Chapter 4

Leon and Victoria guided us through the city's main gate, its monumental stone arches were dwarfed only by the castle itself as a steady flow of wielders and merchant carts entered and exited the city.

Beyond the gate, the stone road sliced through the forest like a sliver that had been procured by a giant knife. I then thought, if a knife laid the road, then what sort of weapon of mass destruction was required to raise the city itself from the earth?

As we continued, I spotted peculiar creatures in the forest: an antlered rabbit, a hopping blue jelly-like being, and more familiar animals like wolves and deer. I tried to search my memories for answers on why some felt more familiar than others, but again drew up nothing but blanks.

We veered onto a less-traveled path where nature was slowly reclaiming the scattered stones. After a short walk, our group halted, and Leon settled on a stump, ceding the stage to Victoria.

As she addressed us, her authoritative demeanor was accentuated by the glossy white staff she held. The tree knot at the top cradled a white gem, which emitted a ghostly glow.

“First things first,” Victoria began, her weary eyes surveying us. “I’m sure by now you’ve noticed many wielders have a color augmenting their class. This is what we call their alignment, and to put it simply, your alignment determines the kind of mana you draw from. There are five types of mana; White, Blue, Pure, Red, and Black―think of them on a scale in that order.

“White and blue focus on defensive magics to protect and heal your party members; red and black, on the other side of the spectrum, are offensive magics used to combat enemies. In the center of the spectrum is pure, which will grant you abilities that are true to your class. Not every class is effective with every form of mana, so choose wisely. For instance, an assassin is not meant for healing, so blue or white would not suit them. Nor can a bard rival a red or black mage's power, so it's better suited for support. Those are just a couple of examples. Any questions?”

“To give us an idea,” Hope began to ask, “How would a pure mage's abilities function?”

“A pure mage would have an array of elemental magics, which is beneficial when combined with the analyze ability as you can take advantage of an enemy's weaknesses. However, they are less effective against enemies without weaknesses. Each class and alignment has its strengths, so adventuring in a party is essential to compensate for individual shortcomings.”

Leah fidgeted with her hair before raising her hand. “So, what would be a balanced party?”

Victoria smiled at the question. “A well-rounded party would typically include a tank, a healer, a support class, and one or more damage dealers. But the specific composition can vary based on your preferences and strengths.”

“So, how do we pick a class exactly?” I asked. “Is there some kind of certification?”

“There are statues at the guild hall that communicate with your phage crystals. You cannot select a class until level 5, however.”

With that, Victoria glanced at Leon, who nodded in acknowledgment. He sprang to his feet and clapped his hands together. “Alright, so how about we get to the fun stuff? Split up into two parties. Me and Victoria will each take a group for some monster hunting!”

Our two parties ended up dividing just as they had on the ship. John, Leah, and Hope joined me, while Tsarina, Alura, Rin, and Chris formed the other group. Despite meeting only a few hours ago, I felt a bond forming with these people. It must have been our shared experience aboard the ship.

Victoria continued her lessons as she led our group through the forest, her voice calm and informative. “As you've likely gathered, killing monsters allows you to level up. Each monster has a set amount of experience it can give, which is shared amongst your party. However, a party with more than six members won't receive any experience points unless you're venturing into a dungeon that allows for larger parties.”

John furrowed his brow, puzzled. “So, where do these rules come from, exactly? Who’s in charge of it?”

“Who knows,” she answered. “It is just how it works. Furthermore, high-level wielders partying with lower levels like yourselves will suck up all of the experience. Therefore, I will not interfere today unless you get into a tough spot. The most I will do is heal in between battles.”

I subconsciously gripped the hilt of my sword, suddenly aware of its weight. I recalled the paralyzing fear I had felt when facing the Leviathan Spawns. How foreign the weapon had felt in my hands. If I were stronger, would that change?

“Are you okay?” Leah's gentle touch on my hand caught my attention. Her eyes filled with concern.

I forced a smile, not wanting her or anyone else to worry about me. I knew they were all going through exactly what I was, so it would be selfish to only think of myself. “Yeah, just getting in the right head space, is all.”

Victoria's gaze found mine. Her voice serious, yet reassuring. “It's alright to be afraid. Fear keeps us grounded. I've seen many strong wielders die foolishly because they let overconfidence cloud their judgment.” She raised her pipe to her lips, then after a moment of contemplation, she blew out a thick puff of smoke.

“Are there any forms of revival magic?” John asked.

Victoria shook her head, her expression somber. “No. If your HP hits zero, you're dead, and nothing will ever bring you back. Remember that.” With those solemn words, she continued to lead the way.

