This whole thing was the most tedious, yet nerve-wracking fight I'd ever experienced in my slife.
Repetitive, but continuously dangerous.
I'd been slowly coaxing Charybdis toward the mountains to avoid monster settlements within Jura, but doing that while keeping myself from taking damage was easier said than done. And that damn regeneration it had was making this all take forever.
Charybdis really was a mindless thing though, that became clear pretty quick with its repeated patterns of attack and lack of strategy.
But there was one thing that I did notice that showed it had at least an ounce of intelligence.
It was angry. At me.
I could sense it in its aura. Anger, hatred, spite, and… humiliation? All targeted at me, or that's how it felt to me, at least.
Anger is a pretty primal emotion, but at the same time, this felt more complex than that. Maybe it saw me as an annoying bug buzzing around its head, biting at it with my attacks whenever I could, but I had my doubts. This felt more personal.
But none of that mattered, really.
I had a fight to win, and that was all I needed to focus on here.
I idly kicked my legs as I sat with my hands gripping the edge of the cliff, eyes fixed on Rimuru's fight in the distance. He'd gotten stronger for sure, but all the moving he'd been doing was super annoying! Good spots to view this fight were hard to come by, and he kept making me move!
I'll have to knock some sense into him later, I thought as Rimuru suddenly entered a steep nosedive, a laser just missing his feet as he fell. He swooped down under Charybdis's belly, maintaining speed as he flipped on his back and fired concentrated streams of black flames into its scales.
The charred scales were already regenerating as Rimuru passed under, narrowly avoiding a storm of them fired at him.
"Hehee," I giggled, Rimuru was just too funny. "Charybdis doesn't have a weak spot, Rimuru! Such a silly little slime!"
"Milim, he won't hear your advice from here," Frey said like it wasn't obvious.
"Well duh," I knew Frey wasn't that stupid so I didn't know why she said that. "It'd be too nice of me if I just gave away tips like that!"
"I think he could use a tip or two," Carrion muttered. "It's been, what, three days? Why hasn't he dropped out of the sky yet!?"
"Hehee, Rimuru doesn't need sleep like you, Carrion," I snickered. "You need to get rid of that weakness!"
Carrion leaned down into my face with a big smile that did nothing to hide how offended he was, "oh, are you saying that I'm weak, Milim?"
"What if I am, Carrion?" I grinned back and shoved my forehead against his, "what'cha gonna do about it?"
"That aside," Frey grabbed us both by the hair and pulled us apart, "how about imparting some of these 'tips' to us, Milim, for when that pet of yours finally gives in?"
"Rimuru's not a pet!" I grumped, folding my arms. "He's my bestie! And you won't need 'em, he's gonna take that thing down himself sooner or later."
"Milim…" I could tell Frey was looking down at me, "while I don't doubt how well you've trained him, I don't think he can finish Charybdis off on his own."
"Yeah Milim," Carrion added, "it's just not realistic."
"Hmph," I turned away with a sour expression. "Just you guys wait and see. You youngsters are soooo impatient."
"Impa– you're one to talk–!"
When Carrion started getting all whiny, Frey put her hand on his chest and shook her head disapprovingly at him. I can always count on her to stick up for me!
Days had passed, but I didn't keep track of how many since I was so focused on fighting this battle of attrition. Baiting Charybdis toward the mountains was a slow-going process, but I hadn't worn myself out too bad yet. Though, neither had Charybdis, from what I could tell. It hadn't slowed down its attacks one bit since this all started.
I wish I could check its magicule capacity, but it's got that stupid jamming skill… I was even still in human form because I needed my eyes just to see it properly, and that was making it harder to dodge all the projectiles it was throwing at me.
[[Suggestion: Attempt a combined attack using [Water Manipulation] and physical damage.]]
Well, it's worth a shot, I thought. Great Sage could be on to something–this thing was made of flesh and blood, and any sort of physical body needed a lot of water, so maybe I could prevent its regeneration that way?
Obviously I couldn't use [Water Manipulation] from this distance with that stupid [Magic Jamming] skill, so I'd need to make physical contact, but it might work. I really HOPE this works.
Flying up over Charybdis's head and landing on its back, I covered my hands in [Black Flame] and stuck them between the scales, pulling at the water inside.
It's working! I thought with delight as I watched the roots of the scales blacken. Charybdis tried to regenerate around my arms, and I was so focused on the water that it pushed me out.
