The gentle light of twilight bathed Nyvaris in a warm, golden hue. The city pulsed with quiet grace, its towers glowing faintly like stars as the divine barrier shimmered protectively around it. This day, unlike the ones before, carried a sense of tranquil familiarity—a reunion long awaited.
At the southern gate, the protective aura of Nyvaris pulsed once—then parted.
Only a select few could pass.
One of them now walked forward with heavy steps and a quiet heart.
King Gazel Dwargo.
Ruler of Dwargon. Friend to the Divine. Warrior forged in battle and bound by loyalty.
He entered the city without resistance—the only ruler beyond Elmesia granted such access by Varvatos himself. Guards gave respectful bows, but Gazel simply offered a nod and moved on, following a path that led to the heart of the city.
To where Varvatos awaited.
Inside the great hall of the central tower, the atmosphere was relaxed, intimate.
Velzard sat beside Elmesia on a plush crescent-shaped couch, a playful smirk touching her lips. Elmesia gently swirled a glass of nectar, her long hair catching the fading light as the two shared quiet conversation.
They had already sensed Gazel's arrival. And they knew why he had come.
Only he remained in the dark.
The tall doors opened as Shuna gracefully led Gazel inside, her expression calm and composed. "Please, this way, Your Majesty. Lord Varvatos is expecting you."
The moment Gazel stepped into the chamber, his gaze locked onto Varvatos—standing near a crystal-framed window, bathed in amber light.
And in that instant… he felt it.
Power. Presence. Change.
Varvatos didn't need to speak to command attention. His entire form radiated quiet divinity. The same face, the same stature—but with a new stillness behind the eyes. Gazel felt it deep in his bones.
"You look different," he muttered, folding his arms.
"I feel different," Varvatos replied with a chuckle, walking forward.
The two men met and clasped arms.
"It's been too long," Gazel said.
"Far too long."
Velzard and Elmesia rose, offering soft smiles. Neither seemed surprised. Of course—they already knew. Varvatos had confided in them before his departure. The three of them had shared tearful farewells and whispered promises beneath the stars of Nyvaris.
But Gazel had not known.
And now, it was time.
They settled in the luxurious lounge. Shuna returned shortly after with refreshments: a fragrant blend of celestial tea, honey-sweetened pastries, and silver dishes of crystallized fruit. She poured with quiet efficiency, then stepped back, leaving the four of them alone.
Gazel took a sip, his eyes never leaving Varvatos. "So? I imagine you're about to explain everything."
Varvatos set down his cup gently and nodded.
"I went to the Realm of the Gods," he said calmly.
Gazel blinked. "The what?"
"A dimension beyond this universe. One not bound by time, space, or the rules of our world. There, I was summoned—to undergo trials meant only for those on the brink of transcendence."
Velzard and Elmesia didn't interrupt. They simply listened again, even though they already knew this truth—having lived with the weight of that knowledge in silence.
Varvatos continued, "The trials tested everything—my will, my purpose, my existence itself. Time moved differently. What felt like months to me… were years to you."
Gazel leaned forward. "And now?"
"Now, I return with a title I never asked for, but one I had to accept," Varvatos said. "I am now the God of this universe. Its keeper, its balance. I hold the keys to its very fabric."
Silence fell over the room.
Even Gazel, who had witnessed countless miracles and battles, sat back with a stunned expression. "You… a god…"
"I still am who I was," Varvatos added gently. "That hasn't changed. Not with you. Not with anyone."
Elmesia reached across the table and placed a hand over his.
Velzard leaned slightly closer to his side.
Gazel glanced at the two women, then exhaled deeply. "Well, I'll be damned. While the rest of us fought skirmishes and signed treaties, you ascended to godhood."
Varvatos smiled. "I didn't want to leave. But I had to."
Elsewhere, deeper within the labyrinth of stone and water, a single slime bounced slowly along a dim corridor. His blue gelatinous body rippled with quiet exhaustion. Since his strange reincarnation, he had been wandering the cave with no clear path, absorbing smaller monsters and learning through trial and error.
His only companion—Great Sage—had been his guide and teacher, helping him grasp his strange new existence.
But lately… he had begun to lose hope.
"I don't even know if I'm getting anywhere," the slime said aloud, his voice echoing faintly off the walls. "Is this cave endless?"
