Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Darkness

‘…’

‘…?’

‘…Wait, I can think again.’ The return to consciousness was weird, without eyes or a mouth, or pretty much any other sensory input but the feeling of pressure and texture of where I touch the ground and gravity (though really more a feeling of the amount of me compressing in one direction), the feeling of temperature and taste gone. It was really only the ability to think again that gave it away. ‘…Right, some voice– the Voice of the World as I was dying… Reincarnation.‘ It's honestly kinda trippy not feeling much of anything, but I'm sure that will go away after a few hours.

The instinct to open my eyes and look around didn't yield an effect. 'Right. Slime.' At least the panic didn't feed into a physical reaction, no lungs burning, no too-fast breaths, no pounding heart, just… a normal freakout that only lasted for a bit without the adrenaline pumping and stressing out the body, feeding back into more panic from losing control of even yourself. 'Great Sage? You there?' The whole point of this venture was that, after all. 

{Notice: Great Sage subsumed the Extra skill: Self Advisor's functions, computation capacity, and response capability on its prompting and became the Unique skill: Wise Counsel.} A female-toned robotic voice, similar to the Voice of the World, but not quite, said. 

It took a second to register, but, ‘Huh? That can happen?’ Another beat, 'Actually, yeah, makes sense, with… whatever exactly happened earlier.' The memory floated away when I reached for it, and I didn't fight too hard. Shaking my head – or at least doing it in my mind, the gelatinous body not following the motion anywhere as fluidly – I clear the weirdness away. 'How long have I been out?'

{Received. You have been unconscious for 13 days, 23 hours, and 11 seconds since the assimilation.}

'The assimi– right, I merged with a slime.' A correction didn't come, so I took it as fact. 'Can we Magic Sense, uh… partner?' I asked Wise Counsel, prepared to do some work if I have to. The lack of (most) sensory input is – stifling, constricting, making me insane – uncomfortable. At least with it I can admire the cave and myself, practice manipulating my body, maybe.

{Affirmative: Activating Magic Sense; filtering sensory input through Unique Skill: Wise Counsel.}

The world expands before my eyes, a rocky cavern covered in grasses and not-quite-rock infused with magicules, boulders and rocks scattered on the ground, some holding a sheen of a kind; columns stretching upward like pillars, supporting the ceiling. My form, gelatinous and orb-y, sits in the middle of the incoming information, slightly purple compared to the expectation I have of blue.

‘Woo, nice. That was quick!’ Fuck, if I had tear ducts, I'd cry. Just that amount of sensory deprivation was awful.

{Affirmative. The skill: Magic Sense was already present.}

'It was? Weird, I don't remem– no, yeah, I remember seeing the cave before. Makes sense. I guess I just forgot it after I fell unconscious.' That makes the most sense, at least. Weird that I don't remember the announcement from the Voice of the World, but I guess it was just unimportant enough to forget.

I let myself bask in the feeling of seeing once again, observing all the fine details I'd never be able to see otherwise. I swear I can almost see microscopic particles if I focus on a point. Regardless, after admiring the world, a – let's call it a flow – a flow of magicules caught my attention. Basically all of them in my range of vision were moving in one general direction, like a slight breeze was pushing them along. Like a pressure differential, or diffusion, a part of my mind supplied a sound comparison. 'That who I think it is, Wise Counsel?'

{Affirmative. Probability of Veldora being the source of the higher concentration of magicules is 99.5%}

'Trip time, then!' It's slow-going, when I can only slide or roll, and not jet-propulse myself with wat– can't I? Water would definitely work, but why wouldn't air? 'Go, Predator!' It took a second, but it got going, sucking. 

It was weird, feeling air go into me, but not like actually into me. It's like breathing, but just… wrong, like you could take an infinitely deep breath. Regardless, air flooded into the stomach, decompressing as gravity stopped pressurising it. It didn't feel like I couldn't expel it, so…

Repressurising, I reopened a small hole in the opposite direction I wanted to go, and allowed only air to escape as I pushed it. It… didn't do much, maybe 10-ish metres worth of travel. Air's a lot less dense than water, after all, a part of me filled in. Regardless, doing it a few more times, refining it into a cycle of jumping high and sucking air as I go through the arc so I can do so again when I land, a familiar voice piped up,

[Air Propulsion Skill acquired.]

