Anime: About That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Deep within the sewers, in the oldest sections dug when the city was first built, lies a place forgotten by humanity due to years of expansion and the city management's neglect of the sewer system.

This neglect has turned it into a paradise for the giant rat clan. The original stone slabs used to construct the sewers have long deteriorated under the ravages of time and sewage, riddled with countless holes from which giant rats constantly emerge and disappear. Beneath this part of the sewer, the rats have built a vast underground kingdom.

As the giant rat population continues to grow, their underground kingdom expands relentlessly. Each adult rat digs its own burrow, leading to a sprawling network with exits scattered everywhere.

In the darkness, the giant rats, having evolved dark vision from living in the sewers for so long, simultaneously raise their heads, looking in a particular direction. The next moment, as if receiving a command, the rats covering the ground part to create a path leading to the lower levels of the underground kingdom.

Amidst rustling sounds, a group of giant rats carries a package on their heads, disappearing into a hole. The size of the hole seems disproportionate to their bodies, a bottomless tunnel nearly five meters wide.

In the blink of an eye, the rats carrying the package vanish, and the other rats resume their previous positions, filling the dim environment with the rustling sounds of their movements.

"So many giant rats! What on earth are the city managers doing? Are they not afraid that a tidal wave of rats will devour the entire city in the middle of the night?"

From a cave in the sewer wall, Lu Minghao quietly observes the dense mass of giant rats below. The sight of the space completely filled reminds him of a scene he once saw: countless white maggots swarming over a rotting corpse, their bodies constantly wriggling.

In Lu Minghao's eyes, the rats below look exactly the same, only with black fur instead of white bodies.

And these are just the rats on the surface. Lu Minghao just saw the captured human being taken underground. Everyone knows that rats are natural burrowers, especially giant rats who are magical creatures.

Considering how many rats are visible, it's easy to imagine how many more are hidden in those burrows. That's why Lu Minghao wonders what the city managers are doing. If so many rats were to swarm into the city, everything would be devoured in less than half an hour.

"Forget it. What do I care about human affairs? Besides, I'm not even human anymore. And who knows if the humans in this world are even the same species as the humans in my old world? After all, I couldn't use magic when I was a human."

With that, Lu Minghao cautiously peeks out of the cave, gazing at the dense mass of giant rats below. A sight that would be terrifying to someone with trypophobia is, to Lu Minghao, a collection of meat chunks that will help him grow quickly. Even if he only ate the rats in front of him, he's confident he could grow into a mid-level magical creature.

As for becoming a high-level magical creature, that's unlikely. Although there are many giant rats, they are only low-level magical creatures. As Lu Minghao grows, his need for nourishment increases. Even with Gluttony's perfect absorption ability, low-level magical creatures won't provide much nourishment.

For Lu Minghao, who is currently only a low-level magical creature, devouring a single giant rat when he was first born could increase his strength by at least a third. Now, the nourishment from a single rat is insignificant, let alone after Lu Minghao advances again in the future.

"Well, I've digested enough. It's time to start hunting."

The next moment, Lu Minghao silently merges into the shadows, heading towards his food storage. The giant rats below are completely unaware that a monster with an insatiable appetite and digestion ability has set its sights on them.

......

Meanwhile, Derui, who thought he was dead, finally wakes up, his eyes scanning the surroundings in confusion. The pitch-black space is lit by magic stones, and giant rats the size of adult humans stare at him. Despite their rat-like faces, Derui sees human-like greed and mockery in their expressions.

It's as if they are looking at a once high and mighty enemy who has now become a piece of meat on a chopping board, ready to be torn apart and swallowed with a simple opening of their mouths.

"Where is this...?"

Looking at the dense mass of giant rats around him and the pain coming from his body, Derui finally understands that he is still alive and has been brought back to the rats' lair by the same rats that surrounded him earlier for some reason.

From the expressions and gazes of the giant rats, Derui is certain that they possess intelligence no less than that of ordinary humans. Driven by a desire to survive, Derui decides to try talking to them while observing his surroundings for a chance to escape.

"Human, give up your hopeless struggle!"

As soon as Derui opens his mouth, a voice comes from behind him, followed by the sound of approaching footsteps. Derui clearly sees the giant rats, who were previously staring at him with greed, lowering their heads and prostrating themselves in submission.

"Human, first time meeting you. My name is Dicas, the king of the giant rat clan, and like you, I am a survivor who escaped from that hell."

"What!"

Upon hearing that the king of the giant rat clan is a survivor who escaped from that place like him, Derui immediately raises his head, staring intently at the rat-man in front of him, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Don't believe me?"

Dicas smiles slightly, looking at Derui staring at him, then stands up. His nearly three-and-a-half-meter body casts a large shadow like an iron tower. A giant tail covered in scales wraps around his waist, and his golden vertical pupils give the feeling of being stared at by a snake.

"What about now?"

As he speaks, Dicas raises his hands. One arm is covered in fine black scales, and the hand has three curved, scimitar-like claws. The other arm is like a human's, but covered in black-purple barbs, with drops of purple liquid dripping from the tips, corroding small holes in the ground.

Dicas's thick, muscular legs are covered in black fur, giving a sense of power. Combined with the black armor and the long saber on his back, Derui is certain that this rat-man would be a battlefield meat grinder once he enters the battlefield.

It is Dicas's appearance that brings a slight relief to Derui's initially terrified heart, because the only way to become like Dicas is in that hell. They are both survivors who successfully escaped from that hell.