The hallway of Volga Manor was still dim with morning light. Mana lamps lined the stone walls, casting a hazy orange glow at their feet. Rimuru Tempest and Shuna Onizawa had been facing each other across a small table by the window at the end of that hallway since last night. Spread across the table were maps of the Great Forest and a survey team composition proposal written in Shuna's meticulous hand. Last night, after putting away the pale blue seal stone in a drawer, sleep never came. Something was in the depths of the forest. That much was certain. "[serious]Regarding the survey team composition, it would be you, myself, and Benimaru once he returns. The three of us——" Footsteps echoed from down the hallway. Heavy. Rhythmic, but unable to hide exhaustion. The moment Rimuru looked up, a familiar deep crimson curl appeared around the corner. A large frame, 185 centimeters tall. A thin scar across the right eye. Travel dust clung to the shoulder of his armor, yet his spine remained perfectly straight. "[serious]Benimaru Mikazuki, you're back!" Benimaru stopped. He turned. Golden eyes met Rimuru's. His expression didn't change at all. "[cold]……It's Mikazuchi." "Oh, right. Mikazuchi. Not Mikazuki, but…… Mikazuki?" "[cold]Mikazuchi." A second time. In exactly the same tone of voice. Shuna gently tugged at Rimuru's sleeve. "[whispers]Rimuru-sama, you said the same thing three seconds ago." "S-sorry, Benimaru! Mikazuchi! It's Mikazuchi!" Benimaru let out a short breath. "[cold]……If you can remember it, I'll correct you as many times as needed." He answered flatly and approached the table. He brushed travel dust from his shoulders while glancing at the map. His eyes immediately took on a serious light. "[serious]I have a report. It's urgent." --- The three moved to the main conference room. Benimaru spread out the map he'd brought back. Information collected on the return from border patrol was written in with pencil, meticulously recorded. "[serious]Until now, Galmburg sightings were concentrated in the northeast. But during this patrol, appearances were confirmed in the east as well." Rimuru looked at the map. Red dots were indeed spreading. From northeast to east, in an arc. "It's spreading……" "[serious]That's not all." Benimaru's finger pressed down on a point approximately 15 kilometers east of Rimurus. "[serious]A goblin village was trampled by a pack. The fields are completely destroyed. The food storage was demolished. No deaths, but there are multiple seriously wounded." The conference room fell silent. Rimuru didn't move, staring at the map. A goblin village. The one along the Melva River. The village where the headman Gul had come proudly reporting on the potato harvest before the season, that village. "……Completely destroyed." "[serious]The entire storage. All the winter provisions." Rimuru's fist slowly tightened on the table. (My people are hurt.) That realization sank heavy into the pit of his stomach. Shuna opened her mouth while writing something in her notepad. "[serious]If the pack is moving with this much coordination, something must be controlling them. If we don't strike down whatever is moving them from beyond the Mist Boundary Gate, this will keep happening." "[serious]That's right." Benimaru looked at Rimuru. "[serious]We need a survey team to the deep interior. Now." Rimuru raised his eyes from the map. "[serious]We're going. The three of us depart today." "[gentle]I'll prepare the equipment. Give me an hour." Shuna was already flipping through her notepad. Departure time, supplies to carry, who would take over defense command. Her meticulous handwriting filled the grid squares. Benimaru simply nodded without a word. That was his answer. --- The first day went smoothly. Once they entered the Great Forest, Shuna felt the flow of mana with her palm and decided their course. Northwest, toward the Mist Boundary Gate. As the density of trees increased, the light grew thin. The ground became soft. Rimuru pulled the pale blue seal stone from his pocket and showed it. "Benimaru, this. I found it in the forest, but it's the same color as the Galmburg pattern." Benimaru took it. His golden eyes narrowed. "[serious]……I've never seen this pattern before. Some kind of ancient relic, perhaps." "I don't know." "[serious]Don't keep it in your pocket like that. Secure it deep in your bag. If there's any mana reaction, it's better if it's away from your body." "Oh, right." When Rimuru obediently put it away, Benimaru's eyebrow twitched slightly. He hadn't expected him to comply without question. By early afternoon on the second day, the air changed. The trees grew taller. Roots pushed up the ground, making footing treacherous. And——he could feel it. The mana concentration was thick. Three or four times the average of Tempest as a whole. Benimaru stopped and scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes. "[serious]I'd prefer to avoid camping tonight, but……" The moment he started speaking. A distant rumble