When he clobbered the last slime down, Sael exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from his brow. A sense of accomplishment settled over him as he surveyed the battlefield of gelatinous remains. Some of the slimes were still relatively intact, their cores glowing faintly, the light within them dimming. He crouched, picking one up and turning it over in his hand. The system chimes echoed in his mind, prompting an idea.
He focused on keeping the core for later, willing it to stay with him. In an instant, it slipped from his grasp, disappearing. A soft blue interface opened before him, displaying a new section—Inventory.
"Neat," he muttered, eyes scanning the list of stored items.
Carefully, he repeated the process, storing the rest of the remains and testing the system’s storage mechanics. The materials separated into two stacks. Slime cores and slime gel. His mind raced with possibilities. Could he use these for crafting? Trading? Experimenting? The excitement of discovery fueled him as he lifted his torch, the soft orange glow pushing back the shadows. There was still more to uncover. The quest wasn't over yet.
The air grew damp, thick with the scent of minerals and moss. Luminescent fungi pulsed with a faint green glow, casting eerie shadows along the cavern walls. His fingers trailed along the rough stone, until they found something unnatural.
A crack in the wall, a hidden crevice. Perception check passed he thought, smiling.
Sliding sideways, he shimmied through the gap. Inside, the remains of a long-forgotten adventurer lay slumped against the rock, leather armor tattered and brittle with age. Beside the skeleton rested an old, dust-covered tome. Sael carefully pried it free, fingers brushing over arcane symbols decorating its worn cover. He flipped it open, scanning pages filled with intricate diagrams and mysterious runes.
NEW ITEM: Beginner's Firebolt Grimoire
His eyes lit up. Magic. A real spellbook.
Tracing a glowing rune on the page, warmth trickled through his fingertips. He focused, pushing the energy outward. A flicker. Then, a faint spark danced at his fingertips before fizzling out. He grinned. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. He'd have to study it more once he was out of the cave. Carefully, he stored the tome in his inventory.
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A familiar chime rang in his mind.
SYSTEM MESSAGE: Cave Cleared!
Bonus Reward Unlocked: Slime Incubator
A notification flashed before him:
[Quest Complete: Clear the Cave Without Visiting Town]
Rewards:
- XP Gained
- New Item Unlocked: Slime Incubator
- Increased Inventory Capacity
A new item shimmered into existence before him, its icon floating in his inventory menu. The Slime Incubator was a compact, rune-inscribed container with a soft blue glow. The description read:
*“A specialized containment device designed to nurture and hatch certain gelatinous creatures. Requires an active slime core to function.”*
Sael smirked. He didn’t know exactly what this did yet, but it felt important. Pocketing the incubator, he took one last glance around the cavern before stepping into the open air, ready for whatever came next.
---
As Sael emerged from the cave, the forest greeted him with a rustling breeze. The night was still young, but he had a newfound confidence. He had fought, he had survived, and he had learned.
A growl shattered the quiet.
His grip tightened on his torch as a creature stalked from the underbrush. A four-legged beast, its body compact and powerful, covered in bristly yellow fur. Its head was a stark black square, its jaw lined with metallic teeth that gleamed ominously in the firelight.
The beast lunged. Sael barely had time to react, holding his torch forward. Its jaws clamped down on the sap-coated end. As it bit down, flames erupted in its mouth, licking at its snout and curling around its head. The creature squealed, thrashing wildly as fire spread along its fur. Sael seized the opportunity, gripping his club tight and bringing it down with force. Thud.
The beast collapsed, its struggles growing weaker until it grew quiet. Sael panted, heart hammering as a system prompt flickered before his eyes.
LOOT ACQUIRED: Beast Hide, Metal Jaws
A crafting window materialized. This was shocking! Imagine what he could do with a crafting system. Encouraged, he picked up a straight branch, watching as the system marked it as a material. Wood. He laughed. Yep, that's wood alright.
His first real upgrade was within reach. He had to find some more materials to test this out with.
Sael took a moment to gather more resources. He returned to the cave, collecting additional slime remnants, glowing mushrooms, and the strange luminescent moss that coated the walls. Every item felt significant—a potential tool for crafting, for survival.
Outside, he turned his focus to the forest. He harvested pine sap, sturdy branches, and smooth stones, testing what the system would accept into storage. By the time he was finished, his inventory held an assortment of materials that might serve him well.
He followed the dirt path winding through the woods, the trees thinning as he neared the edge of civilization. The distant glow of lanterns shimmered through the branches, the first signs of a village coming into view. Finally, he'd have a chance to relax.