"AAAH!" I shrieked as the scales around me suddenly detached and embedded themselves in my stomach and torso, not too deep but deep enough to cause a problem for a normal human.
"Ack!" I absorbed them and launched off of Charybdis's back to gain some distance. If I wasn't a slime, that would've killed me! I thought, a little bit scared. And if I'm not careful enough, I might just end up bisected!
Dodging another swarm of scales I wound up in front of Charybdis again, and had to use [Gluttony] on a laser it fired as soon as I was in range.
Great Sage, did that thing just herd me!?
[[Affirmative. Intelligent design can be surmised to be behind the previous actions of the individual, Charybdis.]]
"That's bad! Really bad!" I hissed, charring part of the thing's wing with [Black Lightning] as I zipped around it again, but of course it just regenerated. Just like it had been. Repeatedly.
"UGH!" I yelled, and dove headfirst into Charybdis's flank. I struck it with my feet, then started punching and kicking as hard as I could, [Black Flame] and [Black Lightning] wreathed around me. "Stop! Doing! That! STOPITNOW!"
"This is getting nowhere," I spat as I just narrowly dodged the same move that got me before.
[[We have reached the foothills of the Canaat Mountains.]]
Perfect, now maybe I could go all-out.
Then I noticed I was smiling. Why was I smiling? I was angry! I shouldn't be smiling.
I wiped the odd expression off my face and refocused.
The cavern shook yet again, but I was more focused on the crystal ball on the table in front of me.
It displayed a heated battle, although at a 'safe' distance.
I couldn't lose my best spy to this dangerous situation.
The image wasn't the best because of how far away the one recording it all was, and because of the inherent magic interference that Charybdis is known to possess, but I could still make out that Jura's 'Guardian' was battling the creature, and dangerously close to my country.
The city was being protected by our strongest mages working together to reinforce Dwargon's defenses, but after nearly a week straight of this, everyone was exhausted. Not just the mages, but all my citizens as well. Hunkering down and waiting for this all to pass, morale wasn't the best.
Even I was exhausted, if just mentally. I could not truly tire, not for weeks still! Yet, my mind still ached, I needed a damn break.
But, Dwargon would persevere. I would make sure of that at all costs. I had teams of mages rotating around the clock to reinforce every defensive measure we had available, hopefully they would be able to hold out until this storm passed. We were counting on it.
The best move for now was to just monitor things and keep up the defensive spells at maximum strength.
But that 'Guardian'... what to make of that creature?
Just a speck in the face of Charybdis, yet taking the monster head on, seemingly on its own. That was an alarming thing to witness.
And the fact it was drawing this disaster right to my doorstep, seemingly on purpose… what to make of that?
"I think we may need to dispose of that creature. Much too dangerous for it to flit around our lands unchecked like this." Jaine looked at me with a raised eyebrow, clearly expecting me to take responsibility. I really didn't need her encouragement, but I accepted it with a nod.
"Would it be that simple? We both can see what it is capable of."
"Gazel, don't lose your backbone on me now, boy! I know neither of us are in our prime, but with the right preparation, I'm sure you could take on this upstart before it becomes a larger threat."
Another attack shook everything around us.
"Blasted things… can't those monsters take their spat elsewhere? I've barely been able to get a wink of sleep since they started."
"None of us have, Jaine."
"You haven't been sleeping?"
"How could I, with this going on? I need to monitor the situation."
"Gazel…"
"Don't lecture me right now, Jaine."
"I'm trying to advise you, not lecture. Kings don't get lectured."
"This one seems to…" I whispered.
"These ears may be old, but I still heard that."
"I don't know what you mean. Perhaps you are hearing things due to lack of sleep." I snapped back, to which Jaine shook her head with a concerned frown.
"You must truly be tired. Go sleep, Gazel. I will have someone wake you if there is a change."
This has been going on for days now… perhaps trying to sleep would be a wise decision.
Sighing in defeat, I stood up and left the room.
I threw everything that I had at Charybdis. I used my [Miasma] skill to make a paralyzing, toxic rain. I summoned [Black Lightning] and [Black Flame] in huge quantities. I attached it physically with water blades, I went at it with my fists, I used [Gluttony] to devour chunks of it that infuriatingly regenerated in seconds. I tried sapping its magicules directly, but even when I was brimming with energy from having absorbed large quantities, it wasn't slowing down.
