The Apocalypse Begins: An Unlikely Alliance

Lin Ran pressed his forehead, his face etched with lines of frustration.

‘Not this! Even with my luck at -10 and a passive skill that attracts weirdos, I shouldn’t be crossing species like this!’

Though he admitted that the small Slime Tot in the corner did look rather adorable.

In normal circumstances, he would have gladly taken it as a pet.

But falling in love with a creature like this? That’s a bit too advanced.

And if it’s not with a human, what about a cat girl or an elf?

Do I have to start with such a high difficulty?

Still—

The apocalypse has arrived, and I have no choice.

These slimes are just the first wave.

They’re the first batch of monsters from the simplest world.

The second wave will probably be creatures stronger than slimes.

And then there will be a third, a fourth, and even monsters from the second and third worlds…

And this system…

Thinking about it triggering a romantic function with goblins and ogres, Lin Ran felt a chill run down his spine.

Rather than being forced by the system to find a goblin to fall in love with later on,

now, at least these slimes won’t harm him mentally.

Most importantly, the rewards the system offers…

This is his only chance to surpass others.

Lin Ran gripped his fruit knife tighter, steeling himself.

‘A man must know when to bend and when to stand firm!

For survival, I’ll do it—even with slimes, and maybe even ogres…

Well, maybe not ogres, that’s too much!’

In most stories, slimes are at the bottom of the food chain.

When dealing with such creatures, feeding them is likely the best way to gain their favor.

But the other ordinary slimes weren’t just there for show.

One leaped high, aiming straight for his face.

‘You sneak attack, you little rascal! You have no honor!’

Another one crawled under his feet, spreading out and wrapping around his ankles.

A corrosive liquid seeped out, sizzling as it touched his pants.

Oh no! These pants are brand new, and I’ve only worn them twice!

But the fact that the slimes couldn’t even corrode his pants was a small relief.

He was a grown man, after all, and they were just slimes.

He swung his fruit knife, using the flat side to knock the slime away from his face.

Then, he kicked the one entangled around his ankle.

His goal was clear: the mini-fridge in the boys’ dorm—his lifeline.

Inside was the leftover half of an instant noodle meal from the day before.

Years of living alone—no, years of dorm life—had honed his knife skills, and now they finally came in handy.

The sausage was quickly chopped into evenly sized pieces.

If slimes are omnivores, feeding them meat should work.

‘Oh, and slimes are all liquid, so the sausage has too much salt. I should add some water.’

He muttered to himself, picking up a clean plastic cup from the trash can, rinsing it out, and filling it with tap water.

With the water cup in his left hand and the sausage pieces in his right, Lin Ran approached the Slime Tot cowering in the corner.

Almost as soon as he moved, the other slimes went wild, attacking with double the ferocity.

It seemed they were protecting their little one, determined to keep him safe.

‘Whoa, you’ve got little protectors here. Will your brothers and sisters be jealous when I steal you away?’

Lin Ran joked, enduring the slimes’ attacks without backing down.

And he wouldn’t kill any of them.

He couldn’t kill them.

Killing one in front of the little princess would probably drop his favor points to zero.

This wasn’t a dating sim, where you could restart if you failed.

He had to be extremely careful.

Finally, he reached the corner and gently placed the water cup and sausage pieces in front of the tiny Slime Tot.

The little one trembled slightly, its two black bead-like eyes blinking as it tried to understand this strange creature.

[Is this the tall creature called a human…?]

[Humans crush us… I’m scared…]

[But… my stomach is really hungry…]

[This thing looks really nutritious!]

[We usually only eat weeds, but this smells so good~~]

Driven by instinct, it extended a transparent tentacle, carefully rolling up a piece of sausage and slowly drawing it into itself.

Sizzle—

Fine bubbles erupted from the sausage’s surface, like effervescent tablets in water.

The small body quivered, and the once translucent blue turned a soft pink, like a cherry blossom.

The pink deepened, soon coloring the entire body a rich crimson.

It looked like a shy girl blushing from head to toe, receiving a clumsy but heartfelt gift from her beloved.

The previously aggressive blue slimes stopped attacking.

Did it work?! Lin Ran was overjoyed.

