Hey everyone, MagmaKyuubi here, and I wanted to wish you all a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.

I'd like to apologize for the late update, but my life has been a bit chaotic lately. Long story short, I was planning on studying in Germany, I went there, things didn't work out, I returned back home, and then I had to deal with a whole host of things.

Hopefully, and I make no promises, I'll start writing more often. Seriously, don't hold me to this, I'm not promising anything!

Also, please check out the poll on my profile page, it would really be helpful to me! Don't forget to check out my Author's Notes, and please leave a comment (no flames, they're not cool!)

GhostlyRedacted: Thanks, and I hope you have a great day too!

Mr. E Guest: 1) Well, sort of. He'll mainly have general skills like [Pyrokinesis] or [Earth Control, but he'll certainly recreate techniques he's seen using them. I won't likely create new skills dedicated to specific jutsu, mostly so I can reduce how many skills I have to keep track of. 2) No, there won't be anyone else from the shinobi world reborn here, human or tailed beast. 3) I'm not too well informed about The Legend of Zelda, but if I include the masks (I likely won't), then simply eating them would let him switch species. It wouldn't matter if he had the [Metamorphosis] skill or not, since the masks themselves had the ability to switch the user's species from what I understood.

Just Guest: Well, no, boss monsters won't have quirks. This is because, compared to blessings and skills, most quirks from MHA would be cantrips or something similar. I might take inspiration from some quirks to give rare monsters special abilities, if that sort of answers your question.

Almevo: I'll answer you in the author's notes, so I don't spoil anything.

I don't own Naruto or Re: Monster or any other Anime/Manga or other references I use.


Regular Speech - "Rasengan!"

Thoughts - 'Nani!'

The Gamer - [Level Up!]

Chapter 5: Large and Red, but Certainly Not Jolly

While returning to the goblins' new home, Naruto noticed some blood splatter on the ground. Looking around and checking with his [Map, he hasn't killed anything in this area and decided to investigate. He followed the trail into the bushes, stealthily moving as to not startle whatever is out there, and what he saw gave him pause. He finally discovered it, or rather encountered it, the beast he'd been warned about.

When Gobujii was teaching him about the many creatures and beasts that made this forest their home, there was one that simply speaking about caused him to experience extreme fear. This was a beast that Gobujii warned them to never face, as its strength was unfathomable. It held the title of Mountain Lord, being the strongest monster in the forest, but it was better known as the Red Bear.

Its body was over 4 meters long, with rippling muscles hidden by blood red fur. This was a beast that you flee, the type no one wants to face, but Naruto wasn't just anybody. He was confident in his chances of beating it, having hunted plenty of bears in his life, many of them much larger and more dangerous than this one. Granted he was also much stronger before being reborn as a goblin, but with all the skills he's accumulated, he knew he could take it down.

Silently and slowly stowing away his pack into his [Inventory, Naruto used [Observe] on the beast to learn more about it.

Name: Red Bear
Title: Mountain Lord
Race: Hind Bear – VariantLevel: 87
Perks: [Divine Protection of the Demigod of Fire, [Beast King]
A bear blessed by the Demigod of Fire, it is much larger than its Hind Bear kin and much more powerful. It possesses an immunity to fire, as well as the ability to blow enormous amounts of flames from its mouth. Its hide is extremely tough, granting it a defence that tops that of nearly any other beast in the forest. Intimidating beyond any other, a mere look into its eyes freezes prey in place.

Naruto knew he had to be careful, but he currently had the element of surprise and had to make the most of it. He began thinking up a plan, but he knew that he had to act quickly, so he kept it simple. He'll start with using [Spear of the End, and if the bear somehow survives or dodges, he'll use hit and run tactics to chip at its health and lure it to a vulnerable position for a finishing move.

Meanwhile, back at the cave, Gobumi was standing at the entrance staring worriedly at the forest.

"Huh, what's wrong Gobumi?" Gobue asked her friend, "The sun is setting, and the forest is much more dangerous at night."

"Gobue... Goburuto hasn't come back yet, and I'm getting worried..." Gobumi replied, her eyes never leaving the forest.

"Goburuto? Oh right, I haven't seen him around today... He's probably just out hunting stuff." Gobumi began telling Gobumi, "Wait a bit, I'll ask the others if they know where he went."

"No, I haven't seen him." Gobukichi told Gobue, "I've been here the whole day."

"Hmm... No idea." Gobusato stated, "Goburuto's strong, so won't he be fine?"

"I spent the whole day reading and haven't gone outside at all." Gobusai answered Gobue's question, "Sorry for not having anything useful to tell you."

"That's how it is..." Gobue told Gobumi what everyone told her.

"Okay, thanks." Gobumi replied back, the worry she was feeling not disappearing.

"Don't worry too much." Kurama told the worried hobgoblin from his spot near the cave's entrance, and having to stop himself from snickering when he says Naruto's new name, "Goburuto's pretty strong, there isn't much in this forest that could kill him, and he's smart enough to stay away from those that could. He probably got lost, and with the darkness setting in, he'll decide to find a safe spot to stay the night. He's resourceful, so don't worry too much about him, he'll be back tomorrow."

'Last thing he mentioned was that he's on his way back. What's keeping that brat up?' Kurama thought to himself as he kept watch over Naruto's stats through the [Party System, while also sending him a message, 'He's fighting something right now, with how much his MP bar is dropping, but what beast would give him this much trouble. He could just be fighting a swarm or group... I'll go looking for him if anything goes wrong. Hopefully, he'll reply to my message soon.'

Her worries abated, if only slightly, Gobumi retreated back into the cave, her thoughts never leaving Naruto. Meanwhile, the whiskered hobgoblin was panting slightly from exertion of the fight.

He started off by activating his buffing skills, which consisted of [Pump Up, [Armoured Scale Formation, [Body Reinforcement, [Weapon Reinforcement] and [Predict]. After becoming a hobgoblin, and with how high his level had gotten, his total MP had grown greatly and with it his MP Regeneration. In addition to that, [Internal Mana Control] and [External Mana Operation] had levelled up a great deal as well, decreasing his overall MP costs.

After activating his buffs, he cast [Spear of the End, sending the spear of demise magic flying at the Red Bear. This one-hit kill spell would have finished the bear instantly, but the moment he cast the spell, the Red Bear's finely honed instincts and incredible reflexes allowed it to dodge.

'It dodged it? It sure has some amazing instincts, but that arm is done for!' Naruto thought to himself as he readied his halberd. The spear may not have killed the beast, but it managed to sever its right arm, which will certainly be helpful in the upcoming fight.

Roaring in pain and anger, the bear tried to intimidate the much smaller hobgoblin that injured it, but Naruto had already rushed towards it with his halberd at the ready. Jumping and unleashing a devastating blow on its skull, Naruto grunted from the reverberations of his attack.

"Argh! It's tougher than I thought!" Naruto muttered to himself, "How thick is that skull? Barely a scratch... I guess I'll have to use [Power Strike] to do any damage..."

Dodging the retaliatory paw swipes from the bear, he was surprised at how fast it moved and attacked. He was thankfully faster, if barely, but he figured he might have to use [Dash] to dodge just in case. He was not surprised by the crater the bear left behind when its paw struck the ground. He jumped backwards to assess the situation further, not wanting to be in the bear's striking range while thinking.

'The wounded arm's already stopped bleeding... This will be a pain in the ass...' Naruto thought to himself, starting to regret taking this beast on, 'It's hard, can regenerate and has good reflexes.'

Not wanting to give the beast even more time to recover, Naruto sent a plethora of venom coated strings to bind the bear. It quickly broke out of them, but he already knew that it would and was simply using the time it took to break out to setup his next move. He was surprised when the bear released a massive wave of flames from its mouth at him, and he quickly had to dodge the fire.

'That flame is at least 2000 degrees, and [Fire Resistance] only reduces fire damage slightly. It doesn't make me immune to them.' Naruto concluded, his experience in fighting against and with many fire type users helping him. 'If I still had Sage Mode or even Kurama's Chakra, I would've been fine against this level of heat, but there's no point in dwelling in the past. I'm not going to come out of this fight unscathed!'

Clanking his halberd on his shield, Naruto taunted the bear to come at him, and it fell for it, moving forward from its position. It only managed to take a few steps forward, when the ground suddenly broke beneath it, causing it to fall into a pit lined with sharp spikes.

Naruto had used [Earth Control] to form that pit while the bear was breaking out of the venom coated strings. Most of the spikes broke on impact, but a few managed to puncture its tough hide. The overall damage was minor, but it placed the bear in a vulnerable position.

Drawing his estoc, Naruto rushed forward, activating [Triple Stab, [Power Strike] and [Venom] on his sword, while also using [Electro-Master] to channel large amounts of electricity through it.

"Your skin may be tough, but how are your insides!?" Naruto shouted at the bear, aiming his strike into its mouth. The moment he saw the bear release its flames, he used [Aero Master] to create a wind funnel around him, which protected him from the flames for the most part. His strike was true, his estoc piercing through the flames and into the bear's throat through its mouth.

Naruto barely managed to bring up his shield to block the bear's retaliatory swipe that sent him flying into a tree. Grunting in pain as he hit the tree, he was very thankful that he'd activated [Body Reinforcement] and [Armoured Scale Formation] earlier. Otherwise, he'd be feeling more than just some pain.

"Huh... Looks like that... was a... draw..." Naruto panted out, breathing heavily and spitting out some blood.

'My shield and estoc are useless now, but at least I came out of that clash ahead of the bear. [Body Reinforcement] and [Armoured Scale Formation] helped protect my arm from breaking, but it hurts like hell. It'll take a bit for my arm to feel better.' Naruto thought to himself as he observed the bear growling in pain, as it pawed at its mouth and face. 'He's got a piece of a blade stuck in his throat, and it seems like he can't use those flames anymore. For now, I should put out the flames while I can.'

