The Wolves and the Goblins.

Rimuru had a clear plan inspired by the original Rimuru, AKA ORim.

ORim had the right idea when he created a monster kingdom. It would be very useful to have his own place to rule. It would be a massive hassle to do things the other ways Sage suggested. So Rimuru would put in some effort to kickstart his own town, and then once the wheels got rolling, he could pass off most of the work to his subordinates.

I mean, delegating was the most important part of being a boss, right?

Following ORim's steps, Rimuru decided to ally with creatures of the forest, starting with goblins and wolves. The order of recruitment didn't matter as much as the approach.

As he navigated the dense forest, Rimuru asked the Great Sage to conceal his magicules. 

"We don't want them running before we even chat, right?" he mused.

 His plan was simple: challenge the alpha, demonstrate his strength, and secure the allegiance of the pack through a show of power.

Upon finding the wolves feasting on a carcass, preparing for their next hunt, Rimuru made his approach. 

"Excuse me, my fine fellows. I come to you with a challenge." he announced, stepping into the clearing with what would be a confident smile if he had a face.

The wolves tensed, their growls low and threatening. Rimuru continued, undeterred by their hostility. 

"I wish to fight your boss. Whoever wins leads the pack. And if I win? I'll grant names to all of you. How does that sound?" he proposed, gauging their reactions.

A large, formidable wolf stepped forward, locking eyes with Rimuru. The pack's growling intensified, but Rimuru took their stance as an unspoken agreement.

"I'll take that as a yes. Three, two, one, and…" Without waiting for a formal response, Rimuru unleashed a concentrated blast of water directly at the Alpha wolf's head. The stream was sharp and swift, piercing through the air and striking the wolf with lethal precision. "You're dead, bummer."

As the pack froze, stunned by the swift defeat of their leader, Rimuru quickly utilized his Predator skill, consuming the Alpha wolf in an instant.

[Analysis complete. Mimic: Direwolf ability obtained. Direwolf intrinsic skills Keen Smell, Thought Communication, and Coercion acquired.]

The rest of the wolves, now leaderless and witnessing the power of their new potential leader, hesitated, their growls subsiding as they assessed Rimuru, who now possessed not only the form but also the intrinsic abilities of their former leader.

He slammed a massive paw against the ground, a deliberate show of power. Magicules shimmered in the air, carrying his will, as he activated the thought communication skill along with a subtle hint of coercion.

"I am now your new leader. Do you have any objections?" Rimuru's voice echoed in their minds, the tone friendly yet underlined with an unspoken authority.

The wolves exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of fear and awe. They had never experienced such a direct and potent assertion of dominance. Slowly, influenced by the compelling force of Rimuru's presence, they began to bow one by one, accepting their new leader with a blend of respect and necessity.

"Good," Rimuru muttered, satisfied with their submission. He shifted back into his slime form, the transformation drawing curious looks from the pack. "I will give you all names once we are done with our next mission. I wouldn't want all of you to take a nap in the middle of nowhere, right?"

A wolf that looked like the Alpha, hesitant yet driven by newfound loyalty, stepped forward. 

"Boss… what are your orders?" His voice trembled slightly, still unsettled by the swift change in leadership.

"Don't worry, pup, I don't bite," Rimuru joked, lightening the mood as he hopped onto the wolf's back, an act that surprised but didn't alarm the wolf. "Let's go find us some goblins."

The pack rallied around Rimuru, their initial hesitation replaced by a growing eagerness to follow the commands of a leader who promised not just strength but also a sense of unity and purpose. As they set off through the forest, the air was filled with a new energy, a pack reborn under the guidance of Rimuru, now ready to expand their horizons beyond the familiar woods.

—- — —

As the wolf pack navigated the dense forest under Rimuru's new leadership, they shared their dire situation. With the orcs' increased activity, food sources had dwindled, pushing the wolves to venture deeper into the forest. 

The disappearance of Veldora's intimidating magicules had also lifted their fear, making the deeper parts of the forest accessible to them.

