Chapter 3 - Village Massacre

"Hoamm!" A young man yawned as he woke up, feeling like he hadn't slept in days.

The young man had jet-black hair that fell slightly over his forehead, contrasting sharply with his piercing golden eyes. He looked to be around 17, with a lean but well-built frame. His sharp eyebrows framed his eyes perfectly, giving him an intense, focused look, but his warm, easygoing smile softened his features. With his flawless skin and confident posture, he had an effortlessly charming and undeniably handsome appearance, the kind that drew attention wherever he went.

His name was Leo—or at least, that's what he chose to call himself. Yes, he was the Black Ooze, now able to take on the form of his past life after consuming a human.

After devouring the old man, Leo gained his memories through his Extra Skill, [Memory Reading]. The nation he was in was called the Fonteau Magic Kingdom, ruled by Queen Leticia Fonteau. She was an elf who had once been the companion and wife of a summoned hero. The hero had defeated the Demon King, but after that, he was sent back to his own world, leaving Leticia behind with their two daughters.

What was even more interesting was that the Demon King wasn't the strongest being in this world. There were many Demon Kings, each ruling over their territories in peace, without being united. The hero had been sent back because the world no longer needed him. Poor him.

Not far from where he was, there was a forest teeming with monsters called the Kuuderun Great Forest. As someone who loved reading novels and manga, Leo quickly realized where he was based on the old man's memories. This world was a blend of different stories, one of which was Inside the Cave of Obscenity, where he was now the Black Ooze. It also seemed like the world of Re:Monster was part of this reality, since the Kuuderun Great Forest was nearby. Maybe even the Jura Forest existed somewhere out there.

As a fan of novels and manga, he quickly picked up on the hints from the old man's memories and realized where he was. This world... It was a chaotic mix of different series, all mashed together.

If he wasn't mistaken, he was now the Black Ooze from Inside the Cave of Obscenity. And if that was true, then this was also the Re:Monster world, since the Kuuderun Great Forest existed here. Maybe even Jura Forest was out there somewhere. Who knew?

The most exciting part? Meeting all those protagonists and supporting characters. He couldn't wait to devour them. But, they were probably still in their early stages, so he'd let them get stronger while he did the same.

He wasn't about to let them overpower him. He already saw them as his prey. Maybe being a Black Ooze was messing with his personality, making him more evil with each passing day.

After all, in the original novel, the Black Ooze killed the men and impregnated the women it captured to multiply. But he didn't want to be like that. He had no interest in forcing himself on anyone.

"How interesting." Leo muttered with a grin. He got up from the bed and decided to head out of the cave to scout the area. Yeah, he had taken the bed from one of the villagers he ate and brought it back to the cave where he was born. This was where he'd decided to build his base.

At night, he'd go out and attack more villagers, all to spread his name. After all, the [Chaos Order] skill was too tempting. The more his evil deeds became known to the world, the faster his power would grow. Right now, it is only at 0.02%.

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Four days later, a group of adventurers arrived at the village gates, made up of a female magician and two male swordsmen.

Three days earlier, at the Adventurer Guild in a nearby town, they'd taken on a quest to find the missing villagers. To get more details on the mission, they planned to meet with the village chief first. They thought it would be an easy job—nothing too dangerous. The rewards weren't huge, but decent enough.

The female magician was strikingly beautiful. Her golden hair flowed down to her waist, and her sharp, sky-blue eyes showed her strong will and determination. She wore a sleek, blue robe over a black, shoulderless tank top that revealed her toned stomach and a glimpse of her ample cleavage. She carried a large staff and wore a matching blue witch hat that perfectly complemented her outfit, giving her an elegant yet dangerous aura.

The first male swordsman, about the same age as the magician, had black hair and a small, timid frame. He looked nervous but determined. The other swordsman, much larger and older than his companions, had a strong, muscular build that radiated power. Both of them wore thick clothing with leather breastplates, knee pads, and elbow pads, prepared for whatever dangers might come their way.

The two swordsmen couldn't help but ogle at the female magician walking in front of them. Every step she took made her chest bounce, and though she noticed their stares, she pretended not to. Deep down, she felt proud of her figure, and the boys' attention only boosted her confidence.

Her name was Frederica Leen, and her two companions were Carl, the timid swordsman, and Rick, the muscular one.

As they arrived at the village, something felt off. No one came to greet them, even though the villagers should've known they were coming.

Feeling uneasy, they frowned and decided to open the village gate themselves. But what they saw inside left them stunned.

