Just because slimes don't have tongues, doesn't mean they can't taste. Or that their sense of taste is less sensitive than those who have. Simply put, if dogs have noses that can distinguish each individual scent, then slimes have taste buds that can distinguish each individual flavor. When Samuel had a piece of draken meat, so many details struck like lightning, as if every biological matter that was broken down was recorded by his tongue... whatever section of his body that can be considered as one.

Eating as a slime was convoluted and perplexing. One thing for sure is that every existing slime here in this world would never touch excrement, coming from him.

He was wrong.

His body had spasms every time he spoke, "Why would you do that?!"

"Why would I do what?"

It knew that he was weird, and it accepted that. Maybe because his odd ways may have contributed to his genius, or plainly because he was different. But sometimes, his behavior was starting to get out of hand.

"Your hiding strategy! What else?!"

"... Because it works?"

He breathes deeply in his mind. He misses his whole respiratory system, much more his whole human body, and he couldn't help to mentally exhale to simulate that stimulus.

"Don't you feel sickened being... in there, even for a bit?" He tries to understand why it would do so, and hearing its reply that "It works", he came to a sudden conclusion - If there's anything that "normal" animals with a sense of smell would like to avoid, it's the stench of toxins and waste. Sam simply did it for its own survival, to enter a place that no one would dare explore.

"... Yes... very much." Sam mutters in a somber tone. If it was verbal, he couldn't have heard anything. But mental communication makes every message clear and concise, regardless of everything. He felt unprepared hearing it like that, as most of the time it uses a chipper voice.

"The first time I did so... I wanted to die that time," That caught his interest. Sam takes four rock knives from a small pile he already prepared and does its job like a loyal servant. It butchers the skinless wolf with skills below an amateur. He strictly instructed how to do it earlier, without expecting professional performance. Though simultaneously slicing with four blades was already exceptional.

"It was somewhere back then when I came across a big battle. I just watched... Soon later when the victor had its fill and scampered away, I took the risk. I knew that big food attracts big groups, but I didn't care at that time, I was just too hungry. Then they came... a small scouting group. They look much like this guy right here."

It was referring to the wolf. At least what's being left of it. Sam slices and pulls a slab of meat, and pass it on the ground just near the freshly peeled rough leather. He didn't concern much of the cleanliness of their food.

"But they were a bit bigger, and they had this... big knife thingy near their snout."

"That's interesting," With that description, a dog-like animal with a rhino's horn was brought by his imagination.

Sam couldn't fathom why he would be interested in other monsters, but it just agrees, "Yes... very interesting... I guess? But that's not the point. Point is, I was in a really wide open place. There was nowhere to run. Then they noticed me, it was too late. I panicked. I hopped around the corpse, hoping they'd never catch me. Of course, that's stupid - me? Outrunning them? I can barely pull my weight that time..."

"Then you saw it, didn't you?"

"Yup. As you guessed, I noticed a hole... and that one hole gave me one more chance."

He didn't know what to say after hearing that. It retells its own stories much like how grandpas dramatize their time in WW2, except it was basically saying that another one's dead-ass is another one's providence. He sighs along with a sense of relief, "At least it ain't the other hole. That'd be weirder."

"... Are there supposed to be more than one-"

"It's not important," He emphasizes, hinting for it to continue.

"... Ok then," Sam's suspicion didn't even last a second. That's right, he is the great one who can fight, the magnificent one who graced it a name. If it's not important then it's not to be bothered, as his infinite wisdom demands. "Then... you know what I had to do."

"Uhuh, yeah," He couldn't take it seriously with the topic at hand.

"Damn that place," Sam said with pure contempt.

... That caught him off guard.

"That damned hole - how could they have something like that inside them?!" Sam butchers, but now with greed for violence. It was slicing and dicing with sadism, not stopping even when the knives are constantly chipped.

Him? Scared by an armed slime that was borderline psychotic? That's just absurd. Just behind he was hiding behind the large, unfinished axehead doesn't mean he was intimidated.

Fatigue was creeping on Sam, and the knives break after hitting its spine and ribs. He knew rocks were inferior to metal, but even cavemen had no trouble using it. Either the material was weak, or the muscles too dense. Though the latter was more likely. There are creatures here that don't give a damn about the Cube law, it's a miracle he managed to aim at its eye back then.

Back then, huh? It's like he was saying the fight happened years ago. In reality, 24 hours hadn't passed yet.

Sam's tonality became timid, barely speaking, "Poison... everything was poison... everything tasted like rot... everything in me... begged to get out of that hell, but they were all outside. My body itched to leave that crevice... I didn't. I kept shouting to myself again and again that, even if I felt like I was already dying, I'll die if I did... There was nothing I can do but endure the torture.