Cutting the burning trees with wind blades and burying the fire with soil and rocks, as he didn't want the heat and smoke to kill him or the fire to spread out.

Rushing the bear, he surprised it by jumping above it instead of striking, but it soon felt what he planned. He used [Power Strike] and the spear end of his halberd to hit the back of its neck. His goal was to drive the sword piece stuck in there further, but the roar of pain the bear released in response caused him to wince in pain.

'He's really loud... Even if he was a normal animal, that roar could pop an eardrum.' Naruto grumbled to himself, having jumped off the bear after performing his attack. 'All those attacks had an effect on him, but it doesn't seem like the fight will be finished any time soon. He can endure a whole lot of damage, while I'll end up dying from a single blow. The odds are completely against me... but that's not new.'

"Still, for some reason... All of that will only make the meal more satisfying!" Naruto exclaimed, his blood pumping and a wide grin stretching across his face. It wasn't that surprising that he was enjoying himself, having always enjoyed a good challenge. He hated unnecessary violence, but he wasn't hunting the bear to just kill it, he intended to eat it as well. The thought of how delicious the bear must be, caused Naruto to salivate a bit and exclaim loudly, "I want to eat you!"

Recentring himself, Naruto used [Aero Master] to sharpen the edge of his halberd, using the advice Asuma-sensei had given him while he was developing his Rasenshuriken. Naruto soon found a wind blade extending from his halberd, and while rather short, he was more interested in the boost to sharpness.

He then rushed the bear, using [Power Strike] with his halberd to inflict deep cuts on it. The wounds closed quickly, but the bear was losing plenty of blood from Naruto's attacks. After some time of hit and dodge tactics, Naruto knew he'll have to end this fight soon, since he was running pretty low on mana and his health wasn't in the best condition.

Needing a finishing blow with an attack powerful enough to finish the bear, he came up with a very risky move but knew it's the only choice he had left. Tossing away his halberd, since it got dented and beat up from the extensive fighting and magic being channelled through it, he rushed the bear for one final attack.

Casting [Spear of the End, he was rather surprised by the small dagger sized spear of demise magic that formed, but he didn't have time to think things over. Rushing at the bear, and ignoring the screen that popped up, he jumped towards its head. Unfortunately, the bear's reflexes were still sharp, and it quickly lunged at him.

Stabbing the bear in the head with the demise magic dagger, Naruto almost sighed in relief, the attack being enough to finish the beast off. Upon landing, his knees buckled, and he almost fell to the ground.

"AGH!" Naruto shouted in pain, clutching what was left of his left arm. Upon lunging at him, the bear bit his left arm, which gave him the opportunity to stab it with the [Spear of the End]. Grunting in pain, he began looking around while muttering to himself, "Where did the rest of my arm go?"

Quickly finding it, and barely managing to make it there without falling, he brought the part that was bitten off back to his left arm and reconnected them. He had activated [Metamorphosis] and [Self-Body Fluid Control] when the bear bit him. [Armoured Scale Formation] and [Body Reinforcement] gave him a few precious seconds to activate those skills, and while it still hurt immensely, he managed to not lose an arm.

Grunting in pain, he saw the window that had moved to the side, as to not obscure his vision, and after reading it, he began panicking slightly.

[Warning!]
You have run out of MP and are still using skills that utilize it. They are now beginning to utilize your HP, and if that hits zero, you will die. You are now also afflicted with [Mana Exhaustion, a temporary debuff that can only be cured with sleep.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Naruto muttered to himself as he noticed how low his HP had gotten and quickly began deactivating all his active skills. His head was pounding, and he was feeling dizzy, which meant that [Mana Exhaustion] had set in, not that he realized that.

With his health so low, Naruto knew he needed to regenerate some HP, or he might die. Looking around for anything that could help, the only thing he saw was the Red Bear's amputated paw. Trying to walk towards it, Naruto instead fell to his knees and crawled there. Grabbing it and sitting under a nearby tree, he immediately began eating its flesh.

What really helped him was his [Vampirephilia] skill, which began restoring HP and MP as he ate the bear's bloody meat. He only managed to eat a bit, as he was feeling more and more exhausted. Looking at his HP bar, Naruto sighed in relief, as it was now at a decent level.

Before he could close his eyes and sleep, a window popped up in front of him, but with how blurry his vision was from exhaustion, he couldn't read anything. He barely managed to raise his arm to swipe it away, which caused the window to disappear and that let him close his eyes and fall asleep.

Not too long after, Kurama burst through the bushes and immediately rushed towards his former host upon spotting him. Once he realized that Naruto was just asleep, and while his HP wasn't full, he wasn't in any immediate danger, he relaxed.

Once the red fox had noticed Naruto's HP and MP bars were dropping rapidly, he quickly left the cave, telling the goblin guards that he was going out hunting. They didn't really care all that much, their job being to stop things from getting in for the most part.

He tracked Naruto through the [Map, quickly moving through the forest with great speed, using his [Negative Emotion Sensing] to avoid any predators that would take time to deal with. Sighing in relief that the brat was fine, he promised to punish Naruto for worrying him, and that was when he finally noticed the massive bear nearby. Quickly charging up his [Bijuudama] and taking a protective stance over Naruto, it took him a few moments to notice that the bear wasn't moving, that it was dead.

"What the hell?" Kurama exclaimed in surprise, the size of the beast surprising him, "Did you really kill this bear, you brat?"

He wasn't expecting a reply from the sleeping hobgoblin, Kurama grunted in annoyance, since he realized he couldn't drag Naruto back to the cave during the night. Lying nearby and relaxing, Kurama relaxed and began drifting off, trusting in his [Negative Emotion Sensing] to warn him if anyone or anything with hostile intentions comes nearby.

Day 34

[You have slept on the ground]
50% of your HP and MP have been restored and all Status Effects have been removed

That was the first thing that Naruto saw when he opened his eyes, the sun's rays having woken him up. Groaning in annoyance and muttering something gibberish, Naruto swiped the window away and shifted around in an attempt to escape the sun. His attempts ended in failure, and the sun succeeded in ending his restful sleep and forced him to wake up.

Groaning in annoyance and opening his eyes, Naruto stretched a bit before standing up. A small breeze made him realize that he was buck naked, which made him scratch his head and a small blush to form on his cheeks.

"Did my clothes get destroyed in the fight?" Naruto muttered to himself, before he suddenly heard something grumbling, the source of the sound being his stomach. Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, Naruto found the paw he munched on the previous night nearby. Muttering to himself in confusion, "It looks smaller than I remember... I must've eaten a good amount of meat from it."

Not wanting to eat any fur, Naruto looked for his knife to skin it and found it in what was left of his clothes. Holding it in his hand, Naruto noticed that the knife was much smaller than he remembered. It was barely the length of his hand now, and it wasn't the only thing that was smaller. Looking at the Red Bear's corpse, it also looked smaller than he remembered.

Another louder gurgle from his stomach caused Naruto to ignore those minor details and begin skinning the paw and the rest of the bear afterwards. Eating while he worked, Naruto ignored all the windows that popped up or were in queue, until most of the bear was consumed. From the supreme meat and rich blood to the organs overflowing with vitality and the marrow, so similar to minerals, Naruto stored it all away in his stomach.

His hunger finally abated; Naruto turned his attention towards the screens waiting in queue.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of experimentation, you have gained the Active Skill [Elemental Imbuement]!

[Elemental Imbuement] (Active, Lvl: 1): Created by Naruto Uzumaki, this skill was inspired by the [Chakra Flow] technique. With this skill, the user can channel elemental magic through their weapon, increasing its power and imbuing it with special abilities unique to each element. Fire creates a burning edge, electricity causes paralytic shocks, water extends its range considerably, wind boosts sharpness greatly, and earth increases durability and blunt damage. This skill uses MP to imbue weapons with elemental magic.

[Warning!]
Your MP has reached zero, but you still have skills using MP. They are now beginning to utilize your HP to function, and if that hits zero, you will die. You are now also afflicted with [Mana Exhaustion, a temporary debuff that can only be cured with sleep.

[Mana Exhaustion: A temporary debuff that afflicts those who use more mana than they possess, overtaxing their body. Continued use of MP while its zero begins to draw on the user's HP, and the user begins to experience a number of side effects such as intense headaches, dizziness, extreme fatigue and blurred vision.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Active Skill [Peerless Heavy Strike]!

[Peerless Heavy Strike] (Active, Lvl: 1): This skill allows the user to strike with immense strength, allowing them to channel the entirety of their physical might into a crushing blow. A peerless strike, this heavy blow will crush most defences and very few can resist or withstand its power.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Passive Skill [Intimidation of the Strong]!

[Intimidation of the Strong] (Passive, Lvl: 1): Your imposing presence and raw power instils fear and trepidation in those who stand against you. This aura that you release is a mark of your strength, causing weak opponents to freeze in fear or flee, and stronger ones to hesitate in their actions. The higher the level of this skill, the greater the effect it will have on others.

[Rank Up]
You have reached the designated level and are now eligible for Rank Up
You have cleared the special requirements "Regicide", "Militarist" and "*God*"
You can Rank Up to [Ogre – Rare]
Do you wish to Rank Up?
[Accept / Decline]

[Rank Up]
Goburuto has successfully evolved into [Ogre – Rare]!
Your [Goblin] Perk has been replaced with the [Ogre] Perk!

[Ogre: This is a racial perk all Ogres possess, and it can change upon Rank Up. Ogres are powerful creatures, possessing great strength and vitality. Don't mistake them for mere brutes, despite what most typically end up becoming, as Ogres don't lose any of the cunning or intelligence they possessed as a Hobgoblin, in fact they seem to get even smarter.
Bonus Strength, Vitality and Dexterity
Racial Skills obtained previously are not lost

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Active Skill [Mountain Lord's Piercing Roar]!

