* * *<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>The coliseum burst into applause at Benimaru\u2019s promise. Shuna happily congratulated her brother, and Shion was clapping proudly for reasons only she knew. I could hear some jealousy and resentment among the cheering from the crowd, but it just showed how much everyone cared for him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so Momiji, Alvis, and Benimaru celebrated their new union in the midst of raucous cheering in the coliseum. I\u2019d like to move right on to the party phase, but we\u2019re still in the middle of an event here, and I want to get the evolution rituals done with first. For now, we\u2019ll keep it to just that announcement. Once this evolution event masquerading as a victory celebration is over, we\u2019ll have more time to hold Benimaru\u2019s wedding in an unhurried fashion. There\u2019s another party scheduled for later today, but\u2014hey\u2014the more excitement, the merrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So allowing the happy trio to return to their posts, I ordered Shuna to make the necessary arrangements for them, raising a hand to quiet down the incessant cheering. It was a very unexpected turn of events. I could see Gobwa breaking down in tears out of the corner of my eye (and Phobio consoling her for some reason), but there was no time to think about that. Let\u2019s keep this thing going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Back in my slime form, I settled down on my chair. Once I was up there, Shuna\u2019s dignified voice echoed across the coliseum, the atmosphere still electric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur three great commanders, please step forward!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n These referred to the commanders of our First, Second, and Third Army Corps\u2014in other words, Gobta, Geld, and Gabil. All three were kneeling before me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s kick things off with Gobta. He was looking right at me, face expectant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA-hem!<\/em> Gobta, I will grant you no reward<\/em>!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHuhhh? Aw, what the hey? That\u2019s so mean! Why\u2019d ya call me up, then?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cA fine question! I may not have a reward for you, but instead, I\u2019m going to give you a new privilege.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA privilege?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the souls in the world wouldn\u2019t evolve Gobta. He might have been a bundle of budding talent, but he didn\u2019t qualify for this prize, and I couldn\u2019t help that. I considered granting him some weapons or armor, but I didn\u2019t think he\u2019d be capable of handling anything more than what I already gave him. Besides, he and Ranga could already transform into that combo beast, so I didn\u2019t think he needed any kind of half-assed armor anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And forget about a cash reward\u2014not like he\u2019d use it for anything worthwhile. He already took in a fat paycheck as an army commander; I gave him a ton of points each month that he could trade in for money, so I was sure he was living comfortably. If this was a human kingdom, I\u2019d probably be assigning him territory and making him an earl or something, but Tempest didn\u2019t really work on that system. It wasn\u2019t like he had any kind of governance skill regardless, so it was pointless to think about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I decided to grant Gobta a special privilege instead. The concept was hard for Gobta to wrap his head around; calling it just a \u201cprivilege\u201d was probably too vague to understand. Let\u2019s give him the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hereby grant you the privilege of continuing to address me as you do now, in your casual tone of voice!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I grinned at the puzzled Gobta as I spoke. And before he could understand what I\u2019d just told him, a cheer\u2014or maybe more like angry shouting\u2014rang out even louder than the one for Benimaru. It was sheer jealousy, and there was no way to hide it. Even Shion and Shuna were giving Gobta terrifying gazes. I couldn\u2019t even guess how envious they were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUm\u2026 You serious, sir?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike, you don\u2019t even know how<\/em> to talk all fancy, do you? You\u2019d royally screw it up if you tried, so I\u2019m taking this opportunity to make it your formal right instead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I can sense that Gobta respects me, of course, but that\u2019s not at all prevalent in his tone of voice. I mean, I always tell people that they <\/a>can be as casual as they\u2019d like with me, but it seems to be difficult for a lot of people. Meanwhile, we\u2019d frequently receive complaints from dignitaries about how flip Gobta\u2019s more natural speaking style was. People wanted me to do something about it, I was told, because otherwise it\u2019d make everyone else look bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was turning into a big hassle, so I decided to grant him the \u201cright\u201d to speak that way. We had foreign guests like Phobio and Jaine in the audience, so I figured taking this chance to spread the word would help solve the Gobta problem. I\u2019m sure things like appearances and authority are big problems for some people, but as monsters, we never have anything as rigid as that. I just do what I wanna do. It\u2019s what\u2019s on the inside that counts, not the outside, and Gobta\u2019s a great example of that. He may sound like a little punk, but his loyalty is the real thing. I could see it in his eyes\u2014eyes that\u2019re fully willing to die for me. That\u2019s why I gave him this \u201cprivilege.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a huge smile, Gobta stood up and bowed until he was forming a right angle with his body. He was clearly overjoyed\u2014maybe he had been working on correcting his tone, although if he was, he failed miserably. In a way, this was the best reward I could give Gobta, and that made me happy, too. He\u2019s such<\/em> a hard person to shop for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n That took care of Gobta. Next was Geld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow, Geld\u2014from this day forward, you may style yourself as Barrier Lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI gladly accept the title, my lord! And I, Geld, promise to do my best to live up to that name!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good. Strong response there. And as the crowd cheered, I lowered my voice to a whisper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd I\u2019m gonna try the same evolution ritual I did with Benimaru on you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat on\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was gonna be a pain in the ass to explain it every time, so I <\/a>set up a Thought Communication with everybody I intended to grant souls to. Once they were all hooked up, I explained to everyone what evolution entailed for them, not forgetting to use Hasten Thought as well. That way, we could have this important conversation in less than a few seconds of real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once I wrapped that up, Geld answered via Thought Communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (I am grateful for the offer, my lord, but I wonder if there are those more qualified than me for it. Carrera, serving as our observer, was far more successful in this war. If she, too, is qualified for this, then by all means, let it be her instead of me\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hmm. So he was declining the offer to be awakened? Well, I had no intention of evolving Carrera this time. She did<\/em> contribute a lot, yeah, but if she was this<\/em> much of a menace in her current state, I couldn\u2019t have her flying off the handle with even more power. We needed to see how this evolution stuff would unfold at first, and that was why I wanted to evolve more of the old guard for starters, since I trusted they\u2019d be safe with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I relayed all that to Geld, but he still seemed a little torn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Yes, but me, I don\u2019t know\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah. I guess Geld was also a little anxious about the potential to go berserk after this? Plus, maybe this was his way of expressing his atonement. The orcs\u2019 rampage a while back spread disaster all across the Forest of Jura, and as the leader responsible for that, Geld always placed himself under severe discipline. His eyes were shining with a strong determination, and right now, they were pointed straight at me. So I told him:<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Don\u2019t worry about that, Geld. The Geld they used to call the Orc Disaster might have gone out of control, but even that was for the sake of your friends, wasn\u2019t it?