The rage in Ranga's snarl was palpable. As if chiding him, two ogres, one with blue hair and one with black, leaped in response.
A moment later, a shock wave formed a crater in the earth, sending piles of dirt and mud into the sky. The blast from Ranga's Voice Cannon held enough power to atomize a group of goblins on the spot. But it would only work, of course, if it actually struck the ogres.
The dodge did not unnerve Ranga. He was proud of his abilities—and as a Tempest Star Wolf, he had every right to be. His master's naming had elevated him beyond a simple direwolf, granting him power that dwarfed his previous form. But seeing his attacks avoided was the least of his concerns at the moment. He sprang off the ground, hoping to end any tandem attack from the blue- and black-haired ogres before they could unleash it.
They were both still in the air, and Ranga took aim at the black ogre, reasoning this was the weaker of the two. Putting one out of the picture would rob them of the teamwork they seemed to be counting on in this battle.
Ranga was halfway toward realizing his goal. What he failed to notice was that he had more than two opponents. The moment he was in the air, a wall of fire suddenly appeared before him. It resembled the spiritual magic conjured by shamans, but it was a different type—a so-called mystic art, part of the family of illusory magic. Mastering such a complex spell indicated exactly how advanced these ogres were—not some rabble living primarily off instinct, but those capable of learning and acting on reason, like the human race.
The Flame Wall blocking Ranga's path was not particularly harmful, but it did allow the caster to fully block a single enemy attack. Conjuring such a shield in front of an advancing foe could also serve as a smoke screen, earning the caster precious time to formulate a plan.
And that tactic succeeded. Losing his target, Ranga was forced to land back on the ground.
He didn't enjoy engaging with such foes, who used tricks and feints to avoid a frontal assault at all costs. The illusory spell Confusion, cast at the start of battle, had also knocked his keen sense of smell off-line. At least the effects had not fully incapacitated him yet—though it had taken out most of his companions in battle, unable to resist the magic strike. The only ones who managed to fend it off were Rigur, head of the security team, and Gobta, Rigur's right-hand man. The rest of the dozen or so hobgoblins that had been summoned here by an emergency call during a hunting run—along with their tempest wolf companions—were now de facto out of the battle.
Ranga resentfully stared down the wall of flame and the pink-haired ogre caster who had taken out his friends. There were six foes in all—six ogres, higher caste among the residents of the Forest of Jura. They were nothing to sniff at in battle—not the black- and blue-haired ogres Ranga attempted to engage, nor the purple-haired ogress Rigur was tangling with, nor the gray-haired ogre elder Gobta was fending off. Certainly not the magic-wielding pink-haired one, so effortlessly giving her companions a magical advantage, nor the red-haired ogre standing next to her, surveying the scene.
Not a one could be left to their own devices for a single moment. They were working as a team to fight Ranga and his friends, a strategy no unintelligent race would employ. Easily B rank or higher, by the looks of things. Rigur and Gobta, as stout as they were, couldn't hold out for long.
If only my master, Rimuru, were here—
Ranga snickered at himself over the thought. Relying on his master like that would be unthinkable. Then, as if wiping away any weakness in his body, he howled with the full conviction needed for the decision he had to make.
Peace had returned to the village, and the hobgoblins had been acting remarkably calm and composed despite the Ifrit attack that had leveled the place.
Well, 'leveled' might be an exaggeration, I thought as I surveyed the construction site. The barrier I'd set up did its job perfectly.
Before leaving to deal with the adventurers and Shizu, I'd created a protective barrier around the village perimeter. It was a fairly elegant solution, if I do say so myself—a dual-layer construct using [Water Manipulation] and [Air Manipulation] working in tandem.
The water layer absorbed and dispersed kinetic impacts, while the air layer created a cushioning effect against shock waves. The real trick, though, was using the excess heat from Ifrit's flames as a power source. The more heat that bastard generated, the more energy the barrier had to work with. Thermodynamics for the win.
So while the temporary shelters outside the barrier had burned, the actual village infrastructure remained intact. A few scorch marks here and there, maybe, but nothing structural.
Crisis averted. Now for the boring administrative stuff.
