The cave trembled.
Dust fell from ancient stone. Crystals hummed with resonant energy. And somewhere in the darkness ahead, a dragon was having an existential crisis.
"TWO OF THEM! TWO LITTLE SLIMES! KAHAHAHAHA!"
Veldora's laughter shook the walls like thunder trapped in a bottle.
Rimuru wobbled beside me, her small blue form quivering. "That's… a dragon, isn't it?"
"Yeah," I said, already feeling the pull. "That's Veldora Tempest. One of the four True Dragons."
She turned toward me—or at least, I think she did. Hard to tell with slimes. "How do you know that?"
Good question.
How much should I tell her?
I hesitated. The Supreme Author's words echoed in my mind: You know how the story ends.
But this wasn't the story anymore. This was real. Rimuru was real. And I was…
What was I?
Before I could answer, a voice rang through my consciousness—calm, analytical, utterly inhuman.
[Notice. Individual has requested status review. Displaying full analysis.]
My entire being froze.
Great Sage?
[Correct. I am the Unique Skill 'Great Sage.' I exist to serve and advise the master.]
The words carved themselves into my awareness like scripture written in starlight.
[Initiating comprehensive status display.]
STATUS: FULL ANALYSIS
Name: Unnamed (Pending)
Species: Special S-Rank Slime (Divine Hybrid Core)
Titles:
The Bound One
Brother of Tempest
Heir of the Storm Dragon
Kin of Destruction
The Supreme Author's Ink
Divine Protection: Blessing of the Supreme Author (Absolute)
UNIQUE SKILLS:
1. Predator
Predation: Absorbs targets into the body. Organic and inorganic materials can be analyzed and stored.
Analysis: Studied targets can be fully understood, allowing skill and ability replication.
Stomach: Creates a pocket dimension for storage. No limit detected.
Mimicry: Allows replication of absorbed creatures' forms and abilities.
Isolation: Completely seals harmful effects from consumed materials.
2. Great Sage
Thought Acceleration: Increases thought processing speed by up to 1,000,000 times.
Analytical Appraisal: Analyzes and appraises targets with absolute accuracy.
Parallel Processing: Allows simultaneous processing of multiple thought streams. No upper limit detected.
Chant Annulment: Eliminates need for verbal incantations.
All of Creation: Provides complete understanding of any phenomenon observed or analyzed.
3. Unlimited Imprisonment (Inherited from Veldora Tempest)
Dimensional Lock: Can seal targets in isolated dimensional spaces.
Barrier Break: Nullifies defensive barriers below Ultimate-class.
Storm Domination: Absolute control over wind, lightning, and atmospheric phenomena.
4. Wrathful King Satan (Inherited from Milim Nava)
Wrath: Converts all damage received into pure power. No upper limit.
Amplification: Multiplies all offensive capabilities based on emotional intensity.
Berserk Mode: Unlocks full combat potential at the cost of reduced rationality. (Currently Sealed—Binding Protocol Active)
INTRINSIC SKILLS:
1. Dissolve
Melts and breaks down organic matter on contact.
2. Self-Regeneration
Regenerates from any damage as long as core remains intact.
Current regeneration speed: Instantaneous.
3. Infinite Regeneration (Enhanced—Dragon Factor)
Regenerates from complete destruction.
Can regenerate from spiritual damage.
Can regenerate from conceptual erasure. (Partial—requires time)
4. Ultraspeed Regeneration
Stacks with above skills. Healing occurs faster than damage can be inflicted.
5. Universal Perception
Detects all matter, energy, and spiritual phenomena within a 10-kilometer radius.
Radius expands with magicule density.
6. Universal Shapeshift
Can assume any form previously analyzed.
No size restrictions.
Can maintain multiple forms simultaneously.
7. Division and Fusion
Can split into multiple independent bodies.
Can fuse with willing targets temporarily.
8. Telepathy
Mental communication with any intelligent being.
Range: Unlimited within same dimension.
9. Magic Sense
Replaces sight, hearing, and all physical senses.
Cannot be blocked by illusions below Ultimate-class.
