Chapter 100 - Starting Point

A/N: Here we go!

In the deep darkness of a cave, a blue blob materialized out of thin air. It was a slime, one of the weakest types of monsters. Its appearance was a result of the immense concentration of magicules leaking from the depths of the cave.

Before, it was a man named Mikami Satoru. He was a 37-year-old general contractor from modern Japan. Satoru had met an unfortunate end, murdered in broad daylight by a man with a knife. The day had started normally—he was out in the busy streets of Tokyo, invited by his junior to meet his fiancée, to show off a little, and to receive his senior's blessing. It had been nothing more than a casual meeting.

No one could have anticipated what would happen next.

Satoru had been killed on that same street, in the middle of the crowd, early in the morning. The whole thing seemed absurd. Why would someone commit murder with so many people around? With so many witnesses?

'More than a month has passed since I was reborn as a slime,' the slime thought, reflecting on the bizarre turn of events.

The slime bounced and jiggled through the cave, its gelatinous form rippling with every movement. At first, it had been cautious, unsure of its surroundings. Blind, it could only sense the vibrations in the air and the faint traces of magic around it. It moved slowly, unsure of where it was going. But as time passed, it had gotten better. It had learned to use its new abilities, adapting to its new life with surprising ease.

The slime continued its way through the cave, searching for anything it could find. Its translucent body glowed faintly in the dark as it bounced along the cold, stone ground. It was no longer hesitant. It moved with more confidence, its body responding instinctively to the surroundings.

It found some small green shoots growing between cracks in the rocks. The slime hopped over to them, squishing down on top of them. The plants quickly dissolved into its body, absorbed by its gelatinous form. The slime felt a sense of satisfaction. It wasn't much, but it was something.

Great Sage, let's head this way, the slime thought, directing its mind to the being that had been with it since its rebirth.

<<Understood,>> came the calm, reassuring voice of the Great Sage.

The slime moved deeper into the cave, its senses sharp and alert. But with each step, it began to feel something more. A sense of unease started to fill the air, growing stronger the farther it went. The hairs on the back of its mind—if it had any—stood on end. It couldn't see anything, but the feeling of something wrong was undeniable.

Great Sage, what is this? the slime thought, its mental voice edged with a hint of alarm.

<<Warning: A dangerous presence is approaching,>> the Great Sage replied, its tone suddenly serious. <<It is highly recommended that you retreat.>>

The slime's body tensed. A presence—something dark—was drawing near. It didn't know who or what it was, but it could feel the pressure. The magic around it seemed to warp, becoming heavier and colder as the source of danger approached. The slime's instinct kicked in, and it began to move faster.

It slithered through the cave, jumping from side to side as it dodged the walls. The fear inside it grew stronger. It didn't know what was coming, but it could sense that whatever it was, it was coming for it.

Great Sage, help me! the slime screamed mentally, panic rising in its thoughts.

But before it could react further, the ground beneath it vanished. It felt a sudden weightlessness, as though it were floating in the air. Its body trembled with confusion and fear. There was no longer solid earth beneath it, no familiar stone to push against.

Then, a deep, booming laugh echoed in the cave.

"Kuahahaha, interesting! So Brother was right!" The voice was dark and filled with amusement. The slime's body was suddenly gripped by strong hands, lifting it off the ground effortlessly. The slime felt its body being cradled, hoisted under an arm like a fragile object.

The slime couldn't understand what was happening. Its body flailed in the air, but it had no way of reacting physically.

What is this? it thought, a wave of panic flooding its mind. What's going on?!

"Ah, Veldora, you got it. Good work," Rimuru's voice responded, his tone light and casual.

The man—Veldora—grinned, holding the slime closer to his chest as he walked, his large form moving with surprising grace.

Inside a spacious room, Rimuru was lounging on one of the plush couches. A deck of cards lay scattered across the table in front of him, but his focus was elsewhere. His companion, Velgrynd, leaned against him, her eyes intent on the pages of the novel she was reading.

