On that day, the world trembled.
Or, well, I assumed it did.
To everyone else, the mighty Storm Dragon Veldora had vanished without a trace. A sealed legend, forgotten by time. But to me?
He was binge-watching my memories like it was his own personal Netflix. Inside my stomach. Cozy.
Seriously. I've watched a lot of anime. If this lizard starts experimenting with combining magical girls and mecha, I might need to file an internal complaint.
But that's a problem for future me. Today marks the 30th day since I "ate" Veldora in a desperate move to break his seal. And what have I done since?
The expected.
"Hmmm… maybe?" I mumbled aloud, lazily harvesting glowing hunks of devil ore with my enhanced strength. Each chunk pulsed with magical energy—absolutely perfect for magisteel, and more importantly…
I needed a weapon. A real one.
Slime bodies are stupidly convenient for flying, absorbing, and general goo-based combat. Humanoid bodies though? Different game. I needed claws. Fangs. Firepower.
"Great Sage," I asked, "any chance you can make a skill that lets me create weapons from my body?"
< Received. Possibility is high. Additional material and reference data required for synthesis. >
"Use this devil ore. And my memory of Wolverine. The claws version."
< Received. Analyzing 'Wolverine' template from referenced memories… Synthesizing skill. >
Ah, not instant. Figures. Maybe Raphael could've done it instantly. Stupid flashy evolution skills. One day…
I sighed and activated [Predator], devouring the remaining ores in the area like some magical mining Roomba. Then I spent the next several days brushing up on Wind Magic.
I mean, what else was I gonna do?
"Wind Cutter!" I yelled like some battle anime protagonist and launched three crescent-shaped blades of emerald light at a big ol' rock.
BISHUUUN!
The boulder split into five even slices like it owed me money and fell into the crystal lake below. Satisfying.
< Confirmed. [Metal Manipulation] skill acquired.>
Oho? Metal manipulation? That's new.
Maybe if I combine fire and water next, I can unlock some weird Avatar-style skill? "Akuma, the Element-Bender." I'd buy that light novel.
"Another day," I muttered, and followed the underground river like Rimuru did in the original story. The path was familiar. The events? Not so much.
Then came the giant cave.
Right on cue, I ducked into the shadows as three figures entered. The adventurers. Strong. Probably B-rank.
I could take them. Probably. But not without risk. I didn't look like an innocent blue slime anymore—I looked like a demon prince straight out of a villain handbook.
If only I had Guy Crimson's skill… I might need degenerate to fuse Raphael in the future.
I sighed. "Do I actually have to kill Shizu to get it?"
No. No no no. Too soon. Maybe… maybe I can use a soul corridor? Separate Ifrit from Shizu, stabilize her soul with my own magicules?
Though... technically Ifrit's what's keeping her alive. Could I... replace him?
"Please work. Please please work."
...But if it doesn't? Then the degenerate path might be the only one open. Damn it. I like Shizu.
Lost in thought, I slipped away from the cave undetected, quietly pursuing my ascent toward the surface. My first real challenge awaited me soon.
"And there it is…" I grinned as a giant black snake slithered into view, scales glinting in the light like obsidian. Right on schedule.
"Thank you, snake, for being the first sacrifice."
I reached into my stomach, pulled out a chunk of devil ore, and activated [Metal Manipulation] to shape it into a crude projectile.
Plunderer-style.
The hunk of metal launched forward with a crack, slicing through the air like a bullet. The snake tried to spew venom—
< Due to high concentration of Veldora's magicules in the ore, corrosion is ineffective.>
"Figures. I'm basically tossing nuclear missiles."
With a flick of my finger, I sent the shard screaming through the air. It whistled past, decapitating the snake instantly.
Venom sprayed like a cheap horror movie.
"Eugh, gross."
I vacuumed the corpse with [Predator], wiped myself off with a grimace, and waited for the familiar ding.
< [Poison Breath] acquired. >
< [Heat Vision] acquired. >
Nice.
Climbing upward, I found myself facing more monsters—some familiar, some not. Probably custom-coded by the universe just to mess with me.
I welcomed the challenge.
Each fight made me stronger. Every predator meal was a data point. But my mind never left the greater picture.
Shizu. Ifrit. Hinata. Yuuki.
The pieces were being placed on the board.
"Cross that bridge when I get there…" I muttered, cracking my knuckles as another wave of beasts roared into view.
"Let's dance."