Among the myriad strata constituting this world, a mere five have been meticulously chronicled. There existed an epoch when humanity delved as far as the 15th layer, yet all traces of that era vanished with our encounter with the inaugural ascendant beast; we were unprepared.
-Excerpt from the diary of Zhalu Kosa, the wondering historian.
Tiny ripples of power washed over the cockroach's mind as it stirred awake, memories flooding back in a rush. With a start, it launched into the air, scanning anxiously for any hint of purple. Gradually calming, it searched the surroundings for the cave spiders, finding none. Reflecting on its recent demise, the cockroach concluded it was the most excruciating and terrifying death yet, surpassing the two water deaths by far and standing alone in its horror.
The cockroach remained clueless about how a seemingly harmless purple slime could be so lethal and frightening. However, the experience of its small mind being invaded left an indelible mark. Henceforth, the cockroach vowed to exterminate any purple slime it encountered immediately, not willing to risk exposure to the dreadful gas that had somehow caused its demise through mere touch—a fear still deeply embedded in its consciousness.
Determined that the purple slimes couldn't be allowed to live, the cockroach elevated them on its list of targets, surpassing even the cave spiders. After a brief rest, the cockroach took flight again, retracing its path back to the colossal hole in the cave's ceiling and ascended, reentering the dungeon.
Upon entry by the blue screens, the cockroach was greeted by yet another green slime, though this time it was far larger than the first one.
Acid slime (Killer) [4]
Highest stat: Potency
Throwing its willpower at it yielded the usual results, but this time, to the cockroach's surprise, there was something new. It likely had to do with the leveling up of its willpower skill—a welcomed addition, even though the cockroach didn't fully understand what the new information displayed meant.
As soon as the slime sensed the cockroach, it lunged forward, reaching the insect in record time and swallowing it, encasing the cockroach fully in its acidic body. The cockroach moved, thrashing around and doing everything it could to escape the slime's grasp. Eventually, it succeeded, but the slime didn’t give up. As the cockroach took to the acidic air, the slime lobbed blobs of acid at it, which the cockroach dodged easily enough. Soon, the cockroach saw an opening, dove downward, and used its mandibles to slash at the slime's body, dislodging a large chunk of its mass. The cockroach repeated this process until eventually, the slime fizzled out of existence.
Acid slime (Killer) [4] killed!
[-/-] EXP awarded
As soon as the blue screen faded the cockroach took to the air and flew forward, constantly scanning for the slightest movement or slightest of sound. It wasn’t long before the cockroach stubbled upon another slime, though this time it had an odd shimmering body that reminded the cockroach of something but it couldn’t quite figure out what.
Awakened Mana metal slime (Killer) [6]
Highest stats: Mana, QI, Metal energy.
The cockroach sensed danger the instant it finished reading the blue screen and swiftly dove downwards, barely in the nick of time as something flew past it. It wasn’t fast enough, though, and felt a sharp tearing sensation as one of its wings was violently ripped from its back, causing the cockroach to lose balance and plummet instantly.
Blood spewed from where a wing had just been, and the slime was rapidly moving towards it. The cockroach watched as the slime suddenly vibrated, and parts of itself detached and floated into the air under some unknown force before rapidly shaping themselves into sharp and deadly spears of shimmering metal that flew towards the cockroach. One landed on its head area and slowed down slightly before it effortlessly cracked the exoskeleton in that area and split the head of the cockroach in two.
You have died [☠️]
Level up! [✨] Skill: Dark sight (Uncommon) (1/150) is now Dark sight (Uncommon) (5/150)
Level up! [✨] Skill: [Hybrid exoskeleton] (Special) (15/???) is now [Hybrid exoskeleton] (Special) (20/???)
+1 Defense
one property of carbon has been revealed:
Conductive (Energies will now flow through the carbon sections of your exoskeleton 50% easier without harming you.)
Level up! [✨] Skill: [Bone Mandibles] (Special) (1/???) is now [Bone Mandibles](Special) (5/???)
+5 sharpness
Special stat sharpness unlocked!
Level up! [✨] Skill: Dodge(Common) (19/100) is now Dodge(Common) (25/100)
Level up! [✨] Skill: Piercing resistance (Common)(50/100) is now Piercing resistance (Common) (55/100)
When the cockroach came to, the world was a little brighter, and it could see a bit further than its normal visual range. A wave of power washed over it calmly as its exoskeleton thickened slightly in response to the energy washing over it. The cockroach also felt a bit of energy going towards its head and shifting around inside it before it vanished.
Its mandibles also gleamed with a certain sharpness that wasn’t there before. The cockroach felt that they were a bit longer and more responsive as well.
This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
The ease with which the metal slime had killed it was unnatural. The cockroach was beginning to notice a pattern with these deaths—it died the fastest to anything with the word "awakened" in their name. These deaths were sometimes the fastest, strangest, or the most painful.
The cockroach made a mental note to avoid these things when possible, as it clearly wasn’t ready to handle the power possessed by them in any form or way. It took to the air, making its way back to the dungeon in record time and decided to ignore the two paths it took the last time, instead opting to go in an entirely new direction. This time the cockroach encountered no slimes for the longest while, until it noticed that the environment started to change gradually, the slime that filled the air and floor started to change color too, until it was all blue.
Boss room entered! Fight well.
Boss(Awakened Prince slime) [10]
The boss slime was massive, easily tripling the size of the cockroach or even more. It sat in an equally massive throne that somehow held it without any of its slimy body spilling over, with a small rotating crown of solidified slime spinning slowly over its head.