[Mountain Lord's Piercing Roar] (Active, Lvl: 1): A skill unique to the Mountain Lord, it allows the user to release a loud and piercing roar that stuns and intimidates enemies. This roar can cause enemies to freeze in fear, become stunned or even flee from this roar, with the skill becoming less effective the stronger the opponent.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Active Skill [Intimidating Glare]!

[Intimidating Glare] (Active, Lvl: 1): A skill that allows the user to channel their sheer presence to unsettle their opponents. Through eye contact with the target, the user emanates a menacing aura that causes enemies to hesitate or lose their nerve. This intense glare can cause the user's enemies to flee or become momentarily paralyzed with fear. This skill becomes less effective the stronger their opponent .

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Passive Skill [All Elemental Resistance]!

[All Elemental Resistance] (Passive, Lvl: 1): This skill bolsters your resistance against all forms of elemental damage, significantly reducing the damage you receive from them. This skill ensures that you remain steadfast in the face of all elemental onslaughts, even allowing you to resist debuffs such as [Burning, [Shocked, [Frozen] and many more. This skill can work with other resistance skills to reduce elemental damage.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Passive Skill [Mountain Lord's Stout Hide]!

[Mountain Lord's Stout Hide] (Passive, Lvl: Max): A skill unique to the Mountain Lord, it grants the user an exceptionally tough hide, having a defence that is unmatched by any other beast of the forest. The user's skin becomes thick and resistant to damage, drastically reducing the impact of all damage, as well as providing protection against environmental hazards, making the user far more resilient in harsh conditions.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Passive Skill [Mountain Lord's Strong Muscles]!

[Mountain Lord's Strong Muscles] (Passive, Lvl: Max): A skill unique to the Mountain Lord, it grants the user immense physical might, one beyond most beasts and beings. This skill enhances the user's muscle power and physical capabilities, causing their body to become incredibly powerful, allowing them to perform feats of immense strength and increasing their overall physical abilities. This skill also enhances the user's stamina, allowing them to fight for longer periods of time and experience exhaustion more slowly.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Passive Skill [Tyranny of the Beast King]!

[Tyranny of the Beast King] (Passive, Lvl: 1): A skill unique to the Mountain Lod, it grants the user a commanding presence that asserts dominance over those weaker than them, instilling fear in their hearts and making the user's will unquestionable. The aura that is released reduces the morale and effectiveness of nearby enemies, as well as making them more likely to flee or freeze when facing the user.

[Perk Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear, you have gained the Perk [Divine Protection of the Demigod of Fire]!

[Divine Protection of the Demigod of Fire: You have gained the blessings of the Demigod of Fire, granting you an immunity to all flames and enhancing your affinity to fire.
[Perfect Flame Tolerance] Skill
Bonus XP to Fire Skills
Bonus to Fire Skills
Reduced MP Cost to Fire Skills

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming the Red Bear and obtaining the Perk [Divine Protection of the Demigod of Fire, you have gained the Passive Skill [Perfect Flame Tolerance]!

[Perfect Flame Tolerance] (Passive, Lvl: Max): This skill grants the user an unparalleled resistance to fire and heat, allowing the user to endure extreme temperatures and making them impervious to damage caused by fire and heat. There exist only a handful of flames that can overcome this skill.

[Hidden Chain Quest Completed!]
[Legendary Beast Hunter –1]
This world is chock full of mighty beasts that few hunters would dare challenge. Some are blessed by Gods and others achieve their strength through their own efforts. Regardless of the origin of their power, all these beasts taste delicious. You've already started on your journey to hunt them, obtaining more power with each beast consumed. However, be warned that the Red Bear, the Lord of the Mountain, could be considered as one of the weakest of legendary beasts.
Chain Quest 1: Defeat and consume the Red Bear, Lord of the Mountain
Rewards: Chain Quest 2, 2nd Title Slot, [Lord of the Mountain] Title, Random Skill Book

[Quest Alert!]
[Legendary Beast Hunter – 2]
You have already hunted one legendary beast, and now you find yourself hunting for more. Investigate rumours and track down tales of unusual beasts, try and find these mysterious creatures to hunt and consume. This will not be an easy journey, but the rewards will be more than worth it.
Chain Quest 2: Find another Legendary Beast and Hunt It
Rewards: Chain Quest 3, ?
Failure: Death

[Title Earned!]
As a result of completing [Legendary Beast Hunter – 1, you have earned the Title [Lord of the Mountain]!

[Lord of the Mountain: A title formerly held by the Red Bear, the strongest beast in Kuuderun Great Forest and the mountains near it. By receiving this title, it is acknowledged that you are the strongest beast now, and the benefits that come with it.
Bonus XP to Intimidation and Physical Combat Skills
Bonus to Intimidation and Physical Combat Skills

"That's a lot of information..." Naruto muttered to himself after he finished reading through all the screens, making a note to check out the skill book and to equip the new title he got. He then looked at his body, checking to see what changed during his Rank Up.

His skin colour was still black, and while he was covered in blood, he noticed that he now had red tattoo like markings over his body. He was larger and taller than before; his arms were as thick as a human's torso, and his abs were now ripped. His hair returned to its previously blonde colour, growing till it reached his shoulder blades. He also now had a pair of horns protruding from his head.

"So, I'm an Ogre now..." Naruto muttered to himself, as he reviewed what happened at the end of the fight. "So, after I began eating the paw, I managed to recover some health and mana. [Vampirephilia] really saved my life there... I was just hoping that eating something will restore some health, or that I might get some skills that would help me."

"Still, that didn't cure the [Mana Exhaustion] debuff, so I was barely able to stay conscious. I remember seeing a window pop up, but my vision was so blurry that I couldn't read it. I must have pressed accept by accident when I swiped it away." Naruto concluded, before grumbling a bit to himself, "It's not like this is bad news or anything, but I really need to start being conscious for things like this. Still, a rare species... That's rather surprising."

Clenching his fists, Naruto felt the strength flowing through him. He felt powerful, in fact he felt invincible, but he shook his head and rid himself of those thoughts. His fight with the Red Bear taught him that he wasn't unbeatable and reminded him that there is always someone or something stronger.

Having not fought anything much stronger than him since he was reborn caused him to get a bit arrogant and to overestimate himself. He's not going to make that mistake ever again, especially since there will be far stronger beings outside the forest.

"Ah..." Naruto muttered to himself, after feeling a breeze and remembered that he was standing there naked without a care in the world for a while now. Grabbing the skinned pelt of the bear, Naruto quickly tied it around his waist and looked at the leftover bear meat, wondering what to do with it.

Taking out his pack from his [Inventory, he began storing the leftover Red Bear meat in it and gathering the rest of his things. He was a bit upset that the Bangle of Strength that he recently got was now broken, his increase in size causing it to shatter, but he stored it in his [Inventory] anyways. Looking around for anything else of his, he noticed a large red fox sleeping near the tree he was sleeping under.

"Kurama!" Naruto exclaimed in surprise, having not expected his furry friend to be there. Walking towards him, Naruto shook him awake and was awarded with the painful sensation of a tail swatting him across the face.

"Hehehe!" Kurama snickered after doing that, having woken up a few minutes ago and was waiting to screw with his former host. Opening his eyes, Kurama jumped backwards, yelping in surprise, "Naruto! What the hell happened to you?"

"Surprised?" Naruto asked him, snickering a bit at his reaction, "I Ranked Up and became an Ogre."

"Huh... Well, good for you. Also..." Kurama answered, pausing for dramatic effect before shouting at the blonde ogre, "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?"

"Huh?" Naruto replied, stupefied by the response he got.

"GOING AND FACING THAT BEAR ALL BY YOURSELF! Were you trying to get yourself killed!" Kurama admonished him, anger clear in his voice. "You already died once, what were you thinking!? Do you have a death wish?"

"It's not like I wanted to fight the bear..." Naruto told him after a few moments of silence, "I was on my way back to the cave, when I ended up encountering him. I didn't go out hunting for him or anything..."

"I'll admit I bit off more than I could chew when I fought him... And that I was arrogant in thinking I could take him on easily." Naruto admitted, the thought of lying to his best friend and partner never crossing his mind, "Ever since I was reborn, every fight I've been in has been pretty easy. Nothing that I couldn't handle, and I thought fighting the Red Bear would be the same thing."

"Look... I didn't mean to worry you, and I wasn't trying to get myself killed." Naruto continued, "I'm sorry for what happened, and I can't promise that something like this won't happen again. I can promise you that I'll try and think things through instead of rushing in headfirst from now on."

"That'll have to do, I guess..." Grumbling in frustration and releasing a sigh, Kurama reigned in his anger and calmed down a bit. Kurama could trust that, since Naruto never willingly broke his promises, "I'm still pissed at what you did, but I'll have to punish you some other time. We should probably head back to the cave, that goblin girl, I think her name's Gobumi or something, was worried about you."

"Ah, crap..." Naruto muttered to himself, a sweat drop forming.

"Also, why didn't you reply to my message?" Kurama asked him as they began trekking back to the cave.

"Message?" Naruto asked in confusion, checking the message log and saw that his furry friend had left several asking him what's going on. "Oh... I was busy fighting for my life and trying not to die."

"No need to be sarcastic, you brat." Kurama snipped back, "I meant after killing the bear and you know it."

"Well, after killing him, I was barely conscious and only managed to find a spot to pass out at." Naruto told him, explaining the [Mana Exhaustion] debuff and what happened in the aftermath of the fight.

'Judging by the sun's position, it should be around 2 p.m., I sure slept for a while.' Naruto thought to himself as they neared the cave, his newfound strength and speed letting him move even quicker, although Kurama kept up easily.

"W-WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY AN OGRE!" One of the goblin guards exclaimed upon seeing Naruto show up.

"E-EVERYONE ASSEMBLE! KILL HIM BEFORE HE KILLS US!" Another shouted in panic.

One thing Naruto didn't think about was how the goblins would react upon seeing him, but judging Kurama's snickering, the red fox certainly did. Smiling awkwardly to try and calm them down, the goblins of course took it the wrong way.