10. Control Weather (Dragon Factor)
Absolute dominion over meteorological phenomena.
Can create storms, hurricanes, and lightning at will.
11. Dragon Spirit Haki (Dragon Factor)
Passive aura that induces fear in beings below Special A-Rank.
Can be suppressed.
12. Gravity Manipulation (Demon Lord Factor)
Control over gravitational forces.
Can create localized black holes. (Restricted—requires mastery)
13. Space-Time Manipulation (Demon Lord Factor)
Can bend space for teleportation.
Can slow or accelerate localized time. (Restricted—requires mastery)
14. True Dragon Release
Can temporarily manifest the full power of a True Dragon.
Duration: Unknown. Side effects: Unknown.
15. Demon Lord's Ambition
Passive skill. Increases growth rate of all abilities by 500%.
Attracts powerful beings. (Warning: May attract hostile entities)
RESISTANCES:
1. Physical Attack Nullification
All physical damage below Ultimate-class is nullified.
2. Natural Effects Nullification
Immune to temperature extremes, pressure, and environmental hazards.
3. Abnormal Status Nullification
Immune to poison, paralysis, sleep, confusion, fear, and all mental interference below Ultimate-class.
4. Pain Nullification
Cannot feel pain. Damage is registered but not experienced.
5. Spiritual Attack Resistance
High resistance to soul-based attacks.
Full immunity pending skill evolution.
6. Holy-Demonic Attack Resistance
Resistant to both holy and demonic attribute attacks.
Cannot be purified or corrupted.
7. Natural Elements Nullification
Immune to fire, water, earth, wind, lightning, ice, and all derivative elements.
8. Melee Attack Nullification (Dragon Factor)
Physical strikes below True Dragon-class deal no damage.
9. Existence Erasure Resistance (Partial)
Can resist conceptual erasure.
Full immunity requires skill evolution.
10. Fate Interference Resistance (Supreme Author's Blessing)
Cannot be affected by skills that manipulate destiny, probability, or causality.
Absolute.
EXTRA SKILLS:
1. Magic Resistance
2. Physical Enhancement
3. Keen Smell
4. Enhanced Senses
5. Multilayer Barrier
6. Spatial Travel
7. Demon Lord's Haki
8. Coercion
9. Law Manipulation (Dormant)
10. Soul Consumption (Restricted)
SPECIAL BINDING: THE AUTHOR'S CHAIN
[Notice. Unique condition detected.]
[The Bound One is linked to three existences through the Supreme Author's Blessing.]
Bound Targets:
Rimuru Tempest (Sister—Soul Bond)
Veldora Tempest (Brother—Dragon Bond)
Milim Nava (Sister—Demon Lord Bond)
Binding Effects:
Cannot inflict harm upon bound targets.
Cannot kill bound targets.
Cannot allow bound targets to die through inaction.
Bound targets will instinctively recognize The Bound One as family.
Emotional resonance is shared between bound individuals.
Proximity to bound targets increases all stats by 10%.
[Warning. Attempting to circumvent binding will result in automatic skill suppression and potential core destabilization.]
I stared at the information flooding my mind.
It went on and on and on.
Skills I didn't understand. Resistances I couldn't fathom. Power that didn't belong to a newborn slime.
This is insane.
[Affirmative. Master's current abilities exceed 99.7% of all beings in this world.]
Great Sage… am I even still human?
[Negative. Master is currently classified as a Special S-Rank Slime with Divine Hybrid Core. Human classification no longer applies.]
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to scream. I wanted to—
"Hey."
Rimuru's voice cut through the chaos.
"You okay? You've been quiet for like… a really long time."
I focused on her. My sister. My bound family.
The skill confirmed it. I couldn't hurt her. Couldn't let her die. Couldn't even want to harm her without my own abilities turning against me.
But more than that…
I didn't want to.
Looking at her small, wobbling form—confused, newborn, utterly alone in a world that would throw gods and demons at her—I felt something I hadn't expected.
Protectiveness.
"Yeah," I said softly. "I'm okay. Just… processing."
