TenseiShitaraSlimedattaken

OriginalWebnovelbyFuse

CREDITS:

Prologue:

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Chapter001:

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Chapter002:

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Chapter003:

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Chapter004:

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Chapter005:

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Chapter006:

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Chapter007:

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Chapter008:

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Chapter009:

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Chapter010:

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Chapter011:

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Chapter012:

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Chapter013:

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Chapter014:

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Chapter015:

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Chapter016:

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Chapter017:

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Chapter018:

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Extra:

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Chapter019:

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Chapter020:

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Chapter021:

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Chapter022:

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Chapter023:

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Chapter024:

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Chapter025:

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Chapter026:

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Volume1images:

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Editors

AncientKaiser

Epubprovidedby:

randomperson

randomguy

Clown’snote:Pleasebeadvisedthatthepicturesprovidedherearefromalightnovelandnotthewebnovel.Therefore,theymightnotmatch.Pleasedonotaskwhyacertainsceneisdepicteddifferentlyhere.

TenseiShitaraSlimedattaken

-RegardingReincarnatedtoSlime-

EmpowermentArc

PROLOGUE-DeathandReincarnation

CHAPTER001-Let’sSeeWhatICanDo

CHAPTER002-FirstContact

CHAPTER003-FirstConversation

CHAPTER004-FirstFriend

CHAPTER005-TroubleStirring

CHAPTER006-SkillAcquisition

CHAPTER007-FirstBattle

CHAPTER008-ThePowerinMyHands

CHAPTER009-NegotiatingwiththeGoblins

CHAPTER010-TheBattleoftheGoblinVillage

CHAPTER011-EvolvingMonsters

CHAPTER012-PreparingOurEnvironment

CHAPTER013-TotheDwarfKingdom

CHAPTER014-Trouble

CHAPTER015-ADealwiththeGuards

CHAPTER016-TheDwarfBlacksmith

CHAPTER017-TheOutcomeofthePromise

CHAPTER018-TheEndofTurmoil

EXTRA-BagwormGobuta

CHAPTER019-ReturntotheVillage

CHAPTER020-TowardstheVillage’sRevival

CHAPTER021-NewMovement

CHAPTER022-TheAdventurerswhofinallyarrived

CHAPTER023-FlameGiant

CHAPTER024-Reminiscence~FuneralMarch~

CHAPTER025-TransformingintoaHuman!

CHAPTER026-NewAbilities

Prologue-DeathandReincarnation

Alifesonormalthatnothingcanbesaidaboutit.Afterleavingcollege,Ijoinedamajorgeneralcontractorfirmandamlivingalonenowattheageof37.Havingnogirlfriend.Filialdutylefttomyolderbrother,mylifeisessentiallythatofanindependent,singlenoble.Neithershortofheight,orwantingofagoodface.Yetunpopular.Ihavetriedexhertingeffortintofindingagirlfriend–andhaveconfessedthrice!–butafterbeingdumped,myheartisleftshattered.Well,havingreachedthisage,Icanhonestlysaythatthisromancethingisnaughtbuttroublesome.AndalthoughyoucouldsaythatIammostlybusywithwork,it’snotlikeIamtroubledbynothavingone.It’snotlikeIammakingexcuses…really.

「Senpai!Sorryforkeepingyouwaiting!」

Withacheerfulsmiletheyoungmanapproachesme.And,byhisside–abeauty.Morespecifically,theyoungman,Tamura,isajunioratthesamecompanyIworkat;theonebyhissideisourcompany’srenownedMadonna,thereceptionistSawatari-san.Yep,Ihavebeenaskedbytheseguystoofferconsultationontheirupcomingmarriage.Andbytheway,thisisthereasonwhyIstartedwonderingaboutmyownunpopularity.Theafter-workrendezvouswasheldatanintersection,andtherethetwohopedtoindulgemythoughtfulnessandsupport.

「Yeah.So,whatkindofadviceareyoulookingfor?」

IaskwhilegreetingSawatari-san.

「Hello,pleasedtomeetyou.MynameisSawatariMiho.Althoughwehaveseeneachotherbefore,thiswouldbethefirsttimewearespeaking,right?Makesmenervous,somehow.」

Thenervousoneisme,damnit!Imean,Iamnotthatgoodwithspeakingtogirlsinthefirstplace.Cutmesomeslack!Withsuchwords,Isilentlycomplaintomyself.Andinthefirstplace,withnoapparentloveexperience,whatkindofadvicecanIevenoffer?Aren’tyoualljustpokingfunatme!It’sspite,isn’tit.

「Hello.IamMikamiSatoru.Noneedtobenervousoranything.Sawatari-sanisfamouswithus,soIknowwhoyouareevenwithouttheintroduction.AboutTamura–wewenttothesameUniversity,youknow,sowe’vehadlotstotalkabout.Afterwhichwenaturallyhungoutabit.」

「What’sthisaboutbeingfamous?Arethereweirdrumorsfloatingabout?」

「Yeah.LikehavinghadanaffairwithChiefX,orgoingondateswithY-kun–thingslikethat.」

Itwasalljustteasing,ofcourse.AndalthoughIintendedthesetobejustsomelightjokes,Sawatari-san’sfaceturnedbrightredandshelookedatmewithwateryeyes.Hatetoadmitit,butshelookedadorable.Well,myjokeslackbothdelicacyortact,andIamoftentoldtokeepmymouthshut…butIendupsayingthemanyways.Yep,failedagain,huh?Yep,Iamjustbadwithwomen.Andasifoncue,instepsTamura,lightlytappinghershoulders.Damnit,Tamurayoubastard!It’sthesesituationswhereyouriajuushouldjustallexplode!Ishouldshoutthis,right?

「Senpai,pleaseleaveitatthat!And,Miho,youarejustbeingteased!」

WithalaughTamuracontinuesmediatingthesituation.Aren’tyoudandy,junior!Bright,cheerful,andwithoutahintofsarcasm.Isn’thealovableguy…Tamura’sonly28.Andalthoughwearesomanyyearsapart,we’vegotsomethingincommon.Well,nothingtodoIguessbuttogivethemmyblessing…

「Mybad.I’mjustnotthatgoodwithwomen.And,well,thelocation

doesn’thelpmuch,doesit?Let’sgetsomethingtoeatandtalkthere.」

It’sjustjealousy,afterall.AndjustwhenIthoughtso…

「「「Kyaaaaaaaaaa!」」」

Screams.Confusion.What?What’sgoingon?

「Moveit!I’llkillyou!」

Turningtothesoundofthevoice,amanbrandishingaknifeandholdingabagisrunningtowardsus.Ihearthescream.Iseetheman.Iseetheknife.Whereisitpointing?At….

「Tamuraaa!」

*Don*IhitTamuraoutoftheway.

*Dosu*There’saburningpaininmyback.

「Tch,damnhindrance!」

Havingshoutedthus,IseethemanescapingandturntomakesureTamuraandSawatari-sanaresafe.Withashoutthatresemblednowords,Tamurarunsuptome.Sawatari-sanisstunnedbythesuddenturnofevents,butappearswithoutotherinjury…thankgod.Thatbeingthat,mybackburns.Feelingsofpainaside,itjustburns.What’supwiththis?It’stoohot…can’titletoffabit?

«Confirmed.Establishingheatresistance.Success»

Coulditbe…wasIstabbed?Can’tbedyingfromastabwound….

«Confirmed.Establishingpierceresistance.Success.Additionally,establishingphysicalattackresistance.Success»

「Senpai…there’sbloodcomingout…it’snotstopping…it’sain’t…」

What’supwiththisloudguy.Feellikehisvoicewasstrangejustnow;well,thatmuchcanbeexpectedfromTamura.Butblood?Yeah,that’sclearlyleaving.Iamhuman,afterall.Whenstabbed,Ibleed!Butpainisunpleasant,isn’tit….

«Confirmed.Removingperceptionofpain.Success»

Well…thisisbad,right?Painandimpatiencearemuddlingmysenses.

「Ta…Tamura…youaredamnloud.It…isnotthatbigofdeal,right?Stopworrying…」

「Senpai…theblood…youkeep…」

Hisfaceblue,onthevergeoftears,Tamuracontinuestoholdme.That’sthefacethatistheruinofhandsomemen.ItriedtotakealookathowSawatari-sanwasdoing,butmyvisionistoohazy.Can’tsee.Theburningsensationinmybackisgone.Instead,aferociouscoldstrikesme.Thiscouldbebad…whenpeopledon’thaveenoughblood,theydie,don’tthey?

«Confirmed.Creatingabloodlessbody.Success»

(Hey,you,what’sthisyou’vebeengoingonaboutthepastfewminutes….)Itrytospeak,butnowordscomeout.Thisisbad,maybeIreallywilldie….Buthey,Inolongerfeelneitherpainnortheburning.Butit’scold.Socold,andnothingIcandoaboutit.What’swiththis…Iamtoobusyofamantobefreezinginthiscold.

«Confirmed.Establishingcoldresistance.Success.Additionally,heatresistancehassuccessfullyevolvedintothermalfluctuationresistanceEX»

Atthattime,thedyingbraincellsofmine,withaflashofinspiration,haverememberedthetrulyimportantthings!Yes!ThecontentsofmyPCharddrive!

「Tamuraa!!Ifandonlyif,Isay,Idie…takecareofmyPC.Ibegyou…submergeitinwater,turniton,andcompletelywipethedataclean…」

ThusI,havingsummonedtheremainderofmystrength,haveconveyedthemattersofmostgraveimportance.

«Confirmed.Attemptingfullformatofallinformation.Error,impossibleduetolackofdefinition.Attemptingalternateinterpretation.Establishingelectricityresistance.Success.Additionally,paralysisresistancehasbeenacquired»

Idon’tknowexactlywhatTamurawassayingatthatmoment,whilegivingmethatblanklook.But,Iunderstoodthemeaningofwhatwassaid.

「Haha…that’ssolikeSenpai…」

Hesaidwithabittersmile.Whowouldevenwanttolookataman’scryingface?Thatgrinissomanytimesbetter.

「Youknow,I…aboutSawatari,Iwantedtoshowherofftosenpai…」

Heh,Iknewit...thisbastard.

「Tch…jeez.I’veforgivenallofit,soyourgirlfriend,makeherhappy,gotit?AndtakecareofthePC…」

Thelastofmystrength,wasonlyenoughtosaythatmuch.Completelyunsatisfied,MikamiSatorudied.Andatthatinstant,MikamiSatoru’s“soul”linkedwithaspawnedmonsterinanotherworld.Intoadimensionalcracksosmallthatnoeyecouldsee.Hissoullinkedwithamassofdemonicenergy.Thismasswastheoriginofdemons,andtoMikamiSatoruwhohad

linkedtoit,histhoughtsasabase,themassconstructedabody.Whatisnormallyisessentiallyanimpossibilitywithanastronomicallysmallchanceofoccurrence,MikamiSatoruwasrebornasamonsterinanotherworld.

Alifesonormalthatnothingcanbesaidaboutit.Afterleavingcollege,Ijoinedamajorgeneralcontractorfirmandamlivingalonenowattheageof37.Havingnogirlfriend.Filialdutylefttomyolderbrother,mylifeisessentiallythatofanindependent,singlenoble.Thus,avirgin.Unbelievable,departingtheworldwithouteverbeenputtouse…my‘son’mustbecryingrightnow.Sorry,Inevercouldmakeyouintoanadult…WhenIamreborn,we’llchangethingsaround.Goontheoffensivewithabang.Callthemout,andgoondevouringspree….Butthat’snogood,isit?

«Confirmed.Uniqueskill[Predator]hasbeenacquired»

Andwell,atalmostfortyyearsold,thethirtyyearoldvirginthatIam,inamagicalworldwouldcertainlybeasage…heck,agreatsagewouldn’tbeoutofthequestion,wouldit?

«Confirmed.Extraskill[Sage]hasbeenacquired.Additionally,extraskill[Sage]hassuccessfullyevolvedintouniqueskill[GreatSage]»

….thehellyou’vebeenonabout?Thehellis[GreatSage]!Areyoumakingfunofme?Itisn’tevenabitunique!Iamnotlaughinghere!Sorude..

Thinkingthat,Iwenttosleep.(Sothisisdeath,huh…notaslonesomeasIthought.)Thosewere,forMikamiSatoru,thelostwordsspokeninthisword.

Chapter01-Let'sseewhatIcando

It’sdark.Thedarknessenvelopesall,preventingmefromseeinganyshapeorfigure.WhereamI?Besides,whathadhappened?Wasn’ttheresomeonemakingfunofme,callingmea…sage?…no,agreatsage.

.

Withthatthought,Iregainedconsciousness.

MynameisMikamiSatoru.A37yearold,niceguy.

Whilesavingmykouhaifromasomestreetslasher,Igotstabbedinstead.

Alright~,remembered.I’mokay.Notimeforpanic.

Andreally,couldacoolguylikemeevenpanic?Hah.That’saslikelyasagradeschoolkidshi**inghispants.

WhenItriedtolookaround,Ifinallynoticed.Ican’topenmyeyes.

Thatproblemaside,whenIattemptedtotouchmyhead…Inoticedmyarmsdon’trespond.AndevenmoreperplexingisthefactthatIcannottellwheremyheadis.

Alright,timetopanic.

Oi,oi,givemeasechere.

Justanhourplease,letmecatchmybreath.Theysaythatyoushouldcountprimenumbersatatimelikethis,no?

1,2,3,Daaaaa!!!

Wrong!That’snotright.Oneisnotaprimenumber,isit?

Nono,whocaresaboutthat.

Notimeforthisfoolishness.Imean,aren’tIintrouble?

Are~?Hey,whattheheckhappened?

Maybe…Imeanwhatifitistoolatetoevenconsiderpanicking?

Gatheringmythoughts,IconfirmedthatIaminnowayinpain.

Nopain.Feelingprettygood.

Neitherhotnorcold.Actually,areallycomfortableatmospherethey’vegothere.

Icanrelaxabitthankstothat.

Next,let’scheckthelimbs.Forgetaboutthemfingertips,Ican’tevenmoveamuscle…

Howcouldthatbe?

It’snotlikeonecanlosetheirarmsandlegsfrombeingstabbed…sowhathappened?

Andstill,Icannotopenmyeyes.

Withoutseeinganything,Iaminutterdarkness.

Dreadanduneaseslowlycreeptheirwayintomyheart.

Couldthis…bewhattheycallavegetativestate?

Consciousnessseparatedfromnerveendings–immobile…isthiswhatitis?

No,no,no,no!Pleasedon’tletthatbetrue!

JustwhenIthoughtIwassaved…vegetativestate?Whatcouldbeworse?Evenlosingahalfofmybodywouldbepreferable!

Andyeah,bothoutcomeswouldbeterrible.Buttobealoneinthisdarkness,withoutanysenses…isn’tthatjusthell?

Havingimaginedtheworstscenario,panichasquicklyturnedintodespair.

Iwanttothinkitover.

Theysaythatwhenpeopleareconfinedindarkness,theyquicklygomad.Ihappentobeinthatstaterightnow,andcannotevenkillmyself.

Ratherthandespairing,theonlythingIcandoisgoinsane,huh?

Andthen,

*Touch*

Therewasasenseoftouch.

Hmm?Whatis…

Allmysenseswerefocusedonfeelingthatsensation

Withahorizontalstrokeacrossmybelly(?),Ifeltsomethingakintograss.

Focusingmyentireconsciousnessonthatarea,Islowlybegantomakeouttheshapeofmybody.Andbytheway,thegrass’stipfeltpricklyagainstmybody.

Itkindofmademehappy.

Yet,I’mstillincompletedarkness.AndalthoughIregainedonlyoneofthefivesenses,Icouldfinallyfeelagain.

Amused,Idecidedtotrytoheadtowardsthatgrass.

*Zururi*

Icouldfeelmybodymove.

It…moved?!

Atthattime,IwasprettycertainthatIwasnotontopofahospitalbed.Undermybelly(?)Icouldfeelsomehard–rock,maybe.

Isee…thoughIdon’treallygetit,Iamnotinahospital.

Moreover,myeyesstillcan’tsee.

Can’thearanythingeither,butitcouldbejustthatI’vegonedeaf.

AlthoughIdon’tknowifiamfacingitornot–Ican’tfeelmyhead,afterall–I’llheadtowardsthegrass.I’lllearnaboutmyselfthroughcontact.

Noscentintheaireither.Coulditbe?DidIalsolosethesenseofsmell?

Andseriously,Ijustcan’tunderstandtheshapeofmybody.

Ireallydon’twanttoacceptit,butitseemssleek,jellylike–thekindthatisreallyfamousinRPGs–theappearanceofthatkindofmonster.

Ihavebeenentertainingthatpossibilityinthebackofmyheadforawhilenow.

No,no…there’snoway.Imean,nomatterhow…itjustcan’tbe.

Forthetimebeing,let’ssetthosefearsaside.

Thus,IdecidedtotrythelastofthefivehumansensesthatI’veignoredupuntilnow.

But…Idon’tevenknowwheremymouthis.Whattodo…?

«ActivateUniqueSkill[Predator]?[YES]/[NO]»

Suddenly,therewasavoiceinthebackofmyhead.

Wha…whatwasthat?

Uniqueskill[Predator]…?

And…whatwasthatvoice?

IthoughtIheardastrangevoicewhiletalkingtoTamurabefore,butIguessIwasn’tjusthearingthings,huh…

Issomeonethere?Yet,somehowthatdoesn’tfit.Morethansomeonebeinghere…it’smorelikewordsappearinginmymind.

Thevoicelacksintent;likethevoicethatwouldcomefromacomputer,callingitsynthesizedwouldperhapsbemostaccurate.

Fornow…[NO!]ismyresponse.

IamJapanesewhocansayno,afterall.

Bringingupthewords[NO]inmymind,Iwaitforaresponse.Yetitdidnotcome.Iwaitedforabit,butfeltnovoice.

SeemslikeIwon’tbegettingasecondquestion.DidIchoosewrongly?CouldthisbeagamethatendswhenIdon’tchoose[YES]?

IthoughtthatitwouldbethesameasinanRPG–thesamequestionrepeatinguntilIchose[YES]…IguessIwaswrong.

Askingaquestionandthenleaving…whatarudeguy.

ThoughIhavetoadmit,hearingavoicedidmakemeslightlyhappy.

Islightlyregrettedthedecision.

.

Well,nothingcanbedonenow.

IguessI’llgobacktotryingtotastesomething.

Imovedmybodytowardsthatpieceofgrass.Whileverifyingmysenseoftouch,Ileanedmybodyonthepieceofgrass.

Ienveloptheobjectwithmybodytoconfirmwhatitis…andIwasright–itis,infact,grass.

Whiletouchingthegrass,thepiecethatwasincontactwithmybodymelted.AndwhileIwasworriedthatmybodyhadmelted,itseemstohavebeenthegreassonly.

Andthus,Iunderstoodthatbymeltingthegrassitwasincorporatedintomybody.

Itseems,thegrassmeltedbecauseitenteredmybody.Inotherwords,ratherthanenvelopingit,Iseemtohaveswallowedit.

Andbytheway…ithadnotaste.

.

Thisis,inotherwords,thatkindofthing.

I’mnotahuman.

Thatis,Iseemtohavediedfromthatstabwound,right?

Andthatwasnotaquestion,Iamcompletelycertainofthisfact.Andthus,ratherthanahospitalbed,IcanconfidentlysaythatIamatsomerockyplacewheregrassgrows.

WhathappenedtoTamura?

AndSawatari-san?

HasmyPCbeenproperlydisposedof?

Somesuspicionsstillremain.But,frettingoverthiswon’tachieve

anythingatthispoint.Ihavetodecidewhattodonext.

Actually,waitamoment.

Themerightnow,isanythinghappeningtome?Andbytheway,thatearliersensation…

Ionceagaindirectedmyconsciousnesstomyself.

*Puyon.Puyon*

Mybodymoveswithrhythmicmotion.

Inthatpitchblackdarkness,Ispentsometimetofigureoutmyappearance.

And…

.

Whatadiscovery!

iusedtobesimplyhandsome,butnowIhavethissleekandsophisticatedbodystyle!

Bah,areyouanidiot!Don’tacceptit~!

FromallthatIhavegatheredaboutmybody,onlythatdescriptionseemsappropriate.

Nono,youknow,thatdescription

Idon’thateit,right?Yeah.Somecouldevencallitcute,afterall.

Butwell…Ifyouwereasked[Wouldyouwanttobecomeone?],I’dsay90percentofpeoplewouldreplythesameway.

However,allIcandoisacceptthissituation.

.

ItseemsthatIhavereincarnatedasaslime.

.

*Moshamosha*

*Moshamoshamosha*

Iameatinggrass.

Why?Isn’titobvious?

I.HAVE.NOTHING.TO.DO!!!

.

SinceIhaveaccepted,albeitgrudgingly,thefactthatIbecameaslime,adayhaspassed.

Thefirstconcernonmymindwas,ofcourse,food.

Ifirsttriedtoseeifthisslimebodycanfeelhunger.Forthatpurpose,Ifirstcheckedmysurroundingsandfoundaplacewheregrassseemedtobeabundant.

Onthatnote,Ineedtopointoutthatthefirstgrasswasrightbymyside.Whenneeded,Icouldeatit,andit’ssapseemstobeusableinitsownway.Beingstuckinthiscompletedarkness,Iamveryluckytohavehaditsoclose.Evenbasicmotioncouldresultindeath,afterall.

Andso,let’sexperiment.

Aftercountingfiftythousandsheep,Igotbored.

ItriedtoseeifIwouldfallasleep,butdon’tfeelevenalittlebittired.

Itriedcountingprimenumbers,butdidn’tknowthenextone,soIgaveup.

Shiritoribyoneselfisalsopointless…isthereawaytokilltimebyyourself?(TLNote:Shiritoriisagamewhereyoutakethelastsoundinawordandmakethenextwordwithit)

IftherewasInternet,Icouldwastemytimeawayendlessly;cellphonegameswouldalsodo.Butthis…thisistorture.

MeditatinglikeanasceticmonkisimpossibleforanamateurlikeI.

OnethingIamstilluncertainabout:whereanyanimalsrunaroundhere.

Therehavebeennosignsofthemuntilnow.

Well,havingnosight,hearing,orsmellIcan’tsaytherehavebeennoneclosebyuntilnow,butIhaven’tbeenattackedbyoneuntilnow,atleast.

Thankstothat,withoutfearingformylife,Iamleisurelyliving.

ThatistheconclusionIreachedafterheroicallysufferingthis(mental)agony.

.

Idonotfeelhunger.NordoIneedsleep.

.

Seriously,mystomachneithercravedfoodnordidIeverdesiresleep.

Astohowmanydayshadpassed–Icouldnottellinthisdarkness.

NorhaveIheardthatstrangevoiceagain.IfIhad,Iwouldn’tmindplayingalongnow.

Thus,sinceIhavenothingtodo…Iameatinggrass.

SinceIhavenootherwaytokilltime,Iamquietlymunchingonsomegrass.

Now,I’veaccumulatedanddissolvedsomuchgrassinmybodythatIcansenseit.

Ifyouaskedwhatpurposethatserved,Iwouldconfidentlyrespond:none.

IamjustafraidthatifIdon’tdosomething,I’llgocrazy.

I’vegottenusedtotheroutinearoundhere.First[Absorb],then[Disassemble],endwith[Store],andthenrepeat.

Andthat’swhereIfoundapointtoinvestigate.

Lackinganappetitebringsforthanotherquestion:whataboutexcretion?Clearlyfoodisunnecessaryforthisbody,butwhataboutexcretion?

Theanswerwas…it’sunnecessary!

Ihaveyettoexcreteanythingafterallthistime.

Beingaslimeandallitisnotunexpectedforthisthingstobeunnecessary,but,inthatcase,whatisthis[Store]thingallabout?

FromwhatI’venoticed,Ihaven’tbeenchanginginanyway.

Butinthatcase,whathappenswithwhatIeat?

«Solution.Itisstoredinthestomachassociatedwithuniqueskill[Predator].Atthismoment,lessthan1%isoccupied»

What?Aresponseーーー!

But,sincewhenhaveIbeenusingthatskill?I’veselected[NO],afterall…

«Solution.Uniqueskill[Predator]hasnotbeenactivated.Substancesenteringintothebodyareautomaticallystored.Thisfunctionismodifiable»

Huh…Theresponsesaremuchmoresmoothernow.Notthatit’simportant.

Abouttheskill,whatwillhappenifIuseit?

«Solution.Theeffectsofuniqueskill[Predator]are…

Predation:Toabsorbthetargetintothebody.However,ifthetargetisconscious,thesuccessrategreatlydecreases.

Theaffectedtargetsincludeorganicmatter,inorganicmatter,skills,andmagic.

Analysis:Theabsorbedtargetisstudiedandanalyzed.Craftableitemscanthenbeproduced.Shouldmanyitemsgather,aduplicatecanbeproduced.Inthecaseofsuccessfulskillormagicanalysis,thesametechniquecanbeacquired.

Stomach:Thetargetcanbestored.Itemsproducedcanalsobestored.

Thereisnostoragetimelimit.

Mimicry:Replicatethetarget’sappearance.Theskillsandabilitiesusedbythetargetcanalsobeused.However,thisdependsonthesuccessfulanalysisandacquisitionofrelativeinformationregardingthetarget.

Isolation:Materialsharmfulorunnecessaryforanalysiscanalsobestored.Theywillbeusedtoreplacemagicenergy.

Thesefivepointsareyourpower»

Eh…?EH?

It’sbeenawhilesinceIlasttrembledwithexcitement.Somehow,Ijustheardofsomeincrediblepower…Suchanamazingabilityhasneverbeenheldbyaslimebefore.

Wait,beforethat.

Thevoicethathearsmyquestions,whatisthis?Istheresomeonethere.

«Solution.Thisisaneffectoftheuniqueskill[GreatSage].Forthesakeofquicklyutilizingyourskills,aresponsefunctionhasbeenadded»

Greatsage,huh…AtitleIthoughtwasgivenouttospiteme.Tothinkitwouldbesoreliablenow.Fromnowon,I’lldependonitmore.

Thatbeingsaid,thisisaprettygoodsituation.

ThiscouldbetheendtothisisolationIthoughteternal.

Perhapsthis“Voice”isonlyanauditoryhallucinationImademyself.Well,thatwouldbefineinitsownway.

Andthus,sincealongtimeago,myhearthasfeltatease.

.

.

.

Status

Name:MikamiSatoruSpecies:SlimeTitle:NoneMagic:NoneAbilities:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniquesSkill[Predator],Slimeskills[Dissolve,Absorbe,Regenerate]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainPerceptionResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

Chapter02-FirstContact

Atthemoment,ithasbeen90dayssinceIhavereincarnated.

Tobeprecise,90days,7hours,34minutes,and52seconds.

HowcanIbesosure?It’safunctionoftheuniqueskill[GreatSage].

Iya~,thisskillsureisconvenient![GreatSage]SavesTheDay!‘Causeitanswersanyquestion.

Accordingtoit,fortheskilltoestablishitselfinthisbody90daysareneeded.Andthatwouldbe“establish”inthisworld’ssense.

Imean,IwassurethatIhadpossessedthatskillsincethebeginning,butthatwastrueonlyregardingmysoul.

Untilnow,ithadbeenaccessingandusurpingthe“VoiceoftheWorld”,orsoitexplained.

ButdamnIdidn’tgetanyofthat.

Itseemsthatnormallyaconvenientskillthatanswersanyquestiondoesn’texist.

The“VoiceoftheWorld”isonlyaudiblewhentheworldchanges,askillisacquired,orundergoesan[Evolution].

Toanswermyquestions,the[GreatSage]skillhadbeenappropriatingthatparticularfunction.

Ihadn’theardofsuchanexistenceinmyworld,butitseemstobeprettynormalhere.

Inanycase,thingslikeskillacquisitionand[Evolution]arenoteverydayoccurrences.Whentheworldhadrecognizedsignificantgrowth–andin

rarecases!–itwillgrantaskill.[Evolution],ontheotherhand,transcendsthecommonsense.

Well…stillamnotcertainwhetherIreallygotanyofthat,butnothingtodobuttoacceptit.

Although[GreatSage]nowanswersanyquestion,itispassiveandlackanego.

IfIdon’ttalktoit,itwon’tcomeaskingquestions.Andthat’sashame.

However,Iamjusthappytohaveaone-wayconversationwithsomeone.

Thoughtalkingtomyownskill…mostwouldcallmesimplydelusional,eh?

.

Andso,sinceIhadnothingelsetodointhisdarkness,Ikeptaskingquestions.

Asaresult,IhaveconfirmedthatIam,infact,aslime(ViscousLife-form=Non-rarelife-form).

Lackofhungerandneedtosleephadalsobeenexplained.

Theslimesofthisworlddineonmagicalenergy,andthushavenoneedforphysicalnourishment.Wherethereispoorenergyconcentration,monstersandsmallanimalsserveasanalternative.

Andsointhisworld,unexpectedly,theslimesofenergydeprivedregionsareextremelyviolentandstrong.Woudn’tyouexpectregionswithabundantenergybehomestostrongmonstersinstead?

Inotherwords,whereIamnowisaplacewherefoodisunnecessary.

Thatexplained,aboutsleep,

«Solution.Slimebodiesareacompositionofidenticalcells.Everycell

servesasbraincell,nerveending,andmuscleatthesametime.

Thus,asthoughtprocessisundertakenbydifferentcellatdifferenttimes,sleepisunnecessary»

Andthatwasthat.

Sowherearemymemoriesstored?

Attheveryleast,itseemsnottobeataHDDRAIDlikestructure,no?

Whenthinkingthat,Igota«Seemstobearoundsomewhere»response.

This[GreatSage]guyseemsprettygoodatholdingconversation.(TLNote:thetermusedhereisAizuchi,whichreferstointerjectingintoamonologuewithashortphrasetoindicateunderstanding)

Andso,Igottowonderingwhattheeffectsof[GreatSage]were…

«Solution.Uniqueskill[GreatSage]hasthefollowingeffects…

Thought:Raisethoughtprocessingspeedbyathousandtimes.

AnalysisandJudgment:theabilitytoanalyzeandmakejudgmentsregardingatarget.

ParallelProcessing:theabilitytodetachthoughtsandanalysisofphenomenon.

Chantannulment:Whenusingmagic,thechantisnolongernecessary.

AllofCreation:Theabilitycomprehendanynon-concealedphenomenoninthisworld.

Thesefiveareyourabilities»

Andthatwasthat.

But,allofcreation?CoulditbethatIhaveobtainedalltheknowledgein

theworldwithoutliftingafinger?!OrsoIthoughtbut…

Inreality,dependingontheinformationIunderstandandthethingsIknowabout,additionalinformationcanbeinferred.

Inotherwords,Ineedtoseeitatleastonce,butforthemattersthatIhaveseen–thoseIunderstandthroughthispower.

But,chantannulment…Soafterlearningaskill,Idonotneedtoreciteanything?Moreimportantly,there’smagicinthisworld!!!

Theansweris[YES].

Withthisinmind,thereisnoneedtomemorizemagic.

Triedtoseeifthatwouldworkwith[GreatSage],andofcourse,itdidn’t.WhydidItry?CauseYOLO.

AndthenIgotanidea.

CouldIlinktogether[Predator]’sanalysisand[GreatSage]’sparallelprocessing?

«Solution.Linking[Predator]’sanalysisand[GreatSage]’sparallelprocessingispossible.Willyoulinktheabilities?[YES]/[NO]?»

Ofcourse,[YES]!

Butwell,it’snotlikeIhaveanythingtoanalyze…waitasecond!

Thatwhichhasbeencollectinginmystomach–thegrassIatetokilltime.Whatisit?SinceIgotnothingtodoanyways,mightaswellanalyzeit.

Andso,executetheskillatonce!

・

・

・

«Analysishasbeencompleted…

HipokteGrass:Usedtocreateointment.Onlygrowsinareaswithabundantmagicalenergy.Ifgrass’ssapiscombinedwithmagicalenergy,anenergyrestorationpillcanbecreated.Ifthegrassisgroundupandcombinedwithmagicalenergy,anointmenttostopbleedingcanbecreated.»

Whocouldhaveknown!

AllthatweedIhavebeenstoringtokilltime…

It’sbasicallyasifakidplayinginthesandfounddiamonds.

SoIquicklybeganproductionofenergyrestorationpillsandointment.ThoughIsay“Ibegan”production,mybodydoesmostbyitselfsoIdon’treallyfeelit.

Takingonlyasecondtoanalyze,andthreesecondstoproduce…afterfiveminutesIcanmakeahundredofthese!

ThoughIhadnofinishedproducttocompareitto,[Judgment]abilityevaluateditasahighqualityproduct.

CanIbesatisfiedwiththeseresults?

Andwasn’tanalysiscompiledwaytooquickly?

Imean,wouldn’tyouexpectittotakemoretime?

Linkingparallelprocessingwasdefinitelythecorrectdecision.

Outofcuriosity,Idecidedtocancelthelinkandtrytomakeone.Ittook50minutes.

Processingtimehasbecometerrifyinglyshort…

Iseemtohavegottenmyhandsonawonderfulskill.Whilebeingunconscious,thatis…

There’splentyofweedbeingusedupinsideofme,andmostofthegrassaroundhereseemstobetheHipoktekind.

Sinceitmightbeneededlater,Imightaswelldevourallthegrassaroundhere.

Andatthesametime,medicineisbeingproduced.

Whattosay?I’mstillstuckindarkness.Nothingelsetodo(thatIcando)aroundhere.

.

AtthistimeIwascompletelyoffguard.

Thoughmyskillwaspassive,Ihadbeenhighonfinallyhavingaconversationpartner(?).

Andduringthese90days,Ihadnevermetanotherlivingthing,norhadanythreattomylife.

Whateverthereason,Ibecamenegligent.

*Pochan!*(Attention:Thepersoninquestioncannothear.Pleaseenjoythisobjectivesoundeffect)

Eh?

That’sallthetimeIhadtothinkasithappened.

Mybodyhadsuddenlybecomelight–orwasitheavy?…abizarresituation.

HadI…falleninwater?

Duringthese90days,Ihaveneverhadtheexperienceoffallinginwater.

Thatis,Iwaseitherinacavernorinsidesomestructureandhavethusbecomenegligent.

Iseemtohavefallenintosomeriver.Sincetherecouldhardlybeariverinsidesomebuilding,couldIpossiblebeinanundergroundlakeorsomethinglikethat?

Untilrecently,sinceIsawnothingatall,Ihadbeencarefullytakingeverystep.

ButwhileIwasbusyeatinggrassandlisteningtotheskill’sexplanationsIseemtohave…

Forgottentocheckmyfooting.

I’malwayslikethat!

Alwaysgettinghighoffgoodluck.

Evenatmycompany.

「Leaveittome!It’sapieceofcake!」

DuetothosewordsI’veseenhellmanytimes.

IcouldstillseetheresentmentintheeyesofmySenpai.

Andseriously,whatkindofidiotrunsaroundintotaldarkness?

Damnit…Iwanttobeatthecrapoutofmyself.

IfIlive,that’swhatI’lldo.OrsoIsay,butI’llprobablyregretwithoutreflecting…

Andwell,I’vegottime.

Actually,I’vegotnofeettoflapinthewaterwith,soit’snotlikeIcanevenpanicinthissituation.

Iguessthat’sit.

Ashortlifeofaman…slime.

Preparingtosufferfromlackofair,Ihavesaidmygoodbyes.

…

……

………

AndyetIdidnotfeelanysuffering.

Why?DidInotfallintowater?

Attimeslikethis…[GreatSage]SavesTheDay!

Let’squicklyaskaquestion.

«Solution.Slimebodiesmovewithmagicalenergy.Sinceoxygenisunnecessary,breathingdoesnotoccur»

Huh…Iwasn’tpayingattention,butIguessIreallyaren’tbreathing.

Isee.After90days,Ihaveagainbecomeabitsmarter.

Thatbeingso,Iseemtohavereallyfallenintowater.

NotasituationwhereIwilldie,butstillanunpleasantone.

Whattodo…

Idon’tevenknowwhetherIamfloatingorsinking.

SinceIdon’thavehandsorfeet,Idon’tthinkIcanswim.

IfIsinktothebottom,couldIcrawlmywaytosurface?

AndifIamfloating,wouldIflowingaroundlikethis?

Ratherthanflowing,itfeelslikeI’mbegincradled.Likeslowlyrockedinanembrace–aratherpleasantfeeling,but…

IguessIamnotflowinganywhere.Ratherthanariver,thisisprobablyalake.Doesn’tfeellikeIamgettingcarriedsomewhere,afterall.

Floating,sinking,withnoindicationofeverreachingthebottom.

Thiscouldlastforever,forallIknow.

Thisisanratherbadsituation.

Whattodo…

Andthen,

Mybraincells=slimebodyhaddevisedaterrifyingplan!

.

WhatwouldhappenifIpredatealotofwaterandthenexpelitlikeawaterjet?

.

Havingthoughtofthat,Iimmediatelytestedit.Nothingelsetodo,afterall!

Butthatthisdecisionwouldleadtoafatefulencounter,thatIcouldnothaveknown…

IamgladIhadthisidea.Tosaytheleast,hadIwentinadifferentdirection,thismeetingwouldneverhadhappened.

But,asifledbyfate,Iwentintothisdirection.

Andso,predatingenoughwatertofillabout10%ofmystomach(※Thepersoninquestionisunaware,butwaterlevelsdrasticallydecreased).

Andinonebreath,Ireleasedit.

Icompletelylostmysenseofplace.

«Skill[HydraulicPropulsion]hasbeenacquired»

Isuddenlyheardavoiceinmyhead.

That’sthefirsttimeIconsciouslyhearit.Thatisthe“VoiceoftheWorld”.

Since[GreatSage]neverstartsaconversationIcan’tbemistaken,butotherwiseit’sexactlythesame.

But,Idon’tevenhaveanounceoftimetoverifythathypothesis!

.

Witha*Zugun!*afeelingofaccelerationenvelopesmybody…isthiswhatiffeelsliketoflythroughtheair?(Atthispoint,inthedirectionIthoughtIwantedtomovein)…Iwasshotoutthere.

Hatetoadmitit,butmaybeit’sagoodthingIcan’tsee.

Eveninthiscompletedarkness,thesheerspeedatwhichIafeelIammovingisterrifying.

Correction.

No,ifIcouldseeI’dstillfeelatleasthalfasafraid…butnotseeingisscaryinitsownway.

Ifyouhadriddenonarollercoasterinadimlylitamusementpark,youcouldsympathizewithwhatIamfeeling…maybe.

Inmylife?TheonetimeIhadgonetoaratinfestedamusementparkisalltheexperienceIhave.

Andbesides,inthiscasethereisnosuchthingassafetybelts.

Ireallyshouldkickmyselfforcomingupwiththiswaterjetpropulsionidea.

Actthenthink?Idiot!Checkingsafetyisthefirststep!

*Apapapapapa・・・・・・・・・*

Can’tevenfocusmythoughtsoutoffear.

Wouldthisflightcontinueforever?Andseriously,howmuchmomentumdidIeventhrowout?WhenIthoughtthat,

.

*Don!Boyon!!!Gororomzudon!!!*

.

Andthenintensepain…therewasnone.

Hmm?DidInotreceiveanydamage…ormaybe,evenifIreceiveddamage,doInotfeelanypain?

«Solution.DuetohavingacquiredPainResistance,youdonotfeelanypain.DuetothePhysicalAttackResistancedamagehasbeenreduced.Currently,thedamagedareaisonly10%.

MonsterSkillSlimespecificskill[Regeneration]hasactivated.Willyouassistitwiththeuniqueskill[Predator]?[YES]/[NO]»

Thoughthere’snopain,there’sdamage.Isthathowitis…whetherthat’sgoodornot,Ihaven’taclue,butifIamcarefulmaybeIwouldnotneedpain.

Ohand,assistwith[Predator]?Don’treallygetit,butfornow,[YES].

.

Atthatmoment,itkindoffeltlikemybodyhaddecreasedabit.Andafterabit,ithadreturnedbacktonormal.

Itseems,thatIhadpredatedonthedamagedparts,analyzedandrepaired

themtypeofthing.

Whatausefulbody…now,shouldIseehowmuchIcoulddecreaseitbeforethisrestorationmethodbecomesunusable?Howevermanypercentmybodydecreaseditseemstohavenoeffectonmymovement…Evenso,sothatIdonotendupinanoverlydangeroussituation,Ishouldprobablyproceedinmoderation.

Yup.Asyouwouldexpect,evenIwouldbecomecareful.

Thistime,eventhoughIhaverestorativepills,therewasnoneedtousethem.

Inanycase,you’dexpect10%damageacrossthebodytobearatherseriouswound,butrepairingitdidn’teventake10minutes.

Thistime,ifItookdamage(ofcourseifIdidn’tI’dbeveryhappy…)I’llusethemedicine.

.

Andso…wherewouldthisbe?

Havingconfirmedthatmybodyhadreturnedtonormal,Iproceededtocheckmysurroundings.

Maybetherearedangerousmonsterslurkingaroundhere.

ThoughIexitedthewater,itwouldn’tbestrangetofindsomeamphibiousmonsters.

.

Icarefullystartedmoving.

Lately,itfeelslikewhenI’mcarefulIfallintosomeratherdangeroussituations,butmaybethat’sjustmyimagination.

Thinkingthatwasprobablyamistake.

(Canyouhearme?Littleone)

SoIheardsomething.

.

.

.

Status

Name:MikamiSatoruSpecies:SlimeTitle:NoneMagic:NoneTechniques:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slimespecificskill[Dissolve],[Absorption],[Restoration],skill[HydraulicPropulsion]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance.

Chapter03-FirstConversation

Didsomeonesay“LittleOne”?NomatterhowIthinkaboutit,theywereprobablytalkingaboutme…Butratherthanavoice,itfeltmorelikebeingdirectlymadeawareofthosewords.Atanyrate,Idon’tgotearstohear.

(Oi!Youcanhearme,can’tyou?Respondingwouldbegood!)

Icanhearyou!But,however!SinceIlackavoice,Icannotrespond.Asatest,

(Tooloud,baldie!)

That’stheanswerItriedtoprojectinmyhead.Well,notlikeyouhearitanyways,soyoushouldbefine.But,howdidIrespond…

(…Ho,Hoho!Todeignusabaldy,aren’tYouabraveone!!!IthasbeenlongsinceIhavelasthadcompanysoImayhavestartedpoorly,butthisoneseemstobesearchingfordeath!)

Thisisbad.Heheardthatone.Buthey,whenIthinkwordsinmyhead,Icanrespond!HadIbeentaughtthatearlier,Iwouldn’thavetoangermypartner.Andbesides,Idon’tevenknowwhatmypartnerislikeatall.Well,that’sthat.Timetothrowinthetowel.Let’sproperlyapologizehere.

(I’msorry!Ididn’tknowhowtorespond,soIdecidedtotrywhateverseemedappropriate.Isincerelyapologize!

Andonthatnote,ImustnotethatIhavenoeyestoseewith,soIcannotbeholdyourvisage.)

Didthatreach?Well,althoughIcan’tseehim,whowouldexpecthimtoactuallybebald?Thoughifthat’sthecase,thenanyamountofragecanonlybeexpected.Let’salsorefrainfromthoughtlessstatements(?).

(Fufufu.Fuhaha.Fuahahahahaha!)

Andsuddenly,laughter.Aperfect,threesteplaughter.Simplybreathtaking.Hastheangerpassed?

(Interesting.Truly,statedwithoutbeholdingmyappearanceasIsuspected,butforyoutolackeyes.Slimespeciesaretypicallythoughtlesscreaturesthatonly[Absorb],[Dissolve],and[Regenerate].Ihaveyettobeholdoneleavingtheirterritory.)

Somehow,hestartedtellingatale?Ratherthanabatinghisanger,didIwinhisinterest…?Atanyrate,thisisfirstcontact.Thisisthefirstchapterinmylife’s(slime)story.Iwanttoproceedonfavorableterms.Andlearnalotfromhim.

(Whenaslimesuddenlyrammedmybody,Inaturallyfounditratherbizarre.Atanexceptionallyhighspeed,atthat.WhatareYou?Anamedmonster?Auniquemonster?

Named?Unique?Idon’tunderstand.

(Iapologize,butIdon’treallyunderstandthemeaningofwhatyousaid.Truthbetold,sinceIhavebeenbornonly90dayshave…)

(Ay.Self-awarenessissomethingimpossibleforaslime.Namedmonstersarethosethathavereceivedaname,buttohavehadonly90dayspasssincebirth…inthatcase,unique?)

(Whatwouldyoumeanby“unique”?)

(Uniquemonstersarethosewhohaveundergonesomemutationandpossessunusualpowers.Rarely,suchareborninareaswithhighmagicalenergydensity…Isee,yourbirthwasfoundedonmagicalenergydrawnfrommyself!)

Mumu?Andwhatwouldthatmean?Let’sseeifpastworld’sknowledgecanbeusedfigurethisoneout.Inotherwords,fromthisoldman(assumption)magicalenergyflows,andthusithasbecomeabundantinaroundhere.Andwhenthatenergygathered,themonsterthatwasbornfromit–theslime=myself?Isthatit?

(Ay.Inthese300years,amonsterwhocouldapproachmyselfhadnotexisted.Beingbornfrommypower,perhapsYoucouldevenlayyourhandsuponmyself!)

(Hoho…inthatcase,youwouldbesomethingakintomyparent?)

(Aparentwouldbethewrongwaytocallit.Afterall,Idonotpossessreproductivecapabilities.Somemonsterscanreproduce,andsomecannot.)

(Normally,lackingsuchcapabilitieswouldbenormal,no?Ifmonstersbornfromcondensedmagicalenergy,wouldn’treproductionbeunnecessary?)

(…Littleone,youaresurprisinglyintelligent.Normally,themonsterswhothinkarefewinnumber,butthosethatpossesstrueintelligencewouldbeonlytheMajin…Butthatisfine,Iwillrespondtoyourquestion.Thereareinferiortribeswhichreproduce.Goblinsandorcs,alongwithlizardmen–tonameafew.Thesearespecialamongthemonsters,andarecommonlyreferredtoasdemi-humans.Amongdemi-humans,therealsothosewhohavebefriendedhumanity.Elves,hobbits,anddwarfs–thosebelongingtothefairmagicalraces.Well,inafewwords,thosethesupporttheMajinarecalledmonsters,andthosethatsupporthumansarerecognizedasapartoftheirspecies.Thesedemi-humanswouldbetherepresentativesofthereproducing

monsters.Thoughtometheyarenomorethantrash!

Next,abouttheMajin.Althoughthesehavebeenbornfrommagicalenergy,theyaregenerallybeastsandmagicalbeastswhohaveevolvedbeyondthemselves.Reproductivecapabilitiesandtrueintelligenceareconsideredtheirspecialfeatures.Mostofall,thesetendtovaryasindividuals.Amongthese,therealsothehighclassmajin.Theyarethemostdisorganizeanddiversebunch.

Theconclude,thegiants,thevampires,andthedevilsarethehighclassmajinwiththelongestlifespan.Althoughthesetoocanreproduce,theynormallyabstain.Hostingoverwhelmingmagicalenergy,theirfleshneverdecays.Andso,thereisnoneedtoleaveoffspring.Thoughperhapsiftheirnumbersweretodecreaseduetoawarorsomegreatcalamity,thatmaychange.Asonewouldexpect,theyarestrong.Imyselfhavefoughtwiththemmanytimes,yettheyarenotanopponentyoucanfacemanyatatime.Aperfectbrawlingpartner!

Alltogether,thesearereferredtoasthedemonicraces.Ofhighintelligence,capableofreproduction,andlayingwastetohumanity–thesearedeignedasdemonsbythem.

AsforwhyIcannotreproduce…thereissimplynoneed.Iarta“Abeingperfectasone,oneofthefourexistingdragons.TheStormDragonVeldora!”SuchisI!Iamboundbyneithertimenorflesh!Amassofpuremagicalenergy,andthusIartendless!!!

Fu….hahahahahahaha!!!)

Andtherehegoeswithhishighpitchedlaughter…Sobasically,sincehehasnolifespan,heneedsnochildren!Thatkindofthing?Hisexplanationdraggedon,butitwasprettyuseful.StormDragonVeldora…adragon,huh?

Fightinghighclassmajinforfun,ain’theadangerousfellow?Thiswouldfitthetasteofmostpeopleengrossedinmanga,anime,andlightnovels.WithallthatIknow,thereisnoquestionthattheStormDragonVeldoraisdangerous.Andthefactthatheexplainedeverythingsopolitelyjustmakesthisfeelmoreominous.Now…whattodonext…

(Is…isthatso!Whataneasytounderstandexplanation,thankyouverymuch!Wellthen,I’llexcusemyself!)

Withthosewords,Itriedtotakemyleave.

(Wait.Ihaveexplainedmyself.Isitnotyourturn?Hmm?)

Doesn’tseemlikeasituationwhereIneedtoquicklyrunaway.Yeah~.Let’stalkaboutmyself…butwait.Ireincarnatedintoadifferentworld!IfIsaidthat,wouldheevenbelieveit?Asaslimepossessinghighintelligence,deceivinghimwouldbeunthinkable.Ifanything,ifhewillfigureoutthatIamtryingtodeceivehim…thatwouldraiseadeathflag,wouldn’ti?Oh,well.Whetherhebelievesmeornot,isnotformetodecide.Havingcometoadecision,Idiscussedeverythingthathappeneduntilnow.

・・・・・

(Andwell,that’sthething!Ain’titstrange!)

Withoutmentioninganythingaboutmyskills,IdiscussedeverythingfromwhenIgotstabbed,towakingupasaslime,andsituationsI’velivedthrough.

AsIwassayingthis,itstrangelydidnotseematroublingsituationatall,but,well,itwasprettybad.ThefactthatIcan’tseebeingtheworstpartofitall.Ifthisgoeson,won’tIpassoneverycutegirlsandbeautifulwomenaround?Thatmakesmesaid…

(Isee.YouhadreincarnatedasIthought.Whatatrulyraremethodyouused.)

(Eh?Method?Andhey,aren’tyousupposedtobedoubtfulorsurprised?)

What’swiththatresponse.Isn’treincarnationsupposedtobesomethingreallyrare?Fromthewayhesaysit,normalbirthisbeginningtoseemmoreunusual!

(Ay.Reincarnatedtendtoappearonceinawhile.Soulswithstrongintentionsengravedinthem.ThoseamongthemwhoremembertheirpastlifearenotallthatunusualButtohavereincarnatedfromadifferentworld…thatisrare.Moreover,you’dnormallybebornfromahuman.Buttobebornasamonster,andfrommagicalenergytosaytheleast…thatIhaveneverheardof.Tohavecrossedtheboundariesoftheworlds,justhavingastrongsoulisnotenough.Hadyounotstabilizedyoursoulinthisdemonicbody,yoursoulwouldhavevanished.Youarespecial.)