An idea came to me as I fell from the latest propulsion, making me collide with the earth once more, focusing on it. 'Hey, Wise Counsel? Do you think we can get all four manipulation skills early?' I can probably get Burrowing, maybe Earth Lance for earth skills, water and air will be easy enough, fire, though…

{Searching… Affirmative. You may acquire the control skills for more of the elements, and therefore Particle Manipulation early. However, there is little point. The benefits would be minor to none.}

'...True.' I concede. A quick search of my memory doesn't indicate much of a point, either, except maybe breaking the skills down for magicules, which… 'Try and recycle Air Propulsion, partner.' 

{Received. Recycling Air Propulsion… Success. Magicules returned.}

'Goodie.' I get back to jumping along, waiting for–

[Air Propulsion Skill acquired.]

–that. 'Partner? Do we got an infinite source?' Giddiness was building, but I want confirmation before I celebrate.

{Negative. Your magicules were consumed for the creation of the skill, if at a discount. More energy is acquired from the loop of absorbing air, freeing it of magicules, and then releasing it again than breaking down a Common skill.}

'Ah damn,' I deflated, the good mood vanishing from the dry, toneless voice. It's nice to know I'm harvesting energy, though. 'Now that I think about it, what are my skills?' I hadn't thought to ask, but now that I've resumed travelling, it seems like a good point. 'And don't forget to link skills where it will produce a positive effect, like Wise Counsel and Predator's Analysis.'

{Confirmed. Received. Making list:

• Unique skill: Wise Counsel
  1. An upgrade to Great Sage in computation and reasoning.
  2. A support skill that increases thinking and processing speed, analyses the world, and stores data.
  3. Subskills:
     1. Parallel Operation, Thought Acceleration, All of Creation, Appraisal, Chant Annulment, Data Storage. 
• Unique skill: Jealous
  1. In the line of Ultimate skill, Leviathan, Lord of Envy. Acquired from showing extreme envy and being recognised by the Voice of the World and the skill.
  2. Has three facets: Stealing, Copying, Blocking. Stealing is much faster and less energy-intensive than copying, but can fail or be blocked. All functions require a specific, outside target.
     1. Steal can steal Extra and Common skills, memories, properties, and energy from others. 
     2. Copy can copy arts, non-intrinsic properties, Extra and Common skills; An inferior copy of a Unique skill can be derived until the original holder is dead or otherwise weak enough to take it from their soul directly. The end result of a full steal depends on the Unique skill's compatibility with the user.
     3. Block can block the target from using a skill, art, or property. More effective when that skill, art, or property cannot be stolen or copied. Effective on stronger targets.
  3. Subskills:
     1. Steal, Copy, Derive, Block
• Unique skill: Predator (incomplete)
  1. A complete version of Predator, taken from the unnamed slime, but inferior due to not being completely compatible. You may see some time lag or control difficulties when using it, not unlike a granted Ultimate skill compared to an earned one.
  2. Can eat/absorb anything into a central stomach that expands the more magicules are in it. Things in the stomach are analysed and broken down, or otherwise isolated until they can be. Analysed targets can be replicated.
  3. Subskills:
     1. Stomach, Devour, Isolate, Examine, Replication.
• Extra skill: Magic Sense
  1. Sensory input through the manipulation of magicules.
• Extra Skill: Phase
  1. Become momentarily intangible by phasing partly into a parallel dimension and able to pass through most things not directly made to block spatial intrusion.
• Common skills: Running, Air Propulsion, Fuse
• Resistances: Temperature, Electric, Pierce, Pain Nullification, Poison, Confusion, Exhaustion, Magic.

Intrinsic skills: Self-Regeneration, Absorb, Dissolve.}

Reading through the list, trying to remember the whole, a few things stick out, some definitely a lot more than others – though one explained itself when paired with the explained functions of another – such as, 'Jealous? Was I really that jealous of a guy to get a Unique skill from it?’ 

…I haven't been that much of an envious guy, have I? Sure, maybe a bit more than just a biiit jealous of Tomura, most recently, but in this world, only… only… Rimuru–

–and immediately began choking from the buzz that was on my skin becoming an overstimulating itch– ‘no, you will not stop me I will get him–’

I pushed it from my mind– attention, continuing the run, sprint, hunt through the cave – 'how can I see?' the thought was ignored, unimportant – until finally, finally– ‘Rimuru!’

