Alex stared at the new window in disbelief.

“Did I waste a place in the Tower?” It slowly dawned on him. “But I didn’t choose the slime... That’s not fair!” Anger replaced his initial confusion. “Hey, System, spit out that lump of slime! I want a real familiar! With claws and fangs! And a pointy tail, like a damn spiky dinosaur!”

A dim light fell on Alex’s face. He turned to see a small, ethereal tower. It had grown in an instant, hovering above the ground like a mirage. It had no foundation. Its thick, ancient black walls were shrouded in mist. A pointed spire reached upward.

The remnants of the slime glowed on the floor and walls of the cave. Each piece of the foul slime had turned into a bright ball, so bright that it burned Alex’s retinas. He shielded his face with his hand and watched through his fingers how the spheres rose and flew into the Tower. At that moment, a narrow arched window seemed to materialize in the stone wall. The glowing chunks of the slime glided in, resembling a procession of Japanese lanterns.

Enchanted by the spectacle, Alex didn’t immediately notice the faint noise behind him. A new squeak, louder now, made him turn his head sharply. His neck cracked and responded with pain. The familiar rat was charging at him. It moved nimbly on its tiny clawed paws. The sole of his boot was clearly visible on its elongated snout.

Disgust and fear ran through Alex. The beast had just awakened and decided to take revenge on its larger adversary. It seemed to be a very proud rat.

His brain processed the information while his body reacted. Alex bolted back into the ‘slime’s’ cave that he had managed to clear of the ‘first level boss.’ Maybe he could find a rock or a stalactite to defend himself against the rat. While on the run, he had an idea.

“Activate the Tower!” Alex shouted.

I’m in an RPG! And I have a familiar!

The System responded immediately. The path to the cave was covered by a window, as if a giant banner was unfurled:

Do you wish to activate the technique ‘Tower’?

Yes!

Could it really be unclear on the first try? Hey, System! Hello there! We won’t get far with this communication! They’ll devour us at the first turn!

His hand stung with searing pain. Hold on! Hold on! There was no time to see what that was.

The windows almost immediately dissolved. Alex finally ran into the cave — it took him less than two seconds. He looked down at his hand. Well, it didn’t look too bad. The back of his hand was etched with an uneven letter ‘T,’ resembling the Elvish runes from fantasy games.

All right, where was the familiar? A bright flash of light shot out from the mark on his hand, almost blinding Alex. Instantly, the light turned into the blue slime.

Well, hello, defeated boss! I hope you’re on my side this time?

Alex didn’t stop running during the ‘light show.’ After circling around the slime, he continued deeper into the cave. Behind him, a wild, piercing shriek echoed. It was unusual to hear such sounds. Humans didn’t scream like that, only animals.

Alex slowed down and turned around. A disgusting scene unfolded before his eyes: the rat’s side was smoking. Hissing, it raced past ‘Blub’ in a wide arc, obviously afraid of its acidic spurts, charging directly at Alex.

He jerked and stepped forward, lifting a foot. Is it time to kick? No, not yet. One more step. Kick! The rat’s neck snapped with a loud crack, and its gray body was thrown against the wall. Its gore-splattered muzzle sprayed blood in the air.

Alex stumbled and leaned against the wall. His shin throbbed slightly. He had aimed at the rat’s head with the sturdy toe of his boot, but he kicked with his shin. Not bad, though.

Over the fallen enemy, the slime loomed, puffed up with pride. The monster swayed like jelly that had been violently shaken.

“Blub-Blub,” the familiar made triumphant sounds.

The slime did actually help — it slowed the rat by hitting its side. But its accuracy had to be improved — the ‘bullets’ should fly directly to the head, not just anywhere. For good measure, Blub showered the dead rat with more turquoise spit.

It brought this on itself, Alex justified the necessary cruelty. I may love animals, but I’m prepared to defend myself.

The slime bulged and turned towards Alex, looking at him with devotion. It seemed that the monster was quite proud of itself. It might be a good idea to reward it later. But what kind of reward? What did a slime eat? Judging by its aggression during their first encounter, meat might be a good choice.

Alex cautiously approached the former enemy and examined its blue, jelly-like structure. He hoped the System would provide some information about his new pet. Heaven forbid it should die of hunger.

