Infinite Adaptation: Starting As A Level 1 Slime-Chapter 37: GMOs

After talking with the saintess the day before, Lunaris had been told that his tribe could never have relations with humans as they were designated enemies.

But he felt there was no such thing as eternal enemies.

Only eternal benefits.

If they had something so valuable that humans had no choice but to want it - would there still be enmity then?

He looked at the plants in his hands.

That something was, of course, not going to be these crops. Although they were of above-average size and health, they weren’t anything special.

He supposed the Spirit Queen’s blessing could allow them to produce in bulk, which would be enticing. But he didn’t think that would improve the situation much.

That was why he had come up with another idea.

Genetically modified plants.

He had conceived this idea after noticing the plants here, and it had solidified after he gained the Degenerate skill.

Degenerate allowed him to break down complex structures into their most basic forms - and this didn’t just apply to skills.

The carrot in his hand vanished instantly.

He needed it in his storage to perform the modification perfectly.

As for how he was going to modify it...

He thought back to when he was in the Abyss cave. At that time, he had encountered all sorts of plants. Just as there were poisonous ones, there were also beneficial ones with a range of interesting effects - healing, strengthening, and more.

He hadn’t paid much attention to them back then, as they didn’t seem to have much effect on him.

But now...

He began breaking down the carrot to its most basic form.

Then he took the aspects of the herbs he liked and began applying those effects onto the carrot.

In this basic form, it was much easier to manipulate.

After confirming that everything linked properly, he compiled the whole thing.

A carrot appeared in his hand.

It didn’t look all that different from before.

He looked at Luna and extended it toward her.

"Wanna taste?"

Luna shook her head vigorously, waving her hands in front of her.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Luna doesn’t like it," she explained. "It tastes strange."

"Strange?"

He tilted his head. He wondered if it was because she was primarily carnivorous.

He smiled.

"This one is different. You should try it."

She hesitated, looking at the carrot with suspicion.

Then, slowly, she took it from his hand.

She brought it to her lips and took a small bite.

Her expression transformed instantly.

Her eyes sparkled. Her ears perked up. A look of pure delight spread across her face.

He looked at her.

"Is it good?"

"Very good!"

She made quick work of the remaining carrot, devouring it in seconds.

Then she turned to Lunaris with pleading eyes, silently begging for more.

His lip twitched.

He knew it was better than the original based on the modifications he had made, but surely it couldn’t be that good?

Then he remembered something.

Ah, how could I have forgotten?

He uprooted another carrot.

The reason he hadn’t been eating food - and had given Luna the carrot to taste - was partly because he didn’t need food to survive. He simply relied on mana. There was also his lack of taste as a slime.

But he had forgotten that he now had taste buds while in his beastman form.

They should be somewhat similar to a human’s, right?

He looked at the modified carrot in his hand and took a small bite.

Hmm.

He nodded.

It was indeed quite delicious.

As for his taste buds, they seemed slightly different from when he was human, but still functional nonetheless.

He noticed Luna staring at him with puppy eyes.

"Alright, you can have it," he said, handing her the carrot.

She took it excitedly and ate it with enthusiasm.

Then she turned back to him, eyes hopeful.

"There’s no more," he told her.

Her expression fell.

He patted her head gently.

"Good things should only be eaten in moderation. You’re a smart girl, so you understand, right?"

She nodded slowly, though her disappointment was evident.

He looked to the side.

Well, we can’t have her consuming my money maker.

He pressed his hand to the ground.

A silver glow spread from his palm, seeping into the earth. The light traveled outward, threading through the soil until it reached every crop in the farm.

The entire field shimmered briefly before the glow began to dim.

He stood up.

"Rhen."

The newly appointed head of agriculture stepped forward.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"I’ve applied my blessing to these crops. Monitor them carefully and report anything strange to me."

Rhen nodded earnestly. "Understood, my Lord."

"Also, do not plant any new crops for the time being. You should only plant the results of these currently blessed ones. The same goes for any subsequent planting."

"As you command, my Lord!"

...

Lunaris sat in his house, deep in thought.

Hmm, this isn’t going to work.

While he had solved the issue with the beastmen’s laziness - and their starving problem too - he still felt they were far from what he wanted.

Looking at the genetically modified plants he wanted to create, even if they were great, the range was too narrow. Just some taproots and tubers.

Of course, he could trade with the humans to obtain a wider variety of crops to modify. That would improve their catalogue significantly.

But that was assuming they could even trade to begin with.

While their crops were impressive, he didn’t know if the average person could afford them. With the benefits they provided, they would be top-tier items - luxury goods for wealthy people.

But there was probably a negative stigma surrounding beastmen among humans. And that stigma would be even stronger among the elites he wanted to target.

Was there a way he could find a bridging point?

Ah, that’s it...

He needed to visit the human nations.

That’s right. This was the best possible choice.

And it would solve all their problems too - not just in agriculture, but in infrastructure as well.

Earlier, while he had compiled skills from the tribe, they weren’t all that useful. But if he could roam freely in a human city, the amount of skills he could collect...

And if he happened to encounter something like a craftsman’s shop, he might even be able to collect skills related to craftsmanship like blacksmithing and such.

Then he could bring all of it back home.

Their living situation would definitely improve with all those benefits.

He was practically at a loss by not doing it.

...

"Absolutely not."

Roselle’s voice was firm and unyielding.

"The Lord must not leave."

She met Lunaris’s gaze without faltering.

"I am willing to stake my life on this matter."

Lunaris stared at her.

It seems we might’ve hit a wall.