About half a day had passed since Carn killed the first group of slimes. With each group of slimes he hunted he utilized all of his skills. He marked each slime he saw with Hunter’s Mark and then obliterated them with a Mana Arrow. He used Hunter’s Accuracy as much as he could but his aura didn’t regenerate nearly as fast. This was only possible due to his insane Mana regeneration speed from his Latent Talent and Carn made full use of this fact.
As he got deeper into the forest the level and quantity of the slimes gradually increased. The forest became denser with most of the trees being slick with the slime’s liquid.
In general, leveling up had been quite fast and efficient. The passive ability of his bow to hide his presence on the first shot had been invaluable, allowing Carn to take out two large groups of slimes instead of one before they began chasing him. Some slimes had started to shoot their corrosive liquid at him but he hadn’t suffered too much damage.
ZIP!
An arrow made of white light drilled through a slime and made a uniform hole in the ground below.
- Level 24 Basic Slime Killed -
Bonus experience is given for defeating a foe of a greater level
+29 experience
+29 Skill experience
- You have leveled up! -
Carn brushed off the slime core and tossed it into his bag, silently lamenting the waste of the random elemental arrow. He was getting tired and the sun was starting to dip behind the horizon. He didn’t want to be surrounded by slimes so he decided to head back to Sierra Village.
Before this excursion, Carn was level 5 and his stats looked like this:[https://i.imgur.com/yndF398.jpg]
After hunting the slimes in one day he rose to level 19. Over the day he added his 70 unspent points to his stats to allow him to go deeper into the forest and hunt stronger foes. He pulled up his stat sheet and added the 5 he just received into intelligence.[https://i.imgur.com/sVH6ET2.jpg]
In his bag he had 982 basic slime cores and he was looking forward to leveling up once more when he delivered them to the barracks.
The last bit of bookkeeping Carn did was check his skills. In his hunt today he got Magic Arrow and Hunter’s mark to level 10 which is where it stopped gaining experience. Hunter’s Accuracy lagged behind due to his low passive Aura regeneration.
- Magic Arrow -
Level: 0 -> 10
Damage: 1.5x -> 2x
Cost: 15 Mana -> 25 Mana
- Hunter’s Mark -
Level: 0 -> 10
Range: 100 meters -> 350 meters
Cost: 10 Mana/min -> 20 Mana/min
- Hunter’s Accuracy -
Level: 0 -> 8
Ranged Accuracy Bonus: 15% -> 19%
Cost: 5 Aura/min -> 13 Aura/min
After finishing looking through his menu Carn felt something was strange, the air felt stagnant and the once chirping birds could no longer be heard. A sickly sweet fragrance filled his nostrils, and he noticed that the trees ahead of him were shaking and rustling. Carn's eyes widened in surprise and he drew his bow, summoning a Magic Arrow.
Out of the blue, a massive slime, the size of a car, emerged from the trees. Its surface was a mixture of colors, and it oozed and pulsed menacingly. Carn's heart raced with excitement and fear. He was far from town and this slime was clearly out of his league.
Oh, that one is big.
Without giving Carn any time to think, part of the slime’s body formed into a spike and stabbed quickly toward Carn. Carn's adrenaline kicked in as he quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding the slimy spike that pierced the ground where he had just stood.
He knew that he stood little chance against this creature but right now his only option was to fight. After activating Hunter’s Accuracy he released the Magic Arrow and watched as it barely harmed the creature. The slime sent another spiky protrusion at Carn which he narrowly avoided.
Deciding to look for a weak point, Carn started running in the other direction while sending a barrage of Magic Arrows. The slime moved quickly sending spiky protrusion after spiky protrusion toward Carn.
Suddenly, one of his Magic Arrows turned pitch black, seeming to darken the world around him. With fierce determination, Carn launched it at the slime, and it slammed into the creature's body. The gel around the impact point turned black as if it was rotting away, but the slime remained standing, and color quickly returned to the area.
The slime's body morphed and oozed with anger as it sent a flurry of spikes toward Carn, who deftly batted them away with his bow and cut at others with his dagger. But the slime's attacks grew more aggressive, and with one powerful strike, the dagger was knocked from his grip.