(Isthatso?Iwasn’tselfaware,though…Sotherearethosewhohavereincarnatedfromadifferentworld,huh?)

(Ay.Althoughtherehaven’tbeensuccessfulcasesofworldtravel,somehavewanderedfromtheretothisside.A“Foreigner”anda“WorldTraveler”–sotheyarecalled,andtheypossessspecialintellect.Also,theytendtohaveacquiredsomespecialskills.Recordsofreincarnatedbeingrenownedfortheirwisdomdoremain.Thoughtherearemostlikelythosethatwereneverrecognized.)

Isee.Otherworlds..IdonotknowwhethertheyarefrommyEarthornot,butmeetingthemwouldnotbeabadidea.Maybe,thereareafewJapanesearound.Mightaswellmakemeetingonemygoal.

(Isee!Inthatcase,I’llgoseeifIcanmeetany“WorldTraveler”.Maybe,I’llfindacompatriotamongthem.)

(Still,littleone.Youcan’tevensee.)

(Ah…right.)

IfIcan’tsee,thenwhat?

It’sinconvenient,butifIcarefullyhoparound,I’mcertaintomeetthemsomeday.Probably.

(Ishallrestoreyoursight.)

Huh?What?Oioi,thisoldman,no,thisStormDragonVeldora…ain’theagoodman(dragon)?CanIreallyexpectthismiracle?

(Eh?Willyoureally?)

(Ay.But,thereisacondition.Howaboutit?)

Acondition…huh.Ominous,but…

(Whatsortofcondition?)

(Asimpleone.Whenyouregainyoursight,donotfearme.And,pleasecometalktomeagain.Howaboutit?)

Isjustthatfine?Andcoulditbe…wasthisdragonjustlonely?Solitudeborneofstrength?AndjustasIthoughttheconversationwentonforawhile.Hemustnothavehadanyonetotalktoinawhile.

Maybehe’sjustabigsofty.But,maybehe’snotevenarealdragon.Ormaybethedragonsofthisworldaren’tallthatimpressive.Yup.Thisiscertainlyagooddeal.

(Isjustthatmuchenough?)

(Ay.Truthbetold,Ihadbeensealedawayforthreehundredyears.Andso,Ihavebeensoplaguedbyboredom.Howaboutit?)

(Ifyouarealrightwithit,thenIwillhappilyaccept!)

(Ay.Thenit’sapromise.Keepit!)

(Iwill!Astheysay,Iamadependableslime!)

Ofcourse,onlyIthinkso.

(Verywell.Thereexistsa[MagicPerception]skill.Canyouuseit?)

(No,Icannot.Whattypeofskillisit?)

(Youperceivethesurroundingmagicalenergy.It’snotamajorskill,andacquiringtheskillisrathersimple.)

(Hoho.Simpleyousay!))

※Truly,itisactuallynotsimpleatall.

(Ay.ForthoselikeI,itisassimpleasbreathing–youdon’tevenknowyouaredoingit.)

(Isee!IfIweretoacquireit,wouldIbeabletosee?)

(Thatistheidea.Theworldiscoveredinmagicalenergy.Thereisadifferenceinconcentration.And,lightanddarkpossessawavelikeproperty,didyouknow?)

(Yeah,lightwaveanddarkwaves,right?)

(Youknowwell,isthatknowledgefromtheotherworld?Well,itisso.Butobservingthesefluctuations,youcancalculatetheappearanceofthesurrounding.Simply,right?)

Haa?Whatthehell?Thisguy…howisthatsimply?!

(Iya~,soundsalittledifficult…)

(What?Withthis,evenifyoureyesandearsarecrushed,youcancontinuecombat.Ambushesbecomeimpossible.It’sanindispensableskill!)

(Iyaiyaiyaiya!Let’sleavethematterofcombatasidefromnow,Ijustwanttobeabletosee!)

(Muu~,ifyousayso.I’llhelpwithacquisition!Andbytheway,Idon’tknowanotherway!)

(Wha…canyouevendoit?!Aren’tyouabeginneratthisyourself?)

(Don’tworry.Youareamongtheluckyfewwhopossessespastworldmemories.Thus,youknowwhatlightanddarknesslookslike.Ifyouhadnotknown,makingyouseewouldhavebeenimpossibleevenforme.Youareindeedblessed!)

Isee,explaininglightanddarknesswouldbedifficultforthosewhohaveneverseenthemIknowIcouldn’tdoit.IttookHellenKeller2yearstolearnthemeaningofwords.Inotherwords,duetootherworld’sknowledge,Icanobtainpseudo-sightandhearingthroughthe[MagicPerception]skill…NotlikeIcanrefusetotryanyways.Beingunabletoseeisfartooinconvenient.Moreover,I’veforgottenaboutit,butIalsohavethe[GreatSage]skill.Surelysomethingwillcomefromthis!

(Pleaseteachme!)

(Nay,fretnot;itistrulysimple.First,trytomovethemagicalenergyinsideyourbody.)

This,Isomehowunderstand.IthinkIcanusethesameprincipleasmovingthroughthewater.

(Likethis?)

Whileenclosingitinmybody,Iverifymovementofmagicalenergy.

(Ay.Thoughyousaidotherwise,youseemquietaptatthis.Inthiscase,theenergythatmoveswithinyouandthatwhichisbesideyou–doyoufeelthedifference?)

Thisisactuallyprettysimple.It’sagoodthingIspentallthattimefeelingmagicalenergy–Imean,Ilivebyabsorbingitafterall!Feelingitisamust!

(ThatmuchIunderstand!SinceIeatit,youknow?)

(Kukuku.Sinceyouunderstandthatmuch,therestissimple.Feelthemovementofmagicalenergyoutsideofyourself.)

That’swhatIdon’tunderstand,though.Anyways,asinstructed,Itriedtofeelit.Idofeelitswaying.Backandforth,backandforth…Right!Let’sactive[GreatSage]!

«Verified.Extraskill[MagicPerception]…hasbeensuccesfullyacquired»«Willyouuseextraskill[MagicPerception]?[YES]/[NO]»

Eh?DidIreallyjustacquireitthateasily?Wellyeah,ofcourse,[YES].Asexpected,[GreatSage]isreliableasalways!

ThemomentIhadactivatetheextraskill[MagicPerception],mymindwasfilledwithinformation.Never,evenasahuman,hadIprocessedthatmuchinformationatonce.

Littlebylittle,magicalenergymovingalong–wavesoflightanddarkness.Havinggraspedalloftheincominginformation,IconvertitintooneIcanunderstand.Andso,Icannowsee360degreesaroundme,withoutasingleblindspot.

Aboulder ’sshadow,thescenery100metersaway:ifIdirectmyconsciousnessthere,Icanseeit.Ifahuman’smindwasfilledwiththatmuchinformation…itjustmightfry.But,Iamaslime.Everyoneofmycellsisamuscleandabraincell!Icandefinitelymanagethismuch.Andso…

«Linkingextraskill[MagicalPerception]anduniqueskill[GreatSage]…complete»

Myfieldofvisionclearedup.Moreover,Iwasnotattackedbyaburningpaininmybrain.ThatIwasn’tabletodothisuntilnowisstrangeinitself,thisisanobviousformof“vision”.[GreatSage]justmightbeacheat.Thatcertainlyisnotanoverstatement.Ifothersheldit,Iwouldcertainlybecryingfoul.Buttheonepossessingit,isme.Sothere’snoproblem.

(Well…Isomehowseemtohavemanagedit.Thankyouverymuch!)

WhenIsaidthat,Ifinallybeheld“that.”Whatdoyouknow…arealdragon.Gleaminglikeblacksteel,flexibleanddurable,likethescalesofafish….Thevisageofanevildragon…

(Geh!Dragon!!!!!!)

AnappearancemoreevilthanIwasexpecting,ascreamhadescapedfrommyheart.

.

.

Status

Name:MikamiSatoruSpecies:SlimeTitle:NoneMagic:NoneTechniques:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-specificskill[Dissolve],[Absorption],[Regeneration],skill[HydraulicPropulsion],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception].Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance.

TLNote:Majin魔人,wouldbetranslatedaseithermagicalmenordemonicmen.TheclosestwordwehaveinEnglishwouldprobablybedevils,buttheauthordecidedtouseitlater.Thus,Idecidedtoleaveitasitis.

Chapter04-FirstFriend

Tosaytheleast,Iwassurprised.Realsorryforcallingyouasofty.Noquestionatall–he’sdangerous.I’llblamemyrudeattitudeonthelackofsight…notlikethatwillachieveanything.

(Oi.Doyourememberourpromise?…andbesides,forallthatcomplaining,you’velearneditprettyeasily.)

(Ofcourse~!Iwasjustkidding.Icanseemysurrounding,andIcanalsohearsounds.Thankyou!)

(Ay.Couldhavetakenmoretimelearningit,though…)

Well,Ishouldbefine.Gotscaredabit,butcan’tignorethefactthatthisdragonhasbeensonicetome.Moreover,hereallyisjustlonely.Justfromtheglance,he’slookslikehe’slostalot.Kindoflikethe“cryingredogre”.(TLNote:lookupTheOgreWhoCriedongoogleformoreinformation)

(So…whatshallyoudonow?)

(Umm…IthinkI’llgoaroundlookingforfellowworldtravelers,thoughnoharmifIdon’tfindany.)

Findingsomewouldbegood,butonlyifongoodterms.Andbesides,sinceIfinallycanseemightaswellseetheworld.Theworldseemssomuchbiggernow.Noneedtomunchongrasstokilltimeanymore.

But…thisdragon.Doesn’tseemlikehecanevenmoveamuscle.

Andyou’resayinghestayedlikethatfor300years?

(Bytheway,Veldora-sanmentionedthatyouhavebeen…sealed?)

(Mu?Ah,yes.Imadethemistakeofunderestimatingasmallnuisance…hadIwentallout,Iwouldnothavebeendefeated!)

Somehow,thewayheannounced“defeated”soundedpridefulratherthananything.Honestly,doesn’treallyseemslikeswordnorspear,andcertainlynotmagic,canevenwoundthisguy,but…

(Washereallysostrong?)

Whatbeastcouldpossiblebestrongerthanhim?TheoutsideworldisscarierthanIthought!…probably.

(Itisso.Strongindeed.Clothedindivineprotection,thehumanity’s“hero”.)

Hero.I’mratherfamiliarwiththetermfromgaming.Recently,the“stumbledintothepositionofahero”plotlinehasbeenpopular,butIdon’trememberthembeingsooverpowered.Inthisworld,seemsliketheyaretrulystrong.

(Speakingof,theheroreferredtooneselfasthe“Summoned”.Couldtheherohavebeenfromyourworld?)

(Eh?Nono!Nooneisthatstronginmyworld!)

(Nay,theworldtravelersinthisworldtypicallyholdsomespecialpower.Thatiswhatservesasthepowertoetchtheirsoulsintothisworld.The“Summoned”mostcertainlyholdssomespecialpower.Mostlikely,holdingtheoneofakind–uniqueskill.Differentfromthosewhostumblebychance,summonedsoulsareespeciallystrong.Thesuccessrateislessthan0.03%,butinthishero’scaseitsucceeded.)

(Whenyousaysummoning,doyoumeancallingsomethingoutwithmagic?)

(Asyousay.Itisathreedayritualinvolvingthirtypeople.Thesuccessrateislow,butsuccessistypicallymetwithapowerfulweapon.)

(Huh?Weapon?)

(Ay.Thesummonerengravesacurseintothesoulofthesummonedtopreventrebellion.)

(What’swiththat?!Aresummonedpeoplenotrecognizedashumans?!)

(Humans?…worldtravelssometimescomplainaboutthat.Thattypeofthingisbutanillusioninthisworld.Survivalofthefittest,thatistheonlytruthinthisworld.)

Isee…It’sprettyhardtoacceptthisworldssummoningwithmyworld’sstoriesinmind.

(Inthatcase,wouldthe“WorldTravelers”alsobetreatedmuchlikeslaves?)

(Thatwoulddependontheperson.Theyhavenotreceivedthe“MonsterWardingCharm”–thosethatdoeitherlivequietlivesorbecomeadventurers,orsomethinglikethat.Truly,amongthemanyfoesIhaverepelled,quietafewcamefromanotherworld!Fuhahaha!!!)

(Inotherwords,forcedlaborisonlylimitedtothe“Summoned”case,huh?)

(Idonotknowwhetheritisappropriatetocallit“labor”…but,sobeit.Iknowmuchabouthumans,butcertainlynoteverything.)

(That’sonlytobeexpected…sorry.)

Rather,foradragonheseemsextremelyinformed.

Anyways,justtalkingmakeshimseemsohappy,andheanswersanyquestion.Sofornow,thedragonandI,willcontinueorconversation.

Abouthowhefoughtthehero.Abouthowstrongtheherowas.

Whiteskin.Deepcrimson,smalllips.Jetblack,longhair.Nottootall,petiteandthinphysique.Andthoughtheeyeswerehiddenbyamask,thattheherowasbeautifulwasclear.Awoman.

.

So…wasitherlooksthatgothim?WhenIaskedthat,“Don’tbespoutingnonsense!”–cametheangryreply.

.

Shecarriedapeculiarlycurvedblade–calleda“katana”–andfoughtwithoutashield.UniqueSkill[CertainSeverance]UniqueSkill[EndlessPrison]Withtheseskills,andeveryformofmagic,sheoverwhelmedme!—sohehappilyexclaimed.

Iunderstoodthetalebut,thisdragon,hejustloveshumans,huh.Hecallsthemsmallfryandtrash,butitseemshehasneverkilledanyofthem.Atleastthosethathavenotearnedhiswrath.

Thatonetime,300Yearsago,afteracertainincident,heturnedonecitytodust.Andduetothatincident,theherowasdispatched,andVeldorawassealed.Bythehero’sskill[EndlessPrison].

IdoubtIcanunderstandthedragon’sfeelings.Morethanitjustbeingsomeoneelse’semotion,intheend,imaginationcanhardlyleadtotruesympathy.But,atleastIcansaythatheisn’tabaddragon.Andhey,Ilikehim.SoofcourseI’mnolongerafraidofhim.Andso,

(Okay!So,withme…no,canwebefriends?)

Ouch…that’sstillprettyembarrassing.Imustbebrightredrightnow…

(Wha,whatdidyousay?ForthefearedStormDragonVeldoratobecomef-f-friendswithsomeoneofs-s-slime’ssocialstanding?!)

(Ah…well,ifyouhateitthatmuch…)

(Stupid!You!Nobodysaidanythingabouthating!)

(Eh,then?Umm…whatwillyoudo?)

(…let’ssee…well,ifyouinsist…Icanconsider…)

Somehow,itseemsheistimidlystealingglancesmyway.Hadthisbeendonebyacutegirl,I’dbeveryhappy…butwhenit’sdonebyanevillookingdragon…Well,itisinteresting.

(Iinsist!Decide!Ifyouhate,thedealsoff.Nosecondchances!!!)

(Cho…!ThenIhavenochoice!I’llbecomeyourfriend!Showmeyourgratitude!)

Phew.Thisdragonisn’tveryobedient.Ialsoaren’t,sowe’reagoodfit.

(Then,I’llbeinyourcare!)

(Ay!…oh,andletmegrantyouaname.Youalsogivemeone!)

(Huh?Why?Sosuddenly?)

(Toetchintooursoulsthatweareequals.Ashumanscallit,FamilyNametypeofthing.TheoneIgrantyouwillbestowuponyou“DivingProtection”.Youstilllackaname,soyoushallbecomeanamedmonsternow!)

Mumu.So,IhavetocomeupwithaFamilyName(oneforcommonuse),huh?I’mnotreallygoodatthisstuff…

(SinceyouarecalledtheStormDragon,howaboutsimply“Tempest”?)

That’snogood,right?Sinceitsoundgood,IsimplytookStormandchangeditintoTempest…

(It’sdecided!Whatawonderfulname!)

Helikedit!?

(Fromnowon,IamVeldoraTempest.Andyou…Shallbecalled“Rimuru,”RimuruTempestshallbethinename!!!)

AndthatnamewasetchedintomysoulFromwhatIcanseeandfeel,Idon’tfeelanydifferent.Butsomewheredeepinmysoul,Ifeltsomethingchange.ThatwouldbesomethingtomentiontoVeldora,wouldn’tit?Andso,Ihavebecomefriends(orwoulditbemoreappropriatetocallthissoul-mates?)withhim.

(Oh,andbeforeIgo,Iwantedtoask.Istherenothingyoucandoaboutthatseal?)

(Notwithmypower.Ifitwereauniqueskilllikethatofahero,thenitcouldperhapsbepossible…)

(Youdonotpossessanyuniqueskills?)

(Ido.Butfromthemomentthesealwasplaced,Icouldnolongeruseany.Ibarelymanagedretainingmytelepathy…)

Atthemoment,thehero’suniqueskill[EndlessPrison]prisonsealsthetargetinendlesstimeandimaginaryspace;anunpleasantskillthatdoesnotpermitinterferencefromhere.Thoughitdoesseemstrangethattheonlythinghecandoistocommunicatetelepathically…It’snotliketheskillweakenswithtime,afterall.Beingabletoevenrecognizethepresentandconversewithothercreaturesallseemlikeexampleofinterference.What’sunusualisVeldorahimselfhere…Ofcourse,bothusnoticedthis.

(Alright.There’ssomethingIwanttotry…)

AsIsaidthat,ItouchedVeldora.And,

«Attemptingtopredateuniqueskill[EndlessPrison]viauniqueskill[Predation]…failure»

Asexpected,ahero’ssealisnotgoingtobethiseasy.Forbutasecond,interferencewiththehero’sskillreleasedablindinglight,butthenitreturnedtonormal.Seemslikeforabriefmoment,aseamopenedinthisendlessprison.Butitquicklyrestoreditself.Andanyways,“Sinceit’salsoauniqueskill,something’llhappen”typeofthingwillonlyleadtotrouble.Isn’tthereanythingIcando?Whattodo…

«Solution.Uniqueskill[EndlessPrison]hasbeenpartlyanalyzed.Ishallpresenttheescapemethod.

Itisimpossibleforfleshtoescape.Physicaldamagewise,thechanceofdestroyingtheprisonis0%.

Withregardstotheimaginaryspaceescapemethod–theanalysisprovedimpossible.Analysisinidenticalsituation–imprisonmentinan[EndlessPrison]isnecessaryforanalysis.Therefore,currentlythisisimpossible.

Thechanceofreleasingaspiritualbodyis1%.Shouldoneprepareahostforthespiritaheadoftime,andmovethereintheprocess,thesuccessrateincreasesto3%.Atthemoment,thisprocessissimilartoreincarnation.Shouldtheaffinitywiththehostbepoor,memoriesandskillswillallbereset.

Endofthereportonescapemethods»

…Fumu.Thechancesarefartoolow.Doesn’tlookmorethanflimsyfilm,this[EndlessPrison]skill.Butforittobeimpervioustophysicaldamage….Theremustbesomeweaknesstothisabsolutedefense.

(Didherotakeanydamage?Anywoundsorsomething?)

(Wellasked!Ourblowswerewellwatched,andIhavelandedafewdirecthits!But,therewasnoeffect.“DeathCallingWinds”,“BlackLighting”,andeven“StormofDestruction”.Allareskillsthatcannotbeevaded,andyetnoeffect!Igaveup!Itwaslaughable!!!)

AndallothersimilarbabblewouldendinVeldora’sloudlaughter.Uniqueskill[EndlessPrison]wasdefinitelyusedtocoverherbody,ifalloutsideinterferenceisnegated,noshieldisnecessary.Whatausefulskill!Uniqueskill[CertainSeverance]Uniqueskill[EndlessPrison]Ifyoucombinethesetwo,wouldn’tyoubeessentiallyinvincible?Definitelydon’twanttomeether…Sheshouldhavepassedawaybynow,soshouldbeokay.Withoutaquestion,shebelongedinthestrongestclass.

※Inreality,VeldorawasalsointhestrongestclassbuttheRimuruofthetimecouldnothaveknownthis.

Anyways.Theescapetohostmethod,huh?

Toescape,ahosttotransferthesoultoseemstobenecessary.Itisalsopossibletoescapeinaspiritualbody,butthesuccesschanceislow.)

Don’treallyseethereasontomentionthepercentages.IfVeldora’sdesiretoescapedecreasessocouldthechances…

(Mu?Therewasanescapemethod!Honestly,aftersome100yearsmymagicalenergyhitempty!ProbablysinceIdidn’tstoptheflowofmagicalenergy…)

(Isee…thatwouldbethereasonwhythemagicalenergyconcentrationaroundhereissohigh.)

(Ay.Thetrulystrongmonstersalsoavoidthisarea.Grassalsohardlygrowsunderground.Onlysomerarevegetationinhabitsthesecaves!)

Ah.IrememberedabouttheHipokteGrass.Inthiscase,it’saprettyvaluablemedicine…

(Well…sincethat’sthecase,willyouattempttoescape?Ifyouhadaplacetotransferto,thechanceswouldbehigher…andalso,what’sconsideredagoodhost?)

(…Unfortunately,evenifIdetachmyspirit,togatherthemagicalenergyintoasinglecoreisratherdifficult…Byopeningaseamintheseal,that’showthiswillsucceed.Andahost,huh.Thatis,preparinganewcoreandmovingthere…reincarnation!)

Thisguy!Ithoughtthathemightbeslightlyslow-witted,butheperfectlyunderstood

allofit.Howwondrous…hereachedthesameconclusionasthe[GreatSage].

(That’sthething.So,ifthere’ssomethingIcanprepare,shouldIgolookforit?)

(Hmm.Thethingis,Idon’treallyneedacore…oh,andkeepthissecret?Iama“beingperfectasone”.Especiallydurable.Iamaspirituallife-form,andthushavenoattachmenttothisbody.Imerelyrespondedtothewishesofreligionsandthelikewhenformingit.)

Againwiththatincomprehensiblestuff.AndsowespokeuntillIunderstood.Theresult.

Gatherthemagicalenergywithone’smind,andthenformtheflesh.Atthemoment,thefleshbeingboundisbeyondquestion,butthemindalsocannotaffectthesurroundingmagicalenergy.That’sthesituation.

SoIaskedifhecouldleaveasaspirit.

(Thatisimpossible.Iwouldrequireanoffering.)

Iswhathesaid.Ifheweretoleaveinthisway,hewouldscatterwiththemagicalenergyandceasetoexist.And,somewhereelse,another“StormDragon”wouldbeborn.Thatisonemeansofescape,butifthere’snomeaningtoitifitmeansbecomingadifferentperson.

I’mataloss.Wouldn’teatingVeldorawith[Predator]beabetteralternative?Placehimintothe[Predator]’sstomach,analyzeatdepththe[EndlessPrison]’seffectsandeliminatejustthem…couldthiswork?

«Solution.Target:Veldoracanbeabsorbedwiththeuniqueskill[Predator]»

It’spossible,huh…IfIexplainit,willheconsent?Ifthisgoeson,afterahundredyearsofisolation,onlytodisappearwouldbehisfate.Andso,IexplainedtoVeldorathe[Predator]abilityandhowIthoughttouseit.Thiswouldbeimpossible,however,withoutthe[GreatSage]abilitycorrection.

(Kuahahahaha!Interesting!!!OfcourseI’lltryit.Toyou,I’llentrustmyeverything!)

(Shouldyoubetrustingmesoeasily?)

(Ofcourse!Ratherthanwaitingforyoutocomebackhere,tearing[EndlessPrison]asunderandleavingtogetherinsideofyousoundsomuchmoreamusing!)

Isee.Notalone.Together.Isn’titfine?With[GreatSage]and[Predator],I’llcontinueanalysisandseektofreeVeldorafromhisimprisonment.Andinthisstomachthereisnofearofscatteringanddisappearing.Ithinkwecandothis.

(Alright.I’lleatyounow,trytobreakoutof[EndlessPrison],okay?)

(Kukuku!Leaveittome!Don’twait,I’llpauseitforyou!!!)

Okay!Imademydecision.ItouchVeldora,andbeginPredation.Inasecond,thegiantVeldoradisappearedfrommyview.

Thatwastooquick.Hewasspeakingupuntilasecondago.Havingdisappearedsosuddenly…makesmelonely.

Theskillhighlydependsonthetarget’sresistancetobeingabsorbed,butasexpectedofVelodra–noresistancewhatsoever.Mustsay,I’msurprisedIcouldabsorbthathugebody.Itseemsthatatthemoment,mystomachis25%occupied…JusthowbigofaspacehaveIgotinthere?And…

«Willyoubeginanalysisoftheuniqueskill[EndlessPrison]?[YES]/[NO]?»

Ibegyou!Asifinaprayer,Iaccepted.

.

.

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitle:NoneMagic:NoneTechniques:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkill[Dissolve],[Absorb],[Regeneration],skill[HydraulicPropulsion],extraskill[MagicPerception]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalDamageResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance.

Chapter05-FirstSteps

Onthatday,anearthquakerippledacrosstheworld.ThecalamityclassmonsterStormDragonVeldorahasdisappeared.Theonesealedfor300years,thelivingcalamity.Hisdisappearancesignifieshisreturnsomewhereinthisworld.Andyet,twentydaysafterthedisappearance,theWesternSaintsChurchdeclaredhispresencetohavecompletelyvanished.

.

.

CountNidoleMaigamremainedindignant.

「That’sbullshit!!!」

HecursedwhilerememberingtheCardinal’swords.CardinalNicholasShpertas.EventhementionofhisnameevokedtheCount’sanger.

『ThethreatknownastheStormDragonVeldorahasdisappeared.Therefore,theprovisionsandmonetarysupportfromtheSaintsChurchshallbeimmediatelyhalted.』

Andhavingunilaterallysoexclaimed,thecardinalendedthedicussion.Andmorethanignoringanythingtheyhadtosay,heevenmadethemwaitforthreehours.Thoughitistruethattheemergencyfundshavebeengiventocombatemergency…ButthelandsborderingtheGreatJuraForest–theCount’sproperty–istheprimarydefenselineoftheentirePharmasKingdom.Thatis,althoughStormDragonVeldorahadbeensealed,hewas,nonetheless,apotentthreat.Andevenformonstersthatwasnoexception.No,actually,hewasespeciallyathreatforthemonsters.

Thefactthatthisthreathasdisappearedcanonlybeattributedtomonsters’movements.AlthoughPharmasshouldbeimprovingtheirdefenses,theyarecuttingtheminstead.ThiswasthecauseofCountNidoleMaigam’sindignation.AndthoughtheWesternSaint’sChurchhadvalidreasons,noneofthemmatteredtoNidole.Howshouldheprotecthislandsnow?Hehasthemoneyformercenaries.Nottherighttimetobehiringadventurers.Asalastresort,hecouldappealtotheking…butjustrememberingtheking’sfaceinducesdespair.Itwouldbedifficulttoexplainhowthesupportfundsreceiveduntilnowwereused.Withoutathreat,itisnaturalfordefensespendingtobecut.Andifthiswerehandledpoorly,he’dhavetoraisetaxes.JustthethoughtofcausedNidoletogramce.Onthewaybacktohisdomaininacarriage,histhoughtswerefilledwithdevisingcountermeasures.Focusingonlyonmonsters,Nidolecouldnothavethoughtofanyoneelsetomakeuseof.

.

YetNidolewasnottheonlyonetroubledbythesituation.PharmusKingdomisacountryofmoderatestrength.Andthus,theyhaveabstainedfromexpandingthefontier.Andthus,thereislittleposingdangertothem.AsNidoleexpected,manycabinetministersareplanningtoreducedefensespending.However,othercountriessurrondingtheJuraforestmaynotdothesame.Tonotregretitlater,eachmustcomeupwithsomecountermeasures.Thekingsandministersofthosearenowhastilyhostingemergencycounciltodevisestrategy.OnesuchtroubledindividualistheBaronBelouard,ministerofthetinycountrycallBrumund.

「Therecouldonlybeonereasonformetocallyou.YouhaveheardabouttheStormDragonVeldora,Itakeit?」

Withanoverwhelmingattitude,theBarondirectedhisquestiontothemanwhohadenteredtheroom.Ofshortstatureyetofseriousappearance,themanneverfailedtomaintaineyecontact.

「Ofcourse,Milord.」

Wasthesimplereply.Hisvoicewasdeepandcorase.

「Ay.Asexpectedofaguildmaster!…isthatwhatIshouldsay?」

BaronBelouardsnortedandcontinuedasifspittingouteveryword.

「So,whatistheguildplanningondoing?」

「Nothinginparticular.NoplansIamawareof.」

「What?Ididn’treallygetthat…areyousayingtherearenocountermeasuresatall?」

「Yes,weseenoneedforany.」

Theguildmasterrespondedapathetically.Withanappearancethatasked:WhywouldBaronBelouardbemad?AndalthoughtheBaronsawthatattitude,hecontinuedwhileignoringit.Inthefirstplace,whetherhiseffortswouldbeanswered…

「Whatisnecessarydependsontheperson,Iimagine.ThedisappearanceoftheStormDragonissurelyaplotbythemonsters!Wouldwenotneedcountermeasuresagainstthat?!」

「That’safunnythingyouhavesaid.Countermeasuresareplannedbyacountry.WeareaFreeGuild,notagroupofvolunteers,youknow?」

Itwasso.

Theirfreedomlayinthefactthattheywereoutsideofthecountry’ssystem.Comparedtothenormallaborer,theirlifestylewasnotguaranteed.However,basicsocialstatuswas;moreover,theyweregrantedappropriateland.Thus,theyatleasthadthedutyofpayingtaxes.Toexplain,let’sconsidertheexampleofacook,Thecookwhobelongstothecountrypaysthesocialstatustaxalongwithaoneappropriateforhisincome.Forthis,thecountryprotectshislifeandproperty.Ontheotherhand,theguildcookpayssignificantlylessintaxes.Forthefeethathepaystotheguild,hereceivestheguildprotectionofhispersona.However,protectinghispropertybecomeshisproblem.Also,acountrycookcanonedayopenastoreinthecastle,andhavehischildreninheritit.Aguildonehasnosuchprivilege,andthussetshisstoreinthecastevicinity.Moreover,shouldheevenestablishasuccessfulstore,hischildrencannotinheritit.Itfromthisfact,thatcitizenshaveacquiredadeep-rootedprejudiceandhatredfortheFreeGuilders.NoristhissystemuniqueonlytoBrumund.Infact,basicallyeverycountryaroundfollowsthesamerules.Ontheotherhand,theFreeGuildhassurpassedeveryregimeinexistence,andtheypossessthegreatestorganizationalpower…Whetherbycoincidenceorintention,theyoperaterightunderthecountry’snosewhilemaintaininganundergroundsocietyappearance.

「Protectingthecitizens’propertyisthebasicdutyofacountry,isn’tit?Similarly,wehavetoprotectourassociates.Don’twebothhaveittough…」

Hearingtheseimpudentwords,BaronBelouardcouldnolongerconcealhisanger.Sincethemorning,nothinghasbeengoinghisway.

「Enoughofthispointlesschatter!!!FromtheFreeGuild,howmany

soldierscanyousend?Howmanyadventurersexcelatcombat?Howmanycanbeusedtoprotectthiscity?」

TheGuildMastercouldonlysigh.

「Makenomistake,wearenotavolunteergroup.Ifmobilizedtogetherwiththecountry’sforces,Icouldperhapsgather10%ofourassociates,ifyourequireanymore,therehastobeproperremunerations.」

TherearetenmillionpeoplelivinginBrumund.Ofthe,seventhousandareguildmembers–theirfamiliesnotincludedinthecount.Inthecaseofajointexercise,theFreeguildcanprovide10%ofitsmembers(about700peopleinthiscase)whowouldservethecountry.Asasidenote,theguildmembersofthiscountrycannotapplyformembershipinanothercountry’sguild.Thus,althoughtheyarefree,thereisclearallegiance.Additionally,itwilltaketimetomakethejointmobilizationofficial,andinthemeantimethetaxhastobeagreedupontobesetat20%.Forcecanbeused,butthatwilldefinitelyhurttherevenue.Andinthefirstplace,it’snotliketheguildcanimmediatelycomeupwithappropriatetaxlevelsforitsmembers.Moreover,implementingthetaxandcommunicationwiththeguildisnearlyimpossible.Sincehalfofitsmembersarenon-combatants.

Evenakingunderstandsthismuch.Forthatreason,extortionisnormallyavoided…butthisisnolongeranormalsituation.Themonstersaremoving.That,initself,isabigreason.But,itisnotthemainone…

「Enough.Hey,Hughes.What’sonyourmind?」

TheGuildMaster,no,Hugheswassurprisedatbeingsuddenlycalledbyhisname.Andforthefirsttime,helookedBaronBelouardrightintheface.

「Wehadanon-aggressionpactonthelandwheretheStormDragonwassealed.Now,theEmpiremaychoosetoclaimthatroot.」

「Exactly!WhethertheywereholdingbackaroundVeldoraorafraidofdamagingtheseal…Idon’tknow.However,theyhavebeguntomove!!!Doyouunderstand?Iftheyclaimthatforest,allthesurroundingcountrieswillbeswallowedup.TosaytheleastoftheEasternSaint’sChurchabilities!ThosecountriessurroundingtheJuraforestthatfailtoprepareproperlywillendupundertheEmpireinablinkofaneye!」

「Thechurch…willnotmove.Theycarelittleforthemundanethings.Forthem,itisdefeatingthedemonsthatistheirholyduty.」

「Asyousay.Butifoneknightweretodecidetomove,andunlesstheempiredoessomethingstupid…whennotfightingmonsters,theyhavetoearntheirkeep,don’tyouthink?」

「Impossible…forthechurch,thewholecountrycangounderanditwon’tbeanyskinofftheirbacks.Notlikethechurchcanstrivetosaveeverybeliever.」

LookingattheBaron’sface,thisiswhatHughesthought.Helookssoexhausted.It’snotimpossible,butheprobablyhadbeenagingayearadayhere.Thetruthis,thesetwoarechildhoodfriends.FortheBaron,havingintimaciesandfriendshipsberevealedpubliccanbecomeratherinconvenient.Andso,thetwohavemadeitseemliketheywereusingeachother,andactedastodisplaytheirhatredforeachother.Thissmallcountrywouldbeunabletoweatherthecomingstormsalone.But,perhapsthisisalljustemptypanic.Yes,theEmpirehadbeguntomove,butitisnotasiftheyhadalreadyinvaded.Justforthemonsters,thereareplentyofcountermeasures.

「TheEmpirehadn’trevealeditsintentionsyet,didit?Anyways,I’llgocheckitoutbymyself.

Don’texpectmuch,butI’lltrytoseewhatisgoingoninJuraForestandwiththeEmpire’smovements.」

「Sorry…andthanks.」

Right,whattheempirewilldoisyetundecided.Andeveniftheymove…rather,theirattackwillbecomealargescalewar.Eventheywouldnotfarewellagainstconstantambushesandskirmishes.Withahundredthousandsoldiers,theycouldsurelycrusheverysurroundingcountry.Buttothatend,extensivepreparationareneeded.Atleast…3years.Can’tsaythatismuchtime,butenoughtocarefullyplanahead.

「Anyways,I’mofftocollectdata.Earlybirdcatchestheworm,right?」

「Please…」

Andwithanod,thetwoparted.Ontheirshoulders,aburdenasheavyasamountain.

.

CardinalNicholasShpertaswaswelcomingCountNidoleMaigam’sdeparturewithathinsmile.

「Thatleech!」

Heexclaimedwithabenevolentsmileandsighed.Doesn’tbelieveingodbutjustcrowdsaroundtheChurch’smoneyandpower.NicholaswastestingCountNidoleMaigam.Andnotjusthim.Allthoseinthechurchwerethinkingthesamething

「ThosewhobelieveingodshouldswearallegiancetotheHolyEmpireRuberios!」

TheEasternSaint’sChurchtooktheEmpire’sfaithandmerelyelectedthe

Popeastheirruler.Asfarastheyareconcerned,theHolyEmpireisessentiallythemaintemple,andtheircitizensaretheEmpire’sbelievers.Further,thoselivinginothercountriesyetprofessingtobelievemustrememberthatdeceitispunished.Asgodcomesbeforeall.Therefore,allthoseidiotsmakingexcusesagainstbecomingtheEmpire’scitizensdonotdeserveanymercy.ThatistheopinionofeverymanservingunderNicholasregardingtheEasternSaint’sChurch.Nicholashimselfwasoftheopinionthathereticsthatdonotbelieveingodshouldallbekilled.Buttherewasapersonwhoofferedascornfulsmiletothosewords.WorldTravelerSakadachiHinata.Shesaidthis,

『Wasteofeffort.Ittakestremendousforcetochangetheheartsofthosewhobelieveinothergods.Ratherthanthat,lendthemyourhand,andaccepttheirs.Thatisthemostprovenmethod.』『Savethepeoplefrommonsters,andconvincethemthatyourepresentjustice.And,sincewarsaren’tgoingtojustupanddisappear,intimesoftroubleoffersupport!Monstersarehumanity’scommonenemy,butthesameisnottrueforhumanity,isit?』『Noneedtopointlesslyprovokeaggression.Normalpeopleareidiots,ifyousavethemwhentheyareintrouble,they’llquicklybelieve.Isn’tthattheentireraisond’etreofthechurch?』

Thegirlwaspragmatic.Neitherpromotingatheism,norrejectingreligion.Justthoroughlyuseboth.ForNicholas,thatseemedlikeacool-headedapproach.Nicholaswaswatchedwithasightsocold,itcouldkill

『Allweneedistowait!Lettheearthlycountries’strengthfall!Andthen,demandyoudues!』

Thosewordscausedhimtoshudder.Wasthatexcitementorfear?

YetNicholasobeyed.Andasaresult,thechurchhaschangedgreatlyduringthese10years.Theirinfluencespeakingforitself,injust7yearstheybecameatopicdiscussedineverynation.Havingachievedthesethings,Nicholaswaspromotedfromabishoptoacardinal.Anditwasallthankstothatgirl.「Well,justasthegirlsaid,thereisawaytouseevenaleech…」

Nicholaswasconsideringthecurrentsituation.TheEmpire’smovementsareunclear,andthemonstersarebecomingincreasinglyactive.I’lldefinitelybecomebusyfromnowon.Howwillthatgirlmove?Mightbeagoodideatotrycontactingher.Rightnowshewouldbe..ToImperialGuarddirectlyunderthePope,HolyKnightsDivisionSakadachi.

Chapter06–SkillAcquisition

30dayshavepassedsinceIateVeldora.

.

WhatamIuptothesedays?Aren’tyouanidiot!Justthinkforamoment!I’vebecomeaslime!WhatdoyouthinkwouldhappenifIwereattacked?Andhey,justtryrunninglikethis!!!So,I’vebeenthinkingabouthowtofight.Atthesametime,I’mmunchingonsomegrassandstrangelyglowingrocks.Youknow–theone’sfoundatthemagicabundantplaceVeldoramentioned.ThegrassI’vecollectedthereismostlytheHipoktekind.Asexpected.Withthis,mystockofrestorativemedicinehasincreased.And,theglowingrocksareapparentlycalled“DemonOre”.Harderthansteel,yetsufficientlyflexible,theyareahighgradematerial.Ihadhopeditwassomesuperraremetal…but,well,it’snotlikeIknowwhetherOrichalcum,Hihiirokane,orotherlegendaryoreevenexistsinthisworld.(TLNote:thesearenamesoforesoflegendinourworld,refertogoogleformoreinfo)Maybeit’splentyrare.MaybeI’mjustbeingtoogreedy.

That’swhatIwasthinkingwhilemunchingonsomedelicious(ornot?)weedsandstones.

SinceIcanspitoutwater,can’tIuseitasawatercannontypeofthing?

Yeah,youdon’thavetosayit.YouthinkI’mgoingtofail,don’tyou?Wasn’tIridiculedenough?

Imean,attimesofneedIcandowhatneedstobedone.Evenmyreportcardread“Ifhetrieshecandoit.”Andso–Icandothis!

Withthatthought,Iquicklyhurriedtothelake.AsIhadimaginedwhileenshroudedindarkness,theundergroundlakeitprettydamnbig.Butsurpassingmyimagination,thelakehadamysteriousandtranquilatmosphere.Lackinganypresenceoflife,itwascompletelyserene.Althoughthemagicalenergypermeatesthewater,Idaresaythatnolivingthinginhabitsit.Anexampleofuncorruptednature!Whatabeautifulsight!

Thatbeingthat…‘CauseIdidn’tpracticelasttime,Istillsuckatshootingwaterwithfullstrength.Whenthe“mouth”isthislarge,thejetpropulsionstrengthisfartoohigh.Thistime,whileimaginingawaterpistol,Itriedreleasingjustabit.Asiffillingmymouthwithwaterandspittingjustlittleout.Butnowateriscomingout.Isittoosmall,now?Afterincreasingitjustabit,itdidcomeout.Andwithgoodforce.Itriedsoakingthenearbyboulder.Alright,good.Next,let’swidentheopeningforcombatuse.

・

・

・

Withtheboulderasmytarget,Igentlybeganpracticingwhileincreasingoutput.Okay.Ikindofgotthehangofthis.But,althoughifthishitsomeoneitwillhurt,Icertainlycan’tcallthisa

finisher.HowshouldI…?

Whileworryingoverthisquestion,Ienteredthelake.It’s,atmost,likeabathtorelaxwhentired.No…I’mnotjustplayinginthewater!Iobservedmybodyfloatingandsinkingwith[MagicPerception].Justlikeajellyfish…Hmm…ifIweretomakemy“face”oscillate,couldIcreateawatercurrent?AfterIreachedouttothemagicenergyinmyface,Itriedmakingitoscillate.Witha*pyoonpyoon…pyooooooon*,Ifeltsmallripplesbeingformed.And,Ibeganmovingthroughthewater.Agreatsuccess!!!Bemused,Iplayedaroundinthewater.Whatanicechangeofpace!

«Skill[WaterCurrentControl]hasbeenacquired»

ForasecondIthoughtitwas[GreatSage],butseemstobethe“VoiceoftheWorld”…Tohavegainedaskillwhileplaying.IntheendIwasabletocontroldepth,direction,andspeed.AndifIhaveto,Icanjustacceleratewith[HydraulicPropulsion].IfyouconsiderthefactthatIdon’tneedtobreathe,itmightactuallybeprettyeasytofightinthewater.Tosaynothingofrunningaway.IswhatIthoughtasIgotoutofthelake.Thebreak’sover.

Themeansofattackingistheproblem.Andthroughhavingtakenthisbreak,IgotanewideaIwantedtotry.Ineededtoincreasethecompressionofwaterinthewatergun.Thistime,Iimaginedloadingabitofwaterintoacylinderandshootingitout.Bycalibratingtheapertureandthepressure,Icouldcalibratethepoweroftheshot–thesameprincipleasthe[WaterCurrentControl].

*Bishuu!!!*

Flyingoutsharply,thewaterhitthetargetedboulder.Itleftasmallmark.Success….right?Astonotforgetthatfeeling,Idecidedtocontinuepracticing.Whileregulatingtheapertureandpressure,ofcourse.Then,Itriedtoimagineimaginethewaterrotating.Andratherthanthesizeoftheopening,Itriedtothintheshapeofthewater.Yes!Theideawas“Cuttingwater!”

*Bishun!*

Thewaterbladecuttheboulder!!!Honestly,evenIwassurprisedatitspower.Aweek’sworthofpractice(lol),hadfinallyborefruit!

«Skill[WaterBlade]hasbeenacquired»«Theskills[HydraulicPropulsion],[WaterCurrentControl],and[WaterBlade]haveevolvedintoExtraSkill[WaterManipulation]»

Whatdoyouknow!Itreallyborefruit.There’sabigdifferenceinabilityandstrengthbetweenextraskillsandnormalones.Thus,I’vefoundawaytofight.Andwiththis,Iamreadytosetoutonajourney.

Atlast.SinceIfoundmyselfreincarnatedbythisundergroundlake,120dayshavepassed.Finally,thejourneyawayfromhomebegins.Iamuneasy.Thoughthatisn’tsomethingI’llmention.

SinceIhavenovocalcords,ItriedtoseeifIcouldreproducethemwithmybody.But,Ihavebeensofarunsuccessful.I’vethoughtaboutstayingheretopractice,butIjustcan’timagineitright.

GuessI’lljusthavetodependontransmittingmythoughtsvia“telepathy”.WorstcasescenarioI’llbeatthemercyofmyopponents,sountilIlearntotalklifewillbeprettyinconvenient…notthatIcandoanythingaboutit.NomatterhowmanyhoursIspenthere,nothingwillchange.Butrightnow,Ireallywanttoseetheoutsideworld,andseeifIcanfindanyfellow“WorldTravelers”.Andlearningmagicwillbefun.Withthatthought,Ireallyshouldsetoutonthisjourney.Liketheysay,notimelikethepresent.

NoreactionfromVeldoraeither.Heseemstohavevanished,butIknowthatmuchisnottrue.Wemadeapromise,afterall.Thatwhenwenextmeet,Iwouldhavepreparedalotoffunnyandstrangethingstotellhimabout.Andthus,fromafamiliarwideroom,Iwalkedtheoneroadtothesurface.Ayetunseenworld,aworldofpossibilities,Ilongedtojoinitall…

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:NoneMagic:NoneTechniques:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve],[Absorb],[Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance.

———————————————————————

Atthebottomofadeep,deepheartofdarkness…Wherenoonecouldvisit,amidstdispair.

Veldoraspendsanotherdayreminiscinginsolitude.

CalamityClassStormDragonVeldoraSpecialSClassMonster.BothmonstersandadventurersarerankedA~F–allinthose6categories.Thoseespeciallystronghavea“+”attached,thoseweakhavea“-“.ThiswasaguidancefromtheWorldTraveler,FreeGuildhead,GrandMasterKagurasakaYuuki.Heestablishedthisrankingsystem>Upuntilthen,itwasNovice–>Beginner–>Intermediate–>Advanced;afourstepsystemthatwaseasytounderstand.Andbytheway,AdvancedisCrankandabove,IntermediateisDrank,BeginnerisErank,andNoviceisFrank.Thus,thenumberofdeathsduetofightingstrongerthanexpectedmonstersgreatlydecreased.Thoseofthesamerankwouldbeamatchinaoneonone.Thus,fightinginapartybecamesafer.SurpassingArankisthespeciallydesignatedDemonkinglevelSrank,andaboveeventhisstandsthemonsterwiththestrengthofanaturaldisaster–SpecialSrank.Deviatingfromthestandardrankingsystem,anabnormalexistence.Atthepresent,anAclassmonsteriscapableofjeopardizingtheexistenceofacountry.Astrengthcapableofinducingdespair.Andinthefirstplace,whatsurroundsVeldoraisofnoconcerntohim.

Yetagaintodayhethinks.Thatlifeistedious.Ithadbeen300yearssincehelosttotheHero.Herememberedthatfightmanytimes.Hewasbitter,butstrangelyheldnogrudge.Fightingatawhim.LivingatawhimThosewhowouldcrosshispathwerefewinnumer.Forhim,itwasnotthefirstdefeat.But,tohavelostoneononewiththesamehandicaps…thatwasafirst.

Paleskin.Small,crimsonlips.Long,jetblackhair.Nottootall,apetiteandthinphysique.

Thoughherfacewascoveredinamask,hercountersrevealedherfemininity.Abeautifulgirl.

Sincehiseyesdidnotsee,hecouldnotpeekatheremotions.Isthatwhy?Withoutfearorhatred,shemerelydispassionatelyswungthesword…howregretful.

Ifhehadbrokenoutofthisprison?Hesometimesthinksaboutthat.Wouldhecompletehisrevengeagainsther?Althoughhedidnothateher?Ifhehadthechance,hewouldwanttofightagain.Thosewerehishonestfeelings.Butthatshouldnotbeafightagainstamachine,butonewheretheywagetheiridentities!Tomakethatgirl,theHero,recognizehimandgoallout.ThathadbecomeVeldora’sonewish.Humanlifespanisshort.ThathiswishwillnevercometrueVeldoraknewalltoowell.Butstill….hethoughtskeeploopingaroundthesameideas…

Howmanyyearshadpassed?

Oneday,

*Gorogoro,zudon!!!*

Alightbluebodyhadrammedintohis.Aroundhere,duetothemagicalenergyhereleased,nonormallifecouldbesustained.Moreover,touchingalumpofmagicalenergythatVeldorawas,wouldbedifficultevenforahighclassmonster.Amused,Veldoraobservedthatbeing.

Andthatlettotheirencounter.

Beforeheknewit,tohewhohadabandonedhiswilltolive,thatbizarreexistencebecamehisonlyhope.Thatmeetinghadtohavehadsomepurpose.

Veldorahadthatpremonition.Onethathehadnothaduntilnow.

(Canyouhearme,LittleOne?)

Holdingontothatbelief,Veldoracalledout.

.

.

Author ’sNotes:Fornow,Veldora’sstoryendshere.Littlebylittlethe“name”mightcomeout…

Chapter07–FirstBattle

Apathleadingoutoffromtheundergroundlake.Itwasasingletunnel.Witha*boyoboyo*,Iascendthepath.Movingaroundisactuallymorepleasantthanyou’dexpect.Evenplacesthatlightfailstoreachareperfectlyvisibleto[MagicPerception].Iwouldmorearoundslowly–checkingeverystep–whenIwasblind;and,slimesaren’tthatfasttobeginwith.Now,Inormallymoveatawalkingpace,butcanalsorun.NordoIgettired.But,sinceIdon’thaveanyreasontohurry,Imoveatamoderatepace.IswearthisisnottheresultofatraumafromthefirsttimeIranandfellintothelake!

Ashortwhileafter,agiantgatehadappearedbeforemyeyes.Ahumanmadestructureinsidethecave.Nothingthatstrangeaboutit.But,that’sbecausethisdevelopmentiscommoninRPGs.It’snormaltohaveadoorinfrontoftheboss’sroom.So…howshouldIgetitopen?ShouldIcutitwiththe[WaterBlade]?WhenIthoughthat,

Gigigiiiiiii!!!

Withacreakingnoise,thedoorisopening.Alittleflustered,Ihidbytheedgeofthepath,andobservedthesituation.