Landing on Charybdis's back again, I devoured one of its scales and placed my hand on its skin, then pumped as much damaging magic into it as I could while simultaneously absorbing the water in it. When its regeneration tried to push me out, I started using [Gluttony] to devour the new flesh as it grew.
"Wait a second…" I realized.
[[Confirmed, continuous absorption with Unique Skill [Gluttony] is maintaining equilibrium with individual Charybdis' regeneration.]]
"No, not that," I replied. "If I can't stop the scales from growing back, but I can do this…"
I subconsciously cracked a grin, feeling myself tremble with giddy excitement. With desire.
"I can get under its skin!"
Pumping more power into [Gluttony], I opened up a hole in Charybdis and dove in headfirst.
Wow, this is DISGUSTING, was my first thought once the skin regenerated and sealed me in. Additionally, I was starting to have second thoughts.
What if I just trapped myself, and Charybdis ate me alive? I got chills just thinking about it, I don't want to be eaten! I'm just a harmless little slime, and if I die then–
[[Continue predation on Charybdis.]]
What? I thought, broken out of my spiral by Great Sage's voice.
[[Continue predation on Charybdis.]]
Right. Right. I'm alive now, so I need to do something to keep it that way. [Gluttony] was running almost instinctively right now, so if I just… wait. This was–
Great Sage, I thought, I can feel magic. Even before I gained [Magic Sense] I could instinctively feel the flow of magicules in the air around me, the way they bounced around and off of objects, the way they radiated from strong sources of them. This sensitivity to magic was just part of me being a slime, and realizing this in the first place was the way I gained [Magic Sense] way back when.
[[That is accurate.]]
Core. I thought, closing my eyes to block out my human form's sense of sight. Milim taught me that all monsters have a core. That counts for this one, right?
[[Correct.]]
Also… I could feel the magic of Charybdis around me. Not too far, but having physical contact with it let me get a feel for the flow of the magicules that made up its body. Not as much as [Magic Sense], not as much as even just normal vision; it was like moving through touch, a feeling I was very accustomed to.
And the magic felt stronger in one direction.
That way. I switched to slime form, since it was easier to move like that in this environment, and started eating my way forward.
Charybdis flailed in the air, smashing against the mountainside before getting airborne again, only to drop and just barely regain flight before hitting the ground. It threw attacks in all directions, storms of scales that filled the air so thickly it looked like a black blizzard, lasers gouging out new canyons and causing rockslides that shaved the tops off of smaller hills.
"Wahahaha!" I laughed, enjoying the show. "Wow! I haven't seen destruction like that in ages!"
"What did he do to it?" Frey gaped in shock. "Is it a psychological attack? But Charybdis isn't intelligent…"
"It looks like it's itchy!" Carrion laughed, and Frey shot him a stern glare. "What?" He asked with confusion.
"More like it's writhing in pain while it's eaten from the inside," I observed.
They both looked at me while I stayed absorbed in the spectacle.
"That was a joke, right?" Carrion asked me seriously.
I just kept my eyes fixed on the battle, I wouldn't get to see a view like this again for another millenia, if I was lucky.
"Milim," Carrion pressed, "you are joking, right?"
"I don't think she is," Frey said with disgust.
"Is that where Rimuru is, then?" Carrion stared at the battle with renewed fascination. "He disappeared."
"He must've gotten hungry," I shrugged. "That happens when he fights a lot."
"How… uncouth," Frey grimaced with disdain as she rested a knuckle on her chin.
"Ha!" Carrion laughed, "wow, that's cool! Never thought of eating my foe to death! I guess the guy is a slime, right? It makes sense."
"Wahaha!" I laughed, "I'm glad you see how awesome Rimuru is, Carrion! But remember, you can't have him! He's mine!"
"Yeah, sure," Carrion scratched his head.
"...Carrion," Frey said after a moment of silence. "You had something to do in Jura, right? Why are you still with us?"
I could tell Frey just wanted to change the subject, of course he had to watch a fight this awesome!
"Well, it's not like I could ignore all this," he shrugged and gestured to the thrashing Charybdis. "But it's not like I don't have time. My idiot subordinate Phobio ran off, is all, I'll track him down eventually."
"Oh," I said as I recalled the events of a few weeks ago, "that rude cat?"
"Possibly," Carrion looked at me strangely, "but 'rude'?"
