Anime: About That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Crimson blood had long since dyed the soil a reddish-brown, and a faint mist of blood permeated the air. Countless dark red tentacles writhed madly across the entire periphery of the city, occasionally dropping pieces of flesh that were indistinguishable as to which part of the body they belonged.

"Truly a beautiful sight, wouldn't you agree, Lord Erie?"

On the summit of a high mountain not far from Erie, a man in military uniform gazed with intoxicated eyes at the city that had transformed into a hellscape. Each time the mountain breeze carried the distant cries of agony, his morbid smile would become even more twisted.

"Ceros, are the soldiers ready? We absolutely cannot allow a single person to escape."

The man named Erie did not respond to the previous question, but instead coldly gazed down at the city and inquired. He was the ruler of the city below, the one who had led its construction, and under whose leadership it had gradually prospered.

Likewise, it was also under his leadership that the city of Erie had turned into a hell.

"Of course, Lord Erie. I guarantee that not a single commoner will escape from the testing grounds."

Ceros turned and bowed to Erie, a morbid flush rising on his face. His bloodshot eyes made him look utterly terrifying. He no longer possessed the gentle and kind demeanor he once had as the captain of the city guard, always smiling even when dealing with ordinary citizens.

"Mm! All for His Majesty the Emperor!"

Erie coldly nodded, though when he spoke of His Majesty the Emperor, his eyes revealed a fanatical faith. Decades ago, he had received an order from the Empire to go to the border regions and incorporate the residents who had fled from other kingdoms, then establish cities.

On that day, tens of thousands of Imperial soldiers received the same order as Erie. Towns began to rise along the borders of the Eastern Empire, and during this time, a large number of residents from other kingdoms fled into the Eastern Empire and settled in these towns.

This city was the second city built under Erie's leadership, on the ruins of the previous city named Elcia... and the location of the underground kingdom of the giant rat clan deep within the sewers was the only remaining evidence of the previous city's destruction.

"For His Majesty the Emperor!"

Ceros clenched his fist and slammed it hard against his heart, responding with a morbid and fanatical expression. Then, he turned and walked towards Erie below, while his soldiers were already guarding every exit outside the city.

Anyone who escaped would be immediately captured by the soldiers stationed at the exits. Everyone would be examined by the soldiers using special equipment. Those with special abilities would become test subjects for the Empire, and the rest would be killed and thrown back into the city.

"Report, Commander, no one has escaped yet."

Outside the city gate, a soldier in black armor saw Ceros approaching and quickly stepped forward, saluting loudly.

"Tch! What a bunch of trash."

Hearing the soldier's report, Ceros glanced disdainfully at the tentacles writhing at the city gate. They had done similar things many times before, but in the past, some residents had always managed to escape.

Some of the ancient hero bloodline test subjects in the Imperial laboratory were captured at such times. After all, under the threat of death and slaughter, those commoners might activate the bloodline power within them in order to survive.

"Forget it, we've captured quite a few test subjects recently anyway. Besides, guard the exits well and don't let a single person escape."

The next moment, Ceros waved his hand, signaling the soldier in front of him to leave. As for the fact that no new test subjects had been captured, although it made him a little unhappy, it was nothing much. Anyway, the next batch of refugees from other kingdoms was already on its way, and soon the city would be rebuilt.

As for why no one had discovered what they were doing, it was, of course, because everyone who survived each time would become a test subject, and everyone who could participate in this plan was the most loyal to His Majesty the Emperor, having been granted 'power' by His Majesty.

"Yes!"

The soldier saluted and turned to return to his post, staring intently at every exit of the city.

.......

On the other side, in the dark sewers, the Tuka squad was advancing with extreme difficulty in a certain direction. The original foul water and sludge under their feet had now turned crimson, and the pungent smell of blood mixed with the stench of the sewers.

"Stop!"

Suddenly, Gordon's voice came from the front of the group. Instantly, everyone in the squad subconsciously held their breath. Even Tuka's eleven-year-old son covered his mouth with his hand, not daring to make a sound, his brown-black eyes staring ahead with fear.

Just a few hundred meters away from them, in a sewer around the corner, three Shadow Guards were observing their surroundings with scarlet eyes. Their bodies, composed of shadows, allowed them to almost completely blend into the dim environment of the sewers. They moved with only a faint sound, like ghosts walking in the darkness.

After a few minutes, the Shadow Guards finally left and went to other places.

Seeing this, Gordon, hiding in the dark, did not appear immediately. Instead, he waited for a few more minutes, and after confirming that the monsters had truly left, he gave a gesture to the people behind him. Only then did everyone relax.

"Gordon, thanks to you, otherwise we really wouldn't have had a chance to escape."

Tuka stepped forward and gently patted Gordon on the shoulder. After they had joined up with Case and Nina, they secretly carried out their original plan to enter the sewers and head towards the sewer that they had discovered during a mission when they were chasing a monster, which led out of the city.

Along the way, relying on their familiarity with the sewers and Gordon's keen perception, coupled with the fact that everyone was covered in sewer sludge, the black sludge made them less likely to be noticed by the monsters, and the foul smell covered their own scent, they were always able to detect the monsters in the sewers in advance and continue to move forward with some close calls.

"What are you saying? Don't forget, we are teammates who share life and death."

Gordon raised his head and smiled gently at Tuka, although he looked a little comical because his face was covered with black sludge.

"Mm! Cheer up, we'll soon be able to successfully enter that sewer, and then we'll have a chance to escape."

As he spoke, Tuka raised his head and looked at the surrounding environment. Relying on his familiarity with the sewers, he easily identified their location and roughly estimated how long it would take to escape.

Behind Tuka, his wife was holding their child's arm tightly, her eyes filled with unconcealable fear. Even now, she did not understand what had happened, why monsters suddenly appeared in the city.

If Tuka and Gordon hadn't appeared in time, she and her son would have died under the claws of the monsters like their neighbors. Moreover, the scenes she had seen along the way made her realize that this city, which they had regarded as their home, was now likely to have only a few of them still alive.

"Nina, how is Case?"

At this time, Tuka turned to look at Nina at the back and asked. Since bandaging Case's wound and giving him the potion, he had been in a coma. At this time, Nina was carrying him on her back.

"His breathing has stabilized, he should be fine."

After saying that, Nina turned her head slightly and glanced at Case on her back, her eyes filled with worry. She knew that Case's situation was only temporary. Even if they successfully escaped later, Case would almost be crippled. Losing an arm, he could no longer be an adventurer, and the wound covered with sewer sludge would also be infected.

Whether he can survive is a question.