Story Name: Frost and Chaos
This is my try at a RimuruxVelzard story. Rimuru will be slightly different, as I found him to be unreasonably childish in the anime and manga. Also, the ease with which he stopped caring about returning confused me so I'm going to give my own reason for that and change his past a little. This will start after Rimuru meets Veldora and is on his way out of the cave, right before his first encounter with the adventures.
For conversations that have basically nothing to do with Rimuru or that his presence in the world doesn't affect him, I will mostly just keep the conversations the same. Like I did with the adventures in this chapter…If I make a second part for this. Also, most of the side stories such as Shizue's won't be added as nothing will change, and at that point, it would just be straight plagiarism and I don't consent to that.
Also, I don't know why the door to Veldora is inside the cave instead of just being the door to the outside so that's what I'm going to change. Rimuru already gained all the original skills and killed the monsters before arriving at the door that will lead him outside where he first meets Kabal and his group who are opening the door to enter the cave leading to Veldora's resting place like the anime had it.
|Great Sage| = Skill
"Normal Talk"
'Thinking/Talking to Great Sage'
'Thought Communication'
{Great Sage} = Great sage responding to I
Unknown Cave
I was in a good mood. I had been experimenting with the new abilities I had gained from fighting in the cave for the past two days and was relatively surprised with how things turned out. I was originally worried about his body considering I was rather soft and easily harmed, as shown by my interaction with the wall earlier even with my reduced damage effect though that was rectified after I killed and devoured the armorsaurus thing and got the |body armor| skill. The next problem that I had thought of after gaining better control of his magic sense was his inability to talk which once again was quickly dealt with after I ran across a bat and gained the |Ultrasonic Wave| skill. While that alone could not help him, |Great Sage| quickly found a way to help him talk using the skill. Hence what I was currently keeping myself occupied with while I plotted out the cave a little more.
"TeSTinG TestInG OnE Two Three." I had been at it for over an hour and was finally starting to see some lasting improvement in his control of the volume of his voice. Of course, his constant shouting tended to attract monsters to him but with his |Control Water| skill and other abilities, it wasn't all that hard to kill them…Actually, I only noticed it recently but the monster around him seemed to be pitifully weak despite being so close to where Veldora had been resting for so long.
"TesTing Testing One Two Three." Finally, after almost four hours of practicing, I had finally gained enough control to put the emphasis where I wanted it and not have to rely on others to guess whether I was asking a question or making a statement. I was slightly annoyed by the fact that it took almost four hours just to get it down, but that was to be expected after all, using magic and magicules was completely new to him and was like using a muscle I had never even known existed, much less properly trained.
Turning the corner I noticed one of the oldest gates I had ever seen embedded in the wall of the cave. It had complex ancient patterns decorating it, though most were obscured by the dirt and grime that covered the doors after years of not having been opened
"Finally a way out" I exclaimed happily as I started to roll his way over to the gate. However, I forced myself to come to a quick halt as I noticed the door start to creak as if someone was opening it. Considering there were no monsters anywhere near here or the gate then that could only mean it was someone on the outside coming inside. Turning I quickly rolled behind a bundle of rocks and his from sight. 'I thought Veldora-san said no one would come to this cave.' I thought to myself as I used his |magic sense| to observe the area around the gate.
"Whew! Finally got this thing open. The whole lockin' mechanism must've rusted out…" a male voice came from the doorway
"Yeah, I'll bet. Nobody's even tried going in for three hundred years or whatever, right?" A second male voice questioned soon after the first voice rang out.
"There are no records of anyone attempting an entry. Are you sure we're safe? We are not leaving ourselves open to a sudden attack right…?" A new voice asked this time feminine and soft, a stark contrast to the two distinctly male and rough voices from before.
"Gah-hah-hah-hah!" Laughing at the second voice, I faintly noticed that it was the deeper voice of the two males. "Come on. Maybe this guy was invincible a few centuries back, but it's just a big overgrown lizard, you know? I told you guys 'bout how I bagged a basilisk solo once, didn't I? It'll be fine!"
"I was wondering about that, actually," The feminine voice rang out once again. "Are you sure that's the truth, Kabal? A basilisk is a B-plus-ranked monster. You truly handled that yourself?" She asked.
"Quit playing dumb! I'm B-ranked, y'know! Some huge reptile ain't gonna faze me!" The now-named Kabal answered in an incredulous tone as he seemed to try to hype himself up to his companions.
"All right, all right. Just keep your guard up, if you can. And remember, we can always use my escape skill if things turn sour…" She spoke once again, this time trying to calm him down.
"Can we save the friendly chit-chat for later?" The original voice interjected with a slightly annoyed tone. "I need some quiet. It's just about time for me to activate my |Concealing Arts|!" I spoke as his voice seemed to slightly strain from concentration.
'They are quite a loud bunch, aren't they…Not that I have any room to talk…or think at least.' The line of thought brought me back to his earlier actions. "Wait, why can I understand them? I doubt they speak Japanese and I haven't learned any other languages." I realized before asking |Great Sage| as it was likely to know why.
{Answer: Your |Magic Sense| skill can be adapted to decipher sound waves that have willful meaning stored in them in the same way you can transmit these sound waves to talk.} Great sage responded almost immediately with an explanation.
"That's good…So I should be able to speak with them by analyzing the language that they were just speaking, right?" I asked with a hopeful tone. I was never any good at learning foreign languages. I was usually the kid in the back of the class, bitching all like, "Why do I need this? I'm not gonna ever live outside Japan anyways!"
{Answer: Yes with the use of Analyze and Assess I have learned the language and can transfer the knowledge to you. Would you like me to? YES/NO} Great sage asked.
'Yes of course…But I thought we would need to hear more of the language to get a complete grasp over it.' I excitedly agreed before thinking about how easy it was to gain it.
{Answer: The language is not concealed thus by hearing part of it the sub-skill |All of Creation| and the connection to the Words of the World the language was fully comprehended and all unconcealed branches of the language along with it.} Great sage faithfully responded
' I see that's good to know.' I blankly thought as I processed all the information that flowed into my mind. It was only when I finally processed everything and turned my |Magic Sense| back to them did I realized that they seemed to be rapidly fading from sight…However, I could still see them thanks to |Sense heat source| and |Magic Sense|. He did mention a "concealing" something or other—some kind of skill, presumably. I wonder what he learned that for. Not for sneaking into people's private spaces, hopefully. How scandalous. I'll have to make friends with him later.
