{Kingdom of Gelmud}
"You've heard of the Storm Dragon Veldora, yes?" The minister, Baron Veryard, asked solemnly as he leaned forward.
"Of course," Guildmaster Fuze replied without hesitation.
"I should have expected as much from a guildmaster," the minister said, his tone carrying a trace of approval before turning serious again. "Then, tell me—what measures does the guild intend to take?"
Fuze exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "We have no particular plans to take action."
The minister's brow furrowed, voice rising. "The disappearance of Veldora is predicted to galvanize the monsters!"
But Fuze remained composed, resting his elbows on the arm of his chair. "Perhaps. But there is also the chance that the eastern kingdom will move—taking advantage of the now passable region where Veldora was once sealed."
At that, Baron Veryard lowered himself onto the couch opposite Fuze, his expression grim.
"If that happens, the provinces surrounding the Great Forest of Jura will fall under a rule in the blink of an eye."
---
Rimuru was busy devouring a massive spider, and with it came yet another skill.
"So, Ruru—another one? You've been stacking them since day one, huh?"
Al grinned as he fiddled with his own experiments, trying to force Blastoise's cannons to sprout from his heels. Sometimes they appeared, sometimes they fizzled.
The two were getting sidetracked again, though Al never minded. He wasn't here to change Rimuru's rise—just to witness it.
"Well, you aren't helping," Rimuru muttered. "The Great Sage told me to do it."
That made Al blink, then smirk. "Hey, how about I carry you, and we just go hunting?"
"…Can I really ride you?" Rimuru asked, tilting his round little body.
Al nodded, lips twitching. "Sure—but hold off on the slime-stuff, take me on a date first."
Silence.
"…I hate your humor. But yes."
In the next moment, Al's form morphed into a giant, jagged bird of lightning—Zapdos. He scooped Rimuru up, tossed him into the air, then caught him neatly on his back before soaring down the cavern.
Not long after, Al snagged a giant bat in his talons, pinning it to the wall. "Well? Don't you want this one too, Ruru?"
Rimuru hesitated, then used a Water Blade to slice through it before devouring it with Predator. Another skill gained.
Hours passed in this rhythm—hunt, consume, grow. But as they flew deeper through the cave, Rimuru finally asked, "Hey, Al, why don't we just get out already? With you flying, we could escape anytime, right?"
Al chuckled, feathers sparking faintly. "True. But I wanted to give you the time to grow."
Rimuru tilted curiously. Al sighed, then explained. "If we left the same day you absorbed Veldora, you'd have magicules but no foundation. No starter skills, no balance. Look at me—when I'm in human form, I still try to master moves without relying on transformations. Because if one day I can't transform, and my life's on the line, I'd be nothing."
Rimuru stared, confused. A little question mark floated over his slime-body.
"Think of it like this," Al continued. "If you're a billionaire in the real world, take all that money away—what are you? If you're nothing without it, then you're nothing with it too."
That seemed to click. Rimuru bobbed in understanding.
"…But still," Al added casually, "if you really wanna leave, we could just teleport."
Rimuru froze. Then blinked once. Twice. Then started blinking rapidly.
"EHHH?! If you could already do that, then get me out of here!!"
Al just grinned and shifted again, his body reshaping into a bipedal figure—a sleek, feline frame with a long purple tail. Mewtwo. His strongest psychic form.
In the middle of the cave, they both vanished.
---
The forest was quiet, the kind of silence only dawn could hold.
Inside the crude dugout where the two otherworlders had slept, Rimuru was already awake, while Al was still bundled up, buried under his self-made blanket.
"Hey, Al, I'll go out for a bit, okay?" Rimuru said softly.
"Yeah, yeah… just get home on time, Ruru," Al mumbled without lifting his head.
Rimuru shook slightly in amusement before slipping out into the cool morning air.
He wandered among the trees, curious about the strange new world. A massive bird resembling a parrot squawked overhead, and Rimuru marveled at its size. But his peaceful stroll didn't last long.
Not far ahead, a group of goblins appeared, ragged and weary, clutching old, battered swords. They stepped into his path.
"Strong one, what is your business here?" the lead goblin demanded.
"…Strong one? Me?" Rimuru tilted in confusion.
The goblin nodded firmly.
Gathering himself, Rimuru puffed up proudly and tested out the voice he had acquired from the giant bat.
"HELLO!! MY!! NAME!! IS!! RIMURU!! NICE!! TO!! MEET!! YOU!!"
The goblins all flinched, dropping to their knees in fear.
"We're all aware of your strength, sir! Please… please lower your voice!"
Rimuru winced, scratching the side of his jelly-like body. "Ah… sorry. Still getting used to this." His voice softened. "So, uh… did you need something from me?"
The goblin leader steadied himself. "We sensed a powerful monster near here. We came as a precaution."
Rimuru looked around. He didn't feel any presence besides himself. Then a thought struck. "Could it be… my friend?"
At that, the goblins shook their heads quickly. "Surely you jest. Even disguised, you cannot fool us."
"Well then, what do you need from me?" Rimuru asked, trying to sound calm.
The goblin leader bowed his head low. "We wish to ask a favor."