After much contemplation, Carn and Alicia reached a pivotal decision. They realized that Fen must have had a compelling reason behind his words, as the alternative would be that he was a complete psychopath. After observing his behavior during their interaction, they didn’t believe he fell into that category.
In the end, they held Fen responsible for the damage, but with a twist. They concocted a story that he was merely demonstrating his awe-inspiring abilities but perhaps got carried away with his power. It was not like anyone would have believed the truth anyway. Saying that one of the greatest heroes of all time went out of his way to kill some random hospitalized kid would only make them sound crazy. When confronted, they shared this version of events with Mr. Cho, determined not to have his life endangered by Fen in any way. The cops were none the wiser due to Alicia’s magic healing Carn and removing the evidence of his injury from the room, aside from the broken wall of course.
Despite the risks, they decided to reveal the truth to Dr. Stevenson to ensure that Carn received the best possible care. He didn’t believe them at first but due to their insistence, he decided to concede. After running some tests the doctor reassured them that although Carn had suffered injuries from Fen's attack, the time from injury to when he was healed by Alicia made it so there would be no lasting damage like before.
However, during the examination, Dr. Stevenson made a startling discovery. He found a minuscule shard of ice in Carn's heart, infused with powerful mana. Despite his best efforts, the doctor was unable to remove the shard, which he suspected was a failsafe mechanism planted by Fen. It appeared that at any moment, Fen could activate the shard, killing Carn.
The shocking revelation of the failsafe mechanism left Carn reeling with a mixture of fear and anger. He felt exposed and vulnerable, realizing that his life was at the mercy of Fen's whims. However, Carn refused to succumb to despair. Instead, he resolved to become stronger, to face Fen head-on and demand answers for his actions.
The rage he felt towards Fen was palpable, but a part of him was also intrigued by the enigmatic figure's motivations. Despite the danger Fen posed, Carn couldn't shake off the image of his face during the attack. It was as if a veil was over him, and Carn was left to ponder the possible reasons for Fen's actions. Regardless, Carn knew that he needed to become powerful enough to confront his attacker, and the sooner he did, the better his chances of survival.
After the revelation of the failsafe mechanism, Carn was swiftly moved to a different room in the hospital. Despite the gravity of the situation, little had changed in the grand scheme of things, thanks to the lie he and Alicia had concocted.
Fortunately, Carn had been almost fully healed at the time of Fen's attack, and Alicia had promptly healed him after the incident. Dr. Stevenson noted that he would likely be out of the hospital in just two days and two nights.
After the tumultuous events of the day, Carn was utterly drained both physically and mentally. As he lay in his hospital bed, he felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, but one thought kept running through his mind like a persistent mantra - "I need to get stronger."
As he drifted off to sleep, Carn made a silent vow to himself. He would harness his full potential and tap into every last bit of his strength so that he wouldn’t find himself so helpless once again.
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As Carn opened his eyes, he realized that he was back in God's Paradise. To his surprise, despite feeling thoroughly exhausted in the real world, he felt completely refreshed and energized in the game. With newfound conviction, Carn got up from his personal room and made his way to the reception desk, which Shaun had pointed him to earlier.
Sitting at the receptionist's desk was a striking Tiefling woman with red skin and two smooth horns jutting out from her forehead. Every part of her eyes was a dark black so it was difficult to tell if she was looking at him or not.
“Hello, I just joined the guild and Shaun said I could talk to you for some help and supplies,” Carn said trying to get her attention.
As soon as the woman heard Shaun's name, she perked up, her interest piqued. "Well, of course, I can help you hun," she replied, her voice dripping with intrigue. "Do you need a map and some potions?"
“That would be great, is there any way you could point me in the direction of the barracks as well? Shaun said that I could get a slime-hunting quest there.” Carn said.
The woman readily gave him directions. She also handed him a map that displayed the surrounding areas and a generous supply of 5 red and 5 blue potions in thin vials, their glowing liquid catching his eye. Carn gratefully received the items and stored them in his bag.
