Hunter's first encounter with the slime monsters was as gruesome as he'd expected. The moment he stepped into the room, a wall of green fog hit him, thick with a sickening stench. It tasted like rancid meat left to rot in the sun, and he damn near choked on it.
From his inventory, he pulled out a piece of silver cloth, an item Claude had given him. He held his breath, tied the cloth around his face, and let his defensive aura ripple outwards. All around him, the floor was a disgusting patchwork of muddy brown and a swirling, dark green.
He channeled chi into his eyes, enhancing his vision. Immediately, he wished he hadn't. The green patches swayed like seaweed in a current, clusters of black, beady eyes blinking up at him from stalks of slime. They moved in herds, their gaping maws opening and closing in a horrific rhythm.
He couldn't see the mana leak, rising from cracks in the foundations but he could feel the energy like a prickle against his skin, raising goosebumps. As a Second Star Refiner with basic aura control, he could resist its effects for a short while.
Taking a moment to study the room, his gaze landed on a massive cluster of green in the center. A nursery of slime monster babies being fed by their mothers, who were popping out newborns faster than Hunter could blink. The dark brown patches, he realized with a sinking feeling, were the decaying remains of those that didn't survive.
Larger slimes circled the nursery, their countless beady eyes scanning the room. Looking down at his feet, he thanked his lucky stars for his new boots. He waded through the brown sludge and past feeding slime monsters towards the stone walls of the room.
His eyes fixed on the part of the nursery where new mothers had just given birth, the afterbirth trailing them in pulsing dark red blobs. Their young had a ravenous appetite, their tiny suckers latching onto their mother's slimy teats, making their undersides look like they were covered in dark green blisters.
Tower was right.
The mothers were fast, latching onto the afterbirth with surprising speed while their newborns fed.
Hunter ignored the nauseous churn in his gut.
He mapped out a path, sticking to the dark sludge and steering clear of the clusters of slime monsters bobbing at knee height. Some let out a hissing shriek if he strayed too close to those feeding. As he closed in on the slime monsters guarding the nursery, he whipped out his broom, spinning it around with the brush end out.
Even if they were slime globules, he wanted to keep the body count low if he could.
With a sweep to the left and right, he broke through the defensive circle and cleared a path. Shrieks filled the room as the slime balls that made contact with the broom exploded, spraying green guts everywhere.
They were more fragile than Hunter had expected.
He wondered how these wretched monsters survived outside the safe haven this room offered. His answer came in the form of dark green blobs spewing from their mouths in all directions, splattering the upper part of his boots. The sizzling hiss told him it would burn through his exposed skin, but thankfully, his new boots held up. Those Tyche prototype boots must have some buff against slime damage.
Picking up speed, he plowed through the attacking slimes, making a beeline for the new mothers in the center of the room. He felt like a cuckoo raiding a nest as he snatched up the first dangling afterbirth from a slime monster. The tiny umbilical cord was tough, knotted—he wouldn't be able to tear it without causing some serious damage.
He stashed his broom, swapping it for his mithril dagger, and started severing the fresh cords while dodging lunges from sucker-mouthed slime mothers. By the time he'd bagged a dozen afterbirths, his hands were blistered and raw from sucker marks.
Ignoring the stench and burn, he pumped chi into his legs, launching himself clear of the attacking slimes. He dashed for the door, not daring to look back as he bolted from the room and slammed the door shut behind him.
The gods-awful stink clung to him all the way to the bathhouse. When Tower announced it was break time, he could've cried with relief.
Tower: You're ahead of schedule, Hunter. Time for a wash, then food and cultivation.
After finding the rest room and scrubbing himself raw with sandstone soap, he inhaled the sweet scent of jasmine, trying to erase the memory of slime guts and stench.
Tower: What's the afterbirth count?
"Got at least a dozen."
Tower: Excellent. They're rich in collagen—you might have enough for a rejuvenating face mask if you're interested in a little self-care.
Hunter snorted. "I'll pass, thanks. Just need to make sure we get every last drop out of them to keep the lubricant supply up until the next initiate gets here."
Tower: You intend to fob off less preferred tasks to the newer initiates? I look forward to seeing how that works out for you.
He smirked. "Yeah, well, we'll see about that."