「Itfinallyopened,huh.Lockfellapartandthedoorsrusted…」

「Hey,that’sonlytobeexpected.Don’ttheysaythatnooneenteredherein300years?」

「Notonrecord,atleast.Butmoreimportantly,arewereallygoingtobe

fine?Wewon’tbeattackedsuddenly,right?」

「Gahahaha!Don’tworry.Hemighthavebeenunrivaled300yearsago,buttimeshavechanged.Imean,ain’thejustabiglizard!I’vesubjugatedBasilisksbymyself.Leaveittome!!!」

「Aboutthat,I’vewonderedforawhile,butthat’salie,isn’tit?BasilisksarerankedB+,right?SolosubjugationwouldbeimpossibleforCabal-san,wouldn’tit?」

「Fool!IamaBrankmyself!Theyarejustbiglizards;notroubleatall!」

「Okay,okay,Igotit,sowouldyoupleasenotletyourguarddown?Well,ifitcomesdowntoit,I’lljustescapeusing“ForcedWithdrawal”…」

「Guys,Igottheextentofyourfriendship,socouldyoupleasebequiet?You’llblowmy“CamouflageSkill”.」

Somehow,aboisteroustriohadentered.Iwonderwhy…Actually…whydoIunderstandtheirwords?

«Solution.Incaseswhereintentionsarevocalized,[MagicPerception]convertsthemtoappropriatewordsandtransmitsthemtothebrain.»

Isee.Ican’ttalktothem,butatleastIcanunderstandthem.Thankgoodness.IhadalwaysbeenbadwithEnglish.IthinkthatifyouliveinJapanthereshouldbenoneedtostudyforeignlanguages.Thosewhoplantogoabroadcanstrugglebythemselves.Butthatexcusewon’tworkhere.I’llprobablyhavetolearneventually.

Well,thatmattercanrestfornow.WhatshouldIdo?Thisdilemmaisworsethanthepreviousone–howtoopenthedoor.Idon’tknowwhattheycametodo…buttheyseemlikeadventurers.Didtheycomesearchingfortreasuresandstuff?

TheyarethefirsthumansImeetinthisworld.sortofwanttogoandgreetthem.But…ifamutemonsterslime(a.k.aI)weretogooutthere…I’dbekilledwithoutquestions.Let’swaitfornow.MeetinghumanswillhavetowaituntilIcantalk.

Fornow,Iobservedthissituationinhiding.Aftertheskinnymanhaddonesomething,theappearanceofthethreehasdimmer.But,Icanstillseethem.Didhecallthis…camouflage?Probablyatypeofskill.Ishejusttryingtopeek?Whatanoutrageousguy…Doesheevenknowwhytheycamehere?Probablyshouldgettoknowhimlater.

Whenthethreehadfinallyleft,Istartedmovingagain.Nothingtoworryabout.NotlikeIwon’tmeetpeopleanymore.I’llmovewhilecheckingeverystep.Aspeoplehavealwayssaid,“hastemakeswaste”.Leavingthesemattersforlater,Iquicklywentthroughthegateincasethethreehadreturned.

.

Alittlewhilepastthegatesthepathdivergedandbecamerathercomplex.Iwonderwhichwayleadstothesurface?ThoughevenifIthoughtaboutit,there’snowayformetoknow.Ichoseapathandwentdownit.

*Chirochirori!*

Oureyesmet.Justabitabovetheground…infrontofmyeyes,therewasagiantserpent.Likethepastworld’ssnakes,youcouldconsideritcute.Itwasharder,coveredinscales,andpitchblackincolor.

Likeafroginfrontofsnake?Nope,Iamaslime,notafrog.Let’spretendI’mair.Itwouldbebest,though,ifitdoesn’tnoticeme.Well,let’sjusttrytoslitheraway.

*Kisha–!!!*

Iwasthreatened.Nogood.Iwon’tletyougo!OrsoitwouldprobablysayifIcouldhearit.Afight,huh…!IhaveasecretskillthatIgainedfromaweek’slongpractice!Butevenso…you’vegottoberesolvedtodieifyouwanttofightthisbeast.Tosummarize,I’mprettydarnscared!Don’tpanic.IfIthinkhardenough,Icanimaginesomethingfarscarier.Yes,Veldora.Let’scompareittothatdragon.Oh?Doesn’tseemthatscarynow.Can’tIdothis?Aftercalmingmyself,Ibeganquietlyobservingtheserpent.Thesnakeseemstohaveletitsguarddown,thinkingIwassoafraidIthatIcouldn’tmove.Probablyplanningonhowitwillcookme.Yeah.Wellthen,let’snotholdbackeither…

*Bishun!*

WithouthesitationIfireda“waterblade”attheserpent’sneck.

*Zuban!!!Hyuuuun,dosu.Gorogoro…zun.*

Itwasbutamoment.Icouldn’tbelievemyeyes.Withoutevenahintofresistancethe“waterblade”beheadedtheserpent.Icouldonlygulp;upuntilasecondago,therewasanominoussneakrightthere.This…isevenmorepowerfulthanIhadthought.HadIbeenforcedtouseitontheadventures,itwouldendgory.Goodthingmyfirstenemywasamonster.

Ohandbytheway,mystomachiscurrentlyoccupiedat30%:Veldora15%,Water10%,Medicineandothercrap2%,metalsandresources3%.“WaterBullet”useslessthanacupofwater(andIcanregulatethesize–withtheintentionofincreasingit,ofcourse).ThusevenifIfirethousandsofthese,Iwon’thavetoworryabouttheamountleft.Thisjustmightbebetterthanmagic.Ifmonsterscomeout,let’smeetthemwitha“waterblade”.

.

Now,aboutthissnake.IfIeatandanalyzeit,wouldIstealitspowers?Well,let’stryit.Theresult…

Inherentskill[HeatDetection]…theabilitytoseenearbyheatsources.Furthermore,camouflageskillsarenullified.Inherentskill[NoxiousMistBreath]…theabilitytoreleaseapowerfultoxic(corrosive)breath.Releasedat120degreesforadistanceof7meters.(TLNote:22feet)

Alongwiththesetwoskills,Icouldalsomimicthesnake.Thepoison’smaineffectseemstobecorrosivedamage(damagetobothequipmentandflesh).Wouldbeprettyeffectiveagainstnormaladventurers,eh?Thoughwiththisworld’smagic,itjustmightbeaneasywin.AndsoIspentsometimeanalyzingthesnake’sskills.BesttoincreasemyhandwhileIcan.

ThingsI’veconfirmed:1.I’vegainedtheabilitytotransformintothesnake.2.Icanusetheacquiredskillsevenwithouttransforming.But,theirstrengthdecreases.

Thosetwothings.IfIhadtoexplainthem,

1.…IcanstockuponthebodiesofmonstersIateandanalyzed.MybodyhadrepairedthesectionIpreviouslydamaged,butitkindofhasthefeelofstitches…madewithcells.

2.…Inherentskillsareskillsspecifictothatmonsterrace.Similartomy[Dissolve,Absorb,andRegenerate].Regardingtheskill,ifIamnottransformedintotheappropriatemonster,Icannotuseitwith100%effectiveness.However,therealsoskillslike[HeatDetection],whichIcanmakecompletelymyown.

Tosummarize,it’slikethis.Itotallydig[Predator].It’sanotherskillwhichissuperuseful.

3dayshavepassedsinceIfoughtthesnake.I’mstillinsidethecavern.Idon’tfeelcold,butit’sprobablybelowfreezinginhere.Sunlightdoesn’treachhereatall.

Andso,Ikeptworryingoveronefear.Iknow,Iknow..there’snowayit’strue.Butnomatterwhat,Ijustcouldn’tgetitoutofmyhead.Yeah…whatif…

Iamlost?

No,no,there’snoway.Imean…right?Who’sheardofsomeonegettinglostinthebeginner ’scave?Isn’tthissupposedtobetheeasiestpart?Besides,eventhosethreeadventurersgotthisfarwithoutbeinglost.Ishouldbefine.It’sprobablyjustalongpath.

But,it’sprobablyagoodthingIwasrebornasaslime.HadIcomehereasanormal“WorldTraveler”,I’ddefinitelycollapsefromhungerbynow.WhowouldhavethoughtthatI’dbethankfulforbeingaslime.

However,notknowingthewayistroubling.Isn’ttherelikeamapofthisplaceorsomething?

«Solution.ShouldIdisplaythecurrentlocation?[YES]/[NO]?»

Replaythecurrentnarration..?Justcouldn’thelpmakingapun.Butseriously,whatthehell!LetmeknowsoonerifIhavesuchausefulability!!!Absolutely[YES]!Curseyouauto-mapping!IalsohadatimewhenIthoughtthat.Backinoldgames,you’dsitdownwithapencilandapieceofpaper,andrecordeverysteptogettothegoal.Itwasfuntoplaneverystep.However,manypeoplebeganrelyingongameguides,andeventuallymappingbecameastandardgamefeature.Nomorepleasureofthehunt…Moreover,hadyougottenusedtothatfeatureonce,youcannevergobackagain.Well,it’salsotruethatwithoutthisfeature,you’dbestuckinmostrecentgames.

Anyways,let’sputthisusefulskilltouse.Ilookatthemapdisplayedinmyhead.Thishasgottobesomemistake…I’vebeenwalkingincircles.Forme,whohascompiledgameguidesbefore,tohavebeenlost?!Impossible!

…………

…….

…

Definitelypossible.Accordingtothemap,I’veenteredpreviouslyunexploredregions.So,I’vespentthreedayslookingattheworldnoonehasseenbefore.

Fufufu.Tohavemisleadme…thedungeonisaworthyopponent!Let’spointlesslypraisethedungeon.Anddon’tevenbegintothinkthatIhavenosenseofdirection!

Istheentrancecloseby?Thereisvariousmossandweedgrowingaroundhere.Thelightreachesfromsomewhere,bathingthegrassinlightandcolor.Soitmustbeday.

I’vefoughtmanybattlestocomethisfar.Acentipedemonster(Evilcentipede:rankB+)Big,blackspider(Blackspider:rankB)Vampirebat(GiantBat:RankC+)CarapaceLizard(Ammosaurus:rankB-)

ThosearethefourspeciesIencountered.Therewasthatoneserpent,butIhaven’tseenanother.Theywereallpowerfulfoes.Defeatedwithone“WaterBlade”…Well,thebatevadeditafewtimes,andtheshootinganglewasbadforthecentipede.Can’trelaxjustyet.Forexample,thecentipedeeraseditspresenceandattackedfrombehind.Luckily,thatkindofattackwouldn’tworkonsomeonewith[MagicPerception]and[HeatDetection].SoIshotoutafewwaterbladesfrommyback.Thebigspiderwasprettydangerous.Inthefirstplace,I’mnogoodwithspiders.It’sapsychologicalthing.Justasightofonemakesmewanttocower.But,maybeduetomyheartbecomestrongerthroughreincarnation,Isomehowmanagedtofightwithoutrunningaway.Mybad,butI’mgoingfullforce!Withthatthought,Icutitupwithfivewaterblades.Itwasn’tanopponentIwantedtolookat,afterall.

Andofcourse,Iatethemall.It’ssurvivalofthefittestinthisworld.Ifyoulose,yougeteaten.

Andwell,Ididhesitatetoeatthecentipedeandthespider.ButIdiddomybest.But,ifacockroachmonsterexists,I’llabsolutelyrunawaywithouteatingit.There’sthesewonderfulwordsinthisworld:hewhofightsandrunsawaywilllivetoseeanotherday.

Here’stheskillsIgotasaresult,

Centipedemonster[ParalysisBreath]Bigspider[StickyThread,SteelThread]VampireBat[Vampirism,UltrasoundWaves]CarapaceLizard[BodyArmor]

Andso,havinggottenmyhandsonnewpowers,Isuccessfullyleftthecave.Forthefirsttimesincebeingreborn,Iwasbathedinthelightofthesun.

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:NoneMagic:NoneSkills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkill–Serpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],etc.Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistance,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance.

Chapter08–ThePowerinmyHands

It’sbeenawhilesinceIlastwalkedunderthesun.NotlikeI’mavampirewho’dmeltorgethurtunderthesun,though.Presently,usingmymonsterinstincts,Icansensesuchperilousconduct.However,I’lloftendoitevenifIknowit’sdangerous.Nothingtolaughabout.Reallyhavetobettermyself-awareness.

Thecaveseemstobeinthemiddleofsomeforest.Theentrancelayatthebaseofwhatyoucouldcallasmallmountainorabighill.Stickingoutfromamongtalltrees,thehillcanbeseenfromafar.Regardlessofdescription,it’stheonlyplacefromwhichyoucanseethesun.Theforestisdimincomparison.Hasthatmagiccirclefeeltoit.“Awisemankeepsawayfromdanger”,astheysay.Andso,Iquicklyleftthatplacebehind.

SincethemomentIleftthecave,sometimehadpassed.Thesunhasbeguntodiptowardsthehorizon.SeemslikeIleftthecaveexactlyatnoon.You’dbesurprisedhowmuchIwanttoalignmybiologicalclockwiththesun.ThemomentIthoughtthat,itnaturallychanged.Wasitreallysosimple…?Rightnow,it’s4o’clockintheevening.It’stimefordinner,butsadlyIdon’tneedfood.Icouldeat,butsinceIdon’ttasteanything,it’sprettywasteful.Withthoughtsoffood,Iremembered.ThemonstersIateinthecave.ThoughIgotmyhandsonnewpowers,Ihaveyettoputthemtouse.

Blackserpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath]Centipedemonster[ParalysisBreath]

Bigspider[StickyThread,SteelThread]VampireBat[Vampirism,UltrasoundWaves]CarapaceLizard[BodyArmor]

Theblackserpent’s[NoxiousBreath],forexample,Ican’tuseatall.Honestly,whentheCarapaceLizardappeared,Ihadusedit.Andasaresult…Asifitweren’tarmoredatall!Thelizardhaddissolvedbeforemyeyes.Anextremelygruesomesight.Evenrememberingmakesmewanttopuke.Andthat’swhyIavoidit.If,let’ssay,adventurershadchanceduponthissnake,they’dprobablybeannihilatedbeforetheycouldevencastaspell.Hmm?IfIwerehitbyit?Ihadn’tgivenitanythought,nordoIwantto.Let’sjustsay,thankgoodnessIshotfirst!Tobehitbysuchadangerousbreath…wouldbebad.Butwait,thatisn’tsomethingthatIwanttoremember.Sinceseeingscrambledorgansandbloodyremainsoflizardsisratherunpleasant–atleastforme,Idecidedtocompletelyforgetabout[NoxiousBreath].Asforwhatwouldhappenwhenusedasaslime?Theradiusdecreasesbyatleastonehalf.Iftransformedthebreathspreadsoutforabout7~10meters,withoutmimickingthatisreducedtoonlyonemeter.Anyways,wouldyouwanttoseeyouropponentmeltbeforeyou?Therefore,thisskillI’vesealedaway.Ontheotherhand,[HeatDetection]issimplywonderful.Livingthingsradiateheat.Ifcombinedwith[MagicPerception],noattackcangounnoticed.However,sincehumansandupperclassmonstersmaypossesssomespecialskillsormagic,thisisnoreasontoletmyguarddown.

Next,aboutthecentipede.Notgoingtomimicthisone–becauseofappearance.Theparalysisbreathfunctionsthesameastheserpent’sone.Therangeisnodifferent,aswell.AndasIexpected,therangedecreasestoaonemeterwhenusedasa

slime.But,itjustmightbeagoodskilltouseduringambush.OrsoI’dliketosay,butifIhadtofightanenemythatclose,I’dbebetterofftransformingorrunning.Anythingelsewouldresultininevitabledefeat.

Thelizard.Itwasabsorbedafterbeingcompletelymeltedbymynoxiousbreath.Assuch,restoringthebodyhadprovedimpossible.Anyways,havingphysicalattackresistancekindofmakestransformingpointless.SoItriedtouse[BodyArmor]whileaslime.Myfacehardened.Asyou’dfindinsomeMMOs,Ihadbecomeametalslime.Mypreviouslylightbluebodyhadchangedcolortoabluishsilvermetallicone.However,asIdidn’ttryreceivingdamage,Idon’tknowhowgooditactuallyis.Ididgainaprettycoloroptionasaresult,though.MaybeI’lluseittosurprisesomeenemy.

That’stheextentofthesethreespecies’powers.Theproblemistheremainingtwo.Theyholdveryinterestingpowers.Youwonderwhat’samusingaboutthem?

First,thespider.Right,youallknowabouttheherowhopossessesspiderpowers,right?*Hyui!*Heshootsoutthreadfromhiswrists,leapingfrombuildingtobuilding.Thatfamousguy.[StickyThread]isintendedtotrapyourenemiesandpreventthemfrommoving.However,ifIweretouseit,couldIreproducehismovements?Quickly,Iputittothetest.Aimingatalargetree…

*Hyui!…Buraaaaan….

Umm,letmeexplain[SteelThread].[StickyThread]?What’sthat?Don’tknowanythingaboutaskillthathangsyouuponatree.Andso,about[SteelThread].Itisintendedtobeusedtodefendagainstenemyattacks.Orwhenmakinganest,itcanbeusedtoincreaseyouradvantage(buildamaze).ButwhatItriedwastomakeonethinthreadandwhipitatatree.

*Pyun!Buchin.*

Iteasilycutthrough.And,there’salsothat.WhileIcanseeitprettyeasywithmy[MagicPerception],it’sactuallyveryhardtoseewithanakedeye.Withpractice,itmightbecomeadependableweapon.I’llpracticewithitlater.

Andlastup–thebat.Iexpectedthemostfromtheseskills.[Vampirism]skill?Bysuckingthetarget’sbloodIcantemporarilygainitsabilities.Notaskilltoworryabout.Imean,[Predator]issimplybetter.Woulditbetoopresumptuoustoconsider[Vampirism]itsdegradedversion?AndIdon’treallywanttosuckblood.SoafterlearningallIcouldaboutit,Ineglected[Vampirism].Rather,theskillthatcaughtmyinterestwas[UltrasoundWaves].Morethanbewilderingtheenemyorcausinghimtofaint,theskillcanalsopinpointone’slocation.Inmyoriginalworld,batsgotaroundusingthesameability.Butdon’tmissthemainpoint.Theseareessentiallyvocalcords!Byitself,theskill’snothingspecial.Somynextstepbecamecreatingtheorgannecessaryforusingthesesoundwaves.Luckily,Ididn’thavetocreateitfrommereimaginationandcouldinsteadreproduceitbasedonthebatIhadabsorbed.

Withthis,Imightfinallybeabletospeak.Tiredandexhausted,Icontinuedworkingthroughthenightwithoutanounceofsleep!…NotthatIneedany…

Threedaysandthreenightsofconstantresearch,andbeholdtheresults!!!

「tAkemEToyOuRLeAdeR!」

Success!Asforhowitsounds–haveyoueverspokenrightinfrontofafan,thatdistortedvoice?Yeah,that’showitis.Therestcanbefixedwithminoradjustments.Whilecalmingmyexcitement,Icarefullystartedadjustments.

However,Ican’tseemtouse[UltrasoundWaves].IcouldhaveswornIcouldshootoutsoundwaves…IwasgoingtocallitSonicBlasterorSonicBuster…Can’tIusethose?

«Solution.Fromskill[UltrasoundWaves],skill[SupremeVibrations]canbederived.However,itcannotbecurrentlyacquired.»

Derive,huh?Probablyneedtohavetheskillevolvefirst.SoIlackenoughinformationtosuccessfullyderivethenextskill.Shame…itwouldhavebeennicetohaveaskillthatwhenfiredwouldresonatewiththetargetanddestroyit.Tobefrank,ifIdon’tgetitmyself,howcanIexpecttobeabletouseit?SeemslikeI’maprettygreedyslime.Havingmanyabilitiesis,withoutquestion,agoodthing.But,Iseenoneedtohurry.Ishouldjustbesatisfiedwithhavingrestoredmyvoice.

Andso,whiletryingoutvariousthings,Icontinueddownthispath.Withoutanydirectioninmind.Butmygoal,Ifelt,wasagoodone.Somewherebeyondtheforest,thereisacitywithsomenicepeoplewithwhomIcouldtalk…

Inanycase,thesedayshavebeenprettypeaceful.Inthecaves,Iwasfrequentlybesetbymonsters,butsincecomingouthere,Ihaveyettofightone.Justthisonetime:whileIwaspracticingspeaking,Iwasattackedbywolves.

「A”?」

Iseemtohavethreatenedthemwithmyvoicealone.

「Kyaiiiiiiiiin!!!」

Andtheyranawaywithamiserablewhimper.Largerthanthelargestbreedofdogs,withabodylengthofmorethantwometers,andawholepackofthem…Whattosay?Scaredofsomelowlyslime…howpathetic.Asforme,Ihadnodesiretofight.AlthoughIcouldacquireasenseofsmellasaresult…

Thatthoughtpiquedmyinterest,soIkeptaneyeout;butnowolveswereinsight.Actually,therewasnomonsterwithinahundredmetersofme.Hmm?Somehow,it’sliketheyarefearingme…?Why?Yep,definitely,Icansensetheirfear.

Havingconfirmedthat,Ifeltagroupofmonstersapproaching.Beforemyeyes,agroupof30human-limemonstersstumbledbeforeme.Smallbodies.Crudeequipment.Coveredinathinlayerofdirt,theirexpressionlackedintelligence.But,notcompletelybarbaric.Therewerealsoafewwhoworeswords,spears,stoneaxes,andbows.Mygreymatter(braincells)quicklysawthroughtotheirtrueidentity!Thefamousmonstersthatwillattackadventurers!Yes,Goblins!!!Howstereotypical.Andtheonestheyattackareweakmonsters…somyself?Buthey,tocomewith30peopleagainstasingleslime…that’stoomuch!

However,somehowIfeelnofear.Myinstinctsrefusetofearthem.Manyoftheirswordshadrusted,andtheirarmoristhin.Somehavestitchedtogethersomerottingcloth.Compare:thelizardcoveredinthousandsofhardscales;thespiderwithfeetlikesharpenedblades.TheIwhohaveenduredthosebattles,cannotimaginesufferingatthehandsofthesegoblins.Andinworstcasescenario,I’lljustmimictheserpentandtakeoutafew.

AsIwasthinkingthesethings,oneofthemsteppedforward–probablytheleader–openedhismouth.

「Guga.Ostrongone…DoesYou,haveanybusiness,upahead?」

Huh,goblinscantalk.Iwonderiftheycanuseanyof[MagicPerception]……anddidtheyjustcallme“strongone”?Firstsurroundmearmedwithweapons,andthenpolitelyaskaquestion…whatabunch.Iwasamused.Inanycase,itdoesn’tlookliketheywillattackrightaway.Willmywordsreachthem?IguessIjusthavetotry.

Andso,Itriedconversingwithgoblins.

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:NoneMagic:NoneSkills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],

Lizard[BodyArmor]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

Chapter09–NegotiatingwiththeGoblins

Iglancedatthegoblin.Thegoblinsare,fromwhatIcansee,prettydesperate.Theyareonguard,weaponinhand;andarepolitelycallingouttome.Unfortunately,manyseemtohaverunawayalready.Butasexpectedoftheleader,Helooksmestraightintheeye…err,straightatme.Alright.Ifeelsomeintelligencefromthisone.Mightbeabletotalkproperly.

Willmyvoicereach..?Itriedattachingthoughttothespokenwordsandsendingthemtogoblin.

「ShouldIsay,pleasedtomeetyou?Iamtheslime,Rimuru.」

Thegoblinsbeganmurmuringamongthemselves.Weretheysurprisedthataslimespoke?OrsoIthought,but…Amongthem,afewwearingplainclothingthrewawaytheirweapons.Idon’treallygetit.

「Guga,Ostrongone!Weveryunderstandyourgreatpower!Webeg,loweryourvoice!!!」

Mu?WerethethoughtsIattachedtoostrong?SoIguesstelepathyisanogo.They’djustbemoreafraid.

「Mybad.Istillcan’tregulateitverywell.」

IguessI’llapologize.

「Weunworthy.Noneedapologizetous!」

Seemslikemywordsarereachingthem.Thisissomegoodpractice.Ohandbytheway,I’mspeakingJapanese,yetsomehow,theyare

understanding.

「So,whatdoyouneedfromme?Idon’thaveanyparticularreasontobegoingthisway,either.」

Sincetheyhavepolitelyaskedquestions,IguessI’llpolitelyanswer.Andmaybeitwastoomuch,buttomakesuretheycontinuedfearingme,Isaidthatratherforcefully.

「Soitlikethat.Onthispath,standourvillage.Wefeltstrongmonster,socameasprecaution.」

「Astrongmonster ’spresence?OnethatIhavenotdetected..?」

「Guga,gugaga,youjoke!Evenclothedinthatform,wewillnotbefooled!」

Itseemslikethey’vecompletelygotthewrongidea.(Warning!Theonewho’smistakenisRimuru!)Theyarecompletelyconvincedthatapowerfulmonstertooktheshapeofaslime.Aswouldbeexpectedfromgoblins,whoarefamousforbeinglowrankingmonsters.

Aftertalkingtothegoblinsforawhile,itseemslikeI’llbeimposingontheirvillage.Thatis,itseemslikeI’mstayingover.Thoughtheylookshabby,itseemstheyhaveabigheart.AndthoughIdon’tneedtosleep,takingabreakmightbeagoodidea.Withthatthought,Idecidedtoaccepttheofferandgototheirvillage.

.

Wediscussedmanythings.That,thegodtheyworshipedhadrecentlydisappeared.That,alongwithhisdisappearance,variousmonstersbegunmoving.That,thenumberofpowerfuladventurershadincreased.Andsoon.

And,duringtheconversation,Ifinallybecameabletoclearlyheartheirwords.ThatIcanprobablyattributetohavinggottenusedtolisteningwith[MagicPerception].It’sprobablyagoodthingIpracticedwithgoblinsbeforetalkingtopeople.Suchwastheconversationinthecompanyofgoblins.

Thevillageis…where?IswhatIwantedtosay,consideringhowdirtyitwas.Afterall,Ihadn’texpectedgoblindiguptheirdens.Evenso,theyguidedmetothebestlookingbuilding.Theroofwasmadeofrottingstraw,andsowasfullofholes;thewallswerejustpiledplywood…Bymyworld’sstandards,evenslumhousingispreferable!That’showbaditwas.

「Weapologizeformakingyouwait,honoredguest.」

Agoblinsaidwhileenteringthestructure.Thegoblinleaderwhohadbeenshowingmearounduntilnowthenmovedtoattendtothisone.

「Ah…don’tmindit.Ihadn’tbeenwaitingthatlong」

Itriedtorespondwiththebestbusiness-likesmileIcouldfoster.Ofcourse,thebestslime-smilepossible.Theysaythatasinglesmilecanturnnegotiationinone’sfavor.Gottosay,evenIamsusceptibletothatskill.NotthatIknowwhatwearenegotiatingabout..

「Wehumblyapologizefortheinabilitytoprovidebetteraccommodations.Icurrentlyhavethepleasureofservingasthisvillage’schief.」

Havingsaidthat,thegoblinsplacedbeforemeatea-likedrink.WhichIhavetoadmit,wasrathersurprising.Isipthetea.(Totheonlookers,itprobablylookedlikeItoppledthecupover.)

Ithadnotaste.Whichwasobvious,consideringIhadnotastebuds.Whetherthatwasgoodthingornot–Idon’tknow…aftercheckingtheingredients,Iconfirmedthatitwasnotpoisonous.Moreover,Icouldfeeltheirsincereattemptathospitalityfromthiscup.

「So,forwhatreasonhaveyougoneoutofyourwaytoinvitemehere?」

Iwentstraighttothepoint.“Let’sbecomefriendswithafellowmonster!”…itprobablywasn’tthatkindofbenevolentreason.Althoughthechieftensedandbegantotremble,heseemedtohavesteeledhimselfandproceededtoask.Andthisiswhathesaid,

「IfImay,youareawareoftherecentincreaseinactivityamongthemonsters,correct?」

ThatIheardonthewayhere.

「Wehavelivedtillnowpeacefullyduetotheprotectionfromourgod;however,Heseemstohavehiddenhimselfaboutamonthago…Duetohisdisappearance,thenearbymonstershavebeguninvadingtheselands…We,ourselves,didnotwelcometheirincursion,andrespondedwithforce;but,ourforces…」

Hmmmm.Wouldthegodbe…Veldora?Fitstimewise…Inanycase,itseemsthegoblinswantmyhelp.

「Iunderstandyourrequest.However,beingaslime,IdoubtIcanliveuptoyourexpectations.」

「Hahaha,howmodest!Aslimecouldneverradiatesuchstrongdemonicaura!Wearenotsopresumptuousastotryguessatwhyyouhavetakenthatappearance,butweareaware–youareaNamedMonster,areyounot?」

Demonicaura…hesaid?What’sthat?Idon’trememberemittingthat…So,Itriedtoobservemyselfwith[MagicPerception].Therewassomekindofominousauradriftingaboutme.Ugh…Ishouldhavenoticeditwhenmimickingmonstersortryingout[BodyArmor]…Howembarrassing….Thisfeelsjustlikewalkingdownmainstreetwithyourflywideopen.Thecave’shighmagicalenergyconcentrationprobablyconfusedmysenses.But,thisisnogood!Totallyoutofthequestion!Now,Ifinallyunderstandthemonsters’fearofme…Whatmonsterwouldwanttomakeanenemyofthisdangerouslookingguy?“Noidiotsgettingfooledbyappearancehere!”kindofthing.Welp…

「Fufufu.Asexpectedofthechief,thouunderstands?」

「Itwasobvious,yourgrace!Yourwondrouspersonacannotbehidden!」

「Isee,Iwasfoundout.Thouseemstobeapromisingbunch.」

I’mgettingcarriedaway,aren’tI.Let’splayalongwiththeirmisconceptionsandmanipulatethemabit.Atthesametime,let’strytoerasethatominousaura(demonicaura).Asifabsorbingtheaura,Itriedtodirecttheoutermagicalenergyinside.

「Ooh!Youhavebeentestingus!Andletusthankyou.Thereweremanywhofearedyourgreataura.」

Looksliketheaurasuccessfullydissipated.FromwhatIcansee,Inowlookjustlikeanormalslime.But.HadIbeenwanderingaroundasanormalslime…Iprobablywouldhavebeenannoyedwithallthefightsbynow…Soisn’tthisauraagoodthing?

「Itisso!HavingbeheldmyauraandyetspakebeforeI,wonderfullydone!」(TLNote:spakeisanarchaic(traditional)formofspoke,justimagineRimuruspeakinglikeVeldora)

What’swonderfulaboutit…?AmIlookingfortrouble?Well,I’llbearwithitfornow.Likeanactor,

「Ay!Yourkindnessiswastedonus.IfYouwill,weshallnotinquireregardingYourtruevisage.LestYouanger,wewishforyoutohearkentoourrequest.Couldwehopeforsuchafavor?」(TLNote:hearkenisarchaicforlisten,imaginethegoblinsbeinggroveling-levelpolite)

Well,probably.

「Don’tavoidthesubject.Letmehearit!」

Whilemaintainingmyhaughtyattitude,Ipressedthechieffordetails.

Thestorygoesasthus.Comingfromtheeasternlands,newmonstersthreatenthebalanceofthisregion.Further,itseemsthatthereareafewgoblinvillagesaroundhere.Thisvillagebeingbutoneofthem,buttheyhavehadmanybattleswiththenewcomersandlostmanygoodwarriors.Buttherealproblemwasthenamedwarrior.Heservedastheguardianofthisvillage;and,whenhewaslost,thevillagefounditselfinaperiloussituation.Othergoblincommunitieshaveabandonedit.“Whilethenewcomersravagethatvillage,we’llcomeupwithaplan!”Sotheothervillagesthought.AndnomatterhowmuchtheGoblinChiefandLeaderbeggedthem,theywerecoldlyrebuked.Suchisthebitterstorythegoblinsconveyed.

「Isee…howmanyliveinthisvillage?Amongthose,howmanycan

fight?」

「Yes,thereareahundreddenizens.Ifweincludefemales,sixtyareabletofight」

Soundsratherunreliable.However,toevencomprehendbasicmathematics…thegoblinsareratherintelligent.

「Hmph.Whatabouttheopponent?Howmanyandofwhatrace?」

「Ah,yes.Fromthewolfspecies,theFangWolffamily.Atthemoment,eventenofuscouldhardlymatchoneofthem…Andthereareahundredofthem…」

Ha..?WhosetthistogametoImpossibledifficulty?!Istaredthechiefintheeyes.No,heisnotlying.Hiseyesareearnest.Therearefewdubiouspoints,butIcanprobablybelievehiswordsforthemostpart.

「Aboutthosegoblinwarriors.Theyknewtheycouldn’twinandstillthrewtheirlivesawaypointlessly?」

「…No,thisintelistheproductofthelivestheygaveaway.」

Hisnextwordsmademeregretmyquestion.NamedGoblinwastheChief’sson,andGoblinLeader ’solderbrother.

Havingheardthesituation,Istoppedtothink.Withoutaword,theChiefawaitsmydecision.DidIjustseeatearinhiseyes?…probablyjustimaginedit.Tearsdon’tsuitmonsters.Arrogancedoes.That’stheproperappearanceofthefearedmonsters.

「Chief,thereisbutonethingIwishtoconfirm.IfIsavethisvillage,whatbemyreward?Whatwilltheedoforme?」

NotthatIwouldn’tdothiswithoutareward.

But,we’retalkingaboutahundredenemiesasstrongastengoblinseach.Thiswillbenowalkinthepark.IfImimictheblackserpentIcanprobablymanage,but…It’snotadealIcanjusteasilyaccept.

「Weofferourloyalty!Pleaseprotectus.IfYoudo,weshallforeverserveYou!!!」

Honestly,Icandowithouttheirloyalty.But,havingendured90daysofsolitude,Itrulyenjoyedtalkingwiththegoblins.HadIbeenhuman,Imighthavebeenrepulsedbytheirfilthiness.But,Iamnowamonster.Ifearnodisease.Moreover,thechief’seyes.I’mtheironlyhope,theysay.Justlikeinthepastworld,I’mweaktodependenttypes.Whilegrumblingtomyself,listeningtocomplainsfrommykouhai,andfulfillingtherequestsofcustomersandsenpai…(TLNote:kouhaiisamemberofanorganizationwhostartedthereafterthepersoninquestion,senpaiispersonwhowastherebefore)

「Verywell!Ishallacceptthatrequest!」

Iacceptedwithanexaggeratedbow.

Andso,Ibecamethemasterofgoblins,andtheirguardian.

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:NoneMagic:NoneSkills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],

Lizard[BodyArmor]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

Chapter10–TheBattleoftheGoblinVillage

TheFangWolffamily.Therulersoftheeasternplains.ThecauseofmanyheadachesamongthetradersfromEasternEmpireandothercountriesborderingtheJuraForest.EachisaCrankmonster,andcouldeasilydevouranegligentadventurer.However,theyweremostlyfearedasapack.Whengathered,theymovelikeasingleentity,capableoforganizedattack.And,asapack…theyareoftenevaluatedasaBrank.

TheeasternplainsarelocatedadjacenttoEmpire’swheatfields.AsitistheEmpire’sprimaryfoodsource,itboastsofimpenetrabledefense.Thus,althoughtheFangWolvesarerathercunningandpossessexcellentabilities,breakingthroughthedefensewouldbeexceedinglydifficult.Furthermore,eveniftheydidbreakthrough,theywouldonlyearntheEmpire’swrath,andwouldprobablybehuntedintoextinction.Thepackleaderunderstoodthatmuch.Themanydecadesspentskirmishingwithandlearningfromtheever-expandingempireinstilledthatominouspremonitioninthem.Aslongastheypreyedonlyuponsmall-timemerchants,theempirewouldn’tgetserious.However,iftheyevenoncedecidedtointrudeuponthewheatfields,theempirewillbareitsfangs.Asaresult,hehadpreventedmanymishapsfrombeginningtrueincidents.Thosewerethethoughtsthatfilledthepackleader ’shead.However,willthisnotstophisspeciesevolution?Sohisinstinctsscreamed.

Currently,thepackdidnotlackprovision.Ifpeoplewereattackedandeaten,theyweremoreofasnack.That’sbecausehumansaren’tbornwithalotofinherentmagicalenergy.FortheFangWolves,amealwasnothingmorethanabsorbingmagicalenergy.

Fightstrongmonstersorslaughtermanyhumans,andevolveintoacalamityclassmonster.Butasthingsstand,neithermethodseemedveryplausible.TheEmpirewassimplyfartoostrong.However,shouldtheysimplycontinueattackingmerchants,theirgoalwillbebutadreamwithinadream.Buttheyhaveheardofaparadiseforpowerfulmonsters–aforestsetonblessedlandsfarinthesouth.However,toreachthoselands,they’dhavetotraversetheJuraForest.Theinhabitantsofwhicharen’tanythingspecial.Themanytimestheyhuntedthoseofthemthatventuredintotheplainsprovedthispoint.Inthatcase,whyhavetheynotinvadedtheforestyet?

“StormDragonVeldora”

Theexistenceofthatdragonisthereason.Evenwhilehewassealedaway,theominousenergyheemittedwasenoughtofrightenthemintosubmission.Theywereconvincedthattheforest’sinhabitantsreceivedVeldora’sprotection.Andthatiswhythecanliveinsidethatfiendishaura.Hadtheybelievedotherwise,theywouldsurelygomad.Untilnow,theylivedwiththeseshamefulthoughts,andheldbacktheirurgetoinvade…Yes!Untilnow!

ThePackLeaderslooksintotheforestwithhisbloodred,sharpeyes.Thatdespised,evildragon’spresencehadvanished.Now,theycouldfreelyravagethroughtheforest,andbecomeitssupremerulers!Oh,theverythoughtwhethisappetite.Andso,hehowledtheordertoadvance!

.

Havingbecometheguardian,Icontemplatedthenextstep.Personally,evenwiththattitle,Ithinktheirtreatmentofmeistoograndiose.Inanycase,Igatheredandstudiedthegoblins’fighters.

…Theyarepracticallyfallingapart.Doesn’tseemlikeIcandependonthemduringcombat.Also,theremaininggoblins,kidsandelderly,cametoobserveourpreparation.Noreinforcementfromothertribes,either.Asthingsstand,it’sasmallmiraclethatthechiefhasn’tlosthismindyet.Becauseeveniftheyrunaway,they’djustdiefromhungerorthirst…And,thegoblinswhomIgatheredarestaringmeasifatadeity…WhataheavyburdenItookup.FeelsespeciallysosinceIjustwantedtoleadacarefreelifeawayfromresponsibility.

「Doyouallunderstandthesituation?」

Notthekindofatmospheretomakeajoke,andIdon’thaveanygoodwordsofencouragement,soIwentstraighttothepoint.

「Yes!Thisshallbecomethefighttodecidewhetherweliveordie!Wehavealreadysaidourprayers!」

Thegoblinleaderwasthefirsttoreply.Therestnoddedinapproval.Andwhiletherearesomewithtremblingknees,that’sonlytobeexpected.Heartmightbewilling,butthefleshisweak–somethinglikethat.

「Don’tgetsoworkedup–relax.Eventhoseeagermayfacedefeat.Justfocusondoingyourbest!」

Triedsayingsomethingcool.I,atleast,feltbetter,somaybeit’llhavesomeeffect.Inanycase,shouldwebegin?Failurewillmostlikelyresultinthegoblins’certaindemise.Butstill,Ichosetobe“GoingMyWay”aboutthis.(TLNote:referencetoa1944film)Ahead,witharrogance!That’smychoice.

Alright!“Putyourspiritintoit!”ThatisthefirstorderIgavethem.Andfromthenon,manymoreorderswillfollow.

Thosewordsannouncedthatthemomenthascome!

.

Andthesunhadset.TheFangWolves’packleaderawoke.Thatnightwasafullmoon.Theperfectwitnesstotheirbattle.Heslowlyawokehisflesh,andgazedoverhisdominion.Thepack,seeingtheirleaderlikethat,batedtheirbreath.Howtenselytheyawait.Sothoughttheleader.Tonight,theywillcrushthatgoblinvillage,andsotakethefirststepintotheJuraforest.Afterwards,huntthenearbymonsters,astoprovethemselvesastheforest’srulers.Andsomedaysoon,continuesouthwardinsearchofgreaterpower.Wehavethepowertoaccomplishthis,theythought.Ourclawsripthroughthefleshofanybeast,andourfangspieceanyarmor.

*Uoooooooooooon!!!*

Thepackleaderhowled!Thetimetotrampletheirfoeshadcome.However,therewasonethingthatbotheredhim.Afewdaysago,abrotherhehadsentonreconnaissancehadbroughtbackbewilderinginformation.Asmallmonsterreleasingmonstrousenergy.Thatmonster ’sdemonicaurafarsurpassedthatoftheleader.Therecouldbenosuchthing.Soconcludedtheleader.Hehadnotperceivedsuchathreat,andallthemonstershemetwereweak.Therehadbeennothingtocallresistanceasofyet.Onlythatonetime,tenorsogoblinshadmurderedafewoftheirbrethren,butneveragain.Chancesare,thescoutwasfartooexcitedtoseerationally.Thinkingthat,thebossonlylookedahead.

Andinfrontofhim,laythevillage.

Itwasjustwerethescoutsreported.Usingthewoundedgoblin,theyhadmarkedthisvillage.Sonow,theycanhardlyofferproperresistance.Theleaderwasacunningwolf.Hewouldn’tlethisguarddown.However,thevillagewasnotasexpected.Asifitbelongedtohumans…itwasfenced.Theyhaddismantledeveryhouseanderectedawall.And,inthemiddleoftheentranceahead,stoodasingleslime.Howingenious!Solaughedtheleader.Theyleftanopeningtodefendagainstournumbers!Werehisthoughts.Afterall,theywereslow-witted,trashofamonster.Thatwallwillquicklytopplebeforeourclawandfang!Weshallshowthemourmight!Withthesethoughts,heorderedtheattack.Andasone,tenfangwolvesassaultedthewalls.Theytrulywereasinglebeing.Thatwastheirtrueworth–theirunityincombat.Movementmadepossiblethroughtelepathiccommunication.Aformofcommunicationmanytimesfasterthanwords.Thefirstattackshouldhavedestroyedthewalls.Surely,theleaderimagined,thegoblinswillsoonrealizethefutilityoftheirplanandpanic.Instead,itwastheleaderwholetoutavoiceofsurprise.Theattacksquadwasrepelled!And,therewassomethingrollingonthegroundwhilesplashingbloodamongthem,too.Whathadhappened?Withoutahintofpanic,hesoughtanswers.Theslimehadnotmoved.Didhedosomething?Andthen,theclosestofhissubordinates,

(It’stheonefromthatday!Theonethatpossessedanaurastrongerthanourlord!)

Sohereported.Howfoolish!Hethoughtwhilelookingattheslime.Theywouldsometimesbebornintheplains.

You’dexaggerateifyoucalledthemmonsters;apitifulexistence.Tobesurpassmyselfindemonicaura…impossible!Butthen,

「Alriiight!Stoprightthere.Ifyouwithdrawnow,Iwillnotpursue.Departatonce!」

Iswhattheslimedeclared.

TheFangWolves’leaderwasacraftyandcunningmonster.Havinglivedmanyyearsandexperiencedmanythings,he’dneverneglectmakingaplan.Hewascool-headedandpossessedcouragetestedthroughmanybattles.Hismanyexperiences,andtheinformationhecollected,allrejectedthepresenceofabeingstrongerthanhimamongthegoblins.Buttheleaderhad,atthatonemoment,madeafatalmistake.Andthatmistakehasdecidedtheirfate.

*Uuuru!!Garuuuuuuuu!!!*(Miserableexistence!!!I’llpulverizeyou!!!)

Heorderedtheattack.

.

Wow,thatwasasurprise.Didn’tthinkthey’dattacksosuddenly.Ithoughtwe’dstartwithaconversation…nowallmylineswenttowaste.Allthepracticegonetowaste!Ievenpracticedduringbreak….

ThefirstorderIgavewastobeguidedtothewounded.Well,evenifIaddtenorsomoretothesixty,theoddswon’tchangeallthatmuch.However,beingidolizedandallkindofmakesmewanttodoallIcan.Theywereplacedinaratherlargebutfilthy-lookingbuilding.Soaboutthewounded.Theyseemedtohavereceivedsomefirst-aid,butwillsurelydieasthingsstand.Whatdeepwounds.Rippedopenbyclawandfang,andtheirwoundshadfestered.Havetogoallouthere.Andso,Iabsorbedtheclosestone.And,havingdressedthewounds,spithimout.

Thevillagechiefseemedtohavebeentryingtosaysomething–stuttering,actually–forawhile,butIignoredhim.And,goingthrougheverypatient,Irepeatedtheprocess.Aftermanypatients,Ifinallylookedbackatmyhandiwork.Forsomereason,thegoblinswereallprostratingthemselvesbeforeme.Whatthehellaretheydoing?Inanycase,itseemstheythoughtIhadhealedthemwithsomeinherentrestorativepower.Sincethatreactionwasunpleasant,fortheremainingwoundedIspitthemedicineoutandtreatedthemrightthere.Andso,sometimewasspentonhealing.

Havingfinishedmedicaltreatment,Irelayednextorders.Thenextthingtodowouldbetobuildawall.Cuttingdowntreestobuilditwouldalsobegood,butwemaynothaveenoughtime.Havetodowithwhatwehave.Sowithoutahintofhesitation,wedestroyedhousesandrecycledthemintowalls.Onethatwouldcirclearoundtheentirevillage.Andwhilewewerebuilding,Isentoutthebrightestgoblins,armedwithbows,toscout.Theenemyarewolves,sotheyhaveanexcellentsenseofsmell,soImadesuretotellthescoutstoavoidrecklessaction.Theirresolveisimpressive…“Evenatthecostofmylife!”that’sthekindofauratheyemit.Don’ttheylovetoexaggerate.

ThewallwasfinishedontheeveningthedayafterIarrived.Iputonsomefinishingtouches.Right,Iincreaseditsdurabilitywithmyspider ’sthread.Andbytheway,Ididn’tforgettoplaceatrapusing[SteelThread],either.Wouldn’titbegreatiftheyblindlyattackthewalls?They’dbecuttopieces.Afterthisfight,definitelycan’tforgettogoaroundcollecting…“components”.Andatthefront,weleftanopening.

Here,I’llplacesome[StickyThread]andthatwillbeitforpreparations.Now,allIcandoiswaitforthescouts.Aboutthattime,thegoblinsItreatedstartedwakingup.Havingthemtouchmybody,Iconfirmedtheircondition.Seemsliketherestorativepillsareprettyseriousstuff.Ithoughtthey’dneedtobetreatedmanytimes,but…Itseemstohavebeensupereffective.Whatapleasantsurprise.

Then,wehadgatheredtheremainingwoodatthecenterofthevillage,andstartedafire.Kindoflikeacampfire,exceptwithoutthemerryfaces.Wehavetostayonguardthewholenight.AsIdon’tneedsleepInaturallyofferedtostayonwatch,but…

「Therecouldbenosuchthing!!!WecanhardlyallowRimuru-samatofurtherexertyourself.」

「Ashesaid!Weshallstaywatch.Pleaserest,Rimuru-sama!」

That’sright!Astheysaid!!!Camealltheresponses.AndIappreciatethesentiment,it’sjusttheseguysareprobablysomuchmoretiredthanIam…NothingIcando,Iguess.Sowedecidedtokeepalook-outonrotation.

Inthedeadofthenight,thescoutshadcomeback.Thewolveshadbeguntomove–sotheyreported.Theyhadsomewounds,butallreturnedalive.Iusedtothinktheywerefilthyanduglymonsters.ButIgrewsympathetictothemoverthesetwodays.Inprayers,eachandeveryoneofthemwishedforthesebattlestoend.ThoseweremythoughtsasIsetupthe[StickyThread]andstoodatthegate.

Thebattlebeganwiththefangwolves’attack.Iwasworriedifthegatewouldhold,butthewolvescannotmountanattackthatwouldpenetratethem.Seemslikethetrapswereeffectiveaswell.Atleastthatwentwell.

Fornow,

「Alriiight!Stoprightthere.Ifyouwithdrawnow,Iwillnotpursue.Departatonce!」

IswhatIcalledout.AndIwascompletelyignored.Thewolvesmovedatonce,andbegunassaultingthegatefromalldirection.Well,itcan’tbehelped.Hopefullythingswillproceedaccordingtoplan.Havingpredictedthisoutcome,Ileftsmallopeningsinthefence.Anarrow-slit.Eventheclumsygoblinsarecapableofshootingthroughthathole.Manywolveswerehitbyarrows,andfellwhimpering.Therewerealsowolvesthattrytodigthroughthoseopenings,but…

*Zasu!*

Everytime,they’dbehitfrombothsidesbystoneaxesandperish.Thoughthegoblinshadn’tevenpracticedfortwohours,theyweredesperate.Desperatetounderstandmydirectionsandputthemtouse.Andtheresultisthecurrentsituation.Withoutaquestion,thefangwolvesarestrong.Assinglebeast,theyarecapableoftakingonmanygoblinsatonce.Asapack,theymightbetrulyformidable.But,that’sthekey.Justhitthemafewtimes,oneattime.Divideandconquer.Inshort,brainswillalwaystriumphoverbrawn.Thestrongestanimalsintheworldarethoseblessedwithsupremeintelligence–humans!…howunlucky…whilethinkingthesethings,Ifeltthecoldstareofthepackleader.He’sbutananimal,andthinkshecandefeatme…howconceited!

.

Thepackleaderwasbewilderedbythissuddenturnofevents.

Hissubordinatesarebeginningtopanic.Thiscouldbebad.Fangwolvesareasstrongastheyareunited.Leader ’sdistrustofhissubordinateshasalwaysledtoasingle,devastatingresult.Hehadunderstoodthatmuch.Andso,thiswaswherehehadcommittedthegravestmistake.Hewasangrythatthewallwouldn’tcomedown;but,hewasalsoafraidthathiscomrades’angerwasdirectedathim…“Theleaderneedstoshowhispower!”or“He’sthestrongestoneinthepack,heshouldbeabletodothishimself!”Theymaythink.Andatthatmoment,itwassettled.

.

Noonetooktheireyesofftheleader ’smovement.However,tothegoblins,itappearedasifhehaddisappeared.Forme,hemovedasifinslowmotion.Itallwentaccordingtoplan.I’vethoughtupquietafewscenarios,andthebattlehadplayedoutaccordingtooneofthose.Asyou’dexpectfrombeasts.They’dnevertriumphoverahuman.Theleaderwascaughtinthe[StickyThread]Ilayattheentrance.Withhisstrength,perhapshecouldcutthroughit.Idon’thaveawaytoverifythatpoint…notthatitevenmatters.Thegoalofthe[StickyThread]wastoholdtheleaderdownifforbutamoment.Withoutapauseinmovementthe“waterblade”maymiss,andit’dlookuncool.Tosaynothingoftheworstcasescenario:hittingafriendlyduringcombat.Well,thosekindsofaccidentsdohappenonthebattlefield.Ididhaveatrappreparedtoavoidthat,butseemslikesettingitupwasawasteofeffort.Thisguynevercameupwithabetterplanthandestroyingthewalls.Ididconsiderlayingsome[SteelThread]trapsattheentranceaswell,butconsideringallthesituationswherethey’davoidthem,Idecidedagainstit.Rightnow,Ihavetoplaythepartofanoverwhelminglypowerfulmonster.