I catch him, my hand slipping into the slime, balling, and ripping out a chunk– ‘Fuck, I forgot– how do– eat it!’ the irrational depth of my mind supplied, and I shoved it in my mouth, teeth separating it into swallowable chunks – the blue slime was cool and refreshing, like jelly, maybe a hint of mint and something earthy, not that I gave it much mind at that time – the next hand plunging deeper, grabbing, shoving in my mouth– again, again, again.

‘Give me your skills, your properties, your Everything–’ My stomach flared, as if it was being eaten from the inside, but I didn’t stop, not even when it seemed like my body was melting– ‘I will be the protagonist, me, me, ME!'

Darkness

–Yeah, only him– them– and I already got them. Their possibilities are mine now.

{Affirmative. Unique skills can be thought of as the crystallised natures and/or desires of a person. You have experienced and showed immense envy since your appearance in this world.}

…Right. I guess that… makes sense. I never did soul-searching, finding 'finding myself' unappealing compared to just keeping busy… couldn't have really figured out who 'I' am, so, yeah, no real ground to fight that.

Back to it, 'What about Phase and Hunting?' I don't remember hunting in this world, and Phase?

Realisation.

‘Tensura.’ I declare in my thoughts, answering the unanswered, throat just as parched and scarred as it was before the fire even started, the water I'd collected for the purpose missing, and pained with the sickness I was nursing for putting unwashed fingers in my mouth again, nervous habit winning out against common reason and attention. Images of the media flew, one figure, one name in particular all too common, ‘Rimuru– Rimuru–’ 

It cut off as a sudden calm arose, 'Stop. Focus. Where am I?'

A flip around observes the world, cataloguing, reasoning, ‘The Sun is rising, so that’s East, Canaat in the North, quite the forest that way compared to plains West, so surely West of Jura currently– Go!’ I’m on my feet before I register, moments from the webnovel, painted by imagination and infrequently seen art pieces flitting through my mind, settling on one: A slime, chewing on grass even though it should just be rolling over, absorbing it into the body. “I want–” The desire sounds despite the pain, my feet moving faster and faster as I turn around and scramble from a quadrupedal trot into a sprint toward the target.

[Hun–]

The Voice of the World filtered itself out, barely audible over the beating of my heart once I get going– the beats lessened, yet I ran even faster.

There were obstacles in the way once I reached Jura, interrupting the straight path I'd been taking East (East-Southeast, something told me, nudging the direction), toward the cresting hill containing the cave. The mouth of it was infested with monsters, too, but– ‘Through, I just have to get through the trees– the monsters–’ 

[–]

Every time I thought I'd collided with a tree, a monster, anything, I got out on the other side, unscathed, finally meeting the dreaded door the gate the– I passed through, somehow, having expected to slam into it from being unable to abort the sprint and slow down– and immediately began choking from the buzz that was on my skin becoming an overstimulating itch– ‘No, you will not stop me I will get him–'

…Wait, no, I did, right? To get to the cave and the target within… the cave that I was already in… why, then?

{Answer: Phase was crystallised from a desire to get through anything blocking the way. Hunting was received from the Voice of the World.}

I sigh, '…Fuck, I don't remember a lot of stuff… I really need to catalogue what's missing.'

Or, I guess what's conflicting. It's like I have two sets of memories.

…Can't really do anything about it right this second, I guess…

Sighing again, I ask, 'Can we do anything about the duplicates and the compatible? Fuse them, perhaps?’ I mean, Wise Counsel implied it's superior.

{Answer: Current energy stores insufficient for reorganisation of skills.}

Right. That's an aspect of it, too. ‘Fair enough. Waiting for Degenerate, then.’ The cave is large, even the long time I spent in the cycle of propulsion and absorption isn't getting me too far. At least I can eat the Hipokute grass to store up on the extract and magic ore to refine, if I were to stop at each patch of it. Actually… ‘Hey, Wise Counsel, how much would my storage increase if we… I? You? Break down the magic ore and Hipokute grass?’ I know she's a part of me, but it's not really me doing the refining and breakdown, so, yeah…

{Parsing analysis… Current stores will increase by 30% upon breaking down everything currently in the stomach.}

‘Would I get more upon being named by Veldora, the more I currently have?’

