Quick update: Rats are surprisingly tasty. Chewy, with a hint of brine and a nice earthy taste.

Regardless of taste, I was gonna eat them all anyway, seeing as I no longer have a gag reflex. How I knew I had a gag reflex, I don't know. But any sense of nausea or the like was definitely nonexistent as I chased down and consumed a large crowd of rats.

The idiotic things seemed abnormally dumb to me, not even batting an eye until I scooped up half a dozen of them at once. Even still, they just ran in a straight line away from me, not bothering to even scatter properly, which made my ~~job~~ meal much easier.

I used Mimic a bit and formed a big jaw and some teeth to help the process along as I basically just shoveled rats in with limbs that I extended like a funnel to fill the hall.

Finally, there was only a few left, and I retracted the limbs and forged ahead to catch them one by one. I didn't technically need the jaws, but there was something oddly satisfying about scooping rats into a toothy maw and grinding them into a paste... You know, I'm probably more unstable than I thought, considering...

I closed in on the last one and clicked my jaws together in surprise as it suddenly rounded a corner I hadn't seen coming. I growled under my 'breath' and charged after the delicious little morsel. I snapped it up and froze in place as I took in a sight I wasn't expecting. I hardly even registered my log.

Consumed:
Dungeon Rat (47) -- Increased Speed -- Increased Health -- Mimic Acquired

A peculiar mix between what looked like a bat and a pony stared back at me in clear surprise. It wore dark blue and purple armor and a helmet to match, and could clearly see me in the shadows with oddly golden eyes. It blinked a split-second later and leveled a spear at me with a surprising amount of dexterity and a pleased little smile.

I moved closer cautiously, not wanting to piss this thing off before I could slip through that door behind it.

It suddenly grinned wider as I reached the light and called sweetly in actual words, revealing that she was definitely female with her tone.

"Come here little titan slime~ Come to Scarlet~"

Considering the fact that "Scarlet" over there also brandished her spear a little more eagerly when she said that, I made a hard pass and just stopped where I was. Maybe her vision was based on movement.

She raised an eyebrow after a moment, actually getting my hopes up for a second before she shook her head and lunged at me. I pulled the first thing I thought of.

MAGIC SHOT (-3 Magic)

A burst of energy gathered inside me, and I directed it toward the spear in front of me as it released. A flash of light later, the pony landed in surprise with a much shorter spear. To her credit, she was able to continue her attack a moment later with a shortsword that would probably split me in half.

It was a weird moment when I realized I had suddenly gotten much faster as I easily outpaced her swing and winced (if a slime can wince) as the sword clanged off the stone floor, which definitely was not a pleasant feeling to run through her hooves. She let out a little bat shriek as she dropped the sword and rolled away from me defensively, losing her helmet in the process. She stood on her back legs defensively and hopped like a boxer until I slowly approached.

She stepped away then, clearly afraid, even she didn't want it to show on her determined face.

It was that little act right there that made a very important decision for me. Right then, I decided to draw a line in the sand. No eating sentients unless I had to.

I couldn't have her coming after me, so I made a point to stare directly at her as I slowly and deliberately Consumed her sword and helmet, delivering a silent message.

Don't try it.

Consumed:
Night Guard Helmet (1) -- Defense Increased -- Physical Resistance Increased -- Blueprint Acquired
Scarlet Dusk Hair Fragment -- Thestral Mimic Acquired
Night Guard Shortsword -- Attack Increased -- Blueprint Acquired

A moment later I was already speeding away, leaving little bits of broken door in my wake and a frustrated guard pony.

"...Did I just get owned by a BUCKING SLIME!?" Echoed after me.

Yes, yes you did.

I screeched to a halt just before a turn as I saw torchlight coming closer, and instinctively collapsed into the corner, quickly working my mass into the cracks until I was just a shadow in the hall. Perhaps a puddle. I spread a bit of my mass onto the floor, looking all the world like a puddle of something you didn't want to question.

Race Skill Acquired: Concealment -- Ability to blend into most environments via body manipulation.

Armored hooves marched around the corner in military step as a larger, definitely male bat pony passed by me with a mere glance of disgust. One of his two escorts stepped through me, shaking their hoof for a moment before following their superior. All of them wore the same armor as the mare from before, but the larger one's was definitely more ornate in its design.

They weren't a patrol, and seemed extremely professional in comparison to the guard I had left behind. I didn't know what they were doing down here, and I didn't care either. Once I sighted the mare from before rushing to meet them, I shed my little disguise and slipped around the corner.

I heard a cry as I moved, and sped away on the off chance I had been spotted, towards more torches and a distant set of stairs going up. I looked back as I reached the stairs and found I wasn't being chased after all. I looked back up the stairs with no small amount of glee. I bounced once in excitement and sped towards the only heavens I knew, the next floor.

Let's get the hell out of here!

Author's Note

STATS:

Shadow Slime
Lv. 02
Health: 180/150
Attack: 30
Defense: 50
Speed: 55
Magic: 7/10

SKILLS:

Consume -- The Power to Assimilate any object or creature and enhance the user with its properties.
Mimic -- The Power to recreate the parts, abilities, magic, and form of any creature consumed by user.
Unlimited Potential -- The ability to grow stronger.
Omni-Sense -- All Available Cardinal senses significantly boosted. (Includes Magic Sense)
Concealment -- Ability to blend into most environments via body manipulation.

MAGIC:

Magic Shot -- Raw magic with no elemental affinity capable of mild destructive force. (3 Magic to Cast)

SPECIAL:

Physical Resistance -- Basic buff - Additional Defense against physical attacks.
Weak to Sunlight -- Race Debuff - Take gradual damage in direct sunlight despite any Defense Stat. Effect cannot be nullified with Mimic Skill. Indirect sunlight does not cause this effect, refracted light though glass the sole exception.