The next morning, Luke joined the team in the tavern. They had decided to take a break for a few days to tend to personal matters, mainly weapon repairs and restocking supplies. Their upcoming job was a bronze rank mission, typically spanning several days or even a week. Deemed too risky, Luke wasn't invited to join.

He chose to use this downtime to hunt more slimes, aiming to catch up on gear and other essentials. Having experienced a slime's burn, the team was less concerned about his solo adventures. Since they weren’t officially a team, they refrained from interfering too much in his decisions.

After summoning another loaf of bread, Luke headed towards the gate alone, contemplating summoning a pair of intact pants on his way to the river. It was a humorous thought that he was gradually becoming self-reliant in outfitting himself.

Considering the pants, he listed natural fabrics in his mind: cotton, linen, silk, wool, hemp, and leather. Reflecting on why summoning leather shoes was harder than bread, he raised a few hypotheses. Perhaps it was the weight, as the shoes were heavier than the bread. Or the material's origin – leather was animal-based, while bread was purely vegetal. A quick experiment with milk in the bread seemed to support this theory, as its inclusion had increased the summoning's difficulty.

Concluding that animal-origin materials posed more challenge, Luke decided on cotton for the pants. Once he had more mana and mental energy, he'd attempt something more ambitious, like leather pants.

Focused on simplicity, Luke envisioned the transformation of plain cotton into yarn, then into a basic pair of pants. The design was rudimentary – undyed, no pockets. He felt a slight strain and mana drain, but the pants materialized without causing a headache. "Not bad for a first attempt," he mused, inspecting the plain cotton pants. They fit perfectly, modeled after his own mental image.

Approaching the river, Luke heightened his vigilance, wary of unexpected encounters with adventurers or slimy ambushes. His alliance with the team was fortunate, but he remained cautious about this world and its inhabitants. After all, the team's interest in him only started after sensing his unique magic. While mutual benefits were fine, he knew he couldn't rely too heavily on them.

Entering the right mindset, Luke set about demolishing slimes. By noon, the realization of his unpreparedness hit him – he hadn't brought a canteen or fresh water. As a summoner, he decided to address this oversight.

Sticking to his vegetal, non-synthetic theme, he visualized a bamboo flask. Midway through, he remembered a lid but chose not to complicate the design. The result was a simple, thin bamboo container. Feeling mentally up to the task, he next attempted to summon water. Having used water in his bread visualization, he figured it should be feasible, though he was unsure if a raw material differed significantly from a completed summon.

He focused on visualizing fresh, cold, potable water. To his surprise, the water materialized swiftly, using only a minimal amount of mana and mental effort. Unfortunately, he misjudged the timing, letting the water fall to the ground instead of into the bamboo canteen.

Shrugging off the mishap, he repeated the summoning, this time directing the water into the canteen. The process was even quicker, and he cautiously tasted the cool liquid. "Cool!" he exclaimed with an exaggerated cheer, relieved to be alone and free to indulge in his whimsical reactions.

Later, he pondered whether minerals were easier to summon than plant-based materials, or if water was just inherently simple for his magic.

Next, he summoned his usual bread, opting out of adding milk to conserve mana. He knew he needed to diversify his diet for both health and enjoyment, but conserving mana was his current priority. Luke continued his routine of smashing slimes and collecting shards at regular intervals.

Then, a new idea struck him. The others' higher kill counts weren't just due to their strength and experience, but also because they had weapons. What if he summoned a basic tool to aid his slime hunting? It would increase both his efficiency and safety.

He first considered metal but remembered that weight influenced the difficulty of summoning. Yesterday's stone, despite being small, had taken more mana than the bread. Deciding against metal, Luke settled on a simpler option – a bamboo or wood spear. While hardwood would be ideal for quality, bamboo was lighter and would likely save mana. Focused on the task, he visualized a spear of his height, made entirely of bamboo with a sharpened tip. The mana quickly took shape, forming the spear successfully.

Summoning the spear had taken more effort than Luke anticipated, likely due to its size and shape. Despite this, he managed without any signs of strain, though he could feel the cumulative fatigue.

Testing the spear's balance and weight, he twirled it, getting a feel for its handling. Once confident, he set his sights on a slime, eager for a live test. His first stab missed, his excitement throwing off his aim. He quickly adjusted and dispatched the slime with a swift, corrected thrust.

Luke moved from one target to the next, his movements becoming more fluid and slightly theatrical as he dispatched dozens of slimes. His physical stamina, however, soon became the limiting factor as he started to pant and sweat profusely.

Ooze had splattered onto his pants several times, but he learned to swiftly swipe it off with his spear, avoiding burns. After dealing with the initial panic of being hit by the corrosive substance, he quickly adapted to this routine, efficiently cleaning himself off with each splashed encounter.

Pausing every half hour for breath, water, and sometimes for bread, Luke was so engrossed in his task that he only noticed the advancing evening when the sunset began to dim. Exhausted, he collected the last of the shards and made his way back to town, pushing himself as the last traces of daylight faded.

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Approaching the town walls under the moonlight, an unsettling cold ran through him, urging him not to stop or look back. A bizarre, chilling howl – a blend of moan and scream – echoed behind him, freezing him in place momentarily. Stumbling forward, he tried to regain his balance, focusing only on reaching the safety of the town gates.

The chilling sounds grew closer, spurring Luke into a panic. Dropping his spear, he didn't dare stop to retrieve it. The town gates loomed ahead, ominously closed. Desperation set in as he screamed, "Open the gate, please open the gate! Help!"

The eerie noise was right on his heels, a cold presence brushing his shoulder, sending shivers to his very core. Just as a spectral hand seemed to grip him, the gates flung open, revealing guards with torches. The chilling presence retreated into the night, and Luke stumbled forward, gasping with relief.