She bounced slightly. "Same! There's this voice in my head—calls itself Great Sage? It keeps telling me stuff. Like how I can eat things and get their powers. That's so cool, right?!"
I chuckled. "Yeah. That's Predator. You should be careful with it though."
"Careful? Why?"
"Because…" I paused. How much should I tell her? "Because some things you eat might not agree with you."
She considered this. "Like spicy food?"
"…Sure. Like spicy food."
Another tremor shook the cave.
"ENOUGH HIDING, LITTLE SLIMES! COME FORTH AND FACE THE GREAT VELDORA!"
Rimuru shivered. "He sounds… intense."
"He's lonely," I said without thinking.
"Huh?"
I moved forward, my slime body rippling across the stone floor. "He's been trapped here for three hundred years. Alone. No one to talk to. No one to acknowledge him. He's not angry—he's desperate for connection."
Rimuru followed me, her movements hesitant. "How do you know all this?"
Because I watched your story. Because I read about your adventures. Because in another life, I saw you become a Demon Lord, build a nation, and befriend the very dragon we're about to meet.
But I couldn't say that.
Not yet.
"Call it intuition," I said instead.
We rounded a corner, and the cavern opened into a massive chamber.
And there he was.
Veldora Tempest.
The Storm Dragon.
One of the four True Dragons.
A being of catastrophic power, sealed behind a barrier of holy light that hummed with divine energy. His scales were black as midnight, his eyes burning gold, his wings folded against a body that radiated barely contained destruction.
He was magnificent.
He was terrifying.
And the moment I saw him, something inside me resonated.
[Notice. Dragon Bond detected. Veldora Tempest has been recognized as bound family. Emotional synchronization initiating.]
Veldora's massive head turned toward us, golden eyes widening.
"Two slimes," he breathed. "Two little slimes, and yet…"
His gaze fixed on me.
"You. What are you?"
I felt it then—his power reaching out, probing, trying to understand. And I felt my own power respond, not with hostility, but with recognition.
Like meeting a brother I'd always known.
"I'm a slime," I said simply. "Just like her."
"LIES!" Veldora's roar shook the chamber. "You carry my essence! I can feel it—my power, my very being, echoed within your core! How is this possible?! I have given no blessing! I have shared no power!"
[Notice. Veldora Tempest is experiencing confusion due to Dragon Bond resonance. Recommendation: Explain binding in simplified terms.]
Simplified terms? How do I simplify 'a cosmic author rewrote reality to make us family'?
[Suggestion: Use the term 'fate.']
I sighed internally. Worth a shot.
"It's fate," I said.
Veldora blinked. "Fate?"
"We were born connected to you. I don't fully understand it myself, but…" I moved closer to the barrier, feeling its holy energy wash over me like warm water. It didn't hurt. It didn't even tickle. "I know that you're family. I know that I can't hurt you. And I know that somewhere, deep down, you recognize us too."
The great dragon was silent.
His golden eyes studied me with an intensity that should have been terrifying. But I felt no fear. The binding wouldn't allow it—and even without the binding, I don't think I would have been afraid.
This was Veldora. Loud, dramatic, lonely Veldora.
My brother.
"Family," he repeated slowly. "You claim to be my family?"
"I don't claim anything," I said. "It just is."
Rimuru bounced forward, apparently having overcome her initial fear. "Yeah! I feel it too! You're like… a big brother? Is that weird? That's probably weird. Sorry, I just got reincarnated as a slime and everything is weird right now—"
"KAHAHAHAHA!"
Veldora's laughter erupted like a thunderclap.
"A sister! A brother! Two little slimes calling themselves my family!" He grinned—actually grinned—showing teeth the size of swords. "I like it! I like it very much!"
[Notice. Veldora Tempest's emotional state has shifted from 'curious hostility' to 'genuine amusement.' Bond synchronization at 12%.]
Rimuru and I exchanged glances.
"Is he always like this?" she whispered.
"You have no idea," I whispered back.
Veldora leaned closer to the barrier, his massive snout nearly touching the holy light. "Tell me, little siblings—what are your names?"