The biggest surprise, I suppose, was how much of a born leader Rigurd, my newly appointed goblin king, turned out to be. Much more than I would've guessed. He had done a splendid job leading the work teams as they continued construction while I watched after Shizu. Among Kaijin, the three dwarf brothers, and the four goblin lords, everyone seemed to be sticking to their duties, working efficiently for the other villagers.
Really, I didn't need to do much besides offer a couple words of advice.
Overseeing our food supply was Rigur, whenever he wasn't busy handling security. Garm, oldest of the dwarves, was responsible for clothing; Dold, the next oldest, for making tools; and Mildo, the youngest, for home construction. All production was overseen by Kaijin, while Lilina, one of the goblin lords, managed our inventory of completed goods—that's how I figured we'd split the responsibility.
The remaining goblin lords—Rugurd, Regurd, and Rogurd—became my ministers of justice, legislation, and administration respectively, all aiding Rigurd with keeping the local government together. Minister of legislation sounds like a highfalutin job, but all it really involved was taking whatever I blurted out and trying to turn it into coherent law. Simple, really.
These were more intelligent monsters than before, but they were still monsters. When someone stronger than them was around, they listened, mostly. So for the time being, everything was going pretty smoothly. No big problems on the road to building a new country.
But I had other things on my mind anyway. I had this human body now, and I wasn't too hot on draping rough animal pelts over it. So I decided to have someone make me some proper clothes.
Being a slime had proven to be quite useful, here and there, but it had its disadvantages. Apart from certain magical items, I was unable to wear any armor or, you know, grip a weapon. And slimehood itself didn't suck, but being "naked" (so to speak) could potentially lead to problems.
Plus, now that I can transform...
The Essence of Overcoming Limitation had shaped my human form in interesting ways. Unlike when I'd used the black mist technique to age up my appearance for Shizu, my "natural" human state was that of a teenager—maybe sixteen or seventeen in appearance.
The form was androgynous but leaning masculine. Sharp features, smooth skin, an athletic build without being overly muscular. The kind of appearance that would make people do a double-take.
And then there was... that particular aspect.
Yeah. The Essence apparently decided I needed to be well-endowed. Like, REALLY well-endowed.
Even at this teenage appearance, I was packing equipment that would make professional adult film stars jealous. It was almost comical. Almost.
I need underwear. Immediately.
So I paid a visit to Garm, hoping to acquire a proper outfit.
He was stationed at our little clothing factory, a log cabin that had come into being when I wasn't paying attention, and he was overseeing a small team of goblinas as they sewed away.
"Yo, Garm! I could use some clothing for myself."
"Uh, you sure about that, boss? How are you planning to wear it?"
Oh, right. He's only seen me as a slime.
I let the transformation take hold, black mist swirling around me before dissipating to reveal my human form.
"Heh-heh-heh…heh-heh… Haaaa-ha-ha-ha! That's what you've got to say? If you think I was planning to be a slime forever, you've got another think coming, man! Haaaahhhh!!"
"Wh-wha?! You're…a human?! And you look like a—wait, how old are you supposed to be?"
"Teenager. Easier to maintain than a full adult form. So could you make an outfit that'd fit?"
"Oh, sure, sure. Mind if I take some measurements? Hey, Haruna, let's get the boss all measured up!"
I was naked, of course. I'd learned to manifest the transformation without clothes by default to avoid the awkward "shredded outfit" problem.
First priority: underwear.
Using [Molecular Manipulation], I quickly fabricated a pair of boxer briefs from some spare cloth fibers. Nothing fancy—just basic black fabric with enough stretch to be comfortable.
There. That should—
I looked down.
Oh. Oh no.
The boxers were doing their job, technically. Everything was covered. But the bulge was... extremely prominent. Like, impossible-to-ignore prominent.
This is going to be awkward.
"Oh my!" Haruna the goblina came up with a measuring rope, then froze mid-step.
Her eyes went wide. Her face turned bright red. She stared for a solid three seconds before seeming to remember she had a job to do.
"You've become so..." She swallowed hard. "...cute, my lord! And handsome! And... um... very..." Her eyes flicked downward for just a moment. "...big."
THERE IT IS.
"Just take the measurements, please," I said, trying to maintain some dignity.
She nodded frantically and got to work, though I noticed her hands were shaking slightly.
This is my life now. This is what I have to deal with.
Garm, to his credit, was professional about the whole thing. He took notes, nodded thoughtfully, and told me to come back in a few days.