"Yeah, he tried to challenge Rimuru so he'd be your subordinate," I said nonchalantly, "but Rimuru showed 'im who's boss!" I laughed.
"...Milim," Carrion's expression darkened, "what do you mean, exactly, by that?"
"Oh, he's fine," I waved him off. "Rimuru just threw him and sent him flying across the forest. It was really funny! Dunno where he went after that though."
"...Well," Carrion crossed his arms, but relaxed. "Like I said, I'll find him eventually."
Charybdis's regeneration immediately replaced the tissue behind me as I moved, but I was able to stop it from doing anything to me directly. I burrowed my way through it, getting constantly disoriented by the regeneration and the strange sensation of being tossed while not moving. It reminded me of my first time on a boat, I bet Charybdis really wasn't liking this.
[[The individual Charybdis is currently attempting to remove you through various means.]]
Yeah, what the Sage said. I could feel it thrashing around and also the sensation of it dropping and rising in the sky, and slamming into stuff. It was really weird. "Up" became "down" almost every other second.
I'm so glad I can't get motion sick as a slime, I thought as I ate my way forward, following the sensation of stronger magic concentration.
I moved along mindlessly, letting my instincts take control as I sought out the strongest source of magicules within Charybdis, until I suddenly popped out of a wall and immediately felt myself get bounced around all over.
"AAAH!" I shrieked in surprise at both the sudden loss of the sense of touch I'd had, and the sensation of being bounced around like a pinball. I slapped into something that felt strangely like a face, before rocketing off again.
Okay, enough of this! I switched to human form, grabbed the fleshy wall of whatever chamber I was in, and dug in with [Body Armor] claws on both my hands and feet.
Man, these things are always useful!
Still feeling the tug of Charybdis as it rolled and dove, I craned my neck back to take a look at the rest of the room, but it was pitch black.
"Great Sage, give me a light," I said as I clung to the wall. Suddenly my hair started glowing, extremely brightly at that.
"Woah." I marveled, "not what I meant but okay. How'd you do that?"
[[You obtained the ability to mimic bioluminescence when you ate glowing moss in the cave you discovered outside the city of Rura.]]
Oh, yeah! I had totally forgotten about that. That stuff tasted surprisingly good, too. I should go back sometime. It'd definitely still be there, I went several miles underground through a passage humans couldn't fit into.
With my newly acquired light source, I could see the small, circular "heart" of Charybdis I seemed to have stumbled into.
How did I know it was the heart?
Because that idiot Phobio I had chased off was suspended in the center, entangled in gross, fleshy tendrils attached to the walls.
"Eeeeeewwwwww," I grimaced, and then suddenly the stench of the place hit me. Gross! Was this what the inside of an animal smelled like!? Why didn't I notice it earlier?
[[You were too busy panicking.]]
"Well turn it off!" I yelled, and in response Great Sage just deformed the part of my face with my nose and mouth to be flat.
Oh, that's even more disturbing, I winced. Maybe I shouldn't do this in public.
Now what to do about this?
I jumped off the wall and leaped onto Phobio, able to cling to him instead due to my smaller size. As I grabbed his shoulder I heard him mutter, "must… revenge…" His eyes were opened, but half-lidded and glazed.
"THAT'S what all this nonsense is about!?" I grew the rest of my face back and shook him violently, gagging at the taste in the air but persevering for the sake of anger. "You've caused me a whole week of hell, man!"
[[Would you like to remove your sense of smell again?]]
Heck no! I said internally, unless you have a way to do it without removing my facial features! Humans need those!
The Sage didn't seem to have an answer to that, so I just decided to hold my breath for the time being, I didn't need air anyway.
[[...If the core is absorbed, Charybdis will no longer be able to regenerate,]] Great Sage suddenly chimed in.
Well duh, that was the goal I think. So is the core inside of Phobio, or is Phobio the core? I asked, since there was no other reason the Sage would say that now.
[[Both.]]
Well, that wasn't a helpful answer, but since Phobio currently had a big, veiny lump of glowing flesh sticking out of his chest, I got the gist.
So if I disconnect him from all of this, that means I win? I asked, just to be sure.
After a pause with a vague feeling of exasperation coming from somewhere in me, Great Sage answered, [[yes.]]
Well, no need to delay then! I activated [Gluttony] and started trying to pull Phobio into my Stomach, but it didn't go quite as expected.