Hunter's spirits lifted after a brief respite, fueled by a satisfying meal and a cultivation practice session in the chi-rich library. Each practice brought the technique closer to second nature, hinting that soon he could cultivate while on the move. Returning to the training deck, he aimed to apply the knowledge gained from the Divine Order Skills Scroll on the Dust Storm technique.
However, a nagging concern lingered.
While confident he had dual affinity, Earth remained his dominant element. In the guild room, his focus shifted to the stone pillar housing his inherited cultivation medallion.
“Tower, my dominant affinity is Earth. As we both know, my mother had Wind affinity. Due to my stunted cultivation, I never confirmed my dual affinity. However, the Dust Storm technique requires activation of both Earth and Wind affinity."
Tower: Please approach the pillar for the path of Holly and Horse and place your hand on the medallion. It was crucial that you made the connection of your affinities without interference from me.
Hunter approached the glowing pillar, bathed in ghostly white light. Relaxing his aura, he touched the medallion, sensing not only the deep thrum of Earth essence but also an airy wash of Wind essence previously unknown to him. Hair prickled on the back of his neck, and a new notification appeared.
[Wind affinity awakened.]
[Name: Leocedes “Hunter”
Age: 18
Clan: Filo
Class: Pending
Path: Holly and Horse
Element Type: Primary – Earth. Secondary – Wind.
Energy Type: Granted – Chi. Earned – Pending.
Chi Cultivation: Second Star Refiner.
Specialization: Undetermined]
Tower: You may proceed to the training deck.
Hunter kept pace with the Spartan method, heading back to the tutorial room, his head buzzing with the knowledge he'd absorbed about the Dust Storm technique. To project a proper Dust Storm whip and hit the bullseye without sacrificing power, he needed some serious target practice.
From the tutorial menu, he picked out the training deck and settled himself in, eyes shut, picturing his core as the room transformed around him.
He was most at ease while seated in meditation, but he knew he had to push his cultivation practice further. What used to be so difficult to visualize and maintain was now becoming easier to do. He could see his energy channels glowing orange and white, coursing through his body like a river network.
While he cycled, he started focusing on the new technique. Combining and projecting Earth and Wind chi, hitting his target with a Dust Storm whip. Simple enough, right?
At first, he let the threads of chi flow through his channels, watching them, feeling their essence. Once identified, he started nudging the affinities together, weaving them into one. It was harder than he thought. Knots formed, clogging up his channels and causing a sharp pain in his gut.
But he knew what he had to do. He focused on his breathing, cleared his intent. He didn't fight against the flow; he relaxed, coaxing his channels to open up and encouraged the knots to unravel.
Stolen story; please report.
The woven threads of Earth and Wind chi dispersed, forcing him to start all over again.
This time, though, he had a better grasp of how to weave the threads without them tangling up. It involved slowing down his cycling speed, easing off whenever he felt tension building.
He fortified his mind, visualized his clay horse totem trailing the woven threads through the river run. It helped him maintain a steady flow and kept the knots from forming again. Sweat trickled down his forehead, his legs shook as his core drained down to his reserves. He hadn't even projected the woven chi outwards yet.
Fear nipped at him, but he shoved it aside like a rabid dog.
He knew if he let fear take over, he'd lose focus. He opened his eyes and saw a straw dummy about ten paces away. A bull's-eye target at its center. Just what he needed to test the strength and endurance of his new technique.
With a gentle push, Hunter let the woven threads of chi flood his arms, traveling all the way to his fingertips. The energy buzzed, pooling like blood. On a deep exhale, he forced the chi outwards, visualizing it as a whip, merging with the dust on a phantom wind.
The ground trembled under the force of his chi, dust clouds rising around him. His muscles burned as he tried to steer the whip towards the target. But it thrashed out of control, slamming into the ground and leaving a small crater in its wake.
The dummy remained untouched.
Hunter drew in a ragged breath, tasting the bitter tang of disappointment. A powerful technique, but useless if he couldn’t control it. He quickly shook it off, reminding himself this was his first crack at the whip.
A few more failed attempts later and that sting of defeat was getting harder to ignore.
"You only truly lose if you fucking give up." Hunter repeated the rough mantra to fight the creeping doubt. His teeth gritted, knowing his chi reserves were scraping the bottom.
One more go, he decided.
If that didn't do it, he'd take a break, recharge, and then get right back at it until he hit that dummy.