Rimuru hesitated. "I… don't have one yet. I just woke up."
"Same," I admitted.
"UNACCEPTABLE!" Veldora declared. "My siblings cannot wander nameless like common beasts! I, the great Veldora Tempest, shall bestow upon you names worthy of our bond!"
I felt a chill run through my core.
Names.
In this world, names carried power. When a powerful being named a weaker one, they transferred a portion of their magicules—their very essence—into the recipient. For most monsters, receiving a name from someone like Veldora would be an unimaginable blessing.
But for Rimuru and me…
[Notice. If Veldora Tempest bestows names, significant power transfer will occur. Master's current abilities may evolve. Bound targets' abilities may synchronize further.]
What happens to Veldora?
[Unknown. Standard naming conventions suggest temporary weakening. However, due to Dragon Bond, effects may be mitigated or altered.]
I looked at the great dragon, seeing the loneliness behind his bravado, the desperate hope in his golden eyes.
Three hundred years alone.
Three hundred years with nothing but his own thoughts and the endless barrier.
And now, finally, someone to talk to. Someone to name. Someone to call family.
How could I refuse?
"Alright," I said. "Give us names."
Rimuru nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I want a cool name!"
Veldora's grin widened. "Very well! Let me think…"
He closed his eyes, and I felt something stirring in the air—power gathering, reality bending, fate itself holding its breath.
"You," he said, opening his eyes to look at Rimuru. "You who carry the warmth of new beginnings, the curiosity of unexplored worlds… I name you Rimuru Tempest. May you carry the storm within you, sister."
Light exploded.
Rimuru gasped as power flooded into her, her small body glowing with azure radiance. I felt it through our bond—her strength multiplying, her potential unlocking, her very existence being rewritten by the name.
[Notice. Rimuru Tempest has received naming blessing from True Dragon Veldora. Soul Corridor established. Magicule capacity increased by 10,000%. Evolution pending.]
Then Veldora turned to me.
"And you," he said, his voice deeper now, resonant with ancient power. "You who carry the weight of knowledge, the burden of foresight, the ink of stories yet unwritten…"
He paused.
"I sense something different in you, little brother. Something vast. Something that even I do not fully understand."
I held my breath.
"But family does not require understanding," Veldora continued. "Family requires only acceptance."
He raised his head high, and when he spoke again, the words echoed with the force of absolute truth.
"I name you Ciel Tempest. The sky that holds the storm. The brother who stands beside the thunder. May your path be written in lightning, and may your story never end."
The world shattered.
Pain.
Not physical—I was immune to that now. But something deeper. Something fundamental.
Power crashed into me like a tidal wave made of liquid starlight. I felt Veldora's essence merging with my own, felt the Dragon Bond solidifying into something unbreakable, felt my skills screaming as they tried to contain the influx of raw, primordial energy.
[NOTICE. MASSIVE MAGICULE TRANSFER DETECTED.]
[NOTICE. DRAGON FACTOR ENHANCEMENT INITIATED.]
[NOTICE. SKILL EVOLUTION OCCURRING.]
[NOTICE. UNIQUE SKILL 'GREAT SAGE' IS EVOLVING.]
[NOTICE. UNIQUE SKILL 'PREDATOR' IS EVOLVING.]
[NOTICE. INTRINSIC SKILLS UPGRADING.]
[NOTICE. RESISTANCES UPGRADING.]
[NOTICE. BINDING RESONANCE AMPLIFYING.]
[WARNING. MAGICULE CAPACITY APPROACHING CRITICAL THRESHOLD.]
[SOLUTION FOUND. EXPANDING CORE DIMENSION.]
[EVOLUTION COMPLETE.]
When I came back to awareness, I was different.
Not in form—I was still a slime, still a small blue mass of translucent gel. But inside…
Inside, I was a universe.
[Status update complete. Displaying changes.]
