After months of traveling, he finally arrived at a small town near the Jura Tempest Federation. The sight of a peaceful city, filled with warm lights and the smell of delicious food, was enough to make him forget about his struggles for a moment.
For the first time in ages, he relaxed.
He spent his days resting, exploring, and enjoying food. He even indulged in entertainment—watching arena fights, talking to adventurers, and experiencing the joys of this world.
But soon, his funds ran out.
His purse, once filled with gold coins from S-Rank quests, was now completely empty.
Sitting in the corner of an inn, he sighed. "I guess I'll have to work again."
Thus, he took up monster extermination quests—hunting local threats for quick money. It was easy work, but as he fought, a thought began to linger in his mind.
"I need to get stronger."
He had reached a bottleneck—his [Gluttony] and [Wise One] were powerful, but he felt like they could evolve further.
If he wanted to reach the True Dragon Path, he couldn't stay stagnant.
With this thought, he ventured deep into the Jura Forest—a vast land filled with monsters of all kinds. The place was dangerous, but also filled with potential prey that could make him stronger.
A Night in the Jura Forest
After hours of hunting, night fell.
The forest grew silent, with only the distant howls of monsters echoing in the dark.
Feeling a bit tired, he found a large tree with thick roots and decided to rest there for the night.
Lying down, he stared at the starry sky, his mind drifting to random, useless thoughts.
"I wonder if the food in Tempest tastes as good as they say?"
"I should probably get some new clothes... I've been wearing this for too long."
"How do slimes even reproduce? Do they just split in half?"
"Wouldn't it be funny if I randomly met Rimuru?"
As his mind wandered, his eyelids grew heavy, and before he knew it—
He fell asleep.
Unaware that this night would change his fate forever.