"I got a full house," Rimuru grinned, showing his cards to Veldora, who had been playing a little too seriously. But at the mention of a full house, Veldora's mood soured. He folded his cards with a dramatic flourish, looking at the floor with a frown.

"Let's change games," Veldora huffed, clearly not a fan of card games. "I'm not good at this."

He plopped down onto a beanbag with a heavy sigh, placing the slime onto his lap. With a contented sigh, he began gently smooshing the creature, using it like a pillow and resting his elbows on it. The slime quivered under the pressure, but it couldn't protest.

Velgrynd, ever serene, continued reading her novel, seemingly unfazed by the antics around her. As Rimuru's hand began to absentmindedly play with her hair, he glanced over at Veldora.

"What game next?" Rimuru asked.

Veldora sat up abruptly, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "What about this?" he asked, pulling a pack of cards from a nearby shelf. The shelf itself was cluttered with manga and novels, some stacked neatly, others haphazardly thrown together.

Rimuru's eyes narrowed as he recognized the pack. "HoloCards," he said, recalling its origins. "That's just a prototype Lilith and I made from some universe, but with more realistic mechanics."

"Let's play it," Veldora insisted, grinning widely. Rimuru paused for a moment, considering, but then shrugged in resignation.

"Alright, fine," Rimuru said. He turned his attention back to Velgrynd, who was still engrossed in her book. "You're welcome to join if you want."

Velgrynd didn't answer immediately, but her eyes flicked up, and a faint smile played at the corners of her lips as she returned to her novel.

More than an hour passed, the game stretching on longer than expected. In the end, Rimuru's defeat was inevitable.

"Yes! I win! Kuahahaha! Behold the HoloCard Master, Veldora!" the dragon's voice boomed with triumph. He threw his arms up in victory, his grin as wide as ever.

"Good for you, Veldora," Rimuru said with an exaggerated sigh. "Anyway, can you pass me that slime?" He pointed to the creature Veldora had been affectionately holding.

Veldora paused, his hands clutching the slime even tighter. "But I like it," he said, a pout forming on his face. "It feels cold and comfortable to the touch," he added, pressing the slime further into his lap. The slime quivered from discomfort.

Rimuru chuckled. "But I'm the one who asked you to get it. Come on now."

With a long, dramatic sigh, Veldora finally relented. He handed the slime to Rimuru, though not without a slight reluctance.

"Hello, Mikami Satoru," Rimuru greeted the slime telepathically, his voice calm and neutral.

The slime, now aware of the interaction, hesitated. Uhm... Hello? it thought back, its response tentative.

"Goodbye." Rimuru's voice was soft but final. With a simple gesture, his hand hovered over the slime, and in an instant, he absorbed it into his palm.

The slime was no more.

"Well, that was easier than I thought," Rimuru said, stretching his arms above his head. "Considering it was a perfect substitute made to replace me, it feels almost too simple. Now, I can move as freely as I want. The beginning is finally here."

Velgrynd closed her book with a quiet snap, her eyes fixing on Rimuru as she absorbed his words. "Then you're finally building that Tempest nation of yours?" she asked, studying his face intently, not moving from her position.

Rimuru's lips curled into a smirk. "Yeah, the fact that the substitute is gone means it's finally time for me to make my move," he said, his voice low and filled with purpose.

He poked her cheek playfully. "Let's go."

Without another word, the two of them stood up. Rimuru, ever calm and composed, turned to Veldora, who was sitting with a downcast expression, mourning the loss of his pet slime.

"Here," Rimuru said, tossing the slime back at Veldora with a flick of his wrist.

"Huh?" Veldora blinked in surprise, catching the slime in midair and looking up at Rimuru.

"The soul is gone," Rimuru explained casually. "I don't need the body. That's just like any other slime in the world now."

With that, Rimuru began to walk toward the exit of the cave. Veldora, however, raised the slime high, his voice filled with cheer as he waved it triumphantly.