"We'll make you something comfortable, boss. Don't worry."
I'm worried. I'm very worried.
Having nothing more pressing to do—and desperately needing to escape the awkwardness—I decided to test out the skills I had obtained from Shizu.
Skill Evolution
If I wanted to play with my new toys in peace, I needed someplace where people wouldn't show up and bother me. I could only experiment so much inside my own tent, which prevented me from unleashing too much power.
So I told Rigurd I'd be out, ordered him to make sure nobody followed me, and headed off into the forest.
Alright. Time to see what I can really do.
I'd absorbed Ifrit along with Shizu. That meant I had access to all of the fire titan's abilities, plus Shizu's unique skill [Degenerate]. Combined with my existing skills, there should be some interesting synergies.
Let's start with the basics. Great Sage, analyze my current skill set and identify potential synthesis opportunities.
＜＜Understood. Beginning analysis...＞＞
＜＜Analysis complete. Multiple synthesis pathways detected.＞＞
＜＜Recommendation: Skill [Flame Transformation] can be merged with Master's [Storm Factor] and [Molecular Manipulation] to create a superior flame-based ability. Proceed with synthesis?＞＞
Storm Factor? Right, from Veldora's magicules constantly flowing through our soul corridor.
Do it.
＜＜Acknowledged. Activating unique skill [Degenerate], sub-skill [Synthesize]. Beginning synthesis process...＞＞
I felt a strange sensation as the skills merged—like puzzle pieces clicking into place inside my soul. The flames I could summon weren't just fire anymore. They carried the essence of storms, of molecular-level destruction.
＜＜Synthesis complete. New skill acquired: [Black Flame].＞＞
Black Flame? Let me test it out.
I held out my hand and let the flames manifest.
They were beautiful. Pitch-black flames that didn't emit light so much as absorb it, creating an area of deeper darkness around them. The heat was intense—far more concentrated than normal fire.
This is...
＜＜Additional notification: Due to Master's increased familiarity with storm magic derived from Veldora-sama's magicules, skill [Black Thunder] has evolved into [Dark Thunder].＞＞
Dark Thunder? That's—
Wait. That's Veldora's original magic. The actual lightning he used, not the derivative version I got from Ranga.
I called forth the lightning.
Dark purple-black electricity crackled around my fingers, far more potent than the Black Thunder I'd been using. This was the real deal.
This is incredible. But if I have both Black Flame and Dark Thunder...
＜＜Notice: Skills [Black Flame] and [Dark Thunder] show high compatibility. Synthesis recommended. Proceed?＞＞
Hell yes.
＜＜Acknowledged. Synthesizing...＞＞
＜＜Synthesis complete. New skill acquired: [Dark Flame Thunder].＞＞
I manifested the new power.
Black flames wreathed in purple-black lightning. The combination of thermal energy and electrical discharge created something far more destructive than either component alone.
Beautiful. Now let's see...
I knew from my meta-knowledge that Benimaru would eventually create an Art called "Hell Flare" using flames and barriers. But I had access to better components.
If I combine [Ranged Barrier] with [Dark Flame Thunder]...
I began constructing the technique in my mind. A barrier that wasn't just protective, but weaponized. Multiple layers of Dark Flame Thunder suspended in geometrically perfect patterns, creating a bounded space where everything inside was subjected to simultaneous thermal and electrical obliteration.
The Art took shape.
"Hell Flare."
I tested it on a small clearing, setting the parameters to low power.
A dome of black flames and lightning materialized, roughly twenty meters in diameter. Everything inside—trees, rocks, even the air itself—was reduced to constituent atoms within seconds.
When the flames died down, there was nothing left but a perfectly spherical crater of glass-smooth earth.
Holy shit. And that was at LOW power.
This is way stronger than Benimaru's version will be. Not just because of Dark Flame Thunder instead of regular flames, but because my magicule reserves are orders of magnitude higher.
But I wasn't done.
I have [Kelvin] now. The ability to manipulate thermal energy at a fundamental level.
An idea formed.
Now I can upgrade the endothermic singularity I used against Ifrit . A point of impossible heat that creates a thermal differential so extreme it warps the surrounding space.
I began the construction.