"H-HE'S SMILING! WHERE'S GOBURUTO WHEN WE NEED HIM MOST!" A goblin shouted in terror, which only made Kurama laugh even harder. Somehow, no one had noticed him with Naruto, and the furry bastard didn't even try to calm things down.

"What's going on!"

"It's an ogre!"

"MOVE!"

Plenty of shouts were heard from within the cave as plenty of goblins came rushing out, Gobumi leading the charge. However, seeing the blonde whiskered ogre, she froze and exclaimed something that made everyone pause.

"GOBURUTO!?"

"Ah... Err. Well, I'm..." Naruto began saying, when Gobumi rushed at him and kicked him in the shin, "Ba-"

He might not have felt anything from her kick, but her foot got hurt pretty badly. With tears in her eyes from the pain, Gobumi shouted at him, "JUST SIT DOWN ALREADY!"

"Oh... Right... Okay..." Naruto replied with a small voice, not really sure what he should be feeling. Her foot was clearly hurting, so he healed it for her and then proceeded to kneel and be lectured.

"I WAS REALLY WORRIED, YOU KNOW... WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? AND WHY ARE YOU COVERED IN BLOOD? ARGH, JEEZ!" Gobumi lectured him, tears threatening to burst.

"Yeah... Sorry... I'm really sorry for worrying you like that." Naruto apologized, not able to make any excuses upon seeing her look at him like that.

Everyone else had gathered in that time, so Naruto decided to explain everything to the other important people and Gobujii. The horrified and shocked faces they made after he finished his story almost made him laugh, but he managed to hold himself back. Kurama on the other hand was snickering quietly nearby.

"Goburuto you... you managed to beat that giant Red Bear?" Gobujii asked him with a stutter, his body shaking in fear or apprehension.

"Huh? Yeah, I just said that." Naruto replied calmly, "What? You don't believe me?"

"L-Listen Goburuto... Uh..." Gobusei began saying, her body shivering in fear, the very talk of the bear terrified her, "This forest is home to Hind Bears, and few creatures here can match their strength... Among them is a variant known as the Lord of the Mountain..."

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves a bit, Gobusei continued, "This one is unable to use magic, but is smart, can breathe fire, and is generally just stronger than a Hind Bear. Usually, it can easily kill even an ogre..."

"I know, Gobujii's warned us about it before." Naruto answered, while Gobusato had edged nearby and began tugging at the pelt keeping Naruto decent.

"Yeah, this skin is definitely from him..."

"Gobusato... Please stop tugging on the skin." Naruto asked her with a deadpan, muttering under his breath, "It might pop out..."

"Well... You've beaten the Lord of the Mountain a month after being born and evolved into an ogre. Calling you weird..." Gobujii stated, releasing a sigh of exhaustion, "Calling you weird is an understatement. You've done the impossible..."

"Eh? Come on..." Naruto replied, "What's done is done..."

"And you talk about it as if it's that simple..." Gobusei retorted, "At least understand what you've done..."

They spent the next hour talking, until Naruto decided to head to the workshop to make some new clothes. Wearing that pelt was not comfortable, especially since it hadn't been prepared and the feeling of blood and other assorted fleshy matter on his skin, and more importantly his genitals, was very unsettling.

'Why are they following me?' Naruto thought to himself, as Gobumi and Rubellia were following him.

"EEEEEEEK!" The girls naturally shouted upon seeing him, as Naruto had forgotten that they didn't know he'd Ranked Up. It took a while to convince them, having to use several of his skills to convince them.

'Still, they're pretty cute when they're scared, but their smiles are even prettier.' Naruto thought to himself. For some reason, Gobumi kept pinching his legs, but he ignored that.

"Jeez, you really abused it, didn't you?" Emery asked him when he handed her his dented and broken halberd, before adding, "Oh right! I made a knife with some spirit stones, I'll show you later."

"That sounds pretty interesting..." Naruto replied.

"Do you want me to make some more weapons?"

"Yeah, please do." Naruto told her, while petting her head.

"Hehehe..." She giggled in response, while smiling with a cute blush on her face.

He really enjoyed the expression she was making, noting that girls make some really nice facial expressions. Having perverted teachers certainly affected Naruto, and despite not being like either of them, he was a pervert in his own right. Still, he was rather oblivious, which is why he didn't really know the reason Rubellia kept tugging at his pelt as he pet Emery on the head.

"Here's some of the leftover Red Bear meat." Naruto told the cook sisters, Felicia and Alma, "Maybe you could age it, so its flavour gets stronger. I'll also be hunting some Hind Bears soon, so maybe you can make a stew out of them?"

"We'll need some herbs to go with the bear meat." Alma replied.

"I'll send some of the underlings to grab that." Naruto told her, thinking about how some of how some of the underlings were going to reach level 100 from running errands.

"Also, it's a bit hard to do everything ourselves, so we could really use some assistants." Alma added in afterwards.

"I guess I can get 3 of the female goblins from the logistics group to help." Naruto replied after thinking for a bit. Honestly, he was impressed by the girls, the adaptability and emotional strength they must have to get used to goblins who should be their bitter enemies, is quite something.

He was also impressed by how far the goblins have advanced since he was reborn. They went from everyone only hunting for themselves, to now everyone gathering food for the entire community. They now prepare the pelts into hide, age the meat before cooking it and they've begun smoking and salting a portion of it. Turns out that the goblins took everything with them when looting caravans, so they had a good amount of salt stocked up.

They also had stockpiles of fruits, herbs, mushrooms and roots stored, as well as various bugs, but those were kept separate from everything else. Naruto had Alma and Felicia keep record of when everything was brought in, so they can make sure that they nothing spoils without them knowing.

They also begun growing herbs, although it'll take some time for them to grow, but it gave Naruto the idea that they should dedicate an area for growing plants and agriculture. Maybe even uproot some fruit trees and berry bushes and replant them nearby.

Shaking his head and deciding to think about that later, he focused on the girls and told them, "You know... You'd both make great wives."

"Oh, you and your flattery..." Felicia replied while blushing and giggling.

"If you're not careful, we might take you up on that." Alma added in, smiling with a deep blush on her face.

They weren't upset with his remark, Naruto reasoned, considering the beautiful smiles they were sporting. Still, he wasn't sure what he did to receive the unreasonable treatment from Rubellia and Gobumi, who were smacking him across the head with a bokken.

Spinel, the alchemist, had already gone back to making potions, and Naruto grabbed one and used [Observe] on it out of curiosity.

"Hmm, what is it?" Spinel asked upon seeing him take an interest in one of the vials.

"Say, isn't this..." Naruto began asking her, before she cut him off.

"So, you noticed it..." Spinel stated, "That's right, it's poison."

"Hmm, but..." Naruto retorted, [Observe] having told him what the liquid did, "Isn't this just a paralyzing poison? What did you plan on using it for?"

Spinel was silent for a few moments, before replying, "For self-defence originally, but I learned that I could trust some of the other goblins though. So, I don't have any use for it anymore. I just made it because I feel uneasy without having something prepared."

"Besides, with that goblin with dishevelled hair around..." Spinel added.

"You mean Gobukichi?"

"Yes. I can't imagine anyone acting up with him around." Spinel continued, "Anyways, you're projecting a lot of power. I don't know what to make of it."

"It's not like I can do anything about it." Naruto replied, before grabbing and lifting Spinel up. The idea popped into his head after seeing her cool smile, and he really wanted to see what she looked like when embarrassed.

"Huh! Hey -" Spinel exclaimed after being lifted, and then started giggling as Naruto began tickling her. "Jeez... Stop it... Ahahaha..."

While he was doing that, Naruto felt a foreboding aura behind him, which turned out to be Gobumi holding wooden stave, with a furious look on her face. He really didn't know what she was angry at.

He ended up spending a lot of time with the girls, managing to forget about the uncomfortable feeling of the unprocessed pelt on his skin. However, controlling his newfound strength was rather difficult and mentally exhausting.

Eventually, he managed to craft himself a pair of shorts out of some Armoured Tanuki hide to keep some of his dignity. He wanted to make something with the Red Bear pelt, but it needed to be processed first and that will take some time.

He barely managed to convince Gobumi to let him head out into the forest so he can wash the blood off him. She only acquiesced after Kurama promised to keep an eye on him, and they headed into the forest, to a nearby stream.

Upon getting there, Naruto used [Hydro-Hand] to control the water to wash his body clean, while Kurama relaxed on a nearby branch. He took the opportunity to look at the skill book he got from completing that hidden chain quest. He didn't even know that was a thing!

[Skill Book]

[Dimensional Edge] (Active): This skill allows the user to launch a blade composed of dimensional energies capable of cutting through nearly anything. It has several drawbacks, such as its large MP cost, slow cast time and the dangers of using it several times in quick succession (such as, but not limited to, dimensional wormholes, blackholes, cracks, entropic explosions, null point implosions and other hazardously life-threatening events). This skill uses MP to launch a dimensional blade.

Do you wish to learn this Skill?
[Accept / Decline]

"Well that a pretty strong attack, but I don't like the warning about using it multiple times in succession." Naruto muttered to himself and hearing Kurama's curious hum, he told him about the skill book he got.

"If you ask me, it's not really worth it." Kurama told him, "It takes a lot of mana to use, takes a while to cast and you'd only be able to use it once during a fight. That Demise Magic you've got is better in pretty much every other way. I'd hold off on learning that skill, maybe see if you can use it for something else."

"Hmm, I guess you're right. Still, what should I do with it? Do you want it?"

"Nah... I've got my [Bijuudama, and I have a few ideas in mind for something stronger. Have you worked on getting any new skills?"

"Not really... Everything's just been pretty hectic. Hopefully, things will calm down for now, and I can train and practice for a bit. I want to try and recreate the Rasengan, maybe even develop a few more variations of it." Naruto informed his friend, "Huh... I just got a quest."

