Chapter 2: A Special Slime

The battlefield roared with the snarls and growls of rapidly advancing wolves. Ainz watched their approach, swiftly casting high-level defensive spells not only on himself but also on Aura and his new slime ally. "Magic Ward, Greater Resistance, Magic Boost..."

Just as Ainz was about to cast his first spell, he was startled by the sight of a wolf being mangled before him by an unseen force. More followed suit, their blood and fur torn apart by some invisible attack. The wolves hesitated momentarily, attempting to find the source of the threat. Then, the pack leader noticed it—a small, metallic, razor-sharp thread slicing effortlessly through their ranks. He howled, a futile attempt to alert his comrades, as many continued charging to their demise.

"A trick of yours, I presume?" Ainz inquired of Rimuru, still channeling a mid-level spell. "It appears I may have overestimated these wolves, to fall prey to a simple thread."

"I was fortunate to have prepared a defensive line before their attack! Next, I will attempt Water Blade to eliminate the leader."

"Fascinating. I shall use supportive magic to enhance your abilities," Ainz replied, extending a bony hand over Rimuru's slimy form. "7th tier spell, Focus Magic." Rimuru began to glow with a blinding blue light as power surged from Ainz's hand into him. "Now!" Ainz commanded with authority.

Rimuru unleashed the Water Blade attack without channeling it, a detail Ainz keenly noted. The blast cleaved through the remaining wave of wolves, one after another, leaving carnage in its wake. Only those who accidentally leaped over the attack while charging survived. The echoing devastation cut through the forest, felling trees and rock formations before dissipating on the other side of the clearing. When the blast finally subsided, only a fraction of the wolves remained—15 to be exact. The leader, identifiable by its unique white fur, lay obliterated.

For a moment, the world fell silent, devoid even of the rustling of leaves. Everyone stood in shock at the raw display of power. While Ainz was accustomed to such levels of strength from his time in Yggdrasil, witnessing it firsthand, especially emanating from a simple slime, surprised him. Rimuru was astonished, feeling power he didn't know he had, even with Ainz's magic.

"I-I'm going to speak with the survivors now," Rimuru finally broke the lingering silence.

"Yes, of course," Ainz replied, his mind racing at the thought of encountering a new player potentially on par with his own power level.

"Listen, wolves! Your leader is dead, and from now on, you will pledge loyalty to me and the goblins of this village!"

"Yes, master!" The wolves cried, surprising Rimuru and Ainz.

"You can talk? Well, that simplifies matters."

One of the wolves, with patches of white fur akin to the leader's, raised its head. "It is Thought Communication. It allows us to speak through our minds with multiple people."

Rimuru walked toward the corpse of the pack leader, passing pools of blood and remnants of flesh. As he approached, he expanded and enveloped the mangled body, swiftly disintegrating it.

Ainz stepped forward, his emotion suppression activating. "Rimuru, may I speak with you in private?"

Rimuru hesitated, glancing back at the goblins and wolves. "Y-yes," he replied hesitantly, following the towering skeleton just out of earshot from the others.

"So, you were in Yggdrasil as well, I assume?" Ainz asked, kneeling to inspect his slimy counterpart.

"What's that?"

"T-The game we're from. Didn't you also come here from a game?" Ainz's unease dissipated as his emotions calmed.

"N-No! I was stabbed by a criminal!" Rimuru exclaimed, giving a small amount of sympathy from Ainz. "When I woke up, I was a slime in this fantasy world."

"It seems neither of us is from this world. We both appear to possess considerable power. We should remain allies in case we encounter more hostile entities."

Rimuru felt a wave of peace wash over him. The imposing skeleton would not be an enemy, it seemed. "Well, I think I'm going to settle in the village. Would you like to stay with us?"

Ainz smiled, knowing where the slime would reside, should they ever become enemies. Perhaps he couldn't defeat him alone, but with the aid of the Floor Guardians and a few world items, victory would be easy. "No, I have my own home, but thank you." They both stood up, returning to the village where the goblins had already begun celebrating.

An old and withered goblin approached Rimuru. "Lord Rimuru! That was a terrifying display of power! We are very grateful to both of you for your assistance!" The feeble goblin held up a pint to Rimuru. "Please, celebrate with us, and you too, Mr. uh..."

"You may call me Ainz Ooal Gown."

"Lord Ainz! Join us in celebration!"

Ainz paused, considering whether he could taste or be affected by alcohol at all. Deciding that if he were to test this, he'd prefer to do so within the safety of Nazarick. "No, thank you. We must return home now."

The goblin and Rimuru looked up at Ainz, disappointment tempered by understanding. Aura overheard Ainz and ran to him with a piece of roasted meat. "Ainz, look! They gave me some food, and I'm going to keep one of these puppies!" she exclaimed, holding up a wolf as if it weighed no more than a feather.

Ainz laughed and patted Aura on the head. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. We can use this wolf to gauge the strength of these creatures in the new world."

"As sharp as ever, Lord Ainz!" Aura shouted a bit too loudly, causing the wolf to cover its ears with its paws.

"Well, Rimuru, it has been a pleasure meeting you, but we must leave." Ainz kneeled down, extending his hand to shake Rimuru's. He quickly realized his mistake, but to his amusement, Rimuru created a hand out of his slimy body and shook Ainz's.

"Thank you for your help. When you return, this village will be a prospering city!"

Ainz chuckled, trying to maintain a friendly demeanor. "I'm looking forward to it. Goodbye, Rimuru." With that, Ainz began walking away with Aura, who was cradling the wolf like a puppy. "Ready, Aura?"

"Yup!" Aura replied in her ever-enthusiastic tone.

Ainz took Aura and the wolf in his arms. "Greater Teleportation!" he shouted, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished from their spot.