"Where are the villagers? Why is it so quiet?" Rick was the first to speak. The entire village was empty, eerily quiet, and looked abandoned.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" Frederica called out as she stepped forward. This was the first time they had ever encountered something so strange, and the silence made it all the more unsettling.

The three of them waited for a few seconds, and just as they were about to force their way into the nearby houses, the door of one slowly creaked open. A young girl, no older than ten, stepped out.

"Y-You guys are late… E-Everybody's been killed… Father… Mother…" She said, her eyes swollen and lifeless from endless tears. She seemed to blame them for arriving too late to save her family and the rest of the village.

"Dead? What do you mean? Little sister, can you tell us what happened? We'll help you, I promise." Frederica said, her voice trembling with shock as she pulled the girl into a comforting embrace.

"Wuuuwu! Everyone's dead! A monster killed them all!" The girl cried out, her voice breaking as she tried to explain through her sobs.

"How could this happen… What kind of monster could do something like this in just a few days?" Carl, the quiet and timid swordsman, asked, his voice filled with fear and disbelief. He struggled to accept the grim reality before him, but the girl's sorrowful face made it hard to doubt her words.

Rick, equally disturbed, scowled and went off to search the village for any signs of the massacre.

Meanwhile, Frederica held the girl close, gently stroking her head to calm her down. The child needed to release her pent-up emotions, and Frederica's comforting presence was the only solace she had after witnessing such a horrific scene.

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"Status." Leo said, lying on his bed. He was inside his cave, waiting for the adventurers to arrive. After consuming the village chief's memories, he knew the village had hired adventurers to find the missing villagers.

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Name: Leo

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True Name: -

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Level: 47/100

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Race: Slime (Black Ooze)

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Special: [Demon Lord Seed]

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Job Skill: [Job - Farmer], [Job - Fisherman], [Job - Tailor], [Job - Cook]

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Ultimate Skill: -

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Unique Skill: [Chaos Order]

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Extra Skill: [Absorption], [Self-Regeneration], [Metamorphosis], [Mana Perception], [Memory Reading], [Mineral Coating], [Mana Conduit], [Fear Eater]

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Common Skill: [Dissolve], [Self Body-Fluid Control], [Stomach], [Echolocation], [Paralysis Poison], [Aquatic Movement], [Thermal Regulation], [Ghost Cry], [Wild Charge], [Milk Generation], [Egg Incubation]

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Resist Skill: [Poison Resistance], [Physical Damage Reduction]

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Language Skill: [Human Language]

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Trait: [Enhanced Hearing], [Keen Smell]

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Item: -

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"Not bad." Leo nodded with satisfaction. He was halfway to evolving into a superior race. After all, he'd only consumed regular animals and weak humans so far, so his progress hadn't been too fast.

He had also picked up [Job - Tailor] and [Job - Cook] from some of the older women he had eaten in the village. These jobs increased his chances of success in tailoring and cooking and made him more skilled in both.

In the village, he hadn't eaten everyone. He avoided the young boys and girls under 30, showing a bit of compassion for them. He targeted mainly teenage and adult men, as well as older men and women. To him, the old folks didn't deserve much pity since their lifespans were short anyway.

"Hmm… why do I feel like a psychopath?" Leo muttered, realizing that his thoughts seemed pretty strange for a normal human. But he wasn't a normal human anymore—he was a monster now. He decided not to dwell on such depressing thoughts.

What mattered now was survival. He had to become the strongest. In this fantasy world, only the strongest would prevail. He closed his eyes and waited for the adventurers to arrive at the cave. A few hours later, he was jolted awake by the sound of footsteps inside the cave.

It seemed the adventurers had finally arrived. How did they know the monster that had eaten the villagers was in this cave? He had left a clue for the little girl and the remaining children, so they could direct the adventurers here.

From his memories, he recalled that the original Black Ooze's first victim was Frederica, a young female magician. He had anticipated that it would be her and her two companions entering the cave.

He knew he wasn't strong enough to face Frederica head-on just yet. That's why he planned to take out the other two first before confronting her. Her magic might not be the most powerful, but she was skilled in Fire, Wind, and Earth magic, with Fire Magic being particularly effective against slimes.

Without hesitation, he made his way to the deepest part of the cave, shifting back into his slime form. With a few quick jumps, he reached the open ceiling and slipped out. He wasn't running away—his plan was to circle around and re-enter the cave through the entrance.