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t think he\u2019d go berserk now. If he had that kind of determination, he ought to be able to control whatever power he had at hand. And nobody among us would ever shun Geld for the events of the past by now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (I know you still feel responsible about it, but I trust in you. And I know you can use your newfound powers to help protect us all!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Once Geld evolved, his followers would receive blessings as well. That, in turn, would strengthen the defenses of our entire nation. Explaining it this way to him, I noticed Geld\u2019s eyes sparkle even brighter than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (\u2026If that is the case, then I will gratefully accept the offer!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Great; he said yes. That\u2019s<\/em> the Geld I know. A man who works not just for himself, but for all his compatriots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the way, only one other person besides Geld refused the offer at first. It felt like some of them had their qualms, but their expectations for the future outclassed their anxiety. It\u2019s my fault for not checking things with them beforehand, but momentum was important with this, as far as I was concerned. Seeing everyone agree to it greatly relieved me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I turned off the Thought Communication and got back into the party groove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have done a great job for me. As a reward, I shall grant you this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I signaled to Shuna. She nodded with a smile and handed Geld a set of equipment we prepared in advance. It was an armor-and-shield set, both Legend-class gear picked up from the battle, which I further customized after consulting with Garm. This gear reacted to Geld\u2019s own aura, meaning that only he had the right to handle it; it worked along the same lines as Holy Spirit Armor, something that not even Garm could reproduce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The difference between Legend- and God-class gear lies in the maturity of the gear itself\u2014in other words, the gear\u2019s skill capacity. The armor evolves over the years, in a variety of ways, and the number of years required depends on the materials used. Add a talented owner to the equation, and that dramatically increases evolution speed as well. Geld\u2019s talents are geared toward defense, so even though this gear is Legend class, I predict that it\u2019d immediately up his defense to the point where it\u2019d rival God class. Plus, as Raphael sees it, there\u2019s a high possibility that the armor will receive additional blessings from Geld\u2019s evolution. If that happens, a God-class ranking would be a shoo-in, and Geld would have some incredible defense boosts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>So Geld reverently accepted his reward, bowing to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Question. Do you wish to use the prescribed amount of one hundred thousand souls to evolve the subject Geld?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n No<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n As I thought yes<\/em>, I called out to Geld again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have been giving you a great deal of hard work all this time. Now is a good opportunity for you to rest and relax, while envisioning what you want for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I planned for Geld to continue playing a big role not only in battle, but in the construction of our city. He\u2019s been working incredibly hard this whole time, and he almost never even takes a full day off. He may very well be the hardest worker I know, and I really hope he takes this opportunity to chill out a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my lord! I truly appreciate this offer!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Geld smiled warmly at me. Then he nonchalantly returned to his column, as if fighting off the evolutionary slumber the Harvest Festival would bring to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n How could he beat away that sleepiness? I have no idea. But as I admired this, I turned to our next contestant: Gabil. He had led the Third Army Corps in a brilliant aerial performance, and as I praised him over it, he looked down at the ground with a meek expression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI remain unworthy, my lord. My failures of leadership caused some of my own to be injured\u2026 My incompetence truly shames me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026Well, in your<\/em> case, I think you had it coming, didn\u2019t you? Having that bout of magic-resistance training in the middle of a war\u2026 I don\u2019t think anyone could ever follow your lead on that one. Or I wouldn\u2019t want them to. Ultima gave me a detailed briefing after it was all over, and really, I was amazed at how stupid he acted. She <\/a>even advised me to punish him over it. Since when had he become such an experiment-loving bastard like that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, thanks to that, it seemed Gabil and his team had unraveled the secret to Dragon Body, a unique skill among dragonewts. I figured that absolved him from facing the full wrath of my anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But enough about all that. I switched over to Thought Communication; it\u2019d be counterproductive if I yelled at him in front of everyone. Better to keep things private.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (So we\u2019ll talk at length about your decision to conduct an experiment in the middle of battle, but Ultima offered me a suggestion. She said she\u2019d teach you more about magicule management.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (What?!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Demons, you know\u2014they say they can control magicules the way you and I breathe air. She said she\u2019ll help you learn some of that, so why don\u2019t you have her teach you a lesson or two?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe being punished would just make Gabil happy, or maybe having Ultima beat him into shape would be better for him. But hell, I\u2019m sure even Ultima knows how to go easy on people. I figured that running the gauntlet with her a bit would help him reflect on what he did. That was the rationale behind my decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (My lord, we are still in our infancy. I, Gabil, could hardly be more grateful for being given this opportunity to grow even further! I will make every effort to ensure we live up to your expectations so that all of us may master Dragon Body!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I thought he\u2019d be reluctant, but his response was surprisingly positive. Guess he\u2019s ready for it, then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking back, I kinda miss the days back when Gabil got carried away and had his ass whipped by Gobta. His previously birdbrained personality had settled down a lot now; he\u2019s capable of reading the atmosphere around him, and that helps him acquire a certain dignity befitting an experienced warlord. He may still have a lot of work to do, as he said, but he always had the qualities he needed, and between bitter defeats and interacting with Vester and his team, he had gained a depth of thought that he simply didn\u2019t have before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By this point, I could really depend on him. All the experience <\/a>he had accumulated had helped him truly grow\u2014and that\u2019s why I could trust him to be worthy of this power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will grant you my power\u2014and with it, you shall awaken as the newly christened Dracolord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I gave Gabil my souls, setting the table for his awakening and evolution. Unlike Geld, the effect was instant and dramatic. His dark-purple scales acquired more of a reddish hue, and a fiery rush of magicules coursed across his body. But Gabil had no trouble at all enduring it, maintaining full consciousness and controlling the newfound force through sheer power of will. This experiment hadn\u2019t been in vain at all\u2014it was bearing real fruit for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRarrrrrrrh! The power is teeming within me! Thank you, Sir Rimuru! From here on in, I shall call myself the Dracolord\u2014and I will use my powers for my lord and my nation!