It’sforthatreason,thatIsetthetraps.Andwithoutanyhesitation,Idecapitatedtheleaderwolf.That’showeasilyhedied.

「Hearme,FangWolves!Yourleaderhasbeenfelledbyme!!!Igiveyouachoice.Servitudeordeath?」

So,howwilltheyrespond?Havingjustarrangedtheleader ’sfuneral,I’drathernotextendthatlisttoabunchofmadwolveslookingforaplacetodie…

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:NoneMagic:NoneSkills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],Lizard[BodyArmor]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

Chapter11–EvolvingMonsters

Thewolvesareshowingnointentionstomove.Thiscouldbebad…Aretheyplanningonrushingatmewitha“Deathratherthanservitude!”-likehowl?Thenit’dbecometotalwar.Theyhavenochanceofvictory,butwealsowouldn’tcomeoutunscathed.Havingcomethisfarwithoutinjury…we’ddefinitelywin,butI’dratheravoidfurthercombat.

Comparedtoearliernoise,aneeriesilencefillsthebattlefield.Thefangwolvesarehaveallfocusedtheirsightonme.Islowlybegantomove.Idon’tknowhowthey’llreacttowhatI’mabouttodo,butthisisatleastnecessaryforthemtorecognizethedeathoftheirleader.Iapproachedtheleader ’scorpse.Noonemovedtostopme.Nearbywolvestookastepback.Andthen,Idevouredthewolfleaderusing[Predation].Thatmuchistherightofthevictor.

«Analysishasbeencompleted.AbilitytomimictheFangWolveshasbeenacquired.Species-specificskills[SupremeSenseofSmell,TelepathicCommunication,Coercion]havebeenacquired.»

[GreatSage]reportedinmymind.Alright.Theseguys…thoughthey’vejustseentheirleadereaten,theyaren’tmovingamuscle.Hmmm.Totallythoughtthatthey’deitherrunawayinpanicorgrovelinfearifIwentthisfar…Oh,right!IdidsayServitudeorDeath…Damnit…adrenalinerushedtomyhead,andthisistheresult.

Well,onlyonethingtodo.IguessI’llgivethemawayout.Withthatthought,ImimickedtheFangWolf.And,

*Guru,Uooooooooooon!!!*

Whileactivating[Coercion],Ihowledout.

「Kukuku!Hearme!I’llletyouoffthehookthisonce.Thosewhowouldnotobey,leavenow!!!」

SoIdeclaredtothewolves.Withthis,eventhesemuttsshouldhavethecouragetorun.OrsoIthought,

(Weasone,shallfollowYou!!!)

Theyrespondedandkneltbeforeme.Thoughhonestly,theyreallylookjustlikebunchoftired,sleepydogs.Inanycase,theyseemtohavechosenservitude.So…whentheyweremotionless–theywerebusydiscussingthis?Andwiththat,thebattleoftheGoblinVillagehadconcluded.

.

OrsoI’dliketosay,butitwasn’toveryet!Whatcameafter–reconciliationandrepairs–wasfarharderthanthefightitself.“Whothehellorderedthishousetobedestroyed”andthelike…Whattodonext?And,whattouseforthegoblins’beds?And,who’llwalkthedogs…Thoughmanyofthemhaddied,therearestillabouteightyremaining.Aboutthat…well,let’sjustsaythedayisdone!Leaveallthethinkingfortomorrow.Thusfornow,Iorderedthedogstostandby,andwenttorestbythegoblins’bonfire.

Thuscamemorning.

Ithoughtallnight,andfinallycameupwith:“Makethegoblinslookafterthefangwolves!”Plan.Thegoblinfightingforcenumberseventyfourmembers.Nocasualtiesfromthebattle.Thereweresomescratches,butthat’stheextentoftheirinjuries.Ofthedogs,eightyoneremain.Thereweremanyinjured,butwithimmediatetreatment,theyhavebegunrecovery.Evenwithoutfurthermeddling,they’llhealnicely.That’showpotenttheirrecoveryabilityis.Afterwakingup,Ihadthegoblinslineup.Thekidsandelderlywantedtosneakapeek,butwithnohousesaround,theyreallystoodout.Thevillagechiefwaswaitingbymyside.Heseemstointendtotakecareofme,whichisniceandall…butthere’snowayI’dbehappygettinganoldgoblin’sattention.Thatmuchisdictatedbymyaestheticsense.Thatis,nomatterhowmanytimesIreincarnateasamonster,mytastesIshallnotyield!And,ascutethingsdon’texistinthisvillage,soI’lljusthavetogiveupfornow.Then,Ilinedupthewolvesinfrontofthegoblins.Now,then…

「So….guys.Fromnowon,I’llhaveyoubecomeapairandproceedtogether」

Iwaitfortheirreaction.However,showingnointentionofmakingnoise,theysimplyawaitfurtherinstructions.Nooneseemsparticularlyrepulsedbythenotion.Thisisgoinggood,sofar.

「YougetwhatIsaid,right?Makeagroup:onegoblinandonewolf」

WhenIsaidthat,Thegoblinsandwolvessatbyeachotherandexchangedglances.And,

「Guga!」(Pleasetakecareofme!)

「Gau!]」(Likewise!)

Ishowquicklytheygotalong.Thisisthe“Yesterday’senemyistoday’sfriend”typeofthing,Iguess.Andthat’swhenIgotthethought.“Theyarenameless,aren’tthey”Callingouttothemwouldbereallyinconvenient.Andwhileglancingatthegoblin-wolfpair,

「Chief,it’sreallyinconvenienttogetyourattention.So,Iwasthinkingofgivingyounames.Wouldthatbefine?」

Everyheadturnedtome,andeveryeyefocusedonme,whenIsaidthatline.Thesamewastrueevenforthecivilians.

「Wou…wouldyoureallybestowsuchhonoronus?」

Theheadasked,overcomebyawe.Hmm?What’swiththisexcitement?

「Ah,yeah.Ifit’sokaywithyou,Iwasplanningongivingyounames.」

ThemomentIfinishedthesentence,asiftheywereallholdingtheirbreath,thegoblinsshoutedforjoy.What’supwiththem?Thesituationisbasically:GREATEX-CIT-MENT!!!Iftheywantednamesthismuch,theyshould’vejustcomeupwithones….That’showcarefreeIwasthen.

Let’sstartwiththechief.First,Iaskedforhisson’sname.Itwas“Rigur”.Andso,InamedtheChief“Rigur-do”,Rigurdo.Notthatthenamehadanyspecificmeaning,Ijustthoughtitsoundedgood.“Werehissonaround,I’dcallouttohim“Rigur!”andthechiefwouldreply“Do!”…”WhenIsaidthatasajoke,hesuddenlygotveryserious.

Moreover,

「Tohavebeenhonoredwiththenameofmyson,pleasepermitthesetearsofgratitude!」

Howmuchheexaggerates!Togivehimanameonawhimkindofmakesmefeelguilty…But,ohwell!Andthefeelingwentaway.Continuing,theGoblinLeaderwillsucceedhisbrother ’sname.Icouldadd“the2nd”toit,butitsoundslikeapain.So,he’snow“Rigur”.Andwhenhe’scalledsuch,hefallsprostateasifprayingtome.Really,theseguystakethingstooseriously…likefather,likeson,Iguess.AndwhileI’matit,mightaswellgothroughtheparent-childgroupsfirst.Then,Inamedthesinglegoblinsandtheorphans.Iwonderiftheyguyswillcontinuereusingthesenamesinthefuture.Withthebirthofagrandchild,thechiefwillprobablybecalled“Rigurdodo”.Andwithagreatgrandchild,theinfantwillbecalled“Rigur”andthechief“Rigurdododo”.“Seriously?”Iswhatwouldbeappropriatetosay,then…but,ohwell!Andlikethat,Igavethemnames.Then,theysaidtome,

「Rimuru-sama,wehavenowordstoexpressourgratitude…butareyousurethatthiswasalright?」

TheChief…Rigurdoaskedwithaslightlyflusteredvoice.

「Whatis?」

「Oh,well,wedoknowthatRimuru-samapossessesgreatmagicalenergy…but,evenso,togiveoutthosemanynamesatonce…」

What’shetalkingabout?I’mjustgivingthemaname…

「Oh?Well,noproblem,Iguess…」

Andso,Icontinuedgivingoutnames.

ItseemslikeRigurdowantedtosaysomething,butIdidn’tpayattention.

Havingfinishednamingthegoblins,Iproceededtothewolves.

Theirnextleaderisthepreviousone’sson.Helookslikehisfatherwiththatsturdybuild,andcarriesthesameairaroundhim.Lookingatthoseblood-redeyes,Ithinkofaname.That’sright!Let’sgowiththekanjifortempestfang–“Ranga”!(TLNote:oneofthereadingsfor嵐(storm,tempest)isran,andfor牙(fang)isga.)Iknow,mynamessuck.Ijusttookmyfamilynameandmixeditwiththeirspecies.Well,“It’sgoodtogiveappropriatenames”…thosewordsIwillnotheed.

Atthatmoment!

Ifeltthemagicalenergybeingsuckedoutfrommybody.And,Iwasattackedbyextremelethargy!What…the?I’veneverfeltthistiredsincebeingreborn.

«Explanation.Youhaveusedmagicalenergybeyondyourcapabilities!Switchingovertoloweredactivitystate.Completerestorationpredictedinthreedays.»

Iamconscious.SinceIdon’tneedsleep.Icanalsohear[GreatSage]’sexplanation.Afterwhich,Ifinallycomprehendedthesituation.Iusedtoomuchmagicalenergy?So,IranoutofMP,huh?However,whatcausedthattoohappen?HadalltheskillsIusedtillnowcomebitemeatonce?Butitdoesn’tfeellikethat’sthecase.Can’tmovemybody.Soloweredactivitystateislikehibernation…withoutsleep.Whilepanicking,Rigurdoisnursingmybody.Inanycase,there’snotmuchtheycando;so,theyjustsatmebythe

bonfire…Consciousyetinactive.

So,Iwasthinkingaboutthatphenomenon.MymagicalenergydecreasedwhenIwasgivingoutnames.Givingnamesusesupmymagicalenergy,huh…Cometothinkofit,alotofmagicalenergywasusedwhengivingthefangwolves’leaderaname.Sogivingmonstersnamesrequiresmagicalenergy.Thatconclusiontookmetwodaystoworkout.ThiswouldbethecauseofRigurdo’sworries,wouldn’tit.Waitasecond…isitcommonsenseinthisworld?Speakup!!!HowwouldIknowifyoudon’ttellme…IfIcouldcomplain,I’dbescreamingmylungsout.Well,ifIcouldmovemybody,I’dcomplain.Screamingmylungsout?Whosaidsuchathing?Butanyways,whenIstoppedmovingthegoblins,ofcourse,gotworried…And,afightstartedoutaboutwho’dbetakingcareofmefirst.Whatthehellaretheydoing…stopjokingaround.Icandowithoutagoblinharem.…Iwasbasicallytreatedlikeadivineornamentthatblessedthosethatstrokedit.

Andso,threedayspassed.

COMPLETERE-CO-VE-RY!

Afterhavingrunoutofmagicalenergy,aggregateamountofmagicalenergyandmagicpowerseemedtohaveincreased.Magicpowerallowsustooperate.Magicalenergyiswhatweutilize.Somehow,Iseemtohaveunderstoodit.Ithink.Sotosummarize,“Whatdoesn’tkillyoumakesyoustronger”typeofthing.ShouldIexperiment?IswhatIthought,butIdecidedagainstit.Idon’tseeaparticularreasontodoit,anddyingduringtheexperimentwouldbesad.

Foryousee,Ihavealreadycrossedthatline.“Ifyouletdownyourguard,youdie!”soIlearned.Now,then…HavingnoticedthatIhaveawoken,thegoblinsimmediatelygathered.Thefangwolves,too,enteredthevillage.Thatbeinggoodandall…but,what’supwiththis…?

「Youguys…you’rehuge!」

Yes.Goblinsarenormally150cmtall.However,theyareatleast180now.(TLNote:Fromabout5feetto6feet)Theguyinfrontofmeisover2meterstall.(6.5feet)Thefangwolves,aswell:theirolivebrownfurhasturnedjetblack,givingoffacharmingshine.Furthermore,theyarenowthreemetersinlength(about10feet).LastIsawthem,theywereatmost,two(6.5feet).And,silentlywalkingoverhere,givingoutastrangeaura,wasafive-meterlongwolf(16feet).Damn,that’sscary.And,

「Mymaster!Yourrecoveryfillsmewithendlessjoy!!」

Hefluentlysaid.

…thatcan’tbe…“Ranga”,right?

Whatthehellhappenedherethesedays…WhileIwasataloss,themonstersfilledtheforestwitharoarofdelight!

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:OnewhoCommandsMonstersMagic:None

Skills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],Lizard[BodyArmor],Wolf[SupremeSenseofSmell,TelepathicCommunication,Coercion]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

Chapter12–PreparingourEnvironment

Hmmm.Themonstersreallygrewthesepastthreedays.Howshocking…Thisiswhatyoucall..evolution,huh…Doesreceivinganamepromptevolution?

Cometothinkofit,Veldorahadmentionedsomethingaboutnames…Somethingabout“nameless”and“namedmonster”.Isee!Foramonstertogetanameisforthemtobecomeanamedmonster!Sotheirstatsincrease,andtheresult–evolution!Isee…that’swhytheywerejubilant.ThatalsoexplainswhyIusedupsomuchpower.

Monsterevolutionisabsurd.Ratherthangrowingup,it’sprobablybettertosaythattheybecameadifferentbeing.Thegoblinseyessparkleindelight,reflectingtheirprofoundwisdom,anddirectedatthefemales….Whatthehell!Theyactuallylookfeminine!I’msosurprisedIcan’tevenscream!Eh?….EHH???Icouldn’tbelievemyeyes.Thoughtheyweresmallmonsters,resemblingmonkeys…Themalesbecamehobgoblins.Thefemalesbecamegoblinas.Thustheyevolved.AccordingtowhatRigurdosaid,theyheardthe“VoiceoftheWorld”.“ThisisthegreatandrareevolutionthatI’veheardlegendsabout!”Ishowexcitedhewaswhenhetoldmeaboutit.Thegoblinfemalesusedtobecoveredfromheadtotoebutduetotheevolutionsomeparticularlyvoluptuouspartsarevisible.“Thewallsarejealousofyourfigure!”~isajokeIcannolongersay.Themalesarecertainlyhappy.

Andtheyaren’twearingmucheither…Iguessofthethreenecessatitiesoflife,we’llhavetofigureoutclothingfirst.

.

Andthenthere’sthe“Ranga”problem.He’sbeensohappywithmyrecovery,thathedoesn’tleavemealoneforevenasecond.AndwhileIcan’tsayIdon’tlikethesoftfur…I’mmoreofacatperson.Don’tgetmewrong:Idon’thateit.

「So,Ranga,Ionlygaveyouaname,sowhydidtherestofthepackevolve?」

That’sright.AssoonasIgaveRangathename,thatunpleasantincidentoccurred…

「Mybelovedmaster!Weofthefangwolvesare“manyasone”.Thenameyoubestowedhadbecomethenameofourspecies!」

Isee,Isee.Asharedname,soeveryoneevolved.Accordingtohim,thepreviousalphadidnotfavorthisprinciple.Ifhehad,thatbattlemighthavegonealittledifferently.Ohandwithregardstothat,Rangaseemstohavesecuredhisleadershipinthepack.Andthankstothat,thespecieschangedfromfangwolvestostormfangwolves.Sotosummarize,they’vegottenstronger!Iswhathewantstosay.Seemslikehewantstobepraised,so…

「Welldone!」

Andhehappilywavedhistail.Asyou’dimagine,ifafivemetermonsterstartswavinghistail,you’llbeblownaway.Funnilyenough,ascowlisenoughtomakehimdejected.

Theproblem,however,wasinthewolves’care.Sincebecomingpairs,thewolvesandgoblinslivetogether…Orrather,forlackofhousing,thegoblinsusethewolvesaspillows.Clothingisanissue,andsoishousing.So…whattodo…?

.

Therewasamountainloadoffoodinfrontofme.Sowithregardstothenourishment,thatansweredanyconcern.ItseemsthatatthesametimeasIranoutofmagicalenergy,everyonebegantoevolve.And,afteritfinishedadaylater,theydecidedtocelebratetogether.However,asIwasstillcontinuingmyrecovery,theyonlycontinuedtogatherfood.

Soduringrecovery,althoughIcouldfeelbeingcaressed,Icouldnotsenseeithertheevolutionorthepartypreparations.Loweredactivitystatemakesmesurprisinglydefenseless.Havetobemorecareful.However,towaitformyorderseveninthatsituations–thatispraiseworthy.Itseemsthattheirintelligenceincreasedduringtheevolution.Perhapsthespiritisaffectedgreaterthanthebody.Originally,thegoblinswouldhuntandgatherthefood,andsosurvive.Now,withthewolves’shelp,theirhabitathasgreatlyincreased.Whatismoresurprising,however,isthatthegoblin-wolfpaircanusetelepathiccommunication.Theyhavebecomethewolf-ridinggoblins.Thus,thewolvesnolongerarejustanadditiontoourfightingstrength.Goblin–amonsterwhichhadneverwonbeforehasnowbecomeanexperthunter.Andtheamountoffoodtheyprocuredovertwodaysistheproof.However,thereisaproblem.Lifedependentonthefruitsoftheforestisratheruncertain.I’llhavetoteachthemcropfarmingsoonerratherthanlater.IguessIneedtostartbylookingforagoodcropplant…mayberice.

I’llkeepaneyeout.Fornow,let’sjustthoughtlessenjoytheparty!Andsothatday,incelebrationoftheirevolution,thebattle’send,myrecovery,thebanquetcontinuedlongintothenight.

.

Andthesunroseagain.Everyonehadgathered.Therearemanythingstodotoday,butImustfirstconveythemostimportantmatter.Thatis,therulesofthisvillage.Thosemustbedecidedintheverybeginning.Anycommunityrequiresrules.AnaturalnotionfortheJapanesepeople.

“Aruleissomethingthatprotects,notsomethingthatisprotected”

Someadults(meincluded)usedtojokelikethat,butthatiscurrentlyunimportant.Ihavethoughtofthreebasicrules.Attheveryleast,Iwanttokeepthesethree.Anyotherrulestheycanmakeandenforcethemselves.

「Haseveryonegathered?Inthatcase,I’llannouncetherules!Therearethree,andIwantyoualltosolemnlysweartoupholdthem」

Havingsaidso,Iannouncedtheserules.

1.Donotattackhumans2.Donotfightcomrades3.Donotlookdownonotherraces

Sowerethethreerules.Withextrathoughtmanymorerulesshouldbeadded,buttheywillbehardtoupholdatfirst.Formepersonally,Iestablishedthemostimportantones.Nowthen,howwilltheyreact?

「Isthisfine?Forwhatreasonshouldweavoidfightswithhumans?」

SoaskedRigur.Inresponse,Rigurdoglaredathissonwithafuriousexpression.Doesheunderstandmyintentions?Theyreallyshouldtakeiteasyonceinawhilethough.

「Simple.Ilikehumans.Endofstory.」

「Isee!Understood!」

Eh?He…understood?Waitasecond;thateasily?ButfromwhatIcansee,everyoneiscontentwithmyexplanation.Ithoughttherewouldbemoredispleasurewiththatrule.Iguessbeingwrongonceinawhileisagoodthing,

「Ah,well.Humansliveingroups,yousee.Ifyoureachforthem,theymightanswerwithforce.Itwouldbedifficulttosurviveiftheycomeatusseriously.Andso,meddlingintheiraffairsisstrictlyforbidden!Andbesides,it’dbebetterit’dbebetterifwegotalongwiththem…」

Ihadnothingelseplanned,soIdecidedtoalsotellthemtheofficialreason.Ofcourse,“Ilovehumans”istherealone.Iwasahuman,afterall.Hearingmyexplanation,Rangadeeplybowed.Anyhow,IgotwhatIwanted.Hemusthavehisownreasonstoavoidhumans.Additionally,thehobgoblins’expressionalsoread:“Wehearandobey!”

「Anythingelse?」

「Tonotlookdownonotherraces…whatwouldthatmean?」

「Oh,well,youguyshaveevolvedandgottenstrong,right?Sogettingarrogantandactinghighandmightybeforeweakerraces!That’swhatitwouldmean.

Evenifyouhavegainedsomestrength,don’tmistakeitforabsolutepower.Wouldn’titbesillyiftheoneyouputdowngrowsstrongerandtakesrevengeagainstyou?」

Everyonelistenedwithenthusiasm.Seemslikeeverythingwillbefine.Andininthefuture,evenwiththiswarning,someareboundtodisobey.Evenso,I’dbehappyifthispreventsevenjustafewincidents.

「Andthat’sthat.Doyourbesttofollowtheserules!」

AndthatishowIdecidedthisvillage’snewrules.

However,atragedywouldlaterbebornfromoneoftheserules.Ofcourse,Ihadnowayofknowingatthetime.Iamnotomniscientnorpossessprecognitionabilities…

Everyonenoddedinacknowledgment.Withthis,anewchapterbeganforourcommunity.

.

Nowthen,aftertherules,wediscusseddivisionoflabour.Thosewhoareonlookoutduty.Thosewhosearchforfood.Ateamforgatheringrawproductionmaterials.Andagroupforstructureandequipmentmaintenance.

Ileftthelookoutdutytothestormfangwolves–duetotheir“TelepathicCommunication”.Thereweresevenwolveswithoutapair…well,consideringthatRangawasclingingtomewithallhismight,thereweresixIguess.Ilefttheobservationtothem.I’llleavethedetailstothevillagechiefRigurdo.

「Rigurdo!I’llhaveyoubecometheGoblinLord!Governthevillagewithpride!」

Frankly,I’mjustgivinghimalltheresponsibility.That,inparticular,istheonethingItrulywanttoavoid.However,Ialsowanthimtothinkaboutit.Iusedtoworkasasimplegeneralcontractor.Rulingisnotforme.Andbesides,I’drathernotgetboggeddownatthisvillageandmisstheopportunitytovisithumanones.Imustbeadamantaboutthis,evenifIhavetoforcehim.However,

「Ay!!!Thisunworthyoneshallhappilyacceptthisgreathonor!!!」

Gettingchockedontears,hereadilyaccepts.Good.I’dratherbetheleaderinnameonly.“Thesovereignreigns,butdoesnotrule”Agoodadvice,inmyopinion.Ifneedbe,I’llvoicemythoughts.Butreally…Rigurdo.Thisunsteadyandwrinkledoldgoblinwithonefootinthegravehadbecomearobustandmuscularhobgoblin.Onagoodday,wouldhebestrongerthanhissonRiguru,Iwonder?Geez…monstersreallydokeepsurprisingme.

「Yup.Ileaveittoyou!Ohandbytheway,I’veseenyourmethodofbuildinghouses…yousuck.」

Frankly,Ican’tevencallthose“houses”.

「WhatanembarrassingtopicYoubringup…totellYouthetruth,wehaveneverhadtheneedtobuildlargestructuresbefore…」

「Right.Well,you’veincreasedinnumbernow.Oh,andaboutclothing…therearetoomanyholes–anythingyoucandoaboutthat?」

「Ah!Wehavebeendealingwithafewgroupsregardingthat.Surelytheirmemberswouldbecapableofprocuringclothing!Moreover,asskillfulastheyare,theywouldsurelyknowhouse-building!」

Isee.AsapersonfromgeneralcontractorservicesImyselfhavesome

experience,butIamatado-it-yourselflevel.Iamnotajack-of-all-tradesandthereisalimittomyabilities.Ifwemeetthosepartners,perhapswecouldhiresomebody…Notlikeweloseanythingbyasking.

「Alright.Itmaybebeneficialtogoandaskthem.So,whatdidyouusetomakethedeal?Gold?」

「No,wedidtradesomeitemsandbelongingswe“got”fromadventurers,butthatisnotanoption.Ratherthanmoney,we’dbarter,dooddjobs,andthusslowlycollectenoughmoneyforthetrade.Alltheequipmentweownwereceivedfromthem」

「Oh?So,whatracearethey?」

「Thedwarfs!」

Dwarfs!Theexpertblacksmiths,thefamousrace!Wemustgo!Inthefirstplace,whilethegoblins’clothingdefinitelyneedsreplacement,theirarmorislikewisefallingapart.Andalthoughthearmorissuretolastfarlongerthanarottingcloth,thesizesjustwon’tfit.Sothat’sanotherspotforimprovement.However…wedon’thaveanyequipment“dropped”byadventurers,andnomoney.Whattoofferinatrade…?Nothingcomestomindrightnow.

「I’llgotothem.Rigurdo,canIleavepreparationstoyou?」

「!!!Pleaseleaveitme!Ishallhaveeverythingpreparedbynoon!!!」

High-tensionRigurdo.I’llleavethistohim.He’llprobablyscavengearoundforremainingfunds,too.Thisworld’scurrency,huh…I’lllaughifit’spaper.

Cometothinkofit,I,myself,knownothingaboutit.IfIplantovisithumancities,Imustatleastknowabouttheircurrencyexchange.Well,let’saskthedwarfesaboutthis.So,whilethegoblinsarebusywithconstruction,shallweleisurelyvisitthedwarfs?AndsomedayI’llvisitahumancity.FromwhatIhear,thedwarfsliveinaprettylargecity–forademi-human,thatis.Theyalsoseemtohavecrownedaking,notthatthegoblinscouldevermeethim.Inthefirstplace,justenteringthecityisanimpressivefeat.Discriminationtowardsgoblins…Iwonderifthis’llgowell.I,forone,ambutaslime;hopefullytheywon’tbetoosurprised.WhileIamworried,Ialsoexpectalotfromthisvisit.

It’sbeenalongtimesinceIwasthisthrilled.

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:OnewhoCommandsMonstersMagic:NoneSkills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],Lizard[BodyArmor],Wolf[SupremeSenseofSmell,TelepathicCommunication,Coercion]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

Chapter13–TotheDwarfKingdom

AsRigurdohaddeclared,thepreparationswerecompletebynoon.Choosingtheexpeditionpartywasalsouneventful.Rigudo’ssonRiguruwasinthetopfivecandidates.Ofcourse,Rangacamealong.Oh,oh!ShouldImakeRiguruthecommandingofficer?Iwasalittleuneasyaboutit,buthehimselfagreed.Rigurdoalsoseemstohaveregainedhisyouthfulvigor,somaybeIworrytoomuch.

Andso,afterIhadpickedupthebaggage,Rangahadmegetonhisback.*Boyoyooon!*Iwasburiedinhisfur.Andwhilethesurroundingfurseemstohavesecuredmeinplace,Istillfeeltheneedtouse[StickyThread].It’stimeslikethisthatmakemeregretnothavingarmsorlegs,butIguessIcanmanagewithabilities.Yousee,Isecretlypracticemanipulatingthestring.Todefeatanenemywithaweb!Isn’tthateveryman’sdream?WhetherI’llbeabletolearnthosetechniques,Idonotknow;butIdecidedtokeeppracticingregardless!Thataside,thebaggageheldourmoneyandprovisions.Foodenoughforthreedays.Ifthetriptakeslonger,theplanistohunttherestoftheway.Wecouldhavetakenmore,butI’dratheravoidbringingacaravanworthoffood.Well,Icouldcarrynearlyaninfiniteamountinsideofme…Butspoilingthemisabadidea.SinceIdonoteatanyways,thatwasmydecision.Forcurrency,webrought7silverand24bronzecoins.Which,ofcourse,isameageramount.Idon’texpectmuch.Ifit’snotenough…we’llfigurethatoutlater.Nowthen,timetogo!

Atagoblin’space,thetriptotheDwarfKingdomtakesabouttwomonths.“ThroughtheforestrunsthevastAmeldRiver.Beyondit,amountainrangerevealsitself.AnditisinthosemountainsthatyouwillfindtheDwarfKingdom.”Theysaid.

OtherthanbytheEmpiretotheeast,theJuraforestissurroundedbymanycountries.Andyetborderingnostate,standstheCanaatMountainRange.Thus,thereareonlythreetraderoutesleadingtothem.OnegoesrightthroughtheJuraforest.Another,theharder,traversesthemountains.Thelastisasearoute.Currently,theJuraforestrouteisbyfartheshortestandthesafest,but,forsomereason,it’sgenerallyavoided.Andso,thehardermountainroutehadbeenthenorm.Asforthesearoute,thecostandthepowerfulseamonsterssteersailorsaway;thus,itistheleastusedroute.Fornow,wehavenobusinesswiththeEmpire.Thus,ratherthanheadingeast,weheadednorthtothemountains.Nordoweneedtoascendtothemountainsummit.TheDwarfKingdomspreadsallthewaytotheAmeldRiver.Theircapitalisabeautifulcitycarvedinsideanaturalgiantcave.SuchistheDwarfKingdom.

Soasintended,wecontinuednorthalongtheAmeldriver.Sincefollowingtheriverpreventsusfromgettinglost.Thoughjusttobesafe,Ihaveopenedthemapinmyhead.Asforourguide–hewassentasamessengertothekingdombefore,soweleftittohim.Butman…theblackwolves(stormfangwolves)arefast!Andshownosignsofgettingtired.Sincewestartedthejourneythreehoursago,theyhaveyettotakeabreak.Andlet’snotforgettomentiontheir80kph(50mph)runningspeed.Theydon’tevencareabouttheuneventerrain,andwhilerunninginawayastopreventmotionsickness!It’sunnaturallycomfortable,tosaytheleast.

Atthispace,thisprobablywon’teventakeaweek.Well,there’snoneedtorush.CertainlyIwanttofigureouttheclothingandhousingproblemsoon,butit’sfineifittakessometime.

「Oooooi!Youdon’tneedtopushyourselvesthismuch!」

IswhatIcalledout.Butforsomereason,thespeedincreased.AtfirstIthoroughlyenjoyedthebreezegeneratedbythesefaster-than-a-motorcyclewolves,butthatgotboringsoon.Moresoconsideringthatit’sdifficulttohaveyourwordsheardatthisspeed,butIhave[TelepathicCommunication]!Mightbegoodtocontinuethejourneywithaconversation.SoIconnectedtotheirthoughtnetwork.WhatwillIhear…?

「Riguru-kun.Ialwayswondered,whonamedyourbrother?」

「Ay!Thoughforsomeonelikeme,don’tbotherwithhonorifics!Asformybrother ’sname,hesaidatravelingmanfromdevilracenamedhim.」

「Oh?Adevilnamedagoblin?」

「Yes,thoughthishappenedmorethanadecadeago.Iwasbutachildthen…buttheysayhestayedafewdaysandwaspleasedwithmybrother.」

「Heh….Musthavebeenagoodbrother.」

「Yes!Iwasveryproudofhim.Tothepointofsaying“IwanttoonedayserveunderDevilGelmudo-sama,too!”」

「Thedevildidn’ttakeyourbrotherwithhim?」

「Yes.Brotherwasstillyoung,buthedepartedwithapromisetocomebackwhenIgotstronger.」

「Isthatso.Wouldn’thebesurprisedifheseesthevillagenow!」

「Certainly!However,InowserveRimuru-sama.NomatterhowglorioustheDemonLord’sarmyis,IcannolongerjoinGelmudo-sama.」

「TheDemonLord’sarmy…?IthinkI’veheardofthem.Butnevermindthat,howcomeyoubelievehim?」

「Asyousay.Butwhetheritwasfaithorconviction,Idon’tknow.Thoughmybrotherreceivedanamefromthedevil,hedidn’tevolvetothisextent.Clearly,thedegreeofevolutionisdifferent.Neverexpectedtohearthe“VoiceofWorld”inmyentirelife!」

Thesurroundinghobgoblinswouldonlyjoininwitha“That’right!”-kindofphrase.Isitreallyashesays?Whenyoureceiveaname,youevolve.And,theevolutiondependsonthepowerofthegiver…IfIgetachancetoexperiment,I’lltryitout.Moreimportant:DemonLord’sarmy.Itactuallyexistsinthisworld!WilltheDemonLordcometorecruitus?…whichsideshouldwesupport???ThatthoughtI’llleaveforwhenhecomes.Inanycase,a“Hero”alsoexists,andifanyoneshouldfightthedemonlord,it’dbeher.Thoughwhethersheisstillaliveafter300yearsisagoodquestion…Sheprobablyreincarnatedabunchoftimesbynow,andnowtrainsinpeace.Let’smakeamentalnoteregardingthis.

Nowthen,thenextconversationis…

「Ranga!Aren’tIyourfather ’snemesis?Areyouokaywithstayingbymyside?」

IshowIaskedtheblackwolves.

「Honestly,thatthoughthadnevercrossedmymind.However,thefateofmonstersnaturallyrestsontheoutcomeofbattle.Thusregardlessofthewar,thewinnerproclaimshisjustice.

Theloserloosesall…Andso…I,whohadbeginforgivenbyYou,myliege,andhaveevenbeenbestowedaname!IfeelbutgratitudetowardsYou!」

「Isthatso…well,ifyoueverdesirerevenge,comeatmyanytime.」

「Fufufu.Sinceevolving,Icanthinkmoreclearly.Andunlikeduringthebattle,nowIknow.IfYouhadfacedusseriously,wewouldhavebeenmassacred!Andourdearestwish,toevolve,wouldhavecrumbledlikehouseofsand.Oureternalloyaltybelongstonoother!!!」

Seriously,thisguy…Yes,hadImimickedtheblackserpent,Icouldhavelaidwastetoalllivingthings,butIdidn’twanttoresorttothat.Rangaholdstoohighofanopinionofme.Well,notthathismisconceptionshurtmeinanyway.

「Soyouunderstand…Youhavegrown.」

「Iamunworthyofsuchpraise!」

Thustheconversationendedwithanod.However,Ididkillhisparent.NowayI’llbelievethatheholdsnogrudge.IfRangaeverdoescomeforrevenge,I’llgladlyfacehim.Untilthen,hejustneedstogrowstronger.Rightnow,nomatterhowIlookathim,he’satmostasstrongastheblackserpent.

Andthat’showwecontinuedourjourney.Thus,withoutgettingattackedbymonstersorotherincident,wecomfortablecontinuedonourway.Everythreehours,we’dtakeathirtyminutebreak.Afterfourteenhours,we’dtakeseventosleep.Ididsay,“aren’twerushingtoomuch?”,but…

「Wearefine!Duetoevolving,thismuchcanhardlytireus!」

ThusansweredRiguru,

「Pleasedonotworryregardingus!UnlikeYou,ourliege,wedorequiresleep,butnotmanyhours!Furthermore,wedonotrequirefrequentmeals,andwillnotweakenwhenlackingthem!」

AndsoaddedRanga.Lookingatothers,theirwordsseemtoprovetrue.Atthisrate,theonewhodoestheleast–me,seemstowhinethemost.Well,ifeveryoneisfinewithit,Iguesswecancontinueatthispace.We’llberunningtwelvehoursaday…aren’ttheseguystough.

Andontheeveningofthesecondday,whilehavingdinner,

「Bytheway,Gobuta.Howmuchfartherisit?」

IntroducingGoblinGobuta!

「Iamhappythatyouaskthisunworthyone!!!PleasepardonmeshouldIbemistaken,butweshouldreachthembytomorrow!Thmountainiscloseby!」

Seemslikebeingaskedbymemadehimbothnervousandhappyatthesametime.“Hedidn’tbitehistongue,didhe?”That’shownervousheseemed.Butindeed,mostofthemountainisnowinsight.Comparedtonotseeingitatallyesterday–whatterrifyingspeedwetravelat!Onthatnote…

「Bytheway,andIknowit’sasuddenquestion,butwhydidyoutraveltotheDwarfKingdom?Shouldn’ttheirmerchantsstopbyonceinawhile?」

Iaskedthatquestion.WhenIaskedRigurdoaboutthegoblin“country”,healsodiscussedsomethingaboutKoboldtraders.Sowhatcouldhavepromptedthemtomakethistwomonthjourney?

「Yes!Itwasaboutmagicweaponsandarmor.Dwarfstendtobuythematahighprice!Wewerepaidinequipment…sowehelpedthepeddlersbringitback!Andbesides,notoneofuscouldusethatequipment…」

Isee.Sotheysometimessoldtheequipmentcarriedbyadventurers.Andthus,theywereleftwithoutappropriateequipment.YettheysoldittoKoboldswhocouldn’tevenproperlyestimateitsvalue.Inthefirstplace,thegoblinscouldkillalostbeginner,atmost.Can’texpectthemtohavegottentheirhandsonanythinggood…Butwho’dexpectthedwarfstomakegoblinarmor…theymaybeasurprisinglykindrace.Hopefully,we’llproceedonfriendlyterms.Actually,let’sjustformapartnership!

Thus,Sincewestartedthejourney,threedayshadpassed.Thebeautifulcitycarvedwithinthemountainrange.Wroughtbynature,thenaturalfortress.TheWarriorCountryDwargon.

WehadreachedtheDwarfKingdom

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:OnewhoCommandsMonstersMagic:NoneSkills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],Lizard[BodyArmor],Wolf[SupremeSenseofSmell,TelepathicCommunication,Coercion]

Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

Chapter14-Trouble

ThemilitarynationDwargon.ItwastheKingdomofdwarves.1,000yearshadpassedsincethefirstgenerationdwarfhero,KingGuranDwargo,hadbuiltthiscountry.Tothisday,thecountryhadbeenprotecting,aswellasdeveloping,itshistory,culture,andtechnologies.

ThecurrentKingGazelleDwargowaspartofthethirdgenerationdwarves,butpossessedasimilarauratothatofhisgrandfatherinhisyoungerdays.Hewasrenownedasagreatheroandcelebratedasawisekingforhisimpartialrule.Thelandwasgovernedbyonesuchadwarf.Asafreetradetown,itwasthecenteroftradebetweenallkindsofraces.Therefore,thetownkeptapolicyofabsoluteneutrality.Withinthistown,thewisekingwouldnottolerateviolence.

EventheEmpireintheeastavoidedopenaggressionwiththemilitarynationDwargon!Needlesstosay,thiswasafavouritetopicofconversationamongadventurers.Thedwarveswereknowntobesuchferociousopponents,thattherewasevenasaying,‘goagainstadwarfonce,therewon’tbeasecondtime!’.Theirreputationasamilitarynationwasnotjustforshow!Inbattle,awallofheavyinfantrywoulddefendtheArmyMagicCorps.Theopposingenemieswouldbetotallyannihilatedbythepowerfulmagicattacksbeforeevenmanagingtobreakthroughtheinfantrywall.

Duringthesepast1,000years,themightofthedwarvenarmythatboastedofinvincibilityhadalwaysremainedfamous.Andthefactorwhichsupportedtheirclaims…Itwasnoneotherthantheequipmentstheyproducedusingtheirtechnologicalstrength.

Theweaponsandarmorstheycraftedusingtheircutting-edgetechniques,farsurpassedthequalityofordinarygoods.Therefore!Ratherthanquarrelwiththedwarfrace,peoplechosetocreatefriendlyties.Forthisreason,evenifoneweretoencounterdemonsindwarfterritory,therewashardlyanyonewhowouldfoolishlycauseconflict.

Theircapitalwasaplacewherehumansanddemonsmingled.Itwastrulyoneofthestrangestlandsintheworld.Nottomention,whilethecapitalpositivelyoverflowedwithtoolsofwar,itwasstillacountrythatwasabletoenjoypeace.Thefactthatthearmsdealers’strongholdwasthefarthestfromcausingstrifemighthavebeen,inaway…ironic.

Infrontoftheentrance,therewasalargelineofpeopleentering.There,alargegatewasbuiltthatwasbigenoughtocompletelyblockthenaturally-formedgreatcave.Theonlytimesthegatewasopenedwasontheoccasionswhenthearmyneededtocomeandgo,andonlyonceamonthatthat.Unfortunately,itwasclosedtoday.Belowthelargegate,asmalldoorwasinstalledfortheexpresspurposeoflettingpeopleinandout.

Alineofpeoplewasformedontheleftsideofthepassage.Itappearedthattherighthandsidewasapathwayforthelikesofnoblesandimportantfigures.That’swhatIassumedasIobservedmysurroundingswhileliningupontheleftside.Whilewaiting,Isawthattherewasavariedtreatmentofthepeople,suchasthosewhoreceivedafreepass,whileotherswouldbetakenintoaseparateroomtobechecked.Befittingofamilitarynation,theguardstookafirmlydefensivestance.Althoughitseemedthatyouwerecomparativelyfreetoactwhenyougetinside….Still,thelinewasincrediblylong.Itmightbethatwewouldspendmore

timeherewaitingthanwedidtraveling…!ButatthemomentIwasthinkingthat,

[Oioi!There’sdemonsinaplacelikethis!We’restillnotinside,soisn’titfinetokillthemhere?]

[Hey,whatareyoudoingliningupthere?Youguysaredamncheeky.Ifyoudon’twanttodie,givemethatspot!Also,leaveeverythingyouhavebehind.AndthenI’llletyougothistime!!!]

Thosewerereallyquitethedubiousstatements..Actually,Ithinkthatvoicefullofillintentwasaimedtowardsus.Overhere,therewasnoonebutmeandGobuta-kun.Inanycase,takingalongagroupwearingonlyloinclothsdoesmakeyoustandoutinabadway.Rigurhadalsowantedtocome,butIrefused.Theothergroupwascampingattheentranceoftheforest,waitingforourreturn.Andthatwaswhyitwasjustustwo,butIwonderifwelookedlikeeasytargets?Itseemedthatapairofadventurersthatdidn’twanttogetinlinehadtheireyesonus.

[Oioi,Gobuta-kun,doyouhearsomething?]

[Yes,Icanhearittoo…]

[Didyougetcaughtupinsomethinglikethisthelasttimeyoucame?]

[Ofcourse!Iwasbeatenblackandblue,thenIgotpickedupbyagroupofkoboldmerchants!Iftheyhadn’tfoundme,IthinkImighthavediedbackthen~]

[…Soyoudidgetinvolved.Wellthen,cannothingbedoneaboutit?]

[It’ssomethinglikethefateofweakdemons…]

Itlookedlikewewereintrouble.Moreover,thiswasaconsideredanormaloccurrencehere…IwishedI’dknownsooner.Asifhehadrealizedmythoughts,Gobuta-kunwashanginghishead.Ihadfinallygottenhimtotalknormallywithme,butwouldthisonetimemistakereturnhimtohispreviousnervousness?Iwasalittleworried.

[Oi!Eventhoughyou’renothingbutasmallfry.Don’tbeignoringmenow!]

[Ratherthanthat,isn’tatalkingslimerare?Don’tyouthinkit’llbepopularinanexhibit?]

Thetwocontinuedmakingtheirannoyingconversation.IvaguelyfeltlikeI’vebeentoldatonetimethatIhadaBuddha-likedeepcompassion…butthiswasmakingmeangry.

[Gobuta-kun….DoyouremembertherulesIsaidbefore?]

[Yes!Ofcourse!]

[Isee.Wellthen,forawhile,Iwantyoutocloseyoureyesandplugyourears!Youmustnoteverlookthisway!]

[…?Idon’treallyunderstand,butrogerthat!]

Nowlet’ssee.Iwastheonewhomadetherules,yetIwouldbebreakingthemfirst…Ifmygroupcametoknowofthis,itwouldbebadfromaneducationalstandpoint.SinceImadesurethatGobuta-kun,whowasintheway,closedhiseyes…let’sbeginclearingthetrash!

Atthatmoment,themanonmyrightshiftedhislineofsight.Furthercheckingmysurroundings…Isawagroupofthreegrinningamongstthemselvesastheyobservedthesituationfromafar.Thetwoinfrontofmewasaswordsmanandanothermanwearing

lightweightequipment.Mostlikely,hewasintheprofessionofthieving.Inthegroupofthree,therewastwothatwerewearingmagicianorpriest-likerobes,andalargewarrior.

Imadeaprediction.Allofthemwereinthesameparty,andthesetwoinfrontweremeanttochaseusout,accordingtotheirplan.Afterwards,theotherthreewouldfollowandkillusaswerunaway,andtheninnocentlyregroupwiththefirsttwo.Idaresaythatthiswasthescenariothattheylaidout.Inthisway,theymusthavekilledtheweakerdemonsandstolentheirbelongings.Itwaswellthoughtup.However…thistime,theypickedthewrongopponent!

[Oioi!Youshouldpatientlywaitforyourturn!I’maverytolerantfellow,soit’snottoolateforforgiveness.Hurryupandlineupfromtheback!]

Ibeganprovokingthem.Inthatinstant,thetwoinfrontofmewerebewildered,andtheirfacesquicklyturnedred.Theseguyshadshorttempers.

[Puttingupafrontwhenyou’renothingbutash*ttysmallfrydemon…don’tgetcocky!]

[Oioi,you’reasgoodasdeadnow!Ievenconsideredsparingyourlifeifonlyyougaveupyourbelongings!]

Theywererecitingthekindoflinessuitedtopettyunderlings.Heh.BackwhenIwasageneralcontractor,ifyoucouldn’tmanagetomakescarygrimfacedunclesdancetoyourtune,youjustweren’tfitforwork.Amongthoseuncles,therewereevensomethathadplayfullyscribbledthings(tattoos)ontheirbody.Thefeeblethreatsofagreenhorn,wasnothingmorethanpassingwind.

[Ash*ttysmallfrydemon?Wereyoutalkingaboutme?]

[Ofcourseit’saboutyou!Thelikesofaslimeisasmallfryamongsmallfry!]

[Hurryupandgetoverhere.Itlookslikeyoucantalkwell,soI’llturnyouintoademonslavewithoutkillingyou!]

Ademonslave?Therewassomethinglikethat?Leavingthatasideforthemoment.Thenearbymerchantsandadventurerswerestartingtonoticethedisturbancewewerecausing.Ihadtogathermoreattention.AlthoughIdon’tknowifsuchathingaslegitimateself-defencewouldworkhere…itwouldbegreatifevenafewpeoplecouldtestifyforme.However,wastherenokindhumanwhowouldyell,‘I’llsaveyou!’,andcomedashingout?IfIwasabeautifulgirl,theremighthavebeensomeonelikethat,butIguessit’sunreasonabletoexpectforaslime.

[Callingmesmallfryoverandover,yousuretalkarrogantly!Moreover…me,aslime?]

[NomatterhowIseeit,you’redefinitelyaslime!]

[Damnyou,messingwithme…!Ican’tforgivebeingmadeafoolofbyaweaklinglikeyou!I’llkillyouafterall!]

Aftersayingthat,thetworeadiedtheirweapons.Ah!Atlasttheywereabouttocomeatme.Ohboy.ThefirsthumansIgottotalktowaslikethis….Suchbadluck.Tothinkthatdemonswerefriendlier.

Thepeoplenearbyhadbegunmovingawaytowatchinacirclearoundusfromafar.Perhapstheguardshadalsonoticedtheuproar,whichmighthavebeenwhytheydistancedthemselvesinsuchahurry.Nowthen.Ileisurelymovedforwardsandsaid,

[Kukuku.YousayI’maweakling?Aslime?…SincewhendidIbecomeaslime!Orareyoujustconfused?]

Ideliberatelyspokeasiftoimplysomethingelse.Itwastrue,thathoweveryoulookedatit,Ireallyamaslime.ThatwasobviousfromtheverymomentIwasseenasaslime.Butthiswas,anact!…probably.

[Whatdidyousay?Don’tgetcarriedawaywithbluffing!]

[Hmph!Ifyou’renotaslimethenshowyourrealformalready!Afteryou’redead,youwon’tgettomakeexcuses!]

Itseemedtheywouldwaitformetotransform.Justasplanned!Evenasaslime,IbelieveIcouldwinagainstthem.However!Holdingbackwouldbehard,soImightendupaccidentallyslicingthemrightinhalf.Itwasdifficulttoadjustmystrengthtothedegreeofonlyknockingthemout.

[Allrightthen.I’llletyousee,thistrueformofmine!]*Thisisn’tevenmyfinalform!

AsIshouted,Ialsoloosedasinisterauratohintatmypower.Ofcourse,onlyalittlebitofit.Icheckedaroundmetoseeifanyonehadsensedthatsmallamountofaura.Amongthepeoplewatchingusfromfaraway,onlyafewhadnoticed.Thetwoidiotsbeforemeandtheircompanionsshowednosignofbeingawareofit.Theseguys…seemedtobeallbarkandnobite.Iwasdonewithobservingthesituationnow.Nowthen,whatshouldIturninto…

Frommybodyeruptedathickfog.Itcompletelyshroudedmyform…andafterawhileitclearedawaytorevealadifferentdemon.

Ablackwolf.Oh?IrememberthelasttimeIusedPredationandtransformedafterwards,IhadtakentheformofaFangedWolf…Rightnow,IhadblackfurthatwasidenticaltothatoftheevolvedRangaandhispack.Butnotonlythat,myphysiqueexceededevenRanga’s,andtherewasnowapairofhornsonmyforehead.

Mimesis:TempestStarWolf

…Itseemsthat,ifthelineageofthedemonI’veusedPredationonevolved,itwouldalsoaffectmymimicry.*MostlikelyrelatedtoRimurunamingthem,whichmakesthem“family”andconnectedinawayThismusthavebeenafurtherevolvedformofRanga.Icouldfeelanoverwhelmingpower.Iwassurethattheidiotpairwouldrunawayuponseeingthisappearance.Butcontrarytomyexpectation,

[Ha!Evenifyoulooktougherontheoutside,itdoesn’tchangethatyou’reaslime!]

[Oioi,didyouthinkwe’dgetcoldfeetandrunawayfromjustthat!?]

…Theydon’trealizeanything!Oioi,youshouldbeabletoknowthelevelofdangerjustbylooking!Inthefirstplace,ifaslimetransforms,evenifyoucouldn’ttellifitwasanillusionorsomethingelse,takingcautionisagiven.Andyet,theseguysweren’tconcernedintheleast.Perhapstheywerereassuredbythepresenceoftheirthreefriendsinhiding…

ThenumberofskillsIcouldusehadalsoincreased.『SuperOlfaction,ThoughtTransmission,Intimidation,ShadowMovement,BlackLightning』.ShadowMovementwasaskillthatRangaandcowasinthemiddleofpracticing.Theirgoalwastobecomeabletousetheskilltomergeintotheshadowoftheirpartnerandinstantlyappearwhencalled.

Atpresent,theywereonlypracticingenteringshadows,sotherewasstillalongwaytogo.Andtheother,BlackLightning…Icouldimagineitspowerwithoutneedingtotestit.IfItrieditout,thepitifulmeninfrontofmewouldbeburnttoblackcrisps.Butsincemypredictionswereratherpoor,theirconditionsmayturnoutevenworse.Thisbeingthecase,therewasnoskillstouse.Ifonly『Intimidation』wouldworkonthesemorons!Inaway,aren’tidiotsinvincible?Anyhow,theendresultwasthatIonlymanagedtoterrifyafewofthespectatorsoutoftheirwitsinstead.

