(Rimuru, I have finished reading Volume 4 of this "Naruto" manga! The protagonist's determination is admirable!)
Veldora's voice echoed through our shared mental space as I bounced through the cavern tunnels.
Of course he's already on Volume 4. It's been what, six hours?
(Glad you're enjoying it, Veldora.)
(Indeed! Though I must ask—why does the author insist on flashbacks during critical battle moments? It disrupts the flow!)
I couldn't help but mentally laugh. A dragon literary critic. My life had gotten weird.
(Artistic choice, I guess. Anyway, I'm going to do some hunting. Need to test out these skills properly before we leave the cave.)
(Oho! Combat practice! Excellent! I shall observe!)
Great. Now I have a commentator.
But honestly? Having Veldora's presence—even just his voice—made everything feel less lonely. The cave that had seemed oppressive before now felt almost... comfortable.
Still, I had work to do.
Three days had passed since consuming Veldora. [Great Sage] had been working nonstop on analyzing Unlimited Imprisonment, currently sitting at 0.03% completion. Slow going, but steady.
Meanwhile, I'd been exploring the deeper sections of the cave. The parts the adventurers hadn't bothered with. And I'd found prey.
TARGET ACQUIRED: BLACK SERPENT
The snake coiled in the shadows, easily six meters long. Pitch-black scales. Heat-sensing pits along its jaw. Venomous fangs that dripped with something caustic.
Rank B-minus monster.
In canon, Rimuru would have used Water Blade to slice it in half. Clean. Simple. Effective.
But I wanted to experiment.
I have water manipulation. And I have an idea.
The snake's head snapped toward me, tongue flicking. It sensed my presence—or more accurately, it sensed the residual magical energy leaking from my body.
It lunged.
I didn't dodge.
Instead, I activated.
The water I'd absorbed earlier—stored in my Predator stomach—began circulating through my slime body at high velocity. Spinning. Creating a current that surrounded me like an aura.
The snake's fangs hit the rotating water barrier and—
DEFLECTED.
The beast recoiled, confused.
Good. Defense works. Now for offense.
I compressed the water around me, focusing it into a single point above my body. The rotation intensified. Faster. Faster. Until the water formed a visible sphere of condensed liquid spinning at impossible speeds.
Then I added magicules to the core.
The compressed magical energy created a gravitational singularity at the core, collapsing the sphere inward. Meanwhile, the Coriolis effect took hold, twisting the pressurized currents into a violent, multi-axial storm that defied the laws of fluid dynamics.
"Sujin."
The name came naturally—Divine Water.
I released it.
The sphere launched forward like an arrow, trailing a blue luminescent aura. It struck the serpent's head with the force of a cannonball—
SPLASH—
And detonated.
The water explosion wasn't just concussive force. The rotating water acted like thousands of tiny blades, shredding through scales and flesh with surgical precision.
The snake's head... simply ceased to exist.
Its body thrashed for a few moments before going still.
＜＜Notice: Attack pattern "Divine Water: Sujin" successfully catalogued. Magicule efficiency: 73%. Recommend refinement for improved energy conservation.＞＞
Seventy-three percent efficiency on the first try. Not bad.
(MAGNIFICENT!) Veldora's voice boomed with excitement. (That technique—it combined rotational force with compressed magical energy! Truly innovative!)
(Thanks. I'm calling it Sujin—Divine Water. Inspired by a technique from someone I knew about in my old world.)
Technically true. I "knew about" Sukuna through the manga.
(I see! You must have encountered many powerful warriors in your past life!)
(Something like that.)
I approached the serpent's corpse and activated [Predator].
＜＜Predation successful. Analyzing target... Complete.＞＞
＜＜Skills acquired: [Poisonous Breath], [Sense Heat Source]＞＞
Perfect. Heat sensing would stack beautifully with [Magic Perception].
But more importantly—
＜＜Notice: Black Serpent consumed 47 kilograms of magical ore over its lifetime. Ore fragments detected in digestive system. Extract for analysis?＞＞
Magical ore? Inside a snake?
(Yes, extract it.)
Several small crystalline fragments materialized in my Predator stomach. They glowed faintly with residual magicules.