{Searching… Reaching a threshold to become a higher order of existence, or otherwise more perfect, each very roughly corresponding to the ranks, and in-between ranks, of the Freedom Association, is unlikely. Until then, the extra energy gained from the naming will be minor to inconsequential, even if used on the skills. Break down current stores?}

'Don't bother, then.' Man, each time I think I've got a shortcut or exploit, reality beats me back down. No fun allowed, geez. At least with All of Creation the gaps in knowledge can be filled… 

'Process it down to potion and Magisteel instead. If you can, alloy the minor amounts of gold and silver we have with the refined Magisteel, see if we can get some Orichalcum and Mithril for analysis.' It's not much, considering I've been devouring earth from the crust for refining, but it's not like the magisteel alone is precious in it. It really is far too little, though…

{Processing… estimated time of full processing of current stores: 46 hours.}

'That's… a while. Probably fast, though, since it's you. You go!' I cheered Wise Counsel on, for a bit, as I still jumped forward. 

Not for much longer, to be fair, when the lake came into view, and I dived in like I never could before, from tens of metres in the air, rolling and spinning. The water met me with a quiet plop despite the height, and I sank, feeling the weightlessness. 'Predator! Go!' Water filled me, the magicule-rich fluid filling over 20% of my storage before I stopped. 'Go ahead and separate the magicules from it.'

{Received. Notice: During the rampant absorption from Predator, a cave fish was absorbed. Acquired Skill: Water Vibration Sense and Mimicry: Cave Fish.}

Oh, worm? Not much use, I suppose, but nice to have. Could fuse with Vibration Sense later, I guess. Or actually, 'Can you see if you can tune it to a general vibration sense, while I work on the water arts? See if Voice of the World will upgrade it in acknowledgment.' 

{Received. Intercepting Water Vibration Sense, tuning…}

The water jet was easy, it was the same as what I did with air. 

[Water Jet Propulsion skill acquired.]

Water current motion was harder, but with only a little experimentation on vibrating my outer shell, I was moving, not unlike a bacteria or jellyfish.

[Water Current Motion skill acquired.]

And finally, water blade. A jet of water, but flattened, and spinning so it holds its form. It was harder, to be fair, but infusing some of the magicules I separated out and forcing my image of the attack onto the spat water, the wheel preserved its form, and finally cut through Magiore I then gobbled up.

[Water Blade skill acquired.

Notice: Skills Water Pressure Propulsion, Current Motion, and Water Blade present. Fusing and upgrading… Extra skill Control Water acquired.]

'Goodie.'

I hum happily, fucking around with Predator's Replication, mimicking the cave fish and going back to slime. The fish isn't too dissimilar to normal fish, just blind, though the long tendrils around the head that are used for the Water Vibration Sense give it something similar to echolocation, and with a much, much slower metabolism from what the analysis said, feeding on magicules supplementing energy acquisition or not. It's neat, but there's something very weird about seeing the world blind but not quite, outside of what Magic Sense supplied. I ignore it, after some time getting used to it, and move on toward Veldora. He's on the edge of the lake, so all I needed to do was cross it. 

The crossing of the lake was easier said than done, to be fair, which is why I ended up resorting back to jet propulsion, and also why I skid along the ground with the last one, scraping pieces of slime away, damaging me, but not causing pain, only discomfort. 

'Hey Wi–' wait, they're busy. Let me try then. Absorbing the outermost layer of slime, the damaged one, I analyse it with Thought Acceleration, and recycle it back into magicules, feeding them into self-regeneration. It only takes a few seconds of outside time for me to return to normal and finally place my attention on the elephant in the room. 'Take that, Rimuru! I don't need Wise Counsel to do everything for me!'

Well, more like dragon in the room. <Can you hear me, little one?> He asked, curious, once he saw I stopped regenerating.

I respond to him simply, <Hm?> I can’t really say the same stuff as the original while staying genuine, which I think higher beings had a sense for, so I’ll just have to try other stuff!

<I said, can you hear me?>

<I can! Are you a dragon? That’s so cool!> Alright, maybe I’m exaggerating the feelings a little, but the excitement is finally catching up! I'm in Tensura! I'm meeting Veldora!