"Thank you!" he managed to say to the guards as he hurried inside.

"You crazy adventurers! Roaming outside at night without even a torch. Don't you know how dangerous the wraiths are? If one catches you, there'll be nothing left!" one guard reprimanded him.

"I'm sorry, I lost track of time," Luke admitted, accepting his mistake.

"That's why you should always go in a team!" the guard retorted, a tone of seen-it-all-before weariness in his voice.

"Okay, I get it. It won't happen again," Luke promised.

He paid the shard fee to enter, attempting to give extra for their trouble, but the guards refused. Surprised by their integrity, Luke wondered if there was more to their refusal than met the eye.

Leaving the gate behind, he walked back into the quieter parts of the town. The occasional fires provided limited comfort after his harrowing encounter. Whatever that wraith was, it had shaken him deeply, a brush with death that felt all too real.

To distract himself, Luke quickened his pace towards the Guild, mentally tallying his day's achievements. He hadn't bothered counting his loot while alone but felt confident it exceeded yesterday's haul. Maybe he'd even match Bart's count, though reaching Simone's or Dilan's seemed far-fetched.

Upon entering the Guild, Luke noticed it was moderately busy. He saw a lone man and two groups, one with three members and the other with four. As his gaze drifted towards the counter, something caught his eye – the pointed ear of a woman in the trio. 'An elf?' he mused, quickly averting his gaze out of politeness.

Approaching the counter, Luke laid out his badge, job post, and the shard collector. He was about to speak to the agent, engrossed in a book, when she preempted him.

"We don’t process job collections after evening," she stated, slightly annoyed, glancing up from her book. Upon seeing Luke, her tone softened, "But since you’re new here, I’ll make an exception." She wasn’t the same agent who had registered him. This one was older, with long black hair and green eyes, dressed rather provocatively.

"Nice haul," she remarked, recording 186 shards on his form and giving him a flirtatious wink as she handed over 4 silver drakes and 16 copper snakes. Luke, taken aback by her forwardness, almost forgot to reserve a room.

"Miss, could I book a shared room, please?" he asked, slightly uncomfortable, handing over a silver drake.

"No meals?" she queried theatrically.

"No, thank you," Luke replied, swiftly taking the keys and exiting. He considered socializing, especially with the elf, but the agent's demeanor had unsettled him. The ghostly chase earlier had left him feeling edgy and fatigued.

In the shared bath, he decided to wash his clothes, which were tainted with the day's exertions and slime encounters. Opting for practicality, he summoned another pair of cotton pants, not wanting to venture around naked.

This second summoning of pants felt less taxing, hinting at an increasing efficiency in his magic. He considered summoning another loaf of bread before sleep, despite growing weary of its blandness. Still, his options were limited, and he had debts to repay, including the 10 silver drakes for registration he owed the team.

Managing to summon a loaf of bread and eat it, Luke barely kept his consciousness long enough to collapse onto the bed, oblivious to his roommate's arrival. Awakening before dawn, he was immediately aware of an unnerving pain in his shoulder, right where the wraith had touched him. Eager to leave the dark room, he picked up his dried shirt and headed downstairs.

The tavern was quiet, save for the freckled agent at the counter, a welcome change from the previous night’s attendant. Concern growing over the discomfort in his shoulder, Luke approached the agent with a cautiously framed question.

"Excuse me, could you help me check my shoulder? I think I was scratched by a monster yesterday," he explained.

She nodded, and he lifted his shirt for her to inspect.

"By the heavens," she gasped, taken aback.

"What is it?" Luke asked, trying to keep his composure.

"You were touched by a wraith. I’ve never seen it myself, but I've heard of it," she informed him.

"What does that mean?" Luke's voice wavered slightly, apprehension building.

"It's like a minor curse. Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, a feeling of cold, and susceptibility to illness. It can last days or weeks, depending on the wraith's strength," she detailed, her words resembling textbook passage.

"Is there any way to heal it?" Luke asked anxiously. Her calm demeanor suggested it wasn't the worst affliction, but his recent string of bad luck seemed far from over.

"There are potions for it, or you could seek a light healer. But both options are expensive," she stated. Her gaze lingered on him just long enough to convey her awareness of his financial constraints, making it abundantly clear that she knew he couldn't afford either option.

As he processed the agent's words, Luke became frustrated. "Great," he replied. The prospect of costly potions or seeking out a healer seemed out of the question, given his financial constraints.

With the wraith's curse weighing on him, Luke knew his need for coins was more pressing than ever. Despite the urge to wait for the team to come down to have breakfast and take it easy, he set out for the gates, decided to hunt as many slimes as he could. He needed a smarter approach, especially since he'd have to resummon the spear he'd lost.

With the spear in hand, killing slimes became almost routine. His strikes were mostly accurate, and any misses were quickly corrected. The real challenge was finding the slimes efficiently, especially now that he would tire more easily. He contemplated ways to speed up the process or engage from a distance.

A slingshot crossed his mind, but mastering it could be a challenge. A bow was an even more problematic option, not to mention the effort needed to summon arrows.

Then, an idea sparked: what if he could create a bomb or a poison specifically effective against slimes? The summoning cost could be high, but it might be worth it. Slimes were known for their corrosiveness, and in many RPGs, they were weak to fire. But how could he summon fire and then deploy it effectively? It wasn't a foolproof plan but had potential.

While considering options, another idea surfaced – neutralizing the slimes' acid. If he could summon a simple alkaline substance like sodium bicarbonate, it might counteract the acid, if not outright kill the slimes. It was a theory worth testing, given his current predicament and need for efficiency.