Using [Dark Flame Thunder] as the core, I layered [Kelvin]'s thermal manipulation to force the temperature at a single point to star-like levels. The pressure differential would create a vacuum effect, pulling everything toward the center.
The Art crystallized in my mind.
"Calamity Sun: The Thermodynamic Singularity."
I manifested it at minimal power—maybe one percent.
A sphere of absolute darkness appeared, rimmed with black flames and purple lightning. The air shrieked as it was pulled toward the center. Trees bent inward. Rocks lifted off the ground.
And anything that touched the event horizon was simply... unmade. Broken down into spiritrons and consumed.
This is...
This is currently my strongest attack in my suppressed state.
I let the technique dissipate before it could do too much damage.
The vacuum effect from the thermal differential. The Black Flame Thunder acting as a molecular shredder. It LOOKS like gravity manipulation, but it's actually pure thermodynamics.
One more.
What if instead of pulling things in, I create a field that punishes movement itself?
The concept came together quickly.
A zone where motion—ANY motion—triggered an automatic counter. The victim's own kinetic energy would be converted into Black Flame Thunder manifesting inside their body. The more they struggled, the faster they burned from within.
"Event Horizon: Cocytus."
An auto-counter field. A death zone where the only winning move was perfect stillness—and even then, biological functions like heartbeat and breathing would trigger the effect.
Terrifying. I love it.
＜＜Additional analysis complete. Master's flame-based attack nullification detected. This appears to be a derivative of [Natural Effect Nullification]. Evolving...＞＞
＜＜Evolution complete. New resistance acquired: [Thermal Fluctuation Nullification].＞＞
Thermal Fluctuation Nullification? So I'm completely immune to any heat-based or cold-based attacks?
＜＜Affirmative. All thermal attacks, regardless of source or intensity, will be automatically negated.＞＞
Between that and [Kelvin], I have absolute superiority over anyone using fire, ice, or thermal manipulation.
Speaking of barriers...
I'd been using [Multilayer Barrier], but it could be better. What if instead of just stacking identical barriers, I created a system where each layer had different properties?
Physical resistance. Magic resistance. Thermal nullification. Spatial isolation.
I began constructing the new defensive Art.
"Multi-Layer Barrier."
Unlike the simple version, this one allowed me to customize each layer independently. I could stack as many as I had magicules to sustain, each one specializing in blocking a different type of attack.
Perfect.
One last thing.
My transformation ability was useful, but limited. [Mimic] only worked on things I'd absorbed. What if I could transform into ANYTHING?
I focused on the concept. Perfect shapeshifting, limited only by my imagination and knowledge.
＜＜Understood. Analyzing Master's intent. Synthesizing capabilities...＞＞
＜＜New skill created: [Universal Shapeshift].＞＞
Universal Shapeshift. I can become anything I can imagine in sufficient detail.
Perfect.
I was just about to head back to the village when I felt it.
Multiple presences. Moving fast through the forest.
And one of them was Ranga, injured.
What the—
Encounter
I arrived at the battle scene in seconds.
Ranga was fighting—correction, Ranga was holding his own against two ogres with blue and black hair. Rigur was tangling with a purple-haired ogress. Gobta was fending off a gray-haired elder ogre with what looked like expert swordsmanship.
Wait.
Gray hair. Expert swordsman. That's HAKUROU.
My eyes scanned the battlefield.
Red-haired leader. That's Benimaru.
Pink-haired mage providing support. That's Shuna.
Purple-haired warrior woman. That's Shion.
Blue hair. Souei.
Black hair. One of the other ogre warriors from their tribe. It should be Kurobe.
The ogre survivors from the orc attack.
Right on schedule.
Most of my subordinates were knocked out, victims of some kind of charm or confusion spell. Only Ranga, Rigur, and Gobta were still conscious.
And they're getting their asses kicked.
Well, time to make an entrance.
I dropped down from the trees, landing between the combatants.
"Hey now. What's all this about?"
All six ogres immediately focused on me.
The red-haired one—Benimaru—stepped forward. "Another monster? Are you with the pig army that destroyed our village?"
Oh, right. They think I'm connected to the orcs because of meta-reasons they don't understand yet.
"Pig army? You mean orcs? Sorry, but you've got the wrong guy. I'm Rimuru, leader of this monster settlement. And you're trespassing."