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Violent lightning shot out from Gabil\u2019s body, scorching his very flesh. But in an instant, his body healed, rebuilding itself into a stronger form. I guess it worked\u2014and perhaps thanks to me deigning to call him a lord, magnificent horns sprouted from his temples. Pretty brash of him, I thought, but they looked good. It was a truly remarkable evolution, as dignified as it was power bound, and I was happy to accept it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Gabil the Dracolord was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was interesting, though, to see how the Harvest Festival\u2019s effects varied from person to person. I immediately fell into a deep sleep against my will, and I could tell Geld was fighting off the same fate right now. But Benimaru still had some extra homework to take care of\u2014and in Gabil\u2019s case, it ran from start to finish in the course of a few seconds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSir Gabil! I feel myself strengthening as well!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd me, too. My lord, you\u2019ve done it again!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gleeful voices could be heard across the Third Army Corps columns. They were coming from the hundred-strong members of Team Hiryu. It looked like the lizardmen that comprised the Blue <\/a>Numbers had received blessings of their own, too. In fact, all three thousand of them had just evolved into dragonewts before my eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now Team Hiryu had climbed over the wall to a full A rank, gaining enough fighting skill to be rated alongside mid-ranked demons. It was kind of like having Dragon Body permanently activated, and so the ability itself was now decommissioned for them. They had also lost the skill Scalify, which transformed their skin into dragon scale, but in its place was Dragonskin, a new skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll let Ultima coach them on controlling their powers, but this new skill really interested me. Basically, it takes in ambient magicules to cover the body in a self-repairing armor. It works on the same principle as the Body Armor skill, but with much more defensive ability. It could regenerate a decent amount of injury as well, which obviated the user from needing any armor at all\u2014nice cost savings there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more, the skill varied from person to person, its strength improving with the power of the user. Gabil\u2019s Dragonskin skill gave him the protection of a God-class suit of armor, for example, a perfect shield that deflected pretty much anything. They might still have been dragonewts, but their strength was so high, it was no exaggeration to call them a new race entirely. They still looked pretty lizard-y, not human at all\u2026 But that was up to their own motivation, so I didn\u2019t really care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were a few others I shouldn\u2019t omit, either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interestingly enough, Soka and the four dragonewt guards serving under her were also affected by Gabil\u2019s evolution. These dragonewts were already in constant human form, which meant their natural defense wasn\u2019t near that of their peers, but they boasted much greater speed and offensive force. They had the Dragon Body skill, but unlike their friends, they still retained a certain human appearance when it was activated. They could manifest dragon scales and wings when they wanted to, but with Dragon Body, they looked more like dragon-y magic-born than anything. They were the same species as Gabil and the others, but it seemed like <\/a>they were following a completely different evolutionary path\u2014I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if the next evolution made them a different species entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In terms of strength, Soka\u2019s team was more powerful than Team Hiryu, to the point where you could call them high-level magic-born, and Soka had enough magicule energy to rank up there with an Arch Demon. Just as I expected, they had made a really significant step forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Now let\u2019s have them go back in line and get the next lucky winners up onstage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRanga! Hakuro! Testarossa! Ultima! Carrera! Come on up!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Can\u2019t have Gobta without Ranga. I couldn\u2019t imagine having any close adviser except Hakuro. And the three demonesses I had serving as observers and information officers spoke for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon my command, Ranga crept out from my shadow. Hakuro stepped up as well, a bit zombielike in his shuffling gait. Testarossa was as graceful as ever; Ultima, light and breezy; and Carrera as regal as a queen. All of them ascended the platform and kneeled before me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since they were so nicely lined up, I figured I\u2019d give their rewards in order. First, Ranga. He did a hell of a job saving Gobta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRanga, I can see you have mastered fighting in a team with Gobta. I also thank you for offering him your protection.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot at all, my master. I only did what anyone would have done!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ha-ha-ha. Cute of him. But I know you\u2019re happy to have me praise you, so stop wagging your tail all over the place, could you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrom this day forward, you may call yourself Star Lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my master!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He accepted it with an appreciative howl, and then the soul corridor opened between us. His evolution began immediately, just like mine, and the Harvest Festival was promptly underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGnnnhh\u2026 Master\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSleepy? Don\u2019t force it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>There was no reason to hold back. I put Ranga back in my shadow and let him rest inside. If I had to guess, the other demon wolves would receive their blessings as well\u2014I couldn\u2019t wait to see how the evolution would turn out. Ranga, to his credit, quietly fell asleep in my shadow, not letting the power overtake him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That made it four down. As of that moment, I didn\u2019t see anything to worry about, but better keep my head up until the end, I supposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next came Hakuro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have performed your role as Gobta\u2019s adviser with an expert hand. I thank you for it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOh, don\u2019t be silly. Gobta has matured magnificently. He will hardly need my help at all before long.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, no, there\u2019s a huge difference between you being present or not. Now, for your reward\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne moment, Sir Rimuru. If I may, it\u2019s already more than enough that you\u2019ve heeded my daughter Momiji\u2019s wishes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh. Right. I did say that, didn\u2019t I? But I wasn\u2019t going to accept that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (That\u2019s a different matter. I want Benimaru and Momiji to be happy, too, after all. Besides, as her father, I\u2019m sure you have some mixed feelings about Alvis jumping in, don\u2019t you?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n I switched to Thought Communication for this, since it let us talk without taking up much time in front of this audience\u2014really useful stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (I did, yes. But I believe in this young man, Sir Benimaru. And I know, when I look at my daughter\u2019s eyes, that her feelings are true. Thus, I am satisfied.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Good, then. I have no doubt he can make them both happy.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether they can have a child, only God knows, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n (So\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Well, give me a sec here. It\u2019s important that I give credit where credit is due, you know? So I asked Kurobe to forge a masterpiece for you. I hope you\u2019ll take it and keep all his labor from going to waste.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>That\u2019s right\u2014I had a newly forged sword from Kurobe for him. Kurobe had been improving his skill by leaps and bounds; the workmanship on this piece is nothing short of excellent, making it a Legend-equivalent work of art. Benimaru\u2019s blade was also at Kurobe\u2019s forge for repairs, by the way. In the previous battle, he wasn\u2019t able to tap his full potential due to the difference in weapon performance he faced, and when Kurobe heard that, he was both crestfallen and eager to reforge the blade. \u201cI\u2019m gonna make it the best blade I can<\/em>,\u201d he told me, and he\u2019s still holed up in his workshop with it. This particular sword wasn\u2019t quite up to that level, but Kurobe still put a lot of work into it, and I\u2019m sure Hakuro will love it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Ahhh, Kurobe did that\u2026? Well, in that case, I will gladly accept it!