His mind flashed to his sister, his mother, his father. They wouldn't let him back down from a challenge until he'd given it his all. He held onto that thought, cycling his chi, pouring every ounce of focus and willpower he had into the bullseye target.
A grin tugged at his lips as he felt the chi threads weave together with far less resistance than before. Despite the gnawing ache at his core, he wasn't sweating like a pig this time around.
This time, he pulled back on the raw force of the dust whip, focusing more on guiding it to hit the target. With two fingers together pointed like a sword seal, he directed the attack.
The air cracked, straw and splinters flying everywhere.
When the dust settled, a deep crater marred the chest of the straw dummy.
Hunter doubled over, clutching his sides as pain lanced through him. But hell, the thrill of success coursing through him was worth every damn ache. He'd done it.
It'd been a hard-fought victory, but now, when he entered the Refiner Gate, he wouldn't need to rely on his makeshift knife-broom. He had a chi attack to use. His chi pool was still small, so he'd have to use the attack sparingly. But even as a backup, it should even the odds against any boss he crossed paths with.
With a grin still plastered on his face, he left the tutorial room and headed back to the guild room. It was time for the last part of the Spartan method - review what worked and what didn't so he could figure out his next move.
***
With a look around the bare walls of the guild room, Hunter sensed its potential. The potential for greatness. He couldn't help but snort. "Just like me." A grin tugged at his lips.
Tower: Your bull-headed determination paid off, didn't it? Successfully pulling off the Dust Storm Whip. Not bad. And by using that new organization strategy of yours, you managed to knock off two other tasks with varying degrees of success. All within the time limit.
Hunter slumped over, resting his hands on his knees as he sucked in a deep breath. The dull throb in his core was a clear sign he needed to do some serious chi gathering with the Earth Strider technique, and soon.
"Can't say I'm not happy with how the Dust Storm Whip panned out. As for the Night Mare taming... well, could've gone worse, considering she wanted my head on a platter."
Tower: Agreed. For now, it would be wise to hold off on using the Night Mare inside the Refiner Gate.
Hunter chuckled. "Too bloody right! We need a few more sessions to build some trust, so she doesn't try to kill me every time she sees me. If I summoned her in the Refiner Gate now, she's as likely to go for my jugular as the Mega Rampage Rabbit."
The thought of Tower Monsters reminded him to check his inventory and see how his haul of coins and unabsorbed monster cores were stacking up. He had a plan to boost his coin stash, not just for himself, but also for the less fortunate in the city. "Tower, can I sell these extra monster cores outside the tower?"
Tower: I can’t see any reason why not. They are rich in energy, which I’m sure alchemists from this era can access and exchange for coins or healing elixirs.
Hunter knew one alchemist he wouldn't mind impressing. The bloke made some top-notch healing elixirs, but they were pricey as hell. If he could get on his good side, maybe set up a tab... Problem was, the man was a tough nut to crack, and a right prick to boot. But his goods were top quality. He couldn't say the same for the alchemists elsewhere in the city.
"That's good to hear. I’ve got to keep my coin-making options open. And it wouldn't hurt to get in good with the merchants in Delphare. I'm pretty happy with how the Dust Storm Whip's coming along, keen to give it a whirl in the Refiner Gate. But first, mind jogging my memory about where those moving parts are that need a bit of lube?" He kept his face straight, not keen to let on just how much he was dreading the task.
Tower: You'll want to stop by the forge. If you recall, there are axles on the stone basins, and while you were busy with your tasks, there are now other parts in there that could use some greasing to keep movements smooth and prevent wear and tear of my joints.
Hunter rubbed at his brow. Tower was starting to sound a lot more human...
Tower: Fancy a trip to the forge now? Get that renovation task out of the way?
Without a word, Hunter pulled out a snack of fish jerky from his inventory, scarfing it before washing it down with some water. "I need to gather more chi first. I'll start my Earth Strider gathering technique in the library, then try to keep it going while I'm on the move. Make my way to the forge during that time."
Tower: That's a solid plan. But tread carefully when gathering chi on the move. You will find it challenging in the beginning, but stick with it.
Hunter's grin widened. "Oh, I plan to."
***
Once Hunter's core was comfortably filled, energizing him, he rose to his feet, continuing the breathing technique. Taking slow, measured steps, he focused on his breath, visualizing his core filling with chi. Returning to the guild room, he maintained the focus, although gathering chi at a slower pace than seated cultivation.
