After Y/N L/N emerged victorious from an heaven-shaking battle with the Dragon Monarch, wielding the powers of the rulers, he made a monumental decision. He drank from the Cup of Reincarnation, turning back time by many years to bring back all the lost souls from the dungeons and reunite with his friends and allies.
However, this selfless act came at a heavy cost. Y/N found himself unable to live peacefully in this restored world with his loved ones thanks to how powerful he had became. Yet, his unwavering determination to protect everyone remained steadfast. He ventured back into the Chaos world, ready to eliminate every monster and Monarch to prevent any further mana leakage into his world and prevent the existence of gates from appearing in the world.
Over the course of 27 years, Y/N faced each Monarch one by one, mastering the new abilities he gained from both him and Ashborn, who had become one with him. Despite the challenges and sacrifices, Y/N's resolve never wavered as he tirelessly fought to safeguard his world and its inhabitants.
Upon having more additional soldiers added to his 10 Million Shadow Soldier Army, Y/N had as well mastered his powers as he raised his hand, a purplish blue aura was forming into a swirling motion as if the fabrics of space was being torn open as soon after, A gate formed.
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Upon talking to one of Emissary of the Rulers stationed on Earth and the discussion of the topics they wished to tell The Shadow Monarch well... there was a very much of a disapprove drawback upon being a thing that was unforeseen by Y/N and any of the Rulers.
"This world, that doesn't even have mana, is way too weak. Which is why, if you're okay with it, we're wondering if you mind moving to another world that's ready to accept your power" He had explained as they sat at a Ice-cream Parlor as per Y/N request to enjoy some Ice-cream.
"Instead of doing something that's such a pain in the ass like moving me to another world, there's also the option of just sealing me completely" Y/N tap the backside of his spoon on the ice-cream bucket as the sunlight that was beaming through the window next to them was causing some of the ice-cream to melt.
"Of course, that's possible too..." Right before he could continue, a deep and cold shiver went down his spine and sweat began to run down his face upon feeling the aura of the annoyed Shadow Monarch.
Y/N body was radiating a purple deep glow with shadow marks began to form around his purple glowing eyes, It was as if time had stop moving and the very being called death had its scythe to your neck, ready to take your soul to the afterlife at any moment of notice.
"Now that I no longer have any use, are you guys getting rid of me?"
"Just because you're afraid of the powers that I possess?"
The Emissary began to wave his hand in a panic, terrified at the thought of angering one of the most powerful beings in existence. He valued his life greatly and had no intention of risking it unnecessarily.
"No! That's not what I meant. Please, take a look at this..." The Emissary showed Y/N a short news article about a fortune-teller who possessed the incredible ability of foresight and could see the potential in anyone.
"So, you're suggesting that my presence has caused this change?" Y/N inquired, finishing off his ice-cream before it melted. The Emissary nodded solemnly. "Yes, Monarch."
Y/N fell silent, contemplating the implications of his continued existence in this world. It seemed that his presence could awaken dormant abilities, potentially leading to chaos. Without the need for gates, monsters, or other jobs for income, humans with abilities might run rampant, disrupting the established food chain.
"...Could we perhaps discuss this further at another time?" Y/N requested, and the Emissary bowed respectfully before taking his leave.
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Y/N knew what he had to do, but he still struggled to fully accept it. A few years passed as he devoted himself to his family and rekindled friendships with old allies. Though the dynamics had shifted since the reset, witnessing the happiness of his loved ones was assurance enough that he had made the right choice.
But what now? What goals did Y/N have, now that he had attained what he desired? His family was reunited, his old allies were alive, and the world was at peace, save for a few human conflicts which were deemed normal.
"Have you made your decision, Shadow Monarch?" One of the rulers asked Y/N, who floated in front of them. The light emanating from their arms and wings was too bright for a normal human to see through.
"..."
"...Yes..."
Y/N was prepared to venture into another world, one that could withstand his powers without adversely affecting this world. The idea of leaving everyone behind stirred a deep reluctance within him... he detested the thought with every fiber of his being. Yet, if departing was the best means to safeguard all he had worked so tirelessly to achieve, he was willing to sacrifice it all for their protection.