＜＜Beginning analysis of magical ore samples...＞＞
＜＜Analysis complete.＞＞
＜＜Substance: Low-grade Magical Ore. Composition: Iron-based mineral structure infused with ambient magicules over extended exposure period (estimated: 200-300 years). Current purity: 34%. Can be refined into Magisteel through purification process.＞＞
Wait. Magisteel?
＜＜Magisteel: High-grade magical metal created through prolonged magicule saturation of base ores. Process requires: (1) Base mineral substrate (2) Consistent magicule exposure over minimum 100-year period (3) Purification to remove impurities＞＞
"Huh."
I stared at the ore fragments floating in my stomach dimension.
But why didn't it happen in one piece world.
A memory surfaced—back in the One Piece world, during my months as Arlo. I'd experimented with infusing magicules into various materials. Tried to create enhanced metals for construction projects.
It never worked.
The materials would accept the energy temporarily, then lose it within seconds, Even within Imaginary space. Like water poured into a sieve.
"Different world laws," I muttered aloud.
(Hmm? Did you say something, Rimuru?)
(Just thinking. In my original world, I tried infusing ores with magical energy. Never worked. But here... the world itself is saturated with magicules. They exist naturally in the atmosphere, in the ground, in living things. The fundamental laws are different.)
(Indeed! This world was created by my eldest brother, Veldanava, the Star King Dragon. He structured reality itself to accommodate magicules as a fundamental force. Your world must have operated on different principles.)
That... actually makes sense.
In the One Piece world, there was Haki. Devil Fruits. Unique power systems. But nothing like the ambient magical energy that permeated every atom of this world.
Here, magisteel could form naturally just by metals sitting in high-magicule environments for long enough.
Which means...
＜＜[Great Sage], can we accelerate the magisteel creation process using controlled magicule infusion?＞＞
＜＜Affirmative. By channeling concentrated magicules through base ore at controlled intervals, purification time can be reduced from 100+ years to approximately 48-72 hours depending on ore quality and magicule density applied.＞＞
Holy shit.
(Veldora, I need to find more magical ore. A lot more.)
(Oho? Planning to create weapons?)
(Something like that.)
Actually, I'm planning to create an entire industrial base. But let's start small.
I continued deeper into the cave system, [Magic Perception] scanning for the telltale glow of ore deposits.
And I found them.
Everywhere.
The cave walls were riddled with veins of magical ore. Some low-grade. Some medium. A few deposits that glowed intensely enough to be high-grade.
This place is a goldmine. Literally.
I started absorbing.
[Predator] worked overtime, consuming chunk after chunk of ore-laden rock. The magical energy from centuries of Veldora's presence had saturated the entire cavern system.
＜＜157 kilograms of low-grade ore absorbed.＞＞
＜＜89 kilograms of medium-grade ore absorbed.＞＞
＜＜23 kilograms of high-grade ore absorbed.＞＞
＜＜127 kilograms of trace mithril ore absorbed.＞＞
Mithril? wasn't it the Metal formed by fuding silver and magisteel, it had some Holy properties.
＜＜Mithril ore: Rare magical metal with exceptional magicule conductivity. Can be refined into pure mithril for use in high-grade magical equipment and spell amplification.＞＞
(Rimuru, you appear to be very excited about rocks.) Veldora sounded amused.
(These aren't just rocks. They're resources. With proper refinement, I can create materials that don't exist in most of this world yet.)
(Fascinating! You truly think like a merchant!)
An engineer.
I spent the next hour systematically stripping every ore vein I could find. By the time I finished, my Predator stomach had consumed over 400 kilograms of various magical ores.
More than enough for future projects.
But I wasn't done hunting yet.
TARGET ACQUIRED: EVIL CENTIPEDE
The creature skittered along the ceiling—three meters of chitinous nightmare. Multiple legs. Venomous pincers. A segmented body armored with natural plating.
Rank B-plus.
Time to test the next technique.
I gathered air—massive quantities of it—into my body using the same method I'd developed for water. The atmosphere around me visibly thinned as I compressed cubic meters of air into a space no larger than a basketball.
The centipede dropped from the ceiling, pincers extended.
I released the compressed air in a controlled burst, shaping it with magicules as it expelled from my body.
Air Current Propulsion.
I shot backward at incredible speed, easily dodging the attack. The centipede's pincers snapped shut on empty space.