After it started attacking more every once in a while Carn would see a glint of light in the slime’s body. When he looked closer he noticed a giant slime core within his attacker.
Clearly, after seeing Carn’s strength it had decided to forgo defense and spend more of its gelatinous body attacking Carn rather than defending its core. The more spiky protrusions it was utilizing the less slime was around its core.
Seeing a chance, Carn sent arrow after arrow at the slime while trying to avoid the slimy spikes. He just needed an enhanced Magic Arrow followed closely by another arrow so that he could hit its core without giving it time to regenerate.
Carn unleashed arrow after arrow, trying to avoid the slimy spikes while seeking an opening to strike the core. But his elemental blood was failing him, and he was quickly running out of resources. His potions were gone, and the slime's attacks were taking a toll on his health. He was exhausted and running out of time.
Pain seared through Carn's shoulder as the slimy protrusion drilled through it, sending his quiver clattering to the ground. He winced, feeling his health bar drop to a mere sliver. Finally, he got lucky. The temperature around Carn dropped as the arrow in his hand began to glow with an eerie, frosty light, and the slimy spikes that had been inching closer stopped in their tracks. The protrusions quickly retreated to the main body but it was too late.
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With a grin, he released the arrow, watching as it crashed into the slime's body. The gelatinous surface turned solid as it froze over, trapping the creature in place. Carn frantically tried to summon another arrow, but his mana was spent. He searched for a regular arrow in his quiver, only to find it missing.
The freezing arrow wouldn't last long, and Carn knew he had to act fast. With a deep breath, he charged through the frozen protrusions toward the immobilized slime. The cracking of the ice all around him grew louder as the frozen surface began to shatter. The core glinted beneath the frozen, shining with all the colors of the rainbow.
Desperate and running out of time, Carn plunged his hand into the creature's body, feeling the slime engulf his arm up to the shoulder. But he didn't falter. His fingers closed around the core, and he ripped it out of the slime's body. The creature lost its form and collapsed into a puddle at his feet, defeated.
Carn stood in a puddle of slime, panting heavily as he watched the last of the slime melt into the floor. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, his armor stained with blood and slime, but he couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement and triumph.
"YEEEEEAAAAHHHHHHH!" Carn screamed with a guttural roar, feeling the rush of adrenaline course through his veins. His scream echoed through the forest as notifications popped up in front of him.
- Level 55 Large Slime Defeated! -
Greatly increased experience for beating a foe of a higher tier.
+3659 experience
+3932 Skill experience
- You have leveled up! -
- You have leveled up! -
- You have leveled up! -
- Skills have leveled up! -
Hunter’s Accuracy x2
Carn's body shook with exhaustion and he struggled to catch his breath. His eyes darted around frantically, searching for his quiver and knife. He found the quiver, damaged but salvageable, and his knife, sticky with slime. With a deep breath, he began to clean the blade until it shone like new.
Knowing he wasn't safe yet, Carn made his way back to town. Every step felt like an uphill battle, and his mind was in a fog from the mana exhaustion. Suddenly, he stumbled upon a group of slimes, numbering around twenty. He tried to avoid them, but his injuries made him as stealthy as a herd of elephants.
Thankfully, Carn had regained some mana and was able to take down eight of the slimes with a well-placed Magic Arrow. He dispatched the rest with regular arrows, not wanting to risk running out of mana again.
- Level 25 Basic Slime Killed -
Bonus experience is given for defeating a foe of a greater level
+28 experience
+29 Skill experience
- Title Achieved: Novice Slime Slayer -
Tier: Wood
Description: A slayer title rewarded for defeating 1000 of an enemy type (Basic Slimes). Can be enhanced by defeating 1000 of a different type of slime.
When equipped: +1 All stats (except luck and charisma) and deal 10% more damage to slimes
Not equipped: +1 All stats (except luck and charisma)
Carn looked at the notification in surprise, he heard that people grinded slayer titles for all the various types of enemies and he had gotten one of them in only one day! The rush of adrenaline pushed him to continue picking up the slime cores out of habit, despite his exhaustion.
Suddenly, a rustling sound in the nearby shrubbery caught his attention. Without a second thought, Carn whirled around, ready to attack. But instead of another slime, a group of people emerged from the bushes. His eyebrows furrowed in surprise and frustration. A monk with a shaved head and a winning smile walked in front of the group.
