The cavern trembled faintly as Rimuru sloshed around in Veldora's stomach, having used Predator to fully absorb the dragon's essence for analysis.
"Great Sage," Rimuru spoke, voice calm yet determined. "I need a way to analyze Veldora—figure out how to break this Infinite Prison without harming him."
A soft, mechanical voice echoed inside Rimuru's mind.
"Acknowledged, Master. Analyzing… Calculating a method to bypass Infinite Prison constraints. Outcome: possible with combined magicule resonance and spatial calibration."
Shiro—still in his 3-tailed kitsune form—tilted his head curiously.
"Great Sage, can you help me too?" he asked politely. "I want to see all of my skills and magicule power in a clear interface. Something like a status panel."
"Acknowledged. Creating Status Panel… Please wait. Estimated time: 3 minutes."
Shiro nodded and turned to Rimuru. "While we wait, we should find a way to exit this cave safely. Veldora can help us once we solve this, right?"
Rimuru smiled. "Exactly. Let's prepare first."
Status Panel Complete
A translucent screen appeared before Shiro, glowing softly with arcane light.
Status Panel – Shiromaru Tempest
Blessing: Storm Dragon Veldora Tempest
Magicules: 5,500,000
Ultimate Skill: Dimensional Summoner – "Infinity Nexus"
Elemental Mastery: Storm Element Manipulation
Unique Skills: Great Sage, Predator, Akashic Records, Beast Domination, Elemental Magic (fire, water, wind, thunder, illusion, holy), Thunder / Lightning Magic
Extra Skills: Pride, Envy, Lust, Shape-shifting, Magicule Breeder / Reactor, Illusion & Bewilderment & Invisibility, Enhanced Senses & Extrasensory Perception
Shiro blinked at the glowing panel and then tilted his head toward Great Sage.
"Can you tell me… how much magicule my brother Rimuru has?"
"Current magicule count: 3,000,000," Great Sage replied promptly.
Shiro's ears twitched. His eyes widened slightly. "…He's weaker than me? That can't be…"
"Confirmed," Great Sage said. "You are stronger in raw magicule power and skill versatility."
Shiro's lips curled into a proud, small smile. "Heh… big brother, I'll make sure to protect him even more. And maybe… show him what I can do."
Testing Skills – Predator and Growth
Shiro extended his paw and whispered instinctively.
"Predator."
The monsters lurking in the cave froze as his aura expanded, their essence being drawn toward him.
With each absorbed creature, Shiro gained new abilities, absorbing not just magicule but instinctual knowledge from the monsters. He even copied a few passive skills from Rimuru in the process.
Shiro looked down at his tails, their three long strands of fur swaying elegantly. He smiled.
"This… is incredible. I can keep evolving."
He shifted slightly, letting his tails flick in a display of magical energy. His form shimmered and solidified once again as a 3-tailed kitsune, now fully confident in his strength.
Ready to Follow Rimuru
Shiro turned his gaze toward Rimuru, determination shining in his blue eyes.
"Alright, big brother… I'm ready. Let's get out of this cave together."
Rimuru nodded, impressed and proud. "Heh… Shiromaru Tempest, my little brother, you've grown strong already. Let's go."
With a flick of his tails, Shiro sprinted forward, leaving trails of magical energy behind him. The two brothers moved in perfect sync, the power of Predator, Great Sage, and Veldora's blessing coursing through them.
The cave was about to witness the unstoppable duo of Rimuru and Shiromaru Tempest.
And beyond its walls, the world would soon see the rise of a newly awakened kitsune prodigy, stronger than most monsters they would ever face.