Do you wish to activate the technique ‘Tower’? Yes/No.

Alex shook his head in confusion. Then he looked at the smoldering gray corpse. Apparently, the System was suggesting that he add the slain rat to his familiars. Well, no. He didn’t want another misclick. He wasn’t interested in collecting a small zoo either. His next familiar would definitely be a gigantic monster with long fangs, claws, sharp spikes on its back and a fiery breath. Alex preferred not to think about how he would defeat such a powerful monster. The main thing was to set ambitious goals. And at lower levels there should be less loot.

Alex pressed ‘No.’ The System accepted the rejection and he sighed in relief.

A white clot separated from the rat and flew into Alex’s chest.

He decided to check his characteristics:

Race: Human.

Location: Beastland.

Age: 20 years.

Combat Rank: Neophyte.

Techniques: Tower (F-Rank).

Characteristics:

Strength: 6.

Agility: 7.

Endurance: 5/8.

Unspent Points: 10.

Accumulated Essence: 1 (White, Faint).

Notes: You’re still weak. And your familiar sucks!

“Can’t you put it more gently?” The offended Alex protested after reading the notes. “Blub may be soft, but he’s precise.”

He gave his pet an appropriate name. Why not? The System did say that the slime would be with him forever. He was lucky to have a companion for life.

But the sentimental moment would have to wait. Unexpectedly, Alex had five Endurance points left, but he hadn’t run much. Activating the Tower technique had used up three points. He couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Three points was a lot. So it was better not to send Blub back to the Tower for now — another summoning might be possible with the remaining Endurance, but one more... Although there was a possibility that the summoned familiar would also consume Endurance. But that could only be learned through practice. After all, there were no instructions.

From the rat, only the white dim essence had been transferred to Alex. This parameter had not been in his characteristics before. So it was loot that dropped from killed monsters in the game.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Alex looked at the dead rat. His eyebrows rose. Something glowed faintly under the gray fur. He crouched over the carcass. Finally, the System took pity on him and offered an explanation:

Magic Rat’s Heart

F-rank ingredient. Restores Endurance when eaten. Loses properties when cooked. Can be used to make various potions.

Such useful information! But Alex didn’t seem to be happy. Not at all.

“System, are you serious?” He exclaimed, looking up at the ceiling, then sighed and shook his head sadly. “Are you suggesting that I eat a rat’s heart? Raw?”

Silence. Of course, the system remained silent.

For a while Alex didn’t move, lost in thought. As if on purpose, his gaze fell on a sharp, flat chunk near the glowing mold on the floor. Obviously, the stone had been chipped off a large rock, and the broken edge was sharp. Alex’s expression darkened even more.

“Well, at least it’s not a brain,” he tried to console himself, reaching for the stone...

It was unclear how long the process took: after all, Alex wasn’t a master at dissecting animals with makeshift tools. Some difficulties arose: the first chunk wore out quickly during the cutting process, and there was no other suitable one nearby. He had to take two other stones, one large and one small, and strike the small one with the large until it broke, producing a sharp shard. With this new tool, Alex returned to dissect the rat.

After struggling in the gore, Alex finally cut open the body, broke the ribcage with the stone, and pulled out the small heart. It was greenish and elastic, like soft jade. It looked nothing like an animal organ.

“Done!” He shouted in relief.

The ingredient looked like green candy, so eating it wouldn’t be so disgusting. But it was better to do it later, when the memory of Alex’s rummaging through the rat’s guts faded.

He wiped the ingredient on his jacket and put it in a zippered pocket. Whew. Job done, Doctor. Of course, the patient wouldn’t live, but you would, and maybe even live quite well. Alex wiped the sweat from his forehead with the clean sleeve. He needed a short break.

Just as he was about to take a rest before searching for a water source, a loud squeak echoed from the passage. Rats, of course! They lived in packs and had a strong sense of smell. They must have caught wind of their comrade’s blood and rushed to its aid.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a suitable stalactite in the cave. They stuck out from the ceiling, but they weren’t like apples or pears — they couldn’t be plucked easily; it would take a lot of effort. Meanwhile, the rats were squeaking nearby.

“Blub-Blub,” the slime said something to Alex. The beast didn’t look dejected at all. On the contrary, it assumed a fighting stance and puffed itself up even more.

