tensura: I don't know

The knife slid across his throat with a precision that was almost clinical. He didn't scream. He didn't even flinch. Instead, he smiled—a calm, calculated expression that masked the storm of thoughts beneath. *So, this is how it ends,* he mused, his mind racing even as his body failed. Blood pooled beneath him, warm and sticky, as his vision darkened. He had always known death would come, but he hadn't expected it to feel so… mundane. *What a waste,* he thought, his consciousness slipping away. *All that potential, gone.*

When awareness returned, it wasn't to the afterlife he'd imagined. He felt… different. His body was weightless, formless, as though he were floating in an endless void. He tried to open his eyes, but there was nothing to see—no light, no darkness, just an absence of vision. *Blind?* he thought, his logical mind immediately assessing the situation. *No, not blind. I simply don't have eyes.*

He stretched his awareness, testing his new form. It was gelatinous, malleable, and pulsated with an energy he couldn't quite define. *A slime,* he concluded, his thoughts sharp and analytical. But there was more. Deep within him, something stirred—a vast, incomprehensible power that thrummed like a second heartbeat. He couldn't identify it, but he could feel its intensity, its potential. *What is this?* he wondered, curiosity overriding his initial disorientation. *And where am ?

**[Answer. Your unique skills have been identified: 'Great Sage' and 'Gluttony.']**

*Great Sage and Gluttony,* he thought, his mind immediately dissecting the implications. *Define them.*

**[Answer. 'Great Sage' is an enhanced version of the standard Unique Skill, optimized for analysis, prediction, and skill management. Its processing capacity is approximately five times greater than the original variant. 'Gluttony' is a predatory skill that allows for the consumption and absorption of energy, matter, and skills from targets.]**

*Five times stronger…* A faint ripple passed through his gelatinous form, the slime equivalent of a smirk. *Useful. Very useful.*

**[Addition. 'Great Sage' has already integrated with your soul's attributes: 'Nothingness' and 'Infinity.' This synergy enhances its capabilities, allowing for advanced spatial manipulation, energy optimization, and predictive modeling beyond standard parameters.]**

*Good,* he thought, his logical mind already racing ahead. *And Gluttony? How does it interact with my attributes?*

**[Answer. 'Gluttony' synergizes with 'Infinity,' enabling unlimited energy storage and amplification. It also interfaces with 'Nothingness,' allowing for the complete annihilation of consumed targets, including their existence and conceptual traces.]**

*Annihilation of existence…* The idea intrigued him. *A perfect tool for efficiency.*

**[Suggestion. Begin testing your skills to optimize their functionality. Recommended starting point: magicule absorption and spatial manipulation.]**

*Understood,* he thought, his mind already formulating a plan. But first, he needed to assess his surroundings.

**[Answer. You are currently within the Sealed Cave of the Storm Dragon, Veldora Tempest. Temporal coordinates: Ten years prior to the canonical timeline.]**

*Ten years before canon…* Memories of the light novel surfaced—Veldora's imprisonment, Rimuru's rise, the tangled web of nations and demons. A smirk formed in his mind. *Plenty of time to prepare.*

He stretched his awareness, testing the limits of his slime body. The cave was vast, its walls lined with jagged rock and pulsing with faint magical energy. Somewhere in the distance, he could sense a massive presence—a swirling storm of power that radiated both chaos and majesty.

*Veldora,* he realized. *The Storm Dragon himself.*

**[Warning. Direct interaction with Veldora Tempest may have unpredictable consequences. Proceed with caution.]**

*Unpredictable consequences…* The thought amused him. *Predictability is boring.*

He began to move, his gelatinous form gliding effortlessly across the cave floor. As he did, he activated 'Great Sage,' its enhanced processing power immediately analyzing the environment.

**[Analysis complete. The cave is saturated with Veldora's magical energy. This energy can be absorbed and converted to enhance your own capabilities.]**

*Good,* he thought, activating 'Gluttony.' The skill manifested as a faint, swirling void within his slime body, pulling in the ambient energy like a black hole. He could feel his reserves growing, the 'Infinity' attribute ensuring that there was no upper limit to his storage capacity.

**[Energy absorption successful. Magicule energy reserves at 12% capacity. Continue to optimize.]**

*Efficient,* he noted, his mind already calculating the next steps. *But energy alone won't be enough. I need skills. Knowledge. Power.*

**[Suggestion. Locate and consume entities within the cave to acquire new skills and abilities.]**

*Agreed,* he thought, his form rippling with anticipation. *Let's see what this world has to offer.*

As he moved deeper into the cave, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. This was a new beginning—a blank slate upon which he could paint his own masterpiece. And with 'Great Sage' and 'Gluttony' at his disposal, the possibilities were endless.

The cave was alive with magicules, its dark recesses teeming with monsters born from the dense concentration of energy. He could sense them—small, flickering presences scattered throughout the cavern. To most, they would have been threats. To him, they were opportunities.

**[Detection. Multiple low-tier monsters detected. Recommended action: Engage and consume.]**

*Finally, some entertainment,* he thought, his gelatinous form rippling with anticipation. He glided forward, his 'Great Sage' already analyzing the nearest target—a pack of Cave Wolves, their fur bristling with faint magicule energy.

The wolves noticed him immediately, their glowing eyes locking onto his translucent form. They growled, low and menacing, circling him with predatory precision.

*Predictable,* he mused, activating 'Gluttony.' The skill manifested as a swirling void within his body, its pull subtle but inexorable. The lead wolf lunged, its fangs bared, only to be swallowed whole by the void. The others hesitated, their instincts screaming at them to flee, but it was too late.