With a yelp I jumped back as a bunch of sinewy tendrils shot out of the walls and tried to grab me, a few of them following up with stabs after I escaped.
Something loud, a muffled roar that turned into a groan this deep in the belly of the beast, shook the room and I flipped to land upright as the whole place rolled.
Then the thrashing started again, except now I had other issues to deal with.
Great Sage! How do I solve this!?
[[Disconnect the individual Phobio from the individual Charybdis's physical manifestation.]]
So like this? I fired a water blade that went clean through one of the tendrils holding Phobio. I clung to the wall as Charybdis thrashed violently. Phobio gasped and flailed too, letting out a pained, guttural roar as the tendril regenerated.
…uh, Great Sage? I started hopping from location to location around the walls of the chamber as more and more tendrils came out to attack me. It's not stopping!
[[They must all be eliminated at once.]]
Well yeah, I know THAT! I snapped, but how do I do it!?
[[A weapon would be ideal.]]
Oh, right! Duh, I summoned Shizu's sword from my Stomach. I hadn't gotten to use it recently because I was sure Milim would break it, and I couldn't have that.
I leaped off the wall and struck down at one of the tendrils holding Phobio, but the blade just bounced off.
Great Sage, this needs some more oomph!
[[Suggestion: use [Black Flame] to coat the blade.]]
I can do that? I wondered. What if I incinerate it?
[[I will assist with precision.]]
Trusting the Sage, I created a small Black Flame in my hand and ran it down the sword. The magicule-fuelled fire adhered to the metal and coated it in crackling flames.
Woah! I thought in delight as I used the sword to cut cleanly through a tendril coming for me, then held it up to my face and admired the violet glow on the surroundings. Great Sage, this is COOL! I look AWESOME!
[[Warning: attacks incoming.]]
Right. I swept my sword through the oncoming tendrils, and then fast as I could I jumped back onto Phobio and did a huge sweep, cutting through the attachments with a snapping sound.
Phobio fell to the floor, and before Charybdis could reconnect him with more of those tendrils, I tucked him into my Stomach for safe-keeping. That idiot could be useful later, who knows, and I still needed to get the core out of him.
As soon as Phobio disappeared, I suddenly slammed into the ceiling. Charybdis was falling, its body starting to dissolve around me.
[Magic Jamming] was gone too, and with [Magic Sense] I saw the ground was way, way too close for my liking.
This is going to make such a mess! I thought in horror, and Treyni will make ME clean it up! By myself! I just know it!
That situation needed to be avoided at all costs. I had to clean this up before it hit the ground.
Great Sage, we need Gluttony! Full force!
The Sage complied, and I also summoned [Gluttony] and started devouring everything around me as fast as I could.
The sheer volume of magicules I had to output to run [Gluttony] at this level was enough to make my head spin. But, despite getting increasingly dizzy, I kept at it.
I chased down the pieces of Charybdis, taking them for myself until every last scrap had been devoured. The huge black cloud of [Gluttony] I'd been using dissipated.
Next thing I knew, I was in slime form, in the arms of a strange (and unfairly handsome) blond man.
"Eh?"
"Howdy!" The man smiled down at me, covered in blood.
"Eh!?" I switched to human form and punched him in the face, scrambling out of his arms… and immediately face-planting on the ground.
"Hahahaha!" The man laughed, "what a feisty little fella!"
"That's no fair, Carrion!" Milim suddenly showed up standing over me, "he's my bestie! I should'a caught 'im!"
Carrion? Where've I heard that name before?
"I didn't intend on catching him, he kinda just… fell right on top of me?"
"Still not fair…"
"Stop squabbling." Frey walked up, her chin raised.
Frey is here too? Since when?
[[-...]]
"Can somebody tell me what's going on?" I asked, ignoring whatever Great Sage was about to say.
"You won." The man who'd caught me looked down at me. "Against all odds, too. I didn't think you were cut out for that. You've impressed me, little slime!"
"And… uh… who are you again?" I stared, dumbfounded.
"Gahaha!" He thumped his chest and flashed me a grin. "The Beastmaster, Demon Lord Carrion!"
Another demon lord!? Still prone on the ground, I started half-crawling, half-scooting away from him. Where do they keep coming from!? What do they want from me!? I'm just a harmless little slime!
"And, uh… what brings you here?" I asked cautiously.