“Yes, yes,” Alex nodded. “We’ll enter battle. Don’t worry, we’ll break through. You have your acid-spitting skills, and I have sturdy boots.”

“Blub,” the slime echoed, sharing its owner’s determination. Alex could actually hear touches of ironclad confidence in the pet’s voice.

He tightened the grip on his stone knife and prepared to wait.

The appearance of the rats was marked by a chorus of wails of emotional pain. They had seen their dead comrade. Looking at the rats, Alex felt a moment of relief — only three of them. They could handle them somehow.

Behind Alex, Blub hesitated, though it was high time for accurate head shots.

“Charge!” Alex yelled, realizing that his pet wasn’t a telepath but a spitter.

An acid spit hit the first rat right in the mouth, felling it like a cut weed. The other two, however, quickly caught up to Alex. He lunged forward, simultaneously raising his bent left leg sharply. With it, he delivered a powerful kick. With a serrated sole. The dispatched rat splashed into a puddle of blood, whimpered, shook its shattered jaw, rolled over and curled up into a ball. It was immediately finished off by the slime’s spit, which had apparently recharged by then.

Alex hit the third rat from above with the sharp stone and added a heel kick to its chittering jaw. The fight was over. The loot was three glowing essences.

Alex paused to rest. He took a few deep breaths through his nose, exhaled through his mouth, and quickly calmed down. Or rather, he forced himself to do so. As much as this world resembled a game, it was real, and he would have to endure all its cruelty to get back to his family.

He remembered his companion.

“Good Blub,” he praised the slime affectionately. “As soon as I find out what your kind likes to eat, I’ll get you a mountain of goodies. You’ll feast, my little jelly.”

The slime replied with a contented purr.

Alex examined the dead rats. None of them had a glowing heart under their fur. Disappointed, he sighed and scratched his head. It seemed that not all monsters dropped ingredients. Why was that? Was the first rat something special? Or was randomness the deciding factor here? Of course, it would be wise to stay and investigate further. But more rats would soon arrive, attracted by the smell of blood. It was dangerous to stay in this cave now.

Alex’s stomach rumbled, calling for food. Hunger was an excellent motivator to keep one going. But he was not interested in eating raw rats for now — he hadn’t gone that wild yet. Finding water was easier: the far wall of the cave was thoroughly soaked, so an underground stream must have flowed beneath the layer of stone.

“Pride aside,” Alex muttered and dropped to his knees.

He sipped from a puddle in the corner, and that would do for now. The System didn’t show health or damage points here, so he had to rely on his own senses.

Then Alex and the slime set out to explore the dungeon. The corridors, filled with the stench of mold, seemed to go on forever. Several hours seemed to have passed, but they could have been only minutes. Alex had a poor sense of time. Soon the distant caves echoed with a long squeak.

“Oh, how many more?” Alex muttered.

The rats just wouldn’t leave him alone.

They faced another battle in a narrow corridor. Alex shielded the vulnerable Blub and stomped aggressively on the rats. Between kicks, he hacked with the sharp stone.

There were three enemies again. Based on the previous experience, Alex and Blub could easily handle them. But this time his hope in the slime didn’t pay off. Three rats had already caught up with Alex, and there were no life-saving spits. He turned once, then again, but couldn’t find his comrade. Panic seized him. Blub was gone!

Alex found himself all alone against three rats. Lurching forward, he repeatedly jabbed the stone into one rat’s head. Meanwhile, the other two attacked his legs. A terrible pain pierced his thighs.

“Activate the Tower!” Alex shouted.

This time the System didn’t prolong or ask again. Alex felt a burning sensation on his hand and a beam of light shot out from the mark and formed into the slime.

“Blub!” Alex shouted, and the monster attacked.

A stream of turquoise acid struck the injured rat in the head, causing it to convulse, splatter blood on Alex’s leg, and finally die. Meanwhile, Alex jammed the shard into the neck of another rat, twisted it sharply, then kicked the wounded animal away. It was quickly finished off by Blub’s precise spit.

Alex collapsed to the ground, his strength gone. He had fought the battle on adrenaline, but its effects had run their course. His legs, lacerated by the rats’ claws, were bleeding. A painful moan escaped his lips. Damn. One of the rats was glowing from the inside, but Alex didn’t care. For now, the Magic Heart could wait. The loot didn’t matter. The main thing was not to die. At least there weren’t many rats...

