One moment, Rin was drifting off to sleep in his luxurious bed, Ai's soft breathing a comforting rhythm beside him. The next, he was jolted awake by a cacophony of roars, screams, and the clang of metal on metal. His eyes snapped open not to the familiar silk sheets and ornate ceiling of his room, but to a dark, muddy clearing under a full, blood-red moon. War. He was in the middle of a goddamn war.
Panic, cold and sharp, clawed at his throat. Hulking, pig-faced humanoids wielding crude weapons were everywhere, clashing with… well, he didn't stick around to see who their opponents were. A group of these porcine monstrosities, their tusks glinting menacingly, spotted him.
"A human! Get him!" one bellowed, its voice a guttural snarl.
"SHIIIIIT!" Rin shrieked, scrambling to his feet and bolting in the opposite direction. Adrenaline surged through him. This was no time for holding back or worrying about future entertainment. Survival was paramount.
System! Max Speed! Max Stamina! NOW!
Instantly, his legs pumped with newfound power, the world blurring around him as he outpaced the charging pig-men with ease. He didn't stop, didn't look back, until the sounds of battle began to fade into the distance. Only then did he dare to slow, his chest heaving, his mind reeling. What in the absolute hell just happened? One minute I'm in Kuoh, the next... this! Is this a dream? A nightmare?
He found a tall, sturdy tree at the edge of what seemed to be a vast forest bordering the battlefield and scrambled up its trunk, concealing himself amongst the thick leaves. He needed information. During his panicked flight, he'd yelled his own name out of sheer terror – a habit he'd have to break – but it meant he could now access the status of those pig-creatures, provided he could see them.
Peering through the foliage, he focused on one of the distant combatants.
[STATUS ALERT]
Name: (Nameless)
Race: Orc
Level: 12
Condition: Berserk
Titles: None
Abilities: Basic Club Proficiency, Charge
Orcs? So those things are orcs. Most of them were nameless, cannon fodder. But then, his gaze fell upon a particularly large, imposing Orc, one that seemed to be directing the others.
[STATUS ALERT]
Name: Geld
Race: Orc Lord (Sealed)
Level: 55 (Suppressed)
Condition: Famished, Enraged
Titles: Leader of the Orcish Horde
Abilities: Lord's Aura, Steel Strength, Regeneration (Minor), Devour
Geld? The name struck a chord, a faint echo of familiarity he couldn't quite place. Where have I heard that name before?
Before he could ponder further, the battlefield erupted. A colossal dome of black flames pulsed outwards from a central point, incinerating swathes of Orcs. Simultaneously, black lightning crackled down from the sky, striking with devastating precision. The sheer destructive power was terrifying. Rin, despite his curiosity about the source of such magic, knew better than to investigate. This place was a death trap. He needed to get as far away as possible.
He leaped from the tree and began running again, deeper into the forest, away from the epicenter of the chaos. He ran for what felt like an eternity, the eerie silence of the woods pressing in on him, a stark contrast to the earlier din of battle. He felt a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, the unmistakable feeling of being watched.
Rin skidded to a halt, his senses on high alert. "Alright, whoever's out there, show yourself!" he called out, his voice louder than he intended. He had no ability to detect perfectly concealed presences, especially if they hadn't "introduced" themselves, a frustrating limitation of his Mind Reader. The system confirmed it: No minds detected within readable range (requires presence acknowledgment or prior introduction).
A figure materialized from the shadows, coalescing as if from the darkness itself. It was a man, or at least humanoid, wearing a grotesque, grinning mask.
"My, my, what have we here?" the masked man said, his voice smooth and laced with a chilling amusement. "A little human, all alone in the dark woods on such a dangerous night. You must have excellent senses to have detected me."
He thinks I sensed him? Good. Play along. Rin narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
"They call me Gelmud," the masked man replied with a theatrical bow. "A humble servant of the Demon Lord Clayman. And you, little lost lamb?"
Gelmud! That name, too, resonated with that same frustrating, elusive familiarity as Geld. Where do I know these names from?! The system confirmed the name. He quickly scanned Gelmud's status.
[STATUS ALERT]
Name: Gelmud
Race: Majin (High-Tier)
Level: 68
Condition: Arrogant, Overconfident
Titles: Marionette Master, Clayman's Emissary
Abilities: Thought Manipulation (Lesser), Puppet Strings, Dark Bolt, Enhanced Speed, Concealment
Okay, this guy is dangerous. While Gelmud continued his sarcastic monologue about Rin's unfortunate predicament, Rin was already working his system. Strength to 70. No, better make it 80 for now. Intelligence and Wisdom to 60 each. Need to be smart about this, but don't want to spoil all the fun by knowing everything immediately. He needed a balance between survival and his twisted sense of entertainment.
"—so, tell me, little human, what brings you to this delightful warzone?" Gelmud was saying.
Rin didn't bother answering. He spun on his heel and bolted. But Gelmud was already there, appearing in front of him as if by teleportation. "Not so fast. We haven't finished our conversation."
Rin cursed inwardly. His speed is insane! Even with my maxed-out stat, he's faster! He feinted left, then darted right, pushing his speed to its absolute limit. Again, Gelmud was there, a mocking chuckle escaping from behind the mask. A swift kick sent Rin tumbling, a sharp pain flaring in his ribs. Damage taken, but not critical.
He scrambled up, ignoring the pain, and tried to flee once more. He burst through a thicket of bushes and then—
He collided with something, or rather, a group of somethings. He found himself sprawling at the feet of several large, fearsome-looking black wolves, each carrying a rider. The riders were an eclectic bunch, mostly humanoid with green skin and pointed ears – goblins, he guessed.
But it was the figure at their head that made Rin's jaw drop. Small, slender, with a cascade of light blue hair that seemed to shimmer even in the dim moonlight. There was no mistaking that androgynous, almost ethereal beauty.
Rimuru Tempest! From 'That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime'! What in the actual multiverse is going on?!
Hope, sharp and sudden, surged through Rin. If Rimuru was here, then maybe, just maybe, he had a chance of getting away from the creepy masked psycho currently hunting him.