I waited until they had completely left to move out of my hiding spot and the door I could now see was letting in light from what I could only guess was the outside. I slid up to the side of the door and let my |Magic Sense| expand outwards to see if there was anyone or anything outside. After I confirmed it was safe I rolled my body to the front of the door and looked outside. I don't know what I was expecting as Veldora had already told me that we were located in a forest, but I know for sure that I wasn't expecting such a beautiful scene.
The entrance appeared slightly elevated so I could see over the tops of the tree slightly after I had moved to the top of the doorway…And it was beautiful. It reminded me of the feeling of visiting a nature reserve after not leaving big cities for years. As far as my |Magic Sense I could see there were so many trees that in certain parts I didn't doubt that it would succeed in blocking out the sunlight. After having been trapped in the cave for ninety days I was so excited to finally be out. I then took a deep breath of the clean, fresh, forest air…Only to realize I couldn't smell anything. I felt my emotions falter as that realization hit me. In the end, I only really had my sense of hearing, sight, and touch left, and two of those I only had due to skills.
"Sigh~, Oh well at least I still have three…And who knows maybe I'll find a way to gain the other two later." I pumped myself up with a small pep talk as I descended from the top of the gate into the forest below. Tuning my |Magic Sense| a bit I made it to where it seemed like I simply had eyes and turned my body while moving to look at all the plants. Over the few hours that I had been out here, I had run into a pack of wolves that seemed to want to stalk me but they ran away after I tried to talk to them. "Why are they all running away from a slime?" I asked no one in particular, not even |Great Sage|
"They are all scared of the aura leaking off of you." Came a smooth reply that caused my slime body to jump upwards in fear. After all, I was simply talking to myself I did not expect a response unless it was coming from |Great Sage|. "Fufufu~. How cute." The voice was soft as silk and beautifully reminiscent of wind chimes.
I quickly let my magic sense expand back to full might and was greeted with a surprising sight. Behind me stood a girl no older than a high schooler. She had eyes as blue as diamonds and long, glossy pearl-white hair tied into twin tails reaching her waist. Her attire consists of an off-shoulder white and blue dress and blue boots. She also wears detached white sleeves, a blue star-shaped pendant, and a gold headband.
She was currently looking at me with a small smile and a light of amusement in her eyes. But the thing that confused me was that even with |Sense heat source| trained in her there was nothing. Even when it came to presence, it was as if she didn't exist.
"You don't need to try to sense me out. It won't work." She spoke in a casual tone as if chatting about the weather. "In this form, all my magicules are suppressed… I can give you a peak if you want though." At that, her smile turned more darkly amused than the peaceful smile that she showed earlier.
"N-No th-thank y-you." I stuttered out while slightly shaking. |Great Sage| was sending off warnings about the person before him and was advising him against opposing or accidentally insulting her.
Even |Magic Sense| seemed to be failing to see her completely. She seemed to be there yet the little bit I could sense seemed so infinitely deep that with even the smallest mistake it would swallow me whole and leave nothing behind. Her presence made me feel as if someone had placed a mountain on my back, it was crushing and suffocating. I quickly cut off my |Magic Sense|'s deeper observation skill and quickly felt the weight and feeling disappear.
"Smart." Her smile returned to normal. "If you had agreed, the sheer weight of my presence and magicules would have wiped you out. That feeling you had just now with that light look would have been amplified countless times over. Luckily for you, this form completely suppresses any excess presence so you don't need to worry about your safety." She spoke leisurely as if it were normal
{Notice: The being before you has an unknown number of magicules estimated to be larger than 50x your own. Extreme caution is advised when dealing with her.} Great Sage had been repeating this warning in my head over and over, somewhat reminiscent of a nuclear siren alarm from my old world.
"I-If…If you don't mind my asking…What is your name miss." I stuttered in the beginning before taking a moment and gathering my thoughts and courage so that I could get through this without sounding like an idiot.
"My name is Velzard. What about you?" The now-named Velzard answered before asking the question herself. "And I do know you have a name. I can sense the "Crest of Storm" on you." She spoke still relaxed yet I noticed there was a slight edge to her tone. She would not be too kind if I refused to answer.
"…My name is Rimuru Tempest…Lady Velzard." I was originally only planning on answering her question but then decided to show respect while talking to her so that I could hopefully avoid angering her.
"You need not refer to me in such a way, little slime. Velzard is fine with me" She didn't seem to be interested in using my name or maybe she simply found the…nickname? To be more fitting. "I have never truly cared for such formalities or ways of talking." She said before she slightly bent down and proceeded…to poke him. "You are quite squishy." She muttered under her breath with a mesmerizing smile.
"Th-Thank you?" I replied in a slightly questioning tone, not completely sure if it was a compliment or an observation. He saw her smile grow a little and the amusement in her eyes became more pronounced. "…What is the "Crest of storm"?" I asked after realizing I didn't know what it was. I had a guess but wanted to confirm it.
"Simple, it is…" She suddenly paused in her explanation as she slightly lifted her head and gazed past the trees. Focusing my |Magic Sense| I quickly noticed a small group of no more than 30 people…Monsters? Approaching from a little ways away. "It appears we have company. Why don't we continue this later." Velzard spoke in a relaxed voice. The creatures coming did not bother her.
"OK." Was my simple response as I went to turn myself to look at the direction they were approaching from. I was midway through my turning when the scenery before my eyes suddenly shifted and I became disoriented for a brief moment. Quickly repositioning myself, I realized that Velzard had picked me up and now held me in her arms. "U-um Lady Velzard?" I stumbled over my words again.
"You are quite soft." Was the only response I got before the group came through the foliage and into the small road-like clearing he was Velzard and I was in. Surprisingly it didn't take long for me to relax in Velzard's arms despite the fact I knew she could wipe me out without actually making a move against me. After all, all she needed to do was release her aura and I would die.
I looked over the beings that had walked out of the foliage and noticed quite a few things that helped me realize what they were. They were small in size, their equipment plain and crude. Their faces were dirty and devoid of intelligence, but with their swords, shields, stone axes, and bows, they weren't entirely bestial. It took a mere instant for my gray matter to figure out who they were—goblins, those infamous marauders of many a would-be adventuring party.