[Ohboy…Idon’tcareanymore.Thisistootiring,sojustcomeatme!]

Iletthemhavethefirststrike.IfIreceiveddamagewhilemimicking,whatwouldhappen?Ononeoccasion,Ihadexperimentedonthatquestionwhileinlizardform.Ifoundoutwhilecontinuouslyreceivingattacks,thatwhenacertainamountofdamageaccumulated,themimicrywouldwearoff.Afterwards,therewasnodamagethathadtransferredtomyslimebody.Mostlikely,itwasbecausetheskillMimesisutilizedmagicessencetocreateanewbody,whichwaswhythemainbodycouldn’tbedamaged.

Thereweretworestrictionsonthisskill.AfterMimesisworeoff,Iwouldbeunabletotransformforthenext3minutes,andtheotherwasthatmimickingademonrequiredacertainamountofmagicessence.Theamountofmagicessencerequiredwasrelativelyinsignificant,henceitwasnotanissue,andtherewasnodurationlimittotheskill.Tosumup,therewouldn’tbeaprobleminlettingthemattackmeasmuchastheywanted.Inthecasethattheopponentswerestrong,Icouldreturntomyslimeformandescapeimmediately.

Andthefightbeganwiththemattackingfirst.

[Heh,die!]

[Raaaagh!!!『WindSlash』!!!!!]

Thethiefthrewmultipledaggerstowardsme.Andwasthatswordsmanusingaskillattack?Hisswordwasglowinggreenasheswungthebladeatme.

Claaaang!Snap!!!

Simultaneouslythrowingthreedaggerswasquiteimpressive,buttherewasn’tenoughforcebehindthemtopiercemybristles.Asfortheswordsman,sadly…hispreciousswordhadbrokenwithasnap.

[Justnow,didyoudosomething?]

Assumingtheroleofavillainwithanairofexperience,Ienthusiasticallyaskedtheminabelittlingway.Butfrankly,thepoweroftheirattacksweresoweakthatmyquestionwasratherreasonable.Wasthatskillnothingbutashow?

[N-,noway!Suchhardbristles…]*Realhard,baby

[Impossible…this-,thiskindofthing,it’simpossible!!!Myswordwasmadewithsilver!Ithadapoweramplifyingeffectagainstdemons!!!]

…Wellofcourse,isn’tsilverfragile?Whatwasheevensaying…thisguy.

[Oi!Youguyshelpoutaswell!!!]

Asifnolongercaringforappearance,hecalledforhiscompanions.AsIexpected,thethreethatwereinhidingwasapartoftheirgroup.

[Heh!It’stheendforyounow!]

[Mymy…really,Ididn’texpectwewouldgetaturn!]

[Aslime’stransformationmagic?Interesting.I’llbesuretodissectitafterkillingit!]

[Forawhilenow,ithasn’tbeenmovingatall.Movingwillprobablybreakthespell.How’sthat?DidIhitbullseye!?]

Theyweremakingsomuchnoisewhilesayingwhatevertheyliked.Thefiveofthemthenspreadoutinacirclearoundme,andbeganattackingatthesametime.

Thethiefslashedatmewithashortsword.Thistime,theswordsmancastedamagicattack,『WindSickles』.(Hewassurprisinglytalented.)Theheavywarriorbellowed[『HeavySlash』!!!]asheswunghisgreataxe.Themagicianalsousedamagicattack,『Fireball』.Thepriestwascreatingamagicshieldinpreparationformyattack.Asaparty,itwasawellbalancedformation.Thoughunfortunatelyforthem,noneoftheirattackshadaffectedme…

Ipeekedafleetingglancetowardsthem.Apparently,theyweretooshockedtomakeasound.Ifitwasnow,『Intimidation』mighthaveaneffect.

Aruuuuuuu~~~!!!*Wolfhowling.BelievemewhenIsayI’mreallysorry‘boutthebadsoundeffects

Iused『Intimidation』ontopofmyhowling.

But,thisturnedouttobeamassivefailure…Eventhespectatorswerefaintingoverhere,andwettingtheirpantsoverthere.Toputsimply,thesituationwasagreatdisaster.Crap…whatshouldIdo?Thisdefinitelywouldn’tendwellatall.

Eh?Whataboutthegroupoffive?Theyhadtakenthefullbruntof『Intimidation』atpoint-blankrange.Well,ofcourse…Therewasn’treallyaneedtosayitoutloud.

Andsuddenly,Idetectedanumberofdwarvenguardsmenthatwererunningthiswaywith『MagicPerception』.

Asformycurrentstateofmind…Igazedatthesceneofpeoplesoilingtheirpantswithvarioussubstances,andIunconcernedlythoughttomyselfwhileescapingfromreality,

[Cleaningupafterthatmesswouldreallysuckhuh~.]

StatusName:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeTitles:CrestofStorm

Magic:None

Skills:UniqueSkill『GreatSage』UniqueSkill『Predator』SlimeInherentSkills『Dissolution,Absorption,Self-Regeneration』ExtraSkill『WaterManipulation』ExtraSkill『MagicPerception』

AcquiredSkills:BlackSnake『HeatPerception,PoisonMistBreath』Centipede『ParalysisBreath』Spider『StickyThread,SteelThread』Bat『UltrasonicWaves』Lizard『BodyArmor』BlackWolf『SuperOlfaction,ThoughtTransmission,Intimidation,ShadowMovement,BlackLightning』

Resistances:HeatFluctuationResistanceEXPhysicalAttackResistancePainImmunityElectricalResistanceParalysisResistance

Chapter15-ADealwiththeGuards

[Ioffermysincerestapologies~~~~!!!]

Iwasdeeplybowingmyhead(inmyheartatleast!).Wewerebeingdetainedintheguardstationofthedwarvengatekeepers.

Aftercausinganuproartosuchanextent,itwassomewhatobviousthatIwouldn’tbedeclaredinnocentandreleasedonthespot.Thedwarfguardsmenhadcomerushingoverandinstantlysurroundedallofusthatwereinvolved.Although…mypreviousopponentsof5wereperfectlyknockedout,soIfeltlikeitwasjustmebeingtrappedinthatcircle.Thatwasit!Ishouldsecretlyturnbackintoaslimeand….Runaway.Ithoughttomyself,‘Eureka!’.ButasIreturnedtomyslimeformandattemptedescape…

Grab!

Mybodywasabruptlyseized,andthenafeelingofbeingsuspendedcameoverme.Iwassoeasilycaptured…Thesoldier-sanwhocaughtmewassmilingwithafacethatsaid,‘Wheredoyouthinkyou’regoing?’ButIcouldtellbythebulgingveininhisforehead,thathewasn’thappyintheleast.

[Wai-,Ihaven’tdoneanythingyouknow!I’malsoavictiminthismatter!]

ItriedpleadingthewayGobuta-kunwould,however…

[Uhhuh.Isthatright!Allthesame,I’lllistentoyourstoryattheguardstation!You’dbetternotthinkaboutrunningaway!]

Hestillworethatwonderfulsmile,evenashewarnedme.Itmightbeabetterideatojustgivein…SuddenlyIthoughttomyself,‘What’sGobuta-kundoingrightnow?’,andwhenIlookedaround…Isawthatevennow,hiseyeswerestillclosedandhisearscovered.…Thatidiot!Whatwashethinking?Nowait…hewasprobablynotthinkingatall.Hewasaninnyafterall.Whilefeelingsomewhatamazed,IcalledGobuta-kunover.Andthiswashowweweredraggedawaytotheguardstation.

Theorderofhoweventsplayedoutthattime!

First,Iwasforcedintoafight!Second,Itransformedintoawolf!Third,Iletoutahowlatateensybitloudvolume.

Howaboutit?I’mnottoblameright?Withthatinmind,Isneakedaquicklookupatsoldier-san.Asever,hewasstillwearingthatwonderfulsmile.Hisbeardwasafinematchwithhisgoodnaturedandheartylooks.It’ssuchapitythough~,ifonlythoseveinsonhisforeheadwouldcalmdown…

[Uhm~,whywasIbroughtalongwithyou?]

[Youi-di-ot!Whatareyousaying?Becauseyougotinvolvedinthatmess,wearetheonesgettingreprimanded!]

[Eh?!Sothat’swhathappened!I’mreallysorry….Icausedalotoftroublesagain….]

[Well,itcouldn’tbehelpedthistime,butmakesuretobemorecarefulnexttimealright?]

Whew.IthinkIfooledhimsomehow.WhatIusedjustnowwastheultimateskill,“shiftingblame”!*Originaltextis人のせい.I’mprettysureithastodowithcontrollingblame,butnotcompletely

sure.IfyouknowwhatitmeanspleaseletmeknowThiswasanadvancedsocialtechniquewhichyoucouldmasteronlyaftermanyyearsoflifeexperience.Thetrickwastonotlettheotherpartysuspectyou.Itwasconsiderablydifficulttouse!*Ifyou’rewonderingwhatthataccomplished,theguard’smoodgotalittlebetter,Iguess

Movingon.Actually,whileIdidjokinglyrecounthowtheincidenthadoccurred,itwasmostlyquiteaccurate.Usingtheinformationtheygainedfromthewitnesses,theguardshadalsoreachedthesameconclusionashowIhaddescribedit.Ifeltthattheirattitudestowardsmehadbecomesoftertoacertainextent.

[Now.Aboutthatdemonwolf.Whatwasit?]

Askingthequestionwasthesoldier-sanwhowasinchargeoftheinvestigation.Whatdidhemeanbywhatitwas?Thenameofitsspecies?

[Let’ssee,thenameofthatwolfspeciesis-…]

[Notthat.Idon’tneedtoknowthenameofitsspecies,oranythinglikethat.Whydidthatkindofdemonappearinthatplace?Tobeginwith,wherediditcomefromandwherediditgo?Speakofeverythingyouknow!]

Mm?AlthoughItoldthemItransformedintothewolf,itseemstheydon’tbelieveme?Asarule,heroeshidethefactthattheycantransform,butI’mnohero.ThatwaswhyIhadopenlytalkedlikeachatterbox,andyet…

[No…nowseehere,I’mtellingyouthatitwasmewhotransformedintothatwolf!]

[Ha~.Really,Igetthatit’srareforaslimebeingabletotalk,but

transformation?]

[Waitwait,thenshouldIshowyouIcandoit?]

[Hmph.Wellwhatever.However,let’ssayforargumentssakethatthewolfreallywasyou.Whycanyoutransform?Aren’tyouaslime?]

Eh?Confrontedwithsuchaquestion,howshouldIreply?Honestlyanswering,‘It’sauniqueskill!’,wouldbeafoolishmove.IfIdidthat,itwouldputmeonthesamelevelasGobuta-kun.Think!Comeupagoodexplanationrightthismoment,me!!!

[Totellyouthetruth…amagiciancastacurseonme.Ithinkitwasdoneoutofjealousyformytalent….Backthen,Iwasauserofillusionmagic.]

[Uhhuh.Cursedbyamagician…yousay.And?]

[Wellerr,right.Ihadlearnedanumberofillusionspellsandwasfullyfocusedonstudying,butanevilmagicianchangedmeintoaslime…Rightnow,I’monajourneytofindamethodtobreakthecurseonme…andthat’showitis!]

[Howdidyoucometomeetthisevilmagician?Whywereyounotkilledbutinsteadcursed??]

Ughh…itwouldhavebeensoniceifhetookeverythingatfacevalue….Hispersistencewasalmostannoying.Well,itwasreasonableIsuppose.Ifhebelievedmejustlikethat,Iwouldconsiderhimnobetterthanagoblin.Andfromthenon,aseeminglyneverending2hourspassed.Itwasatimeofnon-stopoffenseanddefense(questionsandanswers)betweenmeandsoldier-san....-Thepassionateexchangeofwordsbetweenthetwo,hadgraduallygiven

shapetoanever-beforeheardofstory.

Astoryaboutacertainbeautifulgirl,whowascursedbyanevilmagicianandturnedintoaslime.-

Ididn’tmeanforitturnoutthatway,butinthemidstofrespondingtoeveryoneofsoldier-san’spinpointquestions,Ihadgivenbirthtoanexceedinglystrangestory.Inthestory,Iwastheyoungmaidenwhowasaprodigyoftransformingandillusionmagic.Shewascursedbyawitchandwasonajourneytobreakthespell,orsoitwent…Youmayask,howdiditcometothis?WheneverIhadmentionedsomethingodd,soldier-sanwouldmercilesslytackleitinthenameofcross-examination.Andintheprocessoffixingupmystoryenoughtomakehimsay,‘Sothat’showitwas!’,itwasalreadytoolate…Meandsoldier-san.Attheendofit,wehadexchangedlooksfullofafeelingofaccomplishment…thoughIhadnoeyes!Nowordsweresaid,butourfeelingsgotacrosstoeachother.

[Alright!Thewrittenevidence(thoughthecontentisnonsensical…)iscompleted!Thanksforyourco-operation!Bytheway,whatwillyoutwo-…]

Slam!

[It’s-,it’sterrible!Downatthemines,anArmorsaurusappeared!Theysaythatseveralminerswhowerepickingoreshavealreadybeeninjured!]

[What?!So,hasthisArmorsaurusbeenputdownyet?]

[There’snoproblemthere!Justnow,asuppressionunithasbeensentover.Butthosewhowerewoundedareinbadconditions.Idon’tknowwhetheritwasforwarpreparationsorsomethingelse,buteverythingrelatedtomedicineshavebeensoldoff,anditseemstheywon’tbringouttheemergencystoresinthecastle…]

[Aretherenohealers?]

[Thatis…youknowthattomine“magicores”youneedtogodeepintothecaves,right?Atthemoment,allofthecapablehealersareawayescortingtheminers,andtheonlyonesavailablerightnowaregreenhorns!!!]

[Whatdidyousay…!?]

Itappearedtobeaserioussituation…andthey’vecompletelyforgottenIwasthere.Ithoughttomyself,‘Ifthereareemergencysuppliesinthecastle,bringthemout!’….Restorativemedicinehuh.AlthoughIhavethem…whatshouldIdo?

[Oi,mister!Mister!!!]

I’vedecidedtohandthemsome.AsforwhyIwoulddothis,it’snotlikeIthoughtmaybebuildingagoodimageofmyselfwouldperhapswouldprovemyinnocenceintheearlierincident…it’sabsolutelynotlikethat!Savinglivesisanaturalthingtodo!ThoughIadmit,Isoundedsuspicious…Buttheysaythatcompassionisnotforthebenefitofothers.Inotherwords,somethinggoodmayhappenforme!

[Whatisit?I’mbusyrightnow!Theinvestigationisfinishednow,butIcan’treleaseyouyet.Forawhile,you’llbewaitinginthisplace!]

[Nono,notthat.It’saboutthis,yousee?]

Itookoutmedicinefromapocket.(Orfromtheirview,Isimplyspatitout.)

[…?Ah,what’sthis?]

[It’srestorativemedicine.It’sofexcellentquality!Goodfordrinking!Goodforapplyingonwounds!]

[Ha?Whywouldaslimelikeyoubeholdingontosomethinglikemedicine?]

Heynow….Wheredidmysetting(storyofayoungmaiden)frombeforego.JustnowIwascompletelytreatedlikeaslime!AsIexpected,hewasalsogoingalongwiththeflowatthattime.Wellputtingthataside…

[Thatdoesn’treallymatterright?Pleasetryusingit.Howmanydoyouneed?]

[Sixpeoplewereinjuredbut…willyouhaveenough?]

Theyoungsoldier-san,thathadcometoreportthesituation,wasglaringatmewithsuspicion.Ademongivingyoumedicine…ifitwasme,Iwouldn’ttakeit.

[Tsk!Nomatter,don’tleavetheroom!We’regoingnow!]

[Eh?But,captain…that’sademonyouknow?]

[Quiet!We’regoing!Hurryandleadtheway!!!]

Whilesayingthat,thebeardedsoldier-sanwhowascalledcaptainsnatchedthe6medicinesIhadtakenoutandtookoffrunning.Althoughweneverhadapropertalkwitheachother,Ithinkhedecidedtotrustinme.Heseemedtobeagoodperson,justlikehisappearance.Thoughitwassurprisingthathewasacaptain.

[Isitovernow?]

ItwasGobuta-kunwhowasasking.Hehadbeensilentrightfromthebeginningoftheinterrogation,onlynoddingtheoccasionalagreementstomyclaims.

[It’snotoveryet,butwell…let’sseehowitturnsout.]

[Rogerthat!]

Fromthenon,wewaitedinacompletelyspacedoutstateofmind.Occasionally,amongthesoldiersthatwerecomingandgoingoutoftheguardstation,afewwouldstareatusinconfusion,tiltingtheirheads…

Wehadspent1hourwaiting.Iwaspracticingmycontroloverspiderthreadstokilltime,whenIsensedthefootstepsofthereturningcaptainandhismen.StoppingwhatIwasdoing,Iwentbacktothewaitingroom.Gobuta-kunwassleepingthere.Thisguy…unexpectedly,hemightactuallybeanamazingfellow!

[Yousavedus!Thanks.]

Enteringtheroom,thecaptainsaidthankswhilebowinghishead.Alsowithhim,wasagroupofminersthathadfollowedbehind.

[Iheardyouweretheonewhogavethemedicine!Thankyou!!!]

[Tobefrank,Iwasonthevergeoflosinganarm,andnotbeingabletoworkanymore…really,thankyou!!!]

[….]

Theminerswereallexpressingtheirappreciationinturns.Ohthere’soneguyleft…whywasn’thesayinganything!Well,I’veproperlyreceivedtheirfeelingsofgratitude.

Awhilepassed,andtheminershadallfinishedwhattheycametosayandleftalready.BeforeIhadnoticed,thesunwasalreadygoingdownanditwasgettingdarkeroutside.Afterthat,thecaptainandIsharedanotherconversation.Thistime,Ididn’thideanythingfromhim.

Thefivepeople,fromthepreviousdisastrousincident,turnedouttobeadventurersthatwerepartofthiscountry’sFreedomAssociation.Apparently,theyweretalentedindividuals,butwerequitewellknownfortheirtroublemaking.Withoutholdinganythingback,thecaptainhadlaughinglysaid,‘Thatoughtateachthemalesson!’.Healsoinformedme,thatwhileitwasalreadyconfirmedthatwedidn’tdoanythingwronginparticular,buttakingintoconsiderationthefeelingsofthebystandersinvolvedinthatincident,therewasnochoicebuttodetainus.Ifoundoutthatadamagereportwasnevermade.Butreally,itwasunderstandable.Makingacomplaintsaying,‘Iwantcompensationformysoiledunderwear!’,wouldbeextremelyembarrassing.

Inreturn,Ialsotoldhimofourcircumstances.Forthesakeofrevivingthegoblinvillage,weneededclothes,weaponsandarmors.Ifpossible,Ialsowantedtohireacapableadvisorforthevillage,andsoon.Thecaptainhadlistenedattentivelythroughoutitallwithkeeninterest.Whentheotherguardslearnedofoursituation,theyhadbeguntalkingtomeaboutallsortsofthings.EvenGobuta-kunwasbesiegedwithquestionsfromallsides,havingtoconstantlyreplywithabewilderedexpression.Andlikethat,thenightpassed….

Thenextday.Wewerestillstayingattheguardstation.Gobuta-kunwasborrowingtherestingroom.Hemuststillbeasleep.SinceIdidn’tneedsleep,Iwasalreadyoutinthebackyard,gazingatthesceneoftheguardstraining.Somewerepracticingswingingtheirwoodenswords(ormorelikelogs),otherswereexchanginglightblowsinaspar,whiletherestwereworkingoutbyrunning.Iwasleisurelywatchingfromthesidelines.Takinginthesituationbeforeme,Isimulatedinmymind,afightbetweenthevariousdemonsIhaveusedPredationon,andthetrainingguards.

Itfeltjustlikeagame.Still,Iwonderifusing『GreatSage』inthiswaywasalright?ThewayIwasusingit,itcouldbedescribedaslikepearlsbeforeswine…Bethatasitmay,itcouldn’tbehelpedsinceitwasinteresting.Therewasnoproblematall.Theresultofthesimulation:overwhelmingvictorybythedemons.

Evenwhentheguardsweregivenahandicap,onlyafewcouldmanagetodefeatthebatandlizard.Ina1vs1situation,theconditionsweretoofavorableforthedemons.However,itseemedthatinagroupbattle,with5~6peoplewhichmadeuponeparty,therewereafewpartycombinationsthatwereabletobeatmyspider.Ontheotherhand,evenwithall20ofthetrainingguards,theywerenotbeabletokillmycentipede.Inanycase,Iknewthatthemenhereweren’tofthestrongestfightersinthiscountry,soperhapsthiswasastandardlevelofstrength.

WhileIwasdoingthat,Gobuta-kunhadalsowokenup.Thecaptainwasalsohere,reportingforduty.

[You’refreetogo.Ifeelbadforconfiningyouuptillnow.Thoughwehadareputationtouphold,weendeduptakingupadayofyourtime.Sorry!]

[Nono,savingonlodgingexpenseswasveryhelpful!]

[Hearingthatreallyputsmeatease.Asanapology,letmeintroduceyoutoaskilledblacksmith!]

[Thatwouldbesplendid!Thankyouverymuch!]

Thingswerelookingupforus.Regardingtheimmigrationinspection,weweregivensomethingofapreferentialtreatmentanditwascompletedwithoutahitch,whileontheotherhandwesavedmoneyonlodgingfees.Ialsoexpecteddifficultyinsearchingforacapableblacksmith,butsoldier-san’srecommendationsolvedeverything!Lookingatitoptimistically,nothingbutgoodthingshadhappenedtous!

[Butinreturnforthat…]

Mm?Wasthereahiddencatchtothis?Whenitcametothingshiddenbeneaththesurface,videoswereallIliked…*Meanttobeapunonundergroundvideos=piratedvideos.Becauseundertheguiseofsomethinggoodtherewassomethingbadandundergroundvideosarepiratedvideosandpiratedvideosarebadand…forgetit**Itcouldalsobeaboutp*rn.I’mjustsaying

[Ifyoustillhaveanyofthosemedicinesremaining,Iwanttobuythem!]

Iseenow.Ididhearaboutityesterday,thatsomehowsuppliesonmedicinewerelow.SeeingasIhaveahugestockofmedicines,itwouldbefinesellingthem…butIdidn’tknowthemarketpriceforthem.Whattodo?Well,whatever.Thesemedicinesdidn’tcostanythingtoproduceafterall.Ifhesaysheneedsthem,thenI’lljusthandoversome.

[Icanagreetothat.AlthoughIsaythat,Idoneedthemmyself,soitdependsonhowmanyyouneed.]

[I’llbefinewithjusttakingtheleftovers.Evenifonlyoneisleft,I’lltakeit!]

Hn?Isn’tthatstrange?Wasn’thetryingtoprocureareservesupplyofmedicines?Havingjustone,wouldn’tsolveanythinginthehourofneed…Isupposetheneedformedicineisjustthatgreat.

[Mm…then,howabout5?]

[5!That’llbegreat!]

[Aah,andalso,didyouknowthatit’llprobablystillhaveagoodeffectwhendilutedwithwater?Whentreatingtheaverageinjury,just1/10ofthemedicineshouldbefine!]

WhenIexplainedhowitworked,thecaptainnoddedwithafacethatyelled,‘Iwantmore!’.Aftermakingsureheunderstood,Ihandedoverthe5piecesofmedicineandinreturn,Ireceivedasmallbag.Openingthebag,Isawsomegoldcoinsinside.

[Althoughitmaynotbemuch,itwaseverythingwecouldtakeout.Ihopeyoucanletmehavethemallfor5coinseach!]

Itappearedthat5piecesofmedicinewereworth25goldcoins.Butatthepresent,Icouldn’ttellprofitfromloss,soIthoughttomakeuseofthisopportunitytoaskaboutthecurrencyrates.

[Uhmm,excuseme…]

[Isitnotenough?ButthisisthebestIcanoffer…]

[No,thoughI’mokaywiththeamountyougave,there’ssomethingI’dlikeyoutoteachme!]

[Eh?You’realrightwiththisprice?The-…thenwhatisityouwantedtoask?]

Hm?Hnn?Judgingfromthatreaction…Iwasrippedoff!Itmighthavebeenfinetopushthepricealittlebit.Wellthat’sfine.Ifeltthatthiscaptain-sanwasagoodperson,soIdoubthetookadvantageofmetoaseriousextent.

[Rightnow,Ihaveonlyasmallamountofmoney,butnotonlythat,Ihavenoideaatallaboutthevalueofmoneyandthepriceofcommodities…Ifpossible,pleaseteachmeregardingthosethings!Afterall,beingaslime,I’mignorantinthesethings!]

Mycurrentmannerofspeechwastotallycontradictingyesterday’ssetting(storyofayoungmaiden).Atanyrate,bothushadneverbelievedinthatstoryinthefirstplace,sono

problemthere!Andsolikethis,wehadaconversationbeforedeparturethatlastedsolong,thatitwasn’tuntilaftereatinglunchthatIwasreadytosay,‘Nowwedepart!’.

Icouldn’ttasteanything,butnonetheless,itwasagoodmeal.

StatusName:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:CrestofStormTitles:“OneWhoControlsDemons”

Magic:None

Skills:UniqueSkill『GreatSage』UniqueSkill『Predator』SlimeInherentSkills『Dissolution,Absorption,Self-Regeneration』ExtraSkill『WaterManipulation』ExtraSkill『MagicPerception』

AcquiredSkills:BlackSnake『HeatPerception,PoisonMistBreath』Centipede『ParalysisBreath』Spider『StickyThread,SteelThread』Bat『UltrasonicWaves』Lizard『BodyArmor』BlackWolf『SuperOlfaction,ThoughtTransmission,Intimidation,ShadowMovement,BlackLightning』

Resistances:HeatFluctuationResistanceEXPhysicalAttackResistancePainImmunity

ElectricalResistanceParalysisResistance

Chapter16-TheDwarfBlacksmith

[Ahh…whyamIsobusy….]

Kaijin,adwarfman,wasgrumblingtohimself.Hefuriouslythoughtinside,‘Geez,theEmpireintheeast,mightmakeamove?Whatkindofidiocyisthat!?’.Indeed,forthepast300yearsithadremainedapeacefulera.

Kaijincouldn’tunderstand.WhywouldtheEmpire,whichwasplentyrichenoughasitwas,gothroughthetroubleofinvadingotherlands?Althoughforthisdwarf,whomadealivingthroughcreatingweapons,thebeginningofthewarshouldhavebeenareallygoodchancetomakehugeprofits…

‘Butstill!Whydidmyworkloadhavetoincreasesosuddenly!!!’,wasallthatranthroughthedwarf’shead.Moreover,therewasonethingthathewasgreatlyworriedabout…EvenashecursedandfantasizedaboutbeatingupacertaingovernmentMinister,thedwarfwasindeepconsiderationregardinganothermatter.

[WhatshouldIdo…]

Hebreathedatiredsighashecontinuedtothink.Therewasalmostnotimeremainingforhimtocompletehisworkorders.Missingthedeadlinewouldbeahugeblowtohisreputation.Saying‘Icouldn’tdoit!’,wassimplynotanoption.

Rightnow,hisfuturedependedonwhetherhewouldreceivecontactfromthefriendshehadsentwordfor.Hewaswellknownforhisskillasablacksmith,buttherewerestillsomethingshecouldn’tdo.Whatwastroublinghimsomuch,wasthelackofmaterialstocreateweaponswith!Andthenthepeoplehehadbeenwaitingforfinallyappearedbeforehim.

[Sorry…weshouldhavemadeitbyyesterday,buttherewasamatterbeyondourcontrol…!]

Sayingthat,thethreemenenteredKaijin’sshop.Therewerethreeofthem,allsiblings,andalsoofthedwarvenrace.Allofthemwereinthebusinessofmining.

TheeldestsonGarm.Hewasaskilledarmorsmith.ThesecondsonDold.Hewasforknownhisfirst-ratecraftsmanship.ThethirdsonMild.Thoughhewasadwarfoffewwords,hewasanexpertatwhathedid.Havingknowledgeinconstruction,andwell-versedinthearts,hewasaoneofakindgenius.

Byallrights,thesethreeoutstandingtalentsshouldhavebeentheownersoftheirownshops,butunfortunately,theywereallratherclumsyinregardstogeneralliving.

Blessedonlyintheirrespectivespecializations,theywerehopelesswhenitcametoplanningthingsorbusinesstrades,whichwaswhytheywerefrequentlytakenadvantageofbythepeoplearoundthem.Andso,theirshopwastakenoverbyapersontheyhadtrustedin,andwhatwasmore,theyevenfellintoatraplaidbyafellowapprenticewhowasjealousoftheirtalents,andendedupliterallykickinganofficerofthekingandwasnowunderwatchbythecountry…

Havingnowhereelsetogoto,theychosetorelyonKaijin,whowastheirchildhoodfriendaswellasthebigbrotherofthegroup.Althoughheruefullythoughttohimself,‘Youshouldhavedependedonmesooner!’,hewasawarethatitwasalreadyfartoolatetosaythat.

Hehaddecidedtoshelterthreebrothersintohisshopandhirethemtoworkforhim.However,therewasnoworktoentrusttothem.WhileKaijin’sshopmainlysoldweapons,hisothergoodswereboughtfromothersuppliers.Sincehepersonallymadehisweapons,therewouldbenoprobleminreceivingassistanceinregardstothat,however…hefearedthatunnecessarytroubleswouldoccurifhisshopsuddenlystoppedtradingwiththeothersuppliersandbeganself-producingarmorsandcrafts.

Therewasaneedtocontinuebusinessoperationsasusualuntilthethreesettleddown.Thiswaswhyhehadtaskedthethreebrotherswithoverseeinglaborersinthegatheringoforesandrawmaterials.

Afterhearingtheircircumstances,hefoundoutthattheyhadencounteredademon.Kaijinwasgreatlyperplexedatthis.Nevertheless,theirsafetywassomethingtobehappyabout.Thinkingofhowfortunatethethreeweretoavoidanyinjuries,hevoicedhisrelief.

[Well,it’sgoodthatyouguysaresafe!Youmusthavedonewellinrunningaway.It’sgreatthatnoneofyouwerehurt!]

Indeed,aslongastheyweresafe,itwasalwayspossibletogobacktogatheringtheneededores.Butwhilehewasthinkingtohimself,‘Thesafetyofmyfriendsaremuchmoreimportant!’,thethreebrothersexchangedawkwardlookswitheachother.Theysaid,

[No…it’snotlikewemanagedtogetawayintime.]

[Mhm.Totellyouthetruth,evennowIstillcan’tcometotermswithwhathappenedyesterday…]

[…….]*Thirdbroissilent

Fromthenon,helistenedastheyexplainedwhathappenedindetail.Theyclaimed,‘Amysteriousslimegaveusmedicinethatbroughtusbacktolife!’.Normally,hewouldhavelaughinglyreplied,‘Idon’tbelievethat!’,butheknewthatthebrotherswereneverthekindtolie.Orrather,theyjustweren’tskillfulenoughintellinglies.Whichmeantthatwhattheysaidwastrue…

However,seeingasitwasonlyyesterdaythatademonattackhadresultedincasualties,hiringnewminerswouldmostlikelybeimpossible.

Duetoyesterday’sevents,themenhehademployedwereresigningoneafteranother.Sincetheyalsoincurredconsiderableinjuriesthemselves,hecouldnotreallycomplain.

Inregularcircumstances,thiswouldpreciselybethetimetogototheFreedomAssociationwitharequest,butthatwasnotanoption.Hehadalreadyissuedarequestforthegatheringofores,buttherewasyettobeareply.Itwasthesamesituationforeveryotherworkshop,andsothestocksofgoodsinthemarketweredeteriorating.

Inthecaseofcommissioningguards,notonlywouldthefeebecomparativelyhigh,theywouldonlyworkwithintheextentoftherequest.Ifyouaskedforescorts,theywoulddojustthatandnomore…AndwhenitcametothepriceofadventurerscapableofdefeatingaBrankdemon…itwouldn’tdoanygood.Farfrommakingaprofit,hewouldgobankruptinstead.

Hethoughttohimself,‘Tsk!Whydidsuchastrongdemonhavetocomeoutintheouterzoneofthemines!’.Kaijinsighedheavily.

Hecontemplatedonwhatheshoulddo.Thedeadlinewasdrawingnearer.HeevenconsideredgoingsofarastopersonallygatheralltheoreswithhisownhandsButnogoodideaspoppedintohishead,andtimewasrunningshort…

Thefourdwarveswerealllostinthoughtastheylookedatoneanother.Anditwasthenthatastrangegroupcameintosight.

*Returningtoslimeperspective

[Hey!Bigbro,youthere?]

Whilecallingouttosomeoneinside,Captain-san,nowknownasKaidou--san,enteredtheshop.Inthemidstofourconversations,wehadbecomemuchmoreopenandfriendlytowardseachother,andwerenowonafirstnamebasis.Iwastold

thattheowneroftheshop,theonehewantedtointroducemeto,washisactualelderbrother.Fromtheoutside,itlookedlikethekindofsmallshoprunbyastubbornolduncle.

[Sorrytointrude~!]*Rimurugreets

[Howdoyoudo!]*Gobuta-kungreets

Sayingourgreetings,wefollowedKaidou-saninsidetheshop.Themomentweentered,wesawthatmanyeyeswerefocusedonus.

[Ah!]

Allthreedwarfbrothershadexclaimedatthesametime

ThethreedwarfsIsawyesterdayhadallraisedtheirvoicesinsurpriseandwerelookingoverhere.Theywerelookinghealthynow.Althoughforsomereasontheyweremakingdepressedfaces…Andthensurely,asexpected,therewasagrimlookingunclewhosefacedidn’tloseonebittothoseofthescarytownconstructionoldmen.Hewastheownerofthisshop.Honestly,hedidn’tresembleKaidou-sanatall.

[What’sthis?Theyfriendsofyours?]

[Kaijin-san!It’sthisslime!!!Theonethatsavedusyesterday!!!]

[Yeah,that’sright!SotheCaptain-sanwastheyoungerbrotherofourshopowner!]

[…….]*Thirdbroissilent

[Ohh…!Sothat’stheslimeyouweretalkingabout!I’veheardyouweretheonewhosavedtheseguys.Youhavemygratitude!]

[Notatall!Idon’tfeelasifI’vedonethatmuch,orperhapsImighthave?Hahahahaha~~!!!]

ForonesuchasI,whoeasilygetscarriedawayandgoestoofar,wordsofpraiseistaboo…becauseIwouldn’tbeabletocalmdownforthenextlongwhile.

[So,whyhaveyoucomeheretoday?]

Afterslightlyregaininghiscomposure,Uncle-sanaskedaquestion.

Allofushadmovedfurtherinsideoftheshoptotalk.Andthen,Kaidou--sanbeganbrieflyexplainingmysituation.Ialsochippedintotheconversation,whenneeded,tohelpmoveitalongsmoothly.ButImustsay,thisthirddwarfbrothercalledMild-san,heneversaysasinglething!Imean,howdidhestillmanagetoactuallycommunicate?Itwasmysterious.

[Iunderstandwhatyouwantnow.ButI’msorry.Idon’tthinkIcanbeofanyhelp….Thethingis,we’vealreadyreceivedarequestfromacertaincountry….]

Hetoldusthatitwasasecret,andexplainedwhatwashappeningworldwidewhilewithholdingtheimportantinformation.Itappearedthatmanycountrieswerefeelingpressuredbythefearofawaroccurringbecauseof‘Acertainfoolsomewhere!’,andthatwaswhycraftordersforweaponsandarmorswerebeingissuedeverywhere.Puttingthisinformationintoconsideration,itmadesensethatthemedicinesandothergoodswereoutofstockyesterday.

[Andso,abouttherequestIreceived.AlthoughIdidmanagetomake200steelspearsovernight…butontheotherhand,regardingthemainorderof20swords,notevenasingleonehasbeenmadeyet.Idon’thavethematerials,yousee…]

Despitehanginghisheadlow,Uncle-sanstillgrumbled.

[Ifitcan’tbedone,isn’titfinetocanceltheorder?]

Itwasareasonablequestion,askedbyKaidou-san.

[Youidiot!EvenItoldthemfromthebeginningthatitwasunreasonable!…butthenthatsh*ttygovernmentMinisterBesterbuttedinandsaid…

『Famedthroughoutourkingdomforyourskills,cannotamanofyourcaliber,Kaijin,completeasmalltaskofthisdegree?』

…isthekindofdrivelheprattledontome!!!Nottomention,thiswassaidinfrontoftheking!Wouldyouforgivehim?Thatsh*ttybastard!!!]

Hewasfuriousthewholetimehetalked.Aswecontinuedtoconverse,Ilearnedthatinthepast,thethirddwarfbrotherMild-sanhadrejectedarequestfromMinisterBestertobuildahousethathewanted.Bearingagrudgefromthatincident,theMinisterhadrepeatedlyharassedMild-santothepointwherehewasstartingtothinkaboutescapingfromthecountry.AndIwastoldthattheonewhotookhiminatthattimewasKaijin-san.

Howeveryoulookedatit,itwasdefinitelyanunjustifiedresentmenttowardsMild-san.ThenIthoughttomyself,‘Wasn’titlikelythattheMinisterboughtupallthematerialstoobstructKaijin-san’swork?’.

[Ifyoucouldn’tmaketheswordsduetothelackofmaterials,doesthatmeanthatspearsrequiredifferentmaterials?]

AndtomyquestionKajin-sanreplied,

[Yeah.Theswordsrequireaspecialmaterialcalled“magicore”.Thespearsonlyneededtobemadeoutofsteel.]

HehadrepliedinaverytiredmannerWithoutthematerials,evenamasterblacksmithwasjustanordinaryperson.Itmustbesofrustratingforhim.Butwhenyouthinkaboutit,wasn’titpossiblethattheMinisterwaswaitingforKaijin-santocometohimbeggingforhelp?

[Totopitoff…ittakesawholedaytocompleteonesword.Evenbyusingtheassembly-linesystemforefficientproduction,itwouldstilltake2weekstomake20ofthem….]

Iwasabouttoaskaboutthetimelimit,butthendecidednotto.ThedespaironhisfacetoldmeeverythingIneededtoknow.Buthetoldmeanyway.

[Thedeadlineisbythisweekend….Onthefirstdayofnextweek,IhavetodeliveritalltotheKing.Thisjobissomethingthatisassignedtoeachandeverycraftsman,commissionedbythecountry…ifyoucan’tcompleteit,itispossibletohaveyourqualificationsasacraftsmanrevoked…]

Inotherwords,only5orsodayslefttocompletetheorder.Orrather,sinceanyprogresscouldn’tbemadetoday,thenonly4daysuntilthedeadline?Igotthefeelinglikethetalkwasgettingserious.Ihadnothingtodowiththis,sowhywasIhere?Justwaitamoment,Ican’tseemtounderstandwhat’sgoingon~?Actually,ifit’s“magicores”,don’tIhavesome?Well,it’snotlikeitwasmybusiness…

Ididn’tknowiftheyweremisunderstandingsomethingornot,buteveryonewaslookingtowardsme.Beingstaredatbymendoesn’tmakemehappy!Theireyesseemedtobetellingme,‘Heyyou!Can’tyoudosomethingaboutthis?’.Thesepeople…whatdidtheythinkaslimewascapableof?

GuessI’vegotnochoice.Fornow,Ishouldmagnanimouslylendmyhelpthem…AndwhileI’matthat,I’llhavethemassistmewiththerevivalofourgoblinvillage!

[Fufufu.Hahaha.Ha~~~hahaha!!!Heynow,isn’tthistalkjusttooinsignificant?Uncle!Thisthing,canyouuseit?]

Withaloudthud,Iplacedbeforetheirveryeyes,afullyextractedoreontheworktable.AndthenIwenttolaydownonthesofawithmylegs

outstretched!(ThatwashowIimaginedit!)

[…He,hey!Heeeey!!!Thi-,isn’tthis“magicore”!?Moreover,itsofunbelievablyhighpurity!!!]

Heh.Actually,thatwasn’t“magicore”.Itwasapremade“magicsteelingot”~!!!.

[Heynow,uncle,areyoureyesjustforshow?]

Ifhewasn’tevencapableofidentifyingthis,Idoubtedhewouldbeofanyusetome.Iwouldsellthematerialtohimatasuitableprice,butwouldn’tfurtherinvolvemyself!

[What…?…Youdon’tmean…no,that’sridiculous!Areyousayingthatthewholeofthisingotis“magicsteel”!?]

Asexpected,Uncle-sansawthroughit!Butstill,likehowhewasastonished,Iwaspleasantlysurprisedaswell!

[Wi-,willyouturnthisovertome?Ofcourse,I’llpaytheaskingprice!]

Fufufu.Icaughthim!

[Wellnow,howshouldIgoaboutthis~]

[Argh.Whatisityouwant?I’lldoanythingthatiswithinmyability!]

[Iwaswaitingforthosewords!You’vealreadyheardofourcircumstances,yes?Amonguncle-san’sacquaintances,Iwantyoutofindsomeonecapableofteachingcraftingtechniques.]

[Whatdidyousay?You’reokaywithjustthat?]

[Hmph.Ourfirstpriorityistosecurethelifenecessities,clothingandhousing!Andalsofromnowon,Iwanttorequestanintermediaryforsupplyingclothes,andsomeonecapableofmakingweapons.]

[Ifthat’sallyouneed,there’llbenoproblematall!]

Withthisagreement,Ihandedoverthe“magicsteelingot”toUncle-san,Kaijin,andinreturnIgainedapromise.Weplannedtogooverthesmallerdetailsafterhecompletedhisworkorders.Fromtheresponseheshowed,itwouldhavemostlikelybeenfinetorequestalittlemore,butwantingtoomuchwasn’tgood.Afterall…greedwasalwaysthecauseofmyfailures!I’velearnedfrommypastmistakes.

Theverysameday,aftereveryonehaddinner,Kaidou-sanleftusandreturnedtohispost.Eventhoughhewascaptainoftheguards,itwasn’tagoodexamplehewassettingbyskippinghisworkfromnoon.Butwell,itwasforthesakeofguidingmearound.Ihavenothingtosayaboutthat!Andthen,thethreedwarfbrothershadexcessivelyexpressedtheirthankstome.Itappeared,thatbecausetheythoughtitwastheirfaultthatUncle-san(Kaijin)wasundersupervisionofthecountry,theyfeltverygratefulthatIhelpedout.

WhenIasked,‘Ifyoulike,whydon’tyouthreejoinus?’,theireyeswentwidewithsurprise,andthentheybeganadiscussionamongthemselves.Well,Iwassuretheywouldarrivetosomesortofconclusion.Butitwasabouttimetoaskthemostimportantquestion.

[Uncle-san,thereare4remainingdays.Includingtoday,thatmakesit4.5days.Willitbeenoughtimetofinishyourwork?]

[….Tobehonest,Idon’tthinkitcanbedone.Evenso,I’venochoicebuttodoit!]

Sohewasplanningongoingaheadwithonlyfightingspirit….However,Iknowthis.Whatcan’tbedone,can’tbedone!Tobesuccessfulinsomething,allthecomponentsthatmakesitpossiblemustbeassembled.Therewasnothingtobedoneaboutit…sinceIstartedthis,I’llseeit

throughtotheend!

[Iunderstand.Ihaveaplan!Forthetimebeing,waituntiltomorrow.Ineedyoutocalmdownandmakemeoneswordthatisofthefinestqualitypossible!]

[Whatareyousaying?Aren’tyouanamateurinthis?Whatcanyoudotohelp?]

[It’sasecret.Believeinme!Ifyoucan’t,thendoasyoulike.However,I’msurethatyouwon’tbeabletofulfilltherequest!]

[…It’sokaytotrustinyou,right?Inthecasethatyoucan’tmakethissucceed,Iwon’tbepayingyouforthe“magicsteel”.Well,itwouldn’tmakeadifferencetomeeitherway,sinceIwouldn’tbeabletopayanyway!But,ifyoumanagetokeepyourpromise…Isweartokeepmysideofthepromiseaswell!I’llprepareforyouthebestworkersthereis!!!]

We’vemadeourpromises!

Andapromisemadewassomethingtobekept!

StatusName:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:CrestofStormTitles:“OneWhoControlsDemons”

Magic:None

Skills:UniqueSkill『GreatSage』UniqueSkill『Predator』SlimeInherentSkills『Dissolution,Absorption,Self-Regeneration』

ExtraSkill『WaterManipulation』ExtraSkill『MagicPerception』

AcquiredSkills:BlackSnake『HeatPerception,PoisonMistBreath』Centipede『ParalysisBreath』Spider『StickyThread,SteelThread』Bat『UltrasonicWaves』Lizard『BodyArmor』BlackWolf『SuperOlfaction,ThoughtTransmission,Intimidation,ShadowMovement,BlackLightning』

Resistances:HeatFluctuationResistanceEXPhysicalAttackResistancePainImmunityElectricalResistanceParalysisResistance

Chapter17-TheOutcomeofthePromise

Itwasthebeginningofanewmorning.Everyonehadgatheredintheworkroom.Yesterday,wehadborrowedavacantroomthatwasmeantforapprenticesinordertostaythenight.Whenwefirstenteredtheworkroom,therewerealreadyfourpeopleinsidethatwerejuststaringatthe“magicsteelingot”.Allthewhilesighing,theywereturningitoverandoverintheirhands,checkingifitwasreal.TheingotIhadhandedoverwasonlythesizeofahuman’sfist.Ithoughtitwasanoverlyexaggeratedreaction,soIasked,‘Isitreallythatraretosee?’

[Whatareyouevensaying?]

Uncle-san(Kaijin)answeredme,andfolloweditupwithanexplanation.

“Magicore”wastherawformof“magicsteel”.Eveninitsunrefinedform,“magicore”wasconsideredtobevaluable.Thereasoningwasverysimple.Itsrarity,anditsversatility.Therewasamajorelementthatexistedinthisworldcalled“magicessence”.This“magicessence”thatdidn’texistinmyoriginalworld,occupiedamajorroleinthisone.Whenademonwasdefeated,veryrarelyitwoulddropacondensedmassofmagicessencecalledamagicstone.Thismagicstonewassomethinglikeaconcentrationofenergy,whichwasusedasfuelforaninventionuniquetothisworld:spiritengineering.Thismagicstoneactedasacoreforsuperiordemons,andontopofbeingmorebeautifulthanmostpreciousgems,itwassaidtocontainanunimaginableamountofenergy.

Assuch,magicstonesofsuperiordemonswereusedasthecoreformanymanufacturedgoods.Craftsmenweresaidtoevenusetheseasrawmaterialsfortheaccessoriestheycreated.Thoseitemswouldgrant

variouseffectsuponthewearer,suchasanincreaseinabilities,oraneffectthatwouldbindtheitemtotheuseronly.Andbetween“magicores”andregularores,therewasonedecisivepointthatsetthemapart.Withoutexception,“magicores”wouldonlyformaroundthevicinityofsuperiordemons.Thereasonwas,thatwhenregularoresareexposedtodenseconcentrationsofmagicessence,theywouldslowlyabsorbitoveraverylongperiodoftime.Onlywhenagreatamountiscontainedwouldregularoresfinallyundergoachangeinto“magicores”.Itwassimilartohowmineralswouldsuddenlychange.Naturally,onlypowerfuldemonswouldbeinhabitinglocationswithhighlevelsofmagicessence.“Magicore”washardtofindinlocationslikethehabitatsofweakdemonsthatadventurersdefeatedtoearnpocketmoney.For“magicores”toform,attheveryleast,itneededtobeaplacethatB-rankeddemonsorabovewouldlivein.

Incidentally,thiswasthefirsttimeIlearnedsomeinformationregardingtherankingofdemons.

[Sothat’showitis!Wellthen,Iwonder…IshouldalsobearoundB-rank?]

[…….(Ifthat’swhatyouthink,itmustbetrue.Thoughyou’realoneinthinkingthat!!!)]*Everyonethinkingtothemselves

Mostlikely,everyoneapartfromthatninnyGobutawasthinkingthesamething.Well,leavingtheidiotaside.“Magicore”wasalreadysuchadifficultthingtoobtain,buttheamountof“magicsteel”thatcouldbeextractedfromthatsaidorewasonlyroughly3~5%.Inotherwords,alumpof“magicsteel”thesizeofafist,wasworthmoneythatwas20timesitsvalueinweight.Thewaymoneywasvaluedhere,wasalmostthesameasinmyoriginalworld.Acommonwayofmeasuringmoney,thegoldstandardsystem,wasadoptedacrossthenations.

Well,whatallthismeanttome,wasthatthemetalwasmuchrarerthanI

hadguessed.Asexpectedofme!Notmissingasinglething!(inthecave).Bytheway,IbecamejustalittlebitscaredaboutthefactthatIsecretlypossessedahugeamountofthat“magicsteel”.Therewasnowayanyonecouldfindoutbut…whatifsomeonedid?!WasIthinkingthisbecauseIwasapettybourgeois?

Anyhow,themainissuewasfromhereon.

“Magicsteel”wasnotsimplyvaluablejustbecauseofitsrarity.Therewasatruereasonforitsworth.Thatwasbecausethemetalpossessedapropertythathadextremelygoodaffinitywithguidingmagicpower.Itwaspossibletocontrolmagicessencetoacertaindegreeusingimageryinthemind.My『MagicPerception』wasthesame,andeventheeffectsof『WaterManipulation』wasbroughtaboutthesameway.Themajorityofskillsusedbydemonswerebasedonusingmagicessenceinsuchaway.AlthoughIdidn’tknowmuchinregardstomagic,Ihadsuspectedthatthetheorybehinditsusewasnodoubtsimilar.

Andso,whatifahugeamountofmagicessencewasincludedintherawmaterialsofaweapon?Astonishingly,apparentlyitwillbecomea“weaponthatgrows”!Howromantic!!!Eh,what’sitlike?Iwantit!!!ThoughImanagedtofirmlyholdmyinnerthoughtsback,thewordsthatalmostburstfrommythroatstillremainedontheverytipsofmytongue.Itwasaweaponthatrespondedtothethoughtsoftheuser,graduallyalteringitsshapeintothedesiredidealform.Anddependingonthemagicpoweroftheuser,itwasevenpossibletofreelytransformitsforminthemidstofbattle!Furthermore,duetoitshighaffinitywithmagicessence,itwouldamplifythepowerofskills.

Inaway,whencomparedtonormalweapons,unlesstherewasagreatdifferenceintalent,themagicweaponwoulddefinitelybringitsuservictory.

