"This is your [Magic Potion]? Oh, right! I almost forgot you had something this impressive."
Without a hint of ceremony, Rimuru snatched the [Magic Potion] from Granstar's hand and downed several bottles in one go.
A pulse of green light washed over his body, immediately followed by a burst of blue. Rimuru blinked in surprise as the exhaustion he'd been feeling vanished in an instant.
"Wait, what the...?" he muttered. His usual Recovery Potion could only heal physical injuries, but this one restored both stamina and magicules.
He stared at the bottle, utterly amazed. "This thing restores magic power too? That's nuts!"
Fueled by curiosity and need, Rimuru drank over a dozen more bottles to fully replenish his magicules. Granstar, even more extreme, went through nearly thirty before finally stopping.
"Granstar, your potion is totally broken! You got more? Hand 'em over—I need to stock up!"
"Sure. I'll give you a few hundred bottles to start with," Granstar replied casually. He wasn't stingy—he had plenty of synthesized materials and could just brew more later.
He'd made hundreds in the past few days alone, more than enough for his own use and to support his subordinates.
Suddenly, Ranga—who had just been named jointly by Rimuru and Granstar—began to undergo a transformation. Not just him, but the entire Tempest Star Wolf tribe was changing.
Ranga's already large form grew even more massive. His jet-black fur began to shimmer, slowly being dyed a luminous snow-white by an unknown force.
"Huh? Why's his fur turning white?" Rimuru tilted his head. "Wait... could it be because of the naming?"
Granstar stared, baffled. In his memory, Ranga had always been a black-furred wolf with a single black horn. Now, that image was shattered.
Ranga now stood as a majestic, towering wolf, his fur glistening like fresh snow. His once-black horn had crystallized into a translucent ice-blue. One of his eyes had turned a piercing glacial blue, exuding a noble yet intimidating presence.
"He's not just a Tempest Star Wolf anymore," Rimuru murmured. "He's... evolved."
The system confirmed:
[Analysis Complete]
Ranga has evolved due to the joint naming from Rimuru Tempest and the individual known as Granstar. The influence of Granstar's unique skill [Lord of Ice] has granted Ranga the trait [Ice Protection].
"Wait—so the entire pack got affected too?"
[Confirmed]
All Tempest Star Wolves present have been transformed into the [Frost Fang Wolf Clan] under the influence of the evolution and Granstar's ice attribute.
Granstar looked around and confirmed it—every wolf had undergone the change. Their coats had turned snow-white, though none bore horns like Ranga. Their eyes glimmered with various hues, reflecting elemental energy.
"Damn. I really triggered all this," Granstar muttered. "This Lord of Ice ability is a game-changer... even influences evolution?"
Rimuru, meanwhile, was sparkling with joy. "Whoa! This is awesome! Ranga looks so cool now! I bet riding him feels amazing!"
Ranga, having heard his master's praise, padded over obediently and lowered his head. As he moved, a faint layer of frost spread beneath his paws.
Granstar's gaze sharpened. That frost... it was his own skill. [Frost Erosion].
"Overlord, confirm: Did Ranga inherit my abilities?"
[Confirmed]
Due to the evolution and shared naming, Ranga now possesses an incomplete form of [Frost Erosion] and other ice-related traits.
"Haha! Granstar, look at me! I'm riding the new and improved Ranga!" Rimuru shouted with childish glee as he climbed onto Ranga's broad back.
"Uh, just hold on tight. He's a bit faster than before..."
"Ranga, show Rimuru your new speed! A few laps should do it," Granstar ordered, smirking.
"Yes, Lord Granstar!"
Before Rimuru could even brace himself, Ranga dashed forward with explosive speed, turning into a streak of white light.
"AAAAHHH—Too fast! Too fast! I'm not readyyyy!" Rimuru cried, clinging to Ranga's fur like a lifeline.
"Lord Rimuru! Hold tight, I'm accelerating again!"
"No! Don't you dare—!"
But it was too late.
Moments later, a ball of blue slime was seen bouncing and rolling down a nearby hillside, tumbling in dramatic fashion.
The blue ball kept rolling downhill, and Ranga dashed after it in his massive wolf form.
"Lord Rimuru~! Lord Rimuru~! Please wait for me!"
Rimuru turned, floating slightly above the ground in his slime form, and sighed.
Rimuru: "Granstar, this is totally your fault..."
Dusk.
In the middle of a glimmering frost palace built entirely from enchanted ice, Granstar lounged on a throne sculpted from frozen magicules. He lazily pulled up his status window, casting a soft blue glow across his face.
[Granstar Tempest]
Race: Ice Elf (Incorporeal State)
Blessing: Crest of the Storm
Titles: —
Magic: [Ice Thorns] [Ice Burst] [Blizzard]
Unique Skills: [Frozen Domain] [Super Perception] [Absorption] [Magic Regeneration]
Extra Skills: [Ice Control]
Special Skills: [Overlord] [Predator]
Resistances & Traits: [Pain Nullification] [Physical Attack Resistance] [Poison Resistance] [Frost Erosion Trait]
(He had more racial derivatives and skills under Predator, but listing them all would take forever. Just the important ones for now, yeah?)
He let out a low breath, watching it freeze in the air before vanishing.
Just then, a curvy female goblin entered with a hesitant knock.
"Lord Granstar, Lord Rimuru has returned, but..."
Granstar blinked. "Oh? Done fooling around already? Took him long enough. There's still plenty of village matters he should be handling — being the head of the family and all."
The gobliness flushed, her hands folded nervously in front of her. Granstar smirked slightly. He'd personally selected her from among many for her quick thinking and, admittedly, her looks. She had proven herself more than capable.
Now that Rimuru was back, perhaps it was time to push some duties back onto him. Granstar had gotten used to a certain... comfort in delegation.
A voice echoed in from outside the crystalline walls, full of irritation:
Rimuru: "Granstar, seriously?! You've got a palace and an assistant now? You're really living the high life!"
A pause.
Rimuru (grumbling): "Ugh, you don't even know — I was bouncing all over the place on Ranga's back. Came back queasy as hell. That was not a fun ride."