Talk about sticking to the script. No doubt they were here to attack the weakest of wanna-be heroes…which I guess was me…At least that was my original thought before I unconsciously compared them to the tempest snake I had met earlier and realized…They were really weak and probably couldn't harm me. Of course, if things got hairy I could use the tempest snakes form and just poison breath them. Without realizing it I had thought of ways to deal with them without involving Velzard despite the fact she could probably kill them even easier than me.
As I sized them up, with Velzard still gently holding me against her chest, the goblins' apparent leader opened his mouth.
"Grah! Strong one… Have you business here?" His voice was rough and uncomfortable on the ears…Noth that I had any
Huh. Goblins talk. Or maybe Magic Sense is helping me decipher their grunting.
And what did he mean by "strong one"? Was he talking about Velzard? But no, while a few were warily eyeing Velzard the leader seemed to be looking and addressing me specifically.
'It is referring to you, Little Slime,' The soft, amused voice of Velzard rang out in his mind. If I had been on the ground I probably would have jumped just like I did the first time I heard her, but instead, I was still held in her arms and wasn't able to do so.
'W-W-What was that' I asked in surprise
'An common skill called |Thought communication|' Velzard explained. 'It makes it easier to chat. Also, I am using |Thought Acceleration| so that we can chat a little more without you being quiet for too long.'
'I see…Thank you for letting me know.' I knew my words were coming out rough and unnatural but I was still processing everything.
'No problem, Little Slime. Now I do believe it's about time you answered them. And don't worry about me, I have nothing to do and will just trail after you for now.' Her voice was relaxed. I gently bobbed in agreement and went to address the goblins.
"So what did you need from me? I don't have any business around here."
"I see. Village of us is ahead. We felt a strong monster nearby, so we came to patrol."
"A strong monster? I didn't spot anything like that…?"
"G-gah! Grah-gah-gah! Such a joke! You cannot trick us, even with the form of you!"
These guys have the wrong idea. They thought their powerful intruder had disguised himself as a slime. These were goblins, the world-famous lower caste of the monster totem pole. I shouldn't have expected much. I would have understood if they referred to Velzard as "strong one" but didn't know why they were calling me as such.
The goblins and I spoke for a while longer, and before long, I wound up receiving an invitation to their village. They were willing to put me and Velzard, not that she needed it, up for a bit, even. Pretty nice guys, given how scraggly they all looked. So I accepted. I did not need to sleep, but a little rest never hurt a guy. Velzard meanwhile said nothing and continued to wear that relaxed, amused smile
Along the way, I got to hear a bit of the local gossip. It turned out that the god they worshiped had recently disappeared. Without it, the local monsters had started acting up a lot more than before. At the same time, more human adventurers—"powerful ones," as they put it—were starting to invade the forest. And so on.
I wasn't too sure but I could have sworn Velzard was eyeing me curiously when they brought up their god but I wasn't able to get a good look. In the meantime though, Velzard was still holding me and every once in a while squeezing with an amused smile, I'm sure that if I could feel pain it would be annoying, not that I would tell her, but luckily I couldn't do it just felt like a small massage. I was pressed against her chest, and if it was any other situation I might have enjoyed it but the fact that she appeared to be a teenager was quite the put-off. I was also slightly amused by how much fun she seemed to have in squishing me every so often.
The village was shockingly dingy. Maybe I shouldn't have expected much from a goblin's den. They guided me to what I supposed was the most structurally sound of the buildings. It had a thatched, pitted roof that was rotting away in areas, the walls bearing nothing but a few pieces of flat wood nailed to them. No slum I'd ever seen in my world could out-filth this one.
"I am sorry to keep you waiting, honored guests," one of the goblins said as he entered. The leader of the expeditionary force I ran into earlier accompanied him. I noticed that he seemed to stumble slightly and cast a confused glance at Velzard, most likely having expected a second person.
"There is no need to apologize." I flashed them a small smile, at least the best I could mimic a smile while being a slime. "We haven't been waiting all that long." I had always noticed that smiling at people always made bargaining go a lot easier…not that I knew what we were going to negotiate yet.
The old goblin then proceeded to guide us into the largest hut in the small village. Inside was scarcely decorated with only a small rug and hay bed occupying the space.
"I apologize we cannot provide you with more hospitality," the goblin said as he brought out something resembling tea for me and Velzard. "I am the elder of this village."
Velzard moved and sat near one end of the rug while the two goblins sat across from us. Velzard had finally released enough for me to slide forward and sip at the drink, not that I could taste it, though she still squeezed me from time to time. I noticed Velzard didn't bother drinking but that made sense considering |Great Sage| said it did not taste particularly good.
"If you don't mind my asking…" I decided it would be best to keep up with the polite act for now, even if such formalities were mentally draining. "Why did you invite me to your village…I am positive that it was not simply out of the goodness of your heart." My voice took on a slightly colder tone, the one my mentor taught me when negotiating with big business owners or employees.
The village elder shivered a bit. Then, firming up his resolve, he turned to me.
"You have heard, I trust, that the monsters have been more active around here as of late?"
I had, on the way here.
"Our god has protected the peace in this land for generations, but about a month ago, he hid himself from us. That has allowed the nearby monsters to start meddling with our lands once more. We do not wish to let this continue, so we have fought back…but from a raw-power perspective, we face an uphill climb."
They appeared to be talking about Veldora, which matched up time-wise. However, I could not understand why they would be asking me of all people for help. So I decided to ask.
"…Why is it you believe a mere slime such as myself is capable of providing the help and protection you seek?" I asked in a quiet tone. Velzard meanwhile directed a look at me that I couldn't quite describe.
"Grah-ha-ha! Trust me, no need for modesty! It is no mere slime that can emit the mystical force you do! I cannot imagine why you are taking that form…but you have a name bestowed upon you, yes?"
Mystical…what? What's that? I don't remember busting anything like that out. I focused my Magic Sense on myself instead of my environs. Then I realized it. There was, in fact, some kind of ominous-looking aura covering my whole body. It reminded me of what I saw on Velzard except much much weaker. However compared to anything else nearby or that I have met, including the tempest snake, it was undoubtedly large.
