Chapter 3
Morning sunlight spilled into my room, golden and warm.
The nightmare of the arena felt distant. But the hum of mana in my bones told me it was real.
Diablo stood by the window, arms crossed, watching the city below.
"The humans are noisy," he muttered. "So weak. So loud. Why must you return to that place?"
I stood from my bed and stretched, feeling the weight of Rimuru's legacy press against my skin like fire beneath the flesh.
"Because I need permission," I said simply.
"To enter the Tower."
Diablo's crimson eyes narrowed. "From the Academy?"
"From the Council of Reincarnators," I corrected. "They monitor all awakenings. They control the Tower's access. Without their approval, I'm just another student."
Diablo scoffed. "You could snap that Council in two."
"Not without consequences. I'll play the game for now."
I turned toward the mirror. My face was the same. The golden eyes were gone. My hair, now short and black again, hung lazily over my forehead.
Rimuru's essence slumbered beneath my skin—but hidden.
Illusion Mist: Activated.A subtle fog-like aura wrapped around me, suppressing mana leaks and hiding the tiger-dragon crest that now stretched across my entire back—the mark of Rimuru's awakening.
Only one person would know the truth.
Miss Kalyra.
My homeroom teacher.
My legal guardian.
My mother… in one of my forgotten lives.
At the Academy – Class Zeta
The classroom buzzed with mana signatures.
Everyone had a mark. Some glowed faintly. Some brightly. Mine didn't glow at all.
Perfect.
"Hey Blank!" someone snorted. "Did you finally remember being a sewer rat in your past life?"
I didn't look back.
Diablo had offered to follow me in illusion form. I refused. I wanted to blend in.
For now.
The door slid open.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Miss Kalyra entered—silver hair flowing, her robe woven with spiritweave, her eyes cold and calculating… except when they landed on me.
"Attendance," she said softly, taking her place.
But then she paused. Just for a second.
Detection Pulse activated.
Our eyes locked—and the faintest glimmer of shock passed through hers.
Her voice echoed silently in my mind.
(You awakened. Rimuru…? So it's finally you.)
(You remember…?) I sent back.
(I was your guardian. You called me… "Mom." In your third life.)
She smiled faintly, continuing to call roll. (Don't reveal anything yet. They're watching. We'll speak at lunch.)
As I sat through class, my crest burned lightly under the mist.
I accessed my status window under the desk, hiding the flicker of its glow behind my notebook.
🧭 [SYSTEM – STATUS: ACTIVE]Name: [Redacted]Current Life: 1stClass: ??? → Evolution LockedReincarnation Crest: ✅ AwakenedPast Identity 1:
🌀 Rimuru Tempest – Final Evolution: Chaos IncarnateTier: SSS+Mana Pool: ∞Authority: Reality-Class (1)Unique Abilities:
[Gluttony] → [Void Devourer]
[Great Sage] → [Eidolon Core]
[Slime Core] – Dormant
[Shapeshift], [Mist Illusion], [Summon: Diablo – Prime Form]
[Dimensional Memory] – Passive
[Worldwalk] – Locked
[Divine Fusion: ???] – Locked
I closed it quickly.
My desk vibrated. Someone next to me was trying to peer into my field.
Nice try.
Rimuru's residual detection instantly repelled the probe.
At lunch, I stayed behind as the others left.
Miss Kalyra approached silently, activating a barrier field that isolated us from surveillance.
"You were always my pride," she whispered. "Even before I knew you again."
"And you… you're the 8th reincarnator?" I asked.
She nodded slowly. "Yes. Guardian-Class. I remember eight lives. I've protected you in three of them."
She placed a hand on my shoulder.
"But this life… feels different. You awakened everything. Instantly."
"It wasn't just Rimuru," I said. "It was the pain. The betrayal. The end."
"You've already surpassed the threshold," she murmured. "You're not a student anymore. You're something else."
"But you need permission to enter the Tower."
"Yeah. I know."
She looked at me. "They won't believe you."
I grinned faintly. "They don't have to."
"Why?"
"Because," I said, heading toward the class doors. "I'll show them eventually. But only once I'm inside."
"And then?"
I paused.
"Then I climb."
"Where to?"
"To the top."
To find who I was…
…and to face whoever's waiting above the surface of this world.