《 Special Hazard Entity Encounter Report: Codename Cherrypla 》

The instructions from the Association were clear. [Species Classification: Queen Scarlet Slime, Hazard Rating: S]. To dismiss them as a mere group of jelly-like monsters would be a mistake; the mana reactions detected in this forest recently were far too anomalous. The higher-ups assigned this entity the unique ID '00800-30184' and secretly ordered me to conduct an ecological survey. According to the data, she is a bizarre variant that mimics a perfect human female form—a 'Queen' who rules over a colony. It happened just as I pushed through the deepest shadows of the forest, the sound of dry branches snapping under my boots. Suddenly, the mana meter in my hand began to beep frantically, flashing a red warning light. The readings soared as if they were about to break the upper limit. It was the mana amplification reaction of the Corona Magica (golden crown) warned about in the report. As I looked up, an unbelievable sight unfolded through the dense trees. "...Is that the S-class entity?" Visible beyond the thicket was a girl sitting demurely alone, bathed in the sunlight filtering through the leaves. Lustrous red hair and a vivid crimson mantle wrapped around her body. At a glance, she looked like a fragile human girl, but she couldn't deceive my eyes as an investigator. The hem of the red cloak she wore was not cloth, but a highly viscous liquid state that shimmered constantly, and the ground where she knelt was entirely covered by a massive pool of blue slime—the conduit. It was exactly as written in the report. That transparent blue pool itself was the generation point for subordinate slimes and the Queen's mana reservoir. Rustle—. Despite my best efforts to hold my breath, I couldn't escape the sensitive ears of the Slime Queen. Cherrypla's head slowly turned toward me. Her eyes, transparent like red jewels, met mine directly. For a moment, my heart skipped a beat. Because within those eyes mimicking a human's, there was no inorganic murderous intent of a monster, but rather a deep 'curiosity' like that of a child. Splash! As if reacting to the Queen's change in emotion, subordinate blue slimes began to pop up one by one from the blue pool at her feet, quickly surrounding me. The colony, which had grown in an instant, swelled their bodies and took a defensive stance. An overwhelming pressure of mana dominated the entire forest, making it wouldn't be strange if that red mantle flew out like a whip to tear me apart at any second. However, Cherrypla did not give the order to attack to her subordinates. She stared at me quietly, then tightly hugged one of the largest and softest blue slimes from the pool. Then, as if human language were unfamiliar to her, she spoke in a very cautious and slow voice. "...Hel... lo...?"