'You did not realize you were leaking magicules?' Velzard's voice appeared in my mind once again as I noticed the world, or at least the goblins in front of us, slow down noticeably.
'…No I didn't… how long have I been doing that for?' I questioned.
'Since before we met…It was what led me to you…that and the crest.' She responded as her eyes became distant for a moment before refocusing.
'I see…' I responded, while slightly confused as to why the "Crest of Storms" mattered so much to her. 'Great Sage, is there any way to stop the leakage?'
{Answer: Affirmative, taking action now and storing excess magicules within the stomach.} Great Sage worked as flawlessly as ever and quickly made the excess vanish.
"Hahaha, I apologize I completely forgot about that. Sorry for any inconvenience it may have caused you." I apologized to the goblins as time seemed to return to normal.
"It is no problem at all, honored guest. I was just hoping that a being with such a powerful presence would be willing to help us solve our problem…Without a doubt any being as strong as you must bear a Name…Though I have nothing to offer you other than our absolute loyalty in return…Would you still be willing to listen?" He seemed nervous as he made his request for a portion of my time.
"It depends on what it is that you need from me." Luckily negotiations such as this were my specialty. While I may have had little (No) drive to climb the ladder at my old job or do anything I was still quite good at making deals and contracts.
After almost half an hour of asking questions and the goblin leader explaining I had gotten a good grasp of the situation and what needed to be done. By now the goblin leader had left to give me some privacy to think, considering the Dire wolves were still two days out I had some time to spare.
"…You are an otherworlder aren't you?" I had expected the question yet it still made me shift uncomfortably, as if I had done something wrong.
"What made you realize?" I asked in what I hoped was a casual tone. Though I immediately knew I failed once I heard the melodious giggle from behind me as Velzard picked me up once again and rested me against her chest.
"I had some doubts when I first noticed you because a talking slime such as yourself is extremely rare, even if you come out of a cave saturated in true dragon haki. But what cemented the belief was the fact you had no control over your magicules." She seemed to not find a comfortable position after shifting a few times. Finally, she set me down on the carpet, and then…Laid on me. She set me down before laying her head down and wrapping her arms around the bottom part of my spherical body. "So soft," she mumbled.
"You mentioned my magicule control gave me away?" I asked after she seemed to finally get comfortable. I was originally going to wait for her to resume talking but I noticed that she was starting to fall asleep. 'I know slimes are soft but am I that comfortable?'
"Right. The answer is simple. When a monster as intelligent as you are is born they have an instinctual control and understanding of its magicules and thus would never let it run free as you did which hints that either you are from a different world, thus have reincarnated, or you were putting on a test and purposefully letting it out. Considering your reaction earlier I can tell it is not the second and thus you must be an otherworlder." She explained
"…You mentioned me having the "Crest of Storms"…What is that?" I asked after considering whether it would be wise or not considering how important it seemed to her.
"Crest is…Unique forms of representing power." She said as she rested more of her weight on my body. "Certain high-level skills can be represented by crests and materialized in the real world, though no one does that as it would give away most of the skills abilities." Her eyes took on a slightly distant expression as she seemed to stop focusing on him. "Meanwhile the type of crest you bear is…different. The one you have takes root in the 'naming' process. Usually, they are representations of the gifter's authority or dominion. For instance, if I were to name someone the crest would be the "Crest of Frost" as I am the True Dragon of Frost Velzard and they would have a higher affinity towards cold and slight control over fixation or deceleration." She relaxed even more as her eyes closed and her arms slightly tightened. I tensed up when she mentioned she was a true dragon, a feeling of unease building up in my gut (that I didn't have)"Meanwhile if someone like…Velzard, my sister, we're to name anyone they would have the 'Crest of Scorch' considering she is the True Dragon of Scorch with affiliation to heat and positive momentum."
"…You are a true dragon?" I asked the question despite knowing the answer. My voice was soft and carried a hint of wariness.
"Yes, though you do not need to worry…You bear the 'Crest of Storms' which means my dear little brother named you thus I wouldn't kill you. Plus you are far too comfortable to kill…I do wish to ask a question if you don't mind though." Her tone was sharper than I had ever heard it. And while she said she wouldn't kill me I didn't think the other option was too nice either. Despite it being formed as a question it was quite obvious it wasn't.
"Of course…I don't have much to hide." I was careful with my words to not agree to answer everything but not sound like I was refusing either.
"A few days ago my brother's presence completely disappeared…While this was expected to happen considering his magicules were constantly leaking out of the seal, it happened far too early and suddenly for me to not suspect something…To be completely honest I almost didn't bother with coming here. It was only a slight shift in whims that led me here, after all a few decades are nothing to me and I would have eventually learned what had happened to him…However, imagine my surprise when I got here that not only could I not sense even the slightest trace of my brother…But I also run across a talking slime bearing the crest of a true dragon. Would you mind telling me my brother's current state?" By now I was starting to feel cold…It was more terrifying than the sharp edge to Velzard's voice considering I wasn't supposed to feel cold. Ice was slowly starting to creep up my side, freezing me as Velzard simply continued to lay against me as if nothing was wrong.
"Veldora is alive he is just…somewhere else while he tries to escape the |Unlimited Imprisonment| that he has been stuck in," I replied without revealing the fact that I had consumed Veldora and stored him in my stomach. Luckily Velzard didn't seem like she cared too much where he was, only his current condition.
"That is good…While I don't mind waiting for him to revive it is always such a pain tracking him down, plus his current personality isn't half-bad…It would be such a pain if I had to kill him even more." Velzard sighed as she moved to sit up and stretch slightly. My "eyes" slightly lingered on her before I finished processing her words and realized what she said.
"Wa-Wait, did you say kill?" I asked in shock and slight fear. What kind of sibling would kill their brother? That seemed so utterly absurd that my mind went blank for a few seconds as I tried to process it.