"For what?"

"Recreating the Rasengan, apparently. The reward is just some extra XP, but since I'm planning on doing this anyways, I'll just accept it."

[Quest Alert!]
[A Legacy Technique]
Created by Minato Namikaze, your father. Taught to you by Jiraiya, your master and godfather. Helped complete by Kakashi Hatake, your sensei. This is no simple technique, rather its one that represents your legacy.
It's also really cool and strong. Unrestrained power, held back by a thin shell, this move is capable of grinding through any defence and eliminate most opponents with ease. You've mastered the technique beyond what anyone else has managed, and now you must recreate it using mana. It will be a challenge for sure, but are you up for it?
Objective: Create the [Rasengan] Skill
Rewards: XP
Failure: Disappointment?
[Accept / Decline]

Accepting the quest, he also equipped the [Lord of the Mountain] title, since it was better than the [Grandmaster of Pranks] one. He hasn't been using traps, so it wouldn't help him much right now.

Having finished washing up, he put on the pair of shorts he crafted and washed away the blood on the Red Bear's pelt, figuring he might as well do that now and got rid of the remaining soft tissue. Rolling it up, he made some spider silk to tie it and even made some to tie his hair into a ponytail, since it was rather bothersome hanging loose like that.

Returning back to the cave, he hanged the Red Bear's pelt to dry and found himself a spot to rest in. His hammock would need reinforcing to hold his increased weight, so he just gathered a few pelts to use as a pillow and bedroll and went to sleep.

Day 35

Naruto was planning on making some new clothes and hunting tools for himself, ones that would fit his new size, when three of his underlings greeted him.

"Good morning, Ogaruto!" One of them exclaimed, but what surprised Naruto was that they had Ranked Up into hobgoblins.

"You guys sure timed that well..." Naruto muttered to himself, the new hobgoblins not really understanding what he meant, "Also, what's with changing my name?"

"Well, now you're an ogre, not a goblin. So, we figured the new name fits better!" Another hobgoblin replied to which Naruto could only sigh and hope the name hadn't spread. Giving them each a gift as congratulations for evolving, Naruto went to get himself some breakfast before training.

The name had spread around, and the only thing Naruto could do was accept it. Kurama's insults and mockery through their [Party] system didn't help, but Naruto figured he might be able to convince everyone to use his real name at some point. After finishing eating, he went to do his usual morning training.

However, that didn't go as usual, simply because he couldn't spar with anyone anymore. Even when holding back, the goblins could barely take a hit, and not even a fully armed Gobukichi could handle him, with Naruto almost breaking his weapon. Kurama barely lasted any longer than him, Naruto's newfound strength being simply too much, not to mention his ability to shrug off most attacks like they were nothing.

"Hey, sorry about that. Are you alright now?" Naruto apologized to one of the goblins while healing them.

"Ugh..." The goblin groaned in slight pain, "Yeah..."

"You nearly died there, so take it easy for now." Naruto told him, feeling a little guilty.

While thinking about what he should do in the mornings now, Naruto noticed Gobukichi acting uncharacteristically. Moving towards him, he asked his first goblin friend, "Gobukichi, are you alright? Did I break something?"

"No, I'm fine." Gobukichi replied after a few moments of silence, "I'm going out hunting."

"Ah. Take someone with you, it's dangerous to go alone." Naruto told him, but Gobukichi ignored him.

'Just looking at you, something's clearly bothering you, Gobukichi.' Naruto thought to himself.

"You alright there, Kurama?" Naruto asked with a grin, knowing his furry friend was unhurt, physically that is, but who could say whether his pride will recover from the thrashing Naruto gave him.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kurama snarked, "And lose that smirk on your face."

"Hey, can you go keep an eye on Gobukichi? Something's bothering him."

"Sure, I wanted to go hunting regardless." Kurama replied after a few moments, before stretching and running out the cave.

Afterwards, Gobumi and Gobusato both went out hunting together, Gobue mined for more spirit stones and Rubellia sparred and trained with the goblins. Meanwhile, Naruto was making some new clothes and hunting tools, and Gobusei ended sitting near him while reading a book.

"You seem to be adjusting well with your Rank Up." Gobusei commented after seeing how easily he was working with the needle, with most goblins needing some time to get used to their new bodies upon evolving.

"Hmm, I guess..." Naruto replied, "Say, do you think Gobukichi's going to be fine?"

"That's up to how he decides to act."

"I guess... So, long as he doesn't do something stupid, I suppose he'll be okay."

"So, not what you did?"

"Yeah." Naruto agreed, knowing full well that what he did was quite stupid, "By the way, will you return that book anytime soon?"

Gobusei didn't reply, which made Naruto ask her, "Are you just ignoring me?"

"I still haven't finished reading it yet. Gobusei, do you hear me?" Naruto continued asking, before trying a different angle, "Big sister Sei?"

The rest of the day passed by peacefully, with Naruto spending it crafting his new gear. He even managed to get some training in, mostly practicing on improving his control over his elemental magic.

Day 36

"Oh..." Naruto muttered to himself, "I suppose this happens."

The remaining two goblins from the group that tried attacking him in his sleep way back then, had finally evolved into hobgoblins. Naruto gave them their presents while thinking about the recent string of evolutions, given how few hobgoblins existed before he was reborn.

'I didn't know one of them was female...' Naruto thought with a sweat drop.

Afterwards, while eating lunch after finishing his morning training, Gobue came rushing in all panicked.

"O-OGARUTO!" She shouted while rushing towards him, carrying a small brown humanoid creature with a bright red jewel in its forehead. The creature was covered in blood and clearly injured, "WHAT SHOULD I DO? HELP ME OUT HERE, PLEASE!"

Immediately moving towards Gobue, casting [Observe] on the creature, he frowned when he noticed that its HP bar was dropping. Reading through the debuff it was suffering; Naruto was extremely thankful he had a skill that could possibly help.

Name: Returner
Title: Dungeon Keeper
Race: Carbuncle
This artificial Carbuncle was created by a powerful magician to manage his treasury and dungeon. Being an artificial creation, she can live indefinitely, so long as its core is undamaged. Its core, the red jewel in its forehead, is said to be immensely valuable.
[Damaged Core]

[Damaged Core]
The core of this being was damaged, although not destroyed, and if not repaired, it will eventually die. This being will continually lose HP, until the core is repaired or its dead.

Grabbing Returner from Gobue, he began using [Healing Hands] and [Heal] to stop her HP from dropping, while also using [Repair] to try and fix her damaged core and hopefully remove the debuff she was suffering from.

"Gobue!" Naruto commanded, snapping her out of her panic, "Go to Spinel and bring back the strongest life potions we have."

Quickly obeying his command, Naruto channelled even more of his mana into these three skills, hoping to increase their effectiveness. Upon evolving into an Ogre, his total MP increased dramatically and so did his MP Regeneration, which saved him from draining himself dry from what he attempted.

His gamble worked, and the green light with golden tinges intensified and Returner's HP began climbing steadily, helped by Gobue bringing several life potions and feeding them to the carbuncle.

Eventually, he noticed the [Damaged Core] debuff disappear, but kept it up for a couple more minutes, just to be sure. Finally seeing her HP bar full, he tentatively stopped using his skills and was relieved that her HP remained stable.

'This must be what granny Tsunade felt like every time she saved someone... I can see why she did it.' Naruto thought to himself, before smiling and handing Returner back to Gobue.

"She'll be fine, but I can't say when she'll wake up. Why don't you clean her up and have her rest somewhere comfortable and then you can tell me what happened." Naruto told the hobgoblin wringing her hands.

"Thanks a bunch, Ogaruto!" Gobue replied, a wide smile of relief growing on her face. She gently took Returner from his hands and went to do as he said.

Meanwhile, Naruto looked at the new skill that he got, having ignored the window while healing Returner.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of channelling immense amounts of mana into your skills, you have gained the Active Skill [Overclock]!

[Overclock] (Active, Lvl: 1): A rarely discovered skill, and for good reason. This skill allows the user to tap into hidden reserves of power, unleashing the full potential of other skills, amplifying their effects and pushing them beyond their normal limits. This amplification grows with the level of this skill, although the user has control over how much they amplify each skill. However, this comes at a great cost, which is the immense increase in MP cost. This skill uses MP to overclock skills beyond their normal levels.

'That can be pretty useful, but I'll have to start focusing on getting some skills that reduce my MP costs. If I tried [Overclock] while fighting, especially if I'm running my buffs, I'll quickly run out of mana.' Naruto thought to himself, before heading to see Gobue and hear how all this started.

It seems that Gobue had accidentally broken into the Dungeon that Returner managed, which surprised Naruto since he didn't think they'd be so close to one. Gobue discovered the carbuncle and quickly rushed her to him. Ordering a couple of hobgoblins and goblins to go watch the hole into the dungeon, just in case somebody or something decides to enter through, he waited with Gobue for Returner to awaken.

Thankfully it didn't too long for that to happen, possibly a lucky side effect of fully healing her HP and repairing her core.

"This is... May I ask who might you be?" Returner asked upon awakening and seeing the ogre and hobgoblin. After explaining what happened, how Gobue found her and Naruto healed her, the carbuncle decided to talk and tell them what happened to her, "Thank you for treating me even though you knew nothing about me. My name is Returner. I was attacked by humans just now."

She explained that the gem in her forehead was incredibly valuable, worth immense amounts of gold, and how the humans likely attacked her to obtain it. Naruto was thinking about how terrible this all was, and about dealing with those humans, when Returner suddenly bowed in prostration.

"I understand I'm not in a position to ask any more of you... But please get rid of those adventurers!" Returner exclaimed, "I'm in charge of a secret dungeon close to your mines, but I don't have much time left. Please, do be so kind to help me!"

"Wait, hold on... I thought I fixed that damaged gem on your head; did I do something wrong or are you on something like a timer?" Naruto asked upon hearing her exclamation, as [Observe] indicated she was completely fine.