"I just... I just wanted to live..." Sam whispered, "Then everything went dark... darker than the darkness in that place..."

...

Without eyes that can leak tears, it's reasonable to say slimes are just cold-hearted creatures that know no emotion. But being the same race, he felt everything, and everything felt nauseating. The spiritual being of Sam and Samuel merge as one for a quick moment. A glimpse of terrible memories pricks his consciousness like a thousand needles. They weren't his, but he knows who owns it.

Hunger. Grassland. Giants. Clash. Tremors. Death. Temptation. Satisfaction... Danger...

Pain.

The rest was pain... long, endless pain until the void pulled Sam's fragile consciousness.

"Ow.. oW," If that was the quarter of Sam's firsthand experience, touching shit would be worse beyond hygiene concern.

Sam saw incomprehensible visions. Which it didn't take a second to dismiss.

"Sam. Listen," He demanded, speaking in a tone that a pissed but patient father would have.

"... I'm listening."

"Don't you ever dare do that kind of thing again, got it?" For once, he felt genuine sympathy for his buddy. In all honesty, he has a little sociopathic side buried deep in his consciousness. The reason for his concern over it was to improve his own survival, to use it as an object that can assist him - there's no reason caring anything that isn't human. But now it was different, "Especially not with me around, ya hear?"

"But why? Others can't chase me in there. Besides, I'm used to it."

"Don't care, 'cause if the next thing you say you fed me shit, you're in deep shit."

"Oh~ don't worry. I made sure I didn't." Sam replies in a sing-song voice. If the great Samuel would be mad if it injected him the toxic stuff, then he would be glad because it didn't feed him that! Opposites should result in opposites, right? That's what it thought.

"... What do you mean you're "sure"?"

"What else would I feed you when you were out cold? I couldn't eat through the wolf's skin! And there was no wound!" Sam said excitedly. Finally, he would acknowledge its genius if he let it explain!

"... Then what. Did. You. Feed me, Sam?" Each time he speaks a word he inches to Sam, who got happy hearing its name called by the one and only Samuel.

"You see, I knew that you're not used to poop, so I fed you the rectum instead!" Sam exclaim. And it was proud because Sam is the only slime that has the capability to save him earlier.

"... You fed me ass?"

"Yes! The ass!"

"... The inner ass?"

"Yes! The inner ass!"

No slime can eat through a rock wolf's skin. And no slimes would have ever known that hellholes can be eaten. Unlike Sam. That's right. Since he finally knows how it saved him, he should be even more grateful that no slimes can do what Sam has done, that he has a unique and intelligent partner under his wing! "If it wasn't for you, Sam, my legendary existence would have ceased!" Is what Sam expects him to say, and an endless chain of compliments.

Instead, it was met with silence.

Long silence. Though not long enough to take an hour.

"Sam," Two tentacles hold Sam's upper curve as if it has shoulders.

Sam trembles...

Sam trembles from honor.

Why would he touch something as unworthy as Sam?! It doesn't deserve such a privilege! This is the best thing in its life!

"Do not ever speak of this, understand?"

"... Of course."

... Of course.

Of course!

Why should others have knowledge of this significant historical event?! They don't deserve it! How could it be so ignorant?!

"Good. Go back to your job."

"Yes!"

----------------------------------------

"Remember. Heave-ho. When I say heave, you ready. When I saw ho, you throw. Got it?"

"Got it!"

Sam occupies one of the axehead's side while he on the opposite. They stick to it as Sam waited for the signal.

"Heave... ho!"

They throw the big blade to the wolf's neck. An audible crack. The head was half severed.

"One more!" They did it once more. And the rest, done efficiently. The limbs are cut. He knows animal anatomy, and slice between its forelimbs' shoulder blades. The hip, a bit difficult, needing more chops against the ball joints. The belly gutted with caution. Sam had to do most of the work at hauling the intestines.

The torso? They chop the ribs, which will be used as construction materials for the entrance "door". They further chop it into pieces. He collects the fragments with a pointy end and a wide base, ones that look like nails.

"Hold it up right there."

"I'm doing it."

Sam holds the leather up to the entrance - calloused side facing out. He hammers it with bone nails using a rock. It didn't take long for him to finish.

"Woah," Sam awes outside. The hole was covered! It's like there wasn't even a cave in the first place!

"Hey, we still have things to haul."

"Right!"

Just what unseen skills and abilities does he have? As it was taught how to carry, Sam couldn't help looking forward to the future.