"Hmm?" The expression Velzard had only caused me to fall into an even deeper stupor, she looked so utterly confused as if what she said was normal and I was the one overreacting. "Ah~, I understand your confusion," she muttered as she reached over and lay me down on her lap, I noticed it was quite soft almost immediately, I had not taken notice since I had thought she was a teenager but knowing she was Veldora's older Sister, who was over 300 years old, lessened that mental hurdle, though her form made it to where I still felt a little confused and couldn't say I was attracted to her. "You are looking at the situation from the perspective of a human whereas we are true spiritual lifeforms, we are immortal in the fact that no matter how many times we die as long as our cores stay in one piece we will return with all of our memories. The only thing that changes is our personality hence why I tend to kill Veldora quite often as his personality is not often that good which leads to many rampages and calamitous storms." She explained.
"...I see…I guess. I don't think I can truly understand what you mean." I started quietly as I focused on the floor and tried to look at it from the perspective of someone who was almost completely immortal yet I failed to as I had no experiences in such a perspective.
"I am not surprised, you were a human not too long ago and as such most likely place quite a bit of importance on life, not just your own but that of others as well…A piece of advice, RImuru, you should dismiss the belief that life is precious and should be protected. You are strong despite being a slime…While nowhere near the level of beings such as myself, Guy, or even Rudra, you are still a considerable foe against most beings in this forest…As such eventually, you will meet humans and be flagged by the adventures guild as something that needs to be eliminated immediately. Not only them of course but the holy kingdom of Ruberious which considers monsters to be the enemies of their god and something that needs to be purged. Eventually, and most likely soon, you will be put at odds with humans and intelligent monsters and will be required to kill some of them if you wish to survive and prosper, add on the fact that you are now taking care of the goblins in this village and it will only become more present in the future. You will no doubt want to meet up with and get along with humans but that is very unlikely to happen…Keep the important parts of your humanity…But do not let your humanity be what causes your death." Velzard advised in a serious tone as she looked down at me with those serious blue eyes.
"Right…" I paused as I tried to process and come to terms with what she had said, I knew she was serious as this was the first time she had used my name. The topic was heavy and dark and not something I felt we should keep talking about and thus decided to switch it while deciding to think more about it later. "...By the way, you mentioned a Guy and Rudra…who are they?" I asked.
"Those two? That's quite simple, Guy is my partner-" Velzard started
"Partner!?" I called out in surprise, accidentally interrupting Velzard. Instead of being mad she simply raised an eyebrow and wore a taunting, amused smirk as I felt my body burn in embarrassment despite the lack of blood to heat it.
"Yes, partner, though not in the way you are thinking. While we got together in the past it didn't work out for either of us and we simply decided to continue working together as we had before. Rudra on the other hand is my sister, Velgrynd's, partner and husband. The reason I call us partners is the fact that Rudra and Guy are playing a long-standing game of world conquest and my sister and I support Rudra and Guy respectively."
"Oh…" The air around us was filled with awkwardness after my rather odd outburst. At least I thought the silence was awkward, Velzard on the other hand looked as relaxed as she always had.
"Do you wish to return to your world?" The question caught me by surprise as I tried to think of another question for her to get rid of the silence. Of all the things I thought she would ask, that certainly wasn't one.
"…That is complicated. From the few things I have seen and guessed, this world is nowhere near as advanced as my world was. I will no doubt miss a lot of the things that made life convenient and easy, I will also miss the food and the tourist spots such as hot springs, the shrines, and the national reserves…But I also don't think being here is all that bad…it's a fresh start and maybe I could change a little and make my life easier and more enjoyable. Is it even possible to return?" I fell into thought rather quickly, no longer was I answering for Velzard but instead reflecting on what I missed in my old world.
"I do not know if it is possible as I have rarely bothered with interacting with otherworlders outside of Leon whom Guy visits from time to time," Velzard replied. I filed away the name Leon to look into later. "What about your family? No doubt considering your reaction you must be a little worried about them, Right?" Velzard asked casually as she returned to squeezing me every so often.
"Actually…I haven't talked to my family in a few years. I have an older brother and sister but I don't talk to either of them or my parents…We ended up drifting apart as my siblings went on to important jobs and made a ton of money as my lack of drive and social anxiety, mainly when it came to girls, made it hard for me to complete my degree." I explained quietly.
"Oh? How surprising, you didn't strike me as someone who has social anxiety and the way you talk with me makes it seem as if you are completely fine when confronted by a girl." It was at this point that I noticed her eyes darken and got the feeling that I may have said something slightly stupid
"It's not especially present when I talk to only one or two people but instead when I'm talking in front of a crowd or multiple people that I don't know well. Such as presenting in classes or working on projects with multiple people. As for the girl part, you have the appearance of a teenager, and as such I, who was 37 when I died it would have been weird if I was attracted to a girl who was 17-18 max, even if the Japanese age of consent is 16, which I fully believe is too low. "
"I see that a little more understandable. Is that why you seemed much more uncomfortable after you learned I was a true dragon…What about your relationship with your family, with how you reacted to me killing my brother I thought family was quite important to you."
"...my siblings were very…active in school, they both excel at math and science with one of them owning quite a large company and the other being a well-known scientist. As such they were known for being smart from a young age, whereas, I wasn't good when it came to competitions or things such as that. I also preferred subjects such as political science, economics, and international relations which didn't have a lot of grand events around them. This led to my parents heavily favoring my siblings as I was never really shown to be as smart as them and a rift opened up between me and the four of them. Later I ended up switching from my International relations degree to one in general contracting as it was faster to advance in and less mentally taxing on me…This ended up completely ruining the relationship I had with my parents as my siblings never failed to mock me for my rather mediocre field of study." Once again I zoned out as I dived into memories I wasn't particularly fond of nor had any desire to relive. The snapping back to the present I answered her first question. "And, yes my nervousness at talking to girls made itself known once I realized you weren't a teen, though it's still not as bad since you still look like a teenager."
"...Why did you stop chasing your International relations degree and instead switch to general contracting?"
"It was easier and I didn't see any reason to continue with it. By the point that I changed degrees, I could have already passed as I knew everything but I still needed to sit through the last three years of the school and I didn't feel like doing that. Back then I had no one to impress, no one to take care of, and no real drive to do anything so I simply chose the job that would make my life easier. The same happened later, there were many times when I could have possibly gotten a promotion or finished my original degree but I had no drive to…I had no girlfriend, I had no one and nothing to take care of, and my income at the time was able to support myself even with the random hobby I would pick up every once in a while…So…I just didn't do anything major…I fell into a rut and had no reason to try and get myself out of it."
