That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime (WN) - Chapter 291：Visit to the Unknown

Super Beast.

They were a disaster that had suddenly appeared in this world.

It was said that they were creatures who had mutated after the war due to contamination, but the truth was shrouded in secrets.

The one thing that was known about them was that they lived and bred in the deep world of the underground and never came to the surface.

While the underground passages were said to be safe, there were still places that were contaminated.

That was why it was important to wear protective suits.

So even there, there was a possibility of being attacked by a Super Beast.

And since they were escorting nearly one thousand residents, it was decided that the tunnels were too dangerous.

This led to the alternate option, putting on the protective suits and going to the surface…

Zaza and the others of the defense team spread out frantically and looked up at the giant beast that loomed over them.

It wasn’t alone.

There were multiple Super Beasts that surrounded them in a semi-circle.

“Tsk. I would be able to fight them just fine if I had a Powered Suit…”

Karman said angrily.

It was true.

With the firepower of the Powered Suits, such a fight would be easy.

However, the only weapon that Karman and his men had now were the cyborg Plasma Gatling.

This was because Beretta had destroyed all five suits.

The Plasma Gatling was a frightful weapon that sprayed superheated energy bullets, but it was still an anti-human weapon.

It was not enough against a giant like a Super Beast.

After all, the most notable feature of the Super Beast was its ridiculous ability to regenerate.

Even if you severed their limbs or tentacles, they would grow back.

And so the only way to defeat them was by destroying more than two-thirds of their body at once.

This would require burning them or some other method to annihilate them.

It was more than possible with the Powered Suits, but impossible with any small weapon.

Those who were enjoying the barbecue now froze. It had all happened so suddenly that they did not know what to do.

“Damn it! We’ll lure them away. Run when you get the chance!!”

Zaza shouted at the adults.

“We can’t, Mister Zaza! There are Super Beasts behind us!!”

It was Rindo who answered.

As he stated, Super Beasts had appeared behind them out of nowhere.

They were now completely surrounded.

On the other hand, the children did not understand the situation and remained calm.

They were surprised to be sure, but not enough to let go of their plates.

There were even some who were bold enough to snatch meat off of the plates of the stunned adults.

After all, Veldora was their hero, and Veldora continued to cook the meat as if nothing of note was happening.

This was enough to assure them that nothing was wrong.

In fact, when Karma had come, and when Michelle had come, Veldora had always been cooking something. And every time, things had ended without much trouble at all.

The grill may have seemed cursed to someone like Zaza, but to the children, it was a symbol of safety.

As for what Veldora and Ramiris were doing…

They glanced at the Super Beasts with carefree expressions as the meat sizzled.

“Hey, Ramiris. Those things are apparently called Super Beasts.”

“I see. But, Master… Don’t you think…they look pretty unimpressive?”

“Yes. As you can see, they don’t attack us because they are so afraid.”

“Lord Veldora, it cannot be helped. Unlike humans, beasts have an instinct that allows them to see an opponent’s strength.”

“It seems to be the case. But I don’t like this. How will I be able to show how amazing I am…”

“Uh, Master. I want more meat!”

“Are you listening, Ramiris? This is the most important part, alright?”

“I think you should just give up on that.”

“Besides, the children already trust you Lord Veldora. You can make people understand your greatness without rushing to do things.”

“Hoho. I see. That is very true. They might respect me after using my skills, but that doesn’t seem quite right. I won’t say who, but someone from Rimuru’s homeland did the same thing and suffered for it.”

“That’s right, Master. I was just thinking the same thing.”

“Yes, yes. I don’t think it is right at all. There is no need to rush. That is very true.”

“Then that’s settled then, Master. Now, I’ll have another!”

Veldora clicked his tongue at Ramiris’s lack of concern in the matter, but he still gave her another slice of meat.

He was also cooking more for the children.

Veldora was a surprisingly kind and caring person.

Ramiris ate it with a delighted expression. She stuffed the food into her mouth at such a pace that one would wonder how it all fit into such a small frame.

The children also seemed oblivious to the panic of the adults. They continued to enjoy the barbecue.

Unlike Zaza and the others who were incredibly tense, their world was peace itself.

However, this was soon interrupted by Zaza’s shouting.

“Hey, HEEEEEY!! How can you all be so calm!? Stop your reckless meat-eating and prepare to allow the others to escape!!”

Zaza could no longer ignore it. Blue veins popped on his forehead as he complained.

Veldora looked at him with an exasperated sigh and answered.