"Very well then, I wish you luck in this new world. We are eternally grateful for your actions in protecting this world. Though you may be forgotten here, the impact of your deeds will endure forever" spoke the rulers with a unchanging tone and yet there was a change of gratefulness laced in their voice.
Suddenly, the entire world began to shimmer, suffused in a radiant light that extended to encompass the entire universe. And just like that, Y/N L/N, the Shadow Monarch and Lord of Death, vanished from Earth.
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"Well, this isn't exactly welcoming" remarked Y/N, wearing a blank expression as he found himself in a dark cave with a solitary lake beside him, surrounded by various plant species and large crystals.
As he took a step forward, he focused his gaze on the crystal before him. "It has mana running through the core of this crystal... speaking of mana..." Y/N scanned the cave with narrowed eyes. "The entire cave system is filled with dense Mana."
"𝓐𝓱𝓱𝓱~! 𝓐 𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭! 𝓦𝓮 𝓶𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝔀 𝓽𝓸 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓰𝓮!" echoed a squeaky voice within the Land of Repose, none other than Beru, who was eager to assert dominance on behalf of his Lord. However, another voice interjected with a different perspective.
"𝓝𝓸, 𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓫𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓻 𝓽𝓸 𝓹𝓻𝓸𝓬𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓬𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼𝓵𝔂, 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓷 𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓷𝓮𝔀 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓭𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓮𝓻𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓱𝓲𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓻𝓬𝓱𝔂" advised Igris, advocating for a more prudent approach to ensure their Lord's safety.
Their Liege intervened, "Enough for now. I will gather information before taking any actions" Y/N declared. Beru's initial enthusiasm deflated, quickly changing his tone. "𝓐𝓼 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼, 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓼𝓮 𝓭𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓼𝓲𝓸𝓷, 𝓶𝔂 𝓚𝓲𝓷𝓰! 𝓴𝓮𝓱𝓴𝓮𝓱𝓴𝓮𝓱𝓴𝓮𝓱!" he laughed, while Igris sighed inwardly, content to follow their Liege's lead, knowing that a cautious approach would be the most effective way to navigate this unfamiliar world and its inhabitants.
"..."
"..."
Y/N stared down at some sort of blue blob that seemed to resemble a low level mob monster in RPG games, "A slime?" He stared at the slime before it suddenly spoke, "Yeah, Got any problems with slimes?" The slime spoke as they continue to look at each other before they both came to realize something different.
Y/N sensed immense Mana emanating from the slime before him. It was evident that this creature was not to be underestimated. However, the way the Mana both resided within the slime and leaked out of it suggested either a lack of control over its magic or a predatory nature, typical of slimes in RPG games, consuming creatures that ventured too close.
"Why was there a kid in this cave and how can I even understand him as a slime?!" the slime pondered, clearly perplexed. Y/N observed the creature with a mixture of curiosity and wariness. "A talking slime... Not the strangest thing, but still peculiar," he muttered to himself before crouching down to examine it.
"So, Slime, do you know where exactly we are?" Y/N inquired, maintaining a vigilant stance. He intended to assess the slime further to ascertain whether it posed a threat, prepared to eliminate it if necessary.
"Hey, ah, Sage, can you get a read on this person?" the slime communicated telepathically, seeking guidance. Another voice responded within its mind, "Negative. I am unable to gather any readings from this individual" a feminine voice replied, leaving the slime uneasy.
It sighed inwardly before responding, "I don't know, sorry. But what are you doing here? It's dangerous with monsters around" the slime cautioned.
"𝓓𝓪𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓼? 𝓗𝓐𝓗! 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓲𝓼 𝓬𝓪𝓹𝓪𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝔂 𝓛𝓲𝓮𝓰𝓮!" Beru boasted proudly. Y/N stood up, his expression stoic, seemingly unfazed by the perceived danger, or perhaps unaware that this was no mere playground.
Unbeknownst to the slime, it had also forgotten that it too was a monster. So, a monster warning someone about monsters did indeed sound peculiar if one stopped to think about it.
"Go and scout this cave" Y/N commanded, and in response, hundreds of variant Shadow Soldiers dispersed into the darkness, exploring the tunnels and searching for the cave's exit.
"So, what is your name?" the slime inquired, gazing up at Y/N. "Y/N, nice to meet you" he replied, introducing himself as the slime seemed to nod its... body?