"Too slow."
I compressed another mass of air, but this time added rotation.
Spinning. Spiraling. Creating a vortex of compressed atmosphere with a core of dense magicules.
The technique from Naruto—Rasenshuriken. But adapted. Modified. Made mine.
"Fūjin Rasen!" (Wind God Spiral)
The rotating sphere of wind and magicules launched forward, expanding as it traveled. The centipede tried to dodge—
Too late.
The technique hit its midsection and detonated.
But instead of a single explosion, the compressed air created thousands of microscopic wind blades that shredded everything within a three-meter radius.
The centipede's armored segments... shattered. Pieces scattered across the cavern floor.
＜＜Notice: Attack pattern "Fūjin Rasen" successfully catalogued. Warning: Magicule cost significantly higher than Divine Water techniques. Recommend use only against heavily armored targets.＞＞
Noted. It's a finishing move, not a spam attack.
I collected the remains.
＜＜Skills acquired: [Paralyzing Breath], [Steel Shell]＞＞
Another addition to the arsenal.
TARGET ACQUIRED: GIANT BAT
The creature swooped through the darkness, using echolocation to track my position.
Rank C-plus. Fast. Agile. But fragile.
Perfect for testing the railgun.
I'd absorbed plenty of metal ore. Time to put it to use.
I created a small coin—pure iron, about the size of a 500-yen piece—using magicules to shape the metal from my stored materials.
Then I held it between two "fingers" of compressed slime body.
The principle was simple: electromagnetic acceleration.
I generated a magnetic field using controlled lightning manipulation—channeling magicules through a specific pattern to create positive and negative poles.
The coin sat between them.
I increased the voltage.
The magnetic force intensified.
"Railgun."
CRACK—
The coin launched forward at hypersonic speed, leaving a visible trail of ionized air.
The bat didn't even have time to dodge.
The projectile punched through its body, creating an exit wound the size of a fist. The creature dropped from the air, dead before it hit the ground.
＜＜Notice: Technique "Railgun" successfully catalogued. Accuracy: 98.7%. Penetration power: Exceptional. Magicule cost: Minimal.＞＞
(INCREDIBLE!) Veldora practically shouted. (You converted magical energy into electromagnetic force to accelerate metal! That level of precise control is extraordinary!)
(Thanks. It's based on a weapon concept from my world. Though ours used electricity from generators, not magicules.)
(Your world must have been fascinating!)
You have no idea.
I absorbed the bat.
＜＞
Ultrasonic Wave would be useful for developing vocal cords eventually. Drain was... less impressive than [Predator], but might have niche uses.
TARGET ACQUIRED: ARMORSAURUS
The final test.
A massive lizard, four meters long, covered in thick natural plating. It lumbered through the tunnel, claws scraping against stone.
Rank B-minus. Heavily armored. Slow but durable.
Time for the last experiment.
Flame Propulsion.
I'd developed Water Current Propulsion. Air Current Propulsion. The logical next step was fire.
I gathered magical energy and ignited it internally—not enough to harm myself (I had Thermal Fluctuation Resistance EX), but enough to create thrust.
Compressed flames jetted, launching me forward like a rocket.
I circled the armorsaurus at high speed, the creature's head turning sluggishly to track my movement.
Too slow.
I landed on its back and activated the finishing move.
"Mizuage." (Water Rising)
Water from the atmosphere—concentrated into a single point directly beneath the creature's armor plating—and then expanded explosively.
The hydrostatic pressure lifted the armorsaurus into the air.
Then I compressed it again.
SLAM.
The creature crashed into the ground with bone-breaking force.
Before it could recover, I used [Poisonous Breath]—the skill I'd acquired from the black serpent.
Purple mist enveloped the stunned lizard.
Its armor... melted.
Flesh dissolved. Organs liquefied.
Within seconds, nothing remained but a puddle of biological sludge.
"...Okay, that's disgusting."
＜＜Notice: Combining [Poisonous Breath] with other techniques creates devastating synergies. Recommend cataloguing combination attacks.＞＞
Yeah, but I'm not using that unless absolutely necessary. That's nightmare fuel.
I absorbed what remained of the corpse, trying very hard not to think about what I'd just witnessed.