"I see, and that is why you said this could be a fresh start. A way out of that rut and a new way to look at life…More routes to explore and activities to participate in?"
"Yeah," I replied happily, if I still had a human appearance I did not doubt that I would have had a 'cat got the mouse' type grin on my face.
"Well, then I look forward to seeing what you will be able to accomplish…My dear slime." She smiled softly as she looked at me with an unknown bundle of emotions twinkling in her eyes, the only one I guessed about was either anticipation or excitement.
The direwolves ruled the roost over at the plains to the east, enough to give endless headaches to the merchants who plied their trade between the Eastern Empire and the kingdoms around the Forest of Jura. Each one of them was the equivalent of a C-ranked monster, hard enough that an adventurer could find his leg bitten off if he wasn't paying attention.
The real threat, however, came when they roamed in packs. Only when a talented alpha was leading the horde did the direwolves show their real worth. The entire pack would act as a single mind, a single creature, every member acting in lockstep. Such a pack, in full motion, could easily be rated a B.
As a rule, the direwolf race did not require food to survive. Attacking and consuming humans provided them with a nice little snack, but those didn't hold much in the way of magic.
To the pack, their real sustenance lay in the world's magicules. They would need to attack stronger monsters or slaughter humans in droves to evolve into calamity-level creatures. None of these options were particularly accessible to them. The Empire was just too powerful. But merely picking off passing merchants would never do anything for their dreams of evolution.
Then they heard tales of the Southlands. A fertile territory, one with a forest that offered all its blessings—a vast store of magic. A paradise for monsters, so it was said. To reach it, though, they would have to traverse the vast Forest of Jura.
The monsters of this wood were, in and of themselves, no great foes. Their experience hunting the stragglers wandering out of it proved as much. So why had they shied away from entering it themselves?
Simple: Veldora the Storm Dragon. He was the only reason. Even when he was within his prison, the waves of dreadful magical force shook their very hearts. The creatures in the forest, they believed, enjoyed the dragon's divine guardianship—which was why they could survive under those scorching waves. That was what they had to believe. Otherwise, the truth would drive them mad.
So despite how it pained them daily, the direwolves had given up on infiltrating the forest. Until now. When the presence of the Storm Dragon had faded the forest was left vulnerable to their hunger and ambition.
The alpha turned his blood-red eyes toward the forest. With a dark, fanged smile he howled and ran toward the forest. 'Let the hunt begin.'
It had now been a day and a half since I became the leader of the goblin village, if our prediction was right the direwolves would be arriving tonight, luckily I had finished almost everything I needed over the past day.
The first day, after I finished talking with Velzard, I had all the goblins capable of fighting gathered around me. It wasn't a pretty sight. They were in awful shape, no way could I count on them on the battlefield. From afar the rest of the village looked like nothing…but children and the elderly. In other words, only the small group before me was capable of fighting against the direwolves that would be arriving in two nights.
The village elder no doubt must have been terrified, even if they had left by now they most likely would have ended up starving before the day was through. Even if they didn't, with the amount of elderly and children they probably wouldn't be able to get far before the direwolf's or some other monsters caught and killed them.
Meanwhile, the goblins standing behind the elder were staring at me with such religious reverence in their eyes that it was starting to put me on edge. To someone like me, who had lived an easy-going life, it added a lot of pressure that I was used to avoiding.
I took a deep mental breath and turned my senses back to the goblins gathered before me. "Do all of you know what kind of situation we are in?" I asked in a slightly deeper tone than I normally spoke in. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be able to sit up here and address all of them due to my anxiety but luckily it appeared that |Great Sage| was capable of suppressing the anxiety for a brief moment to allow me to address them.
"Yes, your eminence" The goblin elder replied almost immediately. "We are going to fight in a battle that will decide whether we live or die." The other goblins also knew this as some were shaking and others appeared to be as close to 'white as a sheet' as a goblin could get, though I could not chide them for it as even I was a little scared. Even if Velzard had said I could kill them rather easily it still only partially alleviated my fear and worry.
"All right…" I once again steeled my nerves, this time drawing upon my time as an international relations major, and a little bit of |Great Sage| and prepared to say the speech I had planned. "I stand before you to deliver a message of unity, courage, and resilience. Your village, Your home, is under threat from the fearsome direwolves that loom in the darkness. But fear not, for it is in times like these that we must rise above our doubts and unleash the indomitable spirit that resides within every one of us. Look around you, my fellow monsters. See the faces of your friends, your family, and your neighbors. The direwolves may be fierce, but we, my fellow goblins, possess something far more powerful – our unwavering determination. Let our hearts beat as one, let our voices soar as a chorus of defiance. We shall not cower in the face of these predators; instead, we shall rise to the occasion and become the protectors of our realm. It is often said that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the triumph over it. Today, let us embody this sentiment and prove to ourselves and the direwolves that our spirits cannot be crushed. We must tap into our inner strength, our cunning, and our resourcefulness to outsmart and outmaneuver our adversaries. Remember, my dear goblins, the power of teamwork and solidarity. Together, we stand tall, a formidable force that cannot be broken. Let us create a wall of unity, impenetrable to the direwolves' advances. Every one of us has a role to play, be it as a fierce warrior, a keen strategist, or a steadfast supporter. No contribution is too small; every action matters. In these moments of challenge, we must rise above our concerns and safeguard our village. We owe it to ourselves and to the generations that will come after us to not only survive but win. Let us inspire one another, for within our hearts lies the fire of resilience. My fellow monsters, I implore you to believe in yourselves, in your abilities, and the strength of our united purpose. Together, we shall not only drive back the direwolves and ensure the safety and prosperity of our village but achieve an overwhelming victory against them. Let us take up arms, both physical and metaphorical, and declare with unwavering conviction that we will not allow fear to dim our spirits. Now is the time, my brave companions, to unleash the full force of our determination upon the direwolves that threaten our village. Let us stand as a testament to the power of unity, resilience, and the unwavering resolve of goblins. Today, we shall defend our home like never before, and tomorrow, we shall celebrate our victory, our indomitable spirit shining brightly. Thank you, and may our courage and determination guide us to triumph over the direwolves that dare challenge us."