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Great. Feel free to, then!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Good, good. If he declined it, I wasn\u2019t sure what I was going to do. Modesty is a virtue and all that, but really, I think everyone\u2019s being a little too<\/em> reserved up here. Let\u2019s go on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo not worry, Hakuro. This is something I\u2019ve had prepared exclusively for you. Please do not hesitate to take it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI, Hakuro, accept this with my full heart. I promise not to let your kindness go to waste, Sir Rimuru!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And so Hakuro accepted the sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next up were my demoness pals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At first, I wasn\u2019t totally sure what I\u2019d do with them. If adding to their strength was all I thought about, then evolving these three Demon Peers would be my best bet\u2014but as I told Benimaru and Geld, I opted against it for now. I didn\u2019t quite have enough souls for everyone, yes, but more than that, I wasn\u2019t entirely sure I could control them afterward. I really had no idea how strong they\u2019d get, so I had to put any evolution on hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These three were on the same rank as Diablo, so for now I decided to evolve Diablo first and see how he did. I had my concerns about Diablo, too, in a much different way\u2026 But well, best not to worry about it. The way I saw it, Diablo was head and shoulders above the rest of his kin regardless; it was funny to see the range of strength present among the Primal Demons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>The three demonesses were under my direct control, entrusted to Diablo, and so I decided to consider their evolution once Diablo\u2019s was complete. Of course, I didn\u2019t have enough souls in my collection to evolve all three of them right now. They all seemed to have a good balance going with each other, so evolving one over the other would present some problems, no? It\u2019d be dangerous, I guess you could say. If I didn\u2019t evolve them all at the same time, it could lead to serious trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That was why I didn\u2019t evolve Carrera alone, despite what Geld suggested. Besides, if you looked at magicule counts alone, Carrera was ahead of Diablo on that tally. Giving her more power seemed like too risky of a bet. Uncontrollable power will be the death of her\u2014and of us, maybe. Her nuclear-class Gravity Collapse magic was already too crazy to contemplate\u2014it could even blow people like Geld away if we weren\u2019t careful. Maybe she had it fully under control, but the way she just busted that out without a moment\u2019s hesitation made me more than a little anxious. Safety first, and so on\u2014I figured we could wait and see how things went before making a decision on their evolutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTestarossa, Ultima, Carrera\u2014all three of you have done a tremendous job as information officers. The souls you have collected are also being put to good use today. Perhaps you may not like how I\u2019m using what you\u2019ve collected for other people, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I considered not telling them about the potential for evolution at all, but Testa and her pals really did do a good job collecting those souls. It\u2019d be rude to leave them in the dark, I thought\u2014but they vigorously disagreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you talking about, Sir Rimuru?! There\u2019s no way we could ever be unhappy with you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight! We\u2019re the ones who can\u2019t repay you enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBoth of them speak the truth, my lord. We are already fully satisfied. We have been granted bodies\u2014and even names, for that matter. That has been more than enough to strengthen us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n All three of them denied any dissatisfaction with my decision. And yes, maybe they are<\/em> too strong already. All three of them are probably still stronger than the freshly awakened Gabil. I had to agree with them\u2014but they still had a reward coming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cI\u2019m glad to hear that from you. You make me feel like my heart\u2019s never far away from your minds, and I appreciate it. That\u2019s why I want you to accept the rewards I\u2019ve prepared for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRewards?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell\u2026can\u2019t say no to that, can we?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right? It\u2019d be too much trouble for me if they said no, so I wanted to shut the door on that first thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn recognition of your work, I hereby acknowledge you as full members of my leadership. Your duties will be the same as before, but in times of war, you will be granted partial command authority. I will also grant you new titles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Testarossa was the Killer Lord. Ultima, the Pain Lord. Carrera, the Menace Lord. I thought up those titles after consulting with a few people. They might sound pretty harsh, I guess, but it\u2019s exactly what they were up to during this war. As leaders, their role was to focus on combat, so I thought this was a pretty good fit, actually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrom this day forward, I grant you permission to call yourselves by those titles. And from now on, I expect you to serve as my close confidants, exactly like the old guard!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u201c\u201cAs you wish!\u201d\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The three of them bowed their heads in unison. I guess they liked their rewards. Good thing they didn\u2019t complain<\/em>, I thought as they filed back to their column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n Okay. Let\u2019s keep this pace going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next people were the groups that performed well for me in the labyrinth. Bovix and Equix were each given a set of new equipment. Gadora was officially promoted to guardian of Floor 60, which meant he was entrusted with the Demon Colossus. Beretta was thus officially retired as head of the Ten Dungeon Marvels, Gadora taking his place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition, I granted Gadora access to the research facilities dotted across the labyrinth. He\u2019d be working on R & D for us going <\/a>forward, so now felt like a good opportunity to place my full trust in him. He seemed elated at the news, so I guess it was the right reward. If he steals our research data, well, I\u2019ll deal with it then, but I don\u2019t think I have much to worry about. He\u2019s just a friendly old man, hard to dislike, and I hope he\u2019ll do his best as one of us going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That all went without a hitch. Next was the main course. Beretta, the now-retired Dungeon Marvel, and the four Dragon Lords in the labyrinth were not technically working under me. Ramiris was their boss, so I left them out of these proceedings for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My attention was currently on \u201cNine-Head\u201d Kumara, guardian of Floor 90; \u201cInsect Kaiser\u201d Zegion, guardian of Floor 80; \u201cInsect Queen\u201d Apito, floor boss of Floor 79; \u201cImmortal King\u201d Adalmann, guardian of Floor 70; and \u201cDeath Paladin\u201d Alberto, advance guardian of Floor 70. A real rogues gallery if I ever saw one. I doubt I had to worry about any of them falling out of control by this point, but let\u2019s evolve them one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First up, Kumara. I was giving her the title of Chimera Lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe it was because she had gained her revenge in this battle, but she had a much better developed sense of presence now. It\u2019s funny to think she was my enemy when we first met\u2014you never do know how things will turn out. Clayman might have been controlling her, but she had now defeated Colonel Kanzis, the man behind it all. I was proud of her for that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I let her in the labyrinth entirely because Ranga told me she was good at cultivating forests. I was advised to let her guard Floor 90, and that\u2019s exactly what I did. If it weren\u2019t for that, she might still have been that little fox kit, for all I know. I\u2019d always recognized that she was a powerful young monster, but not even I imagined she\u2019d become a Dungeon Marvel in such a short time. But maybe it was destined to happen after I named her, though, huh? I\u2019d have to thank Ranga for suggesting that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, Kumara was now the master of eight different magical beasts. They were serving as the bosses of Floors 82 through 89, each a Calamity-level threat. Together they were called the Eight <\/a>Legions, and they looked kind of familiar to me, actually. A few days after I gave her the name Kumara, I decided to check on her during a walk, and Kumara asked me to call her friends by their names, revealing to me this group of adorable little monsters. I had experienced countless failures when it came to naming monsters, so I knew the danger I\u2019d be risking\u2014but all Kumara wanted me to do was call the tail beasts the names she had already given them. I figured that was safe enough, so I casually took the job. (I\u2019m sure it\u2019s clear, of course, that I didn\u2019t say yes just because it was the most darling little girl asking me with her doe eyes and everything. No way.