＜＜Skills acquired: [Body Armor]＞＞
By the time I finished my hunting session, I'd acquired:
New Skills:
[Poisonous Breath] (Black Serpent) [Sense Heat Source] (Black Serpent) [Paralyzing Breath] (Evil Centipede) [Steel Shell] (Evil Centipede) [Ultrasonic Wave] (Giant Bat) [Drain] (Giant Bat) [Body Armor] (Armorsaurus)
New Techniques:
Divine Water: Sujin (Compressed water + rotation + magicule core) Divine Water: Mizuage (Explosive water expansion) Fūjin Rasen (Rotating compressed air + magicule blades) Railgun (Electromagnetic acceleration of metal projectiles) Water Current Propulsion Air Current Propulsion Flame Propulsion
Resources Acquired:
400+ kg of magical ore (various grades) 127 kg of mithril ore Multiple skill combinations ready for testing
I sat in the middle of the tunnel, processing everything.
(You've become quite formidable, my friend!) Veldora said proudly. (Those techniques would give even mid-level demons pause!)
(Still got a long way to go. But yeah... I'm getting stronger.)
I mentally asked Raphael to use synthesize to the Extra skill skill Molecular Manipulation from Water, fire, Wind and Lightning manipulation.
< < Affirmative. Synthesizing Extra Skills [Water Manipulation], [Flame Manipulation], [Air Manipulation], and [Lightning Manipulation]... Synthesis complete. Extra Skill [Molecular Manipulation] successfully acquired. This skill grants complete control over molecular structures and elemental states through magicule manipulation.> >
I bounced toward the cave exit, ready to see sunlight for the first time in months.
Behind me, the cavern system lay stripped of its treasures—ore veins emptied, monsters consumed, skills acquired.
Ahead... the outside world awaited.
And somewhere out there, a goblin village needed help.
Time to start the canonical timeline properly.
(Rimuru, I'm starting Volume 5 of Naruto! This "Might Guy" character seems interesting...)
Of course you are.
But I smiled anyway.
Some time later
The sunlight hit me like a physical force.
Not painful—I had resistances for that—but overwhelming. After months in darkness, even [Magic Perception]'s filtered view of the world couldn't quite prepare me for actual light.
Colors exploded into my awareness. Green from the trees. Blue from the sky. Brown earth. Gray stone.
This is...
"Beautiful."
The word escaped before I could stop it—my voice still distorted from using [Ultrasonic Wave] as a substitute for vocal cords, but intelligible.
(The outside world!) Veldora's presence stirred within me. (I can sense it through our connection! The forest, the sky, the ambient magicules!)
(You can see through my senses?)
(To a degree! Not as clearly as you, but... yes. Thank you, Rimuru. It's been three centuries since I experienced anything beyond that cavern.)
His gratitude felt genuine. Heavy.
Right. He was sealed for three hundred years. Alone. In darkness.
(Well, stick with me. You'll see a lot more than just forest.)
I bounced forward—out of the cave mouth and into the open air.
The cave entrance sat at the base of a small hill, barely visible beneath overgrown vines and roots. The forest surrounding it was dense—ancient trees with trunks thick enough that five people linking hands couldn't encircle them.
The Great Jura Forest.
Canon location. Everything's on track.
I climbed to the top of the hill, using [Magic Perception] to map the terrain.
From up here, I could see for kilometers. Trees in every direction. A massive lake to the south—probably connected to the underground water system where I'd first emerged. Mountains in the distance to the west.
And carved into the hilltop...
"A magic circle?"
Intricate patterns etched into the stone. Still glowing faintly with residual energy.
The adventurers from before. They must have set this up to monitor Veldora's seal.
(A detection array,) Veldora confirmed. (Crude, but functional. It would have alerted someone if my seal showed signs of weakening.)
(Too bad for them it's gone completely.)
(Indeed! Kuhaha!)
I studied the circle for another moment, then moved on. No point staying near obvious magical signatures.
Besides—
＜＞
Already? That's faster than I expected.
I bounced down the hill and into the forest proper.
The forest was... quiet.
Too quiet in fact.
[Magic Perception] showed me everything—the trees, the undergrowth, the small animals hiding in burrows. But there were no monsters.
None within a hundred-meter radius of me.