"YAAAAY" The goblins before me cheered. While I saw slight confusion in their eyes, most likely not understanding some of the words, they were able to understand the meaning of my speech and understand what I wanted to convey. I saw as their eyes burned with a new light and they prepared for the upcoming fight.
After that I delegated certain jobs to small groups of goblins such as building a wall, using some sticky string I had made earlier, and fashioning some crude spears and arrows for the upcoming battle. The elder was supervising while others were out gathering extra supplies without attracting too much attention.
"That was quite an impressive speech." Velzard approached me after everyone had been assigned jobs and had gotten started on them. She was originally going to watch while I addressed the goblins but apparently, something came up and she stayed in the tent to speak with someone using thought communication, supposedly a monster she had named at some point.
"Thank you…One of the benefits of international relations is that we had to study and learn to create speeches…I honestly never thought I'd have to use it again." I replied as Velzard took me into her arms once again and I almost literally melted, despite being the frost dragon she was surprisingly warm, why I could feel it I didn't know.
"I see…I will be leaving soon. It appears some things require my attention back on my continent…I will return eventually to see how far you have progressed though it will most likely only be a month or so from now." Velzard said as she took a seat on the rather wide stone I had been presented with to announce my orders from. She moved me from her chest down to her lap and started to absently caress me as one would normally do with a cat or similar animal, as she gazed peacefully up at the stars.
"Will you be leaving tonight?" I asked as I once again limited my |Magic Sense| to a small dome 8 feet around me, having expanded it to the size of the village when addressing the goblin. At full power, I could expand it up to 200 feet though that was pointlessly large and I never had a need to see that much.
"No, I will observe your massacre of the Direwolves and then leave in the morning after you get settled in and set up properly." She responded casually not yet taking her eyes off of the stars.
"What do you mean massacre? I know that you have said I am stronger than most beings in this forest but I doubt I can take on the direwolves without help." I started as I tried to downplay her belief of my current might compared to others around us.
"And that is what I find annoying…You are much stronger than the direwolves…If you truly tried I would not be surprised if you were able to deal with the direwolves by yourself…You were born from a True Dragon's magicules, host a soul strong enough to survive reincarnation a soul only a handful of people possess, and you were given a name by the true dragon who houses the most magicules amongst the living true dragons. The fact that you believe that a few mutts would be able to beat you is insulting to the one who named you…I am not telling you this so that you can Grow arrogant or complacent in your power but simply so that you will stop putting yourself down so often…If you continue as you are you will find it very hard to survive in this world…Always fight with the belief that those whose might you are unsure of are stronger than you but never bow your head…For you are a being with a soul only a handful of people are capable of matching…Maybe even only one person."Velzard ended her small rant with a serious, cold expression masking her features. The words hit me deep…I couldn't deny that…Thinking about everything I could almost feel my mindset start to slowly adjust to my situation…and my new world.
Night. The direwolves alpha had his eyes open. It was a full moon—the perfect night for a battle. Slowly, he rose, surveying the area, the rest of his pack looking on with bated breath.
Just the right amount of intensity, the alpha thought.
Tonight, they would level the goblin village, establishing a foothold for themselves within the Forest of Jura. Then, slowly but surely, they would hunt the monsters around the area, expanding their territory until they ruled the woods. Soon, when the time was right, they would turn their eyes toward the south, invading it for the power it held.
"Awooooooooooo!" The alpha gave the signal. It was time to let the carnage begin. There was, however, one concern. The alpha had sent a scout a few days ago who had come back with some perplexing news—news of a small monster that let off a strange, mystical force. Enough to surpass that of even their alpha.
He had shrugged off this report at first. It was too preposterous to entertain. He had detected nothing of the sort in the forest. Every monster they'd encountered was a comparative weakling. Up to this point, nothing even resembling resistance to their advance had appeared—and they were almost in the dead center of the wood. A dozen or so goblins had picked off one or two members of their pack, but nothing else.
The scout must have been too excited about the upcoming hunt to think straight. That was the alpha's conclusion as he kept his eyes forward.
Ahead lay a village. It was situated exactly where the scout said it was. He had followed the trail of a wounded goblin straight to it. Nothing about his report suggested it to be a threat.
This was not the alpha's first battle. He was cunning, and he never let his guard down. However, even he had to admit that the strange…thing around the village was a tad unusual.
It was…a fence, like one would see in a human village. The homes that once composed the settlement had been disassembled and formed into a defense that neatly covered all of the village grounds. Though he noticed some slightly thicker parts. Most likely trees had been cut down and added to it for extra defense. There also appeared to be multiple slits in the wall, far too small to serve as windows though.
But that was not what drew his attention…No, that honor was given to the small blue slime that sat in front of the gate-like structure that sat in the middle of the wall that lay before him. It was odd…Even though he was so close it was as if the slime before him simply didn't exist…Even if the slime was weak, which it no doubt was, he still should have been able to sense a few magicules coming from it. Oh well in the end it was merely a slime, nothing to worry over.
"Hello…It took you a little longer to arrive than I had first guessed." The slime's voice reached the pack easily despite it not being too loud. The fact the slime could talk was off-putting but his words were meant as a taunt. "I thought you would be fast enough to arrive when the moon just began its ascent…not when it was halfway through…Though thats neither here nor there." What was the insufferable, weak, dismissable blue slime talking about? "You are here now so I guess thats all that matters…Now please leave…I don't particularly like killing but I have taken in the goblins that call this village home and as such am obligated to protect them when something is trying to harm them. So please do yourself a favor and put your lives over your ambition and leave." The slime tone was calm and yet his words served to do nothing but infuriate the alpha.
Anger boiling at the words of the small, insignificant, dismissable slime before him he quickly sent a mental command to the wolves behind him using |Thought Commuincation| and had twelve of them shoot forward in preparation to bring down the walls of the village before him. Thanks to |Thought Commuincation| the direwolves were so closely connected that they could at times be mistaken for a single entity with the way they fought and acted in perfect tandem.