Victoria eventually stopped us at the top of a hill overlooking a clearing. Below, a group of those blue, pudding-like creatures hopped about, apparently unaware of our presence.

“See those down there? Check their stats,” she instructed.

We all tapped our crystals as directed.

Slime

Monster - level 1

HP: ???/???

Weakness: ???

“Once you reach level 5 adventurer, aside from new classes being open to you, you’ll get a handy ability called analyze, which will reveal more details about monsters. For now, I'll tell you that those slimes have 100 HP and are weak against any form of magic. Three or four sword hits should be enough to take one down. A single hit might suffice if it's a critical strike, which occurs when you hit a monster's weak point.”

“There's a lot of them,” Leah said. “Won't the others join in when they see us attacking?”

“Yes, that's precisely why I brought you to this populated area. I want to teach you to be aware of your surroundings before starting an engagement. Even low-level monsters can wipe out your party if you get overwhelmed.”

“What are we supposed to do, then?” Hope asked. “Just do our thing and let you heal us?”

“As I mentioned earlier, I'll only step in if you get into real trouble.” She then reached into her robe and pulled out a book. I expected it to be a tool to further our lessons, but she simply sat under a tree and opened it. As I read the title, I realized there was nothing academic about it: ‘The Adventures of Hedgy the Hedgehog’

“Um…” Leah’s uncertain tone mirrored what I’m sure we were all thinking.

Victoria waved a hand dismissively. “I'll be right here watching. Go ahead, have fun.”

“Are you kidding me?” Hope yelled. “You’re just throwing us to the wolves?”

Victoria's eyes raised mischievously from under the shadow of her white witch’s hat. “Hmm, a wolf den is nearby, but you're a tad under-leveled for that. It could be entertaining to watch, though.” She flashed a wicked grin. “Your choice: squishy slimes or wolves. I recommend the slimes.”

“This isn’t a joke,” Hope said.

“No, she’s right,” I cut in. “We have to learn to do this ourselves. I doubt she or any other high-level wielders will hold our hands.”

Victoria lowered her book. “Well, well, looks like the party leader stepped up. My money was on either you or the big guy.”

“Party leader?” I asked, puzzled.

“Here's the last piece of advice I'll give for now,” Victoria said, taking a puff from her pipe. “In battle, there needs to be order. You're all parts of a machine, and each of you must know your function. Therefore, it is advisable to agree on a leader. Otherwise, in the heat of battle, chaos can ensue. It's up to the party leader to keep your actions synchronized. Understand?”

I wasn’t sure if I was best for the job or not. John seemed older than me, so I felt it should have been him.

“What do you think?” I asked, turning to the rest.

“It's up to you,” John replied. “I've seen you make quick decisions, so I believe you can do it.”

“I'm with John,” Leah agreed. “I trust you.”

Hope shrugged. “I guess, if you think you can handle it.”

I nodded, surveying the clearing. Descending the hill directly would lead us straight into a group of three slimes. A few more were within twenty feet of that small group. How could we attack one without attracting the attention of the entire clearing?

“Let's move clockwise around the clearing and stay hidden in the trees,” I suggested, unsheathing my sword. “Two over there are pretty far away from the others. We might be able to jump out of the trees and take them out quickly. These creatures don't seem to move very fast, so a quick strike and retreat into hiding should help us keep things on our terms.”

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With that, I began leading the way, again feeling like a complete imposter. I wasn’t sure who I was, or where I lived before waking up on that boat, but I was sure I was not someone who people looked towards as a leader. Nevertheless, with the position thrust on me I could not exactly turn away now.

Crouching down behind a bush, I assumed my position while the two slimes continued to meander about, oblivious to our presence. If their button-shaped eyes were any indication, they hadn't noticed us at all. Following my lead, everyone else hunkered beside me.

“Okay, Leah and I will take the one on the right, and you guys get the one on the left. Let's plan on four strikes to be safe.” I felt ridiculous. They looked more like desserts than monsters. They were rather cute and might even make good pets. Maybe I was being overly cautious. I hope I didn’t sound lame. Sparing a glance towards Leah, I noticed an intense expression, focused on the target, and knew she was on the same page as me. Hope, however, rolled her eyes.

“Give the command, chief,” Hope said, offering a mock salute.

“One more thing,” I added. “Hope, since you’re a higher level, you attack first. Leah, I’ll be the one to hit ours first. Okay?”

“Got it,” Leah confirmed with a nod.

