The forest clearing felt different now. Where before the Magicules were a distant hum, they now sang to him, a symphony of potential he was finally tuned to hear. The new organ inside him, the Magicule Breeder, worked like a second heart, steadily drawing in the ambient energy and converting it into his personal mana reserves. It was a slow, passive process, but to Astra, who was used to the brutal economy of Ki, it felt like a limitless wellspring.
"Wow, Astra! Your energy signature completely stabilized!" Rimuru bubbled, bouncing around him in an excited circle. "And it's so unique now! It's like a physical pressure and a magical aura all mixed together. Great Sage has never seen anything like it!"
[Appraising Self: Astra]
[Race: Named Saiyan (Otherworlder)]
[Power Level: 31]
[Magicule Capacity: 150/150]
[Unique Skills: Limit-Breaker, Stellar Forge]
[Extra Skills: Mind's Eye, Appraisal, Magic Sense]
[Resistances: Gravity Resistance (Lv. 1), Poison Resistance (Lv. 1)]
[Magicules: Regenerating...]
The Name had not just given him mana; it had fundamentally upgraded his [Appraisal] into [Magic Sense], granting him an intuitive, three-dimensional map of the magical energy around him. He could feel the life force of the trees, the latent power in the stream, and the immense, swirling vortex of energy that was Rimuru himself.
But the most intriguing reward was the Unique Skill. He focused on [Stellar Forge].
A vast, internal vista unfolded in his mind. It was a vision of a cosmic workshop, where stars were anvils and nebulae were the raw material. The skill's purpose was as profound as its imagery: to analyze, deconstruct, and recreate.
[Stellar Forge: Can analyze the fundamental structure of materials, energy, and low-to-mid-tier skills. Allows for the synthesis of new compounds, refinement of impurities, and replication of analyzed skills at the cost of Magicules and a profound understanding of the underlying principles.]
It was the ultimate tool for a scientist. It wasn't just giving him power; it was giving him the means to understand power, to build it from the ground up. He couldn't just copy the Kamehameha; he could, in theory, understand its energy matrix so completely he could create a more efficient version.
"You got really quiet. Everything okay?" Rimuru asked, his blob-like form tilting.
"I am… processing," Astra projected, his mental voice now steady and clear. "The Name gave me a new ability. A way to understand how things work."
"That's amazing! See? Naming is the best!"
Astra knew his time here was precious. He had one month in this world for every day on Vegeta. He couldn't afford to waste a second. His immediate goal was clear: use the relative safety and high magicule density of the Jura Forest to build a foundation that would be impossible on his homeworld.
"Rimuru," he began, carefully. "This forest is full of energy. I wish to learn to use it. To become stronger, so I am never as vulnerable as I was with the wolf again. Can you… teach me?"
He was manipulating the slime, he knew. But it was a manipulation built on a foundation of genuine need and the bond of the Name. Rimuru, ever the helpful former salaryman, was predictably enthusiastic.
"Of course! I'm still learning myself, but Great Sage is a huge help! First, you gotta feel the magicules, but it looks like you already can. Next, you have to will them to do something. The simplest thing is magic sense, but you have that too! So maybe… let's try a basic spell! Like a water ball!"
Rimuru demonstrated, condensing ambient moisture into a perfect, shimmering sphere of water that hovered above him.
Astra watched, but not with his eyes. He activated [Stellar Forge] and [Magic Sense] in tandem. He wasn't just watching a spell being cast; he was watching the magical code being written. He saw the specific frequency of mana used to attract hydrogen and oxygen molecules, the energy pattern that bound them into a stable liquid state, and the minimal sustained output required to maintain the form.
It was a simple program. He could see the logic.
He raised his own hand. He didn't just mimic Rimuru's intent; he replicated the observed magical structure. He channeled a tiny stream of his mana, programming it with the exact frequency and pattern.
A small, slightly wobbly ball of water sputtered to life above his palm. It was less elegant than Rimuru's, but it held.
[Skill Acquired: Water Ball (Lv. 1)]
[Stellar Forge Proficiency: 1%]
"Incredible! You did it on the first try!" Rimuru cheered. "You're a natural, Astra!"
Astra didn't feel like a natural. He felt like a programmer who had just successfully copied a simple line of code. The true test would be more complex structures.
Over the next few hours, under the guise of a prodigious infant, Astra used Rimuru as a living grimoire. He analyzed and replicated [Wind Blade], [Pebble Shot], and a minor [Heal] spell. Each success was faster than the last, his [Stellar Forge] assimilating the fundamental principles of this world's magic.
But magic was only one part of the equation. His body was still pathetically weak by Saiyan standards. He needed to train it.
"Rimuru, the gravity here feels… light. My body from my home star is used to more. Is there a way to make myself heavier? To push my body to grow stronger?"
Rimuru thought for a moment. "Hmm… Great Sage says there's a gravity magic principle, but it's super advanced. However! I know a place! There's a cave not far from here where the magicules are so dense they create a heavy pressure! It's where I was born! It might be perfect for you!"
The cave. Veldora's Cave. The magicule density there was immense, a side effect of the Storm Dragon's sealed power. It was the perfect training ground.
As Rimuru led the way, chattering happily about his own experiences, Astra followed, his mind already calculating. He would use the cave's pressure as a substitute for gravity training. He would use [Stellar Forge] to master basic magic. He would hunt the weaker monsters of the forest, triggering Zenkai boosts and integrating them safely.
He had taken the first step with a Name. Now, he would use the gifts of this peaceful world to build the engine of his salvation. The Stellar Forge had been lit, and its first creation would be a power that could one day shake the multiverse.