Rimuru took all the information in, nodding his slime body sagely as they moved. Though he had already known the information, it was good to get a firsthand source.

Eventually, they arrived at a small, dilapidated town. The makeshift buildings were barely standing, and the defenses looked as if a strong wind could topple them. 

"Boss, this is the goblin camp. Our former leader wanted us to attack it to eat the goblins. Are those your orders?" The wolf beneath Rimuru asked, its body tensed for a potential assault.

"Nope, I'm going to recruit them," Rimuru declared, his voice calm as he dismounted gracefully onto the soft grass. "Stay here. I'll be back in a bit."

Transforming into his wolf form, Rimuru charged down the hill towards the goblin camp with startling speed. The goblins panicked at his approach, scrambling for weapons. But before they could organize a defense, Rimuru was already howling at their gates, his howl amplified by a skill he had acquired from one of the Vampire bats, combined with a potent release of his magicules.

"Awoooooooooooooga!" The howl reverberated through the camp, stunning the goblins into submission. The sheer force of his presence made it clear; they were no match for him.

"Howdy," Rimuru greeted them casually, his voice echoing around the now-silent village. "I have been sent here by the storm dragon with one mission: to unite the monsters of his great forest under my name."

The goblins exchanged bewildered looks, their initial fear giving way to cautious curiosity. It was the village elder who stepped forward first, dropping to his knees with a mixture of reverence and fear. 

"If you are here on behalf of the great storm dragon, we humble goblins will not fight you. Please have mercy on us."

'Goblins and wolves in the span of one day. Pretty good for a baby slime, isn't it, Sage?' Rimuru mused in his head, gazing down at the goblins who knelt before him in a mixture of awe and expectation. 'Must be some sort of world record.'

[Affirmative. The speed of subjugation is according to my estimations.] The calm voice of Sage echoed in his head which almost made Rimuru roll his eyes.

"Alright, now, let's address the state of this village. It's a mess. But before we tackle that, let's handle something more important, naming you all. This will make coordinating our efforts much easier." Rimuru announced, reverting to his slime form as he beckoned the wolves to join the gathering, easing the tension.

"Names?" The goblins whispered among themselves, their voices tinged with surprise and rising excitement. 

The eldest goblin stepped forward, his voice carrying a note of reverence. 

"It is our honor to receive a name from you, our leader sent by the storm dragon…"

"You can just call me Rimuru." he interjected, wanting to keep things simple.

"I see, Lord Rimuru. It is our honor…" the elder corrected, bowing deeply.

— — —

The initial fear the goblins felt towards the wolves quickly dissolved as they saw the creatures peacefully coexist under Rimuru's command. The atmosphere turned festive as they prepared for the naming ceremony, their excitement palpable.

A name was not just a label but a gift of identity and purpose for a monster. It was a rare and precious offering, costing a significant amount of magicules, and thus, it was bestowed only by those who truly cared for their well-being. For a monster, receiving a name was a transformative event, and those who named them earned an eternal place in their hearts.

Recognizing the gravity of the moment, Rimuru took his role seriously.

"Gobone, Gobtwo, Gobtre, Gobfor, Gobfiv, Gobsi, Gobsev, Gobei, Gobni, Gobten…" He methodically named each goblin, making sure each name was 'unique' and 'meaningful.' Special names were reserved for those who stood out."Googoo, Gaagaa, Gaspacho, Gotaro, Gio."

As Rimuru bestowed names upon them, the goblins' eyes sparkled with tears of joy and gratitude. They had been simple creatures barely surviving each day, and now they were named beings with a leader who believed in their potential. A leader who was carefully choosing each of their names. Focussing deeply as he…

Well, to be honest, Rimuru's mind was elsewhere.

He was thinking about the things to come.

He was thinking about the days ahead. According to the Great Sage's calculations, he had roughly a month before the ogre village met its demise. Only a handful of ogres had survived in the original, each becoming formidable in their own right. By rescuing more of them now, Rimuru hoped to bolster his ranks with powerful allies for future challenges.