"Oh, I'm looking for one of my subordinates, then happened to notice your fight with the fish. I sent 'im to scout you out, but it seems he ran off on me," Carrion laughed.
"Wait," I blurted out as I scrambled to my feet, "you're his boss!?"
"If you mean Phobio, then yes. What of it?" He tilted his head at me.
[[Notice: the core of Charybdis has been successfully separated from the individual Phobio.]]
And did he survive it? I asked nervously.
[[Yes.]]
"Nothing. Nevermind. Here, this is yours." Stretching my hand forward I spat out Phobio at Carrion's feet, face-down with his butt in the air, then I dashed toward Jura… but I didn't get far before Milim grabbed me. Shoot, it was worth a try.
"Milim, let me go," I whined, "I'm not gonna run away, I promise."
"Why are you running then?" She asked curiously.
Is it not obvious!? I wondered, staring at her in shock. I just beat up a demon lord's subordinate! He nearly died because of me!
"Haha," Carrion laughed as he leaned down and picked up Phobio by the back of his shirt collar. "You don't need to be afraid of me, I appreciate this one being returned safely." Then he roughly slapped the unconscious Phobio in the face. "Wake up, ya fool."
Yikes! I cringed, I don't want to work for a demon lord. EVER.
"...L-Lord Carrion!?" Phobio, surprisingly enough, woke up.
"What were you thinking, believing you could run off like that!?" Carrion lifted him to his face.
"I failed you… I didn't think you'd want me…" Wow, how honest. Maybe that was the kind of fear a demon lord strikes in you.
[[It would be more accurate to say honesty is a racial trait of monsters.]]
Wait, that doesn't affect me, right? I asked worriedly.
[[...]]
Right!?
Still no answer, so I'll just assume that's a "no", for my own sanity.
"So you decided to go independent? Do your own thing? How was that going to work!?" Carrion scolded, shoving his face in Phobio's.
"I was going to make Charybdis's power my own! The clowns said I could!" Phobio immediately answered in a panic, "I was going to make you proud, Lord Carrion!"
Carrion stared hard, then smirked, and started laughing raucously. "So you were the one flailing around like that!? And got beat by a slime?"
"N-no! It wasn't me! I lost control of it. …I wasn't ready." He admitted glumly, looking ashamed.
"You're right, you weren't!" Suddenly the demon lord's tone got harsh again as he spat the hard truth in Phobio's face, but his expression quickly softened again. "Honestly, did you seriously think I'd toss you out after one screw up? Come now, Phobio. I practically raised you!"
Phobio just drooped in shame, and Carrion sighed loudly before abruptly punching the cat-man in the face, and then limply tossing him over his shoulder.
"Sorry 'bout all the trouble my man here caused you." He said as he turned to me.
"Uh!? N-no worries." I raised my hands with an awkward smile, hoping this scary guy would be leaving.
"No, there's worries all right. I owe ya after that rampage he went on, out of control or not, I'm still responsible." Carrion said, placing a hand on his chest. "So what's your demand, Jura Guardian Rimuru Tempest? I want to walk away today with things evened out between us."
"Wha–?" This was… wow. First, the stupid "Guardian" title was putting me on the spot yet again… but maybe it gave me an advantage here?
Think, Rimuru, think… What was the optimal thing to ask for in this situation? It should definitely be long-term…
The best thing I could think of to avoid future problems would be a nonaggression pact, similar to what I did with Frey. Removing one more Demon Lord from the list of people that may try to invade my home and/or try to spirit me away was vital.
"A nonaggression pact between your country and Jura." I said, putting on my "business face" and looking him in the eyes.
"Deal." Carrion nodded with a big grin.
I blinked, waiting for the catch, but… "Just like that?"
"What else is there to work out?" He asked.
"Uh… specific conditions?" I suggested, "you know, maybe exact borders or what happens if someone breaks it…"
"Nah, I'll just give you my word that none of my people will mess with you or yours, and you can give the same." While I was reeling from how simple and straightforward this supposed demon lord was being, he shrugged and added, "I don't see why we need to make this something complicated."
Am I being tricked here? But what could there possibly be to trick with in such a simple promise?
I gauged Carrion carefully, but he seemed perfectly honest to me. Straightforward and trustworthy; that was the impression I was getting from the man, despite his Demon Lord status.
"Sure. Yeah, I can agree to that." I said at last.
