. The sudden epiphany resonated with my desires and i smiled maniacally.
"That's right! Being Worlds apart isn't enough to keep me from getting back to you guys! Hear that fate? You aren't shit to me!" I said firmly with determination, mostly talking to the concept of fate as if it was right in front of me. Yeah, this has to be a serious case of mania or something.
"Hey [Philosopher], can you please look into finding a way back home?" I knew it was a long shot but I could only hope. With all the abilities I was able to pull off, there must be one that can take me home. Scratch that, I can definitely make one if it doesn't exist.
«Acknowledged.»
‹I see… it is possible then. Thank you [Philosopher]. For now, i'll chill in this world for as long as it takes to find a way home and enjoy my new life as a slime.›
I got comfortable in the air and put my hands behind my head while crossing my legs.
"I might even hang around up here and watch the stars till morning."
«Notice. Magicule levels are approaching minimum limit. Landing is advised.»
"Tch, what a bummer. I guess I reached my limit. I don't want to tear into the energy I just started hoarding." I had kept a constant output of magicules to keep my body afloat, so i guess it wasn't all that suprising. I transformed back into my slime form and started free-falling. As I approached the ground, I broke my fall by deforming my body into an elastic ball.
———
Today, I was wearing a standard outfit that loosely draped over my body, exposing a great chunk of skin. Despite, the atrocious heat of the sun, I wasn't sweating buckets like the others were. I felt kind of sorry for them. Thanks to my [Thermal Fluctuation Resistance], temperatures are automatically nullified.
"Here, this is your pay for today kid. You're pretty strong despite being so scrawny. You should think about training to become a warrior or an adventurer," Miyers said, handing a small brown pouch full of money.
"Alright, old man, I might consider it," I said with a smile before heading out. As I strolled through the city, some people greeted me while others just stared, as if I were some sort of walking spectacle. I chose to ignore those who gawked and kept moving forward, only acknowledging those who waved at me. Eventually, I reached my destination: an inn. Upon entering, I greeted the staff with a friendly nod.
"Hi"
"Good morning. I'm Aya, the owner of Redgrass inn. What can I do for you little one?" The lady said, with a smile. I was stunned by her beauty, her dark hair radiantly cascaded with the wind that came in through the door. She had chocolate-brown skin and green eyes. Aya wore a matching green dress with an apron on top. My gaze lingered on her curvaceous figure, and I felt throbbing in my pants.
'Damnit. I can't concentrate.' I thought while controlling my body and urges. Regaining my composure, I realized how strange that was. Well my reaction wasn't weird, it was how intense that felt even though It was just horniness.
«Notice. Due to your relatively "young" nervous system, any sensation can be overwhelming or cause sensory overload without the control [Freak] provides. Essentially, your body is still developing and is akin to a newborn.»
‹Wait, did I like… nerf myself by getting my body back?›
«Negative. It is possible to interchange "sensations" with your Demi-spiritual nature. As a result, you are able to experience life as a human again if you desire it.»
‹Ah, okay.›
Anyhow, I scrutinized her alluring outfit that accentuated her ample chest before responding.
"Huge-I-I'm Saiya and I'm new around here. I overheard some people saying how amazing this inn was so i had to try it out."
"Is that so?" she replied to me.
"Mhmm, they especially said the beautiful lady that works here, had great lodgings!"
"Oh my~" I saw as her face flushed before she continued "For someone so young, you really know how to compliment others, don't you? Hahaha." she said before laughing in amusement.
"It's no flattery, it's the truth. You're one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen." I urged on, my flattering tone now more evident.
"What a kind young lad you are. Good looking too, you would be great for my daughter."
'Hell no! I want you.' I thought before responding.
"Daughter? I would have never known with how young you look."
"Hahaha." she continued to chuckle before she regained her composure. "let me see… It will cost you 50 copper coins to buy a room. I can lower the price a little if you can't afford it." Aya seemingly bargained with me but I didn't really mind the price.
"Here." i gave her the money and heard her asking. "Would you like something to eat? I made some soup."
I followed up with a "Sure" and walked to the back where people were seated to the left and to the right of the room. I picked the empty table closest to me and sat down. The place was really busy and chatter reverberated throughout the room. Although a bother, I was able to filter through the sounds I heard and pick up on things i wanted to hear.
