Tensura Reaction/Short

Gift of the World(1)

The bustling city of Tokyo had been loud and chaotic, yet Satoru Mikami always found solace in its familiar noise. Walking through the streets on his way to meet an old friend, his mind wandered between the mundane events of his life. Thirty-seven years old, a run-of-the-mill salaryman, and still single. Nothing extraordinary, just one more insignificant human among millions.

Then, in an instant, his life was torn from him.

The sharp, cold pain of a knife slicing through his abdomen was unexpected and jarring. His vision blurred, the city sounds faded, and blood soaked his shirt. In the moments that followed, Satoru was certain he was about to die. His thoughts slowed, memories flashed before his eyes, and an overwhelming sense of regret filled his heart.

"I didn't even get to say goodbye..." he thought, a tear slipping from his eye as he fell to the pavement.

But as darkness enveloped him, something impossible occurred.

A voice, deep and resonating, echoed within his mind.

...

...

...

[Initiating soul transference...]

[Unique gift detected...]

[Bestowing divine gift: Omnipotent Evolution.]

[Congratulations, you have been chosen by the Voice of the World.]

Satoru felt his consciousness stretch across time and space, as if every particle of his being was being rewritten. In that moment, the voice continued its cryptic declaration, and he could feel power, raw and infinite, seeping into the core of his soul.

[You shall be reborn.]

[With this gift, all limits will fall before you.]

His thoughts raced, confusion battling with a strange calm. "Reborn? Gift? What... what's happening?" he tried to speak, but there was no mouth, no voice, only his mind floating in a vast, endless void. It was in that emptiness that the truth hit him. He was no longer Satoru Mikami. He was becoming something else.

The next sensation was warmth, strangely comforting, like floating in a womb of water. He felt his awareness solidify once again, though this time, everything was... different. No arms, no legs, he was a tiny, squishy, gelatinous blob. His vision was murky, but he could sense everything around him with perfect clarity.

"What... what am I?" he thought, trying to move, only to realize that his form shifted effortlessly.

[You are a slime.]

"Slime?!" Satoru, now Rimuru, thought in panic, recalling memories from old games and novels. Slimes were weak creatures, cannon fodder at best. But before he could despair, that same voice, deeper now, more powerful, spoke again.

[Fear not, for you have been granted the Divine Gift: Omnipotent Evolution.]

The words were unfamiliar, but as they settled in his mind, a surge of information poured into him. He understood. Omnipotent Evolution wasn't just some random skill. It was a power beyond imagination. Every ability, every trait, every form of knowledge could be absorbed, assimilated, and evolved into something godly. His power was limitless.

[Skill: Predator acquired.]

[Skill: Great Sage acquired.]

[Skill: Multi-Dimensional Perception acquired.]

[Title: God-King of Creation bestowed.]

In an instant, Rimuru felt as if the entire cosmos was at his fingertips. With a single thought, he could feel the world around him. The cave he had spawned in was vast, but nothing escaped his perception. There was no question he could not answer, no element he couldn't control.

He concentrated, willing himself to see the skills he now possessed (As instructed by this voice).

Predator. The ability to consume and evolve anything he absorbed.

Great Sage. A supreme intelligence network that allowed him to analyze and understand all things. Or, it can be considered as an Artificial Intelligence.

Multi-Dimensional Perception. He could now see and interact with multiple planes of existence, even manipulating the flow of time into a certain decree.

But the title, God-King of Creation, was what intrigued him most. The power to reshape reality itself, to create life, to bend existence to his will. He hadn't simply been reborn as a slime. He had been reborn as something far more dangerous.

Suddenly, he felt movement nearby. Creatures, dangerous ones, were approaching, drawn by the disturbance of his awakening. In any other life, he would have felt fear. But now? There was only calm. Rimuru stretched his gelatinous form and willed the world to respond.

[Activating Omnipotent Evolution...]

The creatures appeared, a massive pack of direwolves, their fangs gleaming in the dim light of the cave. They lunged, but Rimuru didn't flinch. Instead, he extended his body toward them, consuming the first wolf whole. His mind was flooded with data, strength, speed, heightened senses, all of which he absorbed instantly.

Within seconds, the entire pack was gone. The once-ordinary slime had taken in their forms, their power. But it wasn't enough. The power of Omnipotent Evolution surged once more.

[Beast form acquired.]

His body shimmered, morphing effortlessly into a colossal wolf, larger and more fearsome than any of the creatures he had absorbed. His blue eyes glowed with raw, untamed power.

"This... is insane," Rimuru thought, admiring the body he had conjured. He had never felt more alive, more in control.

But there was still more to discover. His new existence was no longer bound by the limitations of his past life, and he had a world to explore. No, not just explore. Rimuru felt a strange new drive within him—he wanted to make the most in this second life.

"I am not just a slime," Rimuru mused with a sly smile.

[I am a God-King.]