The alpha was confident in his pack's strength. They had fought and killed many stronger monsters and hunted many adventures and merchants…He was confident in his own might even more so…It was for that reason, that when he saw his wolves, whom he had sent to tear down that wall, fall to the ground they looked like they had just been cut into multiple pieces, he couldn't completely process it. It was even more overwhelming when the feedback from their last thoughts entered his mind. Refocusing and dismissing the remnant mental flashback he looked at the forest ahead of him and noticed the things that had resulted in twelve of his pack's death…Hundreds of thin metallic strings were tied to the trees that surrounded the small stretch of land between his position and the wall surrounding the goblin village. If they had not been coated in the blood of his pack then he might not have noticed them. It caused his blood to boil…This insignificant slime had killed his wolves, his pack, through tricks…The anger born from his embarrassment and shame reared its head as he shot forwards while commanding his pack to stay.
"YOU WREATCHED LITTLE CREATIN…I WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS." The alpha howled as he easily tore through the metal strings with his claws and teeth.
It was this act that would put an end to this fight…And would force Rimuru to accept the words Velzard had said to him.
'I didn't understand…Why did they rush forward with such little regard for caution? They had no idea what the surroundings contained yet they did not look for any traps but instead just rushed forwards…Why?' These were the thoughts flowing through my head as I sadly, and a little uneasily, watched the twelve wolves before me fall to the ground dead as they looked like someone had put them through an eppicotispai cutter.
{Answer:...The thoughts of the alpha can not be understood at this time.} Came the reliable slightly mechanical voice of |Great Sage|.
"Haa~ What a pointless death." I sighed to myself under my breath as I saw the alpha roar in anger before he shot forward. I will admit that it slightly surprised me when I saw the alpha effortlessly tear through the maze of |Steel Strings| I had weaved to keep the wolves at bay. Yet I still reacted quickly enough to get out of the way as he landed in the spot I was previously occupying, he skidded slightly before his head whipped to me and he bared his teeth in a snarl.
"Let us not do anything rash now," I spoke in what I believed to be a placating voice, yet he only seemed to get angrier. I watched as he tensed, |Great Sage| having activated thought acceleration, and also noticed as the goblins looking through the slits squeaked in terror as the alpha now stood right beside the gate. Yet he did not spare even the smallest of glances towards me and simply continued to pin me with that hateful glare.
Under any other situation, I would be worried but everything was already over in my mind. And just as I had predicted the alpha once again shot forwards…Only to abruptly come to a halt as the water blade I fired when he first moved reached him and cleanly severed his head from his neck.
"This all could have been avoided if you had simply left," I muttered as I went up to his corpse and jumped atop it. "Direwolves…Your leader has fallen…and twelve of your brothers and sisters have died before him…If you choose to stubbornly proceeded any further then even more of you will die…So I will offer you two choices…Yield to me…or Die." I could have offered them the chance to leave but I quickly realized that from what Velzard had told me about this world, they would simply come back later with a new alpha so I gave them two choices. Yet none of them moved.
I knew they could understand me as I used the same language as the alpha so I decided to go along a different route. I activated predator and devoured the alpha's corpse before quickly assuming its form.
{Analysis complete. Mimic: Direwolf. Abilities obtained are |Coercion|, |Thought Communication|, and |Keen Smell|.} The sage calmly spoke.
Shifting to his form I activated the |Coercion| skill and let out a roar similar to that of the ones the alpha let out earlier. And as soon as that happened the direwolves finally seemed to decide as they lowered themselves to the ground and the one that had stood to the right of the alpha in the beginning spoke up. "We will surrender…And pledge our loyalty to you." He spoke.
"Good…I had not wanted any more blood to be shed unnecessarily." I spoke quietly. Faintly taking notice of the cheers of victory radiating from the goblins behind the walls.
By now it had been about an hour since the battle had ended. The direwolves had finished burying the fallen ones, except the alpha, and had taken to laying together to get some sleep. While the goblins had calmed from their joy and were now sleeping off the exhaustion brought by the tension and worry from earlier.
Meanwhile, I was once again in Velzard's lap as the wolf, who I now knew was the alpha son, lay at her feet asleep. Neither Velzard nor I had said anything yet and were both thinking to ourselves. You did quite well…Far better than I would have thought you would have done." Velzard spoke first.
"I took your words to heart and tried to see how I should act in such a situation…I don't know why but that simply seemed like the path of least resistance in my mind." I spoke in a slightly shaky voice. Only now was the fact that I had just killed 13 beings that could talk truly registering in my mind.
"And you feel regret over the actions you have taken in securing the peace and future of the goblin village?" She asked…No doubt she understood and was simply trying to help guide me.
"Not regret…Sadness…Sympathy…and maybe a little annoyance…If only the alpha hadn't been so stubborn…All those wolves would not have had to die." I muttered as I explained my feelings. Faintly I noticed that the worry I normally had when talking to girls had disappeared and I could now easily talk to Velzard without stuttering or mentally freaking out…Her presence was calming and warm…I was so, so tired.
"...Sleep a little…You have had a stressful day and no doubt need time to process it." Velzard muttered as she held me just a little closer to her and gently stroked my spherical body.
"...Alright…See you in…The morning." That was all I got out before I fell asleep.
She couldn't tell why she felt so close to the slime lying in her lap. He was someone she had met just two days ago…Someone so weak that it didn't even require a thought for her to kill him. Yet here she was, not only letting him touch her, but she was also consoling him and trying to help him. 'I wonder…Is it because his arrival made me think of you…Elder brother." She thought as she turned her head towards the stars and a mental image of the original true dragon and creator of all things appeared within her mind. 'I wonder what you would think of him…He certainly does seem interesting.' She thought as she turned her eyes back to the slime in her lap.
"Your future seems to be quite fun…So sleep now and come to terms with your new life…Rimuru Tempest." She spoke the words to him knowing that he would not hear them for he had already fallen into a false slumber.
There we go…Something I had been wanting to write for a long time…I will probably continue this as a story though I wanted to see how people will react to this first. Velzard won't be present in the next part but I will probably write three parts to this with Velzard's second appearance signaling the end until I decide if I want to make an actual story out of this.
I created a poll so please go look at that. It will be up until the next Golden Hunter chapter is released…Which is still a work in progress as I am trying to properly map out the story for once. This one is easier as I already have a basic plot but for DxD I need to change quite a few things as well as incorporate an entirely new world into the story.
Please review and tell me if you like this or not. And PM me if you have any questions that you want answered.
Adios for now and I look forward to my next update.