Perhaps…thoughthiswasjustmyspeculationofacaseofpouringmoneyandutmostuseoftechnology…ifasuperiordemon’smagicstonewasinsertedintoabladeofpuremagicsteel,woulditpossiblybecomea“swordoffire”,or“swordofice”?ThoughinmyheartIwasscreaming,‘Hurryandmakeitalready!!!’,itwasnotgoodtogettooexcited.Ifeltthatitcouldbedone,soIwantedtoprocureamagicstoneiftheoccasionpresenteditself.

Afteralongtimeofexplanations,Uncle-sanandcowerenowworkingonthesword.Forfuturereference,wewerealsoobservingwhattheydid.AlthoughthatGobutawasnodoubtjustsleeping….

Whencreatingasword,therewereavarietyofkindsthatcouldbemade.Inmyheart,thestrongestswordisofcourse,theJapanesesword.However,evenamongkatanas’therewasstillallkindsofvarieties.Tocontemplateonwhatkindofswordyoucouldmake,wasalsosomethingquiteinterestingtothinkabout.

Ithadbeen10hourssincetheyhadbegunwork.Alongswordthatlookednothingoutoftheordinaryhadbeencompleted.What’sthis?Alargepartofmagicsteelwasstillleftunused.Theremainingamountwasstilllargelythesizeofafist.Itwastotheextentthatmademethinktomyself,woulditbealrighttousejustthatmuchforonesword?…

Uponasking,Iwasgivenananswersaying,‘Ifallofthemagicsteelwasusedasrawmaterialforthesword,whoknowshowmuchmoneythatwouldcost!’.Ifyouthoughtaboutit,itwasnatural.Itwasnowondertheydidn’tmakesuchextravagantthingslikeelementalswords.Inowunderstoodthatitsimplyrequiredtoomuchmoney.Apparently,theyhadusedmagicsteelasthecorepart,whilemostofthebladewasmadeoutofordinaryironandsteel.Iwastoldthatmagicessenceinthemagicsteelwouldseepintotheironandsteelparts,theneventuallybecomecompletelymerged.Itwassaidthatthemoreitaged,thestrongeritbecame.Anotherspecialcharacteristicofmagicweaponswasthatthebladewould

neverrustorbecomechipped.Curiously,Iwastoldthattheweaponshadalifeoftheirown.Ifitbecamecompletelybrokenorbent,thenthemagicessencewouldburstoutanddissipateallatonce.

Uncle-sanhadexplainedallthattome,allthewhileholdingupanddisplayingtheswordhehadcompleted.Itwasquiteinterestingtolistento.

Itookupthefinishedswordandgazedatitinmyhands.(ThoughIhadnohands.)Lookingcarefully,althoughitwasofasimpledesign,itwasperfectlystraight.Itcouldbesaidthattherewasnounnecessaryparttoit.Itdidn’tappeartobemeantforpurecutting,whichwasthemainprinciplebehindaJapanesesword,butstillseemedcapabletobeusedforslashingattacks.Isee.Thegoalofthisdesignwastousethissimplicityasabasetomakeiteasiertorealizeanindividual’srespectiveidealform!Keepingthatinmind,Icouldagreewiththewayitwasmade.

Wellthen.Aspromised,Uncle-sanandtheothershadcompletedamagnificentswordforme.Nowitwasmyturn.

[Alright!FromhereonI’llbeworkinginsecret.I’msorry,butafterconfirmingtherawmaterials,Iwanteveryonetoleavetheroom!]

Sayingthat,Imadesurethateveryonewouldleavetheroom.Afterall,Icouldn’taffordtoletanyoneknowmymanufacturingmethod.Mainlybecauseitwouldbetroublesometoexplain!

[Allthenecessarymaterialsareassembledinthisroom.Butwillyoubealright?Ifneeded,Icanhelpout.]

[Mhm.I’llbefine!Ratherthanthat,duringthenextthreedays,makesurenottopeekintheroomokay?It’sapromise!?]

[Igotit.I’llbelieveinyouandwait…]

Afterthat,Uncle-sanandtheotherslefttheroom.Forsomereason,Gobutaalsowentwiththem…Theremightbeaneedtostranglesomesenseintothatidiotatleastonce…

Nowthen,today’srecipeonthemenushallbe,howtomake“longswordàlacarte”!Themethodofproductionwassimple!Thefirststep,wastoswallowupthemodelproduct!Next,whatIhadtodowithallthesematerialslinedupherewas…toswallowthemall!Chew,chew,gulp!Andthen,Iwouldmixthemwellinsidemystomach…

AllIhadtodowasrepeatthatprocess19timesover,anditwouldbefinished~!!!Easy,wasn’tit?Butstill,goodchildrenshouldneverimitatethis,right?

AndthatwashowIcarriedoutmywork,withmyheadfullofsillythoughts.Thiswasbad…thetimeneededtocopyoneswordtookroughly10seconds.190seconds…alittleover3minutes,andIhadmadeall19longswords…ithadn’tbeen5minutessinceIhaddrivenoutUncle-sanandtheothers.

HowshouldIputit…eventhoughIknewIcoulddoit,thewayIdiditsoeasilymademefeelalittleguiltytowardallofthehardworkingCraftsman-sansoutthere…『Predator』wasseriouslytoocheat-like.

Well,whatnow?SinceIhadtoldthemsomethinglike,‘Don’tpeekinforthreedays!’,wasItoconfinemyselfinherefornextthreedays?No….Asonewouldexpect,therewouldn’tbeanyuseinpointlesslystayinghere.ImightaswellbeoutwithitandtellthembluntlythatIwasdone…

Baaaang!

Loudlyopeningthedoor,Isteppedoutside.Kaijin-sanandthethreebrotherswerelookingoverinworryastheyhurriedlyrosetostandup.Gobutawas…sleeping.You…tobeasleepwithinamerefiveminutessinceIwasinthere,whatwasupwithyou?

Indeed.ThatwasthemomentIdecidedsomewhereinmymind,Iwouldreallystranglehimsometime.

[Hey,what’swrong?Didsomethinghappen?]

[Wasthematerialsperhapsnotenough?]

[…Orwasitthatitwasimpossibleafterall?]

Everyonewasquestioningwiththesameconcernintheirfaces.

[Uh,mm.No,actually…yousee.]

Allthoseeyesfullofworrywashardtostand.Icouldn’thelpbutputonairs.Stillthesameasever,Ihadsuchabadpersonality.I’msureIcouldn’tbecuredofthisevenifIdied.

[Justkidding~!Actually,I’vealreadyfinisheditall!]

[…….Haa???]*Altogether

Theyraisedtheirshockedvoicesinperfectharmony.Wellofcoursethey’dbesurprised…!

[Cheers~~~!]

Inhonorofsuccessfullycompletingourwork,weweredrinkinginabar.Wewerecelebratingunderthepretextofhavingmadesurethegoodsweresafelydelivered.Well,Ididtellthemthatitwasn’tanecessarythingtodo…Buttheysaid…

[Nownow,there’llbeplentyofprettyeldersistersthere!]

[Yeahyeah!!!Youngprettiesandmatureladies!It’sjusttherightplaceforgentlementovisit!]

[…….!!!]*Thirdbroissilent.SortofPR/N:S*xDrivehasactivatedtoanamazingTentacle/100%

[Heynow!IfmasterRimurudoesn’tgo,thepartywon’tbegin?]

Ididn’twantto,buttherewasnochoice!Theseguyswerereallyahandful!!!Man~,mysincereimageofarefinedmanwillgotowaste~!Thiswasreallytroubling!!!Iwastoldthenameoftheestablishmentwas,『NightButterfly』.Wouldtherereallybebutterflies?Iwouldn’tforgivethemiftherearemoths!…Nono,it’snotlikeI’minterestedinthat,okay?Andwhilethinkingthesethoughts,weenteredtheshop.

[Ohmy~!Welcome~!!!]

[Welcometoourshop~~~!!!]*Collectivewelcomebywaitresses/hostesses

Whew~~!!!Extremelybeautifulwomenwerestandingalllinedup!!!Ohhhhhh!!!Thoselongears!!!E-,erofu!NoImean,it’sanelf~!!!PR/N:E-,erof*ck!NoImean,it’sanelf~!!!

Wha-!Ohman!Theirclothesweretoorevealing~~!Ahh…youcouldalmostsee,butcouldn’t…Whatwaswiththat!Iwasevenusing『MagicPerception』withallofmystrength!!!(NormallyIuseitona10%outputlowenergyconsumptionmode.)Theseeldersisterswereallresolutelydancinginbetweenthelinesof

modesty!Argh…wasthisachallenge?Wasthisachallengetowardsme!?Damnit,damnitall!

[Uwaah!Howcute~!!!]

[Waait!EventhoughIhadmyeyesonitfirst~!!!]

Smush!Boyoyon!Boyoyon!*Bouncingsoundeffects,basically

It-,it’shere!!!!!

OnmybodyasensationofPuyonPuyon!OnmybackitwasBoyonBoyon!!!

Wasthisparadise?

[…….Eh,uhm…althoughyouseemeddiscontentatfirst,itlookslikeyou’rehavingagreattimeofit?]

Gasp!Ohno,forthegreatmetobelikethis…

[Eh?…no,notthatmuch?]

Iguessthatwasabittooforced…Notasingleoneofthembelievedinme.However,Icouldn’thelpit.WhatcouldIdo!Imean,rightnowI’montopofanelf’slapandbeinghuggedfrombehind…Myheartissodeeplymoved!!!Ahh…ifonlymylateson(currentlynon-existent)wasstillalive,hewouldbesoexcitedandfrolickingabout….

Wewerepassingawaythetimeandenjoyingourselveswhensomeoneinterruptedus,

[Mymy,isn’tthisKaijin-dono?That’snogoodatall,tobringavulgardemonintosucharefinedestablishmentasthis!]

Aprovokingvoicehadcalledovertowherewewere.

Whowasthat?Whowasthisoldman?Allofasudden,oursurroundingshadquieteneddown.Asiftheydislikedthatoldman,theservinggirlsallhadahintofdislikeontheirfaces.Butitwashardtonoticeunlessyoucarefullyobservedthem.Unusuallyforadwarf,theoldmanwasofaslenderbuild,andrathertall.ThoughIsaythat,hewasaroundtheheightofanormalhuman.

[Hey,madam!Doyoupermittheenteringofdemonsintothisshop?]

[N-,no,eventhoughit’sademon,itwasonlyaharmlesslookingslimeso…]

[Huuh?It’sstillademon!AmIwrong?Doyoumeantosaythataslimeisn’tademon!!!?]

[No…it’snotlikethat,Inevermeant…]

Mama-sanhadrepliednon-committallyinanevasivemanner,tryingtoavoidthoseangrywords,buttheoldmanpaidnofurtherattentiontoher.Itwasplaintoseethattheoldman’sobjectivewasus.

[Thisisn’tgood…that’stheMinisterBester….]

SothatwastherumouredMinisterBester?Isee…howshouldIputit,hisfacehadahighstrungandobstinatelookaboutit.Atthatmoment,

[Hmph!Forademon,thiswouldsuityouwell!!!]

Sayingsuchnonsense,hesplashedthetopofmyheadwithwater.Thatreallygotonmynerves,butIfirmlyputupwithit.SincemyopponentwastheMinister,Icouldn’tletmyquicktempergetthe

betterofmeandmaketroubleforUncle-san(Kaijin)orthisshop’sMama-san.Tobebannedfromthisshoporsomethinglikethat,Ididn’twanttoexperiencesuchasadthing!ButjustwhenIhadresolvedtoendureitall,

[Oi….Justbecausewewereniceandquiet,yougetfullofyourself!]

Uncle-sankickedthetableflyingwitha‘Bang!’,andstoodup.

[Hey,Bester!Bastard,actingsorudelytomyguest,areyoureadyforwhat’scomingtoyou?]

…Eh?Hangon,Kaijin-san…theotherpartyistheMinister,isthatokay?MinisterBesterhadbecomestifffromastonishment,andIwasalsojumpingupanddowninapanic!Agentleandsoftsensationexplodedfrommyback!…Itwasn’t,onpurpose.Absolutely!!!

[Yo-,youbastard!Todaretousesuchwordstowardsmyself…!!!]

MinisterBestercouldn’tevenproperlyspeakduetohisangerandsurprise.

[Isn’titabouttimeyoubecamesilent!!!]

Bellowinginafury,Kaijin-sansentanunhesitatingfistflyingtowardsMinisterBester ’sface….

[Rimuru-danna,youweresearchingforskilledcraftsmenright!?WouldIbelacking?]

Youwouldbefarfromlackingbut…Ishouldsay,willthisbealright?Butwell,afterhittingtheMinister,therewouldbenoplaceforhiminthecountrynow.However.Inaman’slife,therewouldbetimes,whenwordswereunneeded.

[I’lltakeyouuponthosewords!Ilookforwardtoworkingwithyou,Kaijin!]

Ididn’tcareabouttheminordetails.IfKaijinwantedtocomewithme,Iwasjustfinewiththat!Prettywordscangotohell!I’llbesatisfiedwithlivingthewayIwant!KaijinandI,passionatelynoddedtooneanother.

Andso,ourpromisewasfulfilled!!!

Butstill…fromhereon,howshouldweescapethecountry?Asexpected,wheninsociety,ifyoudidn’tactwithprudence,amountainloadofproblemswouldcomeabout….Evenifyouweretoputupafront,thoseproblemswouldn’tsimplygoaway!

StatusName:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:CrestofStormTitles:“OneWhoControlsDemons”

Magic:None

Skills:UniqueSkill『GreatSage』UniqueSkill『Predator』SlimeInherentSkills『Dissolution,Absorption,Self-Regeneration』ExtraSkill『WaterManipulation』ExtraSkill『MagicPerception』

AcquiredSkills:BlackSnake『HeatPerception,PoisonMistBreath』Centipede『ParalysisBreath』Spider『StickyThread,SteelThread』Bat『UltrasonicWaves』Lizard『BodyArmor』BlackWolf『SuperOlfaction,ThoughtTransmission,Intimidation,ShadowMovement,BlackLightning』

Resistances:HeatFluctuationResistanceEXPhysicalAttackResistancePainImmunityElectricalResistanceParalysisResistance

Chapter18–TheEndofTurmoil

Now…then.Ofcourse,hittingaCabinetMinisterisverybad.Ofcourse…

「Brother…whathaveyoudone?」

SosaidKaidou,havingbroughtinthesoldiers.Nevermissingadayofservice,hisearlierabsencewassurprising.Hewassodiligent,thatevenwheninvitedtogodrinking,he’drefusebysayinghehaddutiestoattendto.Thus,foranincidenttooccurwhilehewasonduty,wasnaturallysurprising.Theycouldeasilyrunaway,butthatwouldbeapoorchoice…

「Hmph!JustsomelightpunishmenttheidiotwhodaredbeingrudetomybenefactorRimuru-danna.」

HerepliedwhilepointingatMinisterBesterwhowasbeingnursedbyfoursoldiers.Bester,ontheotherhand,wassoshockedandsurprisedthathecouldn’tevenstand.Bloodwasdrippingfromhisnose,heglaredstupidlyatme.Noteveninhiswildestdreamshadheimaginedbeingpunched.Thus,hewassosurprised,thatheprobablydidn’tevenfeelthepain.

「Oioi…“justsomelightpunishment”…?Makinganenemyoftheministerisverybad…」

Kaidoumutteredwithaforebodingsigh.

「Anyways…I’llhavetorestrainthepeoplepresent.」

Hesaid,andgavehissubordinatesanorder.But,onlyaudibletous,headded,

「Wewon’tharmyou,sopleasecomepeacefully!」

Hemumbled.Ofcourse,Ihadnointentionofcausingfurthertrouble.Thus,movingtowardsMama-san,Ihandedherfivegoldcoins.And,inreplytohersurprise,

「Iincludedtheinconveniencefee!I’llbeback!」

Suchweremysalutations.Thisisagoodshop,andI’dbeveryupsetifIcouldnolongercomehere.

Thatishowwewerebeingescortedawaybythesoldier…aren’tweforgettingsomething?Right!WeforgotGobuta.Wedidn’tbringthatidiottotheshop.Inanycase,thatfoolishactionseemstohaveearnedKaijinthepunishmentinthe“PsychidaeHell”.I’dthoughtthey’dhanghimupsidedownorsomething,sothisseemsbad.Whichiswhy,IwrappedGobutaupwith[StickyThread]andhunghimfromtheceiling.

「Wait!That’sheartless!Takemethere,too!!!」

Andthoughhecriedoutsimilargrief-strickenphrases,hopingthatwe’dlisten.Buttothesewords,

「Idiot!Youractionshavetheirownconsequences!Ifyoudon’tlikeit,justsummonuptherest(stormfangwolves)!」

Welefthimwithhangingtherewith,whatwethought,wasanimpossibletask.Anyways,thegoblins,orratherthehobgoblins,shouldbefineeveniftheyreceivenofoodorwaterforaweek.Thoughifittheconfinementcontinuesanylonger,we’llhavetobreakoutandsaveGobuta.Andhavingsodecided,Iforgotabouthimforthetimebeing.

Myconsciencedidask“Isn’tthistoopitiful?”,buthe’sasturdyguy!He’llbefine!

Sothefiveofuswerebroughtintotheroyalpalace.ButImayhaveexaggeratedabit–weweren’trestraintwithmuchforce.Feltmorelikewewerecomingvoluntarily.Well,werecoercedintodoingso…Asaresult,wespenttwodaysinprison.OrsoI’dliketocallit,butwereceivedgoodfoodandtheroomwasamicablyfurnished.Allfivewereplacedinthesameplace,soratherthanaprison,itwasjustabigroom.Theirtreatmentofuswasalsorelativelypleasant.

「Myshorttempergotyouinthismess…forgiveme!」

Kaijincameovertoapologize.However,noonegatheredhereparticularlymindedinthefirstplace.

「Kaijin-san,we’refine!Don’tsweatit!」

「Exactly.Don’tworryaboutit,pops!」

「….!.」

Thethreeseemedtobeofthesameopinion.

「Thataside,oncewe’refreed,weintendtocomealongwithKaijin-san!」

「Rimuru-danna,wouldourpresencebeabother?」

「……??」

Thethirdalsoseemedlikehewantedtosaysomething,butasIclearlylackthepowertounderstand,Iwasjusthappywiththesentiment.

「Alright!IguessI’llsayitagain:you’llbeinmycare!However,Iplantoworkyouhard,sobeprepared!」

「「「Yeah!」」」

And,well,that’sthekindofdiscussionwehad.

Thefirstdayhadthuspassed,andonthesecondnight,

「Oh,aboutthatCabinetMinister,hereallyseemedtohateKaijin,didn’the?Isthereareasonforthat?」

Inonchalantlyasked.Buthearingthis,Kaijingrimaced,andbeganhistale.

SoapparentlyKaijinusedtobeoneofthecaptain’softheroyalknights.Thatis,therearesevenplatoonsamongtheroyalknights,witheachhavingtheirowncaptain.ConstructionPlatoon,CommonerPlatoon,EmergencyReliefPlatoon.HeavyArmamentPlatoon,MagicAssaultPlatoon,MagicSupportPlatoon.And,themostimportant,theKing’spersonalRoyalGuard.Kaijinservedasthecaptainoftheconstructionplatoon.Hisaideatthetime,wasnoneotherthanBester.

「Thatguy,wasfromafamilyofaMarquess,andtheysayheboughthisstatuswithgold…Thushewasjealousofme,whowasacommonerbornofcommoners.Musthavebeendifficult,Iimagine.Receivingordersfromamerecommonermusthavebeenverydisgraceful.I,myself,didnottrytobeconsiderateofmysubordinates’feelings.IjustdesperatelytriedtopleasehisMajesty…Andthen,thatincidentoccurred…」

Havingsoitintroduced,hecontinuedtodiscussthatincident.AnincidentthatresultedinKaijinleavingthearmy.

MagicBattleGearIncident.Atthetime,theconstructionplatoonhadnonewinventionsandwasevaluatedtheworstamongthesevenplatoons.“Inanationfoundedontechnologicalprogress,theConstructionPlatoonshouldbeflourishing!”SoclaimedBester ’sgroup.

“Fornow,weshouldcarefullycontinueourresearch!”SoclaimedKaijin’sgroup.Theargumentsfueledfurtherrivalry,anddebatesneverproducedanyresults.Atthesametime,theydidhaveajointprojectwiththeElvesonthe“MagicalBattleGear”.“Wemustsucceedwiththisprojectandforeverestablishourname!”waswhatBesterthought.Asaresultofhisindependentandrashaction,the“DemonicSorceryCore”hadgoneoutofcontrol,andtheprojecthaltedindefinitely.Hadtheycarefullyassembledthemosttalentedgroup,the“MagicBattleGear”projectwouldnothavemetsuchanend!

……….

……

…

Inconclusion,Kaijintooktheblame,andleftthearmy.AsforBester,hewassodesperatetopushhisfailureonKaijin,thathehadforgedmilitaryrecordsandplantedotherfalseevidence.Inshort,Besterisastereotypicalvillain.Andinsomesense,he’seasytounderstand.Sotosummarize,“Kaijinwaswaitingforthetimethecountrywouldneedhimandwouldimmediatelyjumpattheopportunitytocomeback,withoutrealizingthatitwouldcausehimharm!”–thatkindofstory?Butreally,wouldn’tthedeathpenaltysuitcowardlybastardslikeBesterthebest?Well,maybethedeathpenaltywouldbegoingtoofar.

「Well,inanycase,withmydeparture,maybeevenhecanfinallyrelax.」

Thosewordsendedhistale.Afterhearingabouttheincident,thethreebrothersalsoseemtohavestartedtohatetheMinister.Well,suchastorywillmakeevenmehatehim.

However,hedidhitanoble.

Itwouldbestrangeforhimtoleavewithoutanytrouble.Andinresponsetomyworries,

「Itshouldbefine,probably.Althoughretired,mypositionasacaptaindidearnmetherankofBaronet.Haditbeenacaseofacommonerhittinganoble,Iprobablywouldn’tbeabletoavoidthedeathpenalty!」

Havingsaidthat,helaughedloudly.Icouldn’tlaughatall,though…Ifworstcomestoworst,we’rebreakingout!Asforthecompletelyunrelatedperson–me,I’lljustpretendtobeanormalslimeuntilthingsquietdown.SoIsilentlythought

And,thedayofthetrialcame.Wewereleadbeforetheking.Thedwarfs’HeroKing.Thoughinfrontofhim,youcouldn’tfeelthatoverpoweringaura.Thecurrentking–GazelleDwargo.Withhiseyesclosed,hesitsdeeplyonthethrone.Lookinglikeatypicaldwarf,hehadasturdybuild.Hisarmorconcealedhisexcessiveenergy.Thoughhecouldeasilybedistinguishedbyhisdarkerskin,andjetblackhair,sweptback.He’sstrong!Beenawhilesincemyinstinctslastcriedoutinalarm.Tobothofhissides,theknightsstandatattention.ThoughIfeelthatthosetwoarestrongaswell,theyseemdullincomparisontotheking.Asthatguyisjustamonster.Ihadplannedtorunawayifneeded,butwiththis…Hismerepresenceforcedmydistractedmindtofocus.ThiswasprobablythefirsttimeIfeltdangerinthisworld.

Therewasonemankneelingbeforethekingasifconfirmingsomething.Havingreceivedtheking’spermission,hestood,and,

「Thetrialshallnowbegin!Silenceyourvoices!!!」

Heinformedusofitsbeginning.

Takingupanhour,bothsides’storieswerepresented.Thepartiesinquestion–ourselves–werenotpermittedtospeak.Theonlyoneswhocouldfreelyspeakarenoblesrank“Count”andabove.Therest,mustwaitfortheking’sexplicitpermission.IfIhadtospeak,whatwouldIsay?Speakoutofturn,andyourguiltshallbeconfirmed.Moreover,we’llalsoincludeafree“InsulttheKing”special!Evenifthechargesagainstyouwerefalse,therulesstaythesame.Nochoicebuttoleaveeverythingtoyourrepresentative.Thatrepresentative,thesepasttwodays,hasshownhisfacemanytimes.IfIhadtosay,he’skindoflikeourlawyer.Iwonderifhe’sanygood?Thosekindofworriestendtoprovetruetoooften…

「Thus,inthisway,thedrunkandrelaxedBester-dono,whilemakinghiswayintoanothershop,wasassaulted!Suchactionmustnotbepardonedeasily!!!」

「Isthatthetruth?」

「Ay!I,morethanlisteningtoKaijin-dono,haveinvestigatedwiththeshopowners!Allmypreviousstatementsare,infact,completelytrue!!!」

…Huh?Umm…whatdidhesay?Someonewethoughttobeourallyhadunexpectedlybetrayedus?Isn’tthis…bad?WhenIlookatKaijin’sface,itfirstturnedbrightred,butslowlypaled.Well,that’stobeexpected.Imean,hecan’tevencomplain.Ohandbytheway…therepresentativeisnotallowedtolie.Ifhisliesgetrevealed,hegetsthedeathpenalty.Sowithoutsomeextremecircumstances,tolieisunthinkable…Thusthesystemthatforbidsthoseoflowerbirth(inthiscase,theaccused)

tospeakinfrontoftheking,isbeingabusedintheworstofways.

「YourMajesty!Haveyouheardenough?Pleasebestowaharshpunishmentonthem!」

Highwithexcitement,Besterproposesthustotheking.Moreover,whilelookingatus,heshowsatriumphantsmile.Thatbastard…Ireallyshouldhaveclobberedhim…

Theking,withhiseyesclosed,refusestomoveamuscle.Seeingthis,thoseclosebyannouncehisdecision.

「Silence!!!Weshallnowannouncetheverdict!Assailant,Kaijin!Youaresentencedto20yearsofforcedlabourinthemines.Therest,accomplices!Youaresentencedto10yearsofforcedlabourinthemines.That,concludesthis…」

「Wait…」

Adeep,heavyvoiceresoundedthroughthehall.ThekingopenedhiseyesandlookedatKaijin.

「It’sbeenawhile,Kaijin!Areyouingoodhealth」

「…Ay!Moreimportantly,IamhappytoseehisMajestyingoodhealth!」

ThusansweredKajin.SeemslikeansweringtheKing’squestionsisallowed.

「Enough.Thosewithyouaretherealquestion!Doyouhaveintentionofreturningtoservice?」

Thehallimmediatelyfilledwithnoise.Bester ’sfaceturnedblue.Therepresentativewhobetrayedus,turneddeathlypale.

「Ifear,yourMajesty,Ialreadyhaveamaster!

Thatpledgehasbecomethisone’streasure.Thistreasure,evenifitbehisMajesty’sorder,Ishallneverpartwith!!!」

Angrywordsresoundedinreturn.TheRoyalGuarddirectedtheirkillingintentatKaijin.Eventhen,Kaijinfacedthekingwithoutahintoffear,butratherwithgrandprice.

Seeingthis,thekingclosedhiseyesagain.

「Is,thatso…」

Havingsomuttered,Heorderedhisattendanttocallsilenceagain.And,

「I’lldeclaredtheverdict.Steelyourhearts!!!Kaijinandcompany,Ideportyoufromthekingdom.Youshallnotbepermittedtoremainhereevenasinglenightlonger.Thatisall.Now,begonefrommysight…」

Thekingopenedhiseyeswideandsoproclaimed.That’stheairoftheking!Intimidatingenoughtomakemybodytremble.Butevenso…thekinglookedratherlonelytome.

Andthus,withtheconclusionofthetrial,wereturnedtoKaijin’sstore.Justwentforalittledrink,butitbecamesuchanincident.Nowthen,weneedtoquicklypack,andsetoff!Andspeakingoff…isGobutaalright?Well…onlythreedayshadpassed…Withsomeworryinmyheart,weopenedthe“punishmentroom”,and…

「Ah!Youhavereturned!Wasitfun?Nexttime,pleasebringmealong!」

Wakingontopofthesofa,Gobutasaidtheseword.What…thehell?Howdidhebreakfreefromthe[StickyThread]?

IfIlookclosely…whatIthoughtwasapillowasastormwolf.Really?Hereallysummonedthem?!

「Oi,oi,Gobuta-kun.You,wereabletosummonthewolves?」

「Yeah!Iwas!“Pleasecome!”Icalled,andtheycame!」

Hemakesitsoundtooeasy.Nohobgoblinhadsucceededwithsummonsupuntilnow.Maybe…didnutrientdeprivationawakensomelatentability?Nah…noway.That’simpossibleforGobuta.Musthavebeenjustluck.And,that’swhenInoticedthepetrifieddwarfthathadfinallynoticedthewolf.

「Whatareyoudoing?Notgoingtoprepare?」

Iaskedthedwarfs.

「Oi,oi,waitasecond!Whyisthereablackfangwolfinhere!!!」

「That’sright!There’saBrankmonsterblockingourescape!!!」

Theyseemtobepanicking.Thatwasaninteresting…acomicalreaction.

「It’sfine,it’sfine!Noproblem.Nodifferentfromyouraveragedog!Ikeephimathome!」

Ihadintendedforthosewordstocalmthem,buttheywerestruckspeechlessinstead.

Sincewehavenotime,Icouldn’twasteanyofitforexplanation.Sowhilehavingthedwarfschangeintotravelinggear,Ichasedtherestout.Remaininginthebuilding,Ibegantoabsorbeverything.Notevenclosetofullcapacity.But,Idecidedtorefrainfromabsorbingthewholebuilding,asthatwouldprobablygetmearrestedagain.

Thus,wehadfinishedthepreparationsforourjourney,andthusweheadedtowardsthemeetingspot.

MilitaristicStateDwargon.We’dbeinvolvedwithitmanytimesfromnowon.Buttouswhowereescapingfromit,thatkindofthingwecouldnotevenimagine.

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:OnewhoCommandsMonstersMagic:NoneSkills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],Lizard[BodyArmor],Wolf[SupremeSenseofSmell,TelepathicCommunication,Intimidation,ShadowStep,BlackLightning]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Thatplacewaswrappedinsilence.Tosuchextent,thatyouwouldn’tbelieveitwasevernoisy,Sincethefivecriminalshadbeenexpelledfromthishall,notasinglepersonhadmoved.Asifbreakingthesilence,

「Now,Bester.Isthereanythingyou’dliketosay?」

「Wi…withallduerespect,yourMajesty!Thisisamisunderstanding!Theremustbesomemistake!」

SuchwasMinisterBester ’sunsightlyappeal,thatseemedtowanttograbontotheking.Incontrast,theKinghadshowednoemotion,andremainedstoic.

「Amisunderstand,huh…thatwouldhavebeenlosingafaithfulminister.」

「Whatareyousaying!IcannotfathomhowcomeyoubelievethatthatmanhadswornhisloyaltytoyourMajesty…」

「Bester!Youaremistaken.ThecasewithKaijinhadbeenlostlongago…ThefaithfulministerIhadlost,isnoneotherthanyou.」

Aquietvoicerevealingnoemotion.WhereasBestershriekedinresponse.“Imustcomeupwithanexcuse!”Hefranticallythought.Buthecouldn’tformacoherentthought.Whathad,theking,justsaid?Theonehelostis…me?Thatmeans…Besterwantedtocomeupwithsomething.Butnothoughtswouldform.

「I’llaskagain.Bester.Doyouhaveanythinglefttosay?」

Frightening.Hisheadwasfilledwithfear.Ihavetoanswerhisquestion!Hethought,butnowordswouldcomeout!!!

「With…withall…withallduerespect…」

「Enough,Ihadexpectedmorefromyou.Ialwayswaited.EvenforyoutocomecleanontheMagicalBattleGearIncident.But,evennow…look!」

TheKingsaidpointingattwoitems.Sometimepreviously,anattendanthadbroughthtem.Besterstaredatthemwithemptyeyes.

Somethinghehadneverseenbefore,aliquidspherewrappedincloth.Andasinglelongsword.

「Doyouknowwhatthisis?」

Ashewasasked,hecarefullyobserved.Thespherehehadnotrecognized,buttheswordwastheonethatKaijinalwayscarried.

「Think!」

InplaceoftheKing,theattendanthadexplained.Bester ’smindwouldrequiremanymorehourstounderstandthetranspired.

Notarevivalpill,butarestorationpillmadefromHipoktegrass.Thatofcompleterestoration.Withdwarventechnology,thebesttheycouldachievewasapurityof98%.At98%,itwouldneverhavetheeffectofhighgrademedicine.Butthis,wasat99%!!!Bester ’sfacelitupinsurprise.Hewantedtoknowtheextractionmethod.Butwhatshouldhavesurprisedbestermorewasthelongsword.Thedemonoreusedinthebladeshadbeguntoadaptitselftotheuser,sowasreported.“Butthat’simpossible…itnormallytakestenyearsforthattohappen!”Bester,inshock,wasbesetbysuchthoughts.“Ifthatistrue!”suchwasthethoughtthatdominatedhismind.

「Theonewhohadproducedtheseitemswastheslime.Thankstoyourefforts,wenolongerhaveaconnectiontotheslime.Doyouhaveanythingtosayforyourself?」

BesterknewalltoowellthedepthoftheKing’sanger.Therewasnothingelsehecouldsay…

「Nothing…Ihavenothingtosay,yourMajesty.」

Tearswelledupwithinhim.“Ihadbeenabandonedbytheking!”Hefinallyunderstood.Hehadjustwantedtobeofusetotheking.Andtoberecognized.Thatwashiswith,andyet…

Sincewhendidhegowrong?WasitwhenhegotjealousofKaijin?Orwasitwellbeforethen?Thathedidnotknow.Allthatheknewwhatthathebetrayedtheking’sexpectations.Thatsoletruth.

「Is,thatso.Then,Bester!Youareforbiddenfromenteringthekingdomeveragain.NevershowyourselfbeforemefromnowonHowever,I’llleaveyousomepartingwords…Youhaveservedwell!!!.」

Uponhearingtheking’swords,Besterrespondedwithadeepbow.Andthusleftthehall.Torepaythefoolishacthehadcommitted…

AtthesametimeasBesterleft,Theguardsrestrainedhisaccomplice,thetreacherousrepresentative.Thathesawfromthecornerofhiseyes.

「Spies!Keepwatchovertheslime!Neverlethimleaveyoursight!EVER!!!」

Thekinghadraisedhisvoicesotogivethisorder.Thatusuallyquietking,toraisehisvoice!Everyonetensedatthegravityoftheorder.

「Evenatthecostofourlives!」

Thespieshavingsoreplied,disappeared.

Thekingponderedthus.Whatwasthatmonster?Thatwasauniquecreature.Lettinghimlooseupontheworld…Willprobablyendourpeace…

Intermission~BagwormGobuta~

Hello,it’sGobutahere!Rightnow,IwaspunishedbyRimuru-samainathingreferredas“BagwormHell”,itsshapeisroundandmadefromthread,andhangedfromtheceiling.But,itdoesn’tmakemefeelanypainandsuffering.ThoughIcannottearthethreadwithforce,it’sactuallyquitecomfortable.Sincethethreadcanstretch,thebodycanbemoved.But,nomatterhowviolentthethreadwillnotsnap,itwillonlyswingbackandforth,noticingaboutthatawhileagoItrytoquietdown.So,toleavingsomeonebehindlikethisisreallypainfulyouknow.Rimuru-samawenttothenightshopwiththeothers,Ithinkit’sawful.Ialsowantedtogotheretoo........

However,it’sfreetimenow.Becauseit’sunlikelyIcanescapefromthisonmyown,ItrytogetoutbytryingsummoningmyStormFangedWolfpartnerforhelp.But,thatissomethingIcannotdoatthismoment!EvencaptainRigurucannotdotoo,itnotaneasythingtodo.IguessthisisacleverpunishmentfromRimuru-sama.IthinkRimuru-samawasreallystingy;Ionlyhadalittlesleep.ButitalsosamewithCaptainRiguruandChiefRigurudotootheyalsofuriousbecausethesamereason,thatthefarIcantoldaboutthestory.Nonetheless,itneithercausingpainordiscomfort,Icanspendthefreetimewithoutanyproblem.Butsay,Rimuru-samaisreallykind.Ithinkthatthereasonwhyeveryoneidolizedhim.Well,Ishouldwaituntilhecomebacktomorrowsurelyhewillletmedown.Ishouldpatiencethisnight.

It’sstrange.Thedayhaspassedovernight,butRimuru-samaandothersisn’tcome

backyet.Didsomethinghappen?Although,maybetheyjustspendthenightatsomewhereelseafterwalkingaround.Honestly,mystomachhungry,Iwishtheycomebacksoon..........

It’sDangerous......Afterthethirdday,Rimuru-samaandtheothersstillhadn’tcomeback.Iworryaboutthem.But,it’snotthetimetoworryingabouttheothers.Now,rightnow.Imyselfwasfacingapinch!Hungeristroublesome,butthereamoreseriousandimportantproblemthatgoingon.Pi---Gorogorogoro..........Mystomachhurtssss.......Icontinuedenduremywishtopee,butsomethinglargerhascome.Hismentalstrengthwastrainedtothelimitbyreceivingmultiplelargeandsmallattacks.Moreover!Ontheroomhewashanged,ontheparlorfloorwaslaidcarpet.Itwasbetteriftheroomfloorwasstone,surelyifIdefilethecarpet,thedwarfKaijin-sanwillgotmad.....Rimuru-samaupuntilnowsaythingssuchasToiletandBathasunnecessarylikehedon’treallycareaboutit,probablyhewillnotmadifIdefiletheroom......Perhaps,now,ithadbecomeaverycriticalsituation.Well,shouldIdosomething......

Wa,wait.....Dangerous......WhenIwrigglemybodyaroundwhiletryingtoendure,themovementwastransmittedtothethread,makingitswayingbackandforth.Inthissituation,itjustamatteroftimebeforethecatastropheoccurs.It’simpossibletocutthethread;it’salsounlikelythatRimuru-samaandtheotherswillcomeback.Koryaa.Itisirritatingtodoingnothing.Fromawhileagogreasysweathasflowingwithoutstopping,myeyes

becamehazy.Thereisnomorewaytoescapefromhere,IunleashedallIcandoandgiveup-----No,wait?Thinkingaboutit......Formethatalreadygivenup,Irememberthevoicefromtheheaven.(TL:Ithinkhejustrememberwhatsomeonesay,notsureidiomIthink)

『Ifyoudon'tlikeit,goaskforhelpandsummonyourpartnerorsomething!』

Certainly,Rimuru-samahadsaidso.Itriedittosummonagain!Surprisingly,mysummonpartnerimmediatelycame!(Partner,youhadcome!Ifyoudon’tcomeearlier,itwillbecomeaseriousproblem!!)Whilethoughtthatinmymind,IwaspuzzledbecausetheStormFangedWolfthatIdidn’tfeelsanyreactionupuntilnowhadcameforthtome.Whichhedoesn’treallyunderstand.Butbecausethedesperatecallcomes,mysensefinallycomesbackafterthethirdtimeleak.Thecallkeepgrowing.AfterallIgoesthroughtoday;thementalstrengththattrainedtothelimitwasattheedge!

Afterasuccessfulsummoningatthelastminute,Iwascarriedbymypartnertotoilet.Butalltheexhaustionhadgonereleasedalongthesecret.Fortunately,becauseRimuru-samaandtheotherwerebackafewdayslater,anytraceswaswipedandconcealedtotheend.BecauseIhadsucceededsummoningmypartner,itsmakehimverysurprisedaboutit,makingmymindclearalittle.Needlesstosay,thereisnotanyreasontotellanyoneaboutthethingIhavedonesoIdon’tneedtoworry.That’swhy;Igonnabringthesecreteventothegrave.

Chapter19-ReturntotheVillage

WewerejoinedbyRiguruandtheothersattheentranceoftheforest.Atotaloffivedayswerespentonthejourney.But,it’sstillwithinmyestimate.Althoughwemetmanyproblemsalongtheway,themainpurposeofthejourneywasachieved!Onthatnote,Ididn’tseeanAdventurer ’sGuildinthatcity;shame,IwantedtotakealookattheFreedomAssociation.Wantedtoseeifanyoftheirmembersare“WorldTravelers”…butIdoubtthereare.

Also,theincidentintheDwarfKingdomhassadlypreventedmefromfurtherresearchonhandiworkandarmor…well,itcan’tbehelped.But,Iwassatisfiedwithmynewcomrades!And,weearned20goldcoins.Reallystruckgoldrightthere…literally.IintroducedKaijin’sgrouptoRiguruandtherest,andtheyexchangedgreetings.Sincethey’llbeworkingtogetherfromnowon,Iwantthemtogetalong.Cometothinkofit,thedwarfsseemlesspronetodiscrimination.Perhapsithastodowiththefactthattheyare,themselves,ahalfmagicalrace.

Well,therewasaprobleminthebeginningofourreturntothevillage.Rangawaswavinghistailhappilyaroundme.However,whenItoldhimtocarrytwoofthethreebrothers,hisjoyfulexpressionquicklyturnedsour,andhetookastepback.Then,whilestaringattheduo,headded“Willitbeworseoffifthosetwoidiotsgetleftbehind?”Withalookfullofintenttoswallowthemwhole!Which,ofcourse,terrifiedthedwarfs.Tobeginwith,whentheyfirstsawRanga,

“““Geeeeh!!!What….isthat…”””

That’showsurprisedtheywere.Wasthatthestartofoneoftheirperformances?Idon’treallygetit,butmaybethereissomethingamusingaboutit.

“Wa..wait,Ranga!I’mjustplanningtomimictheblackwolftocheckitsabilities.That’swhyIwanttoleavethetwodwarvestoyou!”

Hearingmywordshestooduprightasifatattention,and,

“Acknowledged,mylord!!!”

Andhethusconsented.KaijinandtheeldestbrotherGarmwillgetonmyback.ThemiddlebrotherDoldandtheyoungestMildoareonRanga’s.

Toensuretheirsafety,ItiedthemtoRangawith[StickyThread].Afterall,inaworldwithnomotorcycles,travelingat80kphwouldcertainlybeaterrifyingexperience.Idon’tknowifit’spossibletorunthatfast,andIdon’thaveanyintentiontobegoingthatfast…

Next,it’smyturn.

Mimicry:BlackStormStarWolf(TempestStartWolf)

Asthemimicryfinished,Itransformed.

“Amazing!!!AsexpectedofMaster!!!”

“Fuhaha!Evenso!Workhardtoevolveintothisform!”

IrespondedtoRangawithpraise.

“Ay!Iwillstrivetoliveuptoyourexpectations”(Editor ’snote:Attimeslikethis,theauthorreallylikestothrowninthoseSengokujidai,samuraistylephrases.Hewrite“Haha!”whichisactuallyasamuraishorteningofHai.)(TL:everydayIlearnnewknowledgethanks)

Withanewgoalinmind,Ranga’seyeswereshiningbright.

TheotherStormfangedwolveswerealljustasexcited.Everyonebeingmotivatedissurelyagoodthing.Then,IglanceovertoKaijin’sgroup.There’sfoamcomingoutoftheirmouth…theyfainted?Thatoldman…whatthehelltheydoing…?

Ohwell.Timetoputmydailypracticetouse!Iuse[StickyThread]onmyback.IslowlymanipulatethethreadtotieupKaijin’sgroup…and,success!Thisway,wecancontinuecarryingKaijin’sgroupevenwhilethey’refainted.Thus,wedepart.Asasidenote,Ithinkit’sagoodthingthatKaijin’sgrouphadfainted.Ifwedon’ttakethisslowly,ataspeedof100kph,theycouldfaintfromtheinitialacceleration…ThetwosiblingsonRanga’sback,MildoandDold,however,seemtoendurewell…nevermind.That’stherumored“faintingwithyoureyesopen”skill,huh…Ioffermycondolences.

Thereturnjourneywasgoingsmoothly,primarilybecausethedwarveshadfainted.It’sprobablybetterforthemtofaintinsteadofbitingtheirtongues.Infact,imagineyourselfintheirposition—wouldn’titbeunpleasanttowakeuptoanotherterrifyingexperience?Instead,isn’titbesttoletthemsleepwiththosehappyfaces?Well,I’llwakethemupformeals.Iknow,I’mabadperson(lol).

Cometothinkofit…

“Oi,Riguru!Haveyousucceededatsummoningyourblackwolfyet?”“Althoughitbringsmegreatshame…therehasbeennoprogress”

Fumu.EvenRigurucan’tdoit.Theothergoblinsarealsofrustrated;thewolves,aswell.

So,onlyGobuta?

“SoonlythatGobutasucceeded?”“What!Gobuta,isthattrue?”“Yes!Icalledandhecame!”

Hearingthosewords,theothergoblins’andblackwolves’eyeslitupindetermination.

“But,thatcan’tbe.GobutaisthekindofguytowalktoandfromtheDwarfKingdomonfoot!”

Cometothinkofit,he’sright!You’dthinkhe’sjustafool!But,Iguesshe’sthetypeofguythatcandoitwhenitmatters.Well,Gobutaisafool,butthatcertainlydoesn’tmeanhe’sincompetent.Cometothinkofit,hemadeafourmonthjourneyonfootalonewhilescavengingforfood;ifhewereweak,Idoubthecould’vedoneit.Thus,mymentalevaluationofGobutarose.Well,soonerorlateritwilldrop…!

Whenthenightcomes,wetakeabreak.

I’mnottiredatall,buttheothersneedabreak.

Whileeveryonerests,I’lltryoutsomeabilities.ThephysicalabilitiesoftheBlackStormStarWolf(TempestStarWolf)arereallyhigh.Icouldfeelthepowergushingout.WhenIkickthegroundlightly,Iinstantlyleapintotheair,andgallopthroughtheair.Combinedwithmyreactionspeed,Icanprobablybringoutitsfullpotential.Tobeginwith,mostofmybattlestodateendedwith“[WaterBlade]!”andtheenemyweredecapitated.Sincestrengthandagilityareimportantfactorsinafight,thisisaprettygooddevelopment.EnoughtosaythatIamsatisfiedtheTempestStarWolf’scombatability.

FromwhatIimitatedwith[GreatSage],whilemimickingtheblackwolf,Icaninstantlykilltheblacksnake.Withoutanyspecialabilities.Ireceivedanexplanationonranksinthetown.TheLizardwasarankB-.Viathesimulationabilityofthe[GreatSage],onecouldapproximatetherankofothermonsters.TheblacksnakewouldneverreachArank,but,beingabletodefeattencentipedes,onecouldrankitasA-…Similarly,anormal—notmimicked—blackstormstarwolfisstrongerthanablacksnake,butafightagainsttenofthemwouldbeimpossible…

No,wait…there’sthatominous[BlackLightning]skill…Myinstinctsscreamthatit’sdangerous.Andyet,Ireturntobeingaslime,andtryitout.Theresult,

Pika~tsu!……..Chudo—n!!!

Fufufu….Mytesttarget,abigboulderontheriverside,crumbledtodust.

Thus,IjudgedthatIshouldabsolutelyneverusethisskillagain!So,Ididn’tdoanything!Alightningjusthittherefornoreason!Let’sgowiththat.Therewasanothersuchskill,theblack’ssnake[NoxiousBreath].Ishallalsosealit.Atleast,untilIcanproperlyadjusttheoutput.Especiallysinceitusesalotofmagicpower.And,ifnotadjustedcarefully,there’sahighchanceofhittingfriendly.Thatis,morethanitspowertherangewasalsophenomenal…!Surroundingtheboulder,anareaofabout20meters(65feet)wasturnedintoglassbythetemperature…

Riguruandothersrushedoveraskingifanythingwaswrong.

“Wooow,alightninghitrightinfrontofme!Howsurprising!”

IshowIdeceivedthem.Seemslikethelightningdisturbedtheirrest,makingmefeelguilty.Fromnowon,anydangerousexperimentsmustbecarriedoutinsome

secretlocation.Ohwell,Igotthedata.Thesimulationinmybrainresumed.

With[BlackLightning],evenifitisnotmyversionofit,theblackwolfcanprobablywinagainsttenblacksnakes.

Thus,itmayactuallybethecasethattheBlackStormStarWolf(TempestStarWolf)holdspowerbeyondthatofanArank.Arankmonsters,bythemselves,candevastateasmallcityandarethusappointed“Disaster”level.Therefore,Ishouldrefrainfrommimickingtheblackwolfnearacity.Andthus,myresearchcontinuestilldawn…

……….….....

Thenextmorning.Thedwarveswakeupwiththeirfacesstillpale.Aretheyokay?

“Areyouguysokay?”“A,aa...,wherearewe?

Astheirconsciousnessbecomeclearer,theywerepuzzledduetotheunfamiliarsceneryaroundthem.Iimmediatelytellthemthatweweretravelingtowardsthegoblinvillage.

“Whatdidyousay?!Foratwomonthjourneylikethis,weneedtoprocureacarriageandfoodfromsomenearbytown!!!”

Well,it’sfartoolatetobesurprisedWhattosay....,let’signoreit.Wellifthinkaboutit.It’shardforanormalpersontounderstandthedistancewehadalreadytraveled.

Wearen’tinarush.

So,Itakethetimetoexplainoursituationtothedwarves.AsforRiguruandgroup,theyaremakingfood.Goblinscookinoneway—theyroast.That’sfinefornow.Ihavenotastebuds,afterall!However,whenIdoobtainthem,Ishouldbeatgoodcookingtechniquesintothem.Canthegoblinsgetusedtoculturedlife?Whetheritwillhappenornot,Idonotknow.But,Iplantotryoutvariousideas.It’dbebadiftheycan’tproperlycook!(TL:NowthatIreaditagainitmakessense,hahahhathanks)

Whileeatingbreakfast,wediscussedfutureplans.Iexplainedtothemthatwewereboundtoarriveatthevillageintwodays.

“Impossi…!”

Thedwarfswasnotconvinced

Thus,weresumedourjourney.Alongtheway,weconversedusing[ThoughtTransmission].Thedwarfscanalsouseit,whichsavesussometrouble.[ThoughtTransmission]isanimprovementoverbasictelepathy,asitisstronger,allowsalargernetwork,canbeusedduringothermaneuvers,andhasrangeofaboutakilometer.Onthesecondsprint,thedwarfsclingtoourbackswithoutfainting.Seemsliketheyproperlypreparedthemselvesbeforehand.Sincethewindpressureforcedthemtokeeptheireyesclosed,Imadeathinmembranewithmythreadtoprotecttheireyes.Surprisingly,itworks.Icanfinallymanipulateittosomeextentwithjustthought.Thismuchispossiblewhenyougetusedtomanipulatingmagicessence.