“Oh, Zaza. You must calm down. There is no need to escape. Especially since you’d have to wear those pesky suits once you leave my barrier. Besides, don’t you agree that it would be faster to just get rid of these rude monsters who are disturbing our meal? In the first place, I doubt such small fry could even get into my barrier…”

“What are you talking about!? Things are never that easy! Stop this nonsense about barriers. We need to make sure everyone gets changed while the monsters are watching from the outside…”

“I told you to calm down. There is no reason to be alarmed over such weak creatures. I wouldn’t even need to do it myself. Beretta could do it.”

“Mister Beretta!?”

“It would be a simple thing if I were ordered…”

“What…!?”

Veldora realized that Beretta would get all of the credit again, but he didn’t mind this one time.

After all, he had already become quite popular through cooking the meat.

And it wasn’t just the children, even the adults were singing his praise a moment ago.

They had exhausted so much of their energy during the past few days of tiresome travel, and then he had served the best barbecue meat imaginable.

So it was no wonder they adored him now.

And while he was annoyed that these Super Beasts had interrupted things, in Veldora’s mind, they were too weak to pay much mind.

Of course, this was only by Veldora’s standards.

When judged as a monster, they were about A-Rank, and an especially strong Super Beast might be the equivalent of the Psuedo-Demon Lord Class.

The Super Beasts came with such dangerous special abilities including ultrasonic waves, poison, and degrading enzymes. Even if there were some who considered them weak, they were still a dangerous opponent.

However, this world did not have magic essence.

The Super Beast was restricted to the laws of this world. That made them a joke to Veldora.

While Karman and his men had weapons of science that had posed as an unknown threat, these Super Beasts did not.

This was all clear through Veldora’s ‘Seeker of Truth.’

Veldora was not interested in bullying the weak, in other words, he did not care about the spotlight in this particular instance.

Besides, the Super Beasts may have just understood his strength by instinct, because they had not moved in to attack ever since their arrival.

From Veldora’s point of view, he did not want to attack any who feared him so much.

“To be honest, they are no different than birds, dogs, cats, rats, or snakes who have had a little genetic modification. Beasts with a little extra power and abilities, I suppose?”

Even Ramiris agreed with him.

Beretta understood it too, but he was not enthusiastic.

He would move if ordered, that was all.

“Damn it, it’s no use! The Plasma Gatling is too weak! They are able to regenerate so quickly that we are dealing no damage!!”

Karman shouted as he approached them.

They had known it would be a tough fight, but now they were out of ammunition.

Without ammunition, they could not attack. And so he had returned.

“Karman. Fear has affected your ability to make decisions. You should stop such futile attacks once you suspect it will not be effective. You could have raised your chances of survival by hitting the ground or boulders instead, causing a dust cloud. However, it is all unnecessary now. After all, I am right here!”

“Yes, that’s true…what? What are you…?”

Karman readily agreed with the first point.

He regretted his mistake deeply.

But at the same time, understanding of the rest of Veldora’s words came, and he was confused.

“Look. I do not know why, but there is a mysterious barrier surrounding us.”

“Mysterious? But you did it, Master…”

“Shut up! This safety zone was created against unimaginable odds, and now the Super Beasts are unable to enter.”

Veldora ignored Ramiris and started creating his own story.

He was acting as if his earlier explanation had not happened, which of course, was completely futile.

“No, no. That’s not what you’ve been saying. You said that the barrier was made by you…”

“Zaza. You really should stop interrupting me. Who cares about what was said earlier? The problem is these beasts. Look, one is trying to come after Karman!”

Zaza was quick to point it out to him, but Veldora was hardly bothered.

Not only that, but he tried to direct everyone’s attention to a monster that was trying to invade the barrier.

Veldora was pointing at a particular monster that had been chasing Karman.

Perhaps it was so enraged that it forgot itself, because it charged forward, ignoring the warning that its instincts were raising.

A most dramatic change occurred the moment the Super Beast touched the barrier.

“GRRRR—GYAGYAGYAAGHH—!?”

It let out a horrible shriek as if it were experiencing unimaginable agony.

Upon closer inspection, the tiger-like stripes were falling away and the tentacles on its back began to crumble like dust.

“What!? What is happening?”

“Mister Veldora. Did you do something!?”

Zaza asked in shock, but Veldora did not answer.

He just inspected the Super Beast quietly and muttered to himself.

The tiger-like Super Beast frantically jumped away from the barrier.

It no longer tried to enter. It just paced in front of it as if it were angry.

The stripes and tentacles had already started to regenerate.

It hadn’t gotten through the barrier, but it did not take much damage in the end.

Veldora saw and began to chuckle mischievously.

