Whether it was combat experience or the mastery of various [Sword] techniques, Anyi had reached an unmatched level. Even in his previous life, he had been considered formidable among the Heroes. His proficiency with Technique wasn’t the result of spent points but a lifetime of practice with the blade. The system simply recognized his vast expertise and marked his base attribute for Technique as Max.
However, in the group chat, Anyi had recorded it as a modest 4. After all, he was playing the part of a "knowledgeable, genius swordsman"—someone smart and slightly stronger than the others, but not vastly superior. He didn’t mind if his companions sought his advice when unsure, but he couldn't stand the idea of them constantly relying on his strength alone. They could depend on his experience, but never solely on his power.
As the group moved deeper into the jungle, more slimes started to appear. At first, they moved randomly, each creature driven by instinct, occasionally drifting toward the Heroes. But, after a few moments, the atmosphere shifted. What were once scattered, meandering creatures suddenly began converging on their position.
"It seems they’ve arrived," Anyi remarked, sensing the change.
“I’ll take point!” Layton, eager to prove himself, stepped forward, his shield raised high as he crushed a pile of advancing slimes beneath its weight.
[Experience points +10, experience points +10, experience points +10...]
Excited by the steady gain of experience, Layton's grin grew wider. “Finally! Let’s keep it going!”
“Miss Miruku, you should join in too,” Anyi called over his shoulder.
“Ah... yes!” Miruku quickly responded, moving with deliberate speed to assist in cleaning up the advancing slimes. She refrained from using her full capabilities, just as Anyi had advised, choosing to conserve her energy.
They pressed forward, step by step, until a system notification flashed in front of them:
[Class 1 Tale: Slime Jungle
In the dense forest, slimes will continue to spawn indefinitely. If humans approach carelessly, they risk being surrounded and overwhelmed!
Warning: Nearby slimes may gather to attack from great distances!
Recommended Level: Lv1-Lv10
Beware! Within the forest, unimaginably powerful enemies may lurk. Heroes, proceed with caution!]
“Well, that’s simple enough,” Layton muttered, bashing aside another group of slimes with his shield.
"Wait..." Miruku hesitantly spoke, her voice uncertain. "The recommended level is between 1 and 10, but... none of us are even close to level 10 yet. Couldn’t we be in danger?"
"Probably not," Ariana chimed in, smiling confidently. “If we go by Anyi's calculations, even though we haven’t hit level 10 yet, we still have high enough stats to handle this. Layton’s Strength is already 28, and his Durability is 29. I have 30 Prana points, and Miruku, you have 40 Agility points. We should be fine."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
She glanced at Anyi for confirmation, but Anyi simply continued walking forward, his expression unreadable. Ariana’s confidence wavered slightly.
Though she had 15 points in Intelligence, giving her a sharp mind, her analysis wasn’t entirely accurate. Anyi knew the truth. Against monsters with higher attributes, pure stats alone wouldn’t be enough. It was one thing to have power, but another to know how to wield it.
Just like the example with Layton: if a monster’s Agility was 10, while Layton’s Agility was 0, it didn’t matter how strong he was. He would never be fast enough to block the enemy’s strikes, turning him into nothing more than a defenseless target. And Strength? It was worthless if you couldn't even land a hit on the enemy.
Still, Ariana pressed on, growing uncertain. "Anyi, am I right? Is it true or not?"
Anyi responded with casual indifference, “I don’t know. Just be a little more careful.”
“…Ah, okay,” Ariana muttered, deflating a little, but nodded in agreement, her earlier confidence fading into cautious resolve.
...
In the far depths of the forest, where shadows thickened and light seldom touched, an evil presence stirred. It was an ancient thing, lurking in the dark corners of the jungle, watching with insidious intent. The moment it sensed the intruders—those who dared cleanse its realm of the split, mindless slimes—it grew restless. Humanity’s scent, so foreign and distant, ignited its long-forgotten hunger. It had not tasted the fear of mortals in ages, and now, the promise of their arrival made it giddy with anticipation.
Its intelligence was not high—perhaps on par with a goblin or worse—but it knew its purpose. It knew that these humans must not escape. It had one goal, one singular mission: devour them whole, consume their essence until there was nothing left. It lacked the cunning of a true strategist, yet something deep within compelled it to prepare a trap, a vast and cruel snare. It waited patiently, knowing the foolish would come, stepping willingly into its web. Once caught, they would find themselves ensnared, with no hope of escape.
...
The hike had stretched the entire day, and by the time the sun dipped beyond the horizon, the forest had become a realm of darkness. Nightfall brought with it the eerie sounds of the jungle, a quiet murmur of leaves, and the distant shuffling of unseen creatures. Yet, the four companions had no plans to halt their progress. Stopping meant death; the slimes, drawn to any fixed position, would swarm them like a relentless tide if they paused.
Rest was not an option. The only choice was to push onward, through the maze of trees and creeping shadows. To stop now would mean turning their camp into a twisted game of survival, where hordes of slimes would descend upon them in waves.
They had already spent the day slaughtering countless slimes, their swords and spells carving paths through the living goo. Each of them, drenched in sweat and battle-weary, had gained strength from the carnage. From their humble beginnings at level 1, they had ascended to level 5, though it had taken the deaths of nearly 7,500 slimes to reach that point. Even with their relentless pace—each of them capable of killing ten slimes a minute—they had barely scraped the surface of the experience they would need to continue growing stronger.
It was a tiresome, brutal grind. For every thousand slimes they slew, their experience points dwindled, making the path to level 6 seem nearly impossible. By the time they would reach that milestone, they would need to slay 50,000 more. Tonight, they had no illusions of breaking through to that next level. The slimes ahead, even those merging into grotesque, towering forms, would only provide so much.
Still, they pushed forward into the forest’s deeper, darker reaches, where the path had all but disappeared. Vines hung like snakes from the branches above, and the ground beneath their feet was uneven, tangled with roots and hidden pitfalls.
Now, it was Layton and Miruku’s turn to clear the way, slicing through slimes with weary but determined movements. Anyi and Ariana, their roles reversed, rested for the moment. Anyi’s eyes were ever watchful, scanning the surrounding woods for any sign of danger. Ariana, however, had succumbed to exhaustion, her body limp as she slept soundly—cradled in Anyi’s arms.