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n And\u2026well, I didn\u2019t think it\u2019d turn out like this<\/em>. I\u2019m starting to suspect that I really did<\/em> \u201cname\u201d them, after all. I can tell you that the eight creatures she showed me certainly didn\u2019t fight like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Affirmative. Strictly speaking, they are not the same, but rather a similar phenomenon to what existed before. The end result was a strengthening of the bonds between the subject Kumara and her tail beasts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ah. I knew it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t notice at the time, because those mystic beasts didn\u2019t go into sleep mode or exhibit any other changes, but the moment I saw them in battle, I thought it could\u2019ve been true. Those cute little critters, now incredibly vicious and powerful Legions. Talk about your crazy before-and-after transformations. Everyone was shocked, and so was I. Kumara, after all, technically got not one, but nine<\/em> names out of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to that, the Eight Legions each built a stronger bond with her. The power that each one gained through absorbing magicules also fed back to Kumara herself, which led to the overall strength we see today. Well, what\u2019s done is done, I guess. Kumara might\u2019ve been defeated in war if all that didn\u2019t happen, so if it all works out in the end, I\u2019m happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I poured my souls into Kumara, and she wound up completing her awakening in an instant. The Eight Legions lined up behind her glowed as they merged back into her body. Then nine tails <\/a>sprouted out of her. Her original one was now a golden color, while the others were a shining silver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were all quite beautiful, but the upgrade to Kumara\u2019s beauty was even more impressive. She was so filled out and enchanting that it was hard to imagine her as an immature young girl any longer. The magnetism was greater than ever before. Her long hair had changed from its previous dark brown to a golden color, like stalks of wheat in the sunlight, and it ran down her back with a silky sheen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Was it her beauty that evolved, mainly? No\u2014she had more magicules now, of course, already surpassing the awakened Gabil. I definitely wasn\u2019t expecting this. Kumara herself could hold her own in combat, for sure, but it was only when she combined with her Eight Legions to go into chimera mode that she reached the apex of her powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conversely, when Kumara becomes stronger, so do her Eight Legions. Since they\u2019re all named, they\u2019re connected to my soul, and they also<\/em> receive blessings from Kumara\u2019s own evolution\u2026 And that, as unfair as it may seem, gets fed back into Kumara, powering her up even more. It was like Kumara monopolized all the power I could give. I sensed some calculated scheming on her part, something very unbecoming of her beauty. That must be why she didn\u2019t get along with the much more right-minded Apito too much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, there\u2019s no way such a rapid evolution couldn\u2019t weigh Kumara down hard. She seemed to be struggling to stay conscious. She was a control risk at this rate, and I didn\u2019t want her overdoing it. \u201cGo back and rest,\u201d I gently ordered her. She looked a little peeved but meekly listened to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chances are she\u2019d go to sleep like Ranga while she got used to her boosted force. Either way, I looked forward to her growth. I mean, she\u2019s already a real looker at this point, but you know what I mean. For now, though, it was back to her guardian realm with her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n The event continued. Zegion and Apito were next, and I wanted to tackle the latter first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cApito, you fought a superb battle. That Minitz guy looked like one tough dude, even among the other imperial generals. You demonstrated strength equal to his, and that\u2019s something to be proud of.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I didn\u2019t really mean for Apito to get as strong as that at first. What I was<\/em> looking for was honey, and as long as her hives produced enough high-quality goods, I was happy. But here she was, Insect Queen and part of the Ten Dungeon Marvels. Kind of odd, really.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t be silly. I am not even close to where I want to be. I have lost all my kin, and even then, that was only enough to fight to a draw.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, no, that\u2019s not\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I was trying to deny it, but when I saw Apito\u2019s smile, I stopped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis time, I was unable to seize complete victory. Thus, I do not see myself as worthy of receiving a reward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell, yeah, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut if I am allowed to make a wish, would you allow the souls of my brethren who died in battle to reside within me once more?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hold on, what? She may not want a reward, but this<\/em> wish seems pretty damn reckless to me! She must have the impression that I\u2019m this omnipotent wonder slime, but she\u2019s wrong. I just don\u2019t see how that could be\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n Report. It is possible.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, I can<\/em>?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe Raphael\u2019s the omnipotent one around here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll right. In that case, I will instill the spirits of the dead within you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apito\u2019s brethren were magical insects we hadn\u2019t gotten around to giving Resurrection Bracelets to. I\u2019m not sure if they had \u201cspirits,\u201d exactly, but it seemed appropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you kindly. This pleases me greatly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apito didn\u2019t qualify for an evolution, but I figured she\u2019d have a blessing coming her way via Zegion\u2019s. I was planning to ask what she wanted all along, and she seemed happy with this, so I guessed that was the right approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Next came Zegion. He was the strongest among the Marvels, so I considered putting him off for now, but I also felt like there wasn\u2019t much need for worry. One look at his calm demeanor told me he didn\u2019t seem to be in any danger of going berserk. It\u2019s just what I would expect from the most powerful member of the labyrinth. Even Raphael acknowledged his unparalleled combat sense, and his magicule count rivaled Benimaru\u2019s. No wonder he was good enough to train under Veldora, learning some wacky fighting moves picked up from manga along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It explained his performance in this past battle, too. Zegion single-handedly defeated the strongest members of the imperial army, hardened soldiers the other Marvels struggled with. Taking them all at once like he did, he\u2019d look like an idiot if he lost\u2026 But he crushed them with ease, wasting no time beating even the worst among them. He had definitely proven his might, and really, I think he might be stronger than your average demon lord. Even with my \u201ctrue demon lord\u201d awakening, I fear he could still beat me if I blew it bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And I wanted to awaken this guy\u2026? Suddenly I wasn\u2019t so sure about this. Diablo and his kin couldn\u2019t beat him, either. Too late for that, huh? Maybe I was creating the equivalent of several awakened demon lords here, but there was no point chewing my fingernails over it now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had given souls to five people so far, and the evolution ritual was now well underway\u2014in fact, I\u2019d been starting to feel power flow into me, as of a little while ago. My Food Chain skill was feeding the results of the sleeping recipients\u2019 Harvest Festival back to me. It was a massive amount of force, but my body was taking it in without any problem. I guess all this promotion was tapping my reserves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No problem, then. Momentum is important with this kind of thing, so let\u2019s keep this ball rolling, I say. Don\u2019t fall back now\u2014keep going! And look at it this way\u2014how strong do you think Zegion will turn out? Isn\u2019t that exciting<\/em>? It was for me anyway. The thing is, remember, that thanks to Food Chain, even if there\u2019s a chance he\u2019d surpass me, I\u2019d always wind up on top in the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Hoping that turned out to actually be true, I continued with the ritual, shelving my worries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour strength astounds me. Honestly, I never thought you would attain these heights.