came. Boom. Boom. Boom. Multiple. Different rhythms. Different directions. Not from one direction. "[serious]Set up camp. Quickly." The three swiftly prepared for camp. Shuna concentrated her mana to confirm the foundation points of the barrier while measuring the trees in all four directions with her eyes. The sun set. The forest darkened. And then. The trees rustled. From all four directions at once. --- They appeared. Body height three and a half meters. Pale blue patterns pulsed across their backs. One, two, three——he stopped counting. More than ten. Moving with coordination from three directions——northeast, south, and east——surrounding the camp. Not wild rampage. This was an encirclement. An intentional encirclement. "[serious]You understand? I'll hold the front. Shuna, the flank." "[serious]Yes." Benimaru drew his sword. The blade was wrapped in mana, glowing with flame-colored light. "[angry]——I'll sweep them all away at once!" He lunged forward. BOOM!! A flash of flame swept horizontally across the front pack. Three bodies flew. Slammed to the ground, their pale blue mana scattered like mist. The remaining two hesitated, and he stepped forward again for a second strike. On the left flank, Shuna's barrier deployed. A transparent wall spread between the trees, catching two charges. The wall shook. Cracks formed. Sweat beaded on Shuna's forehead. "[serious]I can hold it……!" The front was held. The flank was held. Rimuru checked behind him—— The brush split open. One had slipped through a gap in the barrier. Charging straight at Rimuru. (Shift to slime form and evade. Activate the predator——!) Rimuru's body instinctively transformed into slime. The Predator skill activated. To consume the target, analyze it—— It should have. The pale blue mana covering the Galmburg rejected the skill. A soft bounce. Like pressing a hand against a rubber board, nothing entered. The skill whiffed. (What?) Understanding lagged a beat. (Predator……doesn't work?) His body froze. The Galmburg didn't miss that instant. A massive claw came down—— CLANG!! A body intercepted it. Benimaru. He caught it with his sword, but couldn't completely kill the momentum. The blade slid, and the claw dug into Benimaru's shoulder. Blood flew. Vivid red scattered into the dark forest air. Benimaru staggered. One knee touched the ground. Still, he didn't release his sword. "[angry]Fall back……!" "Benimaru!" "[serious]I said fall back!" A roar echoed through the forest. On one knee, Benimaru readied his sword again. His wounded form became a wall protecting Rimuru behind him. "[scared]Rimuru-sama! The barrier——!" Shuna's voice shook. Cracks spread across the side barrier. Her mana was running out. The situation was worst-case. Benimaru on one knee. Shuna's barrier about to collapse. Predator doesn't work. "[serious]We retreat. South!" "[serious]Yeah!!" Supporting Benimaru, they ran. Shuna used her last mana to detonate the barrier, stopping the pursuing creatures for a moment. The three ran south through the forest. Branches struck faces. Roots tripped feet. The tree density thinned, and the mana concentration in the air dropped. Rimurus was close. When they broke out into the safe zone of thin mana, the three stopped. Benimaru pressed his shoulder, leaning his back against a tree trunk. His breathing was ragged. Blood seeped between his fingers. Shuna dropped to her knees on the spot, pulling out a recovery potion bottle with trembling hands. No one said anything. Rimuru stared toward the dark forest. (Predator didn't work.) That fact spun in his head. The skill that had consumed everything until now was completely rejected. That pale blue mana held something that sealed Predator. He couldn't say it. Not now. Not when Benimaru was wounded, Shuna had exhausted her mana, both of them were falling apart——he couldn't tell them his skill didn't work. --- When they returned to Rimurus, a messenger left on duty came running with a pale face. "[scared]Rimuru-sama! Two reports came in while you were away!" "What is it?" "[scared]The beekeeping farms in Volkera's flower garden——two more locations were destroyed by Galmburg packs! The honey inventory is nearly depleted, and recovery potion production has stopped! And——" "What's the other one?" "[scared]A notice arrived from Belgunte, a border town of the Ingrassia Kingdom. If the promised recovery potion shipment isn't fulfilled, they're considering reviewing the trade agreement——" The messenger's voice continued. Rimuru listened while accepting the notice. A single thin sheet of paper. But heavy. Benimaru stood there, favoring his wounded shoulder. "[serious]……Next time, I'll definitely finish them." A low voice. Biting back pain, yet unbroken. Shuna started to say something, then stopped. She opened her notepad and began writing down the report details. Her hands still trembled slightly. Rimuru folded the notice and put it in his pocket. (With Predator sealed, how do I push into the deep interior?) To that question, tonight he had no answer.