They're avoiding me.
I tested it—deliberately moving toward a pack of wolves I'd detected lurking near a stream.
The moment I got within fifty meters, they scattered. Yelping like puppies, tails between their legs.
"Huh."
(Your aura is leaking again,) Veldora noted. (You're suppressing it well, but some residual power still bleeds through. Lesser monsters can sense it instinctively.)
(How do I stop it completely?)
(Practice. Your control is already excellent for someone so young. Give it time.)
Or just... ask Great sage to mask my presence.
Honestly, it wasn't the worst problem to have. Better than being constantly attacked.
I continued through the forest, testing my new movement techniques.
Water Current Propulsion let me slide across the ground like ice skating—frictionless, fast, effortless.
Air Current Propulsion gave me bursts of speed—quick dodges, rapid repositioning.
Flame Propulsion was pure acceleration—raw thrust that sent me rocketing forward.
Combined with [Magic Perception]'s 360-degree awareness, I could navigate the forest at ridiculous speeds without hitting anything.
This is actually fun.
(You're enjoying yourself!) Veldora laughed. (Good! A warrior should take joy in mastering their abilities!)
(I'm not really a warrior though.)
(Nonsense! You've killed multiple B-rank monsters with techniques you invented yourself! That's warrior behavior!)
Fair point.
Several hours passed.
The sun began its descent toward the horizon—late afternoon, maybe 4 or 5 PM by Earth standards.
My internal clock (courtesy of [Great Sage]) confirmed: 4:23 PM.
Impressive. I have perfect time awareness now.
I'd been traveling roughly southeast, following what looked like an animal trail. No particular destination in mind.
Just exploring.
Then [Magic Perception] picked up something new.
Not regular monsters.
People.
Or... goblin-shaped things, at least.
Thirty signatures. Small stature. Crude weapons. Moving in a group formation.
Here we go. The goblin village.
I adjusted course, bouncing toward them.
They spotted me before I reached them.
Or rather—they felt me.
The group froze. Thirty goblins armed with rusted swords, chipped axes, and broken shields. Their faces showed fear. Confusion. Terror.
Leading them was an older goblin—gray hair, weathered features, but sharp eyes. He carried a gnarled staff.
The village elder.
Next to him stood a younger goblin, scarred and battle-worn, holding a notched sword.
The scout leader.
Behind them, the rest of the group clustered together, weapons raised but hands trembling.
They can sense myresidual aura.
Even suppressed, even contained, my aura seems to be too strong for them to handle.
I stopped about ten meters away.
Silence.
Then the elder stepped forward.
His legs shook. His hands gripped his staff so tightly the wood creaked.
But he stepped forward anyway.
"G-Grah! Strong one..."
His voice wavered but held.
"Have you... business here?"
I stared at him.
The protective instinct was... admirable, actually.
I could have laughed. Could have scared them off. Could have ignored them completely.
Instead—
"I'm just passing through," I said, my distorted voice echoing oddly. "No need to be afraid."
I pulled back the aura leaking from my body, consciously suppressing it further.
The magicules around me retracted, flowing back inward.
The oppressive presence vanished.
Suddenly, I was just... a slime. Small. Turquoise. Harmless-looking.
The goblins collectively exhaled.
"O-Oh..." The elder's eyes widened. "Were we being... tested?"
What?
(He thinks you deliberately revealed your power to measure their courage!) Veldora sounded amused. (Clever goblins!)
Or paranoid goblins.
But I could work with that.
"Perhaps," I said vaguely. "You didn't run. That's... worthy."
The elder's face brightened slightly. "Thank you, strong one! We of the goblin tribes know better than to flee from those more powerful! To do so invites only death!"
That's depressing but probably accurate.
"I see." I bounced a bit closer. "So what are you all doing out here? Hunting?"
The mood shifted.
The elder's expression darkened. The scout leader's jaw clenched. Several goblins in the back looked away, grief clear on their faces.
"We... were scouting," the elder said carefully. "Our village faces... difficulties. We search for solutions."
There it is. The direwolf problem.
"Difficulties?"
The elder hesitated, clearly weighing whether to burden a powerful stranger with their problems.
Then—
"May I... ask your name, strong one?"
"Rimuru," I said. "Rimuru Tempest."