“Alright... let's do this, on three,” I whispered. “One... two...” My grip on the hilt tightened. “THREE!”

I darted out of the trees, raising the sword over my shoulders with both hands and swinging down. The slime turned towards me, hopping a few inches into the air, its button eyes widening in surprise. Did I really have to kill this creature? As it hopped backward, I had a moment of sympathy. I would claim I missed, not expecting the movement, but truthfully I purposely let my sword fall short, striking nothing but dirt.

I heard Hope yell, followed by a soft deflating sound like air being slowly released from a balloon. Leah approached, sword clenched in both hands. She held it up as she eyed the slime, though it was clear she would not attack either.

I looked over to see Hope and John standing over their slime that had now dissolved into an inanimate puddle. Our own slime still hopped up and down in front of us, its button eyes slanted downward in an infuriated expression.

I steeled myself, part of me wanting to say some last word of apology, but suddenly a vine-like extension of the slime's body lashed out and struck my leg. “OUCH!” I winced and jumped back. Its blue color tinted red towards the center, as if it were blushing, but the way it shook indicated it was red with anger. I could almost imagine steam rising above its head. Suddenly, it emitted a high-pitched whistling sound, reinforcing the image of a tea kettle.

“Hurry up! What are you waiting for!” Hope yelled.

“Yeah, I know!” I replied, gripping the hilt tighter. The stinging lash across my shin helped wane my sympathies. I stepped forward and swung my sword down, eliciting another high-pitched scream. Its vine lashed out again, this time striking my face and causing me to stumble backward. Leah stood there, frozen, shaking her head as she looked at me helplessly while I held a hand over my throbbing cheek.

I was certain I could finish it now, but before I could ready my sword again, Hope strode over and plunged her sword into the top of the slime's head. A deflating sound followed as it collapsed into a puddle, and a golden glow enveloped Leah and me, signaling we had just leveled up.

“Well, so much for our valiant and brave leader,” Hope said, eyeing me.

“He has a kind heart,” John said. “It does not feel natural to kill something if you have never done so before.”

At least someone understood.

“I'm sorry,” Leah bowed her head to me. “It was my fault. After you missed your first attack, I just froze. I... I don't know, I guess I was thinking about how that little thing didn't want to die, and I couldn't bring myself to hurt it.”

“Yeah, I guess I felt the same way,” I admitted.

“Guys...” Hope pointed, and as I looked up, I saw five slimes hop-stepping towards us, each of them with their button eyes slanted and cheeks red. We all readied our swords.

Wait, I should check my health―just how much damage did that slime do to me?

Name: Zelik

Adventurer - level 3

HP: 180/230

MP: 0/0

Condition: Slow

Condition slow? What did that mean?

“Run or fight?” John asked.

“I say fight!” Hope growled. “But I'm not doing it alone! You guys in or out?”

“I-I don't know if I-” Leah stuttered.

I tensed. This was not going according to plan. I had said the whole point was to engage on our own terms, and whatever blunders might have come from that first attempt, we should stick to the plan.

“Run and regroup in the forest!” I yelled, turning to run while the slimes were still a good eight feet away. However, as soon as I raised my foot to take that first step, I realized something was wrong.

My allies' backs came into view as they quickly made it to the tree line. Leah turned and looked at me. My right leg, which the slime had struck, felt like it was dragging a hundred-pound weight.

Whistles sounded behind me, and I spun to face three slimes closing in. Before I could even raise my sword, their vines lashed my other leg, arm, and stomach. Gritting my teeth, I struck the nearest slime, realizing retreat was no longer an option. My sword came down again, only for another vine to slash across my face.

I swung my sword frantically, two more slimes coming within striking distance and another whistling for reinforcements. I couldn't count how many were hop-stepping from deeper into the clearing now, but there were at least ten of them.

I had no time to check my crystal, and there were no healing berries in my pocket. However, my mind raced to calculate the damage. If two hits took away 50 HP, then each hit from a slime was worth 25 HP, and I'd now been struck five times…. Or was it six? How much was my total health after leveling up again?

Another vine lashed across my face.

Could I really be defeated by a bunch of ridiculous little creatures that looked like they belonged in the dessert section of a cheap all-you-can-eat buffet? My sword connected with another slime as another lash struck my arm. Perhaps arms and legs took less damage? I had no idea. But I was sure I was about to die. In my misguided strategy, I had led our group away from the person who could heal us. Had I been overly confident, convinced we wouldn't need her? I swung my sword again, flattening another slime, but another one slashed my chest.

Strength drained from my body, and I could barely stand. I saw another vine coming at my face, and I knew I couldn't dodge it.

