The elevated hill overlooking the large city was quiet at that time of day. The wind passed slowly through the branches, and the leaves of the wide tree produced soft whispers whenever the breeze touched them.
Under that tree sat a lone person watching the city stretching below the hill in a long silence… a silence that seemed to have lasted for hours.
His long sky-blue hair fell over his shoulders and moved gently with the air, while his skin appeared pure white under the pale light of the sky. The features of his face were beautiful in a way that was difficult to describe with words… a calm and somewhat unnatural beauty, as if that face had not been made to follow the ordinary standards of humans. His eyes, however, were shining gold. Strange eyes… when they fall upon you, you feel something unsettling, as if they are not looking only at you, but beyond you, into the depths of your very being.
His height was average, neither tall nor short, and his body was slightly slender. His appearance was light enough that it was difficult to determine whether he was a boy or a girl.
He remained sitting there, looking at the city without moving. Time passed slowly.
Then suddenly… he sighed.
"Ahh…"
He stretched his back a little as if he had gotten rid of an invisible weight.
"Well… I think it's time."
His golden eyes slowly moved toward the distant horizon, then he smiled slightly.
"For those wondering… where will I go?"
He tilted his head slightly as he thought.
Well.
Not long ago, my loyal companion Ciel told me something interesting. The world of my favorite novel… was real. Just such an idea was enough to stir excitement and curiosity inside me.
But the real reason was not curiosity alone.
Boredom.
After thousands of years had passed since the end of the great Tenma War… and after I became the supreme ruler of all creation… there was almost nothing left that could truly surprise me. I had abandoned the rule of the kingdom to one of my trusted subordinates and decided to wander the worlds by myself.
At first, it was enjoyable. Different worlds, strange civilizations, creatures I had never seen before.
But even that enjoyment began to fade as time passed.
I tried almost everything. I learned countless arts, practiced hundreds of hobbies, and I even created some worlds just for fun. Yet… the same feeling returned.
Boredom.
I opened my eyes slightly and looked at the sky.
"That is why… I decided something new."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I will reincarnate in the world of the novel I love."
Shadow Slave.
He felt that this experience might be a little different. This time… perhaps he would find something that could truly interest him.
But of course, he had no intention of going with his full power.
"I will seal most of my power."
He said that in a calm tone as if he were speaking about something simple.
"But I will not make myself too weak either."
He laughed softly.
"Just a few small adjustments to the Nightmare Spell… to set the condition I want for myself."
He had already finished all the preparations. All that remained was the final step… reincarnation.
He closed his eyes slightly.
"Alright, Ciel."
He said quietly.
"Begin."
Some time passed… or perhaps no time passed at all.
Then suddenly he opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw were narrow stone walls surrounding him from both sides. A back alley between old buildings, a little far from the main street.
He quickly lowered his gaze to his body… then smiled.
Nothing had changed.
It was the same body exactly as he wanted.
"Good."
But the thing he was most excited about was something else.
He raised his hand slightly.
"Let's see…"
He summoned his runes. The glowing letters appeared before his eyes in the air.
Name: Rimuru Tempest
True Name: Creator of Chaos
Rank: Dreamer
Void Core: Dormant
Void Shards: [0/1000]
Memories: [Elfis], [Divine Clothes], [The Imaginary Sword]
Echo: ____
Attributes: [Void], [Fateless], [Infinite Regeneration]
[Pain Resistance], [Great Sage], [Gluttony], [Divine Soul]
Aspect: Void God Azathoth
Aspect Rank: Unknown
Innate Ability:
[The void is the origin that precedes all existence. As its wielder, you can, by your will, erase any phenomenon, force, or effect that falls within your field of vision, as if it never existed in the first place.]
Aspect Ability:
[The energy of the void responds to you naturally. You can direct it freely to enhance your body, heal your wounds, form devastating attacks, or create defenses to protect yourself.]
Flaw:
[You are a being without flaws]
Rimuru stared at the runes for a few seconds. His golden eyes shone quietly.
Then he let out a soft laugh.
"Hmm… not bad. Let's see the attributes then."
[Void]
Deep within your being exists a silent space that does not belong to the world.