<
In the cave, Veldora, the Storm Dragon—sealed by heroes of ages past—had chosen to return. Not for confinement, but for training. This was where he had once been trapped for centuries, and now he turned it into a forge for his power.
His draconic form moved slowly through the hollow, majestic and immense, the sound of his claws scraping the ground echoing like thunder in slumber. With each breath he took, magic thickened. He was testing new techniques, refining the control of his aura, suppressing then releasing it in massive shockwaves.
"Hmph. Not bad. But it's still not sharp enough," Veldora muttered, his deep voice rumbling like distant earthquakes. "I'll never catch up to Varvatos if I don't push harder…"
He flared his energy again, and a sudden pulse of draconic aura burst through the cave like a shockwave.
The stone trembled with an echoing heartbeat of power as the slime cautiously inched forward. The overwhelming energy he'd sensed earlier was still radiating through the air, thick and tangible like mist. Every ripple of it felt like it could crush his fragile form with a mere pulse.
<
The slime ignored the warning for once, bouncing slowly into the open chamber. His form quivered—not just from fear, but confusion. "Hey… you. Yes, you. The one sneaking around."The voice had called out to him, yet he could still see nothing. Everything remained pitch black.
"H-Hello?" he called, trembling. "I'm here now… whoever you are…"
Suddenly, he heard footsteps.
Slow. Measured. Heavy, but not menacing.
"So you really are blind…" came the familiar deep voice. "I see. That explains the way you've been moving."
The slime twitched. "Wait—are you the one who called me? I can't see you…"
The voice chuckled, this time amused.
"Interesting. Then allow me to help you. Watching you bump into walls is already getting sad."
There was a soft whoosh, like air being displaced. Then the voice spoke again, but this time it was closer—far closer, almost next to him.
"Let me teach you how to see."
"H-Huh? How can you do that?"
"Focus on the magicules around you. They're everywhere. Don't use your nonexistent eyes—feel with your mind."
The slime paused. He concentrated. He focused, drawing on that faint glow within his core, reaching out into the dense, magic-rich cave around him.
<
Suddenly, the world exploded with colorless shapes. The outlines of the chamber shimmered in shades of blue, like sonar revealing depth and structure. And standing in front of him—
"A tall man…?"
The slime looked up—really up. A towering figure stood there, his arms crossed proudly. Long golden hair flowed down his back, and his exposed chest glistened with magic energy. His face was sharp, confident—and wearing an almost childishly smug grin.
The man struck a ridiculous pose, flexing.
"Behold! My unmatched form!"
"...Are you seriously posing?" the slime asked, deadpan.
"Of course! I am Veldora! The Storm Dragon!" he declared, fists on his hips like a comic book hero. "And you are now in the presence of greatness!"
"Wait. Dragon?" the slime tilted his head—or rather his body. "But you look… human."
"Ah, yes! I'm simply using a human form right now. It's more practical in tight spaces, and I've gotten used to it since getting unsealed."
"Unsealed…?"
"A long story. Doesn't matter now."
Then he smirked.
"Here, let me show you."
Suddenly, light burst around the man—no, the dragon—as his human form melted away in a vortex of wind and light. The chamber trembled.
What emerged from the storm was a colossal beast of myth.
Wings of lightning. Scales of black steel. Glowing golden eyes that pierced through magic perception like a sun burning away fog.
The slime instinctively jumped back. "WH-WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Gahahahaha! Impressed? Terrified?" the dragon roared with laughter. "I am the mighty Veldora! One of the Four True Dragons, bringer of storms and guardian of chaos!"
The slime just stared—his mind almost shutting down in awe.
"…You're HUGE."
The dragon grinned, clearly enjoying himself. Then, with a flash, he shrank again, returning to his humanoid form.
"Much better. Talking in that form always makes people scream or faint."
The slime, still shaken, barely responded. "That… was intense…"
Veldora sat down on a smooth boulder, crossing his arms with a satisfied smirk.
"Now then. You said earlier you couldn't see, but you can now. Good. Who are you and where did you come from?"
"Well…" the slime hesitated, then finally said, "I… I died in another world. And somehow, I woke up here—in this body. I've been wandering this cave for over a month now. I can't find a way out… I thought I'd be stuck here forever."
Veldora raised an eyebrow. "So you were reincarnated, huh? Like him..."
"Him?" the slime asked quickly. "Who's him?"