“I see. Super Beasts, did you say? I understand what they are now.”

“Yes. Your Purification Barrier is able to dismantle and purify contaminated material, isn’t it, Master? The fact that it began to break down upon touching the barrier means that it is made of contaminated substances.”

“It is most surprising. A creature that has evolved from something other than magical essence.”

Veldora, Ramiris and Beretta were all nodding with realization, while the others were left behind.

“Hey-hey. What are you talking about…?”

“Can you explain it so we understand?”

As Zaza and Karman looked on in confusion, Veldora and the others explained them their deduction.

And they had gotten very close to the exact truth.

And then, as if to deliberately feed Veldora even more information, two to three other Super Beasts began to attempt to enter the barrier.

However, much like the tiger-like monster, they ended in failure.

However, there was one snake-like beast that was especially large. It seemed to have become provoked by the failure of the others, and it so it came forward.

“Oh? I sense a strong will in this one. Is it a leader?”

It was a great serpent with a purple body and red head.

There were wings on its back. It was imposing in a way that separated it from the other Super Beasts.

As Veldora said, this was likely the one that united the others.

The leader monster hesitated for a moment when touching the barrier, but then it began to force its way inside.

Cracks appeared on its skin, but its regeneration ability was working faster than expected.

“Oh? This will be entertaining. I know. I’ll take care of this one myself.”

Veldora looked on with amusement before making this declaration.

The children all heard this and erupted into cheers.

“So cool!”

“Mister Veldora is awesome!!”

“Don’t lose!!”

Etcetera.

Veldora’s ears twitched at this and he smiled broadly.

“Hey, hey. Are you sure? I know you are probably stronger than I initially thought, Mister Veldora. I am not doubting your skill with Machinery Arts. However, that thing can heal at an incredible rate. You do realize you will have to do immense damage in order to defeat it?”

“Karman is right. We get that you are great. Now, please step back and leave it to Mister Beretta. Surely he is much more suited to the task?”

Karman and Zaza were worried about Veldora.

However, Veldora laughed as if it were not a problem in the least.

“You two have got it all wrong. I have told you many times, I am stronger than Beretta. It seems that this thing is the only one that can enter the barrier, so you do not need to worry about everyone’s safety. Well, just consider that it is impossible for those who believe in me to be hurt while I am watching!”

He said with a boisterous laugh.

The great serpent in front of Veldora was certainly strong.

If you just looked at the physical strength, it was up there with the Pseudo Demon Lord Class.

However, that was it.

Even the fact that it was getting through Veldora’s barrier was nothing noteworthy.

After all, while it was called a ‘barrier’ all it was was a space where pollution was removed.

It was not something like the ‘Multi-Dimensional Barrier’ that Veldora had used when seriously trying to protect them.

The truth was, there were reasons that up until now, Veldora had concentrated on defense while leaving the fighting to Beretta.

One was so he could decipher the laws of this world.

The other was so that by concentrating only on defense, he would be able to deal with anything that might happen.

It looked like he wasn’t thinking about anything, but he actually had considered what was important.

As long as there was no magic essence in this world, the accuracy of ‘Universal Perception’ would drop.

And that was why Veldora used the power of the ‘storm’ to use the atmosphere itself as a monitoring eye.

And now, after a few days, through the use of ‘All of Creation’ and ‘Seeker of Truth,’ he was able to grasp the laws of this world entirely.

In other words—He completely grasped the nature of this planet.

And because of this, Veldora was currently able to use his full power.

He was able to use the majority of the power he had in the other world without relying on magic essence.

So it was now easy for him to protect everyone without having to focus entirely on it.

“GRRAAAAAGH-!!”

The large serpent charged forward in an attack.

Veldora saw this and smirked.

“Yes, yes. I have no intention of toying with those who are afraid. But if you wish to challenge me, I will oblige!”

And with that, he lightly brought up his right fist and thrust it out.

“Dragon Punch!!”

Perhaps he wanted to use it since he had just learned it. Vibration Fist Wave.

“That really is a terrible name. He should take notes from my forty-seven special moves.”

“Oh, you mean like Drop Kick or Fairy Chop? Yours seem just as bad…”

“What did you say, Beretta?”

“…Uh, nothing.”

Ramiris and Beretta whispered to each other.

However, Veldora was in such a good mood about being able to finally take action, that he didn’t care what they said.

He ignored them and attacked the great serpent.

Veldora had slipped right in front of the great serpent and his right fist had shot towards the purple scales that were strong enough to go against a tank.

The moment it happened, shock waves spread through the great serpent’s body.