As he turned to leave, the woman leaned over the counter and tapped his shoulder. "Hun, if you see Shaun, tell him to give me a visit. I miss that hunk," she said with a flirtatious grin. Carn couldn't help but chuckle at the woman's boldness and promised to pass on the message to Shaun.
- You have received the following items -
Sienna Village Map
5x Basic Health Potions
5x Basic Mana Potions
Carn looked at the descriptions of the items.
- Sienna Village Map -
Has the general layout of Sienna Village on one side and the surrounding areas on the other
- Basic Health Potion -
Tier: Wood
Heals you for 10% of your health, if another Health Potion is drunk again without waiting 5 minutes the effects are reduced.
- Basic Mana Potion -
Tier: Wood
Restores 10% of your mana, if another Mana Potion is drunk again without waiting 5 minutes the effects are reduced
Carn made his way to the barracks with haste, when he arrived he saw a large building with a sign above the door reading "Barracks". The building had a sturdy look to it, with wooden walls and a sloping roof. The entrance was guarded by two burly-looking soldiers, each wielding a sword at their side. People could be seen dropping crystal-looking items into crates next to the barracks before leaving.
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As he approached, one of the guards stepped forward and spoke in a gruff voice, "State your business, newcomer."
Carn explained that he was looking to accept the slime-hunting quest and was told he needed to meet with the captain to do that.
“We can just give you the details, the captain is busy enough without people bothering him about receiving a quest,” The guard said before explaining the details of the quest. After he finished explaining, a screen appeared in front of Carn.
- Slime Hunting -
Recommended Tier: Any
Type: Repeatable
Description: The Exalt Empire is facing a great threat in the presence of a slime wave to combat this they have put a bounty on each slime core delivered. For every 5 basic cores, you receive 1 gold and 5 experience. Greater rewards are given depending on the tier of the reward.
- Will you accept? -
- Yes - - No -
Carn approached the guard and asked, "Excuse me, can you tell me more about the slime wave?"
The guard gruffly replied, "That's none of your concern. If you're here for the quest, focus on that."
Carn nodded, taking the hint. "Alright, I accept the quest then,” he was grateful for the opportunity to earn some rewards and experience.
A voice sounded in his head, “Quest accepted, you can view/remove active quests on your menu.”
Carn took a quick look at his menu and saw a new tab labeled quests, he took a look and the same information was displayed.
As he turned to leave, he noticed a group of adventurers huddled in the corner, discussing their own strategies for the quest. They looked well-equipped and experienced, and Carn felt a pang of self-doubt.
But he quickly shook it off, reminding himself of his determination to get stronger. He would not let fear hold him back. With renewed confidence, Carn set out to face the slime wave and prove himself to be capable.
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When the guard was explaining the details of the quest he pointed out a forest on the map that someone at Carn’s level could deal with.
After about an hour-long trek he arrived at the forest and he felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. He had never gone on a quest like this before and wasn't sure what to expect. He took a deep breath, checked his supplies, and began to make his way into the dense forest.
Carn marveled at the stunning view of the forest. The colorful leaves of the trees painted a picturesque scene that seemed to come straight out of a storybook. It was as if he had stepped into a world of autumn magic. The air was cool and damp, and the ground was covered in a thick layer of soft, velvety moss and fallen leaves. Carn walked carefully, trying to avoid stepping on any twigs or branches that might give away his position. He felt as though he was tiptoeing through a wonderland, silently sneaking up on unsuspecting prey. The peaceful silence of the forest was broken only by the occasional chirping of birds and rustling of leaves as small animals scurried about.
As he went deeper into the forest, Carn began to hear strange noises - squelching, slurping sounds that made him uneasy. He clutched his weapon tighter and walked on, ready for whatever might come his way.
Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, Carn came upon a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a group of slimes, oozing and pulsating in the dim light. They were much larger than Carn imagined with each being about 2 feet in diameter and were composed of every color you could imagine.