"Repaired my core?" Returner replied while stunned, before scrunching her face and focusing on something. A few moments later, a shocked look appeared on her face, and she exclaimed in surprise, "It's not damaged anymore! You repaired it, how!?"

"Oh, Ogaruto can do all sorts of things!" Gobue replied with a chipper tone, her face falling momentarily when she heard that Returner might die, "We don't really know how and we don't ask!"

"I see..." Returner replied, but a sweat drop grew on Naruto's head. He hadn't really thought of how he'd explain his powers, but thankfully nobody continued pulling on that thread at the moment. Shaking her head, "Regardless, my request remains. I had stationed Skeleton Warriors, but they didn't do well against the adventurers. I would like you to drive them out of the dungeon and seal the entrance."

"Naturally, you will be rewarded for your efforts. All of the treasures within will be yours for the taking!" Returner continued, surprising Naruto with what she said, "My master hated humans, so he would prefer you taking them over the humans stealing them."

"Ogaruto... What should we do?" Gobue asked him.

"Right... Call the others, I'll go talk to the human girls."

When everyone gathered, Naruto recounted Returner's tale, how a famous magician by the name 'Velvet' created her long ago, leaving her in charge of his treasury and dungeon, how human adventurers invaded this dungeon and attacked her to take the gem in her forehead, and how Returner asked them to get rid of these adventurers in return for the entirety of the treasures.

"Therefore, we'll be going into this secret dungeon, so equip yourselves well." Naruto told the hobgoblins going with him, which consisted of Gobukichi, Gobumi, Gobue, Gobusato and Gobusei. Kurama was out hunting, and it'd take him a while to return, so he told Naruto to just deal with it without him.

"Hey, Emery, did you bring that item you mentioned before?" Naruto asked the blacksmith.

"Oh... The spirit stone knife, right?" She replied, handing him the knife while her face showed how nervous she was. This development rattled all the human girls, having not expected violence to sprout near them so soon.

"Yes..." Naruto answered her, and despite not really needing a weapon to deal with a group of human adventurers, he learned his lesson after the Red Bear. Seeing the nervous faces of the human girls, he reassured them, "I know... I won't just blindly kill them all. The request is to drive them off, so I'll try to convince them to leave."

"Though I'll obviously use force if they don't listen or attack me, but I'll have at least tried to resolve things diplomatically, right?"

"Yeah..." Rubellia replied, "Be careful..."

After getting everything together and ordering the goblins guarding the hole to the dungeon to be on guard, the ogre and hobgoblin party headed into the dungeon, with Returner accompanying them. Naruto was surprised when she began floating in midair after recovering, and hoped he'd soon get a skill that would let him fly like that.

Naruto was currently wearing a pair of pants made from Black Wolf hide, and an overcoat out of some leather stored away. It was yellow, but he didn't mind that too much, enjoying the bright colour and lamenting the lack of orange in his ensemble.

Using [Presence Sensor] and [Echolocation] to locate the human adventurers, Naruto had the others hide nearby while he confronted them. He doubted they'd solve things peacefully, but he'd try the diplomatic approach regardless.

"What the hell, there's even an ogre variant here..." A voice muttered behind him. He was already aware of them before they saw him, having let them find him.

"What a pain..."

"We just dealt with those weakling skeletons who only have numbers on their side..."

"This sucks..."

"Whatever, just kill it already. We need to find that tiny thing and take the gem." One of them interjected, which really pissed Naruto off. This blasé attitude towards killing and stealing, that almost made him decide to just end them there and now.

'Calm down... And I'm a rare species, jackasses, not a variant, even though I have no idea what the difference is.' Naruto thought to himself.

"Well..." Naruto began saying as he turned around, grabbing the blade that the wannabe ninja was trying to stab him with. Internally, Naruto was pissed at such a poor imitation of proud shinobi, with such terrible stealth skills, but he continued regardless, "Just hear me out here, dear intruders."

"HE SAW THROUGH IT!? THE ASSASSIN'S 'PRESENCE HIDING' DIDN'T WORK!?" One of the adventurers exclaimed loudly, the rest screaming in panic.

"Listen here... You're in someone's home. Not only have you entered without permission and killed the residents, but you're also stealing treasures. That's robbery and murder right there!" Naruto began lecturing them, finding their panic to be pretty amusing, "The fact that you don't even see it as a crime means you're beyond saving."

"SHIT!" One of the adventurers cursed, "QUIT SPEAKING OUR LANGUAGE SO FLUENTLY, DAMNED OGRE!"

"You guys are pretty lucky; I'm a rather nice person." Naruto began saying, dodging the sword slashes of the guy wearing armour while still holding onto the wannabe ninja's sword. Inwardly he marvelled at how terrible this guy was at using the sword and wondered how they survived getting through the forest. Continuing like the attacks were insignificant, "If you guys just give up and leave, I'd be willing to forget about all of this! How about it?"

There are six adventurers, two of them as the vanguard, three as rearguard and one as support. According to his [Observe, they were all using some high-level magic items, and their teamwork was pretty decent. Still, Naruto didn't feel the least bit threatened by them and that was because it was clear they only got to where they did by relying on their [Jobs, rather than train their skills. None of them bothered to spend any time honing their skills, which was why they all felt weak-

He was interrupted out of his thoughts when a lightning bolt hit him in the head and exploded. This was accompanied by the robe wearing adventurer exclaiming, "Alright! I got him right in the head! Serves you rig-"

The mage went silent when the smoke cleared, and Naruto's undamaged face was seen. Only now, his face was set into a snarl, which seemed to terrify the adventurers even further.

"THIS CAN'T BE REAL! THAT WAS A LEVEL 3 SPELL! HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE!?" The magician shouted in a panic, fear clear in his voice.

"I gave you an opportunity to leave, but you guys chose death. Don't say I didn't warn you." Naruto growled out, before quickly letting go of the wannabe ninja's blade and using [Power Strike] and [Peerless Heavy Strike] to punch the guy in the face. When coupled with [Pump Up] and [Body Reinforcement, which he activated when they entered the dungeon, the wannabe ninja was sent flying into a nearby pillar, and upon impact his entire body was flattened. Using [Earth Control] to cause the ground beneath the adventurers to break apart, Naruto gave the signal to the others while saying, "Ah, sorry... But I've run out of patience, that lightning bolt actually stung a bit."

Arrows and fireballs began flying at the group, while Gobusato and Gobukichi ambushed them from behind. The adventurer wearing heavy armour was the only survivor, although injured and definitely not going to live much longer.

"Now... Don't think too badly of me. I gave you all the chance to leave peacefully. You should just regret your choice to not listen to me." Naruto told him; while pulling out the spirit stone knife Emery had made him. It was only the size of a letter opener, but it'll have to do for now.

What was really interesting about it was that when swung it shoots jets of water that can even cut through plate armour. He decided to let Gobumi try it out, after she looked at him with puppy dog eyes, but it turns out you needed to be able to swing the knife above certain speeds to use it.

Wanting to test something out, Naruto used [Assimilation] on the group of dead adventurers and was surprised when their bodies were surrounded by some sort of black lightning aura before white balls of light shot out of them and into him. Looking at his companions, none of them seemed to see or even sense anything, which was a nifty bonus.

He looked over the skills he got from the adventurer's while stripping them of their equipment.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of assimilating an Assassin, you have gained the Active Skill [Conceal Presence]!

[Conceal Presence] (Active, Lvl: 1): Being hidden is a paramount aspect of stealth, but that is quite the difficult task. This skill allows the user to hide their presence from others, making them unlikely to be noticed. Enemies with certain sensory skills can counter this skill, something the user must remain aware of. This skill uses MP to hide the user's presence.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of assimilating an Assassin, you have gained the Passive Skill [Intuition]!

[Intuition] (Passive, Lvl: 1): Intuition is the ability to understand or realize something without rational thought or evidence. Often called a 'gut feeling', this has helped experienced fighters dodge attacks they couldn't sense or target vital spots they didn't know about. Intuition even works outside of combat, warning you as to whether a situation is dangerous despite evidence to the contrary, or if someone is untrustworthy. This skill strengthens the user's intuition and has it function more often.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of assimilating a Crusader, you have gained the Passive Skill [Equestrianism]!

[Equestrianism] (Passive, Lvl: 1): Among the more important skills that humanity has achieved, which the ability to ride horses. This allowed them to move across vast areas rapidly, or to more easily transfer large amounts of material across distances. This skill allows the user to more easily ride and command horses and other rideable creatures, increasing their movement speed, handling and obedience.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of assimilating a Crusader, you have gained the Passive Skill [Chivalry]!

[Chivalry] (Passive, Lvl: 1): Chivalry, a code of conduct that encourages polite, kind and honest behaviour, is said to be its own reward. This skill provides an actual reward for acting in this manner, increasing the effectiveness of the user's Charm Skills and reputation gains while acting chivalrous.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of assimilating a High Wizard, you have gained the Passive Skill [Shortened Incantation]!

[Shortened Incantation] (Passive, Lvl: Max): Magic spells often require long incantations, the more powerful the spell the longer the incantation. This skill allows the user to skip parts of incantations, shortening them and allowing the user to cast spells much faster. Certain spells cannot be shortened.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of assimilating a High Wizard, you have gained the Active Skill [Quick Thinking]!

[Quick Thinking] (Active, Lvl: 1): A rare skill that most magicians aspire to learn, allowing them to accelerate their speed of thought. This allows them to process information faster and learn magic quicker. They often employ this skill in fights to help them create plans on the fly, as well as determine which spells would be most effective and damaging. This skill uses MP to accelerates the user's processing speed.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of assimilating an Enchanter, you have gained the Active Skill [Parallel Thinking]!

