The final experiment of the day involved using Flame Transform alongside Ranged Barrier. The results were…fascinating.
Damn right it’s A rank. At least.
A Flame Transform inside a Flare Circle barrier would expose anything organic inside the barrier to several thousand degrees of heat, scorching them instantly. Being confined to a restricted space did wonders for the attack’s strength. It cooked the very air itself, robbing it of all oxygen and searing the lungs of its victims before they knew what had happened. Any creature who breathed air would face little chance of survival.
I didn’t have to worry about breathing, of course, and my Resist Temperature tolerance would take care of me anyway. For anyone else, though, it was a death sentence. In a way, it was a relief. Without a body that just happened to be so adaptable to Ifrit’s attacks, my chances of victory would have been pretty slim.
Still, this was another overpowered skill, and I’d need to deliberate over it a bit more. Shizu had a Cancel Flame Attack tolerance, perhaps a side effect of merging with Ifrit. This kept her safe from fire strikes or extremely hot environments—a bit like my Resist Temperature, except without the cold protection, although it offered even more insulation against heat. Cancel must have been a higher level than Resist in this hierarchy, and considering Resist Temperature was already an upgraded tolerance, Cancel Flame Attack must’ve provided a fantastic amount of protection.
✦ ✦ ✦
So all and all, the experiments bore a lot more fruit than expected. Nothing I could’ve learned inside my own tent; I would’ve torched the village immediately.
Happy with the results, I returned to the village. I didn’t need sleep, but replenishing my magicule stores was vital, and rest was the best way to do that. I’d had enough of being forced into sleep mode, and it was never a good idea to overdo things anyway. No need to panic. I had all the time in the world.
✦ ✦ ✦
The next day, I stopped by Garm’s cabin for a fitting session. They were still stitching up my outfit, but Haruna had some mass-manufactured armor and clothing for me to try on.
“Oh my! It looks quite good indeed, my lord.”
It felt like she was playing dress-up with me somewhat, like a child and her doll, but Haruna and her coworkers seemed to love it, so I let it slide. We found an outfit in their equipment that fit perfectly, so I went with that for the time being. It was basically the same as the rest of the hobgoblins’ wear, but it felt surprisingly comfy. Garm must have been pretty good with his hands, after all.
“Hmm,” I said, “not bad. Easy to move in, and it looks sturdy enough.”
“Ha-ha-ha! Glad to hear it, boss. Just you wait until your own custom outfit’s all wrapped up!”
I was starting to look forward to it. I had given him the skin from the boss direwolf I dispatched a while ago, so in terms of fashion and function, it ought to be first-rate.
✦ ✦ ✦
I stepped out of Garm’s workshop with great anticipation, still in child form since there was no reason to abandon my new outfit just yet. I was expecting a few arched eyebrows, but everyone passing by immediately smiled and opened the road to me. They must have recognized me all the same, which I was pondering when I ran into Rigurd out surveying the scene.
“Hey, Rigurd. Things going well?”
“Ah, Sir Rimuru!” He beamed back at me, instantly making out who I was. “Things could hardly be going better, and we all have you to thank for it!”
“So you can tell who I am? I’m not in slime form.”
“Ha-ha-ha! Of course, my lord! The elegance you project from every pore of your body is unmistakable!”
So now I was just projecting how awesome I was, whether I intended to or not. Not an aura, but just…sheer class? Perhaps my naming them all had something to do with it, but regardless of the reason, I didn’t care as long as people knew who I was.
With that concern out of the way, I decided to stage another experimental session down at the cave, telling Rigurd not to bother me unless it was an emergency. I was working with some rather potent offense again that day, and I didn’t want to put anyone in danger.
“Yes, my lord! By the way, I imagine you have no need for food today?”
The question made me give Rigurd a thoughtful look. Oh! Of course! Why did I forget about that? I’ve got this lovely new human body, and I haven’t even tried eating anything yet!