EVOLVED STATUS
Name: Ciel Tempest
Species: Special S-Rank Divine Slime (True Dragon Hybrid)
Titles:
The Bound One
Brother of Tempest
Heir of the Storm Dragon (Confirmed)
Kin of Destruction
The Supreme Author's Ink
Named by Veldora (New)
The Sky That Holds the Storm (New)
EVOLVED UNIQUE SKILLS:
1. Predator → Gluttonous King Beelzebub (Partial Evolution)
All previous abilities retained and enhanced.
Soul Consumption: Can now consume and store souls.
Skill Extraction: Can extract skills from consumed targets.
Food Chain: Shares power with subordinates. (Currently inactive—no subordinates)
2. Great Sage → Wisdom King Raphael (Partial Evolution)
All previous abilities retained and enhanced.
Thought Domination: Can process infinite parallel thoughts.
Future Calculation: Can predict outcomes with 97.3% accuracy.
Auto-Battle Mode: Can operate body independently while master focuses elsewhere.
Skill Modification: Can alter and combine skills.
3. Unlimited Imprisonment → Storm King Veldora (Awakened)
Full access to Veldora's storm abilities.
Nihility Collapse: Erases matter and energy in targeted area.
Death-Calling Wind: Summons winds that carry the concept of death.
True Dragon Aura: Passive intimidation affecting all beings below True Dragon class.
4. Wrathful King Satan → Wrathful King Satan (Unchanged—Milim Bond Required for Evolution)
NEW INTRINSIC SKILLS:
16. Storm Dragon's Blessing
Permanent connection to Veldora Tempest.
Can communicate telepathically across any distance.
Shares sensory information when desired.
17. Tempest Lineage
Recognized as True Dragon kin.
Cannot be harmed by storm-based attacks.
Weather phenomena respond to emotional state.
18. Soul Corridor (Veldora)
Direct link to Veldora's soul.
Can share magicules freely.
If Veldora is destroyed, can serve as anchor for regeneration.
19. Soul Corridor (Rimuru)
Direct link to Rimuru's soul.
Can share magicules freely.
Emotional states partially synchronized.
UPGRADED RESISTANCES:
All previous resistances enhanced to maximum level.
New Additions:
Existence Erasure Nullification:** Can no longer be erased from existence.
Causality Attack Resistance:** Resistant to attacks that alter cause and effect.
Information Attack Resistance:** Resistant to attacks targeting conceptual information.
[Notice. Evolution complete. Master is now among the strongest beings in this world.]
[Additional Notice. Due to naming by Veldora Tempest, Dragon Bond has reached 67% synchronization. Veldora now perceives master as true family.]
[Additional Notice. Rimuru Tempest's Soul Corridor has stabilized. Sister bond confirmed at spiritual level.]
[Additional Notice. Milim Nava bond remains at base level. Physical proximity required for synchronization.]
I floated in the aftermath, trying to comprehend what I'd become.
Wisdom King Raphael. Gluttonous King Beelzebub. Storm King Veldora.
These were Ultimate Skills—the highest tier of abilities in this world. Powers that Rimuru wouldn't obtain until much later in the original story. Powers that defined the strongest beings in existence.
And I had three of them.
This is wrong, I thought. This is too much. I shouldn't be this strong.
[Query: Does master wish to seal abilities?]
What? No. I just…
I looked at Rimuru, who was still glowing faintly from her own naming. She was strong now—much stronger than a newborn slime should be. But she was still Rimuru. Still curious, still cheerful, still fundamentally good.
And Veldora…
The great dragon was slumped against the barrier, his breathing heavy. The naming had cost him—I could see it in the dimness of his scales, the slight tremor in his wings.
"Veldora!" I rushed toward the barrier. "Are you okay?!"
He opened one golden eye and grinned weakly. "KAHAHAHA… worry not, little brother. The great Veldora Tempest is merely… resting. Naming two siblings at once is… taxing."
Guilt flooded through me.
He'd given us so much. His name. His power. His family.
And he was still trapped.
"We'll free you," I said suddenly.
Both Veldora and Rimuru looked at me.
"The barrier," I continued, my mind racing. "It's the Unlimited Imprisonment skill, used by a Hero to seal you. But I have that skill now—or a version of it. And with Raphael's analytical abilities, we might be able to find a way to break it."