The pink-haired one—Shuna—studied me intently. "Such concentrated magicules... Are you a demon?"
Close, but not quite.
"Just a slime who learned some tricks. Now, are we going to talk this out, or—"
The purple-haired ogress—Shion—charged.
Welp. Fight it is.
Overwhelming Power
I didn't even move.
[Thermal Fluctuation Nullification] activated automatically as Shion's flame-wreathed fist came toward my face.
The flames... did nothing.
Not "were blocked." Not "were resisted."
They simply ceased to exist the moment they entered my defensive field.
Shion's eyes widened in shock as her punch connected with what should have been my face—and stopped cold against an invisible barrier.
"What—"
I grabbed her wrist with casual ease.
"Sorry. Thermal attacks don't work on me."
Using [Kelvin], I converted the kinetic energy of her charge into thermal energy, then immediately dispersed it. She stumbled, suddenly feeling sluggish and cold.
Before she could recover, I released [Sticky-Steel Thread] from my other hand.
The threads wrapped around her—specifically around her arms and across her chest, pinning her substantial bosom in place along with her limbs.
She's really well-endowed. Damn.
"Wha— Get these off me!" She struggled, which only made the threads tighten.
One down.
Shuna was already chanting something, hands glowing with magical energy.
Ice magic. How cute.
I let her finish the spell—a fairly impressive ice prison technique that would normally trap and freeze a target.
The ice formed around me.
Then immediately sublimated back into water vapor.
[Thermal Fluctuation Nullification] didn't just block heat. It gave me absolute control over my thermal state. Ice couldn't freeze me because I simply refused to lose heat energy.
"Impossible..." Shuna breathed.
Sorry, Princess. But thermodynamics is my bitch now.
I extended my hand toward her.
"[Event Horizon: Cocytus]."
A field of Dark Flame Thunder manifested around her—not touching, just surrounding. The moment she tried to move, to cast another spell, her own kinetic energy triggered the automatic counter.
Black flames erupted from within her body.
She gasped in pain and froze completely still. The flames died down immediately. Because I made them disappear, didn't want to kill her.
"The more you move, the more it hurts," I explained calmly. "So I'd recommend not moving."
Two down.
The gray-haired elder—Hakurou—was the only one not engaging yet. He stood there, hand on his katana, studying me with sharp eyes.
He knows. He can tell I'm on a completely different level.
"Young ones," he said quietly. "Stand down."
But Benimaru wasn't having it.
"I won't!" The red-haired ogre prince drew his sword. "Whatever power you possess, I will—"
Yeah, yeah. Pride and honor and all that. I get it.
"Tell you what," I interrupted. "Since you seem to value swordsmanship, let's make this interesting."
I turned to Kaijin mentally. Hey, that katana you made for practice. Where is it?
A moment later, I'd retrieved it using [Spatial Motion]—just a simple steel blade, nothing fancy.
"I'll fight you with just a sword. No magic. No special abilities. Just blade versus blade."
Hakurou's eyebrows rose. "You would challenge me to a contest of pure swordsmanship?"
"Why not? I need the practice anyway."
Benimaru looked insulted. "You mock us—"
"I'm giving you a fair fight," I said flatly. "Take it or die."
Hakurou stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"Very well. I accept your challenge."
Perfect.
We faced each other, swords at ready.
Alright. Time to see what Adaptive Evolution and Essence of Blank can do.
Hakurou moved first.
His blade cut through the air with perfect precision—a diagonal slash aimed at my shoulder. The technique was flawless. Economy of motion. Perfect balance. Centuries of refinement distilled into a single cut. It was Hazy style.
I blocked it.
More importantly, I analyzed it.
＜ My body moved before I consciously decided to. The Essence of Blank, combined with my own computational power and my innate Adaptive Evolution, created something terrifying.
Perfect learning.
Hakurou's next strike came from a different angle. I blocked it. Analyzed it. Learned it.
Third strike. Block. Analyze. Learn. Counter.
Fourth strike. Block. Analyze. Learn. Counter. Improve.
This is...
I'm not just copying his techniques. I'm understanding the principles behind them. The biomechanics. The weight distribution. The timing.I body is creating techniques to counter or destroy them, Mahoraga really was a cheat code.
And then I'm making them BETTER.
Five seconds.
That's how long it took.
