The cave changed after the naming.
It was not an obvious transformation—no light, no sound—but Tamura could feel it clearly. The magicules had become restless, as if the space itself recognized that something irreversible had occurred. Rimuru Tempest now existed as a named being, acknowledged by a True Dragon. The world had adjusted its expectations accordingly.
Rimuru, for his part, seemed both energized and overwhelmed.
"So… I really have a last name now," Rimuru muttered, testing it internally. "Rimuru Tempest. It still feels unreal."
"You'll get used to it," Tamura replied. "The world already has."
Veldora chuckled. "Indeed. And now that formalities are complete, shall we proceed to the more entertaining part?"
Rimuru tilted—his version of a nod. "You mean… getting you out of here?"
"Correct," Veldora said. "Though 'out' may be optimistic."
Tamura drifted closer, observing the seal again. Just as before, Rimuru's solution followed the original timeline: not destruction, not force, but containment and relocation.
"I'll store you inside me," Rimuru said carefully. "That way, you won't be bored anymore, and I can analyze the seal over time."
Veldora laughed loudly. "To think a slime would say such things to me! Very well. I accept."
The contract formed smoothly. Magic surged, but unlike the naming, this power was controlled, cooperative. Veldora's massive presence compressed, folded, and vanished—absorbed cleanly into Rimuru's body.
The cave felt… emptier.
Rimuru paused. "He's really inside me."
"You'll hear him soon enough," Tamura said. "He doesn't stay quiet."
As if on cue, Veldora's voice echoed cheerfully inside Rimuru's mind.
So cozy! Hahaha!
Rimuru sighed. "I already regret this."
With Veldora secured, there was no longer any reason to remain. Rimuru turned his attention forward—toward the winding tunnels that led out of the cave.
"Alright," he said, determination settling in. "Let's get moving."
Tamura followed without comment.
The monsters of the cave did not welcome them.
As Rimuru advanced, predators emerged from the darkness: direwolves, giant serpents, armored insects, and creatures twisted by dense magicules. The cave had always been a proving ground, and today was no exception.
Rimuru took the lead.
Predator activated again and again, absorbing monsters whole, analyzing their bodies, skills, and resistances. Each battle sharpened him further. His movements grew more confident. His responses faster.
Tamura watched.
When a pack of direwolves lunged, Rimuru intercepted, devouring the leader and scattering the rest. When armored beetles charged, Rimuru dissolved their defenses methodically.
Tamura intervened only once—when a cave serpent attempted to ambush Rimuru from behind.
There was no flash of light. No dramatic movement.
The serpent simply stopped existing.
Rimuru noticed the absence and turned slowly. "Did you… do something?"
"Yes," Tamura answered. "It was inefficient to let it continue."
Rimuru did not ask how.
To Rimuru, Tamura was still Tamura-kun—his quiet kohai from the office, oddly calm even in life-or-death situations. But the monsters of the cave reacted differently.
They sensed Noctis Vale.
Creatures hesitated when Tamura drifted past. Some fled outright. Others froze, instincts screaming warnings they did not understand.
At one point, Tamura's system chimed again—soft, almost polite.
[Status Update – Noctis Vale]
Species: Slime (Unclassified Variant)
Magicule Capacity: Stable (Self-Optimizing)
Skills:
Unique Skill: Observer Beyond Fate
Extra Skill: Perfect Energy Efficiency
Combat Capability: Not Displayed
Threat Level: Undefined
Tamura dismissed the window.
"Hey, Tamura-kun," Rimuru called after absorbing another monster. "I just got a bunch of skills. Like, a lot."
"That's normal," Tamura said. "This cave is basically a tutorial dungeon for you."
"A what?"
"Never mind."
As they progressed, Rimuru gained resistances—poison, paralysis, heat, cold. He acquired movement techniques, sensory enhancements, and combat optimizations. Each absorption pushed him closer to the Rimuru Tamura remembered.
Veldora, meanwhile, offered commentary from within Rimuru.
That one was a good catch! Oh, and that monster has a useful trait—don't forget to analyze it properly!
Rimuru groaned. "Please stop backseating."
Tamura found the exchange mildly entertaining.
Eventually, light appeared ahead.
Natural light.
The exit.
Rimuru slowed, staring at it. "So… this is it."
"The beginning," Tamura corrected.
As they emerged from the cave, fresh air washed over them. Grass stretched outward, vibrant and alive. The sky was wide, blue, endless.
Rimuru was silent for a long moment.
"We really made it," he said softly.
Tamura drifted beside him, watching the horizon. Somewhere out there were goblins, wolves, kingdoms, Demon Lords, and wars that would reshape history.
And he intended to deal with as few of them as possible.
Another quiet chime echoed within him.
Tomorrow would bring another sign-in.
Another reward.
Another variable the world had not asked for.
Tamura—or rather, Noctis Vale—looked at the open world and made a simple decision.
He would let the story move forward.
Until it gave him a reason not to.