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is all thanks to your guidance, Sir Rimuru.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n No, that was Veldora mentoring you\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026Hang on. Raphael was lurking in the shadows with this, too, huh? Maybe Zegion thought that was me all along. Correcting him would take too long to explain, though, so let\u2019s just go with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnough modesty. It is your unrelenting efforts that brought you this far. I hope you continue to refine your strength for me\u2014and from this day forward, I hereby grant you the title of Mist Lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my lord! Nothing could elate me more!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zegion was as reticent as ever, but even I could tell how moved and shaken he was by my words. I was just speaking off the cuff, but it must\u2019ve sounded like the gospel to him. He must be applying more of a \u201cworship\u201d filter than I thought\u2014but being adored like this isn\u2019t such a bad thing, is it? And here I thought I was just protecting a rare insect for the future. I guess it\u2019s me<\/em> being protected all along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was nothing predictable about his growth. His talents were off the charts. He was basking in a dense cloud of magicules leaking out from Veldora, and he had a training environment where he could be revived after death. Add to that the best training partner anyone could have, and you couldn\u2019t ask for much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But there was no point quibbling over the details behind the process. He was stronger at the end of it, and that\u2019s what mattered. So I granted him my souls. He shook for just a moment, but then his will pushed back the flood of power, bringing it fully under his control. Unlike Gabil, it was pure spirit that tamed it. At this rate, I probably looked pretty gutless for falling asleep for so long. You wouldn\u2019t think this was something you could conquer through sheer willpower or guts or whatever\u2026 But now I was seeing examples of exactly that, so there wasn\u2019t much denying it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So that was Zegion\u2019s evolution, but there was something even more terrifying about it. He had literally willed part of his outer <\/a>shell to transform into the divine metal of crimson steel. Not only was he demonstrating control over the laws of physics\u2014he had made his exoskeleton into a God-class suit of armor. His own body was a weapon, and in melee combat, I pretty much had to call him the strongest out there. For spiritual life-forms like Zegion, combat strength doesn\u2019t necessarily equate to one\u2019s social status\u2026 But there\u2019s no doubting how much of a threat he is. Even now, in the middle of his evolution, it looked like he was already acquiring a litany of other powers. I think we better sit down later and see exactly what all he obtained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zegion seemed to be doing a pretty good job suppressing the power coursing into him, but there was no doubting that the Harvest Festival was underway. And as I anticipated, only Apito received any secondary blessings from it. Those two were the only ones I gave aid to by providing my own cell matter, so by definition, Apito is Zegion\u2019s only blood relative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were loads of other dangerous species in the labyrinth\u2019s insect floor, of course, but they had been all but wiped out in this battle. We couldn\u2019t resurrect any of them, sadly; we\u2019d just have to wait for them to be naturally replenished. This regrettably included Apito\u2019s closer family\u2026 But the souls of all these bugs had just been given to her. I wondered what she was planning to do with them, but it looked like she wanted to use them to strengthen herself. We\u2019ll see the results once her evolution is all said and done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apito\u2019s expression wasn\u2019t pained in the slightest as she played her role in this event. She remained wholly calm and dignified, like the queen she was. Just like Zegion, I really had to hand it to her. I felt a little bit cowed, even, as I ordered them back to their positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once this celebration ended, Zegion and Apito both returned to their respective labyrinth lairs and wove themselves cocoons where they could complete their evolutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Between the blessing from Zegion and the souls from her kin and the bugs serving under her, Apito took in an enormous amount <\/a>of energy. It caused her own body to break apart inside the cocoon, reconstructing itself to become stronger and more battle-ready. She was literally reborn, and through the unique skill Motherly Queen that she acquired, she created a total of nine insect-type magic-born, each with multiple insectoid traits of their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Motherly Queen was the ability to take in the internal biology of any insects she consumed and re-create them as magic-born. These were the first bricks, so to speak, of the new insect hierarchy that would grow over time\u2014with Apito reigning as their one true queen. She was one of the Dungeon Marvels, but she was also a servant of Zegion\u2019s\u2014and Zegion wasn\u2019t shy with the favors and blessings he gave her. That was more than enough explanation for why Apito went through such an astonishing evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if Apito evolved this much only through a secondary blessing, it was a given that Zegion would change even further. Although his physical strength was already at the apex of its evolutionary abilities, the amount of magicules in his possession now eclipsed the awakened Clayman\u2019s. But what really stole the spotlight was a certain skill he obtained through his evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apito\u2019s Motherly Queen was totally a game-breaking skill, something almost sinful in what it accomplished. It was astounding enough, but Zegion\u2019s was on another level. He had acquired the ultimate skill Mephisto, Lord of Illusion, and ultimate is exactly what it was\u2014truly befitting of someone apprenticed to Veldora.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With this power, Zegion was now the undisputed king of the labyrinth. Between that and the insect paradise Apito would soon work to build, the Dungeon now had a king and a queen, and the rule over the realm was absolute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n With those two underway, only Adalmann and his faithful assistant remained among the labyrinth dwellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s no doubting Adalmann\u2019s intense faith in me, as well as the fact that he\u2019s a bit\u2014okay, a lot<\/em>\u2014of a freako. Cut from the same <\/a>cloth as Diablo, I suppose you could say. It\u2019s helped me tap into holy magic, though, so it\u2019s not all bad, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n It turned out that Adalmann was good friends with old man Gadora all along; they had engaged in assorted research together back in the day. That\u2019s why he was able to craft the extra skill Holy-Evil Inversion, which neatly eliminated the main weak point that he had. I didn\u2019t give it a lot of attention at first, but in a way, this was kind of a genius move. It was a little funny to call him smart despite not having, you know, a brain to think with, but that\u2019s how monsters roll, I suppose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, some monsters really don\u2019t<\/em> need a brain\u2014their intellectual makeup resides in their astral or spiritual bodies instead. There are even some supernatural creatures who think with their \u201chearts,\u201d so to speak, instead of