Wanting the element of surprise Carn drew back his bow as silently as possible. A blue arrow made of magic formed and a faint shadow enveloped his body. Carn breathed out and, in one motion, he released the magic arrow making it fly soundlessly towards the slimes before piercing through one and barreling through two more.
The noise of some notifications went off in Carn’s ear but he ignored them, drawing back his bow once more. The slimes pulsated but none headed Carn’s way. Mana formed again on his bow but the shadowy energy around his body didn’t rematerialize. The string snapped back into position and the blue arrow plowed through 5 more slimes sending their gelatinous liquids in every direction.
Noticing Carn’s presence this time they rushed towards him bobbing up and down and pulsing brightly. Carn was told they were quite fast and that he should be prepared to fight once they detected him but when he saw them move toward him he couldn’t help but grin.
That is supposed to be fast?
Carn grinned, feeling a thrill of excitement at the prospect of a real fight. He turned and ran, the slimes bouncing after him in a grotesque fashion. But they were slow, and Carn easily outpaced them, turning to fire arrows back at them with deadly accuracy.
The slimes oozed and pulsed as they tried to catch up, but Carn was always one step ahead. His arrows flew true, tearing through their bodies with ease, until only one slime remained. Carn drew a regular arrow and sent it flying at the last slime, the force of the impact knocking it back.
But it kept coming, its body slowly reforming as it moved towards Carn. He drew another arrow, took aim, and let it fly. The arrow pierced through the slime, and it finally stopped moving, its body dissolving into nothingness.
- Level 1 Basic Slime Killed -
+1 experience
Carn acknowledged the notification and knelt beside where the last slime dissolved and retrieved his arrows. Besides the arrows was a faintly glowing stone that was insanely smooth. Carn had seen others dropping off stones like this at the barracks earlier and guessed as to what they were.
- Basic Slime Core Obtained! -
Tier: Wood | Material
Description: A core of a slime in the beginning stages of life. Has a variety of uses.
Carn smiled and carefully placed the glowing stone in his bag, feeling a rush of excitement and a newfound sense of accomplishment. He took a deep breath of the crisp forest air, feeling the energy of the world around him coursing through his veins. It was as if his very cells were tingling with anticipation, hungry for more adventure, more danger, more of everything this world had to offer. Carn had never felt so alive.
How this was any different from the goblins in the tutorial and his fights in the real world Carn didn’t know but his heart raced within his chest. Carn took a moment to calm down and began walking back in the direction of the other slimes he had killed. Finding the cores was relatively simple as they gave off a slight glow which made them stand out in the damp and dark undergrowth.
While he walked Carn pulled up the notifications he got during the battle.
- Hidden Quest Completed: Kill your first monster -
+1 Charisma
Carn laughed as this wasn’t exactly the first ‘monster’ he had killed. Happy with the rewards regardless he continued reading the other notifications.
- Combat Notifications -
3x Basic Slimes Killed: +3 EXP, +3 Magic Arrow EXP
5x Basic Slimes Killed: +5 EXP, +5 Magic Arrow EXP
…
In total Carn had killed 34 level 1 slimes and got 35 experience and 36 Magic Arrow experience. On every tenth slime, Carn noticed he got an extra Magic Arrow experience point and on the twentieth slime, he had gotten an extra regular experience. Carn recalled that his species passive Human Versatility gave him 10% faster skill leveling and his title for clearing the tutorial quickly gave him 5% increased regular experience drops explaining the variation in slime kills to experience drops.
Grabbing the last slime core, Carn decided to take stock of his situation and took a look at his mana. He noticed it was almost full and climbing at a fast rate, about every 5 seconds he would see his mana increase by one. The pure air of the forest must’ve amplified the mana-regenerating prowess of his Latent Talent to the point where even Carn was surprised. At the ranger headquarters which was nestled on the edge of a forest, he was only regenerating only a fourth as fast.
With confidence that he could continue hunting with ease, he looked for more groups of slimes to crush.