<Guahahahaha!> He laughs in my head, a rumbling on the outside mirroring it. <Indeed! I am the coolest! I am the True Dragon, Veldora!>

<So, what are you doing here?>

The laugh suddenly tapers off, a short silence following it. <Eh, I may have been a little trapped by a Hero. Nothing to worry about.>

<Oooh, a Hero? What’s that?> A proper explanation would be nice. 

<A Hero is a human – or one of the derivatives of them, such as elves or dwarves – who has grown beyond their species’ limits, transcending them into something as powerful as a True Demon Lord! The best of the best! And the one that trapped me, well, she was quite beautiful, majestic, graceful, and powerful, with her Absolute Severance and Unlimited Imprisonment.> The silly dragon was wistful, admiring the memory of Chronoa.

<Is that the barrier surrounding you?> I stretch out a nub, touching it. There's not much to feel, just a point– curved plane in space I can't cross. 

He sighed, reminiscing at the ceiling, <Hah… indeed. I have been here three excruciating centuries. Ever since then, I have had so much free time on my hands, I was practically out of my mind with boredom. And you? Where did you come from?>

<Me? I’m a slime! Don’t have a name anymore, though.> All true!

Interest sparked in his eyes, <Oh? Anymore? Were you named before this?>

<Yeah! I used to be human!>

<Hmph. A transmigrator, then.>

<You have a term for it?>

<Of course. Transmigrators aren’t so uncommon, especially with a lifespan like mine, kuahahaha. Their memories from the past are burned into their souls due to a powerful will. There are some, indeed, who retain every memory of their past lives. But a transmigrant from another world… That is quite uncommon. A regular soul, by itself, would have no hope of surviving a journey across realms. It would dissolve midway, taking its memories with it. Someone retaining their full mind and becoming reborn as a monster out of pure magic… I cannot recall any past example of that. Quite…peculiar, indeed.>

<Then, how do normal ones get here?>

<Well, part of them are known as 'visitors,' or 'otherworlders,' and they bear knowledge of things that do not exist in this world. They acquire, as I hear it, some manner of special power when they make the journey here. Beyond that, there are records of transmigrants, who, as I said, bear knowledge of other worlds. Not all of them choose to openly identify themselves as such, though, I imagine.>

<Cool! So I could find some, huh? Maybe someone will be from my land, too!> I mean, Japanese story, by a Japanese man, to find someone not Japanese… odds are low. I'm Japanese though, so there should be! 

'…No, I'm not, fuck off Satorou!'

At least that part of the conflict is easy enough to differentiate… 

<Perhaps. The Star Sphere, that is, the worlds created by my brother, is uncountable! The chances are not very high, I must say… But you have been asking a lot of questions; is it not time for mine?> Veldora pointed at me, in a 'caught you!' gesture.

I conceded, <True, true.>

<Then, tell me, what was your world like?> I guess the payment for the information is a story.

<Ah, well…> I go into the world, starting in general with the differences in structure, and slowly building up to modern history, so it’s not completely over his head. A world completely devoid of magic should be interesting, no? <And yeah… in the end, we really should’ve done a preventative fire on the shrubland. Ended up burning a big part of the terrain there, including, well, my house, and running me off. The wind was too strong, so I couldn’t even really out run it, or move away from downwind. Reached a cliff, and, well… without any fantastical forces, we're just flesh and blood.> It felt like there was more to the story–

Fire

It began with fire, the natural force of destruction and eventual rebirth, burning through forests and homes and land, returning it to a lower state from where the material can once again be used to grow life. Of course, it’s not a force you would wish to experience rampaging yourself, after all…

‘Fuck, it's so hot! It's like the air itself is burning me!’ I yell in my mind, making sure not to actually talk, saving my breath for as long as I can, my physical form resisting as I sprinted in front of the wind-assisted fire; firestorm really. The fire had grown explosively over the day, no amount of prior evacuation saved people. At dusk now, it covered tens of thousands of acres.

A hint from the back of my mind arose as I ran away; ‘Wait, no, there was a cli–’ the air opened beneath me before the thought finished registering, let alone being able to change direction or stop, and I closed my eyes, a sinking weight reminding me of when I used to do the same, voluntarily, even on that vacation to Italy. It was cool, then, dropping from a cliff a dozen metres above the water into it, even if I hadn't quite managed to get through my paralysis and start doing cool jumps. 