[Parallel Thinking] (Active, Lvl: 1): A rare skill that allows the user to have multiple trains of thought, allowing them to work on multiple problems at the same time. Often learned by master enchanters, it allows them to enchant objects significantly better as well as dispel curses with greater ease. This skill uses MP to grant the user the ability of parallel processing.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of assimilating an Enchanter, you have gained the Passive Skill [Counter Magic]!

[Counter Magic] (Passive, Lvl: 1): An anti-magic magic, as oxymoronic as that sounds, does exist and it works to counter magic or dispel it. Not many spells exist in this domain when compared to almost any other branch of magic, but those that do exist are mostly geared towards dispelling curses on people and objects, countering magic spells and destroying magic barriers.

[Job Obtained!]
As a result of assimilating an Assassin, you have obtained the Job [Assassin]!

[Assassin: This job allows its user to become a rogue specializing in assassination.
Grants Bonuses to Stealth and Sneak Attack Skills
Increases Growth Rate to Stealth and Sneak Attack Skills

[Job Obtained!]
As a result of assimilating a Crusader, you have obtained the Job [Crusader]!

[Crusader: This job allows its user to become a swordsman specializing in utilizing armour and swords.
Grants Bonuses to Sword and Armour Skills
Increases Growth Rate to Sword and Armour Skills

[Job Obtained!]
As a result of assimilating a Guardian, you have obtained the Job [Guardian]!

[Guardian: This job allows its user to become a swordsman specializing in utilizing heavy armour and shields.
Grants Bonuses to Shield and Heavy Armour Skills
Increases Growth Rate to Shield and Heavy Armour Skills

[Job Obtained!]
As a result of assimilating a Priest, you have obtained the Job [Priest]!

[Priest: This job allows its user to become a magician specializing in utilizing support and healing magic.
Grants Bonuses to Support Magic and Healing Magic Skills
Increases Growth Rate to Support Magic and Healing Magic Skills

[Job Obtained!]
As a result of assimilating a High Wizard, you have obtained the Job [High Wizard]!

[High Wizard: This job allows its user to become a magician specializing in utilizing offensive and elemental magic.
Grants Bonuses to Offensive Magic and Elemental Magic Skills
Increases Growth Rate to Offensive Magic and Elemental Magic Skills

[Job Obtained!]
As a result of assimilating an Enchanter, you have obtained the Job [Enchanter]!

[Enchanter: This job allows its user to become a magician specializing in utilizing enchantment magic.
Grants Bonuses to Enchantment Magic Skills
Increases Growth Rate to Enchantment Magic Skills

[Perk Created!]
As a result of assimilating a Guardian, you have gained the Perk [Divine Protection of the Demigod of War]!

[Divine Protection of the Demigod of War: You have gained the blessings of the Demigod of War, improving your combat prowess and enhancing your physical abilities.
Bonuses to Combat Skills
Bonus XP to Combat Skills
Reduced MP Cost to Combat Skills
Physical Attribute Enhancement

[Perk Created!]
As a result of assimilating a Priest, you have gained the Perk [Divine Protection of the Demigod of Compassion]!

[Divine Protection of the Demigod of Compassion: You have gained the blessings of the Demigod of Compassion, enhancing your healing and support abilities.
Bonuses to Healing and Support Skills
Bonus XP to Healing and Support Skills
Reduced MP Cost to Healing and Support Skills

'Jeez... That was a lot of screens, it would have taken me forever if I read through every single one.' Naruto thought to himself, having simply skimmed through the descriptions of the less obvious skills. He also gained the knowledge of a [Counter Magic] spell, albeit a low tier one and he'll have to spend some time learning it. 'To think that some of these weak idiots were apparently blessed by gods...'

Moving the corpses into a pile, Naruto used [Pyrokinesis] and [Overclock] to release a massive wave of flames at the dead bodies, completely incinerating them, 'There's no need to eat them, we have plenty of food back at the cave. Still, these guys made it clear that training my skills is far more important than getting strong ones. I'll have to start pushing myself harder in my training, but it sure would be nice to have some way to merge skills that do the same thing...'

While looking through the adventurer's gear, among which were some really amazing magic items, but two really interested Naruto after using [Observe] on them.

[Hermit's Ring] (Rare Class): A ring that conceals the wearer's Status Information from scrying skills and spells.
[Conceal Status]

[Backpack of Storage] (Rare Class): A magic backpack capable of holding up to 99 items in each of its 200 slots.
[Interdimensional Storage]

Grabbing one of the six backpacks and the ring, he began eating them, ignoring Gobusato's remark of "Ahahaha! For real! He really does eat anything! Awesome!"

The ring would be useful in case anyone decided to use some sort of information gathering skill on him, and it explained why [Observe] didn't work on one of the adventurers. His [Inventory] was superior in every way to the backpack, but he was interested in seeing what would happen if he got a skill from it. He might also figure out how to make more of the backpacks, as they were extremely useful.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming a Hermit's Ring, you have gained the Passive Skill [Conceal Status]!

[Conceal Status] (Passive, Lvl: 1): The existence of scrying spells which would intrude upon people's privacy and uncover secrets best left hidden made many individuals nervous, so a way to stop them was discovered. This skill stops others from being able to view the user's status information through scrying, the higher this skill's level the greater the resistance.

[Skill Created!]
As a result of consuming a Backpack of Storage, you have gained the Active Skill [Interdimensional Storage]!

[Interdimensional Storage] (Active, Lvl: Max): This skill grants the user the ability to summon a chest that is connected to their [Inventory]. They can remove and add items to it, interacting with their [Inventory] through the chest. The chest cannot be opened or accessed by anyone without the user's permission, and it can be dispelled just as easily.

Intrigued by how the [Interdimensional Storage] skill would work, Naruto tried it out and a large purple chest with gold trimmings suddenly appeared in front of him. Trying to dispel it and resummon it, he was really happy with how easily he managed to do so.

This would make using his [Inventory] more convenient, especially in front of others, as demonstrated by Naruto grabbing the adventurers' equipment and storing it in the chest. Naruto gave a [Backpack of Storage] to each of the hobgoblins, since it was unlikely that he'd get anything else by eating them.

Afterwards Returner guided them to the dungeon's entrance, where Naruto used his [Earth Control] to collapse the ceiling and fill it with earth and rocks. He considered asking Returner if they could use the dungeon as a training ground, but figured now wasn't the right time. Besides, most of the goblins wouldn't survive fighting skeletons, and keeping the hole open meant that some might manage to make it into the mines.

They then made their way to the treasure room and found it filled with countless treasures and numerous magic items far more powerful than their current ones. Further in the back, they found a mummified body with a silver gauntlet sitting on a throne.

"Everyone, I would like to thank you for your help." Returner began saying, floating near the mummified corpse, "I'm sure my master would also be pleased. As promised, everything you see here belongs to you now."

"Alright everyone! Start gathering everything and store it in the [Interdimensional Storage] chest. We'll inspect everything tomorrow and split the loot then." Naruto told the others while summoning his [Interdimensional Storage] chest. Turning towards Returner, he asked her, "So, that's Velvet?"

"Yes. By the way, do you know why there are many spirit stones in the cave you live in?" Returner asked him, explaining regardless, "You normally can't find all those different stones in a single place. Fire spirit stones would normally be found near a volcano. Water spirit stones would be near a river or sea. They would only be found in environments that match their elements. However, my master excelled at handling spirits, and they remained here to this day, affecting this entire region."

"Hmm, he must've been an amazing magician."

"Yes, he truly was. Hehehe..."

"So why are the spirits still around... I mean Velvet's been dead for a long time now. Shouldn't they have left or something?"

"Normally, you would be correct, but I believe my presence might have something to do with why the spirits remain here. When my master created me and gave me life, he placed a number of enchantments on me, as well as infused me with a great deal of his mana. That has probably kept the spirits attracted to this area and will continue doing so in the future."

"Huh... So, what're you going to do now? I mean the dungeon's entrance is closed and the treasure room will soon be empty."

"I... I don't know..." Returner replied, a frown setting into her face.

"Why don't you join our community. You could help Gobue in the logistics division, you'd probably do well there having managed a dungeon for so long. Or you could do something else?" Naruto offered her, having planned on asking her for a while now.

"Truly?" Returner asked him with hopeful eyes, and after nodding in affirmation, she exclaimed in joy, "Then I accept!"

By then the hobgoblins had gathered everything and stored it away in the chest he summoned, and Naruto gave them all the good news about Returner joining their community. There were plenty of cheers, as everyone had come to like the artificial carbuncle in the short time they've known her.

"Why don't you all head back to the mine." Naruto told them, "I'll deal with Velvet's body and head back."

While his request was slightly odd, he was soon alone in Velvet's treasure room, and he had a decision to make here. It was something he needed some advice on, so he messaged Kurama to ask for his opinion on the matter.

"What do you want brat? I'm busy eating right now." Was Kurama's reply once Naruto sent him a message asking if he's free at the moment.

"Alright, alright. I'll make it quick. After dealing with that group of adventurers, Returner, the artificial carbuncle, took us to the treasure room. It's filled with some really incredible stuff; you can look for something when we split the loot tomorrow."

"So, you all go and deal with a group of adventurers without me and now want to give me some pity loot?" Kurama replied back, but Naruto knew he was trying to fuck with him.

"Stop trying to screw with me, it's not going to work. I asked you if we should wait for you, but you told us to go on ahead."

"Hehehe..." Was the reply he received, followed with Kurama getting to the point, "What did you need?"

"The mage who built this dungeon and made most of the items here, well his body is still here, mummified thankfully, but still in one piece. From what I've learned, he was a really powerful mage when he was alive."

"Thinking about eating it?" Kurama replied, and Naruto could see the smirk on his furry face, "I guess it can't be helped. Those oni instincts must be flaring up, wanting to eat humans, regardless of whether their bodies are fresh or rotting."

"First of all, you furry jackass, I'm an ogre. I don't know if Onis exist in this world or not, but I'm sure there's probably some sort of difference between us. Second, I told you his body is mummified, not rotten. If it was, I wouldn't have even considered eating it."

