If I write down all of the cases of evolution and from there search for common points and food, then I might just be able to find other conditions for evolution… In that case, should I increase the number of poison slimes or look for another slime that eats charcoal? Or maybe I should keep increasing the slime variants that I can increase?
I have something else in mind for the stone slimes. I'm currently trying to get their numbers up, but the evolution experiment is important too, so let's focus on increasing their numbers. I'm sure I can get some results before they eat Gimuru's abandoned mine into a flatland.
"That should be all of them!" [Niki]
"Hmm. Ahh. Right. In that case, let's write down the slimes that might evolve as well as their respective feed. 'Item Box' " [Ryouma]
"Yeah!" [Niki]
I took out a writing tool and started writing down the different type of slimes and possibilities for evolution.
Sticky Slime => Crab Slime, Sh.e.l.l Slime, Net Slime
Acid Slime => Sh.e.l.lfish Slime, Sh.e.l.lfish and Egg Slime
Poison Slime => Charcoal and Sand Slime, Poison Needle Slime
Metal Slime => Metal Net Slime
b.l.o.o.d.y Slime => Parasite Slime
Stone Slime => Sand Slime, Ceramic Slime
Weed Slime => Water Plant Slime, Seaweed Slime
"That's thirteen types all in all." [Ryouma]
"Wow! Slimes really can evolve into so many things! To think that seven types could evolve into so many!" [Niki]
"Well, this is just a possibility right now, though. Still, it's amazing to see that I was able to find so many in just a day… And when I look back on it, there are a lot of feed that I can only get around these parts, like fish and crabs… I could collect water plants and seaweeds and multiply them inside the Dimension Home, but the venomous spines and the parasites can only be gotten from the fishes here…" [Ryouma]
"Couldn't you easily solve that if you just lived here?" [Niki]
"That's true, but I have work." [Ryouma]
Although most of the store's management has been left to the employees, there are still doc.u.ments I have to personally handle and I also need to do my rounds around the mines regularly.
I could put someone in charge here to report to me regularly, but Niki-kun is still too young, and the Wharf of s.h.i.+k.u.mu adventurer party doesn't have any monster tamers among their ranks… That being said, I could put up a branch store in this village and send someone like Caulkin-san over… Yeah that might actually not be a bad idea.
Today's findings may not be limited to just this village here. If I were to go to another new environment, I might also find new paths of evolution there. If so, then having to travel the whole world myself to explore the possibilities of slime evolution would take too much time.
A better idea would be to expand my store and build branch stores in every region. I could then dispatch someone else to those stores to research the slimes in my stead and send the data back to me, so I can continue my research from my headquarters.
With this method I'll be able to manage my store and continue my slime research at the same time.
Perfect! I'll talk to Carm-san about this as soon as I get back!
"You know, onii-chan. I don't think you can pull that off right now, though." [Niki]
"That's fine. I'm talking long term here. …Wait. Was I talking out loud?" [Ryouma]
"Loud and clear. But enough of that. What are we going to do now?" [Niki]
"Well, for the meantime, I'll have my slimes eat here while we're at the village, and then before I leave I'll take whatever junk the villagers won't mind me taking. That's about it. Oh, there's observing the slimes too, I guess.." [Ryouma]
The slimes can generally eat anything, so if there's no food meant for evolution left then they should still be able to eat other stuff. If they evolve into something else, then that's fine too.
"At the very least, they won't grow weak and die because of starvation. And it's not like I have to evolve them immediately anyway. We're doing this whole evolution thing at leisure, after all." [Ryouma]
"I see. So now what?" [Niki]
"Hmm~ Unfortunately, we're out of time." [Ryouma]
The job at the processing plant seems to be over already, as a lot of women have appeared in the square to pick up their children. I should send Niki-kun home soon too.
But before I could actually send him home…
"Niki, let's go home." [Mother]
"Mom!" [Niki]
"Ryoumkun, thank you for watching over my son." [Mother]
"Oh, please don't mention it. Niki-kun helped me out a lot today." [Ryouma]
"Mom! I helped take care of the slimes! There were so many different types of slimes! It was really fun!" [Niki]
"I see. That's great." [Niki]
"Yeah! Oh, right, onii-chan. How long will it take for the slime evolutions we found today to evolve. I want to see the slimes evolving!" [Niki]
"Unfortunately, it will take a few months before they evolve." [Ryouma]
He helped me out, so I would love to show him an evolution while I'm here, but alas.
"I see.. Then can I help take care of the slimes again tomorrow?" [Niki]
"Of course! In fact, I welcome it!" [Ryouma]
"…Yahoo! Alright, see you tomorrow, onii-chan!" [Niki]
Niki-kun took his mother's hand and left while waving at me.