any brain organ. Think of it as kind of like people who\u2019ve gained the Complete Memory skill, such as Shion. All that does is re-create memories, of course, but it opens up the potential for thinking purely with one\u2019s soul and astral body\u2026 And once you achieve that, it pretty much releases you from a physical life span and punches your ticket to spiritual livelihood. Once that happens, pretty much no physical attack can deal fatal damage, and if your physical body\u2019s torn apart, you can regenerate it at will. Only certain special attacks, or weapons graded Legend or higher, would be any kind of threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adalmann hadn\u2019t quite reached that point. Wight kings like him are spiritual monsters, yes, but he\u2019s still bound by the yoke of his physical body. His thought processes are all contained within his spiritual body so there\u2019s no such thing as dying of old age for him\u2014but even so, he cannot continue existing with just his soul and astral body. He was this<\/em> close to becoming a spiritual life-form, but he wasn\u2019t quite immortal yet\u2014that kind of thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The same was true for his cohort, Alberto the Death Paladin, not to mention the death dragon they kept on their floor. They were all conscious enough to cover for those weaknesses of theirs while fighting, as well. Adalmann specializes in long-distance magic salvos; he supports Alberto on the front line while also providing magical support of his own. The death dragon is always airborne, <\/a>dumping attacks from above, and if Alberto ever gets too damaged or fatigued, it would immediately take his place as the tank. This teamwork had become a proven winner for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, their opponent this<\/em> time was simply too much for them to handle. There\u2019s always someone better than you out there, I suppose. If you\u2019re enough of a fighting master to wield Legend-class gear\u2014Hinata\u2019s Holy Spirit Armor, for one\u2014then you can basically cancel out any attribute-based attack out there, even the \u201cundead\u201d element. Hakuro was capable of that, for example, and I\u2019m sure he\u2019d make masterful use of the Legend-class sword I gave him, greatly boosting his battle abilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026So it\u2019s great to have someone like that on our<\/em> side, but it was our foe who carried a Legend-class blade this time. And not just any old foe\u2014it was the top elites among the Imperial Guardians, the great force the Empire boasted. Alberto\u2019s sword, whether it was a failed experiment from Kurobe or not, was still an excellent, Unique-class piece of work\u2014but it couldn\u2019t hold a candle to a Legend. Alberto was only able to hold his own with an inferior weapon because he was the more skillful fighter. His sword shattered on him in the end, sealing their defeat, but it\u2019d simply be wrong to blame him for that loss. If anything, he deserved praise for putting up such a good fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure you felt the result was disappointing, but all of you fought brilliantly nonetheless. That goes especially for you, Alberto. Your swordsmanship knows no peer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt awes me to hear that, my lord.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou as well, Adalmann. The next thing I knew, you\u2019ve fully mastered the magic I taught you. I think we could all learn a thing or two from your unflagging diligence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I may not look it, but I hate lifting a finger when I don\u2019t have to. I only dive into subjects that I have a personal interest in. But since he has a reliable, intelligent partner in Raphael overseeing matters instead of me, I\u2019m sure Adalmann\u2019s hard work will prove incredibly valuable to us all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>\u201cOh, no, I couldn\u2019t possibly portray my wisdom as anywhere close to yours, Sir Rimuru.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not my<\/em> wisdom. Raphael\u2019s. Not that I\u2019m gonna point that out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo need for modesty, Adalmann. Now, I will grant you yet more power. I hope you will take the needed lessons from this defeat and grow even more for me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour kind generosity for a defeated servant like me only drives me to strive ever harder! I will work myself to the bone for you, Sir Rimuru!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was tearfully choking out the words. I wish he wouldn\u2019t phrase it that<\/em> way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, Adalmann was also the other awardee here today who turned down my offer at evolution when I mentioned it to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy lord, unlike everyone else here, I am a defeated man, something I cannot forgive myself for. Someone as incompetent as me, potentially reaching the same level of awakening as you\u2026 Perhaps, when I am given another opportunity and achieve greater successes than now, I will be better able to accept this lofty honor!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s how he put it, but I managed to coax and push him into it anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I mean, honestly, I didn\u2019t expect much of anything from him in the first place. Back when Shinji\u2019s party stormed their way up to Floor 60, I all but expected the Adalmann trio to go down hard. But now they\u2019ve far surpassed my expectations. They were just a poor match for Krishna, their opponent this time around; that was all there was to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So partly as encouragement to keep him from working himself \u201cto the bone\u201d and so on, I tapped some of my soul supply for Adalmann. It wasn\u2019t what we had planned for at all, but the labyrinth was going to remain our final stronghold for a while to come. It\u2019s important to shore up its defenses, and Adalmann\u2019s evolution was an important part of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The labyrinth contained all our vital R & D facilities, and we could even quarantine the entire capital inside it during emergencies. I never even imagined what a boon it\u2019d be when I invited <\/a>Ramiris to stay with us. I saw her labyrinth as a personal sandbox, but now it was our most formidable fortress. That was all thanks to Ramiris\u2014and Veldora as well. I made a mental note to express my gratitude to them later on as I addressed Adalmann.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know you feel that your performance was below your standards, but you have my utmost esteem nonetheless. I hope you\u2019ll prove that I was right with your future efforts!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my lord! I promise I will live up to your lofty expectations!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Adalmann\u2019s evolution began. He proved to be no exception\u2014an irresistible drowsiness soon descended upon him. I didn\u2019t want him suffering thanks to me, so let\u2019s keep this evolution ritual going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll take your word on that, indeed. From this day forward, you may call yourself the Gehenna Lord. May you keep striving to live up to that title!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbsolutely, my lord\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whew. It\u2019s hard to sound all dignified like that for extended periods of time. And I should add, it\u2019s hard to come up with titles like this. I was up all night pondering over them. I mean, I don\u2019t need to sleep, so I was more bored than anything, but\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026Anyway, I decided to give Adalmann the title of lord, which was quickly beginning to signify the top rank within my hierarchy. We might see more lords in the future, but for now, Adalmann was one of only twelve to be awarded that rank. It made him one of the most powerful military figures in the world, and I\u2019m sure it\u2019d give Adalmann more of a voice in Tempest affairs\u2026assuming I ever gave him the chance to speak up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, Adalmann was hardly the only top performer here. Alberto was still kneeling by Adalmann, who was now visibly fighting his desire to sleep. Behind him, the death dragon was hunched over, trying to make its huge frame as small as possible. They\u2019d both received blessings from their boss\u2019s evolution, so casual conversation probably wasn\u2019t their first priority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So I decided to grant Alberto some new battle gear to replace his broken sword. He already had overwhelming sword skills, so with the <\/a>right weapon in hand, that\u2019d easily be doubled. And while I was at it, I thought, why not give him some of Kurobe\u2019s best work to date?