Chapter 25: Out of the Shadows, Into the Sh*t
It had been several minutes since Rimuru had absorbed Veldora.
"So… what do we do now?" Drake asked, crossing his arms.
"Hmm… Let's get out of this cave. Without Veldora's chatter, it's kinda depressing in here," Rimuru replied, his usual energy slightly dulled by the emptiness that now filled the cavern.
The two began wandering through the sprawling underground labyrinth, searching for an exit. Along the way, they encountered various monsters, but none posed any real threat. Rimuru happily devoured them with Predator, gaining an array of strange and useful abilities.
"Hahaha! You're having way too much fun using that annoying bug's powers!" Drake laughed as he watched Rimuru swinging from the ceiling using what looked suspiciously like webs.
"What can I say? I just had to try it. For the record—Spider-Man was one of my favorite heroes," Rimuru said, landing next to Drake with a grin.
Eventually, they reached an enormous steel door. It towered above them, cold and unyielding.
"How the hell are we supposed to open this?" Drake muttered, pressing his hands against the metal and trying to shove it open.
"I got nothin'," Rimuru admitted, staring at the structure.
SCREEEEECCHHHH!
A thunderous sound echoed through the cavern as the doors began to creak open on their own. Both Drake and Rimuru ducked behind a massive boulder, their senses sharp.
Through the now open gateway, three figures stepped cautiously into the cave.
"Brr… This place gives me the creeps. Why does the Guild Master always assign us these weird quests?" said a blonde man, visibly shivering.
"Oh, shut it. You were the one who begged him for something more exciting than boring monster-hunting missions," snapped a stunning woman, her face contorted into a scowl.
The third, bulkier man said nothing—he simply sighed and walked ahead.
"Hey, wait for us!" the other two called out, running after him.
As they passed the boulder, Drake grabbed Rimuru and bolted in the opposite direction, dashing through the forest until the cave was far behind them. They finally stopped in a clearing where sunlight pierced the canopy.
Drake looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. Then he let out a mighty roar.
"I'm finally outside! Hahahahaha!"
Rimuru floated beside him, a large question mark forming on his body. "You sure are happy to be outside, huh, brother?"
Drake smirked. "Let's see… Locked in a prison cell for six months, waiting for my execution, only to be reincarnated into a monster-filled dungeon? Yeah—I'd say this feels damn good."
He turned and raised his voice. "Everyone, come out!"
Six beams of light flared around him. Pidgeot, Staraptor, Infernape, Garchomp, Greninja, and Gardevoir materialized, surrounding him like guardians. The two birds took to the skies immediately, wings slicing through the air with joy.
Gardevoir, however, walked straight up to Drake and hugged him tightly, her face puffed into a pout.
Drake chuckled and patted her head. "I know, I know. I'm sorry for keeping you all locked away for so long. We were stuck in that cave, but we're free now."
Rimuru was watching the reunion when he felt two light pokes. POINK. POINK.
He turned—or rather, twisted—to find both Greninja and Infernape poking his slimy body with curiosity.
"Hahaha! Guys, stop that!" Drake said, laughing. "This is Rimuru—my younger brother. Treat him nicely, alright?"
Greninja and Infernape nodded seriously before resuming their poking, though now it seemed more like a game than inspection.
Meanwhile, Garchomp had already claimed a patch of grass and was lounging in the sun when Pidgeot swooped down, calling urgently.
"Pidgeot!" it cried, pointing with a wing.
"What's up, buddy?" Drake asked, eyes narrowing as he followed the direction. In the sky, Staraptor was circling an area in tight loops.
Something was down there.
The group quickly moved toward Staraptor's position. As they approached, Drake saw five trembling, green-skinned figures huddled beneath the tree canopy.
When he recognized them, his eyes twitched.
"Ugh. Not again… Seriously, curse my damn luck. Why does it always have to be goblins?!"