Saga of Slime and Devil (Remake)

Vol 1 | Chapter 2 | Knife Cat

Though in truth I wasn't in any rush. After assessing my strengths I came to a single conclusion: I needed a weapon. My powers alone were fairly effective in their own right, however in the end would be multiplied greatly with even the simplest of weapons. Of course, I don't want just anything, if possible I'd like to get my hands on a rifle or firearm of some kind. The use of Magisteel, a magically-enhanced steel-like metal created from Magic Ore found in Veldora's cave, would allow for a far more durable and powerful gun. The existence of magic on such a large scale allows me to negate the need for gunpowder entirely too.

Without gunpowder, bullets can be highly simplified down to merely the end of it, meaning that even in an pre-industrial society, sizable production could still be managed. Considering the simplicity required, a simple mold could be enough to produce bullets. Through magic I could easily create a small explosion or launch it with sheer power, however through the use of crystals lining the edge of the barrel, I may be able to create a sort of magical railgun by simply funneling magic into the crystals. It's a bit complicated, however a bit of experimentation with some crystals manifested in Veldora's cave do suggest it may be possible, though getting used to actually using it may take some time.

All of this of course begs the question of how exactly I'm going to make this. I lack both the skill and equipment to make it, and while the countless times I've spent cleaning my rifle means I can easily remember all of its properties and proportions, it's merely the prospect of getting someone to make the appropriate parts. To this end, I've developed a plan. A brief survey into the surrounding areas and brief expeditions into smaller villages on the border of the Jura Forest have pinned the Armed Nation of Dwargon as the best spot for weaponsmithing along with numerous other innovations. Of course these little 'expeditions' into surrounding villages have been minimal and brief, and overall I can't say for certain that the judgment is completely accurate, but in the end there's no reason to not at least check.

Had it not been for the disappearance of Veldora I likely would've waited another few weeks to once again reaffirm my skills, however I'd rather at least begin moving towards Dwargon as I'd like to avoid any monster which may pose a threat to me, even if I've yet to see such a creature. I could fly to Dwargon, or at least near to Dwargon as I'd take it flying in may draw suspicion, however while I don't want to stick around to test my abilities, I might as well walk my way to Dwargon and test my abilities on any creature which dared attack me. The travel itself likely would've taken weeks for an average person, however with my capabilities and skills it would take most likely just a few days even without flying.

In order to actually have the money to pay someone to make the rifle, I decided to sell the Magic Ore within Veldora's cave. Considering its ability to turn into a powerful substance, I'd imagine it sells for a lot, or at the very least a stable amount. My only worry is that caves like Veldora's are far more abundant and that Magic Ore is a lot more common than I hope. Regardless, utilizing a bag made mostly from animal furs I had crudely put together I headed out.

Some monsters came up, but none were too challenging. For now, my primary means of attack was manifesting a magical spear of sorts, a manifestation of magic into a vaguely spear-like object which would fly through the air in any direction I wished. Its shape was hardly uniform as it warped and shifted as if it was a flame of sorts. Regardless, it was effective enough for the time being. Had I spent more time practicing in the forest I may have had more time to refine it, but so long as I get a rifle soon that won't be an issue.

As it turned dark I decided to settle down in a fairly open spot in the forest. Technically speaking there wasn't much reason to; my Magic Sense made darkness a minimal setback and ultimately I didn't need to sleep. Of course I still was used to sleeping, so I did still make a habit of doing it occasionally, though as time went on the time between sleep grew wider and wider. By this point, outside of a slight instinctive desire to sleep, sleep was merely a means to communicate with Noir if I needed his help. Aside from sleep, my body still instinctively desired to eat and drink, though similarly as time went on the time between eating and drinking grew longer and longer, however I still ate semi-frequently, the hunt was a good test of my skills, and the food didn't taste too bad either once I got used to cooking it. Of course the first time I attempted to cook meat from a monster I didn't fully know how I should cook it, so I ended up giving myself Poison Resistance accidentally. It makes me wonder if putting myself in dangerous situations may allow me to gain resistance to said situations, though I decided the risk is more than I'm willing to take.