"Sure, sure. Hehehe..."

"Will you give me some actual advice, or just screw with me?"

"Fine, fine... What's the problem, then? It's not like you killed the guy; he's been dead for a long time now. If he was that powerful, wouldn't eating him give you a massive power boost or something?"

"That's the problem... Lately, I've been growing stronger really quickly. A month ago, I was a goblin that could be killed by a fucking bunny. Now, I'm the strongest beast in the forest. Those adventurers, from the looks of their gear, were probably high-level ones, and I could have handled them by myself without any trouble. The problem is, what the hell will I need so much power for?"

"It's not like it's the first time you've gotten a shitload stronger in such a short period of time. It's sort of a recurring theme with you, when you think about it." Kurama replied back, reminding him of all the power ups he'd gotten in his shinobi career.

"But those times were different... Every time I got a power up, it was to fight a much stronger opponent or to deal with a dangerous situation that was brewing."

"And who's to say that there isn't something like that happening right now?" Kurama replied back, "We've barely explored the part of the forest we're in, and there is a much wider world beyond its borders. A world much more dangerous with more powerful enemies. If that still doesn't convince you, I just want to remind you that you're not the type to let power get to his head. You're not like those power-hungry, motherfucking, ..."

Naruto skipped over the long line of cusses, swear words and expletives that followed afterwards, "..., bastards, otherwise known as the Uchihas."

"I guess you've got a point..." Naruto replied before sighing, as he remembered the other part of the problem, "But this will also mean that I'll get even more skills that I need to train. I'm almost afraid how many skills I'll get from eating this guy's corpse."

"That's your problem, not mine." Naruto could easily imagine Kurama snickering at his misfortune, but another message showed up with some more of the furry fox's sagely wisdom, "You could just focus on training the skills you use most often, you idiot. It's not like you need to master everything immediately."

"Thanks, that was some helpful advice. You know, when you ignore all the mockery and insults." Naruto told his best friend, "I'll see you when you get back."

Closing the chat, Naruto slapped his cheeks a few times, psyching himself up for the horrible taste and texture he'll soon experience. However, an idea popped into his head, which made him pause for a few moments. 'Hold on, I don't have to eat him the normal way. I can use that, couldn't I!'

Feeling relieved about not having to taste the mummified corpse, Naruto removed the robe covering the body, once again feeling immensely grateful to some deity out there, since Velvet wore some undergarments beneath it. Putting the robe and silver gauntlet on the throne, Naruto activated [Self-Body Fluid Control] and [Metamorphosis] and absorbed Velvet's body like he did with the Horned Rabbit before.

The sheer number of windows that popped up almost made Naruto faint, having seen the number of windows in queue in the bottom of his sight. He'd set the HUD to show him that, just so he can keep track of how many things he needed to deal with. Minimizing the windows, since he didn't want to deal with them now, he'll look through them in the next few days.

Shaking his head to refocus, Naruto took out some logs he'd kept in his [Inventory] and placed them on top of the throne, along with the robe and silver gauntlet and used his [Pyrokinesis] to light it all on fire. Naruto closed his eyes and put his hands together, praying for the powerful mage.

'I hope that wherever you end up, it'll be someplace nice. Thanks for everything and, um, sorry for consuming your body. I'll try and use the skills I get from you for something good, whatever they are. Oh, and I'll look out for Returner, make sure she stays safe. I might not have known you, but if Returner only has good things to say about you, you must have been a pretty good guy.'

It didn't take long for the fire to die out, and Naruto expected the only thing to be remaining were ashes. Except, when he opened his eyes, he saw that silver gauntlet of Velvet's remained untouched by the flames. His interest peaked, Naruto used [Observe] on it after picking it up, and was really glad the fire didn't destroy it. If that was even possible.

[Airgeatlámh] (Legendary Class): An artificial arm made by the Gods and found by Velvet in the depths of an ancient dungeon. When worn by one missing an arm, it will behave no differently than the original. Its form can be changed by the absorption of metals or the user's thoughts. It can also evolve to acquire new abilities, and its destruction is fundamentally impossible, apart from some exceptions.
[Arm Blast, [Spell Blast, [Self-Evolution, [Elemental Echo]

"Holy shit!" Naruto exclaimed with barely a whisper. There was a fucking legendary class item in his hands, and who knows if there were others in the loot they got.

"I no longer need this; therefore, you may have it. Is that what you're saying, Velvet?" Naruto whispered to himself, wondering if he should equip it. "What the hell... What's the worst that could happen?"

He'd come to regret those words as he squeezed his left hand into the gauntlet, not really seeing how it'd fit him. The gauntlet suddenly sprouted dozens of spear-tipped metallic tendrils that pierced his arm. The pain was so extreme that Naruto almost passed out from it.

In an instant [Airgeatlámh] had grown and expanded to cover the entirety of his left arm. That must be its [Self-Evolution] ability at work here, evolving to fit his larger arm. He could still feel sensations through it and even move it with the same ease as his right arm, the silver arm didn't feel any pain. Rather worried he'd lost his left arm, Naruto focused on the image of the silver gauntlet being removed and tugged at it, another thing he'd regret doing.

The pain was perhaps even more intense, and his sight went black for a few moments as he let loose every cuss, swear word and expletive in his vocabulary. Finally opening his eyes, having closed them after removing the gauntlet, he saw that it'd shrunk to back its smaller form.

"Fuck..." Naruto whimpered, knowing he'll have to experience the pain again, since he now knew he wouldn't lose his actual arm by equipping [Airgeatlámh]. Bracing himself and closing his eyes, he managed to equip the artificial arm without letting out more than a few swear words this time.

Testing out his new arm, he found out it had a wide array of abilities. It can rotate and change form at will and he could still create poison and silk strings from it without any problems.

Figuring he'd wasted enough time; he headed back to the mine and saw that Gobumi and the others were waiting for him by the hole. He'd probably worried her by taking so long to finish up and she gasped when she saw his new silver arm.

"Relax. It's just the gauntlet that Velvet was wearing. It didn't get destroyed in his cremation, so I figured I'd put it on. It hurt like hell, so did removing it and putting it back on again, which is what kept me there a bit longer." Naruto explained after Gobumi asked him what took him so long.

"That's [Airgeatlámh]." Returner noted, telling the group a bit about it, "Velvet had found it while exploring an ancient dungeon. It's perhaps one of the most powerful artifacts that were in the treasure room."

Telling everyone to head inside so he can collapse the hole, it didn't take Naruto too much work and he even smoothed the wall out, using [Earth Control] to carve a sign that would tell anyone that the dungeon is beyond this wall. He figured in the future they could use it as a training ground, and knowing which way the dungeon was would make sure they didn't dig into it again.

"Alright you guys, prepare some food and gather everyone!" Naruto ordered the others, "We're having a feast!"

"Eh..." Was the reply from the others, wondering why he was so excited. The truth was Naruto found some alcohol among the adventurers' gear, and he wanted to see whether he's still a lightweight in his new body. In his previous shinobi life, he could barely handle his alcohol, and as a result he rarely drank. When he did, it was only high-quality sake, because the taste was more important than the buzz to him.

The alcohol the adventurers were carrying with them was the high-quality kind, as his [Observe] neatly informed him, and he wanted to see what it tasted like. With Returner joining their community, he figured why not have a feast to celebrate her joining and a way to honour Velvet.

He did end up explaining to the girls that the adventurers were not interested in leaving peacefully, and that he even gave them multiple chances after they attacked him to leave. He showed them the [Slave Collars] he found among the adventurers' gear, which quickly made them far more accepting of the adventurers' death.

Everyone enjoyed the ensuing feast, with most of the goblins trying out alcohol for the first time in their lives. The normally loner Kurama had even enjoyed himself, eating and drinking with everyone. They toasted to Returner's induction and in honour of Velvet.


Author's Notes:

Almevo: As you can see, I had Naruto evolve into an Ogre. I considered having him evolve into something else, but the only idea I had was an Oni. What would the difference be between an Ogre and an Oni. However, don't worry, I won't have him go along the same evolutionary line as Rou. His next Rank Up won't be Apostle Lord, but something else. I don't want to spoil things, so you'll have to wait and see. A tiny teaser: The Great God of Origin and Demise isn't just the god of demise.

Did everyone like the chapter's name? I wanted to go with 'Red One', but I wasn't sure everyone would get the reference.

I hope everyone enjoyed the Red Bear fight; I worked hard in writing it. As you can see, Naruto didn't lose his arm unlike Rou, but why did I do that? Honestly, I couldn't see a way to have Naruto lose it. Here's the thing, he has [Gamer's Body] and that would mean the only thing that would happen with the Red Bear biting his arm, is lose quite a bit of HP. Instead, I made it so he did lose his arm, only in a way that he can easily reconnect it.

As you can see, he'll eventually have the Rasengan, but not anytime soon, since he'll need to train his mana control skills to a far higher level than they currently are. Will he get any other skills from his time as a shinobi, keep tune and find out!

Returner is alive! I was planning on her living the entire time, from before I even wrote the first iteration of this fic. I even built the foundation to have her survive, by having Naruto learn the [Repair] skill early on, which would let him repair her damaged core. Will this change much, I have no clue! We'll see as we go!

Unlike Rou, Naruto never had preconceived ideas about [Absorption] or [Assimilation] as its now known. The only reason Rou didn't bother eating Velvet's body is because he thought he wouldn't get anything from it, which wouldn't apply to Naruto.

Now, onto what a lot of you will have questions about, will Naruto suddenly become OP? Well, read the next chapter to find out.

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Alright, I'll tell you. You've convinced me to open my box of hidden secrets. He won't become OP. The reason will be explained in the next chapter, but a part of it will be because Naruto's fighting style is different than that of a mage. That means most of Velvet's combat skills won't be helpful to Naruto, at least not immediately, although one or two might be.