Rimuru's Restart: That Time I Travelled Back in Time

Chapter 1: The First Friend

"Where am I?" I wondered, resisting the urge to use my Multi-dimensional Perception. The surroundings were blank and disorienting.

[Master has been teleported to Veldora's cave, right when you were reincarnated.]

Ciel's voice cut through my confusion.

So, we really traveled back in time.

"Right when I met Veldora?" I asked again, still processing the situation.

[Correct.]

The confirmation was reassuring, though I felt flustered. I wasn't sure if my abilities had reverted to Predator and Great Sage, but hearing Ciel's voice calmed me.

Activating my Perception, I saw the infrared fluorescence of the Magisteel clusters within the cave. The once dark, indistinguishable space transformed into a vivid, beautiful landscape. 

The air shimmered with a variety of colorful magicules, and the abundance of naturally growing Hipokute Herbs reminded me of my earlier encounters.

Despite the temptation to harvest the herbs, I refrained. Last time, I had unknowingly wandered across the entire Great Jura Forest, which would later become mine. 

This time, I decided to leave it to my Agriculture Officers once the time was right.

For now, my focus was on finding Veldora.

Walking through the breathtaking cave, I marveled at the scenery. I hadn't been able to truly appreciate it the last time, given my lack of absolute vision back then.

[I advise Master to be cautious if you desire a reality similar to the previous timeline.]

I understood the warning. Minor changes could snowball into larger paradoxes, reshaping events entirely. While my main goal remained the resurrection of Shizu-san, I was also aware of the responsibilities that came with the changes I might introduce.

With another version of me still existing in the previous timeline, there was no need to return. I would navigate this world carefully, ensuring any alterations were minimal and didn't disrupt the inhabitants too much.

"I don't mind small changes," I thought, "but I don't want to cause too much disruption."

"Hey, Ciel, I retained all my abilities, right?" I asked for one final confirmation.

[Yes, Master. You have retained all of your skills and abilities.]

Hearing that eased my concerns. Facing my old adversaries no longer intimidated me as it once did. However, I still remained cautious of Yuuki. I had no intention of risking a close call again, especially not without Ciel-sensei's assistance.

Suppressing my aura was my first priority. Initially, Yuuki wasn't overwhelmingly powerful; his victory over me had been in an information war, not raw strength. Over time, though, he acquired new abilities, leading to our eventual direct confrontation.

While I could easily eliminate him now, doing so would drastically alter the timeline.

 Assassinating someone as influential as Yuuki might also turn me into an enemy of humanity.

His popularity, especially among the unified western human nations, meant his sudden death would undoubtedly cause chaos.

So, my plan was to outsmart Yuuki and defeat him without throwing the world into disarray. With the crucial information I had, patience and caution would guide my actions.

"Ciel, could you create Shizu-san's mask for me?" I requested. The mask would help suppress my magicules, which tended to leak uncontrollably.

It was designed for me too. Normally, Chloe's mask won't last a second against Nihility Energy.