Today is a beautiful day. The weather is sweet and calming. A soft breeze blows gently, carrying the sweet aroma of the beautiful flowerbeds nearby. The melodious birds singing to their heart's content, sitting on the branches of the tree above me as if singing in an orchestra. The beautiful Dal Lake spread miles across in front of me, swarmed by duck-like monsters of various species and tourists from all over Tempest, quietly enjoying a pleasing boat ride.
As I was sitting there, relaxing under a tree, I noticed a bunch of kids gleefully running around. As soon as they caught sight of me, they waved their hands in the air, trying to get my attention. I simply smiled and waved back, and the kids happily resumed their game once again.
It sure is peaceful.
<Yes master. It sure is. But you don't have much time to be lying around like this. The Festival is just in seven days and you are going to get really busy soon receiving all the guests and doing other formalities.>
Speaking of which, when is the next group coming?
<Let's see. Next up on the schedule is... Oh, It's Leon, Chloe and a guest they are bringing.>
So it's finally time.
I said with a smirk.
<Yes master. You should get ready to 'receive' the guests properly>
It's been quite a few years since Chloe went to Leon's place.
<Yes master. She had never been there for this long before.>
That's right. If I remember correctly the reason she told me about that was...
<It had something to do with the otherworlder who spawned in El Dorado recently. Seems like it is someone who both Leon and Chloe know from their previous life, so they are bringing them here as a guest.>
Ah right. She did say something along those lines. And if I remember correctly, they are going to bring her along to meet me.
<Master, it seems as if they have arrived.>
*
Chloe rushed towards me, shouting, "Rimuru!" and hugged me.
"So how was your time away, Chloe?" I asked, hugging her back. "Did you have fun?"
"It was amazing! First off we..."
And so, Chloe began recounting everything she was up to in the last few years until she got interrupted with a polite cough.
"Ahem."
"Ah sorry, I got carried away. Rimuru, this is Linda. She used to attend the same school as us and was one year ahead of Leon" Chloe introduced.
"So this is- Hello, Linda. Nice to meet you" I greeted her.
Linda responded politely, saying, "Hello there. As Chloe-chan just said, I am an otherworlder acquainted with both her and Leon. To be honest, even after so many years of me staying in this world, I am still having trouble adjusting to it"
"That's understandable, especially since this world has reached a new level of weirdness in the last few millennia" I commented, to which chiming in, Chloe said "All thanks to a certain slime and his wonderful ideas."
Seeing this, Linda said teasingly, "Heh you two are really close, aren't you?"
Startled by the sudden remark, Chloe retorted at once, "W-whatever do you mean! As I told you Rimuru is friendly with everyone, not just me."
That was actually cute.
Noticing something amiss, I asked, "By the way where is Leon? Wasn't he supposed to come with you?"
"Oh, he already went to the guest house as soon as we arrived," explained Chloe. "He said he will meet you later."
"Typical Leon huh? Still hasn't changed much at all even after all these millennia" I sighed.
"Yeah, it seems so. By the way Rimuru san, I am pleased to know that you are every bit as happy going and carefree as I had been told. If possible, I would like to have a personal audience with you" said Linda in a polite tone.
Curiously, I asked, "Huh? Is there a particular thing you want to talk to me about?"
"It's not that." Linda clarified "I just wanted to get to know my fellow otherworlders better. That's all"
"Well... Sure I guess, I can spare some time"
*
Filled with shining lights of various colours, the night sky looked amazingly beautiful. The view of the vibrant city all around was mesmerizing. The multitudes of tiny magicrystals floating in the air created a magical atmosphere. A few words in praise of my wonder castle top, a miracle created by the most talented craftsmen of Tempest.
"This world is such a wonderful place. I never imagined such a realm existed beyond our miserable world" said Linda, staring at the beautiful night sky above us.
"That's true," I said, taking a sip of my drink, "It was a big surprise to me as well when I was first reincarnated here. So how are you finding life in El Dorado? Are you close with Leon?"
Walking around taking a good look at the view around us, Linda replied, "My days there have been wonderful. Leon is a good guy but I wouldn't exactly say we are close or anything, although we were pretty good friends back on Earth. You know, Leon has a crush on Chloe anyway right?"
"That's right, but Chloe only sees him as a big brother. However, he has mostly gotten over it and accepted his fate, so it's all fine." I clarified the situation.
"Is that so?" asked Linda in disbelief, "It's actually tough to believe considering the amount of simping he used to do back in the day. But I guess after 7000 years in this world, things can change," she added while taking her seat.
"So, how long has it been since you came to this world? How did you meet Leon for the first time?"
"It was around 10 years ago or so, I believe," Sipping her drink gently, Linda continued, "One day, I found myself mysteriously transported to a small forest in El Dorado. At first, I was very scared and confused, trying to make sense of everything. The new skills I had received were unstable as well, which made it even more difficult for me. I believed everything in this world is out to hurt me and so, I started destroying anything that I came across," said Linda with a heavy voice.
"That must have been a difficult time for you," I sympathized.
"Indeed," said Linda with a smile, "And I hate to brag but, I was actually very strong. So strong, in fact, that Leon had to come personally to subdue me. That's when he recognized me and took me in, after knocking me out, of course" she added with a grin.
