Equipment: Venom slime

Anyi glanced down at the scroll again, a quiet resolve settling over him. In his past life, the Exterminate Hero, hidden behind the alias "Aisha," had been one of the most formidable fighters, carving a name for herself across the land. But in this life, her true name had been revealed—and already crossed off the list of the living. 

She had perished fighting the first Boss.

A bitter sense of regret welled up within him. 'What a waste of potential.' He couldn't let history repeat itself for the other heroes who had reached the top in his past life. They were vital—too valuable to let die before their time. 

After three long hours of breakfast, Ariana finally wiped her mouth with a satisfied grin. "I'm stuffed."

Before they moved on to their next task, Anyi suggested they familiarize themselves with their newly acquired equipment. The village square had already drawn a crowd of curious villagers, eager to see the heroes in action.

"I got a set of light slime armor... and this slime sword," Anyi announced, pulling out the sword from his inventory. The blade gleamed a soft white, contrasting starkly with the black-hued weapon he had wielded before.

"Wait—wasn't your sword black before? How did it turn white?" Ariana asked, her eyes widening. In her hand floated a ball of white slime, her own recently acquired item: [Slime Sphere].

"Slime can change its color at will," Anyi explained nonchalantly. He flicked his wrist, and the slime sword in his hand shifted colors like a living rainbow, reflecting every hue under the sun.

"Woah!" Ariana's face lit up like a child discovering a new toy. "Teach me, teach me how to do that!"

Anyi ignored her, turning his attention to Layton, who was brimming with excitement.

"I got this!" Layton declared proudly, summoning his [Heavy Slime Armor] and [Slime Shield]. In an instant, a thick, viscous mass of white slime engulfed his entire body, molding into a solid, armor-like shape.

The crowd of slime cleaners gasped, their hearts pounding.

"Hero-sama... wrapped in slime?!"

"Where did it come from?!"

"Don't worry, Hero-sama! We'll save you!"

Before Layton could respond, his hand shot up, encased in slime but still moving freely. "No need to panic, everyone!" he said, voice muffled by the slime. "It's armor. This is slime armor!"

Some of the villagers exchanged nervous glances. 'Slime armor?' Slime was known for being soft and slippery—hardly the material for protection.

"Slime armor can also change color and shape as needed," Anyi added, gesturing toward Layton, who started to shrink the armor, making it transparent until it was barely noticeable beneath his clothes. "You can even shrink it down to wear under your regular clothes."

He demonstrated by rolling up his sleeve, revealing a thin, barely perceptible layer of slime clinging to his arm.

Miruku, watching with wide eyes, wrinkled her nose in disgust. 'That must feel... slimy...'

Anyi, catching her expression, smirked. "No, it doesn't. No mucosa sensation at all. Feels like wearing nothing."

Miruku blinked, stunned. 'Does he know how to read my mind?'

Ariana poked at Anyi's sleeve curiously. "It's true!" she exclaimed, marveling at the slick texture. "It doesn't even stain your clothes!"

Layton, still shrinking his armor, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it's strange, but kind of cool."

In fact, the system had designed equipment to exist on a different "layer" than skin or clothing, meaning it wouldn't affect the wearer's garments or touch their body directly. Slime, poison, fire—it wouldn't matter. It was all separated.

Anyi continued, "You can adjust size and shape within the system's parameters. It's all in the setup."

Ariana chimed in, "I got a slime hat, slime robe, slime cloak, and this little [Slime Sphere]."

Miruku hesitated before adding her own contribution, her voice low and uncertain. "I... I got light slime armor and... slime venom."

"Venom?" Ariana's curiosity sparked again. "What kind of weapon is venom? Why not a slime dual dagger or something?"

"I-I don't know!" Miruku stammered, feeling the pressure of Ariana's relentless questions. "This is all I have in my inventory! I have no idea what it does!"

Ariana blinked, tilting her head in confusion. "But you can't take it out of your inventory? What's the point if you can't use it?"

Miruku felt a pang of frustration. 'Exactly! What use is something if I can't figure out what it's for?'

If only it were something straightforward, like a sword or a shield, Miruku thought. Something she could swing at enemies and immediately understand. But this venom... she had no clue how to wield it or what purpose it served.

Anyi's sharp mind processed the situation swiftly, piecing together the likely connection between Miruku's abilities and her class. "Thorn Hero is not Dual Dagger Hero," he murmured, thinking aloud. "Her weapon might not be a dagger at all, but something subtler—perhaps even an assassination tool."

He paused, eyes narrowing in thought. "The venom slime... it could be an enchantment, or something designed to enhance her ability to kill silently."

He glanced at Miruku, who was fidgeting with her equipment. "Miss Miruku, why don't you try wearing all your equipment first, then attempt to activate the venom slime?" he suggested, hoping the solution lay in the full assembly of her gear.

Miruku hesitated, but nodded. She mentally adjusted the light slime armor, allowing it to shift and mold under her clothes like a second skin. The sensation was peculiar—cool and slightly weighty—but manageable. As long as she didn't wear the helmet, it was barely noticeable. The set consisted of a helmet, gloves, crotch protectors, and shoes, but nothing to cover her legs, which struck her as odd.

'Must be part of the class design,' she thought, shrugging.

Once her gear was in place, she focused on the venom slime. She attempted to withdraw it from her inventory.

[Slime Venom cannot be taken out.]

'Why not?!' Miruku's internal scream echoed in frustration.

[Unable to meet withdrawal conditions.]

'And what condition is that?' she demanded.

[Please wear all [Slime] series equipment.]

With a sigh, she summoned the last piece of her set—a transparent helmet made of slime. As soon as it materialized, the thin layer of slime slid over her head, clinging closely to her features. It was technically clear, but anyone looking could still see the faint sheen of slime coating her face like a glossy mask.

'Now let's try again. Take out Slime Venom.'

[Slime Venom activation conditions have been met. Commencing transformation.]

Without warning, the light slime armor covering her body began to shift, gliding and rippling across her skin. The cool fluid moved like a living organism, stretching over her legs, torso, and limbs, enveloping her completely. A moment of panic rose as the slime crept over her nose and mouth, but she quickly realized she could still breathe, though it felt as though she were submerged in a thick, viscous liquid.

The blue slime now coated her entire body, its surface pulsing with muscle-like ridges and sinewy veins. As it lifted her slightly off the ground, she felt an alien power course through her veins, the slime becoming an extension of her very being. Her gloves morphed into menacing claws, sharp and lethal, and her head became fully encased. Two long, white slits appeared where her eyes should be, glowing with an eerie, predatory light.

Then came the final transformation—her mouth opened wide, revealing rows of jagged fangs within a gaping, bloody maw, and from within that maw a long, snake-like tongue unfurled, dripping with venom.

To the outside world, Miruku looked nothing like a human. She resembled a monstrous creature, a fusion of venomous beast and warrior encased in living slime.

Anyi: "...."

'Slime Venom...'

Is it really venom?!