Five seconds from the start of our exchange to the moment I understood Hakurou's entire school of swordsmanship—and surpassed it.
My blade moved in a pattern he couldn't predict because it was his own technique evolved beyond his current skill level.
His katana went flying.
It embedded itself in a tree twenty feet away.
Hakurou stood there, disarmed, staring at me with something between shock and awe.
"You..." He swallowed. "In five seconds, you learned everything I've spent centuries perfecting. And improved upon it."
"Yeah." I lowered my blade. "Sorry about that. Apparently I'm kind of a cheat character."
Understatement of the millennium.
Revelation
The ogres were all staring at me now.
Shion, still bound by my threads.
Shuna, frozen in place by fear of the auto-counter field.
Benimaru, his sword half-drawn but making no move to attack.
Souei and the black-haired ogre, backing away slowly.
And Hakurou, weaponless, looking at me like I was some kind of natural disaster given form.
Time to defuse this situation before someone does something stupid.
I removed the mask that Shizu gave me it was a pretty strong mask bound my cause and effect and many different abilities but most of them were useless for me but Its masking property was useful So I had great sage analyze and create a copy of this mask with just Mana resistance which weakened any mana based magic attacks and suppressed my presence.
I let my human transformation fully manifest—not the teenage version, but the aged-up form I'd used with Shizu. The black mist swirled around me, and when it cleared, I stood there in my full adult appearance.
The Essence of Overcoming Limitation had shaped this form even more dramatically than the teenage version.
Tall. Athletic but elegant. Sharp features that seemed almost carved from marble. Eyes that shimmered with an otherworldly quality. Long white hair with subtle blue highlights.
The kind of appearance that made people stop and stare.
And apparently, it worked even on battle-hardened ogres.
Shion's face turned bright red. Her eyes went wide, pupils dilating.
Shuna had a similar reaction—a sharp intake of breath, her hand coming up to her chest as if something had struck her heart.
Oh. Oh wow. They're both...
Yeah. They're both completely smitten.
The Essence of Blank's passive effect strikes again.
"So," I said, keeping my voice gentle. "How about we all calm down and talk this over? I promise I had nothing to do with whatever 'pig army' attacked your village."
Benimaru looked at his sister, then at Shion, then back at me.
"I... we..." He seemed to be struggling with something. "Perhaps we were... hasty in our judgment."
Ya think?
Hakurou bowed low. "Forgive our transgression, honored one. We have acted shamefully."
"Don't worry about it. You were protecting your people. I get it." I released Shion from the threads and dispersed the field around Shuna. "Come on back to the village. We'll get you all fed, and you can tell me what happened."
As we started walking back, I noticed Shion and Shuna both positioning themselves on either side of me, their faces still flushed.
This is going to be interesting.
Very interesting indeed.
END OF CHAPTER 25
Major Developments:
Skills Acquired/Created:
[Black Flame] (synthesized from Flame Transformation + Storm Factor + Molecular Manipulation) [Dark Thunder] (evolved from Black Thunder via Veldora's magicules) [Dark Flame Thunder] (merged Black Flame + Dark Thunder) [Thermal Fluctuation Nullification] (evolved from flame attack nullification) [Universal Shapeshift] (created)
Arts Created:
Hell Flare (Ranged Barrier + Dark Flame Thunder) - Superior to Benimaru's future version Calamity Sun: The Thermodynamic Singularity (Dark Flame Thunder + Kelvin) - Strongest attack in suppressed state Event Horizon: Cocytus (Auto-counter field using kinetic-to-thermal conversion) Multi-Layer Barrier (Customizable stacked barriers)
Combat Achievements:
Defeated Shion easily (Thermal Nullification + Sticky-Steel Threads) Neutralized Shuna (Event Horizon: Cocytus) Mastered and surpassed Hakurou's swordsmanship in 5 seconds (Adaptive Evolution + Essence of Blank + analysis)
Character Development:
Teenage human form with prominent "endowment" Haruna's reaction establishes physical appearance Shion and Shuna both become infatuated after seeing full adult form Demonstrated overwhelming superiority via meta-knowledge and cheat abilities
Plot Progression:
Village protected from Ifrit via barrier (no damage) Administrative structure functioning smoothly Ogre survivors encountered (not yet named) Stage set for recruitment and naming ceremony