Whilemovingontheroad,Iaskthedwarfstoteachusaboutsomecommonknowledge.Whilethedwarftalking,thegoblinsexcitedlylistens.Then,weaddingourcommonknowledgefromwhatwehear,thentheconversationturnslively.Ifeelrelievedbecausetheybecomemorefamiliarwitheachother.Inthisstate,theywillgetalongjustfineinthe

village.TheDwarforTheGoblin,theoriginissame.ThelonglivedhalffairyDwarf.TheshortlivedhalfdemonGoblin.Thedifferencewasonlyinthecourseofevolution.But,thegoblinsrathersaiditevolution,woulditbedegenerate?Inotherwords,thegoblincanbesaidtobethedemonversionofthedwarf.TheGoblincanevolvetohobgoblin,Butafterevolution,itseemsitextendthelifespan!Well,itnotjustthat,butthatwasoneofthedifferencesbetweendemonraceandfairyrace.Eveninthesamehalffairyraces,dwarfsareclosertothedemonsratherthantheelves.Maybethat’sthereason,theyablebecomeaccustomedwithoutdiscomfortwithothersoncetheygetsusedtoit.

Havingsuddenlyrememberedsomething,Idecidedtoask,

“Kaijin,Iknowit’salreadytoolatetoask,butisitokay?TohavesaidthosethingstotheDwarfking,didn’tyouadmirehim?”“Ohaboutthat.Idoadmirehim!Thereisn’tasingledwarfwhodoesn’t.Whowouldn’tadmireaherokingthatlookslikehehadcomeoutofsomefairytale?”

Certainly.Heroesfromfairytalescomeoutonlyinbedtimestories.Thishero,however,isaliveandwell,supportingandprotectinghispeopleastheirKing.Thus,itisexactlyashesaid—everyonerespectsandadmireshim;and,everyonewouldsurelywanttobeusefultosuchaKing....

DoIhavetheresolutiontodothesame?Ibecamethegoblins’masterbypurechance.But,howshouldIproceedfromnowon?It’sfine.Nodoubtaboutit!

That’sthekindof“myself”thatIwishedtobecome.

“Hey,Kaijin.Whyhaveyoudecidedtofollowme?Ifyouthinkaboutit,

isn’titfarbetterforyoutoreturntotheKing’sservice?”

Uponhearingthisquestion,thisishowKaijinanswered.

“Gahahahaha!Danna(TLnote:canmeanmasterbutIleftitinromaji)issurprisinglytactful!Why?Becauseitseemedinteresting!That’swhatmyinstinctstoldme.Thisguycandoanything!Andthatwasit.Don’tyouthinkit’safinereason?”

Afinereason…huh?Nodoubtaboutit.

“FumuYoubetternotcomplainlater.Iwasfamousforworkingmysubordinateshard,youknow?”

Anyways,whenthere’ssomethingIcan’tdo,Iwantotherstohelpme;Iwanttorelyonothers.But,ifyouneedmyhelp,I’llseeitthrough.Evenifitwashard,thisiswhatItrulydesireinside.

“Iknow.”

Inoddedwithsatisfactionathisresponse.

Twodayslater,wearrivedatthevillage.Oursobjectivewasachieved:wereturnedtothevillage!

----------------------------------------

Author ’snote:Sincetherewasnochangeinthestatus,Iremovedit

Chapter20-TowardtheVillage’sRevival

Wefinallyarrivedatthegoblinvillage.Weleftthevillageonlytwoweeksago,butIfeelsomewhatnostalgic.Well,ratherthancallingitavillage,itwasjustasquaresurroundedbyfences...Whilewewereoutonthejourney,what’sleftwasjustsomesmalltentforliving.Thecenterofthevillageismarkedbythebonfire;Inoticedabigpotplacedthere.Roasting!Itwastheonlycookingmethodbefore!Itseemstheyimproved.Whatanimpressiveprogress.Thatpotoverthere...ifyoulookatitclosely,fromit’sappearanceitwasmadefromshellofaŌkame(BigTurtle).Howfardidtheyexpandtheirhuntingrange...?Well,itseemstheydidnotgetattackedfromothermonsters,Ifeelrelieved.

Immediatelyafterenteringthevillage,thehobgoblinvillagersnoticedus.Weweregreetedbycheers.Unfortunately,Ididn’tbringanysouvenirs.Ohwell,itseemtheremanyfur,etcfrommonsterstheyhunted,I'msurethedwarvescanturnthemtoclothesrightaway!Eventually,Iwantthegoblinstobeabletomakeitthemselves.Now,tointroducethedwarves,IattempttofindRigurudosohecangathereveryone.Itseemsit’snotneeded,Rigurudocamerunning.But,hehadatroubledface.Whathadhappened?Itriedtothinktheanswerofmyquestion.

“Welcomeback!I’msorryIdidn’tgreetyouearlierwhenyoucameback,butRimuru-samathereareguests...”

Evenifhetired,hestillfeelobligedtogreetme,Ifeelsorry.Guests...?SomeoneIknew?Anyway,arethedwarvesfreeinthevillage?Ithinktheystartinspecting

around.TheequipmentIboughtwasstoredinavacanttent.IleavethecareofthedwarvestoRiguru,Iwasguidedtotheplacewheretheguestswerewaiting.Rigurudoguidedmetointoalargetent.Whoisit?Well,whenwemeet,Iwillknow.Thinkingthat,Ienterthetent.IwassurprisedwhenIsawwhatwasundertheentranceofthetent.Overthere,thereareseveralchilddemon(Goblin).(TLnote:Ijustwrotewhatthekanjimean)Somewerewelldressedwithseveralothersthataccompanythem.Chiefs,andtheyescorts?Whytheydid’tcarryanyweapons.EventhoughtIdon’tseeanyproblem.WhenIwasperplexed,thegoblinswereallsuddenlydogeza(prostrate/kneeling)!

“““Wegreetyou,OStrongone!Canyoupleasehearourhumblerequest!!!”””

Theyspeakallatonce.Strongone?Itexaggeratedbutaretheyreferringtome.Idiscerningthemall,theirsayingwithserioustoneandtheireyeswereallserious,Iknewthoseeyes.Whataretheyexpectingfromme?Ithoughtso.

“Fumu,I’llhear.”

Idecidedtoheartheirstory.Then,

“Ah!Wearereallygrateful!Ourrequestis,wewanttoaskyousowecanserveunderyou!!!”

Oneofthem,answeredastherepresentative.Theotherallnoddedinagreement.Theyaskedwithhope-filledeyes.

“““Pleasetakecareofus!!!”””

Theydeeplybeg.Honestly,IthoughtitwastroublesomeRightnow,it’stimeforthevillagerevival!Idon’thavetimetospareforyouguys!AlthoughIwanttosaytheotherwise,thefactisthepeopleonthisvillagejustafew.Anyway,IpredictedtherewillbeturfwarsgoingaroundhereIthinkit’sokaytoacceptthemin,Rightnowit’sokay,butwhatifthey’llbetrayuslater?AlthoughI‘mabitworriedaboutit,IfthathappenIwillexterminateallofthem,Idonotforgivebetrayal.(TL:Rimuruissoparanoid)Toleaddemons,wishfulthinkingwillonlygetintheway.Everythingmustbedealtcold-headed.Iordertodeterminemyresolution,istoacceptthoseguys.Iassuredmyselfagain.

Oncetheseguysbetrayme,Iwillkilltheseguys...!(TL:Rimurunomercymode,hahahaha)

But...nowthatIthinkaboutit,howcanIeasilythinkofkillingsomeone?!I’msurprisedbymyself.Ohwell,itbettertoworryaboutitlater.Bytheway,itseemsthoseguysareonlyarepresentatives,howmanypeopledotheyhave?Tothinkaboutit,Imustcomeupwithnamestogivetoalltheseguysallbymyself.Iletoutasigh...Eachoneofthegoblinswentbacktotheirownvillagetobringhomethenews.Wellthen,Ihearthestoryfromtheremainingdelegates.

Listeningtothestory,Isummarizethecontents...First,thecausethatbegantodisturbtheorderintheforest.DuringtheraidofFangedWolfclan,thevillageofRigurudoandotherswasabandoned,thecausewastheycouldnotaffordtoofferanywarriors.

Thepigheadtribe(Orc),thelizardpersontribe(Lizardman),andgreat

demontribe(Ogre)!Itwassomeofthemonsterswithintelligenceinthisforest.Theybegantomoveinordertodominatetheforest.

Evenuntilnow,theyhadskirmish,buttheyareintacitagreementsoitdidnotleadintoarmedclash.However,thatisinresponsetothesituationwherethelordoftheforestisgone.Sofaritseemsthemovetoclearawaytheiroldresentment.(TL:Rimuruistheculprit,rimuruistheculprit)Originally,demonhadanaturethatlikestoshowofftheirpower.Therefore,toclearawaytheaccumulatedresentment,eachtribepreparedtomoveout.Thechilddemontribe(Goblin)isjustaweaktribe,theirpresenceisonlyforbeingtrampledbythem.

Eachchief(Goblin)wasinpanic.Inthisstate,theywillberuinedbyinvolvedinthefight.Duringthechiefmeeting,theycarriedoutdiscussionseveryday,buttheyaren’tveryintellect.Thediscussionendedwithoutresultingwithanysolution...

Meanwhile,thenewsoftheattackfromFangedWolfclanwasreceived,wellnotfarfromit.Therefore,Rigurudo’stribewasforgotten.However...Aroundthetimethefoodstocksbecomescarce,therecameabadnews.Itwasreportedthatanewthreatintheforesthasappeared!Therumorwasabouttheblackbeastsandtheirriders.Thoseridersarerunningwithintheforestjustlikeitwasinplains,theyhuntedpowerfulmonstersintheforest.Whentheyreceivedthereport,theyallwereastonished.Whoarethoseriders?Apparently,thatwhatitlookedlikeforthosegoblins...Inresponseofthisreport,opinionwasdivided.

Thefirstopinionclaimsthat,anydaynow,thoseriderswilltakethemundertheirprotection.Thesecondopinionclaimsthat,it’stoosuspicious!Itmustbesokindoftrap!

Theoneswhosaidit’satrap;thereisnoreasontobringusintoatrap!Theydidn’tlistenwhenbeingpersuaded.Inaddition,evenifit’snotatrap,itisn’tnecessaryforustoaccept.Withoutintellectonlysadness,thewordsforconclusioncan’tcomeout.Therefore,theyselectapersonasrepresentativetoaskforasylum.Theytoldmethatwasthereasonwhytheywenttothisplace.

Iunderstand.Well,itwasagoodstoryfromasmallfries(TL:itcanalsoBUG).However,evenifthegoblinsaresmall,weakandlackintellect,therewillbenoonewillingtohelpthem.Eitherway,Idecidedtoaccepttheirrequest.Butonlythosewillingtocamehere.Itoldthistotherepresentativeofthegoblins.Hearingmyword,thosegoblinswentbacktotheirownvillages.

Fornowonthereisaproblem.Ithinkthatafterlookingatthegoblinsthatcamehere.Isn’tthat...Alittletoomuch?Inthevillage’sspace,thereareonlyafewaccommodations.Orrather,whyImustbeworriedforsuchathing?

Forafewdays,severalaxeswerecreated,thenewlycreatedaxeswereusedtocuttrees,thecollectedtimberwasgoingtobeprocessed,andwouldbeusedlatertobuildhousing.IleavethechargeofthetimberrelatedthingstoKaijin.Thethreedwarfbrothers,diligentlyprocessedthefur,tomakeclothesforhobgoblin.Thethreedwarfbrothersasusuallookedatthewomen(Goburina)withsharpeye.Itmightbegood,iftheyfinishitquickly!AtthetimeItoldthemtohurrytheirworks,goblinscame.Fromthe4tribes,collectivelythereisabout500people.Therestofit,theopposingfactionstayedatthevillages.

Theychoosetodon’tmove.Butrightnowtheworksisstillnotdone.That’swhatIthought,Ithencheckmindmap.I’mlookingforsuitablelocationnearwatersourcesoIcanopenfarmland.Iwalkedtothenearestplacethatmeetsmycondition...Theplaceisinthevicinityofthecavefrombeginning.Fumu.IcalledRigurudo,askingaboutthesituationaroundthatarea.

“Aroundtherewasnonaggressionterritory.Becauseunlikeintheforest,insidethecave,thereisanestofpowerfulmonsters...”“Ah,therewillbenoproblem.Iusedtoliveoverthere.”“Wha!Isthattrue!!!”“No,Iwasbornovertheresoitokay,therewillbenoproblematall.”“....AsIexpected,degozaimasuna.ThisRigurudo,trulyadmireyou”

Isitreallygreat?Iwasjustborninthatcave,whydoeshehavetobeimpressedwiththat?Well,aslongashe’ssatisfied.Immediately,Iwenttotalkwiththeyoungestbrotherfromthethreebrothers-Mildowhohadarchitecturalrelatedknowledge.IandMildoareconsultingaboutvariousthings.ItoldMildoanyknowledgeIhadrelatedforvariousconstructionsfrommypreviouslifethatIcouldremember.Thecurrenttechnologyinthisworld,itmeasureditisondecentlevelwithmagicintertwinetogether.InadditionofmyknowledgeIhad,Iplantomeasureandsurveythelocalarea.Iwanttomakesomeofkindtreatmentfacilitiesforexcrementwhichwasnecessaryforgoblinsanddwarves.Butit’snotnecessaryfortheblackwolves.Anyway,youcanmakeanundergroundsewer,orfermentingtheexcrementIthoughtitgoodasfertilizer.Butwhenseenfromsanitationside,itwascommonsensethatitwouldeasyforittobecomethesourceofinfectionforinfectiousdisease.ThatwaswhatMildosaidtome.

Well,canmonsterlikegoblinsbecomesick?It’swhatIthought,butitseemsitnormalforgettingepidemic.It’sfateofweakmonsters.Well,ifit’sbecausepoorsanitation,theywouldsurelybecamesick...Incaseofthegoblins,thenumberofbirthexceedthenumberthatdiebecausethestrongfertility,itseemsitpossibletomaintainthenumbers.But,byevolving,itseemsthefertilityhaddepleted.Inexchangeforthat,itseemsthelifespanextended.Mildowaswellinformed.Thoughhedidn’tknewmuchintopicsrelatedtoprocessingtheexcrement.Iconfirmedthattherewasonlyafew“WorldTravelers”inthisworld.Inthisworld,haditownuniqueknowledgeaboutSpiritEngineering,Iheardit’smysteriousandthereweren’tmanyexplanationsaboutit.Becausethereweren’tmanydetailsknownregardingthebenefitoftheexcrement,hewassurprisedwhenlisteningtomystory.Thus,theconclusionofthemeeting,Mildowasappointedasthecaptainoftheconstructionteam.Ilethimtakecareofthingsthatwerehisspecialty.ToRigurudo,IinstructedhimtoassignsomepeopleunderMildo,togosurveytheprojectsite.Rangaalsoaccompaniedthemjustincase.Ithinkthemonstersfromthecavewillnotgoout,butthereisapossibility.IfthathappenI’msureRangacantakecareofit.Thus,Mildoandothers,theconstructionteamdeparted.

Thenextwas,naming.Thethoughistoodepressing.Togavenameonebyoneforall500people.Anylonger,IthinkitwouldturntotheforbiddenABCD.ButIdon’tliketodosomethinghalfhearted.Immediately,Istartedgivingthemnames.Again,Iwenttolowactivitystateaftergivingthemallnames,butIwasabletogivenametoeveryone.Thefatiguewaslessthanthepreviousnaming;itissomethingthatyoudonotwanttodoagain.Isummonthechieftains.

Theyallkneelinginfrontofme,weretheevolvedchieftainsLedbyRigurudo,Rugurudo,Regurudo,Rogurudo.Obvious,sidebyside.It’sRaRiRuReRo.Coincidentally,RabecameRanga.Ithinkitallappropriate,soit’sokay!Thereisnoonethatobject.Ithoughtitinfrantic!Iforgetaboutthenamesappeal.Iwillworkveryhard!It’swasoneofagoodmanappeal!!!Theonethatareleftoverwerewomen.It’spossibletodeterminethegenderofGoblins,butithardlyshowsintheappearance.Butwhentheyevolvethedifferencesisrecognizable.Ithoughtsomefemininename,LikeRirina.Inthefuture,Iwonderifthisnamecanbecomeseriesornot?Althoughsuchideacrossedinmymind,Idecidedtoagainstsuchthought.It’snotneededrightnow.

Well,infrontofmethehobgoblins.Iwonderiftheycapablewithhierarchicalrelationshipornot?Everyoneisfriends,everyoneisequal!Thosethingswereimpossibleinreallife.Inparticular,formonstersthatemphasizesonpower...Aclearchainofcommandwasnecessary.Idecided.

“Listen,Ibestowtoyouguysthispositions!”

Itwasdeclared.RigurudowaspromotedtoGoblinKing.And,theremainingchieftainsbecomeGoblinLord.Inthesurroundings,allofthegoblinsinthevillageprostratethemselves;Igulpedmyownsalivawhenwatchingsuchspectacle.

“““Waha~a!!!Wehumblyreceiveyourorder!!!”””

Withthatwordasthesignal,thunderouscheerroseup.Anewhistoryforgoblinhasbegun.

Forcraftingtools,Kaijinhadpreparedit.Forclothes,underthecommandofGarmandDold,hadbeenproducedsteadily.Fortimber,itsteadilyprovidesthevillagewithvacantland.Bythetimeitwasconfirmedthatallofthegoblinshadevolved,theplannedconstructionforthenewvillagebeganafterMildocamebackafterthesurvey.Allwerewell.Icheckedtheconstructionareaforthenewvillage.Fromit’sscale,itshouldbecalledtownratherthanavillage.Ournewhome.

Afterconfirmingallthepreparationsandequipment,wealldeparted.Towardsthenewplace,stepforward.Forourfirststeptocreateanewcountry!

Chapter21-ANewMovement

BorderingtheGreatForestofJura,wasFalmusKingdom’sEarlterritory.Onthisfrontierexistedthosewillingtoprotectthearea.

TheirmainforcesconsistedofaknightorderunderthecontroloftheEarl.Althoughthemembersusuallyonlyconsistof100people,theEarldeclaredastateofemergency.Thosewhohadretiredwererecalled,andthenumberswerenownearlythreetimesthantheusual,with284people.

ThenextlargestforceherewastheAdventurersfromtheFreedomAssociation.Theyhadtakenrequeststohuntmonstersthreateningthelandinthevicinity.However,thiswasnotanurgentmatter.And,naturallytheyfinishedtherequestwithoutanydifficulties.

ToserveaslookoutsaroundtheEarl’sterritory,mercenarywerehired.Althoughsomeweretalented,manywerestilljustnovices.Thus,whenthemonstersstartedtomove,theyallwereemployedtoscoutthesurroundings.However,inreality,theydidn’ttreattheirworkseriously.ThemaincauseofwhichbeingthefactthatEarlNidolMaigamhadbeenstingywithmoneyusedtoemploythem.

So,whocansubduethemonstersiftheFreeAssociationdidn’ttaketherequest?Normally,itwasthejoboftheKnights.However!

“Fools!WhentheKnightsleavetheterritory,thereisachanceforthecitiestobeattacked?!!!WhowillprotecttheTown?!!!”

So,thefrightenedEarldidnotpermittheirdispatch.Moneywasaproblem.Moreover,TheKnightscouldnotmoveinordertoprotectthetown.Further,complaintscamefromvillages.TheycomplainedaboutdamagecausedbymonstersthatneithertheadventurersnorEarldidanythingabout…However,theAssociationinthiscase,can’treceiveasubjugationrequestduetoasinglerule.Thecircumstancesinvolveddidnotallowittosoeasilyaccept.Afterall,ifyougoingtohuntforrank“B+”monsters,multipleadventurersofthesamerankareneeded(Atleast3ormorepeople).Evenif10adventurerswithrankBtriedtosubdueit,eveniftheyweresuccessful,therewouldsurelybecasualties.Furthermore,justbecauseasightingwasconfirmed,itdidn’tmeanthatthesubjugationcanbebeginimmediately.Normally,therewasnotmanyrank“B+”Adventurersstayatthefrontier;theproblemwasthatmonsterswouldappeartoofrequently.Thus,theywereunabletoeffectivelymovebetweenrequests.(TL:unsure手が回らないのであるIthinkitmeantimestillmoveon)[Ithinkwhattheymeanhereisusingthe“the”asapersondoingtheaction;sotheycouldn’trotateintime(fromoneplacetoanother)](Tl:agreed)They’dreceivetherequest,subduethetarget,andthencomeback.Thetimeinvolvedbetweeneachstepbecameaproblem.Topatrolthevillage,anorganizationresponsibleforsubjugationwasnecessary.

Inresponsetothesecircumstances,reluctantlytheEarlNidolMaigamsetupanorganization.Hecalledit,FrontierGuards.(TL:辺境警備隊Gotabettername?Editor:soundsgood)itsmemberconsistedof30people.Moreover,theymostlyconsistedofcriminalschargedwithtrespassingonprivateproperty,disorderlybehavior,orsmall-timeviolentcrimes.So,it’sactuallyafacilityforsmallmiscreants.Acorrectionalinstitution.TheywereservantsoftheKnights,attimes;and,theyservedasopponentfortheKnightsmockbattle.Thus,theirservicewasmeanttorehabilitatethem.Theychooseapersonamongthemastheircaptain(orrather,theywereforcedtochoose),and

weresentasguardsofvillages.ForEarlNidolMaigam,theplanlooksappealingbecauseitnotonlycansolvethevillages’problem.Eveniftheyhaddied,hiswalletwouldn’tsuffer.(TL:Hemeanshedon’tneedtousehismoney)It’stheextentofhisplansthathedoing,but.....

“Fumu,slydog.Well,togainourfreedom,weshouldacceptitgraciously!”

ThemannamedYoumusaid.Duetohisappearance,Originally,hehadnotwantedtomerelyendupasasmallmiscreant.Hehopedhecanbecomethebossofthebackstreets/slums,butitseemstheworlddidn’tletthismantakethecenterofstage.Later,theFrontierGuardsledbyhimshowedaremarkableresults,andhebecamethefrontiervillages’savior.

Fuse.BelongingtoasmallkingdomBurmund,hewastheFreedomAssociationBurmundbranchguildmaster.HisformerabilityasAdventurerwasupperrank“A-“.HewasaremarkableAdventurer.AshepromisedtoBaronBelyaad,heimmediately,conductedhisowninvestigations.Asaresult,inresponsetoareportfromtheinformationsection,itseemstherewerenomovementsintheEmpire.Butitdidn’tmeanthattheEmpirewouldn’tmovelater........sohehadconcluded.Thusinthefuture,theyshouldcontinueobservingtheEmpire.It’snotworkthattheynormallydo,buttherewasnootherchoice.It’shisdecision.Then,thenewsfromtheInvestigationTeamwasreceived.

Whenheenteredtheroom,heslowlysatonthesofa.Theirconfidentialdiscussionwassettobeheldinthedrawingroom.Onthesofafacinghim,sattherethreepeople—twomenandawoman.TheywereAdventurerswithaBrank.Excellingincovertoperations,Guido.Withhisjobas“Thief”,isamanwithexcellentinformationgatheringskills.Outstandingindefense,Cabal.Withhisjobas“HeavyWarrior(Fighter)”,hisrolewasthatofthetank.Heenjoyedgoofingoff,butwaspolitewhenworking.Specializingonparticularmagic,Ellen.Withjobas“MagicSpellUser(Sorcerer)”,Skilledindiversemagic,butexcellentwithMovement-basedmagic.CarefullyprovidingsupportinordertoincreasethesurvivalrateoftheParty.Theywereallnoteworthyindividuals.TheyweretheteamthatwasorderedtoinspectthecavewhereVerudorawassealed.Hisfirstthoughtwas,pleasecomebacksafely!Tobeginwith,theproperlevelofthatcavewasrank“A-“.Actuallyhewantedtodoithimself,alone.But,becauseofhisresponsibilitiesastheguildmaster,hecannotmovefreely.....Meanwhile,theotherrank“B+”AdventurerwerenotaskedtoinspectthecurrentsituationofVerudora.Thereasontheywererequestedwasbecauseoftheirhighsurvivalrateandhighinformationgatheringcapabilities.Ratherthanduringsubjugation,iftheyweresenttocollectinformationwhileavoidingbattle,theirabilitiessurpassedthoseofotherrank“B”Adventurers.However,ifsomethingweretohappentothem,itwouldbehisfault.Itwasanobviousviolation,sincehimasthebranchchiefhimselfhadorderedthem.But,itwasabsolutelynecessaryforthemtocheck.Thatiswhy,theonewhomostpleasedwiththeirreturn,wasFuse.

“Let’shearthereport.”

Fuse,nevershowedemotionindiscussionorderingquestioning.Hewasgratefulinhismind;buthedidn’texpressitinwords.Thetriowerefamiliarwiththistrait

“AllIhearis“Wasn’tittought?””“Iwanttoquicklytakeabath....”“Itwastough;itwashardtomediatethequarrelbetweenDannaandNēsan,IthoughtIwouldbeeasilytrampledtodeath....”

Thatwastheirtypicalreactionwhenreportingtheirfindings.However,theirfaceswereserious.Andthentheystartedthereport.

Battlewithmonstersinthecave.Theguardian,havingdeceivedtheStormSnake’s(TempestSnake)senses,theyremovedthesealonthedoorandentered.ConfirmationofthedisappearanceofVerudora...Insidethedoor,theyinvestigateforaboutaweek,butcouldnotconfirmthepresenceofanylivingthing.(TL:Ithinkthat’sRimuru)And,themostcuriousdetail.....

(Afterthis,Iunsurewithwhattheytalksaboutmeanwhat,sorry)[thatRimurukilledthesnake]“And,that.Afterweconcludedtheinvestigationontheinside,theStormSnakewasnowheretobefound!”“That’sright!SinceIcan’tuseanywithdrawaltypemagicindoors,IspentmanyhoursplanningourescapefromtheStormSnake…butitwasallpointless!!”“IwasjustthinkingthatI’dbeabletomixillusionmagicandheatmanipulationasadecoy!But,no…Onaseriousnote,Iworriedthatalthoughwewereabletogethere,wewon’tbeabletogetout,but…”That’swhattheyreported.Heck,whatwasthatthing?Thatwasamonsterofrank“A-“.Itwasthestrongestpresenceinsidethecave.Probably,Iwouldnotwinonmyownagainstthatmonster.Thatwaspreciselywhy;theprobabilityofsuccessinthismissionwasgreatlyreduced.Fusethoughtso.Again,whatishappeningintheland?Atthemoment,thatwasnotsomethingtothinkabout.SoFuseconcluded.

“Wellyouguys.Haveanicebreakforthreedays.Afterthat,onceagain,I

wantyouguystoinvestigatetheforest!Thistime,itisnotnecessarytoenterthecave!Iwantyouguystoinvestigatethesurroundingsthoroughly,andcarefully!So,go!”“I’llgo!Seeyou!”“What?Threedays!!!Givememorerestplease~!”“Heyhey.....Anyway,IguessituselessnomatterwhatIsay?

Althoughtheysaidthosethings,Fusedidnotcare.Itwasmoreimportanttoorganizetheinformationtheybrought.Heck,whatwashappeninginthatforest?FusewasdeepinthoughtWhenheopenedhiseyeshismoodchanged,Heglaredatthethreepeople.

“Whatyouguysdoing?Getout!”

Sayingthat,hedroveoffthetrio.

SakaguchiHinatawasbored.(Editor:KeepJapanesestyle?No?)(TL:IforgetHinataishergivenname,sorrymustslipmymind=P)AssignedtoguardtheinsideofthepalaceoftheHolyRuberiosKingdom,Shewasherprivatechambers,alone.Thisworldwasboring.

Whenshefirstcametothisworld,Hinatawasstill15yearsold.Onthedayofherfirstyearhighschoolentranceceremony,shewasonherwayhomebutdidn’tparticularlywanttocomeback.Whenshepassedbytheshrineshealwaysstoppedby,astrongwindsuddenlyblewthroughoutit.Thewindforcedhereyesshut.Oncesheopenedthem,anunfamiliarsceneryhadspreadbeforeher.Hinatarejoiced.Hermotherwasareligiousaddict,andnowshehadbeenreleasedfromit.Herfather,hadlongago“disappeared”.Helostgreatsumsonhorseraces,andleftthemwithanenormousdebt.

Motherfledtoreligionbecauseshecouldn’twithstandthebeatingsfromfather.Aftercarefulplanning,Hinatakilledherfatherastohelphermotherandreceivelifeinsurancemoney..(TL:wowapsychopath)[Editor:…wow…]Afterabitmore,theinsurancemoneywouldbepaidout.Thesecrethadnotbeenexposed.Thus,herfatherwastreatedasamissingperson.Thankgoodness.Ohwell,ifyouthinkaboutit,inthisstateitseemsnecessarytocommitanothermurder.Tomurderthezealotwhopushedhermotherintoreligion,andsoonerorlater,endherownmother.Hinatawascalmlyanalyzingthesituation.That’swhy,shedidn’twanttostayathome.....Inthisplace,therewasnoneedtokillanymore.Shethoughtso.....

“Oi!There’sonehere!”“Oh!Ayoungwoman!Goodjob!!”“Beforewesellher,howaboutwehaveatastefirst?

Whilespeakingsuchwords,somemenhadsurroundedHinata.

Ah.....,eveninthisplace,thereisaneed.

Theworldwasfullofdespair.Soshethought.Theworldwasfullofuglypeople,thatkindofworld,Ishalldestroyit!!!

I,shalltakeit.Iwillsurelyusurpitall!!!

<Confirmed.AcquiringUniqueSkill[Usurper]......Success>

Iamrighteous.Therearenofaultsinmycalculation.Thereneverhavebeen!Thatwillneverchange.<Confirmed.AcquiringUniqueSkill[Mathematician]......Success>(TL:gotabettername?数学者)[ED:Soundsgood]

Suddenly,myvisionbecameclear.Myhazymindclearedandmymindgotsharper..Infrontofmyeyesissomewassomeonethatwantedtostealfromme;I’llstealfromtheminstead.Theirlife!Thus,aslaughtertookplace.Bythehandsofagirl,thetimeshetooktokillthethreemendidn’texceed5minutes.Thephysicalabilitiesofthegirlwhojustgotherpowers,wasstillnotreallyhigh.

Withcoldeyes,sheevadestheopponent’sattackwithminimalmovement.Shegrabbedthecollarofheropponent,andwithouthesitationgougedouttheopponent’seyes.Hookingherfingerinhiseyesocket,shepulledthelegsofthegroaningmandownandslammedhisheadonthegroundashefell.Shepullsouttheknifefromthefallenman’swaist,andstabbedhisthroat.Now,onepersondown.Theothermenwerestunnedbythesituation;and,withoutwaitingforthemtoputtheirguardsup,shegrabsandandthrewitatthem.Thesandenteredtheireyes,causingonemantomomentarilygoblind,shelandedakickonhim.Themanfainted.Withoutasecondglance,shewentaroundbehindanotherman,andshovedtheknifethroughhisback,intohisheart.Asintended,itpiercedtheheartthroughthegapbetweentheribs.Shepulledouttheknife,andgushingbloodtaintedHinata.Ppleasantwarmthofblood.Themen,ofcourse,couldnotcomment,beingdead.But,therewasonewhowasstillalive.Hinataapproachedthefallenmanandsquatteddownnearhim.Hewasterrified,butstillalive.Still,therewasapossibilitythattheyhadmorecompanions.Shegrabbedhishairandliftedhisfaceup.AndusedtheUniqueskill[Usurper].Memoryandtechniques.Allofitwastakenfromtheremainingwreckageofaman.Hinataglancedathim,andstabbedtheknifeintohisneck.

Evenshethoughshekills,sheknewbasicmercy.

Itwasherfirstmurderinthisworld.Fromthepeopleshekilledfromthenon,shetooktheirknowledgeandtechniques.Now,withthetechniquesasthefoundation,shebecameastrongpersoninthisworld.Fromthen,10yearshadpassed.Otherthanthat,shedidn’trememberthepeopleshehadkilled.Goodguys,badguys,Hinatakilledthemequally.BecauseeveryonewereequalinfrontofGod.Ridiculously,overhereshecankillallofthem.So,overhere,shewasnolongeranormalgirl.(TL:Sheturnpsycho)Complettlyrememberingthemurder.“LeaderoftheImperialGuardsunderthePope’sdirectcommand”,shewasabeautifulwomanthatholdsthetitleofHolyKnightsleader.That’swhy,itnowbecameimpossibleforhertomoveasshewanted.Pleasesomeone,raisearebellionsomewhere.Shethoughtsuchathing.Andthen,someoneknockedonherdoor.

“Excuseme,HisholinessCardinalNicolasSchpeltascametovisityou.Doyouwishtomeethim?WhatshouldItellhim?”

Nicolas?Sure,hewasattachedtome......

“Lethimin.”

HinatadecidedtomeetNicolas.Shewasgoingtokillsometimewithherfaithfuldog.

(Hopefullythiswillkillsometime.......)

Withasmileofasaint,soshehoped.

---------------------------------------Authornote:

ThepurposeofAdventurersRimurumeetatthecavewasinvestigation.Uniqueskill“Usurper”and“Mathematician”.

Itsabilitiesisverysimilarwiththeprotagonist’sskill

Chapter22–TheAdventurerswhofinallyarrived

Therewereadventurerspreparingtoinvestigatetheforest.TheywereB-rankadventurersCabal,Ellen,andGido.Withmonsteractivityworsening,eventhemerchantshaveavoidedentering.Withprotectionfeesrising,thetripwouldnolongerbeprofitable.Thus,tocrosstheforest,onewouldhavetoproceedonfoot.Andinthefirstplace,asnocarriagecouldapproachthe“CaveoftheSeal”,anytripwouldinevitablycontinueonfoot.Whentheyhadfinishedsomepreparationandwereabouttosetoff,asinglepersoncalledouttothem.

「Pardonme.Ifyouareheadingtowardstheforest,couldInotperhapsaccompanyyouhalfway?」

Wasthevoicefeminine?Masculine?Young?Old?Thatyoucouldn’tfigureout.Norcouldyouseetheperson’sexpression.Forsomereason,thatpersonworeamask.Anexpressionless,butbeautiful,mask.Thestrangeremittedasuspiciousaura…but

「Shouldbefine…?」

「Hey!You!Beforetheleader–I!–gavepermission…seriously,whatthehell!」

「Really…well,nowthatNee-sangaveherokay,there’snousearguing,isthere?」

Thethreeacceptedthestrangerwithoutasecondthought.

「Iamgrateful.」

Aftersayingthosethreewords,thesuspiciousstrangersilentlyfollowed

thetrio.Thus,Cabal’sgroupofthreeobtainedanewcompanion,andsetoffontheirinvestigation.

.

*Tontenkan**Tontenkan.Kaaaaan.Kaaaaan.Don!*

Theforestwasfilledwiththesoundofcuttingwoodandblacksmith’shammer.Thefoundationofanewcityisbeinglaid;andnewhousesarebeingbuilt.Atfirst,tolaytheplumbing,theyhadavoidedbuildinganyhouses,anditwasbutemptyland…Forthewaterway,theyredirectedthewaterfromtheriver.It’sunderconstruction,buttheyplanonconstructingabuildingforwaterpipecontrol.There,thewaterwillbepurifiedanddistributedtoeveryhousehold.Asfordrainage,itwillbedirectedintoanundergroundsewage.Asitismadefromwood,wedecidedtopreserveitbyhardeningitincement.And,leadingawayfromthecity,itwillendatafacilitywhereitwillbereprocessedintomanure.Furthermore,wetemporarilyerectedabuildingthesizeofaGymnasiumontheoutskirts.Itservesastemporarylodgingare.Andassuch,it’snotmadetolast.Allinall,theconstructionproceedssmoothly.Nearthecave,attheseatofhonor,Iplanonplacingmydwelling.Fromthere,we’llfirstbuildthehousesoftheclanlords,followedbythatofthecommoners.AsIwanttogetitright,theinitialmapwasdrawnwithutmostprecision.Drawingacross,withlargeroadsrunningthroughthecity,thisplanisbestforoverseeingthedenizens’behavior.But,itiseasiertoattack.(TLlongnoteforthecuriousmind:whatthisplanmademethinkofisofconstructionofHeian-kyo(modernKyoto)andEdo(modernTokyo).IhaveafeelingthatitisthoseexamplesthatRimuruisreferencing.KyotowasplannedtoresembletheChineseimperialcity,andthusconstructed

square.Ithadtwomainroadsrunningthroughit,leadingtothe“seatofhonor”,theimperialpalace.Edo,ontheotherhand,imitatedtheconstructionstyleofcastles;and,usingrivers,wasthusmadeintoaspiral.Intermsofdefense,whilebothwerewellknownstyles,Edowasconsideredsuperior.)

Inanycase,seemslikehavingthegoblinsevolveintohobgoblinswastherightdecision.Theyquicklydevelopsuperiorintellectandmemorization.Also,theirconstitutionandstrengthimprove.Accordingtothedwarfs,goblinsarerankedF,buthobgoblinsaremonstersdeservingaC~Drank.Inanycase,Ishouldprobablytreatthemwiththesamerespectashumans.Inshort,theirrankvaries.Equipmentandarmor,individualclassandskill,andothersuchfactorsgreatlyaffecttherank.Imean,individualstrengthdependsontheindividual,right?ThefourIdeignedlords,forexample,arestrongerthantherest.AndRigurdo,whomIcrownedKing…

「Oh!Youhavespentyourtimehere!Iwaslookingforyou!!」

Whatamonster!IsallIwanttosay.He’shugeandmuscular.Comparedtoanogre,he’snotjustsimilar,heseemsstronger!OrsoKaijinsaid.Thusisseemsthatevolutionisaffectednotjustbyaname,butalsobytheclass.Truly,monster ’scapabilitiesarewondrous.Probablyshouldtrybestowingafewmoretitlestotestthistheory.

「What’sup?」

「Ay!Wehavecapturedsuspiciousindividuals,soIcametoreport.」

「Suspicious?Ofwhichmonsterrace?」

「Notmonsters,theyarehumans.Asyouhavecommanded,wedidnotlayourhandsonthem.」

「Humans?Whyallthewayoverhere?」

Humans…huh?Finally,theopportunityIwaswaitingfor!Havetostartonfriendlyterms.Well…iftheyarelikethoseidiotadventurersfrombefore,I’lldisposeofthemorturnthemintomonstersnacks…

「Theywereassaultedbyagroupofgiantants,andweresavedbyRigur ’sdefensesquad,whothentookchargeoftheirprotection…Thereisevidencethattheywereinvestigatingtheselands.Howshallwerespond…?」

Isee.Seemslikeinvestigatingonbehalfofsomecountry.Icheckedwiththedwarfs,butJuraforestisnotanycountry’sproperty.Thus,there’sagoodchancetheyareinvestigatingthelandsonbehalfofanexpandingcountry.Ifthat’sthecase,thatcomplicatesthematter…Well,I’lldecideaftermeetingthem.

「Alright!I’llmeetwiththem.Leadtheway!」

Havingsodecided,IjumpedonRigurdo’sshoulder.SinceRangamovesaroundtooquickly,movingonhimistroublesome.Thisisnodifferentfromwalking,butmyloweyelevelbothersme.Besides,whentryingtoappeardignified,havingpeoplelookdownatyou(literally)iscounterproductive.Butit’sallanexcuse!

Rigurdo,withmeonhisshoulder,walkedtothecapturedadventurers.So,whatkindofpeoplearethey?AsIthoughtso,beforemyeyes(whichIdon’thave,ofcourse),Isaw,

「Hey!You!Isawthatfirst!!!」

「You’reterrible!Iwasaimingforthatmeat!」

「Danna,Ishallnotyieldwhenitcomestofood!」

「*Mogumogu*」(Munchingsound)

Iheardaboisterousgroup.

「……」

Tomysilentquestion,

「Manyapologies.Somehow,itseemsthatalltheiritemswerestolen…sowedecidedtoprepareameal,andthis…」

Huh.Rigurdoisprettyniceguy,itseems.

「Nah,isn’tthisfine?Actually,welldone!Treatingthoseinneedkindlyisagoodthing!」

Ipraisedhisactions.Moreimportantly,they,withoutconsultingme,decidedonacourseofactiontheythoughtbest.That,initself,isawonderfulthing,Iimagine.

「Ay!Henceforth,astonotcauseRimuru-samaanytrouble,weshallfurtherdevoteourselves!」

Well,he’sstilldamnformal,though.

Afterthatconversation,weenteredthetent.Tobeprecise,thepeopleguardingoutsideopenedthewayin.Andalltheeyesfellonme.Withtheirmouthsfullofmeatandvegetables,Adventurers.Theireyesopenedwideatthesightofme.However,itseemsthattheyaren’tawarethattheirsurpriseshoweditself.Hmm?Haven’tI…?Ah!Thetrioofthecave!ButoneofthemIhaveneverseenbefore.Wearingamask…howisheeating?

*Mogumogu*

Slowly,athisownpace.But,Barbecue!!!Kuu…Ialsowantataste.NostalgicMeat-chan.Ah…wouldn’ttastebudsjustfallfromsomewhere…?Oops,mymindseemstohavewonderedinastrangedirection.Rigurdoletmedownatthemainseat.

「Dearguests,althoughwecannotofferbetterhospitality,pleasemakeyourselvesathome.Beforeyouisourlord,Rimuru-sama!」

Havingsointroducedmyself,hetooktheseatnexttome.*Gokuri*Thesoundofthemswallowingwhattheywereeatinganddrinkingresounded.And,

「「「What?Aslime?!」」」

「Mogumogu」

They’resurprised.Butreally,toreactinthesameway…ohwell.

「Pleasedtomeetyou.IamtheslimeRimuru.Notanevilslime.」

Bu!!!Theyrespondedtomygreetingbyspittingoutfood.However,theonewearingthemask,seemstohavekepthiscomposure.Whatarudebunch.Seemslikethey’vebeengreatlysurprisedtoseeaslimetalk.Well,Idounderstandthetrio’ssurprise,butI’drathertheycontainthefoodintheirmouth.So…whatkindofpeoplearethey?Itwouldbegoodiftheyweredecentfolk,but…Well,afterhavingregainedtheircomposure,

「Thatwasrudeofus!Weneverwouldhaveimaginedtobesavedbydemons,butweareinyourdebt!」

「Yeah!Weworkashumanadventurers!Thisfood,verydelicious!Thesedayswe’vebeendoingnothingbutrunning,neverhavingadecentmeal…Truly,thankyou!」

「Thanks!We’reinyourdebt.However,tothinkthathobgoblinswerebuildingavillagehere.」

「Gohogoho,gusu.Gokugoku.」

Well,atleasttheyaren’tpanicking.

「Well,takeyourtimechewing,wecantalkwhenyoufinish!」

Havingsaidthat,Iwaitedforthemtofinishtheirmeal.Theyreallyshouldhavejustcalledmewhentheyhadfinished,seemsliketheycan’tbesoconsiderate.Well,theydidgetflustered,butthat’llserveaspracticeforfutureencounters.FromwhatIimagined,entertaininghumanguests(prisoners?)iscertainlyoutsideofmyexpectations…notthatIcandoanythingaboutitnow.And,maybebecauseIwasfeelingalittleunpleasant,Iexitedthetent.Whentheyfinishedwiththeirmeal,Ihadthemescortedtothetentplacedclosesttothecave–oneformypersonaluse.

Rigurdoseemedveryapologetic,but,

「Well,don’tsweatit.Justlearnforfuturereference!」

SoIcomfortedhim.Thegoblinsaregrowing.Can’texpecteverythingtobeperfectfromthestart.

Havingenteredmytent,Ifeltatease.RigurdohadhisGoblinasubordinatesbringustea.Seemsmuchbettercomparedtowhattheybroughtoutbefore,but,unfortunately,Ican’ttasteit.Toseeimprovementevenhere…howamusing.Thisisclearlyasignthattheyareevolvingasaculturedrace.Now,timewasspentonthisandthat…

“Weapologizeforearlierrudeness!”Whilesayingso,thefourenter.It’sasimpletent,sofeelsnarrow.Atthesametimeasthegoblinasthatshowedtheminleave,anothersetcomestobringthemtea.See?Idon’tknowwhen,butthey’veimprovedgreatlyinthisrespect.Whennightcomes,whiledrinkingwiththedwarfs,Idoknowthattheydiscusstheirlivesandcultures.

「Well,then.Onceagain.Pleasetomeetyou.Thelordofthisplace,IamcalledRimuru.Forwhatreasonhaveyoucometotheselands?」

Thatquestionwouldfallwithintheirprediction.Afterall,theyhadplentyoftimetodiscusswhatanswersthey’llgive.

「Thepleasureismine.IamCabal.Fornow,Iamthisparty’sleader.ThisisEllen,andthisisGido.WouldyouunderstandifItoldyou?WeareBrankadventurers.」

「Pleasedtomeetyou,IamEllen.」

「Yo!Gido’sthename.Pleasedtomakeyouracquaintance.」

AsIthought,thesethreeareaparty,huh.AtaBranktheyaremoderatelystrong,butthecavewouldbeimpossible…Nowthen,theotheroneis?

「And,thisonehasjoinedustemporarilyforthejourney,namedShizu-san.」

「CallmeShizu.」

Avoicethatwouldn’tshowwhetherthespeakerwasaman,awoman,anelder,orachild.But,Icantellgenderapartwithease.Forme,whocantellgoblinsexesapart,thisisapieceofcake.It’sagirl.Furthermore,ifIamnotmistaken…Isn’t…sheJapanese?That’sthefeelingthatIget.Thewayshesipshertea,andthewayshesits.SinceIdon’tknowmuchaboutthisworld,Ican’tbecertain;but,surelythatsittingpostureisrare,right?Currently,theotherthreearesittingnormally.Sittingonthewolfpelts,themaleshavecrossedtheirfeet.ThegirlnamedEllenalsorelaxed,andreclineshorizontally.(IfIthinkaboutit,aren’ttheseguyslettingtheirguarddownabittoomuch…Isn’tthereasenseofdangerinthisworld?)Butenoughofpointlesschatter.Needtogetdowntobusiness.

「Howpolite.And?」

I’llsummarizetheconversation.

……….

…..

…

Iheardtheirstory.

Theseguys,withoutanyrestraint,theyspilledthewholestory.So,ontheordersfromtheirguildmaster,theyneededtocometotheforestandinvestigateifanysuspicioushappeningswere…well,happening.

「Inanycase,hesaystosearchforanythingsuspicious,butwhatshouldwecallsuspiciousandwhatnormal,huh?!」

「Right,right!Should’veaskedhimtoexplaininmoredetails!」

「There’salimittohowmuchwecaninvestigate,youknow!」

Thustheybeganbadmouthingtheirguildmaster.Theseguysarehopeless…IfeellikeIunderstandtheirpoorguildmaster.Andwhentheyhadthoughttheyfoundsomethingfishy–aholeinaboulder,theydrewtheirswords…ItwasanestofGiantAnts!Tosaytheleast,theyweresurprised.Ireallywanttoaskwhytheydrewtheirswordsthen.Ireallywanttoask!Butit’ssurprisingthey’velivedthislong.Andfromthere,forthreedays,theydesperatelyran,havingabandonedalltheirthings.IfIhadtosaysomethingit’dbe:“welldone!”butI’llrefrain.

「Wouldn’tthemostsuspiciousthingsbefoundaroundhere?Like,inthecave?」

Iasked.

「No,no!There’snothinginthere!Didyouknow~?Theysaidthatastormdragonwassealedinthere.But,withoutshoweringonce,wesearchedthatplacefortwoweekswithoutfindinganything!」

「Wha…idiot!That’snotsomethingyoushouldbetalkingaboutrightnow!」

「Yousee?Theonewhospilleditisyou,Nee-san!Notmyproblem!」

Ellensuddenlysays,causingthementopanic.Well,wehadpassedeachatthattime,soIknew.Oh,anditseemsthatbathcultureexistshere…I’mplanningonbuildingabathhouseinthiscity,aswell.Thataside,

「Yousayyouinvestigatedthatcave,butforwhatreason?」

Doesn’tseemliketheycamefortreasure,inanycase.Whileshakinghishead,andwithasigh,

「Sincewementionedit,wehavenochoice.Thethingis,asEllenmentioned,theblackdragon’spresencesuddenlyvanished,and…」

Isee.Icouldn’thaveknown,butVeldora’sdisappearancecausedquietanuproaramongthehumans.Hewassupposedtohavebeensealed,buthisdisappearancecausingsuchchaos.Whattosay,hewasanamazingdragon.Helikedtotalk–agreatguyallaround…However,isn’thisinfluencetoogreat?Tohavesentsomeonetoinvestigate…Buildingacitythisclosetothecave–wasthatamistake?

「Tosaynothingofthefactthatthecave’spreviouslyabundantmagicalenergyhaddecreased.Anunusualphenomenonwecouldn’tunderstand.Rightnow,it’smagiclevelsareaverage,andisnomorethananormalcave.」

「Well,it’sfilledwithstrongmonsters,soit’sbestnottoenterit.Notreasureiniteither,andnotasingleoretobefound!Powerfulmonsters,andnobenefittobegained!」

「Ifyousearcharound,youmightfindathief’sgeardrop,butnothingmajor.」

Doki.(Heartbeat).Theore…thecauseofthatparticularpredicamentisnoneotherthantheoneinfrontofyou!Well,itshouldbefine.Theywon’tknowifIdon’ttellthem!!!

Buttheirstorycontinued.“Ah!Sincewementionedit,wemightaswelltellyou!”Withsuchphrases,theydiscussedmanythings.Maybetheseguysarejustgoodpeople.Withthecave’sworthdeclining,therewasnoreasontoinvestigatearoundhere.Ithoughtthatwe’dhavetomovethecity,butshouldbefine,then.Inanycase,sincenocountryhasrightstothisland,theyhavenorighttocomplain.Fornow,

「Bytheway,asyousee,weareamidstconstructingacityhere;wouldthatcauseanytroublewiththeguild?」

Itriedasking.

「No…shouldbefine,Ithink?」

「Yeah…it’snoskinofftheguild’sback.But,countries…」

「Yeah…noideaaboutthem.」

Thatwastheiranswer.Andit’snotlikeIexpectedguildmemberstoknowhowcountrieswouldreact.

WhenIthoughtthat,Shizu,whohadbeenquietuntilnow,groanedloudly.

Gu,guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!

Itsuddenlybegan!

Chapter23–FlameGiant

Silencewassuddenlybroken.Cracksranalongthesurfaceofhermask,andmagicalpowergushedfromwithin.Slowly,Shizurose,andbegantomutter.

“Summoningmagic?!”

Ellenexclaimedinsurprised.

“Oioi,seriously?Whatrankshegoingtosummon?”“....,Uh,lookingatthescaleofthemagic,it’sgoingtobemonsterwithrank“B+”orhigher.”“Dan’na-kata,donotsaythingssoleisurely,itcan’tbestopped!!!”

AsexpectedfromskilledAdventurers.Theyendedtheconversationininstant,andthenspreadout.