"I am Rimuru Tempest! Nice to meet you, Y/N."
As they walked... or in Rimuru's case, slid together through the cave for hours, they engaged in conversation. Y/N gradually realized that he wasn't the only one from another world, Rimuru, too, hailed from a different realm. Based on the timeline theory, it seemed plausible that Rimuru originated from a separate Earth.
Rimuru had initially portrayed themselves as a jacked, popular figure, but upon further discussion, admitted to being merely a business contractor of sorts, revealing a contradiction in their fake story.
"We're close to the exit" Y/N commented as they passed more crystals, which Rimuru absorbed into themself.
Rimuru turned to Y/N confused as they were walking for a few hours so having the exit nearby would be nice.
A few minutes passed as they stood Infront of a large door, "How are we suppose to open that? Do I just water blade it or what?"
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed as the doors in front of them began to open, revealing a bright light beyond. Three individuals stood on the other side, dressed in attire that appeared far from casual.
"About time this sucker opens. The keyhole is so fricking rusty that it's impossible to use" grumbled a man wearing a red bandana, his tone expressing weariness with the world.
However, neither Y/N nor Rimuru were in their previous positions. Rimuru observed the newcomers attentively while searching for Y/N, who seemed to have vanished.
"Y/N?" Rimuru called out, scanning the area for the boy, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Unbeknownst to Rimuru, at the very moment the doors began to show a glimmer of light, Y/N had executed a shadow exchange, appearing outside the cave amidst a forest of trees surrounding the entrance.
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"Finally, out of the cave. It's the first time I've seen the sun since my last life. I haven't heard anything from Veldora since I consumed him, and I'm worried he might be gone for good. But deep down, I still believe his consciousness is intact" Rimuru reflected aloud as he and Y/N continued their journey through the forest.
"After all, we made a promise. I just have to embark on plenty of adventures to have some exciting stories to share with him when we meet again!" Rimuru continued his monologue while Y/N gazed into the distance.
"𝓜𝔂 𝓛𝓲𝓮𝓰𝓮, 𝓖𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓹 𝓸𝓯 𝓰𝓻𝓮𝓮𝓷 𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 𝓪𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭" Bellion warned, prompting Y/N's eyes to glow purple.
"I haven't been under the sun in ages. The air tastes so sweet... Not that I can taste" Rimuru remarked as they slid along the ground. Suddenly, they heard multiple footsteps approaching.
"Goblins" Y/N deduced. Just by their appearance, these monsters hardly qualified as E-rank threats.
The goblins, clad in rags and wielding worn-out weapons, approached cautiously, led by the one with the red bandana who trembled as much as the rest.
"Dear Veldora, as it turns out, I will have a cool story to tell you, sooner than I thought" Rimuru remarked, observing the seemingly harmless threat ahead, which neither Y/N nor Rimuru perceived as particularly menacing.
"Strong one, please forgive me, but do you perhaps have some business out here in the forest?" the leader of the goblins asked with fear evident in his voice. Y/N noted their trembling and their fixation on Rimuru, sensing the leakage of magic. Despite their fear, Y/N acknowledged their somewhat keen senses, attributed to the density of the Mana that Rimuru emitted.
"Strong one?" Rimuru looked around before turning to Y/N. "Do they mean you?"
Y/N shrugged, then addressed the goblins with an unwavering voice. "Tell us who you are" he demanded, sending shivers down the goblins' spines, prompting them to cower behind their leader. "Ah, we don't have names, sir!" the leader stammered, his back straightened as if he were a soldier. "What reason brought you here?" Y/N inquired further, sensing the goblins' terror and realizing they must have had a compelling motive to venture into such dangerous territory.
"W-We felt some strong monsters, so we came to investigate. W-We also wanted to ask a favor, strong one!" the goblin leader pleaded desperately.
Rimuru glanced up at Y/N, impressed by his composure. "Wow, he's good at this."
As the goblins led Y/N and Rimuru to their small camp, they observed the meager surroundings, poorly made tents, a small cabin likely belonging to the camp leader, and signs of worn-out defenses. Rimuru settled upon a dirt pile covered with a blanket and a dirty rag hanging behind it, while Y/N stood near the corner of the small room.