"Yaaaay! It's back!" he exclaimed, completely unbothered by the fact that the slime no longer had its personality.

Rimuru gave a small chuckle and continued walking, his plans beginning to unfold.

As Rimuru and Velgrynd walked through the forest hand in hand, Rimuru was quietly assessing the situation. "Hinata is already a Holy Knight, Chloe is in school, Luminas is keeping Dagruel from invading the western nation, Shizu is teaching the children, Kagali—and, by extension, Clayman—is governing Amarita, the demon lords are all in place, including Leon. I took some liberties with the monsters in Jura Forest, but as long as they remain within the forest, it's harmless anyway."

Velgrynd's brow furrowed, her gaze distant. "I do feel worried about the East Empire. We didn't really check on them, only visiting rarely from time to time."

Rimuru squeezed her hand, offering a reassuring smile. "I've been in contact with Damrada over a communication device. He says nothing unusual has happened, aside from the increase in otherworlders arriving in the empire."

Velgrynd tilted her head, skepticism clear in her expression. "And you believe him?" she asked. "Those are just words, with no proof."

Rimuru shook his head, his expression thoughtful. "Obviously, I take it with a grain of salt. I'm aware that he's loyal to Rudra, so there's always the possibility of false information. But I do have a spy in the empire. Damrada is just a decoy to keep them from noticing."

Velgrynd's eyes widened in surprise. "When did you do that? I never knew."

Rimuru gave a playful smirk. "More than a thousand years ago now. It'd ruin the fun if you knew their name. How about you take a guess?"

Velgrynd furrowed her brows in thought, her fingers tapping her chin. "Is it one of your subordinates from the Citadel? Like one of the surviving Arcana members? Maybe an otherworlder? Or perhaps that Gadra mage, or his friend, the one you let stay near the marshes?"

Rimuru chuckled softly. "All wrong. Guess you won't know." He stopped near the entrance of the largest goblin settlement, his tone teasing.

A muscular hobgoblin approached and knelt before him. "Rimuru-sama, what may I assist you with?"

"Rigur," Rimuru said, his voice firm but warm. "It's time. Have all the goblins gather here to be named."

The settlement, which had grown so large it could no longer be called a mere village, was now more like a primitive town. Its houses were still huts, and the goblins relied on hunting and gathering to survive. The population had swelled to the thousands, and while this wasn't necessarily a problem, it did pose a significant challenge if their numbers continued to increase at this rate.

Due to their relatively weak physiques and high reproduction rate, the goblins had to hunt larger animals and monsters. Every hunting expedition resulted in casualties, and though the death rate was slower than their birth rate, the population remained relatively stable, fluctuating around a few thousand without growing or shrinking drastically.

Rimuru raised his voice, addressing the gathered crowd. "My nation will be created soon. You now have a choice: either continue living in the forest and serve under me as part of this nation or leave the forest."

"Rimuru-sama," Rigur stepped forward, moving to stand in front of all the goblins. He dropped to one knee, and after a brief hesitation, the rest of the goblins followed suit. It wasn't a perfect line-up, but seeing thousands of goblins kneeling at once was still pretty surreal.

"We've been under your care for thousands of years," Rigur continued, his voice steady and sincere. "We're your loyal servants. If there's any way we can repay you for everything you've done for us, please, give us your orders!" His words echoed, a mix of gratitude and resolve in every syllable.

Rimuru couldn't help but grin. It was a response he'd been expecting, but hearing it never got old. He gave a small nod of approval. "Good answer. Now, line up for your names."

A/N Fun fact when I was making the framework for the following chapters it was by pure coincidence that the start of Tensura is in chapter 100. I swear that it was pure coincidence that even I was surprise when I was making chapter 98 and 99 like 'No way!' then 100 came and I was like 'can't insert other chapters now that it fits perfectly in the 100 spot.'

If you want early access to more chapters or simply to support me.
https://ko-fi.com/coverscribe