[Fateless]
Fate usually moves along predetermined paths, but your existence does not seem bound to them. The threads of fate pass around you; your will is what creates your destiny and changes the fate of the world, causing a disturbance in the fabric of fate.
[Infinite Regeneration]
Your body remembers its complete state. When it is damaged, it begins returning to it automatically. Wounds close, tissues return as they were… as if the idea of imperfection itself is rejected by your being.
[Pain Resistance]
You cannot feel pain, but its sensation turns into a cold signal informing you of the presence of damage and its location, without disturbing your mind or weakening your will.
[Great Sage]
Your mind functions with extraordinary precision. Thoughts form clearly and information arranges itself easily. Your thinking accelerates thousands of times, causing the world around you to appear to slow down.
[Gluttony]
When you kill any living being, whether human or monster, you gain a high percentage of the essence value it possessed, with an increased chance of obtaining memories/echoes from slain humans and a higher drop rate from monsters.
[Divine Soul]
Your soul is not ordinary. There is a clear transcendence in its nature that makes it stable and heavy in an unshakable way. Effects that target the soul or the mind cannot reach you, as if your soul stands at a level higher than the world that tries to touch it.
After he read everything about his condition
he brushed the runic symbols away from in front of him, then stepped out of the narrow alley where he had been hiding.
When he reached the street, the world opened before him once again. People walked along their usual paths, the sounds of carts, the murmurs of conversations, and the constant noise of the city filling the air.
And yet, something subtly changed whenever he passed among them. Eyes were drawn toward him unconsciously. Some people glanced back a second time, while others paused for a moment without understanding why.
For Rimuru, this was something normal. The aura surrounding him was calm yet regal, and his unnatural beauty made his presence difficult to ignore.
Even so, Rimuru paid no attention to those gazes. He walked calmly among the crowd while his thoughts were lost elsewhere.
"I need to go to the police station quickly. According to what Ciel told me, Sunny already finished his trial a short while ago..."
He paused slightly, frowning.
"But she also said that something interesting had happened... strange."
In the novel he had read, nothing had changed at this stage. Sunny survives his first Nightmare, then he is sent to the Awakened Academy, and after that the events proceed exactly as known.
So what did Ciel mean?
Had something in the course of events changed?
He shook his head slightly.
"It doesn't matter... I'll find out in time."
After a short walk, he found himself standing before a large stone building at the end of the street.
The police station.
As soon as he stopped at the entrance, one of the officers quickly approached him. The officer looked at him for a moment before speaking in a polite but official tone.
"Miss, can I help you? What are you doing in front of the police station? Do you have a complaint you want to report?"
Rimuru sighed quietly.
Once again, he was mistaken for a girl.
This was nothing new for him, and in truth, he did not really care. The idea of being a man or a woman no longer meant much to him. In essence, he was genderless by nature and could choose whichever gender he wished whenever he wanted.
He looked calmly at the officer and said,
"I came to report that I have completed my first Nightmare, and I would like to know what I should do now."
The officer's eyes widened immediately.
"Really? Congratulations on surviving your first Nightmare."
But his expression soon shifted slightly.
"However, you do realize that entering your first Nightmare without informing the government beforehand is considered a violation? It could endanger many people."
Rimuru replied calmly,
"I know that. But I didn't even know when the trial began. Perhaps the Nightmare spell affected me while I was asleep."
The officer stared at him for a long moment, then sighed.
"Well... since nothing harmful happened, I'll let it pass this time."
He gestured toward the inside before continuing,
"By the way, there's another Sleeper who has also finished his trial and is currently being guided by one of the Masters. Wait here for a moment and I'll inform them about you."
Rimuru nodded calmly.
A few minutes later, one of the staff members came to guide him inside. They walked through several corridors until they reached a wide room that resembled a small dining hall.
Two people were sitting at a table in the middle of the room.
The moment Rimuru entered, he felt two gazes settle on him instantly.
Sunny.
And Jet.
Both of them stopped talking, their faces showing a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
Rimuru didn't quite understand why. Yes, he was unbelievably beautiful, but according to what he knew about their personalities, they were not the type to show their reactions so easily.