“GGGAAAHHH——!?”

It let out a painful scream.

Scales flew from all over its body and the skin on its red head became visible.

During the previous fight, Veldora had completely mastered the art of converting his energy into vibration waves.

“Kahahahaha! What do you think? Is it not very impressive?”

He looked down at the great serpent that had been thrown to the ground. Veldora laughed confidently.

Everyone watched in awe.

“Wh-what the…!?”

“Hey, hey. Is this real? You can’t be serious…?”

“No-no…it’s impossible…”

“Can it be? His power must be the same as General Michelle…”

“It’s unbelievable. How did he do that with his bare hands…”

“Aye. It is well known that you must use heavy weapons to completely burn Super Beasts. And yet he used his fist…”

“This is beyond ridiculous.”

Shock.

That was all.

They all watched this scene that seemed too far from reality that they could not believe it was actually happening.

Most of them started to wonder if they were in fact dreaming.

However, children were less cynical.

“Amazing!!”

“I knew Mister Veldora was the best!”

“So cool. He really is so cool!!”

They were incredibly excited.

And so was Veldora.

(Kahahaha! Finally, finally, I have entered the spotlight!!)

He was thrilled.

“Oh, dear. Master’s getting carried away now.”

“I don’t see why it’s a problem. It’s better than when he gets sulky. We should think positively.”

“That’s true. Still, master seems to have come to understand the laws of this world.”

“Yes. I’d expect nothing less of Lord Veldora. The spirit power is now becoming more active.”

Ramiris chuckled but was somewhat proud at the same time.

He was a dragon after all. And he wasn’t called the strongest for nothing.

As Beretta said, the spirits had not been very active here in this world before, but that had changed thanks to Veldora.

This was because Veldora commanded the storms and he had activated that power.

All sunlight had been blocked from the surface for so long, and now, while it was only a small area, it was shining down on them.

The effect was most dramatic. The spirits that had been asleep had begun to awaken.

This obviously meant that Ramiris was also able to use a wider variety of magic. And Beretta’s power would increase.

The twenty or so Super Beasts were not even close to being a threat.

“I commend your bravery in challenging me! And now you can help me practice some new moves!”

Veldora said as he fell on the great serpent that was on the ground.

The great serpent was roaring.

It was an order.

Even the other Super Beasts that were afraid of Veldora’s barrier were unable to ignore it.

And so the twenty Super Beasts all started to move at once.

However, Veldora remained calm.

There was no need to panic.

By completely understanding the atmosphere, his ‘Universal Perception’ view was now whole.

And so he was able to defeat multiple Super Beasts with one hit.

“Kahahahaha! It doesn’t matter how many of you there are. You should stop this meaningless resistance!”

He laughed loudly as he defeated every single one.

It all happened in just one minute.

It was overwhelming.

“…Hey, are we all dreaming?”

“Hahaha. I have been very tired recently. I was also wondering if I was dreaming.”

“We must be. After all, this is not possible!!”

It was possible to kill the monsters with enough firepower.

However, Veldora was keeping them alive while stopping their movement.

Super Beasts.

Their ability to regenerate made them close to invincible. They were humanity’s strongest enemy.

Fists, kicks and headbutts…

He wasn’t killing the Super Beasts, but making them unable to move.

It was outrageous—that’s what all the adults present were thinking.

“Now, you are the last one left. Will you still not give up?”

Veldora was looking at the great serpent with the red head.

Perhaps the snake could understand Veldora, because it hissed with rage.

“The fact that your spirit hasn’t been broken is quite impressive given how weak you are. However, there is nothing you can do now. So, why is it that you hate humans so much?”

The adults were most confused when Veldora began to talk to the great serpent.

Especially Zaza and Karman. As soldiers, they wanted him to hurry up and deal the final blow.

But Veldora took no notice of their questioning stares. He stood as if waiting for the great serpent to reply.

“GRRRAAAA—!!”

A roar.

It was still very hostile, and it’s jaw opened wide in an attempt to eat Veldora.

“Hmph!!”

Veldora’s heel rose high into the air and slammed into its forehead.

The forehead tore open and purple blood flowed.

The snake flailed around as if it had gone mad.

-And then.

Something started to emerge from the tear in the forehead.

It was in the shape of a human.

A young woman with long, red hair.

“I see. So the the base really was human.”

“It looks like it. I suspected it because it would require a high level of intelligence to control the other Super Beasts.”

Human.

Super Beasts were created based not off of dogs, cats or other animals, but intelligent creatures. Humans.

Zaza and the others were speechless.