Another squeak echoed in Alex’s ears.

“Shit,” he muttered sadly.

“Blub,” the slime agreed.

Fortunately, only two rats appeared from around the corner. Without Blub, they would have overpowered Alex. But together they stood their ground. The slime shot the first rat in the head, and while it recharged, Alex took on the second. After finishing it, Blub looked at his owner with concern, or so it seemed to Alex.

“Blub,” the slime said.

“Yes, you’re right,” Alex sighed and took the Magic Rat’s Heart out of his pocket. “It’s time to refuel.”

Unspent Points could come in handy for Strength or Agility. It was unclear what kind of monsters lay ahead, so if there was a way to refill Endurance, he should use it.

Alex called up his stats and checked the most important one:

Endurance: 1/8.

The suspicion that summoning required Endurance was confirmed. Six points were spent on summoning Blub, and one point was spent on running and fighting. Alex threw the heart into his mouth. Hmm, it tasted like rubber, but his stomach immediately felt a pleasant weight. The body was satisfied. And the stats?

Endurance: 6/8.

One heart granted five Endurance points, and Alex was no longer hungry. But he was still wounded. The pain in his legs was terrible and it was strange because the wounds weren’t deep. Maybe there was poison in the rats’ claws.

So, Endurance is used up. Once the points run out, Blub will disappear and Alex will be left alone in the dungeon filled with rats and whatever else dwells here.

Desperate for a lifeline, Alex summoned the Technique’s window.

Tower is one of the 22 legendary spells of the Goddess of Mystery.

Ability Usage: Slay a monster and activate the Technique. The Tower will absorb the monster and turn it into your familiar.

Potential: Divine.

Number of familiars: 1/3.

The last line was highlighted. Alex clicked it.

1. The Spitting Slime — an F-rank monster with the first level of Pedigree.

2. -

3. -

The first line was clickable again. The System showed unprecedented generosity! Alex chose it and the following message appeared:

Choose function:

1. Roll back the Pedigree to zero. Cost: 50 White Faint Essences.

2. Advance the Pedigree to the second level. Cost: 10 White Faint Essences.

Alex smiled. He had just collected exactly ten White Faint Essences from the dead rats. He selected the second option. A new window appeared.

Choose the development direction for the Spitting Slime:

1. Acidic Spitting Slime.

2. Healing Spitting Slime.

3. Solid Spitting Slime.

Alex immediately focused on the second option. Holding his breath, he clicked it.

“Blub,” the slime vanished.

A message appeared:

Species Evolution... Pedigree change... Transitioning to the second level. Evolution complete.

“Activate the Tower!” Alex shouted, shaking with anticipation.

The slime appeared in the passage — smaller than before and green in color.

“Heal me,” Alex looked at Blub. “It’s you, buddy, right? You look cool. Green is starting to trend again.”

“Blub,” the pet replied, a little embarrassed.

It crawled to Alex’s feet and spat on his wounds several times. Alex almost had a heart attack at the sight.

“Have you lost your mind?” He shouted in horror, but there was no pain, no smell of smoke.

“Blub?” There was a question and confusion in the slime’s voice.

Alex opened his eyes. The wounds were healing quickly. The pain was gone, and only a slight tingling remained in his thighs — a sure sign of recovery.

“So your spits have healing powers now, mate?” Alex realized.

“Blub,” the slime nodded affirmatively. At least that’s how Alex interpreted his movement.

“What if we upgrade you further?”

Alex clicked on the line with Blub’s name again.

Choose function:

1. Roll back the Pedigree to the first level. Cost: 50 Dark Faint Essences.

2. Locked. Impossible to raise the Pedigree to the third level.

Requires: Raise the ‘Tower’ Technique to E-Rank.

“What a shame,” Alex muttered.

There was a squeak around the corner, and the floor echoed with the rapid scratching of claws. Rats were approaching.

“Get ready for a fight!” Alex jumped to his healthy feet.

But to his surprise, the fearless Blub darted further down the corridor, quickly retreating from the danger. At that moment, Alex realized how deep in trouble he was.