Ignoring their stares, he simply walked toward the table and sat calmly across from them.
With a faint smile, he said,
"Hello, my name is Rimuru Tempest. I finished my Nightmare a short while ago."
Silence filled the table for a few seconds.
Then Jet cleared her throat lightly.
"Ah... yes. Congratulations on surviving the Nightmare."
She then asked in a practical tone,
"Would you like to consult a psychologist?"
Rimuru replied politely,
"Thank you, but I don't think I need that."
While speaking, he noticed that Sunny was still staring at him as if he were seeing something unbelievable. His eyes were slightly widened, as though he had just seen a ghost.
When their eyes met, Sunny suddenly snapped back to his senses.
"Ah... sorry, I didn't introduce myself."
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly before adding,
"My name is Sunless, but you can call me Sunny. I'm a Sleeper just like you."
Rimuru smiled.
"Nice to meet you, Sunny."
Before he could continue, Jet interrupted and asked,
"Are you hungry? We're about to eat."
Rimuru thought for a moment. In truth, he did not need food at all. His real body was completely self-sustaining. He did not need to eat or drink, and even breathing was unnecessary for him.
But that wasn't important right now.
He shook his head gently.
"No, thank you."
Jet looked at him for a moment, then stood up and spoke in a formal tone.
"Alright then, I'll be direct."
"Would you like to go to the Awakened Academy in preparation for the Winter Solstice, which will happen in a month? Or would you prefer to stay with your family until the time comes for you to transition into the Dream Realm?"
Rimuru remained silent for a moment before answering simply,
"I want to go to the Academy."
Jet nodded.
"Good."
She took out a small notebook and continued,
"Then we'll need some of your information—your home address and some details about your family so we can inform them—"
Rimuru calmly interrupted her.
"...That's not necessary."
Jet stopped writing and looked up at him.
Rimuru said in a completely natural tone,
"I'm from the outskirts... I don't have a home, or a family."
Silence suddenly filled the room.
Shock appeared clearly on Jet's face, while Master Jet raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Sunny's reaction, however, was entirely different.
His mouth was wide open as if he could not believe what he had just heard.
The scene was rather amusing, and Rimuru almost laughed.
But before doing so, he decided to drop
another bomb.
He looked at them calmly and said,
"By the way..."
"I noticed that you've been addressing me as a female."
Then he smiled faintly and added,
"But in reality, I'm a boy. My appearance just changed drastically after my first Nightmare."
One second of silence passed.
Then a loud thud was heard.
Sunny had stumbled while trying to stand up and fell straight from his chair.
Everyone looked at him for a moment.
As for Rimuru...
He was on the verge of bursting into laughter.
Truly, Sunny never failed to entertain him.
Sunny remained on the floor for a few seconds, staring at Rimuru as if his mind had stopped working.
The silence that fell over the table felt strangely heavy.
Jet slowly placed a hand on her forehead, while Master Jet watched the scene with narrowed eyes, as if trying to understand what was actually happening.
Meanwhile, Rimuru sat calmly, watching Sunny struggle to get back up.
After a moment, Sunny finally managed to stand, pulled his chair back, and sat down very slowly. He continued staring at Rimuru for several seconds.
"...A boy?"
he finally said in a confused voice.
Rimuru shrugged slightly.
"Yes."
Silence fell once again.
Then suddenly Sunny slammed his hand on the table.
"That's not fair!"
Rimuru blinked slowly.
Jet sighed.
Master Jet simply raised one eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" Rimuru asked calmly.
Sunny pointed at him with a slightly trembling finger.
"I was just thinking a moment ago that you were the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my life!"
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Jet closed her eyes.
"Sunny..."
But it was already too late.
Rimuru stared at him for two seconds, then tilted his head slightly.
"Thank you... I think?"
Sunny's face suddenly turned red when he realized what he had just said.
"That's not what I meant!"
Jet sighed quietly, then clapped her hands to draw their attention.
"Alright, let's end this here. We don't have much time left. Come with me, I'll take both of you to the Academy."
She then stood up and walked toward the corridor.
Sunny and I looked at each other for a moment before following her. I also noticed that Sunny's face was still red from embarrassment.
How adorable.
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