Anime: About That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

The Eastern Empire, as the oldest kingdom in this world, boasts the strongest national power. Its ideology centers around 'strength is everything.' Established and ruled by Emperor Rudra Nam Ul Naska, its power is so immense that almost all Demon Lords dare not contend with it. Furthermore, some Demon Lords are secretly controlled by the Eastern Empire.

Moreover, the Eastern Empire has summoned a large number of reincarnated individuals from other worlds. It is known that there are thousands of them within the empire. Through the combination of magic and technology, the empire's strength is rapidly expanding, with the Three Great Corps being the most prominent example.

Dikas, the King of the Giant Rats, and Dirui, who was captured by him, escaped from a certain laboratory under the Demon Beast Corps, one of the Three Great Corps. The entire corps uses deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) technology brought by 'otherworlders' to control some powerful magical creatures, modifying, researching, and synthesizing them to create various artificial synthetic beasts.

Later, they even began collecting the bloodlines of powerful ancient heroes for analysis, combining them with those powerful magical creatures to create all sorts of incredibly powerful monsters.

Dikas, the King of the Giant Rats, was a failure in the initial experiments. Over a decade ago, Dikas, who was just an ordinary giant rat, was captured and became a low-level test subject. However, driven by the will to survive, Dikas endured round after round of cruel experiments. All the parts on his body were obtained after modification.

It was precisely because of these experiments that Dikas successfully evolved from a low-level monster into a mid-level monster, the Ratman King. A member of the Demon Beast Corps gave him the name Dikas. However, after becoming a mid-level monster, Dikas's potential had reached its limit.

Even with the modifications to his body, he could easily kill ordinary mid-level monsters of the same rank, but he was still considered a failure. To the Eastern Empire, beings below high-level monsters had no value.

Therefore, Dikas was abandoned. However, when he was about to be destroyed, Dikas, relying on his modified strength and the carelessness of the disposal personnel, successfully escaped from the laboratory and eventually arrived in Elira, a small town on the very edge of the Eastern Empire.

After escaping here, Dikas, using the Ratman King's unique skill 'Race Domination,' successfully ruled all the giant rats in the sewers. However, fearing that the laboratory would find and destroy him, Dikas had been hiding deep in the sewers for over a decade, never daring to leave.

In the following years, Dikas silently developed the giant rat clan, creating a massive underground kingdom. Out of fear and a desire for power, Dikas secretly arranged for several ordinary rats, not even monsters, to live in the mountains far outside the laboratory, observing and monitoring it.

Not long ago, after nearly a decade, Dikas once again discovered a test subject who had escaped from it. With Dikas's secret help, this test subject successfully escaped the pursuit and arrived in this remote town of Elira. This test subject was Dirui.

"We are in the same boat, both escaped from that hell, only for the sake of survival, so please rest assured that I have no malice towards you."

In the flickering light, Dikas, having finished his recollection, slowly extended his arm towards Dirui, a faint smile on his rat face, as if looking at someone of his own kind.

"So, my coming here was also secretly guided by you?"

Dirui did not grasp the outstretched arm in front of him, but calmly looked at Dikas's golden serpent pupils. Although he was seriously injured now, it did not mean that there was something wrong with his mind. Moreover, it would have been impossible to escape from that hell with a problem in his mind. After slightly combining the things that happened during the escape process and the experience of being captured as soon as he arrived here, Dirui already knew that this guy in front of him was secretly helping him.

"Yes! It was indeed me who secretly helped you. After all, we are both failures who escaped from that place. I believe you also understand how terrifying their power and methods are. So, after seeing you, I decided to save you because we have a common enemy. Relying on me alone, I will be found and destroyed sooner or later."

Facing Dirui's questioning, Dikas did not hide anything and generously admitted that it was indeed him who secretly helped Dirui escape and led him here.

"... I understand. Then, I'll have to trouble you for the time being."

Dirui looked at Dikas's sincere face and remained silent for a few seconds before nodding to indicate that he would stay here for the time being. As for Dikas's outstretched arm, it was directly ignored by him. After all, Dirui's arm bones were completely shattered.

"Welcome to join. Also, may I ask another question?"

Dikas smiled lightly at his ignored arm, completely without any sense of humiliation. Instead, he looked at Dirui with an increasingly gentle gaze, but a trace of greed and desire flashed in his eyes.

"What question?"

Dirui, who had just relaxed his vigilance, turned around and asked Dikas with a hint of wariness.

"It's nothing, I just want to know how far their experiment has progressed. After all, I have been away for more than ten years, and my understanding of the situation inside is stuck a long time ago. In order to prevent them from finding me, I need new information."

As Dikas spoke, he patted Dirui's shoulder, saying as if he was completely doing it for the good of both of them.

"I don't know. I'm just a failure. I don't know much about the progress of the experiment. I only know that in recent years, a large number of residents from other countries have been secretly captured and become test subjects. I am one of them."

Dirui shook his head, indicating that he was just an ordinary test subject and did not know too much. Seeing this, Dikas on the other side didn't say much, just waved his hand to let a giant rat take Dirui away, and arranged for that giant rat to give Dirui medicine and food.

"Ha... ha... hahahaha... So many years... finally... finally waited!"

Not long after Dirui left, Dikas laughed. The corners of his mouth slowly cracked open, revealing sharp teeth with traces of scarlet flesh. His serpent pupils were filled with madness and greed. He raised his hands and placed them in front of his chest, as if grasping something he had longed for. Suppressed, crazy laughter echoed throughout the room.

Beside Dikas, thousands of giant rats trembled and prostrated on the ground, their heads deeply buried in the soil in front of them.

A few minutes later, Dikas stopped and returned to his previous appearance. He squatted down and gently stroked the dark and shiny fur of the giant rat beside him with a gentle smile on his face, but the giant rat he was stroking trembled even more violently.

"I don't know... but I can already smell that scent on you, the bloodline of an ancient hero... I'm really looking forward to it!"

After saying that, Dikas opened his large mouth full of sharp teeth and swallowed the human-sized giant rat beside him in one bite. Accompanied by the chilling sound of chewing, Dikas returned to his throne, and the giant rat he had eaten did not dare to make any sound, even in death.