Alarmed, Max quickly looked up, trying to find whatever it was that Sophie had spotted. But try as he might there, he couldn't see anything.

What did you see? he asked hurriedly.

Nothing actually, it was just a reminder not to only focus on your horizontal plane of view. Look above and below you too, not just around.

Got it, he thought, slightly peeved. But why did you have to go and give me a heart attack?

So you don't forget, she replied, smug. You'll remember this 'heart attack' until looking up becomes second nature.

I guess. Max admitted reluctantly. He continued walking through the sewer, now paying the ceiling some attention. A few minutes later a window appeared in front of him.

You have slain Slime (lv 1)

+2 Exp

+2 Cp, +1 Slime Acid

"Huh?" Max exclaimed, surprised. What is this? he asked Sophie. He stopped walking and slowly sat down, leaning against the wall.

It's a... she started to answer.

I know what it is but why did it appear now? I killed the slime ages ago. Unless I didn't, he though, suddenly worried. Maybe crushing the core doesn't kill them?!

Relax, Sophie told him. You killed it. The notification just doesn't show up for a while after you kill anything, as long as you aren't in combat.

Why does The Game wait to tell you you killed somthing?

It's no fun if everyone keeps bashing until they get a notification that their opponent is dead. Its alot more fun if you have some poor schmucks going 'we got it' and then have the monster kill them all.

Sick twisted basterds, Max thought. I agree but sick twisted basterds.

Fifteen minutes of walking straight later he encountered another slime. Again it ambushed him by leaping from a side route at a crossroad, or at least attempted to.

When Max got to each intersection, he carefully looked both ways, making sure there were no slimes hiding on either side, so when the slime tried to get the jump on him he was ready and waiting.

When the slime reached the apes of its flight he swung at it with his unharmed right hand, slapping it away with the flat of his blade. The monster flew away hitting the sewer wall before bouncing off and landing on the floor. Max quickly ran up too it and slashed it open with his left, causing the slime's innards to flood out. He then fished around with his right blade, knocked the core out and promptly stepped on it, killing the monster.

"That went much better" he said aloud, proud of his first proper kill.

That's what should have happened the first time if you had asked for more information about slimes and had a bit more situational awareness so dont get to full of yourself. Max's frowned, properly chastised. But well done nonetheless, Sophie added and Max smiled.

He continued walking and a few minutes later reached a dead end.

"Now what?" Max thought for a bit then backtracked to the last intersection and turned left after scoring an x in the wall with his sword. He went down the length of the offshoot, killing another two slime the same way as the second one. When he reached the end of the branch he went back the way he came and went down the right side.

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A half hour down that offshoot the slime tried something new. The monster tried to hide itself on the ceiling and drop itself into Max's head. Max noticed it ahead of time so he simply walked under it and when it tried to fall into his head he move aside and held his blade horizontally under it. When the monster hit the sword it split itself in half spilled its acid across the floor, exposing its core. Max once again stepped on it crushing it. Immediately a new window appeared in his vision.

You have mastered Sword (Duel, Short) expertise lv0

Sword (Duel, Short) expertise is now lv1

The swords in Max's hands suddenly felt more familiar and seemed more dexterous and easier to use.

"Hmm" he thought. Did this happen because I used the swords a bunch and learned how to use them better or because I killed a few monsters with them? he asked his guide.

Its a combination of both, Sophie explained. When you gain or level up a skill, The Game overlays the the ability on your body and you need to kill a few monsters to allow your body to absorb and master the level of the skill before The Game overlays the next level. So from level zero to one, five slimes are enough.

But I thought I needed a hundred times more Exp?

That's for your level, for skill levels you need the same as anyone else.

"Got it. Thanks." Max kept up his search pattern. He walked down both sides of the branches of the sewer he started in, killing all the slimes he encountered. A few hours and 23 slimes later it began to get too dark to see so Max began to head back, 56 Exp richer and with Sword (Duel, Short) expertise at Lv 3.

So level three weapon expertise at level zero. Is that good? he asked.

Pretty good, his guide told him, but it gets exponentially harder as you go on so dont get full of yourself.

A little hard. I by definition fill myself.

Ok. That was horrendous, Sophie told him. I want to get out of your head right now and scrub myself with sandpaper. Dont ever say anything like that again.

"Snrt." Doesn't make it any less of a true statement, he retorted.

Shut up.

Max walked the rest of the way back bantering with the voice in his head, killing another slime before reaching the exit. He left the sewer, careful with the airlock and walked up the stairs. When he got to the top, there was a bucket on the landing with a sign saying " Please pour this over yourself before exiting the door". Shrugging, Max complied, grabbing the bucket of what looked like water and poured it over his head. As it fell over his head, body and clothes it seemed to grab the dirt and grime and pull it along with it. When the liquid reached the floor it evaporated, leaving nothing behind.

Max gave his clothes a look and a careful sniff. They looked as though they had just come out of the wash and smelled like nothing. There was no smell at all. The wash had gotten rid of all the smell.

"That's insane" Max murmured. He walked out of the door in a daze, and stumbled over to a clerk. "I'd like a room asap. Don't care what it's like I just need one now."

"Of course sir" they replied. "Top of the stairs second door on the right. First ten nights at The House are free. Go ahead sir. Do you need someone to escort you there?"

"I'm good thanks." Max walked slowly away, practically crawled up th stairs, and fell into his room as soon as he got to it. He threw off his pack and collapsed into the bed. Max felt somthing digging into his back and belatedly remembered his swords. He sat up, shrugged them off and laid back down, holding them in front of him. He stared up at the two short swords, his mind whirling. Max could feel his body pressing uncomfortably on his wing but at this point he didnt care.

When had first landed on 'The Board' didnt quite get what was going. He was just reacting to what was going on and didnt have time to think. He was just responding to whatever the situation was. But when he felt the extremely alien feeling of some goo rolling down his body, cleaning it completely he just snapped out of his shock and his situation landed on him like a ton of bricks. He was in some freaking other world and he was somthing called a Player and he had no idea what the frick was going on.

Max went over what had transpired over the course of a single day. His psychiatrist blew him up, then he went and proceeded to, apparently, modify his own DNA. After that was finished, he drank some weird potion, joined what was essentially an adventures' guild. Then he almost died trying to kill a few slimes and barely dented the amount need for his quest.

Max knew he wasn't well adjusted to life on modern day planet earth. He was what some people would call a bit of a sociopath. Anyone he was close to he would do anything for. Anyone else didn't matter. They didnt enter into his thoughts at all.

If this world is anything like fantasy video games he thought, I can't wait.

Max went over to the door, locked it, placed one of his blades on the far side of the room, tucked the other under his pillow, and slipped under the blanket. He kept one hand on his sword as he lay on his side, careful not to lay on his wings.

I gotta figure out the deal with my wings tomorrow was his last thought before he drifted off to sleep, a slightly evil smile still on his face.