The Slime Tot, after digesting, slowly inched toward the water cup, sipping a few times.

After finishing, it leaped playfully, making a ‘Duang~Duang~’ sound, and landed at his feet.

Then, with its soft, pink body, it wrapped around his shoe, like a contented puppy, quickly falling asleep.

[Ding! Your target has accepted your initial contact! Favor points +25! Current favor: 30 (Curious, Grateful, Happy)]

[Congratulations, Host! You’ve completed the hidden achievement: First Contact!]

[You’ve gained 100 points of Romance Master experience! Romance Master level up to LV.1 (Note: Each level up grants a key item from the system!)]

[Key item awarded: Teleportation Gate (This will help you get closer to your loved one)]

[Teleportation Gate (LV.1): Current range limit—100 (Upgrade your Romance Master level for an additional 100 meters per level!)]

Lin Ran looked at the little thing contentedly nuzzling his shoelaces, his emotions a mix of complexity.

Is this… really that simple?

Just a piece of sausage and it’s won over?

This favor is too easy to earn!

He remembered the past three years, spending countless hours, money, and energy taking those eccentric girls on dates, shopping, and to the movies.

Once, after treating someone for half a month straight, he just wanted to split the bill, and he was called a cheapskate and his photo was posted on the school wall.

But this slime…

If this naive little one were a human girl, this system might just be a ‘Sweet Love System’.

Speaking of the system…

About these system rewards…

In the old world, if he had encountered such a reward, Lin Ran would have cursed.

A key item? Really?

To get closer to the one you love?

Do I need this 100 meters?

In peacetime, it’s almost useless for ordinary people.

The biggest use would be not having to climb stairs every day.

Then, maybe a classmate would see him suddenly appear, and he’d be invited for tea by the authorities.

Finally, he’d turn it over to the official channels, exchange it for 500 yuan and a merit certificate.

But now—

Everyone is trapped in their homes, and resources are scarce—for everyone.

Others might have to kill and eat monsters to survive.

But he…

Lin Ran’s gaze shifted through the window, to the small convenience store downstairs, now abandoned due to the apocalypse.

If he teleported there…

He might be able to clear out the entire store!

Water, food, batteries…

Everything he needed.

System, I admit I was loud just now.

Surprise dispelled the previous tension, and Lin Ran looked at the little creature at his feet with a completely changed gaze.

He tentatively reached out, gently touching the Slime Tot’s body.

The texture was nothing like the sticky, wet feeling he had imagined.

The slime was bouncy, like jelly pudding.

The sensation was so good that he wanted to squeeze it, but he was afraid of crushing it.

After touching it, no residue was left on his hand, and it felt completely clean.

The other slimes gathered around, looking at this Slime Tot.

She jumped off Lin Ran, spreading out and tightening in front of the slime group, as if communicating.

Soon, an incredible sight unfolded before Lin Ran.

The slimes lined up in front of him, forming the character ‘You’.

They had the ability to communicate? What were they trying to say?

The slimes continued their display.

[Of]

[Emotion]

[Love]

[Thanks]

‘Stop, stop, or you’ll get flagged for inappropriate content!’

Lin Ran interrupted, relieved.

It seemed this Slime Tot was the leader of the slimes, and these little guys actually had the ability to communicate.

Since they could communicate, he couldn’t keep calling her ‘Slime Tot’.

The others could stay as slimes, but the system’s designated romantic partner couldn’t be called ‘Slime Tot’ forever.

He needed to give her a name.

He picked up the now cute pink Slime Tot.

Her pink color deepened, and her two small black eyes blinked, seemingly excited.

‘From now on, I’ll call you Lim.’

[Ding! Companion Slime Tot has been given the nickname: Lim]

[She likes this name. Favor points +10!]

Finally, Lin Ran breathed a sigh of relief, his tense nerves relaxing.

Looking out the window, the screams from the other dorms echoed.

The world was about to change…

Since everyone else is struggling to survive in this apocalypse,

and he has a unique romance system…

Could he use this system to charm creatures from various worlds?

Build an exotic harem, survive, and even thrive in this new world?

‘Phew…’

Lin Ran inhaled sharply, realizing his thoughts were surprisingly thrilling.

It’s… surprisingly exciting!