[Analyzing Unlimited Imprisonment barrier. Time required for complete analysis: Approximately 2 years with current processing power.]
Two years?
[Affirmative. The barrier is Hero-class, reinforced by divine blessing. Breaking it requires understanding its complete structure.]
Two years was better than forever.
"It'll take time," I told Veldora. "But we'll figure it out. I promise."
The dragon's eyes widened. Then, slowly, a genuine smile spread across his fearsome face.
"You would do that? For me?"
"You're family," Rimuru said, bouncing forward. "Of course we would!"
I nodded. "She's right. We're Tempests now. We don't abandon our own."
For a moment, Veldora was silent.
Then—
"KAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
His laughter echoed through the cavern, but this time it wasn't lonely. It wasn't desperate. It was joyful.
"SIBLINGS! TRUE SIBLINGS! The great Veldora Tempest has finally found family worthy of his magnificence!"
I couldn't help but smile.
This was real. This was happening. I was a slime named Ciel Tempest, with power beyond comprehension, bound to three of the strongest beings in existence.
And I couldn't hurt any of them.
[Reminder. Binding prevents harm to Rimuru Tempest, Veldora Tempest, and Milim Nava. Attempting to circumvent this restriction will result in automatic skill suppression.]
I know, I thought. And honestly? I don't want to hurt them.
[Acknowledged. Master's emotional state is consistent with binding parameters.]
The Supreme Author had called it a "bind." A restriction. A limitation.
But as I watched Rimuru bounce excitedly around the cavern, as I felt Veldora's warmth through our Soul Corridor, as I sensed the distant pulse of Milim's existence somewhere far away…
It didn't feel like a chain.
It felt like a home.
We spent hours talking with Veldora.
He told us about the world—about the nations, the monsters, the Demon Lords, the Heroes. He told us about his siblings: Velzard the Ice Dragon, Velgrynd the Flame Dragon, and Veldanava the Star Dragon who had created this world.
He told us about his battle with the Hero who sealed him, about the three hundred years of solitude, about the endless boredom that had nearly driven him mad.
And we listened.
Rimuru asked questions constantly, her curiosity boundless. She wanted to know everything—how magic worked, what skills were, why monsters had ranks, whether there were good restaurants in this world.
I stayed quieter, letting her take the lead. But inside, I was processing.
[Analysis of current world state complete.]
Show me.
[Current timeline: Approximately 300 years after Veldora's sealing. Major powers include the Eastern Empire, the Western Nations, the demon lord territories, and various monster nations. Key figures of note: Guy Crimson (Demon Lord), Milim Nava (Demon Lord), Ramiris (Demon Lord), Leon Cromwell (Demon Lord), Clayman (Demon Lord), Frey (Demon Lord), Carrion (Demon Lord). Hero presence detected in Western Nations—identity uncertain.]
What about the Jura Forest?
[Currently unclaimed territory. Various monster factions exist but no unified leadership. Significant power vacuum detected. Probability of conflict: 73%.]
In the original story, Rimuru would fill that vacuum. She would unite the monsters, build a nation, and create Tempest—a country where humans and monsters could coexist.
But now there were two of us.
Would the story change? Would new enemies appear? Would the Supreme Author's intervention create ripples I couldn't predict?
[Insufficient data for accurate prediction. Recommendation: Proceed with caution while gathering information.]
Sound advice.
"—and that's when I realized that manga was actually pretty good!" Rimuru was saying. "Do you think they have manga in this world, Veldora?"
"MANGA?!" The dragon's eyes lit up. "WHAT IS THIS MANGA YOU SPEAK OF?!"
"Oh man, you don't know manga?! It's like—okay, so imagine stories, but with pictures, and they're arranged in panels—"
I watched my sister explain Japanese comics to an ancient dragon, and something warm settled in my chest.
This is good, I thought. This is right.
[Notice. Emotional resonance detected. Binding synchronization with Rimuru Tempest has increased to 34%.]
What does that mean?