“First!Refrainher!MudHand(MadHand)

“Uoooooooo----rya!!!HeavyCollision(KnockDown)”

Ellenmakesropetotieher,whileCaballaunchesatechniquewithhisbody.Guidowasanequallyimportantmember;heimmediatelyassumedguard.Fumu.AlthoughtheyareonlyrankB,theirteamworkisfirstclass.Thereisnowastedmovement.But,

“Haaaa----!Explode!”

Shizuswungherfinger,pointingfirstdownandthenup.Andthen,asmallscaleexplosioncenteredonShizuoccurred.Shreddingmytenttopieces.

Thetentaside,areanyofthethreeinjuredbythatexplosion?AsIwasn’tharmedintheslightest,Iwonderedaboutthem.

WhileattemptingtoKnockDownShizue,whohadbeenrestrainedwithMudHand,Cabalwasblownawaybytheexplosion.ThelookoutGidosenseddangerandwasabletopushEllenaway,savingbothofthem.

“Oi,youguysokay?”

Iaskthem.

“Ah,we’reokay!”“Wait~u,allmybodyhurts!Ibetterreceiveinjurycompensation!”

So,thetworesponded.

“Ooithurts-…..Youguys…..Pleaseworryabitaboutyourleader!”

Whilecomplaining,Cabalstoodup.Whatasturdyguy!

“IknewShizu-sancouldusemagic,butevensummoning…?”“Theheckshewassaying?

“No,no…don’tworryaboutthat.AsfarasIknow,forasummonertouseachantisunheard…”

Guidostopmovingwhensayingthat,then,

“Eh……,noway……..ExplosionMonarch?”(TL:Gotbettername?)[Editor:IwentwithExplosionMonarch,butyourchoice](TL:AfterIthinkaboutit,Igowithyours)

Inanycase,thesituationisjustasIhadthought.Shizucontinuedtochant.Asherbodycontinuedtoemitredlight,somethingbegantoemerge.Hermaskslightlyrose,andblackhairfreelyflowedbeforeit.Whatishergoal?Forherappearancetobecomesostrangesuddenly…

“Rigurudo!Helpevacuateeveryone!Bringthemsomeplacesafe!”“But…”“It’sanorder!Whenyoufinishtheevacuation,callRangaoverhere!”“Ay!Ihavereceivedyourorder!”

Rigurudoimmediatelybegantheevacuation.FromwhatIcansee,thegoblinswon’tbeofanyhelphere.And,Idon’tplantoseethemslaughteredpointless.NordidIcallRangatofightShizu.Thereasonissimple.Perhapstheseadventurershavemerelysetupthisplaytocreateanopportunitytostrikeatus.Thus,themassacretheyplantobesetuponusenabledthemtosofreelydiscussthosethings(nomatterhowtrivialitactuallywas).SowhenweencircleShizu,theycouldstrikeatusfrombehind.

“Oi,Gido!Explosionwhat-now,who’sthat?”

Quicklyansweringhisquestion,

“Thatis,someonewhowasactive50yearsago,ahero-likeperson?”

Ellenreceivedsuchresponse.Someonefamous?ThemomentIthoughtso,

FromShizu’sface,themaskfell.

Theflameroseasthewind.ItswallowedShizu,andfromwithinaFlameGianthadappeared.SummoningMagic“FlameGiant(Ifrit)”!Therulerofflameswallowedallthings.

<Uniqueskill“Shapeshifter”activate>

VoiceoftheWorldresounded.

Then,Shizu’sbodyandtheFlameGiant(Ifrit)fusedasone.

“Ge~e!!!It’sIfrit,AhighrankingSpiritwitharankoverA!!!”

“Wow....,firsttimeIseeit!So~,nowaytowinagainstit,huh~!!!”“There’snodoubtaboutit.....She’stheExplosionMonarch!”

Fu~u-----!Don!!!

Impactandheatslowlyapproachus.ItseemsthetriotriedputtingupaMagicBarrier,buttheywereblownawaywithasingleblow.Althoughtheydidn’tdie,thereclearlyharmed.Conscious,butunabletomove.Inanycase,theyarefightingforreal.Noquestionaboutit.Andso,Icanofficiallyignorethepossibilitythattheycameheretowreakhavoc.But,wow,thatskillhasconsiderablepower.Releasingbottomlessmagicalpower,withtheFlameGiant(Shizu)inthecenter,ascorchingwindsurroundedherwithadiameterof30meters.Thisfellow,ifIdon’tfight,I’magoner.However,therewassomethingstrange.Eveninthissituation,Ididnotfeelanyfear.Didbecomingamonstercausesuchachange?IdidfeelfearofVerudoraandtheblacksnake,maybeI’mjustusingthemasacomparison.

“Oi.What’syourobjective?”“Fu~u---!”

Ka~tsu!

Shock!Unlikethepreviousexplosion,sheradiatedaheatwavethistime.However,Ihadalreadymovedfromthatspot.Withmyperceptionspeed,evenifsomethingmovesatthespeedofsound,Icouldevadeit!Ratherthanthepreviousexplosion,theheatwavecametowardasradiation.However,Ialreadyavoidthewave.Onasidenote,I’mgladwehaven’tbuiltthecityyet.Thoseweremysincerethoughts.

Moreover,withallthetreescutdown,wefoughtinanopenarea.Hadwebeeninsideaforest,itwould’vecaughtonfire,causingmemuchtrouble.

However,don’tgetcarriedaway!

Bishun!!!

Itakeaimattheabdomen,andshot“WaterBlade”.Buttheattack,justbeforereachingtheFlameGiant(Shizu),evaporated.AmaelstromofflamessurroundedtheFlameGiant(Shizu),protectingit.Mumu...soitseems“WaterBlade”cannotpassthroughit.Wouldfiringatfullpowerbeagoodidea?SoIthought,butthenIimagedasteamexplosion.Yeah,thatwon’tbefun.GuessIhavetoresorttothis.Atthatmoment,Rangahadarrived.

“Youcalled?Mylord!”

Fornow,IorderedRangatoretrievethethree.Then,

“Good,quickretreattoasafeplace!I’lldefeatit!”

Althoughhenearlyrejectedthatorder,

“IwilldoasMyLordsaid,Iwishforyourfortuneinbattle!”(TL:IlikeRangaIwantoneinmyhome)

Withthosewords,heleftwhileholdingthethreepeopleinhismouth.NowIcanfightwithoutreserve.

Theflamesragearoundher.Usingmyperceptionability,Iaccuratelygraspthedistributionofheatwithinit.AlthoughtheFlameGiant(Shizu)wascreatingclonesofitselfandsendingthemtoattack,Icouldeasilypredictthedangerresultingfromtheflame’stemperature.

Againstme,thatattackwillneverland.Butatthesametime,myattackwillhavenoeffect.Whatatroublesomeflamethatis.Thegroundturnedintomagma…thetemperatureinsidemustbeunbelievablyhigh.Thustheproblem:touseskillslike[ParalysisBreath]or[NoxiousBreath],I’dneedtocomewithintenmetersofthetarget.Ican’tjuststrollintothatplace.Tobeginwith,suchas[ParalysisBreath]or[NoxiousBreath],itwouldbenecessaryforthetargettobewithin10mwhenitwasused.Inthathightemperature,itwouldonlybeabother!Icannotaffordtodothat.Idon’twanttoclasschangeintoaCharredSlime.WhatshouldIdo…neitherofuscancausedecisivedamageontheotherIfthisishowitends,Ishouldhavepredatedmore…

WhileIwasdeepinthought,amagiccircleappearedbelowmyfeet!

Dangerous!

Bythetimemyintuitionscreamso,Iwasalreadytrapped.WideAreaCaptureBarrier.IsthisaspecialskilloftheFlameGiant(Shizu)?Withoutasinglechant,themagiccircleinstantlyappeared.

Witharangeof100meters,mybodywillsoonturnintovapor(gas),andbeconsumedbythescorchingheatoftheflame.It’sthestrongestfirerangeattack!

“FlareCircle”

Shesaid,withvoiceneitherfemininenormasculine,young,norold.Thisis...therewasnoescape!

Iwaspreparedfordeath.Aa…IwassureIhadn’tletmyguarddown,butIfeellikeIcould’vedonesomething.Maybedependingoneverybodywithouttryingtolookcool…

Ormimickingtheblackwolf,usingitsspeed,andpiercingthroughtheheat.Notwaitforittomovefirst,notdosomethingstupid,trytohititwith[BlackLightning]…should’vetriedanyoneofthese!Etc…However,althoughmyperceptionspeedshouldbe1000timesthenorm,Ijustdon’tsensethedamage.Well,maybedyingwithoutpainisagoodthing.Butseriously,isn’tthistooslow?S&Mplay?Strange…I’msureIwasengulfedbythefire.Hmmm….

«...Solution.DuetoHeatFluctuationResistanceEX,thefireattackhasbeennullified»

Somehow,IhadforgottenaboutHeatFluctuationResistanceEX!IswhatIfelt.Don’treplytoeveryoneofmythoughts!Stupid!Tosuchabuse,Icouldfeelitrespondwitha[…..].ThoughI’msurelyjustimagingit.There'snoway[GreatSage]hasdevelopeditsego.Hahaha.Definitelyjustmyimagination.Sonoproblem!

Well,now.Oioi,itdisablesfireattacks?What?Didsomebodysetthemodetosupereasy?Iseverythinggoingaccordingtoplan?“I’mdoomed!”Icried,butsoonthetablesturned!Justasthetheoryteaches!Inanycase,Icannowendthisfightquickly.

“Now,whatshouldIdo?”

Iproceedtosecretly,entangletheflamegiant(Shizu)with[StickySteelThread].Injustabit,it’llbemywin.Imade[StickySteelThread],acombinationoftheStickyandSteelThread,whichIcreatedfromdaysofdiligentpractice.Additionally,myresistanceseemstobeindefinitelyactive.Inotherwords,I’mnottakingdamage.Checkmate.

“Imp,Impossible!”

Forthefirsttime,signsoffearrevealedthemselvesinhervoice.

Iunderestimatedyou,butyoutoounderestimatedme.ThisI’llforgive,aswearebothatfaultSo,you’refreetoresentme!

“Isitmyturnnext?”

Ku~stu!Theflamegiant(Shizu)triedtomakeherescape.However,Ihadpredictedthataction.Thereisnoescapefrommy[StickySteelThread].Thus,Islowlywalktoher.Todeliverthefinishblow...OntheIfrit..whohadprobablypossessedShizuandmanipulatedherbody.Andwithoutpanicking.Unabletorunawaynorevenstruggle,suchapitifulcreatureIapproach.AndThen,

«DoyouwanttouseUniqueSkill“Predator”?YES/NO»

Theanswer,ofcourse,isYES!

Thedazzlinglightwrapsaroundus....andthensuddenlydisappears.

Theremainingactors:meandanoldwoman.

Chapter24–Reminiscence~FuneralMarch~

Firepouringfromtheskylikerain…that’sthefirstsceneIremember.Mymother ’shand,thatIheldsodearly,seemedfartoolight.Iwasafraidtolookaboveit.Thenapalmburstingintheairturnsmysurroundingsintoaseaofflames.ShouldIrunsomeplace?Everythingiscoveredinfire…IzawaShizuewasslowlydrowningindespair.Andthen,shefeltshewasbathedinstronglight…

Ah…sothisiswhereIdie…

Shewasjustayounggirl,butthatmuchshecouldunderstand.Shewasfouratthetime.Withnorelatives,shelivedalonewithhermother.Herfatherwasdrafted,andhisfaceshecouldnotrecall.Shefeltneitherblessednorunfortunate.Thatbeingthenorm,shecoulddonaughtbutaccept.

“Doyouwishtolive?Ifyoudesirelife,answermycall!”

Avoiceresoundedinherhead.DoIwanttolive?Why?Idon’tunderstand.Shewastooyoungtoanswersuchaquestion.However…lookingathermotherwhowasreducedtonothingbutahand…Iwanttolive!Shescreamed.

«Acknowledged.Answeringthesummoner ’srequest…success»

Iwanttolivewithouthavingtofearthefire!

«Acknowledged.AcquiringExtraSkill[FireManipulation]…success»

ThenexttimeIopenedmyeyesIwasinademon’slair.Theoneinfrontofme,wasabeautifulDemonLord.

Longgoldenhair,blueeyes.Awellorderedface,almondshapedeyes.Andskinsopaleit’salmosttransparent.Sobeautifulthatitwouldn’tbestrangetomistakehimforawoman.LeonCromwell.HeiswhomthehumanscalltheDemonLord.AlsoknownastheBlondDevil.

「Aah…failedagain.」

Hesomuttered,losinginterestinher.However,hedidnotkillthegirlwhosebodywascoveredinburns.Shedidnotmattertohim.Andthegirl,foundthatfactvexing.Evennowshesometimesrecalls.Thatbeautifulface.And,thearroganteyes,devoidofinterest.Butatthetime,shecouldonlysurvivebyclingingtohim,

Intheend,shewassavedbytheDemonLord’swhim.

「Waitasecond…」

Shereachedouttohim.“Maybehe,beautifullikeanangel,wouldhealmypain?”Soshethought,but…

「Thoughtitwasjusttrash,butthisthingissuitablewithfire,huh.」

Withthosewords,hecalledforththeFlameGiantIfrit.Withnoincantation,asifhewerebreathing.AndthesummonedIfrit,obeyedwithoutquestion.

「Ibestowuponyouflesh.Useit!」

Thosewords,tothegirl,becameundeniableproofdashingherhopes.Andthus,thepainshefeltturnedintohatred–Asthiscurse(trauma)engraveditselfuponherheart.However,iscanalsobesaidthatthispossessionenabledhertokeepherlife.

Sincethen,howmuchtimehadpassed…?Asaflamedemon,sheruledoveroneoftheDemonLord’scastle.Byhisside,asahighdemon.

*Gotsungotsungotsun*

Thefootstepsreverberatedthroughthecastlehalls.TheDemonLordhadalreadyranaway.Abandoningthiscastle.Thegirlwastherearguard.Asacrificialpiece.TheDemonLordhadtreatedherasatooluntiltheveryend.Nothinghadindicatedotherwise.Theonewhowasapproachingwasthe“Hero”.Longblackhairgatheredintoaponytail,andcoveringherbody–blacklightarmor.AbeautythatwouldrivaltheDemonLord.Theonlydifference,theherowasawoman.Withoneglance,shewascertain.

Ican’twin!

WhenthatthoughtoverpoweredIfrit’sminds,alittleofthegirl’segohadreturned.Shelookedtheherointheeyes.

「He….helpme…」

Wordsthatone’deasilyignored.Who’dtrustthewordsofademon…?However,

「It’llbefinefromnowon.Goodjobenduringthisfar!」

Andfromthenonshewascaredbythehero.The“Anti-demonMask”sheworerestrainedIfritandhidherburns.Herwholebodyshecoveredwitharobe,andthusshefollowedthehero.Andoneday,shecametobecalledthe“ExplosionMonarch”.ThenonedaytheHeroleftonajourney.Herreasonshedidnotunderstand.ItwasprobablyareasontheHerocouldnotignore.Thegirlaswellplannedsimilaraction.Thatonedayshe’dsetofonajourney.TokilltheDemonLord.Whohadsavedherlife,andthenthrewheraway.Thatis,killingthedemonlordLeonCromwellbecameherlife’sgoal.Therefore,thegirlhardlyfoundthehero’sactionsreproachable.Buttherewasoneregretleft–shehadneverseenthehero’ssmile.

Sincethen,thegirlbecamefamousforherheroicdeeds.SometimescalledoneofthefoundersoftheFreedomAssociation,shehadworkedfortheexpansionandbenefitoftheAdventurerCooperationUnion.Shealsotookparttrainingadventurersandhersuccessors.

Atonetime,shehadtaughtexcellentpupils.Withasincere,puregaze–aboy.KagurazakaYuuki.Withadepressedgaze–agirl.SakaguchiHinata.ThesetwowereexcellentstudentsandfellowJapaneseWorldTravelers.Thesetwowerepolaropposites.ThebrightandoptimisticYuuki,andthegrudge-against-the-worldHinata.“That’sprobablybecauseHinatawasattackedthemomentshecamehere.”SothoughtShizue.Shewasabletokilltheassailants,andthusescapedsafely,butprobablymadesomefrighteningmemoriesasaresult.ShethoughtthatHinatawassomehowsimilartoherself,andthusgrewsympathetic.But,thatwasamistake.

「Sensei,thankyouforthecareyouhaveshown.IfearthereisnothingelseIcanlearnfromyou.Norshallwemeetagain,Ithink.」

Withthosewords,andwithoutasecondglance,Hinatahadleft.She,inameremonth,hadsurpassedShizueinstrength.Suchoverwhelmingexcellence…Afterafewyears,Hinatahadreceivedanimportantpostwithintheempire,butwasnotsatisfied.Rather,shehadtreatedthepromotionwithmildindifference…Incomparison,Yuukiwasasweetboy.AftertheAdventurersCooperationUnionhadformallychangeditsnametoFreedomAssociation,Yuukihadintroducedthecurrentrankingsystem.Asaresultofit,casualtiesduringsubjugationmissionsgreatlydecreased.Andthus,tothisday.ShizuehadbeensupportingYuukibehindthescenes.Thatis,shenolongercoulddoanythingbutguidenewadventurers.And,recently,Thetimeshespentasademonhavebeguntohauntherinherdreams.Asherlifespandwindled,shefeltshewasunabletorestrainIfrit’sconsciousnessanylonger.However,the“anti-demonmask”hasyettofailher.Soshetoldherself,“Idon’thavelongtolive!”“So,let’satleastshootanarrowatthedemonlord.”Thus,shedecidedtosetoff.WhichshereportedtoYuuki.Withoutaword,heacknowledgedherresolve.Perhapshehadwantedtostopher,but…Atthetime,amessagecamefromthetheFarmasKingdom’sguild.

Veldora’sdisappearanceconfirmed.Willcontinueinvestigation!

Wasitperhapssomedivineguidance?Inanycase,theyneededhelptobreakintotheforest.Someoneneededtoslipinwiththetrio.TheirspecialtiesshehadheardfromYuuki.Andasshehadheard,theywereacheerfulbunch.Shewasgladtohavemetsuchgoodcompanionsonherlastjourney.

Astrangecity.Savedbymonsters,theywerebroughtthere.

Well,itwasn’treallyacity,though;lackingasinglebuilding,everyonelivedintents.Clearlyatemporarymeasure.Evenso,itwasfulloflifeandmonsters(!)happilyworkedthere.Abizarrecity.Itwasunthinkable,inthefirstplace,tobesavedbymonsters.Hadsheusedherflamepowershecouldhaveeasilyburnedawaythegiantants;but,shefeltthatsheshouldn’t.Thatis,eachtimesheusedherpowers,Ifrit’sconsciousnesswouldstrengthen.Hernegligencecouldleadtoherpowersrunningwild.Thus,shemetastrangemonster,withtheattitudeofaking,arrogantlycarryingitself.Amusing.Althoughthemonstercouldspeak,thewordsutteredwere,“AlthoughIamaslime,Iamnotanevilslime”andsuch!Alinethatnoonewouldeverbelieve.

Thefuntimesabruptlyended.Istillhaven’tachievedmygoal…Atthemomentherlifeforceseemedtohavefinallyranout,Ifrittookoverherconsciousness.Again…I’llcauseproblemsfor…Asifsneeringatherthoughtsandhopes,thedemonhadmanifested.Andshelostherconsciousness.

……….

…..

..

Itriedtocheckonthewoman’scondition.Chancesare,nomatterhowlongIwait,Shewillprobablynotawaken.However,asacompatriotofmine,Iwanttoseeherthroughtotheend.Thoseweremythoughts.

Thethreeinjuredadventurerswereinhighspirits.

“Iwon’tbepayingyourhospitalbills!”Iwantedtoshout,but,

「Whatisthis?Theburnshavecompletelydisappeared…andmyskinfeelssmoothandshiny!」

「Awesome…withthoseinjuries,Ithoughtwe’dbebedriddenforweeks…」

「Well,I’llbe…theseguyshavesomeamazingmedicine.」

Theyseemtohavehealedwithoutissue.However,

「But,withthis,wewon’tbegettinganyinjurycompensation,willwe?」

「Yeah…Noonewe’llbelieveus…」

「Yup…butI’dtakethisoverbeingleftwithinjuries!」

Suddenlytheyhadstartedtodiscusstheirfinancialworries.Theycan’treadthemoodatall.Let’stellthemtocomehangoutheresometime,

「Whatshouldwereporttotheguildmaster?」

Butinstead,theyweretheoneswhoasked.Ihappilyleftamessageforthemtodeliver.Iadmireadventurers.But,sinceIprobablywon’tbeabletoavoidabackgroundcheck,registeringwiththeguildmayprovehardforamonster.Thus,torepayhisdebt,CabalwillmentionthenameRimurutotheguildmasterupontheirreturn.Really,whatagreatguy.Beingpleasedwiththem,Idecidedtogivethemsomepartinggifts,

Spiderrobe,Scalemail,Hard-leatherarmor,

Ihandedtothemthosegoodsalongwith10piecesoftherestorationmedicine.

「Wha!!!What’swiththisrobe!!!Solight,butsturdy!Actually,verysturdy!」

「Whoa!!!ThefamousScalemail!!!Wait,isn’tthismasterGarm’sproduct?!I’llmakeitmyfamilyheirloom!!!」

「Eeh!Isthisfine?Thisisclearlywastedonsomeonelikeme.Andtohaveusedtheskinoffangwolves…」

Whattosay,anoisierreactionthanexpect.Andwell,Igaveittothemcausetheylosttheirequipmentinthatfire,andIwouldn’tbeabletobuythemreplacementseither.Itwasclearlynotmyfault,butIcansympathizeabit.Andbesides,whatIgavethemisnaughtbutatestproduct.Which,ofcourse,Iwon’ttellthem.Causetheyaresohappywiththegifts.Noneedtodisappoint.Noproblem.Noneedtotellthemeither.Since,evenasatestproduct,it’sgoodquality!Well,iftheyarethishappy,they’lldefinitelydeliverthemessage.Intheend,thethreewouldcallmeDanna(Benefactor),andwerequiteattached.AndalthoughtheydidworrygreatlyforShizu-san,theysetoffthreedayslater.

Andaweekhadpassed.Shizu-sanhasawoken.

「Thisis…Isee…sorryforthetrouble」

She’sfullyconscious.Seemslikesheclearlyremembershertimeasthedemon.

「Isawadream…Anostalgicdream.Ofacity…towhichIcannolongerreturn」

InJapan?

「Hey,Slime-san.Couldyoutellmeyourname?」

IthoughtIalreadyintroducedmyselfasRimuru.

「Rimuru」

Sheclosedhereyesasifindeepthought.

「Couldyoutellmeyourrealname?」

Sosheasked.Hadshenoticed?Andafteramomentofhesitation.

「Fine.Youwon’tlastlonganyways.It’sMikamiSatoru.」

Myrealname.Didn’tthinkI’deversayitagain.

「AsIthought,you’reJapanese,huh…Iwonderedifthatwasthecase.Thatairyoucarry,youknow」

Silence.Andthen,

「Ialsoaskedthisofmydisciples.Whatdoyouthinkbecameofthatbeautifulcity?Theonethatturnedintoaseaofflames…?」

「Oh.Letmeshowyou.」

Havingsaidso,Iconveyedmymemorieswith[TelepathicCommunication].Atrulyusefulskillattimeslikethis.

「Ah…」

Atearrolleddownhercheek.And,

「…Slime-san…no,Satoru-san.Wouldyoulistentomyrequest?」

「Whatisit?」

Probablysomepointlessrequestanyways.But,sinceIdecidedtolookafterhertotheend,Icanatleastlistentoherrequest.

「Pleaseeatme…!」

What?Whatdidthisgrannyjustsay?

「Youatethecurseplaceduponme…Itmademesohappy.Well,Ididwanttobeattheguywhocursedmesenseless,but…Inanycase,itwouldhavebeenimpossibleforme.Mylastrequest.Couldyouputmetorestwithinyourself?Youknow,I…hatedtobeinthisworld.But,Icouldn’tbringmyselftohatethisworld…justlikethatguy…There’sachanceIsomeday…meetthatguyagain…So,Idon’twanttobereborninthisworld.Please.Ibegyou,eatme!」

Hmph.Whatarequest.It’sfartoosimpleforme.Formetobecomeherseal.Forme,tosucceedherhatred.AmIunsure?Toputherheartatease,andtosendheroffpeacefully..Imademydecision.

「Fine.I’llcarryoutyourvengeance.Whatishisname?」

Sheopenedhereyeswidetomyquestion,revealingtheburnmarks,andwithtearsflowingdown…

「LeonCromwell.ThestrongestDemonLord…」

Asifinaprayer,shelooksmeintheeyes.

「Iswear!BythenameMikamiSatoru…no,bythenameRimuruTempest!I’llforceLeonCromwelltoregrethavingincurredyourhatred.」

Thankyou…shemuttered.

And,sheclosedhereyes.Andasiffallingasleep,herlastbreathescapedher.

«ActivateUniqueSkill[Predator]?[YES]/[NO]»

Restinpeace,withinme![YES]!Irespond.And,Ipray…Withinme,withoutwakingforeternity,mayyouseeonlythehappiestofdreams…

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:SlimeDivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:OnewhoCommandsMonstersMagic:NoneSkills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],Lizard[BodyArmor],Wolf[SupremeSenseofSmell,TelepathicCommunication,Intimidation,ShadowStep,BlackLightning],FireGiant[Clone,FlameChange,AreaBoundary]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

———————————————

*Gotsungotsungotsun…*

Thegirlliftsherfaceup.HerYoung,lovely,face.And,withrelief,shesmiled.

Hereyouwere!Don’tleavemeagain!

Buttheshadowsofmenonlyshooktheirheads,pointingsomeplace.Thegirl,herfaceturningsad,lookedtowheretheywerepointingto.Andthere,

Mother!!!

Filledwithhappiness,sherushedtowardsherparent.Theshadows,havingconfirmedthis,disappeared.Asiftheyneverexistedinthefirstplace.Perhaps,theywerebutphantomscreatedbythegirlherself…

Andso,thegirlreunitedwithhermother.Herlongjourneyhadnowcometoanend.

Chapter25–HumanTransformation!

Shizu-sansaid.Shepassedmeherlife’sonlygoal.Now,torealizethegoalthatbefallsme,Imuststarttogatherinformationabout“DemonLord”.Ihadacceptediteasily,butthepromiseImademustbefulfilled.Iamamanwhokeepshispromises.

Sheleftmewithanewability.AUniqueSkill[Shapeshifter]andExtraSkill[FireManipulation].Incidentally,itseemsIalsoateFlameGiant(Ifrit).Eventhoughitwasn’tmyenemy,thisguyisstilldangerous.Afterall,thisguysurpassesrankA.Withoutaquestion,neitherBlackSnakenorBlackWolfwouldbeabletowinagainstit.Ineedtoresearchitsabilities,littlebylittle.

Butbeforethat!TherewassomethingmoreimportantthatIneedtocheckrightnow.Right!Humanization!!!Ienterasimpletent,newlysetupformypersonalneeds.Noonecanenter!Isaidandclosedthedoor.

Kukuku,Kuhaha,Kuhahahaha!

Icorrectlyexecuteathree-stagelaughter.(TL:itlikeshowvillainslaugh,Ithink.LiketheoneVerudorauseinchapter3.)

“Traaaaan~form!”

Althoughtherearen’tanysoundeffects,executingMimicry:Human!It’safirsttimeI’mlookingforwardtothemimickedbodythismuch.However,

............What?

Oyaoyaoya.....Theblackfogthatalwaysappearedduringmimickingdidn’tcomeout.What’sgoingon!So,Ithought,butmyeyelevelbecameslightlyhigher.Icouldalsofeelhandsandfeet.And,myskincolorchangedfromthenormalpaleblue.Mu,mumumu?ThoughIdon’treallygetit,IfeelsomewhatdifferentthanfromwhatIhadintended.It’sashamethattherewasnomirror.However,Although,Idon’twanttoadmititbutIrememberoncefeelingthesameway.Alongtimeago…around30yearsago.FeelsjustlikewhenIhadbeenattendingelementaryschool.Iwantedtostoptothinkforabit.ButtherewassomethingIhadjustnotice;therewasabigdifference.It’sgone.InthenewformIhadtaken,mySonhadbeenmissing....!!!!!!Whatisthemeaningofthis?Ipanicked.Iimmediatelywenttocheck.Thus,Icametoknowashockingfact....No....,none.Smooth,therewasnothing.We~llwell,ifyouthinkaboutit,whenImimicrymonsters,Ihadneverwonderedaboutsuchthings.Withnoneedforexcretion,Ican’tbeexpectingtosuddenlyhavethoseorgans,canI…Anobvioustruth…I,whodoesn’treproduce,hasnoneedforreproductiveorgans.Theanswer......,thestateIinrightnow,thefactwas.....Withdeepsenseofloss,Iunderstand!Suddenlyaworrybesetme.Noway!Itrycheckingmyheadinahurry.Ithadbushyandsoftfeel.Iletoutasighofrelief.Idon’tlooklikeanalienorsomesuspiciousperson…thankgoodness!Cometothinkaboutit,theblackwolf’sfurwasalsobushy.Justimaginingafur-lessmonstersmakesmefeelbad.....

Stop.Anyfurtherthoughtsmayprovedangerous.Now,hadI,whoalwaysmaintainsacoolhead,becameflustered?Bythistime,Ihadalreadyacceptedthethingregardingmyson.However,it’sratherpainfulthatIcan’tcheckthisbody......Andthen,aniceideacomestomind.CanIuse“Clones”?Asexpectedfrommyself.Whetherit’spossibletouseinthisstate—Idon’tknow;but,let’stryit.Blackfoggushesoutfrommybody,itgathersinfrontofmyeyesandturnsintohumanform.Inamoment,itcompleted.This....isdangerous.It’sdangerous,inmanyways.

Firsttheappearance.Thefigureislovelysilverhaired,beautifulgirl?Orbeautifulboy?It’snaturalbecausethereisnosex,but....Inanycase,thefeaturesweremorelikethoseofagirl.Probably,becausetheoriginalbodywasShizu-san’s,mygeneswerenowheretobeseen.Thatwas,well…probablytobeexpected.Alovelychild,standingnaked.Well,therearenopartstobehidden…Butthat’snottheproblem,thisseemsmorallydangerous.But,theinsanelycuteface.ToShizu-san>GOODJOB!Letmesaythat.IwasaNiceGuy,butneverthisbeautiful.Thus,Ihonestlythankyou.Iwaswrappedinfur,andtheclonealsoappearedwithit.Rightnow,Istillhadnotpreparedanyclothes.

Thereasonwhyit’sdangerouswas.Becauseofitsabilities.Theclonehadexcellentthinkingcapabilities,andcompletelylinkedtome.Whichmean,bothareme.Thereisnodifferencebetweenthemainbodyandtheclone.No,theabilityoftheflamegiant(Ifrit)’sclonesclearlyareinferior.Yet,Ifeelthatmyclonearenotinferior.No,Iwonderifitislacking.....Therearedifferences.Inthemagicpowercapacity.Originallytheamountofmagicpoweryoucanuseislimited.Itcan’tusemorethanoriginallygiventoit.It’spossibletokeepgivingitmoremagicpower,however.Ihavequitealotofmagicpower.DependingonhowIuseit,itcanbeprettypowerful.However,theflamegiant(Ifrit)’screatedabout10clones,whereasmyhighperformanceclonesarelimitedtoasinglebody.Though,ifseenfromopponent’sside,it’sdefinitelyacheat.

Thelastreason.Therewasalackofdiscomfortwhenmimicking..Inoticeditwhentheblackfogdidnotoccur.Forexample,blackwolf.

Whenturningintotheblackwolf,themimicryconfiguresitinsidetheblackfog.But,it’sinferiortoslime’sbodyabilities.Eventhoughslime’sbodydoesn’thavelimbs,therearenorestrictionsonitsphysicalmovement,becausethecellabilitieswereabnormallyhigh.Eachoneofthecellsismuscle,brain,andalsonerve.Doyougetit?Theeyetransmitsinformationthatthebrainthenprocesses.Buttheslimeavoidsthisprocess.With“GreatSage”correctionmyperceptionspeedare1000timesthenorm.Thusmyreactionspeed,isfarabouttheordinaryperson.However,thebodycreatedinsidetheblackfoghassomelag-time—forthethoughtstoreachthebrain=actualbrain.Perhaps,thedropinqualityoftheclonewascausedbythis.But,mimickingthehumanbeingdoesnotreleaseblackfog....?Becauseitsreactionspeedisequaltotheslime.Thus,nodiscomfort.And,duethefactthattherearelimbsnow,itsmotormovementsarebetter…But,it’sachild.Still,it’seasiertomovethanasslime.Also,becausetherenoneedforblackfog,thereisnoneedtoconsumemagicpower.Fromnowon,let’stryconsideringthisasthemainform!SoIthought.

SuddenlyIgotanidea,soIissueanordertotheclone.Tochangeitself,smoothly.Theclonebegantogrowth!!!Thephysiquebecomesslurry.FlutteringSilverhair.Beautiful,medievallooksPerfect!Furthermorefromit,itcanchangeintowomanormanofanytype.Itcanbecomemachoorfat,italsocanbecameyoungmanoroldman.Ifounditpossibletomimicintovarietyofconditions.Also,thereasonfortheblackfogwasapparentlytoaccommodatetheadditionalmass,soturningintoanadultrequiresit.ThismightbegoodasIcanthusenhancemyphysicalstrength.Althoughthereactionspeeddecreases,itismoreadvantageoustohavelargerstrength.

Well,speedarealsooneofthemoreimportantelementsinafight!So,Ithink.FromthenonIcarriedoutmoreexperiments,andgotusedtothisbody’abilities.

ThusI,inthisworld,gotmyhandsonahumanbody!

Chapter26–NewAbilities

Wellthen,nowthatIacquiredahumanbody,Ican’tbewalkingaroundin“fur”forever!SoIrequestedasetofclothingtobemade.Whiletheslimebodyiscertainlyconvenient,ishasfatalflawstoit.Andthatflawisthelackofequipment.Thatis,otherthansomespecialmagicitems,Icouldnotequipanything.It’snotlikeIfeelcoldoranything,butIwantsomeextradefense.Equipmentthatcouldprotectmefromatleastonehit.Besides,thedwarfshavemademanyarticleswiththematerialsthegoblinshavehunted.Firstandforemost,I’llhaveasetofkidsclothingprepared.Thus,Iwenttothedwarfs.Ormoreprecisely,tothetailoringlogcabinwhichwasrecentlyfinished…apparently.TheeldestdwarfGarmwasbusyorderingthegirls(Goblinas),andoverseeingproduction.

「Yo!Garm-kun.There’ssomeclothingIwantyoutomakeme!」

「…Danna.Whatareyousaying?Howareyouplanningonwearingit?Youcan’tuseequipment,can’tyou?」

「Fufufu.Fuhaha,haaaaahahahaha!Don’tlookdownonme!Youthoughtitwasthe“can’twearanything”me,huh!Well,notanymore!Haaaaaaaaa!!!」

「Wha…what!!!Danna‘sbodyisgrowing…not.Akid,huh?」

「Tch.Notsuprised,eh…Ohwell.Icanbecomeanadult,butIwantyoutofirstmakesomeclothingforthisform!」

「O..okay.Then,we’llstartbymeasuringyoursize!Oi,Haruna.IleaveDanna‘smeasurementstoyou.」

Iwasmeasuredbyoneofthetailors,Haruna.Ofcourse,althoughIwasnaked,Iwasnotembarrassed.Sincethere’snothingthere…

「My!Howcuteyou’vebecome,Rimuru-sama!」

Harunasaidwhilerecordingmysize.Cute?Imean,IknowIthinkI’mcute,butforthegoblinstoagree.Mustsay,I’msurprisedthatmonstersevenhaveanaestheticsense.Idecidedtospendthefollowingdaybytryingoutmynewskills.

Iheadoff.IfIwanttopeacefullytryoutnewskills,it’sbestfornoonetobearound.HavingnotifiedRigurdoofmyabsence,Iorderedeveryonetosteerclear.And,throughthecenterofthecity,Iheadintothecave.TheplacewhereImetVeldora.Thatundergroundcaverniswide,unnaturallydense,and,mostofall,uninhabited.Thecave’smonstersstayawayoutoffear.Nowthen,let’sstarttestingtheseout.I’vegot,uniqueskill[Shapeshifter],extraskill[FireManipulation].FromtheFlameGiant,[Clone],[FireState],and[AreaBoundary].SowhatshouldIstartwith…Sincecloningseemspromisinglet’sstartwiththeFlameGiant.FireState,huh.Wouldn’tactivateasaslime.Chancesare,thisskillactivatesonlyundercertainconditions…Iwonderwhattheyare.AsforAreaBoundary,thatIcoulduse.But,Idon’tgetit.Sothepointoftheskillistosealthermalenergywithinabarrierandpreventanyfromleaking,huh?ButifIcanactivatethisskill,whycan’tIuse[FireState]…waitasecond.Didn’tIjustgetmyhandsonabarrier?Okay.Inthefirstplace,thisskill’smainstrengthseemstobeintrappingopponents.Quiteaversatileskill,isn’tit?Theboundariesmaximumrangeis100meters,shapedintohalfasphere.Doesnotexpandunderground.

ThesmallestIcouldgetitwasjustenoughtocovermybody.It’seffectdidnotchange.Onlythesizedid.It’sstrength?IcreateacloneontopofwhichIaffixedtheboundary.Then,Ishotoutawaterbladeatthebarrier.“Bashii!!!”Itwasrepelled.Hoho…It’sthatstrong?Inthatcase,let’stryoutthe[ParalysisBreath]and[NoxiousBreath].Thatexperimentshowedthattheskillusesupalotofmagicalenergy.WiththeenergyIleftwiththeclone,thebarrierwithstood[ParalysisBreath]withouttakinganydamage,butcollapsedunder[NoxiousBreath].Inotherwords,aslongasIsupplymagicalenergy,thebarrierwillhold.Then,Icreatedaclonewithconsiderableamountofmagicalenergy,andsetupabarrier.IamplanningontryingouttheBlackWolf’s[BlackLightning]skill.Asablackwolf,itispossibletomodifytherangeandstrengthoftheskill.Itstwolonghornsareusedtoalterjustthat.Sinceaslimehasnohorns,“Useitall!”ishowtheskillworks.Thus,Isetthepowertomaxandtherangetoasingletarget…fire!Asforthebarrier,Isetittoitslowestsetting.Ifthesizeissmall,theconsumptionshouldalsodecrease.Theresult,

*Pika!…..Chudooooooooon!!!*

Noteventhedustwasleft.It’stoodangerous!So…IguessIcan’ttrustinthebarrierallthatmuch.Inthefirstplace,whydidhedisappearifIhaveelectriccurrentresistanceandthermalfluctuationresistance?Somehowthismakesnosense.Maybethis[BlackLightning]skillisactuallyaspecialskillrankedaboutextraskills.Butmanthissentachilldownmyback.“GoodthingIdidn’tcarelesslytryitonmyself!”Suchweremyhonestthoughts.However,thefactthatIneedtomimicablackwolftousethisskillgreatlylimitsitsapplicability.

Then,Imimickedtheflamegiant,andtriedtouse[FireState]again.TheresultwasthatIchangedintoa2000degreecloud.But,asexpected,theheatdissipatestooquicklyifIdon’tmaintainthebarrier.Thisskill,too,highlydependsonthesituation.Bytheway,whenIuseitwiththebarrier,[FireState]isanamazingskill.AsexpectedofanArank(+?).Thatis,[FreyaSphere]isacombinationofthebarrierandfirestatethatburnstheopponentfromtheinside;inotherwords,anylivingthingthatbreathesairwillsurelyperish.Myaffinityagainsttheopponentwasreallygood!Asforhowtousetheskill,I’llconsiderthatlater.

Nowwithrespecttoextraskill[FireManipulation].Ican’tseemtoexplodethingslikeShizu-sandid.Whatthetrickcouldbe,Idon’tknow…Lightafireatmyfingertip,throwfirefromthepalmofmyhand–suchpartytricksareeasy.Also,Imanagedtogatherheatinmyhandandradiateit,thuscreatingaFireBlaster.Andwait,ifIgathertheheat,thepowerincreases.Imean,normally,fireisatabout200degreesCelsius.IfIgatherit,itrisesto1600degrees.Now,justlikewith“WaterBlade”,Ijustneedtoshootoutthismagicalenergy.Itstruckmytargetat10metersawaywithatemperaturesurpassing1400degrees.ThissplendidskillIdecidedtocall“FlameBullet”.Looksjustlikeacertainalien’sfinisher,fingerbeam.Also,Icanprobablyjustcreateafireballinmyhandandburnmyopponents.WouldIdosomethingasdangerousasgrabbingsomeone’sheadandthreateningtoburnthem?Yeah,Iprobablywould.Additionally,sinceitseemsIcanfurtherraisethetemperaturewithpractice,IshouldcontinuedoingsountilIcanmanageanexplosion.Afterall,unlikemonsters’skills,it’spracticemakesperfecthere.

Nowthen,regardingthelastnewskill.Thatis,[Shapeshifter].

Thatnamesoundstoomuchlikeshoplifter…howunpleasant.Iwon’tbeawakeningtoanycriminaltendencies,willI…NotthatIevenfallasleep.Anyways,let’stryouttheskill.But,Ihaveabsolutelynoideahowtodothat.Atatimelikethis,[GreatSage]savestheday!Sensei!Please!!!

«Solution.TheeffectsofUniqueSkill[Shapeshifter]

Fusion:Theabilitytomergeintoasinglebeingwiththetargetedfellow.

Division:Theabilitytoseparateoneselfandthebeingpossessingyou.(Ifthetargetwhoisbeingseparatedlacksaphysicalform,theycoulddisappear)

Thesetwoabilitiesareyourstowield.»

Isee.SoShizu-san’sdevilappearancewastheresultofthisuniqueskill,huh?Justmyfirstimpressions,butwouldn’tthisskillmixwellwithmine?Althoughthisslimebodydoesn’tsweat,Icertainlyfeltcoldsweatatthatthought.Thisisessentiallythefirststepinunderstandinganopponentsabilities.But,moreimportantly,can’tIusethistoerasetheirskills?

«Solution.Skillsengraveduponthesoulcanneitherbeseparatednordestroyed.»

Sadly,itwasn’tthatomnipotent.But,Iamcertainthatitwillmixwellwithmyskills.Forexample,couldIcombinewiththemonstersImimic?Shizu-sanhadcombinedwiththeIfritwhoresidedinherconsciousness,couldIalsobecomeadevilthisway?Deviltransformationshouldbesomethinglikeoverwritingoriginalbody’sabilitieswiththedesiredone.Perhapsasanoption,Icanalsochangemyphysicalappearance.Thus,Itrytoimagineit.TooverlaytheFlameGiantsabilitiesontopoftheslime.

Iwasn’tplanningonanythinggaudy,buthadmyfaceraiseitstemperatureto200degrees.SeemslikeIcannowuse[FireState]eveninthisform.Uponactivatingthatskill,myaurahadbecomethatofaflame.My“facial”temperaturealsoroseover1400degrees.Seemslikethiscouldbeusedasaweaponnow.IfIamevercaptured,Icouldprobablyusethistoescape.

Thus,ItriedfusingwitheverymonsterIhadeatenthusfar.Thespidergavemewhitespots.Asacentipede,Igrewfangs.Gross.Thelizardhadmegrowscales.Thebat…mademesproutdemonlikewings.Aslimewithdemon’swings.Looksprettycoolactually.Astheblackwolf,Iturnedblackandgrewtwohorns.Hornslikethoseofaunicorn.ButbecauseIcan’tsee,Iactuallystillworryaboutwhereexactlythehornsareplaced.Next,theblacksnake.Mybodywascoveredinagoldpattern.

Now,evenasaslime,Icanfullyuseeveryskill.Asforthevisual…Now,couldIfusemultipletimes?Theanswer,yes.However,nomorethantwice.Icouldnotmanageathird.However,mostofthemonster ’sskillsdonotrequirefusion.Evenifthepotencyoftheskilldecreases,aslongasIcanactuallyuseit,Idon’tseemuchofaproblem.TheskillsIactuallyneedtotransformforare…[FireState],and[BlackLighting]–justthem.Althoughnotaskill,Idoneedtomimicthebatinordertouseitsflightabilities.Icangrowflightlesswings,however.Therefore,FlameGiant,BlackWolf,orGiantBat–choosetwooftheseaccordingtothesituationathand;thatwillprobablybecomethebasicstrategyfromnowon.Well,aslongastheirabilitiesareuseful,ofcourse.

Bytheway,ifItrytofusewhilemimicking…Icanmixatotalofthreebodies.Thus,I’vebecomeachimera.Thankyouverymuch…No,actually,theintimidatingpowerofthemonstersdoesn’tchangeallthatmuch.Theblackwolfandsnakeare,afterall,themostdangerousoftheonesIhave.WhicheverIuseasabase,thepowerdoesn’tchangemuch,buttheblackwolfisafarsuperiorbaseduetoaninherentlyhigherspeed.SowhenI’minarealpinch,I’llbedependingonhimasusual.

How,then,dotheabilitieschangewhenthebaseishuman?Wasmynextthought.Human’sformprimarymeritistheabilitytoequipthings.WhereasanymonsterandmagicbeastImimicwillinadvertentlybelackingequipment.Further,therearecertainlypowerfulskillstobeusedwhileinhumanforms.Butfornow,letmediscussthevisualchanges,FlameGiant:Myhairandeyesturnedcrimson.BlackWolf:Myhairturnedblack,withtwocowlicksstickingout…wherearetheearsandtail,damnit!!!BlackSerpent:Myeyesturnedgreenandsnakelike.Handsandfeetbecamecoveredinscalesandgrewclaws.GiantBat:Igrewdemonwings.TheskillsIcannotusewithoutmimickingarethesameasbefore.SoifIobtainsomecursedswordsinthefuture,thisappearancemaybecomethenormforcombat.NowthatIthinkaboutit,Ishouldprobablytrymakingoneofthose.Ifanything,Icanfusewithinorganicsubstancesaswell.Whatwouldthatmean?Probablygainingspecialattributesandabilitiesinherenttotheweaponorsomething.WhilethisiscertainlysomethingIwouldliketotestout,Ireallydon’tknowanythingaboutthistopic.Besides,todefeatthedemonlord,shouldn’tIbesearchingforsomeholysword?Well,whenIentersomekingdom,I’lllookaround.

…Icompletelyforgottotestoutmyresistances.Firsttonote,alongwithextraskill[FlameManipulation]IhadacquiredFireAttackResistance.Butevenso,surelyifIwerethrownintothesunI’dburnanddie.Thus,thequestionishowmuchcanIresist?This,Ijusthavetotestwithmyownabilities.Upuntilnow,Ifearedreceivingdamages,andavoidedsuchpractice,butIamadifferentslimetoday!JustasIhadconsideredwhiletesting[BlackLightning]before,it’stimetoexperimentonmyownbody.IhavetofindoutjusthowmuchdamageIcanendure.ThoughIworryslightly,thisexperimentisabsolutelycrucial.Icreateacloneandcontrolhim.Ofcourse,asaslime.IfIdidthiswhilelookinglikeachild,whatwouldthereadersthink?!Thecurrentclonelookslikeachild,butIcanalsomakeoneofaslime.Furthermore,ifIgetusedtothis,itseemslikeIcanalsoreplicatetheequipmentIworeatthetimeofcloning.Thecloningskillisonlylimitedasfarasyouruniqueskillsallow.

First,[GreatSage]Aslongastheuseriswithinakilometerradius,aclonecanbecreated.Shouldtheusergobeyondthatlimit,theconsciousnesslinkissevered,andtheclonecanonlyrespondtobasiccommands.Sincevisionisalwaysshared,andanordercanbechangedatanytime,theclonecanbeusedforlongrangereconnaissancemissions.

Second,[Predator]Thestomachcanonlyreleasethetruebody.Aclonecanbepredatedandstored,butcannotbeextracted.However,feedbackregardingskills,etc.canbeacquired.

Third,[Shapeshifter]Onlyonefusionisallowed.Divisionisunchanged.

Uponextensiveresearchafewlimitationswererevealed,buttheskillremainsprettypowerful.Thus,Isparredafewtimeswithmyclone.Theresult,“WaterBlade”isverypowerful.

Blackserpentfallsafterasingleattack.Blackwolf,aftertwo.Therestyoucanguessyourself.“FlameBullet”isonlyabeamshotfrommyfingertips,butterrifyinglypowerful.However,asapiercingattack,theenemiesdeathisnotguaranteed.Whiletheirheadandvitalsbecometheirweakpoints,Ihavetohitthosefirst.Forexample,althoughIhadshotthroughthesnake’shead,itdidnotfall.HadIletmyguarddown,Imighthavebeendefeated.Thus,althoughit’sstrongerthan“WaterBlade”,it’shardertokillwith.Ihadacceptedthispointtooeasily.Thestrongestskillis[BlackLightning]Thestrongestpairis[BlackWolfandFlameGiant]–theclonedidn’timmediatelydiewithbarrierandfirestateinvoked.Rather,IhavetosaythatIsomehowmanagedtodefeatit.Perhapsitsbesttothinkoffirestateasadefensiveratheroffensiveskill.Evenso,otherthanthestrongestcombination,noskillsfoundthusfarcandefendagainstit.Furthermore,whilemimicking,ifenoughdamageisreceived,Ireturnbacktonormal;however,thedamageincurredisnottransmittedtothetruebody.Thus,ifIdiefromasingleattack,itcanproperlybecalledanoverkill.Andthus,I’veobtainedvariousdata.Therestcanbeverifiedvia[GreatSage]’ssimulations.

Takingontheappearanceofachild,Ibegintoleave.Alongtheway,Iencounteredacentipede…whoquicklyranawayatthesightofme.Fufufu.Mypresencehasfinallybeenrecognized.AlthoughtotheeyesIlookjustlikeachild!

Status

Name:RimuruTempestSpecies:Slime(Human-transformationpossible)DivineProtection:theStormCrestTitles:OnewhoCommandsMonstersMagic:None

Skills:UniqueSkill[GreatSage],UniqueSkill[Predator],Slime-SpecificSkills[Dissolve,Absorb,Regenerate],ExtraSkill[WaterManipulation],ExtraSkill[MagicPerception],AcquiredSkills:BlackSerpent[HeatDetection,NoxiousBreath],Centipede[ParalysisBreath],Spider[StickyThread,SteelThreat],Bat[UltrasoundWaves],Lizard[BodyArmor],Wolf[SupremeSenseofSmell,TelepathicCommunication,Intimidation,ShadowStep,BlackLightning],FireGiant[Clone,FireState,AreaBoundary]Resistances:ThermalFluctuationResistanceEX,PhysicalAttackResistance,PainResistance,FireAttackResistance,ElectricityResistance,ParalysisResistance

EndoftheEmpowermentArc