"One more!"
Rimuru licked her lips, still wanting more. Compared to Tony's chef, her own chef's cooking was simply touching—truly touching.
Pepper already knew Rimuru had a big appetite, so she had specifically instructed the chef to increase the portions.
But seeing the tall stack of plates piled in front of Rimuru, she was still a little stunned.
She ate too much! Every time Pepper watched Rimuru inhale a plate of steak like a whirlwind, her eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
She was genuinely afraid Rimuru might burst her stomach!
"Tony, is this really okay?"
Pepper kept winking at Tony, asking him to step in.
Tony, watching Rimuru eat without restraint for the first time, was also surprised—though knowing Rimuru's true nature, he wasn't too shocked.
If anything, he was more intrigued. This slime, Rimuru, seemed even more mysterious than he had imagined.
However, before Tony could speak, Rimuru beat him to it.
"Pepper, don't worry. This amount of food isn't even one-millionth of my appetite!"
Since Rimuru had already overheard her, Pepper didn't bother hiding her concern and poked Rimuru playfully on the forehead.
"You little rascal—your ears are too sharp! You know I'm worried, yet you still don't hold back. Overeating is bad for your stomach! If you really stuff yourself too full, don't come crying to me when you can't sleep tonight."
Rimuru didn't bother answering. Instead, she directly transformed into her slime form.
"Pepper, I'm sorry. I've been hiding this from you the whole time… this is actually my true form!"
Telling Pepper the truth was something Rimuru had thought over carefully.
First, Pepper was Tony's right hand—smart, reliable, and good at keeping secrets.
Second, in this world, she was one of the two people Rimuru considered close friends.
Revealing her true identity would remove any barriers between them and deepen their bond.
And lastly… food. If she didn't let Pepper know the truth, how could she ever eat her fill?
When Pepper saw Rimuru transform from a pretty girl into a round blue blob, she froze, mouth forming a perfect "O."
"Oh my God! What is this? Tony, is today April Fools'?"
Tony's eyes lit up. Even though he had seen Rimuru switch from human to slime before, the transformation still fascinated him.
How did she even do it?
This was completely unscientific!
"Relax, relax. As you can see, this is Rimuru's original form. She won't hurt you."
Pepper finally grasped the situation—and immediately shot Tony a sour look.
"So you already knew?"
She had reason to feel jealous. She thought she and Rimuru were closest—that they were "good sisters," inseparable best friends.
But Tony actually knew something she didn't!
Tony found Pepper's reaction amusing. Was she jealous?
Honestly!
A woman acting a little petty was perfectly normal. As a gentleman, he naturally had to soothe her.
So Tony recounted how he first met Rimuru inside the cave.
The more Pepper heard, the brighter her beautiful eyes became, and the more affectionate her gaze at Rimuru grew.
The moment Pepper scooped Rimuru's slime form into her arms, her heart melted completely—Hopelessly smitten.
Meanwhile Rimuru felt miserable.
Maybe telling Pepper the truth had been a mistake…
In the laboratory.
"Gold–titanium alloy, fiberglass, and this weight… Rimuru, your Wind God II armor is a bit thick. Congratulations—you've finally escaped the trap of light armor!"
Tony patted her shoulder with exaggerated pride. "Rimuru, you've grown up. I'm so happy!"
Rimuru's face darkened instantly.
Taking advantage of her like this—how childish!
Petty, vindictive old man!
"No, this weight is too much. To maintain mobility, the energy output ratio needs a massive increase. The consumption is way too high."
"And the weapons you've loaded—it's completely unlike a standard combat configuration. Their energy demand is far beyond normal."
Tony looked her straight in the eyes. "With your brain, you wouldn't make such a low-level mistake. Did you upgrade the reactor?"
Rimuru was shocked for a moment. Tony really was Tony—the man's brain was abnormal in all the right ways.
Just from the materials she ordered, he had deduced most of the specs for Wind God II, its energy load, and even guessed she had improved the reactor.
Close enough, even if not perfect.
A cheater's life needed no explanation!
But before Rimuru could answer, Tony shook his head.
"No, that's still not right. With palladium as fuel, the Arc Reactor hardly has any room left for improvement. Even at maximum rotation, the energy output is still far too low. Did you use a hybrid energy system?"
"I thought about that too. But the conversion efficiency is terrible. At best it's only a tiny supplement—basically meaningless."
Listening to Tony ramble nonstop, Rimuru was speechless. Had Tony been infected by Spider-Man's chatter?
"Stop! Don't keep guessing. I'll tell you clearly: I discovered a new element that doesn't exist on the periodic table. Its energy conversion is far superior to palladium—more power, more stability. I can sell you the patent. Do you want it?"
Pfft!
Tony choked on his water and nearly died coughing.
Sell him the Arc Reactor technology???
She must be insane!
"Wait—what did you just say? You discovered a new element not on the periodic table?"
Rimuru nodded.
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible."
Rimuru blinked. "Why?"
Tony sighed. "You might not know this, but the palladium reactor saved my life—yet palladium is toxic. As long as I keep using the armor, the toxins keep increasing. You're not the only one who's tried to replace palladium with a new element."
Rimuru sighed inwardly. Of course she knew.
If not for her interference, Tony—whose blood toxicity was already severe—might have completely collapsed.
She still didn't know whether saving him early with the Recovery Potion was a blessing or a curse.
But on the surface she remained calm. "So what?"
"So what? I've tried every known, unknown, and even theoretically possible element that could exist on Earth. Nothing works!"
He didn't say the rest aloud, but Rimuru understood perfectly.
His meaning: If I, Tony Stark, couldn't discover a new element, how could you?
Annoying. Arrogant. Condescending.
Rimuru snapped, "Forget it! If I sell you this reactor, I'm a little dog!"
Tony shrugged dismissively. "Even if my reactor runs dry and I'm drifting helplessly in space, I will never buy your patent!"
When it came to brains—who was afraid of whom?
If a new element really existed, and Rimuru could discover it, then he could definitely discover it too.
Tony Stark—second to none in the world!
Half an hour later.
Tony's heart was itching unbearably—like a hundred cats clawing inside his chest. He couldn't hold back anymore.
To Tony, the idea of a new element was like the smell of fish to a starving cat.
He leaned toward Rimuru, coaxing, "Did you really discover a new element?"
Rimuru stiffened. "No."
Tony: "One hundred million dollars."
Rimuru: "I really didn't!"
Tony: "Fine. One billion dollars."
Holy crap.
He just multiplied the price by ten?!?
This damn rich dog—was having money so great?!
As if Rimuru would bow her head for a mere five pecks of rice!
Tony waved his offers with increasing disdain. "Plus a brand-new particle collider, a 3D printer… and half off the installation fee for the supercomputer."
Cough cough cough cough!
Rimuru choked violently, face turning red.
Cough! "…Since you even placed such a vicious curse on yourself—running out of energy and drifting in space—I guess I can't refuse. If I don't sell it, I'd look too heartless. Out of pity, I'll sell it to you."
Tony: "…Little dog."
Rimuru: "Woof."
Tony Stark: "…"
Fine. She won.
...
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