[As synchronization increases, emotional connection deepens. At 100%, bound individuals will share a bond equivalent to true soul-mates—family in the deepest possible sense.]
And I can't stop it?
[Negative. Synchronization is automatic and irreversible. However, master's emotional state suggests no desire to prevent it.]
I considered that.
The Supreme Author had bound me to Rimuru, Veldora, and Milim. He'd made it so I couldn't hurt them, couldn't let them die, couldn't even want to harm them without consequences.
But he'd also made it so they would accept me as family. So they would feel the same connection I felt.
Was that manipulation? Was it mind control?
Or was it just… fate?
[Philosophical query detected. Insufficient data for definitive answer. However, observation suggests that bound individuals' feelings are genuine, not artificially induced. The binding creates connection, but the emotions that develop from that connection are authentic.]
I looked at Rimuru, who was now enthusiastically describing the plot of her favorite manga while Veldora listened with rapt attention.
She was happy.
Genuinely, truly happy.
And so was I.
Maybe that's enough, I thought. Maybe that's all that matters.
Eventually, we had to address practical concerns.
"So," Rimuru said, "what do we do now? We can't just stay in this cave forever."
"Why not?!" Veldora protested. "The cave is perfectly adequate! And I am here!"
"You're sealed behind a barrier," I pointed out gently. "And we need to eat. Grow stronger. Explore."
"But—"
"We'll come back," Rimuru promised. "Every day! We'll visit you and talk and I'll tell you more about manga and we'll work on breaking the barrier!"
Veldora pouted—an impressive feat for a dragon. "You promise?"
"We promise," I said.
[Suggestion: Establish regular visitation schedule to maintain Soul Corridor stability and Veldora's emotional well-being.]
Good idea.
"How about this," I proposed. "We explore during the day, gather information, get stronger. Then we come back here to sleep and talk. That way you're never alone for too long."
The dragon considered this. "Acceptable! But you must tell me everything you see! Every battle! Every discovery! I wish to experience the outside world through your adventures!"
"Deal," Rimuru agreed.
And so our first day in this new world came to a close.
We found a comfortable spot near Veldora's barrier—close enough to feel his presence, far enough to avoid the holy light. The crystals in the cave provided gentle illumination, and the stone floor was surprisingly warm.
As Rimuru drifted off to sleep (could slimes sleep? apparently yes), I stayed awake, processing everything that had happened.
I was Ciel Tempest now.
A slime with the power of a True Dragon.
A brother bound to three of the strongest beings in existence.
A character written by the Supreme Author himself.
[Query: Does master regret accepting the Supreme Author's offer?]
I thought about it. Really thought about it.
I had died. My old life was gone—my world, my memories, everyone I'd known. That should hurt. That should matter.
But when I reached for grief, I found only… peace.
No, I answered finally. I don't regret it.
[Acknowledged. Master's mental state is stable. No signs of denial or suppression detected.]
Good to know.
I looked at Rimuru, sleeping peacefully beside me. I felt Veldora's presence through our bond, the great dragon finally resting after three centuries of solitude. And somewhere far away, I sensed Milim—a distant star of overwhelming power, waiting to be met.
My family.
My story.
Hey, Supreme Author, I thought, not knowing if he could hear me. I don't know why you chose me. I don't know what you're planning. But I'm going to protect them. All of them. No matter what.
The cave was silent.
But for just a moment, I could have sworn I felt something like approval.
[Notice. Day one complete. Survival confirmed. Bonds established. Story continues.]
[Chapter Two: The Weight of Infinite Ink — END]
Somewhere, in a realm beyond reality, the Supreme Author smiled and dipped his quill in starlight.
"Good," he murmured, writing the next line. "Very good."
The ink of stories yet unwritten shimmered with possibility.
And far away, in a castle of destruction, a pink-haired Demon Lord felt an inexplicable urge to visit the Jura Forest.
"Huh," Milim Nava said, tilting her head. "That's weird. Why do I feel like… someone's waiting for me?"
She shrugged and went back to destroying mountains.
But the feeling didn't go away.
[To be continued…]