Sael hung back at the tree line, eyes scanning the bustling streets. The town was lively, filled with people moving between market stalls, taverns, and workshops. The buildings were a mix of wood and stone, giving the town a sturdy yet rustic charm. His ragged clothing, stained with dirt, gel and scorch marks, would make him stand out.

Not a good first impression.

He needed to blend in.

Opening the system menu, he navigated to the crafting section. The interface highlighted his recently gathered materials—slime gel, basic materials, and the beast’s hide and jaws. His fingers hesitated as he scrolled through the crafting options. The system chimed, and lines of blue text filled his vision:

Crafting Menu: Available Recipes

* Slime-Padded Leather Armor - Provides minimal defense but increases resistance to blunt attacks. The slime’s natural properties give it a faint luminescent sheen.

* Spiked Club (Reinforced with Metal) - A sturdy wooden club embedded with steel monster teeth for added damage.

He selected both. The materials in his inventory shimmered and then disappeared, replaced by two newly crafted items. The armor was surprisingly well-fitted, dark leather, half black with some yellow stripes, reinforced with a faintly glowing layer of slime padding. It felt cool and somewhat elastic to the touch. He donned it quickly, feeling a bit more prepared.

The club was equally impressive. A solid wooden base, reinforced with serrated steel teeth along its length. A brutal weapon, but one that fit the aesthetic of this world. Glancing around at the town’s adventurers, he noted that many wore armor and weapons fashioned from monsters. At least he wouldn’t look completely out of place now.

Satisfied with his preparation, he returned to his inventory and pulled out the Slime Incubator—his reward for clearing the cave. The small, smooth container pulsed with a soft, blue-green light. He reached into his inventory again, selecting one of the intact slime cores he had salvaged earlier. Holding his breath, he placed the core inside the incubator.

The device whirred softly, runes flickering to life along its surface. A timer appeared in his vision: Incubation in progress... Time until completion: ???

With nothing more he could do for now, he returned the incubator to his inventory and took a deep breath. Time to head into town. Heading straight for the center area a large welcoming tavern caught his eye.

The tavern was warm, filled with the scent of roasted meat and aged ale. Laughter and conversation filled the space, making it the perfect place to gather information. Sael kept to the edge of the room, taking in the scene.

That’s when he felt it.

A presence. A pair of sharp golden eyes studying him from across the tavern.

A beastkin girl sat at one of the tables, her ears twitching as she sniffed the air. Her tail flicked behind her, eyes locked onto him with undeniable interest.

Sael tensed as she stood, weaving her way through the tavern toward him, her expression unreadable, silver hair floating behind her.

“You smell... strange.”

Her voice was low, almost a purr, as she stopped a few feet away, arms crossed. He glanced down at himself, realizing that he likely carried an unusual scent.

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She tilted her head. "You a new adventurer? That gear looks fresh."

Sael hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Something like that."

A grin spread across her face, revealing sharp canines. "Then you're buying the next round. Welcome to town, newbie."

Sael exhaled, realizing that his otherworldly origin had gone unnoticed. This world was shaping up to be more than just survival—it was a place where he'd have to learn fast and adapt.

Sael exhaled and gave the beastkin girl a small, sheepish grin. “Yeah… I guess it’s pretty obvious I’m new around here.” He gestured to his rough, hastily crafted gear. “Not exactly the most subtle entrance, huh?”

She smirked, sharp golden eyes gleaming with amusement. “You could say that.” Her tail flicked behind her as she crossed her arms, wolf ears turning forward. “Name’s Rhea. I’m a fighter specialist—good with my fists, and my claws, and decent at tracking.” She leaned in slightly, sniffing the air again. “And you? You don’t smell like the usual rookies that roll into town.”

“Uh, Sael,” he answered, rubbing the back of his neck. “And… I guess I don’t really have a class or anything yet. I just got here.”

Rhea quirked an eyebrow. “No class? Broke?”

Sael sighed. “About that… I’d buy the next round, but I’m definitely broke.”

Rhea barked a short laugh. “Figures. You adventurer types always show up with nothing but the clothes on your back and a death wish.”

“More like 'thrust into survival mode,’ but sure, let’s go with that,” he said dryly.

He hesitated for a moment before opening his inventory. He needed some kind of leverage, something to prove he wasn’t just some clueless nobody. With a flick of his thoughts, two items materialized in his hands—the glowing slime cores and the firebolt grimoire.

Rhea’s ears twitched. Then, in a flash, she snatched both items from him. “What the—?!”

She grabbed his wrist and yanked him toward the tavern stairs. “Upstairs. Now.”

“What? Why—”

She didn’t let him argue. With surprising strength, she pulled him through the rowdy crowd, past the bar, and up the creaking wooden steps. A few heads turned, but no one seemed particularly interested—just another adventurer getting dragged off for… whatever people assumed.

Once inside a small, dimly lit private room, she shut the door behind them and locked it. Then she whirled on him, holding up the grimoire like it was a live grenade. “Are you out of your damn mind?”

Sael blinked. “Uh… what?”

She tapped the book with a claw. “Where did you get this?”

“The cave outside town. Found it on a dead guy.”

Rhea stared at him, her expression unreadable. “And the slime cores?”

“Killed a bunch of slimes in the same cave. Thought they might be useful.”

She took a slow breath, rubbing her temple. “Okay. First of all, magic grimoires aren’t something you just wave around in a tavern. Even beginner ones are worth a fortune, and people will kill for them.”

Sael swallowed. “Noted.”

“And slime cores? Do you even know what these are used for?”

He shrugged. “Not really. Figured they had value.”

“You're right they do. These things are used in alchemy, enchantments, even monster taming. You could trade them for a week’s worth of supplies, easy.”

Sael ran a hand through his hair. “Alright. So I just casually walked into town flashing expensive magical items without knowing it. Good to know I’m an idiot.”

Rhea sighed. “At least you’re aware of it.” She sat down on the edge of the small wooden bed, drumming her claws against the grimoire’s cover. “You said you don’t have a class yet, right?

He nodded. “Yeah. No idea how that works.”

“Strange.” She rolled her shoulders. “Alright, listen up. Skill systems work in tiers. Basic stuff, like swinging a sword or throwing a punch, doesn’t need a skill—anyone can do it. But once you do something enough, the system registers it, and you get a notification to unlock the skill.”

Sael leaned against the wall, absorbing her words. “So, I have to actually do things before I can get skills?”

“Exactly. The system evaluates how you fight, what weapons you use, how you move. The more you specialize, the more it starts offering you advanced skills.” She tapped the side of her head. “You don’t just pick a class out of nowhere. The system assigns it based on your actions.”

Sael nodded slowly. “So… I’ve been bashing monsters with a club and messing around with magic. That means I’m probably on track for something related to that?”

“Sounds about right.” She smirked. “Though, with your luck, you’ll probably end up with some weird hybrid class.”

Before Sael could respond, a soft chime echoed in his mind.

SYSTEM NOTICE: Tutorial and Evaluation Complete.

Status Assessment Initiated. Assigning Skills…

A bright blue screen appeared in front of him, text scrolling rapidly. Sael tensed, heart pounding as the system finalized his starting abilities.