Chapter 2 | Slimes
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I decided to ignore the fact that my stats were abysmal. Those I could deal with later. For now, I had a quest to complete.
"Kill ten slimes. Piece of cake."
Slimes were weak. Even the weakest human could defeat one with a decent weapon. But a dragon? One could probably kill a thousand without much effort.
I headed further into the forest, looking for slimes, and it wasn't difficult to find them. They were everywhere. Small, gelatinous spheres, rolling along the ground. Most were green, but there were some yellow ones, too. They looked quite nasty to many, but I'd often eat them back in the day. They tasted exactly as you'd imagine, like slurping down a plop of tasteless gelatin.
I stomped my way toward a green slime, curled my fingers into a knuckle, and smashed my fist into it. Its green goo splattered, coating my arm and the nearby trees. Along with the initial shockwave, the slime made a funny noise as it died, kind of like a burp.
Progress: 1/10
"One down."
A small group of them noticed the commotion and rolled toward me. They stopped just short of reaching my feet, staring up at me before bouncing back and forth between one another. I kicked one aside, launching it against a tree as it exploded with a satisfying pop.
"Gross."
After wiping the gunk off my foot, I turned to the others and swung my arm to create a wind blast. They were pushed back, and two of them crushed into liquid against the ground.
Progress: 4/10
They rolled right back at me, obviously not giving up. It reminded me of the time I kidnapped a princess. Her servants chased after me relentlessly, but I refused to return their lord's daughter. After I grew tired of her, I just let her go. Honestly, she wasn't all that cute. She just cried all the time and talked my ear off.
I flung another slime with a kick, hitting its neighbor and knocking both onto the ground. They looked up at me defiantly, trying their hardest to jump up and attack again, but I simply stomped down, thrashing them instantly.
Progress: 8/10
A yellow one snuck up from behind and pounced at my back with surprising speed. I ducked, causing it to lose its momentum and collide with the tree next to me. Twisting my hips, I launched a haymaker with my right fist, smoothing the slime into a quivering mass, while the tree behind succumbed to the impact and toppled.
Progress: 9/10
And fortunately, the tenth one was already within reach. I grabbed it with both hands and closed my grip in a vice-like hold. It burst like a crunchy apple, squirting a torrent of green gel onto my face and vest.
Progress: 10/10
- [ Notice ] -
Congratulation! You've completed a quest!
Rewards: 100 EXP, 2 Skill Points.
You've reached level 3!
Experience Points: 10/180
You've gained 50 Stat Points
Additional EXP will be rewarded for slaying 10 Slimes.
You've gained 100 EXP.
Experience Points: 110/180
Would you like to unlock a skill?
"Yes! Of course!"
- [ Notice ] -
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Please select between the following skills:
Astral Breath
[https://i.imgur.com/9xoZmsm.png]
Unleash a powerful breath attack that deals ethereal damage to all enemies in a cone-shaped area. This attack has a chance to inflict the "Astral Veil" status, reducing the defense and agility of affected enemies.
Lunar Presence
[https://i.imgur.com/OUCvJ5M.png]
Imbue the battlefield with the calming energy of the moon, reducing the attack speed and damage output of enemies within a certain radius. Allies, on the other hand, receive a temporary boost to their defensive capabilities.
Ethereal Roar
[https://i.imgur.com/OYG5hSC.png]
Let loose a resounding roar that disrupts the fabric of reality, causing enemies to become disoriented and reducing their accuracy for a brief period.
Astral Claw
[https://i.imgur.com/JVoyRp4.png]
Unleash the dragon's razor-sharp claws imbued with astral energy, slashing through enemies in a close-range arc. This basic attack has a chance to apply a bleeding effect, dealing damage over time.
"Aren't these are just my former skills? Then choosing them becomes easy! Let's go with Astral Breath for my first one. Makes it a lot easier to deal with stupid grouped enemies like those slimes."
- [ Notice ] -
You've selected Astral Breath!
And as for my second point, hmm... Ethereal Roar was nice to use, but I'd prefer not to have two jaw-related skills without other ones. Lunar Presence wasn't my favorite since they'd weaken enemies, but that'd take all the fun away from fighting. "I'll be picking Astral Claw then."
- [ Notice ] -
You've selected Astral Claw!
Eager to test them out in my new human form, I looked for the thickest tree in sight and charged towards it. My arm shot out with a powerful curve, slicing deep into the trunk with Astral Claw. A trail of stars and fire emerged from the energy being released as the wood was sliced in half.
Locking on another tree, I swiveled and plunged forward with both arms, forming claws with my fists. I dug straight into the bark as chunks of sawdust flew across my vision. Trees fell by the dozens, collapsing in waves. I couldn't see where they landed.
"Not too bad," I commented, nodding in satisfaction. "Though it pales in comparison to my former powers, I'll make do for the time being."
I eased into a more relaxed stance, allowing my latest skill to dissipate. The stars dissipated and fused back into my body, which seemed to absorb it, while the flames evaporated. "Still," I spoke to myself. "I have a long way to go before regaining my full strength."
As a handful of slimes appeared amidst the wooden wreckage, a grin spread across my face. "Seems like the perfect moment to put my other skill to the test."
Holding out my right arm, a sudden gush of power gathered. I focused all that energy and opened my mouth, unleashing a broad exhale of radiant stars.
"Astral Breath!" I announced, releasing the skill at full force. The wave of light flashed past me, soaring at high speeds, leaving trails behind it. Everything around the strike path was engulfed entirely, reducing to ashes and splinters. When I ceased my breath, I checked the remaining distance. The skill went through a total of twenty trees, pulverizing most of them before colliding against a massive boulder and cutting straight into the stone.
"This one's quite mana heavy. It should be best to rely on Astral Claws in most cases," I mumbled. "Hey, system. Give me another quest."
- [ Notice ] -
No available quests found. Please travel to a city and join a guild to receive quests and missions.
"Well fuck... Where the hell was the closest city again?"
I was at a loss here. Sure, I knew my place very well, but after sleeping for what felt like decades, I wasn't exactly certain whether or not civilizations had moved around in the meantime. And that aside, if I was being truthful, I never paid attention during my previous years. There was no need for it. There was always some human dumb enough to wander in, and thus, I could live with as much leisure as a dragon could hope to have.
So now, I was stuck here. No guild meant no quests, which meant no leveling up unless I found a high enough dungeon to provide me with a high EXP yield.
"If memory serves... the first city was a few miles east? Or where was it at? Maybe a day-long journey away, I guess," I wondered out loud. "Whatever! I will figure it out eventually! As long as my nose doesn't let me down, I should be fine!"
That said, I got myself a good grip on my current clothes and leaped into the air for an aerial view. Mountain ranges, thick forests, and clear skies sat at the horizon with neither a city nor a town visible on the surface. A soft breeze tickled the exposed bits of skin while I hung above the highest tree branches. My gaze roamed across the vista, scanning everything to see if there was anything I missed. Nothing came into my sight. Just more land and nature, exactly as it should be.
After letting loose a yawn, I stretched and prepared myself for the task ahead. The first city, then, and a guild. Whatever the latter entailed. I'd just wander around until I stumbled upon somebody. And so I, the human Astralos Aeternalis, soared toward my first-ever city in a clumsy fashion, leaving behind countless broken trees.