Veldora waved it off. "Ah, don't worry about it." He smiled then, broader than before. "But today's your lucky day. Because I, Veldora, will show you the way out!"
The slime paused. "Wait… really?"
"Of course!" Veldora declared. "But first… you should be nameless, yes?"
"I have a name, but… I can't remember it clearly. It just slips away when I try to say it."
Veldora nodded with a solemn look for once.
"That's how it is for monsters. Without a name, you exist as nothing but a being of instinct and power. But gaining a name… it reshapes your soul."
The slime tilted. "That sounds deep."
"It is." Veldora leaned forward. "But here's the catch. Naming a monster isn't easy. The one giving the name must be powerful enough to survive the cost."
"Cost…?"
"The more powerful the monster, the more energy it takes to name them. Some die from the strain. It's a dangerous gift."
The slime stayed quiet, shocked.
Who would've thought that a name could hold such power?
"But don't worry," Veldora said, rising again. "I like you. And I've never seen an intelligent slime before. So…"
He tapped his chin thoughtfully, muttering to himself.
"Hmm… something smooth… something with style…"
His eyes gleamed.
"I got it." He looked down at the slime with a grin.
"Your name shall be… Rimuru."
The slime blinked. "Rimuru…?"
"Yes!" Veldora announced proudly. "You are now Rimuru the slime. A name given by the Storm Dragon himself. Rejoice!"
The slime—now Rimuru—felt something stir within his core. A surge of power. A burst of light.
<
He felt… different. Stronger. More real.
And for the first time in over a month, he no longer felt alone.
As the magicules settled from the naming ceremony, Rimuru felt a deep warmth pulsing in his core. It wasn't just power—it was belonging. For the first time since arriving in this strange world, he had a name… an identity.
Veldora crossed his arms and looked down at him, now with a thoughtful expression instead of his usual grin.
"Now then, Rimuru…" he said, his tone oddly serious. "There's still one thing left."
"Huh? One thing?"
"Yes. If you're going to be named by me, and we're going to be… allies—no, friends—then we should go all the way."
Rimuru tilted curiously. "Go all the way?"
Veldora nodded. "We need a family name."
"Family name?" Rimuru echoed, surprised. "You mean like… a surname?"
"Exactly! It'll represent us both! A name to carry together, as comrades bound by fate!"
Veldora raised a clenched fist toward the ceiling of the cave with dramatic flair. "A name that shall echo throughout the world when they speak of our legend!"
Rimuru just blinked. "…You're really into this, huh?"
"Of course!" Veldora pointed at him. "Now, go on. Come up with something grand, something cool. You're the creative one."
"Me? That's a lot of pressure all of a sudden…"
Rimuru paused, floating in place, thinking deeply. He thought of the cave, the storms that always seemed to stir when Veldora moved. He thought of the winds that whispered through the corridors, the sense of untamed power and freedom…
Then it clicked.
"…Tempest," Rimuru said softly.
Veldora raised a brow. "Hm?"
Rimuru looked up. "What about Tempest? It sounds cool. Like a storm that can't be stopped."
Veldora's eyes lit up. "…Veldora Tempest…" he repeated, savoring the name.
Then he pointed at Rimuru. "And you, Rimuru Tempest!"
A silence followed.
Then—
"GAAHAHAHAHA!"
"GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"
Veldora broke into his signature three-stage laugh, his voice booming through the chamber and shaking the very stone. The wind danced around them, reacting to his joy.
"Perfect! A name worthy of legends! From this day forth, we are the Tempest family!"
Rimuru chuckled softly. "Yeah… I like that."
Veldora turned, the storm dragon's human form once again brimming with confidence. "Now then, Rimuru Tempest, follow me."
"Eh?"
"It's time I showed you the way out. You've wandered this cave long enough."
Rimuru blinked. "Seriously?! There's a way out?"
"Of course there is!" Veldora waved for him to follow. "Did you really think this cave had no exit? You were just walking in circles."
Rimuru puffed—well, wobbled—up in protest. "I was blind, remember?"
"All the more reason to rely on me, your brilliant new friend!" Veldora declared.
And so, with a new name and a newfound bond, Rimuru followed Veldora Tempest—the mighty Storm Dragon—deeper into the cavern, toward the path that would lead him to the world beyond.
Little did they know… the legend of Tempest had only just begun.