The somewhat majestic prince slime shifted as the cockroach entered the room. With an audible snap and swoosh of non-existent wind, the room was alight with blue lights that emitted a soft glow. Somehow, the cockroach could feel the slime looking at it, and blue screens popped up with the strangest thing a second later.
Welcome! L-
W-What! What manner of strange beast are you? Gods above! I finally get the chance to show my glory and it is to some intelligent beast! A mere beast! Gods above, why must you curse me so?
I might as well kill you and go back to sleep, whats’s another thousand years!?
Special status effect gained: Gaze of the prince [1]
Special status effect gained: Royal decree [1]
Special status effect gained: Royal Aura
You are under the effects of [Royal Aura] -50% To all stats
Skill: Stable mind (Rare) (1/200) fights back
A test of wills will start
[1]
[2]
[3]
Test has failed due to willpower gap
You have died [☠️]
Level up! [✨] Skill: Stable mind (Rare) (1/200) is now Stable mind (Rare) (10/200)
Level up! [✨] Skill:Explosion resistance (Uncommon) (1/150) is now Explosion resistance (Uncommon) (15/150)
The cockroach came back into being with a start, its mind reeling from what it just experienced. What was that? The slime had communicated, or at least was saying something, though the cockroach didn’t know what. It was also very, very powerful. The insect didn’t even know how or when it had died; one minute it was there, and the next it wasn’t.
This only further reinforced its point: slimes were just too powerful. They killed it too many times, made the cockroach experience too much pain. They had to go; one way or another, the cockroach was going to exterminate them all, one by one.
Driven by rage, the cockroach made its way to the dungeon and began slaughtering every slime that wasn’t awakened and wasn’t above level five. That much it could manage. The upset insect didn’t move much, instead opting to stay still and let the slimes come to it, proving to be a much more effective strategy. Eventually, it leveled up to level six.
Level up! [✨]
You are now level [6]
+1 to all stats
+1 to size
The cockroach felt wash over it in waves, only to be soaked up by its body as it grew in size slightly. Wanting to see its entire progress, the cockroach pulled up the large blue screen.
Genus: Megaloblatta longipennis [🪳]
N.O EVO: [1]
Growth stage: Hatchling
Size: 15 inches
Role: Hybrid (Survivor/Killer/ Thinker)
Role level: [1/1]
Personal level: [6]
EXP: [-/-] (Personal level)
EXP: [-/-] (Role level)
Sex: Female
Stats:
Survivability [2%]
Vitality [6]
Speed [6]
Damage [6]
Bleed [6]
Power [6]
Mind [7]
Willpower [8]
Defense [7]
sharpness [6]
Aspect trees unlocked: [7]
Resistance aspect tree(6/??)
Manipulation aspect tree (1/???)
General aspect tree (2/???)
Enhancement aspect tree (1/???)
Stealth aspect tree (1/???)
Absorb aspect tree (1/??)
Sight aspect tree (1/??)
Skills: [17]
Crushing resistance (Common) (40/100)
Piercing resistance (Common)(55/100)
Willpower Manipulation (Common)(5/100)
Cutting resistance (Common) (7/100)
Acid resistance (Common) (50/100)
Venom resistance (common) (10/100)
Explosion resistance (Uncommon) (15/150)
Pain resistance (Uncommon) (1/150)
Dodge(Common) (25/100)
[Hybrid exoskeleton] (Special) (20/???)
[Bone Mandibles](Special) (5/???)
Enhanced bleeding(Rare) (5/200) [Role: Killer]
Stealth (Common) (1/100)
Absorb shock (Rare) (3/200)
Swimming (Common) (10/100)
Dark sight (Uncommon) (5/150)
Stable mind (Rare) (10/200)
Evolutions:
Attack system [+1]
Defense system [+1]
(?###?)
The sight of its numbers soothed something inside the cockroach. It signified progress, a step closer to being stronger. A step closer to being able to crush ants with minimal effort, a step closer to easily killing any amount of cave spiders, and finally, a step closer to wiping all types of slimes out of existence with its own power.
The cockroach recalled the dream it had—the pleasant one where it lorded over all Antkind. That was the first and most pleasant dream of the cockroach. It liked the feeling it experienced in that dream and wanted to actualize it in reality. The cockroach wouldn’t mind adding slimes and cave spiders to the list of things it could lord over too. After all, they did hurt it, and more was always better.
The more the cockroach thought about it, the more it couldn’t help but agree with its thoughts. It wanted to be a ruler first and a powerful being second. The cockroach didn’t know where the concept of ruling came from in its mind, but it liked the idea. To lord and rule over its enemies, to punish them for hurting it for as long as possible—it felt right and resonated with the cockroach on a fundamental level.
But to be a ruler, the cockroach first needed to be strong. To achieve strength, it had to collect all the skills and level up indefinitely, and it planned to do just that. The blue screens gave it power, and the cockroach was determined to extract every last drop of it from the blue screen and claim it for itself.
Its train of thought was interrupted by movement picked up by one of its many compound eyes, it quickly sturned in the direction and saw a very familiar looking slime.
Awakened Mana metal slime (Killer) [6]
Highest stats: Mana, QI, Metal energy.
It was the same slime that had killed it—the metal slime, as the blue screen called it. The slime had returned, but the cockroach didn't plan on going down without a bloody fight.