Primordial Slime: I Devour The World

Morning came quietly.

Mist drifted through the forest.

Inside the slime settlement, life followed its familiar rhythm.

Some slimes gathered mushrooms.

Others sorted berries brought back from yesterday’s hunt.

The elder rested near the center of the cave, its silver core pulsing steadily.

Tanaka stretched lazily.

"So peaceful..."

The little slime bounced into him.

Boing.

"I know."

"We should probably hunt again today."

The little slime bounced excitedly.

Then...

It stopped.

Tanaka felt it too.

A vibration.

Not from a monster.

From footsteps.

Several.

Heavy.

Measured.

Coming from outside the cave.

His body tensed.

"Someone’s here."

At the cave entrance, five human silhouettes appeared.

The morning light framed them like shadows.

Leather armor.

Spears.

Swords.

A bow.

The hunters had arrived.

The bearded leader looked into the cave.

"There it is."

The youngest hunter whistled.

"That’s a lot of slimes."

The bowwoman calmly nocked an arrow.

"Get to work."

No hatred.

No excitement.

Only routine.

Tanaka’s core tightened.

"They’re... here for us."

The elder moved first.

It bounced between the humans and the village.

The larger hunting slimes followed.

A silent wall of blue.

The leader sighed.

"Shame."

"They’re organized."

"Kill them before any escape."

The first arrow flew.

Thwip!

It pierced straight through a hunting slime.

The slime collapsed instantly.

Its body dissolved into pale blue light.

Tanaka froze.

"One shot?"

The hunters advanced.

The spearman thrust forward.

One slime.

Two.

Three.

Each strike shattered a magic core with terrifying precision.

There was no wasted movement.

No panic.

Years of experience.

The hunting slimes fought back.

They rammed the humans from every direction.

The impacts barely slowed them.

A sword flashed.

Another slime disappeared.

A spear thrust.

Another.

An arrow.

Another.

The cave erupted into chaos.

"Stop!"

Tanaka launched himself forward.

Leap!

He crashed into the youngest hunter.

The man stumbled one step.

"Huh?"

Tanaka followed with Earth Impact.

The attack landed squarely against the hunter’s chest.

Nothing.

The leather armor absorbed most of the force.

The hunter blinked.

"This one’s stronger."

He casually swatted Tanaka away.

BANG!

Tanaka crashed into a stone pillar.

Pain exploded through his body.

"He didn’t even use a skill."

The gap was absurd.

The little slime hurried to him.

Boing!

"I’m okay..."

He wasn’t.

His body trembled.

Stone Body.

Leap.

Earth Impact.

Against monsters, they had been incredible.

Against humans...

They felt meaningless.

And Tanaka felt it.

Fear.

Panic.

Loss.

The elder slammed into the bearded leader with all its strength.

The man slid half a step.

"Persistent."

His sword flashed once.

The elder’s silver core cracked.

Tanaka’s eyes widened.

"No!"

The elder staggered.

It bounced once.

Twice.

Then collapsed.

The silver light faded.

Something inside the village broke.

The organized defense dissolved.

Young slimes scattered in every direction.

The hunters pursued without hesitation.

"This isn’t hunting..."

Tanaka whispered.

"It’s slaughter."

The little slime suddenly rushed forward.

Straight toward a tiny slime cornered against the wall.

A hunter raised his spear.

Tanaka moved before thinking.

"Leap!"

His body became a blur.

He slammed into the spear.

The weapon pierced straight through him.

Agony erupted across his entire body.

Yet...

The spear stopped.

Just enough.

The tiny slime escaped.

The little slime stared at him.

Its emotions flooded into him.

Fear.

Relief.

Desperation.

Tanaka forced himself off the spear.

His body slowly repaired the hole.

Too slowly.

His mana was almost gone.

The hunter frowned.

"That one refuses to die."

The leader glanced over.

"Ignore it."

"Finish the village first."

Tanaka looked around.

Bodies of light drifted everywhere.

Friends.

Hunters.

The elder.

The slimes who had welcomed him on his first day.

Gone.

His vision blurred.

Not because slimes cried.

But because something inside him hurt far more than his body.

This place had become his home.

And these strangers...

Were destroying it because it was profitable.

His core pounded violently.

Once.

Twice.

Again.

He looked at the little slime.

Still alive.

Still standing beside him.

Then he looked back at the hunters.

For the first time since arriving in this world...

Tanaka felt genuine hatred.

He gathered every remaining thread of mana into his core.

One last attack.

One last chance.

Even if it changed nothing.

He would fight.

The hunters turned toward him.

Five against one.

The cave fell silent.

Then...

Tanaka charged.