The– pain, impact, crunch– darkness didn’t come. Yet, a solid floor held me up, no lack of it as I tried reaching around, only damp, cool grass and dirt meeting my hands when I splayed them out to ground myself and confirm what I felt on my back. 

I shoot up as the sinking feeling disappears in an instant, looking around.

"This isn’t Earth," I can tell in an instant. The grass is too vibrant, the trees too many, the area too flat, the sky, the smell, just too – too, too – of everything.

The sun is in a different position, barely cresting the horizons to begin the day, just that bit uncanny compared to before, ‘Where am I? What is this– this upside down reality? Why is such a gigantic fucking bird flying, why are there humanoid shapes in the forest, why– why why– where?’ The questions finally came, unanswerable.

My prickling skin finally registers, and not even scratching it removes the feeling, just obscures it under pain and relief. ‘If– if I didn’t know better– Magic in the air,' something supplied. 

‘Magic… MAGIC!’ I yell in my heart, bringing my hands together no matter how insane or inappropriate it is in the moment, imaging, forcing the image of water collecting between my wounded-from-biting-the-skin fingers, from the humidity in the air and the dirt, overjoyous as the–

[Chant Annulment skill acquired.]

Stillness– water dripping, dropping down–

Realisation

–But I can't quite reach it yet.

The dragon, listening silently with more patience than I expected, nods morosely, <A shame indeed, to fall to natural forces like that. However, for you to have made your way here from a world with no magic of any kind, that is… exceptional! It must be so near the edge of the Star Sphere!> He nerded out some more, tossing hypotheses, nodding to himself as he developed them.

Huh, that’s… more significant than I thought, huh? <Yeah…> Anyway, I think this is probably a good time, right? To ask. <Hey, wanna be friends?>

That stopped him short, and he sputtered, <W-what? A mere slime, asking the great True Dragon, Veldora, to be friends?!> He yelled out, exaggeratedly.

<Y-yeah? I mean, we already shared with each other our tragic backstory(TM)! But, if you don’t want to…>

<Fool! Who said anything about not wanting it?>

<Ah, then…?>

<Ah, I suppose if you insist, then I must oblige you. Yes, truly, so generous of me, no?>

<Yep. I insist. It’s settled! And if you don’t like it, then watch out, ’cause I’ll never come back!>

<No!– Ah, so be it. I will become your… friend. I do hope you appreciate the gesture!>

<Well, to future times, then!>

<Indeed! To future times!> he agreed. After a few seconds of just marinating in the mood, he suddenly said <…Ah, yes, allow me to give you a name. In exchange, you will give one to us both.>

<Is naming significant?>

<Indeed! To be named is to solidify your existence, and if your namer is a lot stronger, then to even evolve! Kuahahha, for you to be named by a True Dragon like me, even sealed, is a blessing on anything!>

<I see, I see!> I pretend to think for a bit, before saying, <How about Tempest? A little on the nose, but it sounds nice, doesn’t it?>

<Perfect! So be it! A wonderful timbre to that title, yes! I shall from now on be known as Veldora Tempest!> He proclaimed to the world, consisting of me, him, and the empty cavern. <And you, you shall be Rimuru Tempest!>

Anticipating the naming, I'd focused on one very specific goal: upgrading Wise Counsel. I have Jealous, but so what? Its use isn't all that different from Predator or Gluttony. Wise Counsel, on the other hand… that's something that will help for sure. 'Evolve my partner, damn you, evolve!' I yelled in my heart at the skill, wishing, Willing it to gain some kind of fusion or overall modification subskill from the infusion of energy engraving my new name into me, old one willingly discarded. A voice piped up, one ever so familiar, but just that twinge of not,

{Notice: Unique Skill: Wise Counsel has acquired the subskill: Fusion. Protection: Crest of the Storm acquired. Storm Magic acquired. More skills may be derived with further analysis.}

'Yessssss! Good job, Wise Counsel! Good job, me!' That's an early fuser, though Degenerate should still be far better for the overall skill tweaking.