The elder made a decision. I could see it happen—the moment he chose to trust me.
He knelt.
"Great Rimuru Tempest! I am the elder of a goblin village to the southwest! We face annihilation! Please—I beg your mercy—if you could spare even a moment to hear our plight!"
The other goblins followed suit, kneeling in unison.
Well. That escalated quickly.
(They sense opportunity,) Veldora observed. (A powerful being appears before them at their darkest hour. Of course they'll ask for aid.)
(Should I help them?)
(That's your choice, my friend. But I sense you've already decided.)
Yeah. I have.
Because I knew what came next.
The direwolf attack. The naming. The evolution. The goblin village arc.
This was where Rimuru's legend began in canon.
And I wasn't about to skip it.
"Stand up," I said. "Tell me what's happening. I'll decide after I hear the full story."
Relief flooded the elder's face.
"Thank you! Thank you, Great Rimuru!"
He stood, then began explaining.
The story unfolded exactly as canon predicted:
Direwolves from the eastern plains had pushed into goblin territory. Multiple villages attacked. Heavy casualties. Including named goblins—the elite protectors.
This village had lost their guardian—the elder's son, the scout leader's older brother.
The other goblin communities had abandoned them, planning to use this village as a "sacrifice" to buy time.
A hundred direwolves versus sixty combat-capable goblins.
Ten-to-one odds needed just to fight one direwolf.
"We have perhaps two days before they attack," the elder finished. "Maybe three if we're fortunate. But we cannot flee—our young, our elderly, they couldn't survive the journey. And even if they could... where would we go?"
His eyes met mine.
"Please, Great Rimuru. Grant us your guardianship. We will swear loyalty. Offer our service. Anything you ask. Just... please. Help us survive."
Tears.
Actual tears in the old goblin's eyes.
He's desperate. But still fighting for his people.
I looked at the gathered goblins. Young and old. Scarred warriors and trembling civilians. All looking at me with desperate hope.
In my past life—as Satoru Mikami—I would have helped immediately. My bleeding heart couldn't say no to someone in genuine need.
But I was also Arlo. Someone who'd built an empire. Someone who understood value.
"What can you offer me?" I asked bluntly. "If I save your village, what do I get in return?"
The elder didn't hesitate.
"Our allegiance! Our loyalty! We will serve you as our lord! Protect your interests! Fight your battles! Whatever you require!"
Goblin subordinates. Just like canon.
But also... potential.
Goblins were weak individually. But they were numerous. Trainable. And once named, they could evolve significantly.
A workforce. An army.
"Allegiance, huh?"
I pretended to think about it.
In reality, I'd already decided the moment he asked.
Because this was where it started.
The village. The naming. The legend.
"All right," I said finally. "Your request is granted. I'll be your guardian."
The elder's face lit up.
"Thank you! Thank you, Great Rimuru Tempest! We will not forget this kindness!"
The other goblins erupted in cheers—relief, joy, gratitude all mixed together.
(And so it begins,) Veldora said quietly. (Your journey to greatness, my friend.)
(We'll see. First, I need to deal with a hundred direwolves.)
I looked at the gathered goblins.
"Take me to your village. I want to see the defenses. Understand the terrain. Then we'll prepare for the direwolves' arrival."
"Of course! Right away!" The scout leader scrambled to his feet. "Please, follow us!"
The group began moving southwest, chattering excitedly among themselves.
I bounced along behind them, [Magic Perception] already analyzing the forest ahead.
Goblin Village Arc: Start.
END OF PART 2
STATUS UPDATE:
Current Location: Great Jura Forest, en route to Goblin Village
New Connections:
Goblin Village Elder (unnamed) Goblin Scout Leader (unnamed) Goblin Village (approximately 100 residents, 60 combat-capable)
Upcoming Challenge:
Direwolf Pack (estimated 100 individuals, Rank C monsters) Time until attack: 2-3 days Current goblin combat capability: Insufficient (10:1 ratio needed)
Rimuru's Plan:
Assess village defenses Prepare for battle Survive first major combat encounter Begin canonical timeline events
Veldora's Status:
Reading Naruto Volume 5 Providing commentary Enjoying outside world through shared senses Unlimited Imprisonment analysis: 0.3% complete