Leaving the safety of the guild room and heading towards the forge proved challenging as his attention split between cultivating and dodging the leaping leeches and growing puddles.
By the time he reached the forge, he was out of breath. Surveying the room, his eyes widened at the sight of a new quenching tub and a bellows.
"Hey, Tower, you weren't joking when you said you’d been busy."
Tower: Indeed. I've been mining natural materials from the local area, which has allowed me to restore this forge closer to its original state. The quenching tub will let you rapidly cool, harden, temper, and clean metals. The bellows were a bit trickier to recreate but can be manually operated or powered by me using mana. It's crucial to supply a continuous and controlled stream of air to the forge fire. It'll let you control the combustion rate, raising or lowering the temperature of the fire to forge and reshape metal. If I'm not around, it should help you boost productivity in the forging process.
Hunter was all ears, glad to hear that Tower had processed the afterbirth bounty into heat-resistant lubricant needed for the job. It would help extend the lifespan of the moving parts and improve overall efficiency.
"So, where’s the best place to begin?"
Tower: Start with the metal hinges on the quenching tub. I want to spare them from rust. The lubricant can also be applied to leather straps to keep them flexible and prevent cracking, as well as wooden handles to stop them from drying and splintering due to the high heat they're exposed to.
Hunter nodded, eyes scanning the quenching tub before moving onto the bellows. "I'm guessing these metal gears and bearings need greasing to reduce friction and ensure smooth operation. And like the tub, the wooden parts, like these handles, need treatment to prevent drying, splintering, and to keep a comfortable grip if I'm manually operating the bellows."
Tower: Correct. Any adjustable components, such as knobs or screws controlling airflow, also require lubrication, but only a light application. Feel free to get started unless you have other questions.
Hunter shook his head, rolled up his sleeves, and dug right in without a second to waste.
[Congratulations, First Initiate. You have completed a basic repair in the renovation scheme of work for Tower (information redacted). Tower status remains Under Repair. By lubricating the moving parts of the forge, Tower upgraded to Foundation Phase: Milestone 2.]
Hunter was taken aback by how quickly he blitzed through the work. A bit of chi-fueled elbow grease certainly sped things up. He used the brief lulls in between to keep practicing his chi gathering technique. It was a slog, especially given the scant amount of chi he was able to collect, but he pushed on, knowing it'd get easier over time.
Patience was a damn virtue, wasn't it?
Hunter stood before the Refiner Gate, his pulse pounding like a wild tattoo in his veins. He was ready to take on that bloody Mega Rampage Rabbit, of that he was certain. But doubt had a way of worming its way into even the most confident of minds. With Tower's information on the potential to sell monster cores in the city, he figured he could afford some extra grinding time.
"Time to go back to move forward." He popped his knuckles. "Respawn me at the fiend flag, Tower. A bit of a tussle with the Rampage Rabbits and Rabbit XY should get the old blood pumping."
Tower: Remember, you will not receive another divine reward killing the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY. Proceed when you are ready.
Hunter gave a sharp nod. "Understood." His fingers checked the tautness of the Soulvine wrapped around his knife-broom. Knowing that he could enhance the structure with Divine Durability was comforting.
As he respawned, his senses took a moment to adjust. Once filled with renewed confidence, he launched forward towards the swarm of bunnies. He carved out a path through the furry monsters, his broom cutting through them left and right.
The jolt and vibration of each hit echoed in his grip.
Another broad sweep and a hard kick took out an ambitious bunny lunging for him. His broom danced in his hands, rising diagonally to meet the onslaught of fluffy bodies. A twist of his wrist parried another attack.
Freeing one hand, Hunter activated his Dust Storm Whip.
Chi surged from his sword-seal fingers, coalescing into a thick, swirling whip. It lashed out, leaving craters and scattered bunny bodies in its wake. The devastation far outstripped any attack he could deliver with his broom alone.
The remaining bunnies scattered, with the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY keeping a wary distance as Hunter collected the cores and coins left behind.
He was pretty damn sure he could use his new chi attack to take down the big bunny, but he needed to conserve chi for the final boss. A throbbing ache began to pound at the center of his forehead, like some pissed-off woodpecker having a go at his brain.
He tried to shake it off, but the persistent pain remained. Ignoring it, he moved on, deciding to test if the old trap he'd set could still take out the Mega Rampage Rabbit XY.
Strategy over brute force, would win this time.