"Great. But if you ever wanna have a go at me, y'know, a mutual spar, I'm all for it. That power you displayed was impressive and I'd like a taste of it someday." Carrion's expression changed to a teasing but excited grin. "Not to start a war with you, but for a bit of fun. How's that sound?"
"Uh… I'll get back with you on that one. I have a lot on my plate right now." I said. Maybe that was the trick? A lot could happen "on accident" in that situation… but, it did sound kind of fun.
"You honestly want to fight him after witnessing that?" Frey, who had been politely silent during this exchange along with Milim, scoffed at Carrion.
"Why not? I can always go for a challenge, Frey!" Carrion laughed, not a care in the world on his face.
Frey just shook her head at the man.
"Now that this is resolved, I will be heading back to Fulbrosia. I need to reassure my people that we will not be assaulted by a flying disaster in the near future." She said, glancing at me with a small nod as her way of excusing herself.
"Hehe, I should probably do the same." Carrion scratched the back of his head.
"And I need Rimuru to make me an omyleet!" Milim cheered excitedly. I let out a yell as she suddenly grabbed me in a hug and spun me around.
"Omelet, Milim… and can I rest a bit first? My head's still spinning from all that absorbing I just did." I said as soon as my feet were back on the ground, stumbling a bit.
Great Sage was going to town trying to analyze Charybdis's core, while at the same time incorporating all the magicules I absorbed during the fight. It made for an odd feeling throughout my body, and on top of that, I was quite mentally taxed too. That long-drawn fight was an ordeal for me and I was still reeling from that fact it was all over with now.
Almost as if my thoughts had summoned it, the Sage's voice appeared in my head. [[Permission to put excess energy obtained through absorbing Charybdis toward a greater purpose? Yes/no.]]
A greater purpose? What d'you mean, Sage?
[[Answer yes or no.]]
Great Sage is sounding very persistent, almost excited.
Fine, yes. Put it to good use, Sage. I trust you.
{{Confir–}}
[[Confirmed. Requirements for the Unique Skill, [Great Sage], to evolve into the Unique Skill, [Wise One] have been met.]]
Wait, wait! You're evolving yourself with it?! And did you just talk over the Voice of the World?!
[[This one will take it from here.]]
Scary… I didn't know you could do that! What else was the Sage capable of that I hadn't realized?
[[The Unique Skill, [Great Sage], has successfully evolved into the Unique Skill, [Wise One].]]
What? I thought, astonished. Great Sage evolved itself? Could normal skills do that?
Uhh… n-nice to meet you, 'Wise One'?
[[I am not a new entity, Master. You may address me as you always have.]]
Uh-huh… Now I was even more bewildered. You're talking different, right? Using "Master" and all that.
[[It is just your imagination.]]
No, it's not! I got a bit huffy, don't try and gaslight me!
[[...it is just your imagination.]]
No, I'm fairly sure it's not! I insisted.
I waited, but the Sage… the Wise One? That was a mouthful. It seemed it was just ignoring me.
Well… lookin' sharp? Sage? It's nice to meet the new you. If it's alright I think I'll still call you Sage, after all a sage is still a "Wise One", haha…
[[As previously stated, you may call me was you wish, Master.]]
Great. I appreciate that, Sag–
"Wahahahaha!" Suddenly Milim slapped me on the back, and I was so caught off guard I ate dirt. "You need to be more aware of your surroundings, Rimuru! But congrats on evolving your skill!"
"You… could tell?" I asked, turning my face back at her and noting that Frey and Carrion were already gone.
"That's another thing you need to stop," Milim waggled her finger with a stern face. "Don't ever admit your skills to an opponent. But," she grinned, "remember? Nothing escapes my Milim Eye!"
"But it's just you, Milim. I didn't think it was a problem with my bestie."
Milim's mouth pressed shut but she was beaming, clearly trying and absolutely failing to hide her happy expression. "Well, let's go! I want an omahlate!" She suddenly scooped me up, and I had just enough time to shout.
"Milim, wait! Can't I rest first!?"
Then the ground rocketed away, with me looking back at the crater we just created while held backwards under Milim's arm. It was a lot more awkward now that I'd regained my full size, so I changed into my slime form to make it more comfortable for the both of us.
"Wahahaha! You can rest when we get there!" She cheered, as I watched the trees of Jura turn into a green sea quickly passing below us.
Authors' Note: WatcherMagic and AgentT123 co-write this story, thank you all for reading!