“But… These are Super Beasts…? Humanity’s enemy… But you say they used to be…human?”

Sharma muttered this as if she could not believe it.

No one else could say anything.

“I suppose it cannot talk. ‘Thought Transmission’ could be used with magic essence, but I do not like deciphering the actual thought waves.”

“Lord Veldora, that is something I am good at. I can tell that this woman has endless hatred towards humans. It seems that she was betrayed and abandoned by a lover and along with many others, became the subjects of experiments.”

“Oh?”

“What kind of experiments?”

“Mutations, special…toxin decomposition… Her mind is not right, so it is difficult to read much of her memories…”

He could recognize her will and emotions, but even Beretta had trouble deciphering precise information.

Especially since he was a visitor from another world with a different language.

But even before all of that, it was likely that the Super Beast herself did not even understand what kinds of experiments had been performed.

“…However, the conclusion I have come to is that these Super Beasts were created by humans as creatures made to perfectly fit their environment.”

Beretta reasoned based off the information he was able to get.

Upon hearing this, the adults, especially Zaza and Karman, who had memories of the far past, instantly turned pale.

“It can’t be…”

“Man-made… If that is true, wouldn’t it be most likely that it was our homeland…?”

Even Karman’s men were muttering to each other in shock.

It was no wonder.

They had all thought of the Super Beasts as enemies up until now. However, the possibility had now surfaced that they were once people from their old home.

And Karman…

“From our homeland…? Lover…betrayal…? No, it couldn’t…”

-He was stunned. He could not look away from the thing that thrashed in pain in front of him.

“So, Master. What are you going to do with these Super Beasts?”

“Hmm. Look, Ramiris. These things had been inside of the purification barrier for a while now. Their skin keeps coming off and regenerating over and over again. Unfortunately, there are no signs of them returning to what they once were. Decompositioning the polluted substances takes away its power, but the once mutated cells will not return to normal.”

“…So, in other words?”

“In other words, it will be difficult to return them to normal. In that case, it would be best to put it out of its misery…”

Karman began to move just as Veldora said those words.

“Wait! Could you not just let them go? I can’t think of them as enemies once you brought up the possibility that they could be from home… At least give us some time to think!”

Karman said as he raised both hands and stood in front of the Super Beast.

Veldora nodded.

“I don’t mind. But…”

Something moved as if to interrupt Veldora’s words.

It was the Super Beast.

The human shape that grew from the red forehead had tried to bite Karman as his back was towards it.

“GGAAA!”

However, it was not successful.

Veldora moved his arm and blocked the fangs.

“…You do know that these things are no longer human?”

Karman looked at the Super Beast as if he were frozen.

What Veldora said was true, it was not human.

Karman could understand that himself.

The long red hair was filthy and clung to her skin.

While she still looked like a young woman, the skin was covered in purple scales and it seemed more monster than human when you looked closely.

But what was the most grotesque, was everything under the torso.

Her body was united with the snake’s forehead.

It was a twisted sight. You could hardly believe she had been human.

And yet…

“…I found out much later, but the research that was conducted in the city that was our home, it had to do with the creation of special pluripotent cells. It would degrade toxins and pollutants. This research would give birth to people who could live in all kinds of environmental conditions. This fits with Mister Beretta’s theory!! And so it makes me think…maybe Brigadier Karaf and Charles were alive and…I…”

Karman watched as the Super Beast bit Veldora’s arm and moved wildly.

There were no tears. Karman’s modified body had no such function.

Still, a sense of forlornness he hadn’t felt in decades suddenly filled his chest. He felt it deeply.

“We are asking you as well!”

“I can’t help but wonder if one of my friends are in there…”

“Aye. Hell, this one could have been my younger sister!”

“Yes, please let them go. I’m begging you!”

Karman’s men all started to plead at once.

Veldora looked at them calmly and muttered that they were being foolish.

When a prisoner of such emotions as hatred and anger, you become unable to consider others and repeatedly act hideously.

And that’s what they were now. Were they still important because they were from home?

For those that were important, some would do anything without question.

Those with weak hearts and who were too foolish to see the whole picture were easily used and tricked.

This was the nature of humanity, and it was the same in this world as any other.

—However, that was precious in its own way. That was what Veldora thought.

“Kahahaha. Very well. You weak, little fools. I shall listen to your wishes.”

And then a wind started to blow around Veldora.

It blew gently between the people and then surrounded the Super Beasts.

And—

“I will let you go this time. But don’t think I will have mercy if you bother us again, alright?”

He showed his will as an absolute being. And with that, Veldora cast the Super Beasts outside of his barrier.