“Oi, oi mate,” the monk said with a calming tone, “No need for that. We're not hostile."
Carn lowered his bow, still on edge but slightly relieved. He watched as the monk approached him with a smile.
“I’m Liam, and these blokes behind me are my party,” he said, extending his hand. "We were just passing through and saw your fight. Impressive stuff, mate."
Carn hesitated for a moment before accepting Liam's handshake, feeling a bit embarrassed at his previous hostility. "I'm Carn," he said gruffly, his exhaustion still evident in his voice.
Liam nodded understandingly. "You look knackered. Do you need any help?"
Carn paused, not used to being offered help. But he couldn't deny that he was in a tough spot. "Actually, yeah," he said, grateful for the offer. "I could use some assistance getting back to town."
Liam smiled warmly, "Of course, mate. We'll help you out. It's not safe to be wandering around alone, especially in these parts."
Carn nodded, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. If he had to deal with another group of slimes while he was this tired he was gonna lose it. As they walked, Liam introduced him to the rest of the party - a sturdy-looking guardian named Fatima, a stern spearman named Leif, a mischievous gunner named Juan, and an indifferent wizard named Priya.
The rustling of the leaves around them had quietened as the group walked, with Carn feeling a renewed sense of safety by their side. They had been hunting slimes themselves, it seemed and had come across his fight by sheer luck.
As the group made their way through the dense forest, Carn struggled to keep up. His wounds were starting to take a toll on him, and he was grateful for the offer of help from Liam and his party. As they walked, Carn learned that they were experienced adventurers, having spent years exploring the forest and battling monsters.
"Sorry we can't heal you mate," Liam said with a hint of regret in his voice, "Our healer is undergoing a tier-up ceremony. Here how about you take this, it should tide you over until we get back to town." Liam handed over a greater healing potion, and Carn gratefully took it. The wounds started to close, but his stamina was still very low.
“What got you so good? The scariest things in this part of the forest are large slimes,” the gunner named Juan asked, looking Carn up and down with childlike curiosity.
“One of those large slimes actually. It got me good. I’m only level 22 after all,” Carn said with a sigh, still feeling the pain in his body.
The spearman named Leif scoffed, “You are hunting this deep in the forest at level 22? I am surprised you escaped that large slime with your life.”
“Admittedly, I will admit maybe I went a little too deep into the forest,” Carn said, feeling slightly embarrassed. The spearman rolled his eyes, and Carn was annoyed at his attitude. “But I didn't escape, I killed it.” Carn held out the large slime core from his bag, and it shined in the dim forest light. The rest of the party looked shocked.
"Whoa, that's a pretty impressive feat for someone at level 22," Liam said, his eyes wide with astonishment. "You must be very skilled," he added, grinning.
Carn felt a sense of pride swell in his chest, the praise from the experienced player was like music to his ears. "Thanks," he said, trying to sound humble, but failing to suppress a smile.
As they walked, Carn couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the world. The forest around them was alive with the sound of birds singing and leaves rustling in the wind.
The party chatted amiably, discussing everything from the latest updates to strategies for taking down tough monsters. Carn found himself feeling more and more at ease with the group, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with them.
After the long walk, they finally reached the bustling town, the colorful buildings towering over them. Carn was amazed by the vibrant atmosphere, a stark contrast to the dark forest they had just left. As they arrived at their destination, Carn was surprised to find that they were heading toward the Pillars of the Sun guildhouse.
“Well, this is our stop. Just message me if you ever need any help,” Liam said as they reached the entrance.
“I didn’t know you were Pillars of the Sun members,” Carn said walking with them to the door.
The group was surprised when Carn continued to walk with him, their eyes looking at him quizzically. As they approached the door, Carn noticed their gazes and
“This is my stop too. I joined yesterday,” Carn said, feeling a little embarrassed.
The mage named Priya raised an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism in her voice. “Wait, you're a member? Don't lie to us now, the guild only accepts iron-tier players and higher, and you're only level 22.”
Carn understood where she was coming from. But before he could respond, a hulking figure stepped up behind him, his armor gleaming in the setting sun's rays. The group immediately bowed as Carn turned around to see who it was.