Welcome to Tempest, Shiro

Chapter 3 - Welcome to Tempest, Shiro

The walk—well, bounce—toward the city took longer than Ren expected. Not because the distance was far, but because his body was still adjusting to movement. Being a slime had its perks, but navigating forest underbrush felt like trying to parkour with a Jell-O mold.

Rimuru, bouncing cheerfully ahead, occasionally paused to point out flora, fauna, and minerals with the casual air of a local tour guide.

"That's a Healing Herb. Crush it and steep it in warm water—you get a basic potion. And over there's a Pepper Nut tree—great for spicy broths!"

Ren soaked in every detail, his foodie soul practically singing while his analytical mind started assembling a mental database. Each sample, each scent, triggered something in his memory. It wasn't quite a skill, but something close—an instinctual cataloging system he'd officially named the Kitchen Logbook Protocol - Alpha Build.

[Ingredient Discovered: Spineleaf]

[Taste: Sharp and citrus]

[Effect: Digestive stimulant]

Further along the path, a glint caught his attention.

[Analysis]

[Material: Dustgem Vein]

[Properties: Trace mana conductivity]

[Suggested Use: Culinary temperature control enchantments]

Then came the animals: long-tailed squirrel-rats that chittered in the trees, a massive lizard with bark-like scales basking on a rock, and cloud-colored birds that shimmered in and out of visibility. A burrowing mole-beast surfaced briefly near their path, sneezed, and tunneled back down, its fur dusted with glittering ore fragments.

He didn't absorb these ones—just observed, fascinated.

"So this is the world outside the cave," he murmured. "It's like someone mashed up a survival RPG with a gourmet travel show."

The forest eventually thinned, revealing a sprawling open plain dotted with buildings, market stalls, and all manner of monsterfolk. Goblins, Lizardmen, Orcs, and others bustled about in harmony.

Ren's core pulsed with awe. "This… this is a whole civilization. And they're all… monsters?"

"Yup!" Rimuru beamed proudly. "Welcome to the Jura Tempest Federation. Or Tempest, for short. It's a nation I founded—monsters working together to build a peaceful society."

Ren stared. "You founded a nation?"

"Technically, yes," Rimuru replied with a sheepish jiggle. "It's a long story. I'll fill you in later. But first, let's get you introduced properly."

They passed through the city gates, where guards bowed or saluted Rimuru. Eyes turned toward Ren with curiosity, some filled with caution, others wonder.

"He's so squishy!" a child ogre squealed.

"Another slime? Could he be…?" whispered a goblin.

"Don't worry," Rimuru said quietly. "They're friendly. Just surprised. Most folks don't expect much from slimes, but you've got potential."

They approached a wide plaza with fragrant food stalls lining its edges. The scents hit Ren like a truck—herbed stews, sizzling skewers, sweet pastries laced with spice.

His slime form trembled with joy.

"Smells like… paradise."

"Hah! You're gonna love it here," Rimuru chuckled. "Actually, that's kind of why I brought you. You've got a sharp palate and a curious mind. We're starting a research and development team focused on food—new recipes, preservation magic, ingredient hybridization, that kind of thing—and I think you'd be a great fit."

Ren blinked—or whatever the slime equivalent was. "Wait, that's a thing?"

"Of course! We've got chefs, farmers, even magic-enhanced taste testers. You'd be the first slime on the team, though. Think of it as flavor engineering with magical ingredients."

Ren paused. Dying in Tokyo, reincarnating as a slime, and now being recruited into fantasy-world food science?

"…I'm in," he said, laughter bubbling in his core. "One hundred percent in."

"Perfect," Rimuru said, pulsing with satisfaction. "There's just one more thing to make this official."

Rimuru then turned to Ren, his body glowing faintly.

"You said your name was Ren, right?"

"Yeah. Ren Nakamura, actually."

Rimuru's glow brightened. "Then from today onward, you are Shiro Tempest. As a fellow slime and a citizen of this nation, that name binds you to us."

[System Notification]

[Name Granted: Shiro Tempest]

[Magicule Resonance Initiated — Core Identity Stabilized]

[System Integration: Social Authority Parameters Established]

He felt as if his core was singing—a deep, resonant hum of belonging and power.

Then, still trembling from the pulse of energy, he wobbled forward and muttered, "...I'm gonna need a nap. And a bowl of something spicy."

Rimuru laughed. "You'll fit right in."

As they moved deeper into the city, Shiro's mind continued ticking. New ingredients, strange magic, unfamiliar creatures—and a role he never could've imagined.

He was a slime now.

But maybe that was exactly what he needed to become something more.

[Milestone Achieved: Welcome to Tempest — First Steps Toward a New Life]