My head spun. Death seemed inevitable. I couldn't block the attack, and once it hit me, my HP would surely drop to zero. It was a small, insignificant miracle that the last hit hadn't finished me off already.

John's strong arm suddenly appeared in front of me, taking the blow. I heard Leah and Hope scream out their own battle cries as they rushed back into the fray, swords raised and swinging down.

With no more strength left in my body, I allowed myself to fall backward. Hopefully, fall damage wasn't a factor, because honestly, I hit the ground hard, and I didn't have any HP left to spare.

Was I already dead? Would I make it? With trembling fingers, I weakly tapped my crystal, the sounds of my friends fighting for their lives filling my ears.

Please, let them not die because of my stupidity. Let my demise serve as a lesson for them, allowing them to survive and thrive where I failed; in this cruel world, where an angry dessert could be a death sentence!

Name: Zelik

Adventurer - level 3

HP: 05/230

MP: 0/0

Condition: slow

My vision faded, and I slipped into what I assume was a dream. I lay on the ground, just as I had been moments before, but instead of slimes, a group of boys surrounded me, having just finished kicking my ass. One wore a jean jacket, sneering down at me as he smoked a cigarette, while the others laughed.

Suddenly, my dream shifted, and I felt rejuvenated. The boy in the jean jacket morphed into a graceful figure wearing a white robe. An angel, perhaps? No, it was Victoria. The mocking grin on her face as she blew out a puff of smoke made me wonder if death might have been preferable.

“Now that, was pathetic,” she said. “Are you sure you were on that ship? How on earth did you manage to survive a Leviathan attack?”

“What the hell...” I muttered under my breath, staring at my trembling hand. Then, a wave of anger washed over me. She had warned us to be careful, but we were clearly unprepared for this! I glanced around at my party members, all of them panting and sporting red whip marks beneath torn clothing. Leah, in particular, had a deep gash under her eye, blood dripping down her chin.

I turned to Victoria, her amused smirk fueling my anger even further. “Did you know this was going to happen? Why didn't you step in sooner, or warn us!? We could have died! You waited until the last second to step in!”

Her response took me aback. “Yeah, sorry about that.” She placed her lips around her pipe, drew in a breath, and exhaled an impressive cloud of smoke. “I did not plan on exposing you to that level of danger. I almost didn't make it here in time, so I am sorry.”

Apparently, it was not in my nature to hold a grudge, as the sincere apology made it hard for me to stay mad. The realization that I had indeed almost died, and this wasn't just her making a point, left me with a mix of relief and anxiety.

“Your plan was perfect,” Victoria continued. “Strike quickly and retreat into the woods. When I heard you give that order, I thought, wow, these newbies are truly exceptional... Then, you botched the part where you use that sword for more than just a prop to look cool. I still believed you'd be fine―honestly, four low-level adventurers versus a bunch of slimes is a fair match. But then you made the most spectacular blunder I've ever seen by ordering your party back into the woods while you were slowed. You tapped your crystal, did you not? You saw what your condition was, right?”

“I… I did… but...”

A low grumble came from her throat. “Anyway, I came running down as soon as I saw that happen. Luckily your party jumped back in, or I would not have made it in time. You owe these three your life.”

I looked at them, they were battered from the attack, but the pile of deflated slimes at their feet was a testament to their valor. “Thanks, everyone,” I said. “I owe you.”

Leah shook her head. “No, like I said, it's my fault.” I didn’t want her to feel responsible for me. That may have been one of the more painful aspects of this whole thing.

“Hey, it’s alright,” John said, patting her shoulder. “I think we all learned something from this.”

Victoria gazed up at the sky, her eyes focusing on the sun through the trees. “We have a couple more hours before we should head back. Occasionally, high-level monsters wander into the woods at night, so we can't risk staying out late. That's something else you need to keep in mind. For now, check how much experience you have and let me know how close you are to your next levels.”

We all followed her instructions. When I tapped my crystal and thought about my experience, the following information appeared in my field of vision:

Name: Zelik

Adventurer - level 3

XP: 70/200

I relayed the information, as did my party members. Hope had just reached level 4 and was at 10/250 XP. Leah was level 3 with 70/200, just like me, and John had slightly more, 100/200.

Victoria nodded her head. “Alright, reaching level 5 isn't happening for all of you today unless we try something crazy. After your last blunder, I’m not exactly itching to give it a shot. Come here, I’ll heal you all, and I want you to grind these slimes for the next hour, then we’ll head back. I’ll get all of you to level 5 tomorrow.”