Turning back to the dragon, my form just that little bit purpler, <Hey, so, can you really do nothing about your seal?>

<Indeed. This barrier isn’t just a physical one; it can hold its target captive in an infinite number of imaginary spaces for all of time, on top of sealing the skills of those inside. You’d have to be on the level of the Chosen Hero to even hope of breaking it down.>

<Hmm… lemme try anyway!> I lean into it, making contact with the barrier, focusing on my feeling of inadequacy compared to it, 'Wise Counsel, do your thing!’

{Received. Attempting analysis… failed. Extra skill: Barrier synthesised. Attempting deprivation of energy and/or acquisition of skill using Unique skill: Jealous and Incomplete skill: Predator… failed. Extra skill: Barrier upgraded. Proceeding like the original Rimuru appears to yield best results.}

I felt some energy flow into me when Jealous was used, replacing what it took to make Barrier, but I guess it was far too small a fraction to be deemed acceptable; perhaps it regenerates more from Veldora than I can take. ‘Oh, nice, got a skill out of it. Guess you have more power than Great Sage, eh?’ A faint feeling of superiority emerges from somewhere, before quickly fading. <Hey, Veldora! There might be something I can do! If we find a proper receptacle for your spirit, you could move into it, and escape that way.>

<Oho? To find a way to escape… indeed, I could possibly do that.> He pauses to think, humming, <But doing such a thing, finding one robust enough for a True Dragon such as myself would take decades.>

<Aw, true… What if I take you with me? Then you could watch as I go about and grow and search for one!>

<Hm? Bring me with you? You mean through that skill of… well, not quite yours, Predator?> He knows it? Oh, right, higher beings could perceive more. He eyed me more after asking that, evaluating.

<Yeah! Store you in my stomach and let both Predator and Wise Counsel analyse the barrier, and then you could also pass the analysis from the inside too.>

<Bwahahaha! Indeed, that could work! Very well, I agree! It’d be far more fun to break through this prison with someone than sit around and await your return! With the two of us together, this Unlimited Imprisonment could fall quicker than we thought!>

<All right! Then, I’ll see you on the other side, friend!> I say as I begin to stretch over the barrier, covering all of it, and letting Predator transfer it into my stomach.

<Haha, indeed!>

The concentration of magicules starts slightly dropping, the environment absorbing them, but the source is gone, so they aren’t being replenished. The newly moved Veldora is taking up about… 30? Percent of my storage, which is higher than original Rimuru, if I remember correctly.

{Magicule source acquired. Permission to begin the organisation of skills?}

‘Go for it.’

{Confirmed. A summary can be generated upon completion. Delegating 90% of low-priority processing power to studying Unlimited Imprisonment.}

The cave suddenly quiets down, and I find myself slightly lonely. Shaking my head off the feeling, however, I proceed, storing Hipokute grass and magic ore for later, moving around the outer wall of the cavern as I look for the exit. Original Rimuru said there weren’t any creatures in this part of the cave, if I remember correctly.

I mean, he was wrong, there were cave fish, but those lived in water, and was probably due to some insulation from the high concentration of magicules that kept them from poisoning. 

Anyway!

Days passed. Like, a lot of days. I think I had to wait 120ish from Rimuru's arrival to the door being opened by the elf and escorts.

Travelling the cavern, eating magic ore, Hipokute herb, practising Magical Perception with less and less of Wise Counsel's filtering, getting Vibration Sense when Voice of the World acknowledged it has surpassed Water Vibration Sense, too, and searching for the exit. There was some point where I'd put the idea from earlier into practice, getting the skills for Earth and Air Control. The three haven't fused, yet, but I honestly kinda doubted they would without a firmer shove.

I found the exit, of course. Not close enough to the end, however, as I sat in front of it 15 days after swallowing Veldora, deciding to stay instead of wandering more, what with my Stomach stocked quite well. I just sat, going through my memories in what amounted basically to meditation and centering myself, exploring what and who is where. 

'…wait, how was Wise Counsel able to access everything– oh. Right. A computer situated in my soul would definitely be able to read everything…' I sigh, but I don't ask it to explain or expand. This feels like something I need to do myself.

So… Who am I? And what part isn't me?

So I sat, looking through the door, going through my memories, searching for the ones I got from Satorou and slowly digesting, archiving, suppres– 'Wait! FUCK! I'm early! He was only here for a month, not three!'

Turns out the full flashback is a bit too long to put in the end note, so... in the chapter it goes, ig.