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026But then I reconsidered. Among the spoils of war we seized from the enemy were a small cache of Legend-class gear. Caligulio, their enemy\u2019s top general, even had some God-class items\u2014extremely rare in the best of situations. It\u2019d be a waste to just hang that stuff up in a museum somewhere. I tried palming it off on Kurobe, but he said he didn\u2019t need it, claiming that \u201cI can create my own<\/em> God-class gear by now, sir!\u201d And he was right. Benimaru\u2019s own blade was about to be reforged by Kurobe\u2019s hands to God-class tier. That much I was assured of, so I decided not to foist this gear on him, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So who\u2019s the right recipient here? As Caligulio made clear enough, merely being awakened didn\u2019t make you truly worthy of God-class gear. Once you reached that level, the equipment chose the owner, not the other way around\u2014I didn\u2019t need a fancy analysis to see that. Something gets called God class, I feel, when after many years, the magisteel inside it evolves into crimson steel and assumes a sort of spiritual existence as a tool\u2014a concept called tsukumogami<\/em> in Japanese. This means the owner has to be worthy of the item in order to wield it, I imagine, and that\u2019s just not gonna happen within a human being\u2019s life span.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, meanwhile, we had a noble soul that had become undead, exposed to endless hardship, and still never lost his skills as an acolyte. Now Alberto was a Death Paladin, and for him the concept of a life span was meaningless. He had been applying himself, studying hard and acquiring sword skills that rivaled Hakuro\u2019s. Maybe he\u2019d be the right person for this weapon? I thought so anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides, everyone else in my entourage already had their preferred weapons on hand. Some of them even refused to carry anything not made in Kurobe\u2019s forge, such was the trust they had in him. Diablo and the three demonesses, meanwhile, could use the skill Create Material to manifest whatever gear they wanted. The results performed in proportion with the skill of the owner, and for the demons, they could easily surpass Legend-level protection. They had zero need to carry any preexisting armor around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>Some people, like Shion, liked pouring magic power into their weapon all the time, out of sheer love. Maybe that\u2019s why the longsword Shion preferred had now evolved into Goriki-maru Version 2, with Legend-class murdering capability, without me even really noticing. Her sword did<\/em> break, didn\u2019t it? I\u2019m pretty sure I saw it get cut in half in the battle against Razel, but now it was good as new. Just like Shion herself, the blade had risen from the ashes like a phoenix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was more exasperating than surprising, if you ask me. That\u2014and scary. And they say Shion puts a lot of love into her cooking, too, but if so, what the hell does her<\/em> \u201clove\u201d consist of, exactly?! Whatever it was, it could resurrect a shattered sword. Did I really want to consume a meal chock-full of that stuff?<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was turning into a dangerous train of thought. Time to get back to business. Now that I knew owner compatibility was a big issue with battle gear, I decided that I didn\u2019t need to give my top brass anything new for the time being. That was a good enough reason in itself, but Raphael was the one who convinced me in the end, assuring me that Alberto was the best person to receive this God-class blade. I nodded, not questioning its judgment one bit, and decided to go ahead with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So Alberto would be rewarded with a complete set of God-class gear\u2014a full suit of armor, with a longsword and kite shield thrown in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAlberto, your swordsmanship is among the best in the world. In recognition of this, I grant you this battle gear. Please maintain your world-class skill as you continue to shine in the service of Adalmann!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, my lord!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n At my cue, Shuna stepped up pushing a wagon with all the gear piled on it. Alberto watched her hand it over to him, visibly shaking with anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis\u2026 This is\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He must have noticed the caliber of this stuff at first glance. The astonishment was clear in his quivering voice. I can\u2019t blame him\u2014there are only a few known examples of this sort of stuff in <\/a>existence, making them quite literally the gifts of the gods. Being able to handle gear like this is among the highest honors a knight could receive in this world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you think you can use this gear?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m not about to take no for an answer. Sensing the pressure from my gaze, Alberto drummed up his fortitude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOf course, Sir Rimuru! And I swear I will live up to your dreams\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His voice echoed through the coliseum, and I was glad he was so over the moon over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The moment he touched the God-class armor, it naturally wrapped itself all around his body. It had no problem accepting him as its new master, apparently. But I did make one miscalculation. Once it gained this true master, the armor\u2019s capabilities wildly exceeded anything that I was expecting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As long as Alberto wielded this gear, he essentially functioned as an incarnated spiritual life-form. That was the true power of God-class equipment\u2014its ability to temporarily upgrade a being with physical form into one with spiritual form instead. And a spiritual life-form is, in so many words, a godlike existence, like Veldora and, well, me, I guess. It doesn\u2019t really feel<\/em> that way, but I\u2019m definitely quite close to immortality. I know I won\u2019t age anyway, and it seemed pretty likely that I\u2019d never die\u2014not unless I lost my magicules or experienced a core break in my heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, spiritual life-forms experienced no natural death, were immune to all kinds of status ailments, and could overcome death itself through sheer power of will. That ability to raise people to the same level as such wondrous supernatural beings was enough to convince anyone that God-class gear was truly extraordinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the same time, I could understand why Raphael recommended Alberto. Benimaru will be evolving into a spiritual life-form on his own, and Ranga and Shion are kind of following in his footsteps, so I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll happen to them, too. I didn\u2019t think Gabil and Geld were quite there yet, and giving them God-class gear wouldn\u2019t change that. Alberto truly was the right man for this stuff, in the right place at the right time\u2014and that was that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/a>And I can\u2019t forget about Adalmann\u2019s pet dragon, either. His death dragon put in a killer effort, too, so I definitely wanted to award it somehow. I pondered over what to give, but it wasn\u2019t long before I had the perfect answer\u2014a name. No better way to make a monster overjoyed than naming it, right? This would come with some danger normally, but I have Raphael with me. I\u2019m sure he\u2019ll keep me safe and regulate the magicule flow and all that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Proposal. In this case, there is already a bond between the subject Adalmann and the death dragon. Rather than creating a soul corridor here, I recommend consuming souls for the purpose of naming it.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hmm?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s an unexpected suggestion from Raphael, but if I opt for that, how many souls are we talking about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Understood. Five thousand. Proceed?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n No<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If it\u2019s around five thousand, that does sound like a much safer approach. Raphael had apparently analyzed my souls on hand and figured out a way to convert them into magicules via Belzebuth, Lord of Gluttony. It was guaranteed not to be dangerous at all, I was told, so how about we go with that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n I stood in front of the death dragon, patting its head. It appeared to be pretty nervous about this. Scary-looking, for sure, but still awfully cute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have a reward for you, too, okay? From this day forward, your name is Venti, Dragon Lord of the Underworld!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n