"Garuu, did you hear? Apparently, the Western Holy Church are heading towards the Jura Forest." A man said, holding a wooden cup of beer.
"Are you serious? So, they are finally gonna take down that dreaded evil dragon?" Another man spoke, while he stuffed his mouth with meat.
Smacking him with a slap to the side, the man spoke. "You idiot! There is no way they stand a chance against the storm dragon Veldora." He seemed to be baffled by his companion's ignorance.
"That thing is a walking catastrophe. An unstoppable force that can't be reasoned with, you would have a easier time defeating a demon lord than standing in it's presence." He said with a serious tone, the other man's face twisting in surprise.
"You mean it's that serious? What do you think is happening then? Do you think the Holy Church's target is different?" The man fired question after another.
"Perhaps, it's the only explanation for sending a mear expeditionary force over there." The man said, seemingly holding his chin in deep thought.
'Storm…Dragon? And again with the Holy Church people. Seems like I won't be able to avoid trouble, even if I tried.'
'But what's with this demon lord shit? Right… this is a fantasy world. Dragons and demon lords shouldn't really be surprising at this point. Eiether way, that doesn't sound good for me.' I thought, trying to get some more gossip with my enhanced hearing.
"Additionally, the surrounding countries are so turbulent. They might be getting ready for war." The man, supposedly called by the wacky-ass name Garuu added. They went on and on about the going-ons of the world. Although, i was confused at times, i was able to keep up with their chatter by keeping Pursuit of Truth active.
Moments later, Aya brought me a plate of food which seemingly had bread and soup in it. As I was served, I began eating my food. The soup was delicious, it was hot and I had to blow on it a bit before swallowing. The bread was kind of hard but alas, it was no match for my teeth.
I finished my meal and went up to my assigned room, waving at the inn lady as I walked backward. My thoughts briefly drifted to Aya, I was already seduced by her looks. She was a genuine MILF in every sense of the word and i couldn't help but thoroughly examine her with my Analysis Expert. I was able to calculate her exact measurements and i got to say, i was kind of impressed with myself.
‹Height (In Cm) 166, Weight (In Kg) 60, Bust (In Cm) 95, Waist (In Cm) 59, Hips (In Cm) 90.›
‹Nice›
"I wouldn't mind if she tried to take advantage of me. Like seriously, I'm trying to be a victim here. Maybe I could score tonight? Who am I kidding? Shit like that only happens in anime."
"One thing is for sure, when i put my mind to something I'll definitely achieve it, no matter the obstacles!" I spoke with a fist in the air, like I was giving an inspirational speech rather then talking about women's assets as I noticed the residents close to my room halt their actions and stare at me with stupefied looks. It was evident, they were judging me with their gazes that seemed to say "are you right in the head?"
"What are you looking at?" Without much thought, I matched their energy and returned a glare which made them mind their business and hasten their walking speed.
«Notice. It appears the master's motivations are willfully misplaced.»
‹Yeah Yeah, I get it. No more edging….›
‹For now….›
«…»
Getting to the door, I swung it open to an unpleasant sight. "To be honest, I don't know what I was expecting," I murmured to myself as I strolled around the room, taking in the atmosphere. The air was thick with dust and the floor smeared with grime. I decided to use some magic to clean the place up. Stretching out my hand, I cast Life Magic: [Clean Wash] and Water Magic: [Burst] in combination with Wind Magic: [Wind Gust].
Suddenly, a surge of energy erupted from my hand and cleansed the entire room with a mixture of water and soap solution [Philosopher] and I created from my memory. Followed up with a strong torrent of wind which dried the place. After a moment, I watched as the room started sparkling and when I breathed in the air, it smelt fresh.
It was actually quite easy to make soap here though it was tough finding the ingredients especially because [Philosopher] kept on using their scientific words and names. Saponification, she called it? By mixing triglyceride or oil with a strong base like sodium hydroxide we recently obtained, a chemical reaction happens. Glycerol and fatty acid salts are formed, which are literally just soap molecules.
'You know [Philosopher], seeing how you're able to easily grasp all this stuff and teach it to me, you would probably have all the degrees if we were on earth right now.'