“Actually, hold on. I think I’m going to eat with you guys starting today.”
“Y-you will, my lord?!” Another beaming smile—which always looked a bit threatening from hobgoblins, but it wasn’t their fault. “Well, we must hold a feast today to celebrate the occasion! I will instruct Lilina to prepare a sumptuous spread for us all!”
I was just as happy as he was. I didn’t feel hungry, no, but it would technically be the first solid food I’d had in ages. It was exciting.
✦ ✦ ✦
A distance away from the village, I stumbled upon Rigur and Gobta.
“Hey,” I said. “I guess there’s a party at the village today, so try to hunt down something tasty for Lilina, would you? I’m capable of eating food now, so let’s make this an evening to remember!”
“Ah, Sir Rimuru!” Rigur exclaimed. “Is that so? Well then, I will provide the most succulent cowdeer I can!”
Cowdeer? Cow…deer? The name made it easy to imagine the sort of animal he was talking about. People around here seemed to dig it. I was starting to seriously look forward to this.
“By the way, Sir Rimuru, to what do we owe the occasion of your new appearance?”
“Heh-heh-heh! How kind of you to notice, Gobta! Life as a slime is pretty easy for me, but going around as a human ain’t too shabby, either. It offers a lot more command over the five senses than I enjoyed as a slime, for one. Taste, in particular. That, and this form makes it easier for me to interact with you guys.”
I had already reproduced all my old senses pretty well except for taste in slime form, but being a human still felt more…natural, somehow. Although being a slime was second nature at this point.
“Oh, I see!” Gobta shouted. “I would like to interact with you, too, Sir Rimuru, but I do prefer more curves, sir!”
“That’s not what I meant by ‘interacting,’ you idiot!”
I rewarded his observation with a reverse roundhouse kick. My body moved exactly as I instructed it, which meant my right foot struck home in the pit of his stomach. The pain caused him to pass out, and really, I couldn’t think of any better medicine for such a fool.
“My apologies, Sir Rimuru. I ensure you I will instill some discipline in Gobta later.”
“Sure. I’m not that offended. But thanks in advance for the meat.”
“But of course! We’ve had a number of herds migrating from deeper within the forest, so the pickings are quite good. We won’t let you down!”
“Oh? Something up in the forest?”
“Indeed, we occasionally see large-scale migrations of magical beasts, due to changes in habitat or other factors. I doubt it is anything serious, but we are stepping up our patrols.”
That struck me as odd. He was probably right—it’d be nothing—but you always need to stay a step ahead on these things. So I summoned Ranga and assigned him to sentry duty with Rigurd and his team. Nothing he couldn’t handle, I was sure.
In a moment, Ranga stepped out from my shadow. I was capable of summoning him now—my pride forbade me from being unable to do something Gobta could handle with such ease. I had been practicing on the sly for a while.
“You called, Sir Rimuru?”
“I did. I want you to join Rigurd’s team in the forest. I doubt you’ll see anything, but if you do, keep the team safe.”
“Yes, my lord. I will make it so.” His face was meek and docile, but his tail was wagging like mad, as if nothing pleased him more than being bossed around. He was back to normal size now—which still meant he was six and a half feet tall, or thereabouts—so the wagging didn’t kick up any gale-force winds, at least. I was glad to see he was listening to my training.
“Keep a close eye out, Ranga. And if you see anything, Rigur, let me know.”
“Ha-ha-ha! There is hardly a thing to worry about, Sir Rimuru. I hope you have a hearty appetite worked up!”
He was right. Maybe I was overthinking it. Ranga was at least a B-plus in terms of strength—maybe even an A-minus by now. His class was on the upper end of what you saw in the Forest of Jura. He’d be fine. The thought of all that roasted fantasy-monster meat in my mouth was making my brain catastrophize over nothing.
“I’ll be sure I do. I’ll be in the cave, so let me know if something comes up.”
Then I nodded at Rigur and left.