Like he had thought before, his goal was simple: delegate. Why tackle every issue personally when he could dispatch capable ogres instead? Besides, there was no denying the allure of the ogres' potential evolution into the majestic Kijin. Or to be more specific, the Kijin women.

"I mean, who can blame me?" Rimuru mused to himself. 

As a former human now reincarnated as a slime, he still held on to some human inclinations, which he discussed with the Great Sage. Despite the Sage considering certain human features unnecessary, Rimuru had insisted on a complete transformation, unnecessary parts included.

Shaking his head to focus again, he continued thinking about his other problem

If events unfolded as he anticipated, she would soon arrive with adventurers, only to succumb to her fiery fate as Ifrit. It was a grim outcome Rimuru was determined to avoid for totally 'noble' reasons.

[Warning. The threshold of magicules set has been reached.]

In the midst of these reflections, Rimuru stoped the ongoing naming ceremony as a goblin stepped forward eagerly. Raising his hand, he announced. 

"This is my limit for today. I will continue the naming ceremony tomorrow." The goblin's face fell slightly, but he nodded in understanding, respecting Rimuru's decision.

Rimuru jumped down from his perch and called everyone to gather around. 

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen, wolves and pups," he began, capturing the attention of his diverse audience. "As some of you might recall, my plan is to unify all monsters of this great forest. Hence, I have one rule… Don't fight amongst yourselves. As long as you have been named by me, there should be no conflicts between you, regardless of your past fights. Remember, our mission is to unify the forest and create a peaceful community."

The goblins and wolves all listened intently, their expressions a mix of determination and curiosity as they glanced at each other.

"Good, I better not hear about any fights. From now on, we work as a team. Understood?" He finished, his voice becoming serious near the end. Underscoring the importance of unity and cooperation among them.

"Great, now, who in here knows where the ogre village is?" he asked, scanning the crowd for any sign of recognition or knowledge.

After a brief moment of silence, an older wolf with greying hair and a notably keen gaze stepped forward, Sir Barksalot. 

In theory, he only needed to name the alpha, Ranga, for the entire pack to evolve, but he wanted to name the rest because it would also make them stronger. The result was a lot of weirdly named wolves, courtesy of his imagination.

"I know the way, Lord." he said confidently. "It's deep in the northern forest, past the river that splits the white woods."

"Excellent," Rimuru responded, his voice laced with approval. "We'll need a small group to come with me. It's crucial that we approach the ogres diplomatically and offer our support. They must see us as allies, not threats. Otherwise, things will become too much of a hassle."

With his mission to the ogre village planned, Rimuru turned his attention to the immediate needs of the goblin camp. The settlement, with its makeshift buildings and shabby defenses, required significant improvement. Standing before the gathered goblins, Rimuru began to outline his plans for the reconstruction of their homes and the efficient gathering of resources.

"Everyone, listen up," Rimuru started, ensuring he had the full attention of the goblins and wolves alike. "We have a lot of work to do here to make sure this place can truly be called a home. But don't worry, I've got a plan that'll make us the envy of the forest!"

Rimuru paused for a moment, then continued.

"First things first, we need to rebuild your houses. They need to be sturdy and comfortable."

[Initiating calculation. Optimizing resource allocation and structural design using relative knowledge from previous life.] The mechanical voice of Great Sage resonated within Rimuru's mind, processing the data with precision.

[Error. The current subjects lack the skills necessary to begin implementing the infrastructure plans.]

[Processing…. Creating alternative instructions…. Process complete. Instructions have been simplified.]

[Generating names for instructions based on books from memory. Success… "How to Build a City for Dummies" has been created.]

[Generating plans for gathering resources… Success… Basic instructions were generated. ]

[Request. Consume trees to process the raw materials into paper. Using information found in database from memories to create the process.]

"And they said I was wasting my life by listening to random YouTube videos." Rimuru laughed as he heard Sage's voice begin to prepare everything for him. Truly, the way of a leader was to delegate.