Changing the subject a little, I asked, "By the way, how do feel about Chloe?"
There was a moment of silence before Linda spoke again, "She is a great girl. Always ready to help whenever needed and..." her voice trailing off.
"And? Are you feeling alright? Your voice is starting to fall off"
"Ah yes, I am fine. Besides, doesn't this seem more like an interrogation rather than a conversation since I am the only one answering? Tell me something about you as well" said Linda, attempting to change the topic.
Interesting.
"Alright. Let me share an interesting experience with you," I said, piquing her curiosity.
"Of course," said Linda, settling back, "I would love to hear it."
"So, I take it you are familiar with the system of mystery dungeons?"
"Somewhat, I believe," said Linda while thinking, "They are the mysterious dungeons that randomly pop up from time to time at different locations right? I have only heard about them from Leon but haven't actually seen one for myself.."
"That's right," I affirmed, "I came up with the system of mystery dungeons 5000 years ago. Around 3000 years ago, something very bizarre happened in one of them. You see, each dungeon has an ejection system in place that allows challengers to escape if they can't defeat the boss. They can do so by simply pressing the eject button that they are supposed to carry."
"Ah, yes," Linda interjected, filling in the details. "Leon did mention that. Apparently, the eject buttons are made of a material that dungeon creatures ignore, so that the challengers can safely eject without a worry."
"Exactly," I continued, "But 3000 years ago,-"
*Flashback*
Chloe POV-
Uuurgh! Wasn't the boss monster of this dungeon not supposed to fight you? Then why is this thing attacking me!?
I thought as I got flung back by a huge energy wave.
GRRR!!!
A loud, deafening roar seared through the dungeon, burning my ears.
"K-kill y-uou!"
Did I just hear it say-
Boom!
Before I could finish my thought, I was hit by an unknown attack out of nowhere.
It's no use thinking about it now. I need to fight back. I should be able to take care of this quickly and return.
Or so I thought. Little did I know the gravity of the situation. The thing in front of me was far stronger than I had expected, and it was dead set on killing me.
It's... futile. I... cannot defeat it. I need to escape...
With my mind set on escaping, I pulled out the eject button, but as soon as I was about to press it-
ARRRRGGGHHH!!!
The mass of destructive energy waves shook me to the core. Gathering my strength, I tried to push the button again but-
It's no use. This thing won't let me escape. I-
Huuurgh!
From then on, I was in a literal hell. The dragon blocked all my desperate attempts to escape and tormented me mercilessly. I wasn't able to put a scratch on it and watched helplessly as it countered and nullified even my strongest of abilities.
The dungeons were designed in a way to prevent any communication and interference from the outside world, so there was no hope for my survival. The only thing that awaited me was a realm of pain and suffering, and it felt like my end was near.
No... I can't... give up yet... There has to... be a way...
Maybe... if I can...
A glimmer of hope appeared amidst my dark reality as I gathered every last ounce of my strength for a final attempt.
*Flashback end*
"She was not strong enough to be able to deal with such a threat, and the 'Unreal Dragon' prevented her from ejecting no matter how many times she tried. Finally, she somehow managed to contact me, but by the time I broke into the dungeon, she was already on the verge of death" I explained, my voice carrying a hint of anger and sorrow. "As I saw her lifeless form, covered with injuries, floating in space, I felt a surge of anger. For the first time, ever since the war thousands of years ago, I felt such fury," I added.
"That's terrible, but I assume you managed to take care of the dragon in the end?"
"Of course," I replied. "I reduced that dragon to dust, torturing it slowly and painfully, making it pay for every little injury it caused Chloe. But in the end, we were never able to find out the cause of its appearance or origin. That's the most disturbing fact" I added with a serious expression.
"I see. That is indeed a serious cause for concern. I hope you will be able to get to the roots behind this incident soon" said Linda and paused momentarily. "Well then, I suppose I have taken up quite a lot of the supreme being's time," she said, preparing to leave. "It was nice talking with you. Now if I have your permission to take my leave," she added, while getting up.
I just stayed silent as she walked towards the door.
"Why isn't it opening?" asked Linda, looking puzzled as she was unable to open the door no matter how hard she tried.
"There's actually more I want to talk to you about, Linda. It would be best for you to stay here for a while longer," I said as I got up from my seat and started walking towards her.
"What's the meaning of this, Rimuru-san?" she asked as she saw multiple barriers glowing in the sky, covering the entire rooftop.
"You said you appeared in this world 10 years ago right?" I asked, staring into her eyes.
"T-that's right," stammered Linda, trying to avoid my gaze.
"That's a lie, isn't it?" I said boldly, getting silence in reply.
"Let me get straight to the point," I said in a serious tone, "I know you are the 'Unreal Dragon' that appeared 3000 years ago."
"T-that's-"
"Lying won't get you anywhere with me, you know? Unless you want to experience pain far worse than the last time," I said in a threatening voice, "It would be best if you quietly cooperate with me."
Author's note: You may notice slight changes in the writing style and format. Do tell me if you like the new format and the chapter.
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