The elderly goblin began to explain how the increase in monster activity within the forest was due to the disappearance of one of their gods. This absence had led to a surge in monster attacks, and the goblins struggled to defend themselves against the rampaging creatures. Y/N noted the dire state of their defenses and weapons, reminiscent of his days as an E-rank Hunter.
As the goblins requested Rimuru's help, they implicitly expected Y/N to remain in the background. This was due to Y/N's mastery of mana control, rendering him undetectable by the goblins' senses. Y/N excused himself from the tent, causing confusion for Rimuru, who silently pleaded for his return.
"Nooo, come back!" Rimuru begged silently, feeling less adept than Y/N in handling such situations.
Meanwhile, outside the tent, Y/N received a report from Beru, indicating that ants had discovered wolves camping to the northwestern side of the goblin camp. The wolves were allegedly planning to attack the goblins and had mentioned a child with black hair and a blue slime as targets. Y/N nodded in acknowledgment.
"Good work. Warn the wolves to leave the area. If they refuse, eliminate the leader and compel the pack to submit" Y/N instructed calmly, preparing to take action to protect the goblins and Rimuru from the impending threat.
As the evening descended, Rimuru briefed Y/N on the situation, apologizing for inadvertently involving him. Y/N appeared confused but reassured Rimuru, stating calmly, "The wolves are already taken care of" before walking off, with Rimuru hopping beside him.
Rimuru's words halted abruptly when a loud voice echoed through the camp, signaling the arrival of the wolves. Y/N and Rimuru swiftly passed the spiked wooden fence that the goblins had managed to construct with Y/N's assistance during his earlier scouting.
"Why aren't they attacking...?" one of the goblins murmured nervously as the pack of wolves approached, prompting the trembling goblins to prepare for battle.
"Turn back now, and nobody gets hurt. This is your only warning" Rimuru attempted to project bravery and confidence to make the wolves back-off, though fear gripped the slime's core.
Y/N headed to the pack and Ignored Rimuru's plea for him to come back but Y/N continued onwards, "Wait, come back, Y/N!" But Y/N just smiled and waved before halting in front of the wolves, who also stopped, sensing a shift in the atmosphere. The night breeze rustled the trees, and the goblins' tents quivered, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Without uttering a single word, Y/N's eyes glowing purple, he stared coldly at the direwolves, while the goblins and Rimuru looked on in utter confusion. Suddenly, all together, the direwolves crouched down and bowed their heads in submission.
"We yield. Our pack will obey you, our liege!" each direwolf spoke, acknowledging Y/N as their new liege, leaving the goblins and Rimuru bewildered by Y/N's boldness and the wolves' unexpected submission.
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Beru POV
It was about to be night time within this new world they were now residing in as within a open area, there stood Beru, towering over the pack of direwolves, gripping the leader by its broken neck. "𝓚𝓮𝓱𝓴𝓮𝓱𝓴𝓮𝓱, 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓸 𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷. 𝓓𝓸𝓷'𝓽 𝓫𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓴𝓲𝓷. 𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓸𝓫𝓮𝔂 𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓵𝓲𝓮𝓰𝓮 𝓸𝓻 𝓼𝓾𝓯𝓯𝓮𝓻 𝓪 𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂 𝓼𝓵𝓸𝔀 𝓭𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱" Beru's laughter reverberated with malice, his killing intent so potent that most of the direwolves lay unconscious around him. With his imposing presence, Beru asserted his dominance over the pack, ensuring they understood the consequences of disobedience.
Behind Beru, the bodies of direwolves lay strewn about, being consumed by humanoid ants.
"Fine... We will submit to this liege of yours..." One of the direwolves, distinguished by a star marking on its head, spoke in a low tone. To the direwolves, Beru appeared akin to a daemon, a creature of terrifying power and authority.
"𝓖𝓸𝓸𝓭. 𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓯𝓪𝓲𝓵 𝓽𝓸 𝓸𝓫𝓮𝔂, 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓷 𝓘 𝔀𝓲𝓵𝓵 𝓬𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓾𝓶𝓮 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓸𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝔀𝓸𝓵𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝓾𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓵 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓷 𝓫𝓸𝓷𝓮𝓼 𝓻𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓮𝔁𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮" Beru threatened ominously, his words laced with malice. With that, he sank into the shadows, still clutching the pack leader's body in his grasp.