Returnee from Another World - Chapter 35: A New Prey

Chapter 35: A New Prey

In a dim, confined room lit only by the faint glow of a flashlight, I navigated the darkness. Even with decent night vision, a pitch-black space without moonlight forced me to rely on the light.

This wasn’t an unfamiliar place. I knew roughly where everything was. After all, this was the storage shed behind my house.

It was a large shed for household use, bought when I was a kid to store my dad’s only hobby: antiques and old books. But inside, it was a cramped mess, stuffed with his collections, barely leaving room to step.

I aimed the flashlight at a specific spot in the back.

A rectangular object covered in black cloth emerged from the darkness. I knew exactly what it was—I’d placed it here myself two months ago.

“It’s about time to move to the next step…”

Muttering to myself, I pulled back the cloth.

Underneath was a glass tank with a golden frame—a cultivation tank for the slime I’d created.

Glass, being an oxide, seemed resistant to the slime’s corrosive nature, unlike iron, which it could dissolve over time. That’s why I used gold, with its low ionization tendency and resistance to acid, for the tank’s frame.

Having experienced the slime’s effects on Ayano—beyond my expectations—I hadn’t just sat idle. The refined slime wasn’t a one-off; waiting for it to split naturally lacked ambition.

I was trying to create something similar.

Not for anyone specific, not even Kyouka.

With Kyouka, I craved a deeper emotional connection. Turning her into a lust-driven puppet would be easy, but it wouldn’t satisfy me. I wanted more than just physical gratification with her.

So, any new slime would be for another woman. I hadn’t found a suitable target yet.

I had plenty of raw, non-attributed slimes stored in my dimensional storage. Capturing them was easy, and with enough food, they’d split and multiply on their own.

Why only one refined slime so far? The incubus bodily fluid needed for the third stage was hard to come by, and the second stage—fixing attributes with saliva, urine, or semen—took significant time and effort.

When I made the first refined slime, its practicality wasn’t proven, so I wanted to test its effects before proceeding.

Now, creating a new one meant I couldn’t just store it in dimensional storage after feeding it—that would stall the second stage. But leaving it in the house was risky if my parents returned unexpectedly.

That’s why I hid it here.

“Looks like the attributes are settling nicely. Now it’s just about applying the change…”

So far, so good.

I’d worried the lack of mana in this world might hinder the slime’s growth, but there were no issues. Maybe the mana potion I gave it compensated. Or perhaps the slime in Ayano, surviving without mana, meant mana wasn’t crucial.

Either way, the second stage seemed complete. The problem was the next step.

“Now, which one? Stick with incubus bodily fluid like last time, even if the dose is lower, or try the aphrodisiac?”

A habit from my lonely days in the other world: I muttered to myself during alchemy.

I was torn between using incubus bodily fluid or an aphrodisiac from that world. The issue? I didn’t have enough incubus fluid for a full dose.

In theory, the aphrodisiac should work.

In alchemy, altering a portion’s quantity was frowned upon. Adjusting the overall amount or substituting materials was less risky, but changing just one part could lead to failure.

So, the aphrodisiac seemed the safer bet, though it might alter the effects slightly.

The aphrodisiac, derived from concentrated orc semen, induced intense pleasure and addiction. It wasn’t far off from incubus fluid, but its intense high left lingering exhaustion and a sense of loss once it wore off.

Even seasoned prostitutes in that world complained about it. Using it on an ordinary woman here could be unpredictable, which was a concern.

“Should I test the aphrodisiac on someone first?”

The thought crossed my mind.

Unlike incubus fluid, it wasn’t rare. I’d made plenty for personal use and potential profit. Testing a sample seemed reasonable.

But who? Its effects were too potent.

Using it carelessly on some random woman could lead to suspicions of illegal drugs. Getting reported would be disastrous, and even without that, her addiction might make her obsessively pursue me—not ideal.

“Let them handle it…”

I stored the slime and its tank back in dimensional storage.

The third stage—applying the change—could wait until I tested the aphrodisiac’s effects in this world.

Restoring the shed to its original state, I locked it up and, despite the late hour, prepared to head out.

◆

“Dammit! No matter what, I can’t get it off. I’m half-tempted to chop my finger off!”

“Calm down, Keibun. You’ll just get punished again.”

In a room within the building the Gospel Love Church called its sanctuary, Higashikawa Keibun vented his frustration, lashing out at nearby objects. Meanwhile, Nishikuse Eishin lounged on a sofa, chugging expensive-looking wine, seemingly unbothered.

“It’s fine. I’ve tested it enough to know a little complaining won’t cause trouble. Punishment? That guy’s practically a demon’s servant.”

“God, demon, same difference. We can’t defy him either way. And you keep at it, squealing like a girl every time.”

“It hurts like I’m gonna die. Try it yourself, Eishin, and you’ll get it. Your carefree attitude is almost admirable… or maybe you’re just not thinking.”

“I just accept reality as it is. It’s not that bad, right? No curse or anything. You saw the drug’s effects with your own eyes. With more of it, you could make all the money you love.”

“What are you talking about? This ring is the curse. Sure, I thought it’d make us rich at first. But then I realized—he took 8 million yen of our hard-earned cash! And he’ll keep skimming off the top. It pisses me off.”

“Just fleece the believers for more to cover our profits. You admitted the drug’s worth it. Anyway, I’ve got a small favor to ask.”

“Ugh, money again?”

“Nah, just a little. There’s this girl, Miki, at the cabaret club. She’s got a body guys go crazy for. Face is average, but I want a taste. Problem is, she’s greedy—demanded a million yen for one night.”

“A million’s not ‘a little,’ Eishin. If it’s one time, I might consider it, but I can see you blowing cash on her. Our cult isn’t a money fountain, you know that, right?”

“Just one night, I swear. Come on, please?”

“Your promises about women are worthless. Does she seem rich?”

“Dunno. She’s in the nightlife, so probably has some savings. It’s not a super high-end place, though.”

“Hm…”

Keibun fell silent, arms crossed, deep in thought.

Eishin watched him expectantly, confident Keibun’s soft spot would come through, as always.

“You’re as lively as ever. After all that, you’re already chasing women? Surprisingly bold, aren’t you?”

A sudden voice shattered the brief silence between them.

Eishin, startled, dropped his wine glass on the floor.

In the late-night sanctuary, where only Eishin and Keibun should’ve been, the voice of the last person they wanted to see echoed through the room.