One by one, they were consumed, their magicules and skills absorbed into his being.

**[Analysis. Skills acquired: 'Enhanced Senses,' 'Claw Strike,' and 'Pack Tactics.']**

*Trivial,* he thought, dismissing the skills. *But a start.*

He continued deeper into the cave, his form gliding effortlessly over the uneven terrain. The next encounter was with a cluster of Rock Lizards, their scales shimmering with earth-aligned magicules. They were tougher than the wolves, their hides resistant to physical attacks, but they posed no real threat.

The real breakthrough came when he encountered a pool of water deep within the cave. It was no ordinary pool—its surface shimmered with magicule energy, and small, fish-like monsters darted beneath its surface.

*Let's get Water Manipulation?* He extended a portion of his slime body into the pool, allowing it to merge with the water. Using 'Great Sage,' he analyzed the properties of the liquid, experimenting with its flow and density.

**[Analysis. Skill acquired: 'Water Manipulation.']**

*How am I perceiving my surroundings without visual organs?*he said

**[Answer. Through passive analysis of magicule fluctuations and spatial vibrations, the skill 'Magic Sense' has been acquired and optimized. Range: 50 meters. Precision: 98.7%.]**

*Magic Sense…* He pulsed faintly, his form rippling with amusement. *So I've been "seeing" through magicules all along.* It explained the lack of traditional vision—everything was a tapestry of energy, heat, and intent. He focused, expanding his awareness. The cave's jagged walls, the faint drip of water, even the skittering of insects—all translated into crisp, enormous data.

**[Addition. 'Magic Sense' synergizes with 'Great Sage,' enabling real-time mapping and threat detection.]**

*Good,* he thought. *Now, let's test its limits.*

He glided toward a cluster of Giant Bats hanging from the ceiling, their magicules weak but concentrated. They screeched, sensing his approach, but he didn't strike immediately. Instead, he pulsed a harmless surge of magicules, mimicking the frequency of their echolocation.

The bats swarmed toward the "prey" they thought they'd detected—only to collide midair in a chaotic tangle.

**[Analysis. Bats disoriented. Efficiency of deception: 89%.]**

*How… entertaining,* he mused, dissolving into a puddle to avoid their frenzied dive. With a thought, he activated 'Water Manipulation,' condensing moisture from the air into razor-thin icicles. They hovered around him, glinting faintly in the dark, before shooting forward to pin the bats to the cave walls.

**[Skill acquired: 'Ice Projectile.']**

*No fun,* he thought, consuming the immobilized bats with 'Gluttony.' Their magicules were meager, but their panic tasted… *interesting.*

**[Suggestion. Prioritize higher-tier monsters to accelerate growth.]**

*Patience,* he chided inwardly. *Where's the fun in rushing?*

He continued deeper into the cave, his Magic Sense now painting a vivid map of the terrain. When a pack of Shadow Panthers emerged from the gloom, their bodies blending seamlessly with the darkness, he didn't bother evading. Let them think him vulnerable.

The lead panther lunged, its claws swiping through his slime body—only to freeze mid-strike.

**[Activating 'Nothingness.' Partial annihilation of target's forelimb.]**

The panther yowled, stumbling back as its paw dissolved into motes of light. The others hissed, circling warily.

*Too late,* he thought. Extending tendrils of slime, he ensnared them one by one, dissolving their limbs with precise applications of 'Nothingness.' Their agonized thrashing sent ripples of satisfaction through his consciousness.

**[Skills acquired: 'Shadow Cloak' and 'Night Vision.']**

*How pedestrian,* he scoffed, absorbing their remains. *But useful for ambushes.*

The real challenge came when he encountered a Stone Golem—a hulking mass of rock animated by dense magicules. It roared, its fist slamming into the ground where he'd been moments prior.

*Finally,* he thought, his form splitting into dozens of smaller slimes to evade the attack. Each fragment taunted the golem, darting around it like iridescent fireflies.

**[Proposal. Use 'Earth Manipulation' to destabilize its core.]**

*No,* he countered. *Let's try something new.*

Merging his fragments back into a single body, he activated 'Water Manipulation,' flooding the area around the golem. As it lumbered forward, he fused the water with 'Stone Skin,' creating a viscous slurry that clung to its limbs. The golem slowed, its movements growing labored.

**[Skill variation created: 'Mud Trap.']**

Seizing the moment, he engulfed the golem in his slime form, 'Gluttony' dissolving its rocky exterior layer by layer. The core—a pulsating orb of earth-aligned magicules—was his prize.

**[Skill acquired: 'Earth Core Reinforcement.' Magicule capacity increased by 0.7%.]**

*Acceptable,* he thought, his form shimmering with renewed energy.

By the time he reached the deepest chamber of the cave, his arsenal had grown exponentially. 'Great Sage' hummed with constant activity, optimizing every skill and refining his strategies. But the true test lay ahead.

**[Detection. Massive magicule signature ahead. Identity: Veldora, the Storm Dragon.]**

*Ah,* he pulsed, his form rippling with anticipation. *The main event.*

The air grew thick with oppressive energy, magicules swirling like a tempest. At the center of the chamber, sealed within a glowing hexagonal barrier, was Veldora himself—a towering dragon radiating raw, chaotic power.

**[Warning. Engaging Veldora carries significant risk. Recommended action: Avoid direct conflict.]**

*Risk?* He pulsed again, this time with genuine amusement. *Since when have I ever cared about risk?*