Chapter 3 — A Place to Call Mine
I had spent days wandering the rocky plains, moving carefully, testing my body, my shadows, my skills. Each time I absorbed another weak demon or captured a shadow, I felt myself becoming slightly more solid, slightly more real. Still, I wasn't strong. I was still small, still fragile in a world made for beings far older and crueler than me.
And yet… I had survived.
That was enough for now.
Today, I decided it was time to settle. A home. Somewhere I could anchor myself, a place I could grow without being stumbled upon immediately by someone stronger.
I found a narrow canyon, its walls black stone streaked with faint crimson veins of mana. A small stream of molten mana ran through it, warm and quiet. It was not impressive, but it had potential. I could dig, shape, and hide. It could become my shadow, my refuge, my nest.
I knelt and touched the ground. Mana responded to my presence almost immediately. Shadow Lord stirred, spreading my signature into the walls, cloaking the place subtly. Cursed Sage's voice whispered encouragement:
"Master, this area is suitable for low visibility and growth."
I exhaled, the first calm breath I had taken since waking.
This will be my home.
I didn't know how long it would take to truly grow stronger. I didn't even know if I could survive the next encounters. But I had a year. One year before Rimuru… before the world changed again.
I needed to understand my body, my skills, and my lineage. Seven demon ancestries intertwined in me. Each one pressed against the other, unstable, waiting to overwhelm me if I misused them.
I focused on Cursed Sage first.
"Master, we should begin by understanding your basic abilities. Shadow Lord is responsive. Mimicry Core and Edit can be trained, but require observation of targets."
I nodded silently. My shadow flickered across the canyon walls. I extended a tendril. It moved as I willed it, thickening, stretching, folding. It obeyed perfectly.
Okay… this feels right.
Then I tested Shadow Lord more actively. I sent a piece of my shadow into the empty canyon, probing. The walls absorbed it slightly. I could feel mana from the rocks.
"Master, absorption detected. This area can be used to store minor shadows."
I tried to lift small rocks, redirect lava streams in the stream, even alter my shadow's shape for simple camouflage. Each action drained me more than I expected, but every attempt left me slightly stronger.
It was slow. Excruciatingly slow. But survival had always been slow.
By nightfall, I rested. My shadows were thicker, more controllable, my magicule flow steadier. Cursed Sage murmured a quiet approval, submissive but warm, as if proud of even this small step.
I didn't feel proud. I only felt… determined.
I thought of the future. One year. What could happen in one year? Powerful demons would notice me if I lingered too long in one place. I needed to grow without drawing attention.
"Master, you must expand your knowledge gradually. Akashic Archive can store observation notes. Shadow Lord can scout areas unseen."
I closed my eyes and let my consciousness reach into the shadows around me. The echoes of other presences tickled the edges of my awareness. Tiny, weak demons—imperfect, like seedlings—lurking near the canyon. Each could become a lesson if handled correctly.
I whispered to myself:
"I have to be ready. I have to survive. I won't be weak anymore."
The shadows pulsed around me. They whispered with Cursed Sage's soft voice guiding each motion. Slowly, deliberately, I became more than the boy who had died on the street.
I was a Lower Demon, yes—but even the smallest spark of power could ignite.
And I intended to make it burn.
End of Chapter 3