The Alpha prowled forward, fog parting like curtains before a storm. Every step it took made the ground tremble.
Kael stood frozen, spear in hand, breath caught halfway in his chest. Rimuru pulsed on his shoulder, glow intensifying with each passing second.
“Great Sage,” he muttered, “any bright ideas?”
“Option 1: Evade. Option 2: Die.”
Kael gritted his teeth. “Super helpful. Really.”
The Alpha moved. Not fast. Not reckless. Controlled. Like it had time to kill.
Kael took a step back. Rimuru launched first, a blur of glowing blue slime aimed straight at the Alpha’s head.
It missed.
The Alpha twisted mid-step and swatted Rimuru aside with one massive claw. The slime slammed into a tree trunk with a wet splat, then wobbled back upright, dazed but still intact.
Kael charged.
The Alpha met him halfway.
Their clash was brief. Kael’s spear struck true—but barely pierced the Alpha’s hide. The beast retaliated with a shoulder slam that sent Kael flying into a mossy boulder.
Everything rang.
“Rib fracture. Internal bruising. Recommended action: retreat.”
“Not… helpful…”
The Alpha lunged again—
And was intercepted.
Zelga crashed into the beast with a thunderous roar, her log-sized club smashing into its side. The impact cracked the air. The Alpha snarled and lashed out. Its claws raked her arm, tearing flesh—but she didn’t fall.
She roared back.
Kael struggled to his feet, stunned. “That’s not just muscle. That’s heart.”
“Subject Zelga: skill ‘Stubborn Will’ confirmed. Passive ability sustaining combat effectiveness despite critical injury.”
“Remind me to never fight her.”
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The Plan
“Great Sage! Please tell me you’ve got a strategy.”
“Affirmative. Suggest luring the Alpha toward the western trench. Nana has prepared a mana-thread trap beneath the surface. Probability of success: 41%.”
“That’s better than dying.”
Kael whistled sharply. Gobrin and Nana turned toward him.
“West trench! Get the trap ready!”
Kael took off running, limping through pain. Rimuru rejoined him mid-sprint, wobbling beside him like a glowing comet.
The Alpha gave chase.
It wasn’t just fast. It was fluid. Each bound brought it closer, silent and horrifying.
The Final Strike
They reached the trench. Kael skidded to a stop at the edge.
“Now, Nana!”
She triggered the thread. A shimmer lit the fog—and the ground exploded. Mana-thread mines flared, tangling the Alpha’s legs and disrupting its balance just enough.
“Rimuru! Predator!”
The slime launched. Mid-air, it morphed into a sphere of glowing energy, slammed into the Alpha’s chest, and pulsed.
For the first time, the Alpha screamed.
Its body buckled. A spiral of blue light surged as Rimuru consumed a massive chunk of the Alpha’s core. The beast staggered back—then collapsed.
Dead.
Silence.
The other Nyavari melted into the fog and vanished.
Kael dropped to one knee, gasping. Rimuru slowly floated down to rest against his leg, body flickering faintly.
Then—
“Unique event detected. Rimuru has absorbed multiple high-grade traits from Alpha Nyavari. Skills acquired: Shadowstep, Adaptive Vision, Wildborn Reflexes.”
Kael blinked. “Wait. Shadowstep?”
“Affirmative. Furthermore, new function unlocked. As master of the familiar Rimuru, you may request skill transfer.”
Kael’s breath caught. “You mean… you can copy Rimuru’s skills and give them to me?”
“Confirmed. Predatory Sync Protocol enabled. Shall I transfer Shadowstep to your skill set?”
Kael grinned, exhausted and exhilarated. “Do it.”
A warm pulse spread through his chest. His body trembled as mana shifted inside him.
“Skill: Shadowstep acquired.”
Rimuru bounced tiredly, then flopped into Kael’s lap like a deflated jelly blanket.
Aftermath
Goblins emerged from hiding. Wounded were carried. Fires relit.
Bokku stood before Kael as the village rallied behind him.
“You did more than fight. You saved us.”
Kael leaned back, Rimuru sprawled across his stomach.
“Call it luck. Or call it me being too stubborn to die.”
Zelga walked past, her injured arm wrapped, her club slung over one shoulder. She nodded once at Kael. A real one.
Kael grinned back. “Nice hit, by the way.”
The goblin village, still battered, felt a little less afraid.
A Kingdom’s Start
Later that night, goblins gathered around a roaring fire. Nana stood beside Kael, handing him a fresh bandage and a lopsided healing potion she brewed herself.
“It might taste like dirt,” she warned.
Kael downed it anyway. “Yep. Dirt. With hints of wet sock.”
She smirked. “Then it’s working.”
Gobrin pulled a stool next to him and shoved a bowl of roasted root stew into Kael’s hands. “You eat. You fought good. You’re family now.”
Even Bokku gave him a new title: Defender of Emberleaf.
Children peeked out from tents and scampered over to poke at Rimuru, who glowed faintly like a nightlight. The slime tolerated it with noble resignation.
Kael watched them all—Nana taking notes by firelight, Zelga sharpening her club, Gobrin dancing with two left feet.
He exhaled slowly.
“Great Sage…”
“Yes, Kael?”
“This kingdom I keep joking about…”
“It is no longer a joke.”
Kael smiled.
“Yeah. I guess not.”