That Time We Got Reincarnated As Slimes

1.5 Veldora's Cave

Chapter 1.5: Veldora's cave

Authors note: I know that self regeneration is intrinsic to slimes, but Robin is a different subspecies, and their power makes up for their need to regenerate for the most part.

Also, this chapter will have both Rimuru and Robins Pov.

Also, the reason this isn't chapter 2 is because I'm writing this after writing chapter 4.

New skills

Extra skill: armor manipulation
An evolved intrinsic skill, can be used to form armor on your body of any density, and can be used to create objects out of hardened scales.

Locked skill: mutation
No entry found. Locked skills can be unlocked after fulfilling an unspecified condition.

Unique Skill: Stockpile
It has 2 attributes, 1 it allows excess magicules to be stored if your stores of magic are full, and 2 any enemies killed have their soul absorbed into your body, causing a leap in strength.

Part 1: Someone to lean on
-Robin
Rimuru's distress was apparent, with his newest friend gone just as fast as they met. He needed a rock, someone he could depend on, and I decided to be that person. Anything Rimuru needed, I tried to provide. He talked about his feelings and joked about his past experiences. We found that we actually had similar interests, not that taste in video games or tv shows mattered in a world without modern technology. But it was a nice distraction for both of us, especially Rimuru, who needed to preoccupy his thoughts with something other than Veldora. With each passing day, I seemed to grow on Rimuru, and he seemed happy to have me by his side.
Thought communication proved to be extremely useful, since we could talk even in the heat of battle with little effort. We talked as we took down the monsters in the cave, one by one, each of them fell with almost no effort. "These monsters are pretty weak, maybe we should move to a different area." I say, trying to keep Rimuru's mind off of Veldora.
"Sure, it would be nice to have a challenge." With his confirmation, I begin scanning the area for stronger auras and quickly turn down my skill once I spot an opening.
"There is an opening over there, and I feel some strong monsters lurking in that area." Hopping to the opening, we find a system of caves, almost like a labyrinth. I don't remember this from the anime, but I'm sure it's nothing serious. The labyrinth itself is very easy to navigate with our skills, but the monsters are on another level. All the monsters have the same intelligence and skill set as their weaker variants, but their power was on another level completely. Each one was harder than the last. It felt like every enemy was a boss level monster from an mmo.
As we traveled deeper into the labyrinth, we began finding unique monsters, they seemed to have mutated from the high density of magicules. The first unique monster we encountered was an armorsaurus, its armor was covering just about every inch of its body, even its joints. Normally, armor without proper joints would make movement impossible, but it seemed to morph its armor to match its movement. I tried to use poison breath on it, but it shed its corroded shell and quickly regrew a new one. If I use that multiple times then it would work, but I kind of want to use this opportunity to hone my other skills. It seems to sense the danger that Rimuru and I pose, and its new shell increases in both density and thickness.
Trying something new, Rimuru uses steel thread to cut into its shell, but it seems to barely scratch it. It manages to cut the thread by forming blades on its shell. What a clever little bastard. As we regroup it sees an opportunity and charges Rimuru, I manage to push him out of the way and take the brunt of the blow, my hp drops to a dangerous level. Wincing in pain, I realize that I can't regenerate, and without regeneration, another hit could easily kill me. First pain nullification, and now regeneration, how did I not think of these when I died? I realize how stupid that sounds, obviously shock had impaired my thoughts.
I take a moment to think after leaping out of the lizard's reach. Maybe a distraction, followed by Rimurus predator could finish it off. Getting a little closer to Rimuru and activating my telepathy, "Hey, I have a plan, use predator on my signal." Rimuru doesn't respond, but I know he understands.
Using poison breath, I wall off an area on the lizard's blind side and use a water blade in a barrage to force it into the gas. As it realizes where it is, it slips out of its shell, taking advantage of its reduced weight it quickly scampers off. "Now!" I mentally shout at Rimuru, the weakened lizard is helpless as Rimuru envelopes its scaled hide. After Rimuru successfully predated the monster, I ate the melting armor that it had left behind. "Acquired extra skill Adaptive Armor, and ultra speed regeneration, as well as the locked skill mutant." The hell is a locked skill? I used my new regeneration skill to finally be back to a safe amount of health.
Rimuru didn't seem strong enough to fully absorb the armorsaurus, so he didn't get any of the skills that I did. I didn't tell him about mine, I didn't want to brag about being better to who I hoped would be my future lover.
After a bit more exploring we came across a body of water, its crystal clear surface was completely undisturbed. The pond looked more like a thin layer of plastic than it did water. "I don't know how to swim as a slime, do you?" I ask despite knowing the answer.
Looking both surprised and cocky, Rimuru responds "Of course I do, first." Rimuru bumps himself into me, sending me right into the water, he giggles before continuing, "You get in." I splash into the water and quickly sink to the bottom. I know that I don't need to breathe, but being unable to move around made me really claustrophobic. I started to panic, frantically jiggling my body in an attempt to surface. Noticing my panic, Rimuru hurriedly says "take in water and spit it out to propel yourself."
I immediately remembered that that's how Rimuru learned how to swim in the anime and almost facepalm. I do as I'm told, and shoot out of the water at a very high speed, ricocheting off the ceiling and landing right on top of Rimuru. I feel strange, like my body suddenly rented, but also like I was on top of a soft bed. I look down and realize that I had landed on top of Rimuru and was halfway fixed to his body, lewd thoughts endangered my mind. I know I wanted to be inside Rimuru, but this seems a little fast. Quickly snapping out of that frame of mind, I realize that despite the feeling of happiness I get from being so close to Rimuru, being fuzed to him would mean that I'd never get to admire him again. The thought alone pushes me out of his slime. In a scolding tone, I tell Rimuru "please don't do that again, I'm scared of tight spaces, so losing the ability to move is a bit nerve wracking." Although, I wonder if a part of me was consumed by Rimuru? I do feel a little smaller, but perhaps it's just my imagination.