The sun was just rising when Rimuru and Shiro approached Rigurd, the muscular hobgoblin, to discuss the next step for the village.
"Rigurd," Rimuru asked, floating slightly above the ground, "what problems do we face right now?"
Rigurd's serious expression deepened. "Lord Rimuru… Lord Shiro… there is a kingdom too close to us—the Armed Nation of Dwargon. It is a dwarven nation, heavily armed and filled with skilled technicians. If we are to strengthen our village, we need their expertise."
Rimuru nodded, a determined gleam in his slime body. "Then we go there. We'll find the technicians we need."
Rigurd bellowed a command to the surrounding hobgoblins. "Gather the team! Rigur, Gobta, and a few others—prepare for the journey!"
Shiro's tails flicked. "Big brother, I'm ready. Let's go."
Rimuru's slime body vibrated. "Good. Let's move."
Arrival at Dwargon
After a week of travel, the group finally reached the Armed Nation of Dwargon. Towering stone walls, fortified gates, and smoke rising from workshops greeted them.
Shiro's blue eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Big brother… I want to explore a bit. I'll catch up with you later."
Rimuru nodded. "Alright, just don't get into trouble."
Shiro darted off toward the dense jungle near the borders of Dwargon, eager to test his strength.
Shiro's Jungle Training
The jungle teemed with monsters of all ranks—from A to S-tier. Shiro's instincts and keen senses allowed him to track them easily.
He defeated monster after monster, analyzing their abilities.
Using Predator, he absorbed their magicule and skills, steadily increasing his power.
Days of constant training passed, and Shiro's magicule grew steadily from 5,500,000 to 6,000,000.
The Great Sage alerted him:
"Analysis complete. Based on your recent growth, your evolution has progressed. You now have 6 tails. Your current level: Near Demon Lord tier."
Shiro's tails swished excitedly. "6 tails… Near Demon Lord? That's incredible!"
He asked curiously, "Great Sage… why did I gain three more tails now?"
"Because of your previous evolution being halted at 3 tails," Great Sage explained. "When you were first named, the raw magicule in your body was too unstable to control fully, preventing further evolution. Through training and mastering your magicule, you are now capable of handling more, hence the progression to 6 tails."
Shiro nodded, satisfied with the explanation. "I see… controlling my raw magicule is the key. Makes sense."
A small, confident smile crossed his face. "One step at a time… soon, I'll reach 9 tails. And then… nothing will be able to stop me."
Shiro stretched his six tails proudly, feeling immense power coursing through his body. The jungle monsters that once terrified him were now nothing but sources of growth.