I did not have much time to think about my revelation. If I understood my situation correctly, I was about to die. Again. That sudden thought did make me pause for a moment, but only for that instant. I set it aside to deal with later.

Instead, I considered how to protect myself. A part of me, maybe the part that connects me to what I now believe is the dungeon’s core, the orb floating above me, sensed something...several somethings, moving this way. They must be the mobs that are meant to destroy me. What can I do? I have no idea. I wanted to panic, to lash out, but...I still felt nothing. Was this a part of my reincarnation? My ability and capacity to feel replaced with...instinct? Then, I will focus on that. What does my instinct demand that I do? The answer comes to me almost immediately.

Consume the core.

Moving on that same instinct, I reach above me with all my might. Whether it was locked into place by ancient dungeon mechanics, or it simply never anticipated my actions, the core stayed right where I could reach it. So I did. I grabbed at it, enfolded it, pulled it into myself. And as my body settled back into place, amidst the screams of what must be the dungeon’s fairy, I finally understood what I had become.

A slime.

I was reincarnated into the viscous, undefined body of a slime monster. In this moment I was grateful for my inability to feel human emotions, because I surely would have lost my mind from such a drastic change. Somehow, I was able to remain functionally sane. More thoughts to shelve for contemplation later.

Especially considering that the core started to put up resistance.

A wave of energy surged through me, filling me up in a way. I was moving on autopilot, letting my new body handle the core as I had no idea what I was doing, but this new activity demanded my attention. In an instant, I ran through a series of chained thoughts. Assuming that I really was brought into a new world as a monster, especially a Boss tier kind, and that this world has dungeon cores and fairies, then I could only logically conclude that mana exists as well. And if a dungeon core has to call for other monsters to attack me, a creature that it created, then that means that it has no form of direct self defense aside from unleashing a payload of mana. This leads me to believe that what I was feeling flowing into my body...is mana.

The core must be trying to overload me with mana until I exploded from the inside out. I must respectfully decline.

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Wrestling control of the energy pumping into me by following more of my instincts, I began to apply pressure inwards, onto the core. I gave this task my full focus. Everything that the core tried to hit me with, I took for myself and used against it instead. While I could not feel any sort of adrenaline rush or even anger to fuel me, I did get an increasing sense of urgency as the feeling of monsters approaching grew stronger. This time, it was more than just a few of them. I began to slam the mana I had control over into the core, battering it with repeated assaults, ignoring both it and what must be the hysterical fairy that was its partner. I could not understand in the slightest what I was doing, but it seemed to be effective as I felt the resistance of the core grow weaker and weaker. Finally, with one last, determined strike, I felt the existence of the core deplete entirely.

With a crack that I could feel throughout my very being, the core shattered into pieces. Each piece, in turn, shattered until it fully disintegrated inside of me. A rush of power flowed through me, not as an attack this time. It filled me up in a peaceful way, making me feel...stronger. It was the closest I have come to experiencing joy since the moment I became aware of myself. I was nearly lost in the sensation, basking in the wonder of the experience, hoping it would last forever...yet all too quickly, that sensation faded away.

All that remained was the sobbing despair of the fairy.

System Override

Disaster Protocol: Engaged

User Interface: Granted

Threat Assessment: Analyzed

Ah. A series of screens appeared in my vision. In my state of what may best be described as apathy, I experienced no sense of confusion. Simply detached acknowledgment. I had not considered this world to have something like status or update screens, but it appears that it does. Before I could even think to add this to the shelf of thoughts waiting to be reflected upon later, after I secure my safety, the screens vanished on their own. Only to be replaced by one more ominous than the last.

Your existence has been determined to have the potential to cause a disaster.

Your status has been elevated to reflect this analysis.

Many will fear you. Many will attempt to use you. Many will worship you.

But only you can choose your path.

Then, so quickly that I almost convinced myself I did not see it, another screen flashed in and out of my sight.

Good luck.