«…Acknowledged…»
Next, I stripped off my clothes and made my way to the bed, settling in. I tucked myself under the blanket and closed my eyes.
‹Hey [Philosopher] you got the thing ready?›
«Affirmative. The preparations are ready.»
I can't believe I'm going to sleep. My slime physiology made sleep unnecessary, but with a little tuning from my [Philosopher], it was possible to fall asleep again. Apparently, Slimes are Demi-spiritual life-forms, who are unbound by their physical bodies. Combined with my [Philosopher] who stores my memories in my astral body, I could directly think with my soul and avoid dying in the worst case scenario. Additionally, [Philosopher] states I can get stronger through a gradual method called 'Cultivation' which entails gathering energy and training my skills or arts to break through a 'barrier.' If I'm being honest, it sounds like some Murim or cultivator manhwa shit. Normally, monsters are able to bypass this through evolution. Mainly, through getting a name or being exposed to enough magicules. I kind of gave that up by leaving the Desert of Death and I still can't get a name on my own. I think I might head over to the Jura Forest place those guys were talking about. I bet It has a ton of magicules I can use to evolve. Anyway, when I wake up I'm going to start my journey and explore this magic world.
«Conjecture. As long as you possess enough strength, you will be able to enjoy what the whole world has to offer.»
‹With you guiding me, I will surely reach the top. Hahaha!!! Maybe I can make some friends to share my power with?›
My mind became blurry as a familiar feeling of drowsiness enveloped me, making me doze off to sleep.
———
———
It was late at night, and multiple silhouettes could be seen darting through buildings at high speed. Their movements were precise and efficient, advancing forward towards the center of chaos. One of them was the Princess Zubeia Coleus. She had heard from one of the men patrolling, that there was a dragon terrorizing the town. Zubeia strongly believed in the "Noblesse Oblige" mindset, believing that the more powerful one is, the more duty-bound they are to help and protect the weak. As the Princess, she acknowledged it was her duty to protect the citizens regardless of the situation. Even though the task could be handled by the soldiers.
'The people are in grave danger. We must get there quickly and eliminate that Magic Beast,' she thought. She had just returned from a skirmish at the long wall, against the aggressive monsters. Zubeia greatly exhausted and tottering on the brink of collapse, persevered through the pain and fatigue. Worry clouded her mind and she couldn't think of anything else but the disappointed gazes of the masses.
"Onward men, we must protect the people!!"
In unison, they all replied. "Yes Princess!!"
We shift over to the once lovely town, now reduced to rubble. There was fire nearly everywhere one looked, and pieces of debris collapsing from nearby buildings. People could be seen evacuating from their homes, some were injured and crushed under large piles of remains.
The cries and pleas of the fragile humans jolted Jamie's consciousness awake. The chaotic ambiance brought a nearly crippling feeling of unease. Although, shocking what really scored home was the bizarre scene in front of Jamie. The majority of his ceiling was gone and raging waves of flames surrounded the bed.
"The fuck's going on?" Jamie said, flabbergasted by what befell him.
————————
A/N: Hello there, I'm the author. The chapters shows how Jamie successfully integrated into human society unnoticed. I was going for more of a slice-of-life kind of feeling for this chapter. Jamie ever the degenerate, seemingly has a thing for older women. He is going to be highly self-indulgent but not to the point he walks over people with his abilities and naturally Jamie isn't going to let others walk over him. He's a free spirit and wants to make friends but little does he know what his kind of power has in store for him in the future. You should know, even though the skills in his possession are overpowered, if they aren't used properly they might as well be useless. Jamie and [Philosopher] haven't mastered the skill [Freak] and we know in tensura mastering your skill plays a big part in winning battles. Jamie is as dumb as they come and usually relies on his instincts and [Philosopher]. I think it's also noteworthy that Jamie doesn't have [All of Creation] so his "dumbness" is somewhat justified. I elaborated more on how [Freak] works so there's that. Of course I had to glaze my boy Veldora a bit. Please feel free to suggest anything you like or anything that will make the Mc or story interesting and I will try to make it happen. I would also appreciate it if you commented as I lose motivation to keep writing real fast. It's so bad, I have to listen to playlists of NEFFEX songs just to write. So please say something and help me get better at writing. Big fight coming up next. Thank you for reading and bye.