"Okay, okay, deep breaths, Max," I mumbled to myself, staring at the holographic window that proudly displayed my SSS-Level Extraction talent.
"This isn't a dream. This isn't a dream. This is real."
My heart was doing a frantic jig in my chest. SSS-level! I mean, who gets an SSS-level talent on their first try? Definitely not me, the guy who once spent three hours trying to cook instant ramen without burning it.
The universe, it seemed, had decided to give me a cosmic high-five after kicking me in the teeth for a decade. And honestly, I wasn't complaining.
The list of extracted goodies from the utterly pathetic slime was still floating there: "Basic Slime Goo," "Minor Mana Fragment," and "Slime's Resilience (D-Level Skill)."
I snorted. 'Slime's Resilience.' Sounds like something you'd get from surviving a particularly bad Tuesday. But hey, it was a skill. From a slime! This was like finding a diamond in a pile of… well, slime.
"Alright, Max, time to get serious," I told myself, adjusting my virtual headset. "No more Mr. Nice Guy. It's time to become Mr. 'I-Extract-Everything-That-Moves-And-Then-Some'."
The tutorial area of "Game World" was exactly as I remembered it: a lush, slightly cartoonish forest filled with the weakest, most adorable (and therefore, most extractable) monsters imaginable.
There were more slimes, of course, but also tiny, hopping mushrooms with grumpy faces, and fluffy, oversized rabbits that looked like they belonged in a children's book.
I started my systematic rampage. Mana Bolt, Mana Bolt, Mana Bolt. Each time a monster popped, that glorious "Extraction Talent Activated!" message would flash, followed by a new list of goodies.
From a grumpy mushroom, I extracted "Fungal Spore Dust (Common Item)," "Minor Constitution Fragment (Common Attribute)," and "Spore Burst (E-Level Skill)." 'Spore Burst,' I mused. Probably makes me sneeze really hard. Still, progress!
The fluffy rabbits, surprisingly, yielded "Soft Fur (Common Item)," "Minor Agility Fragment (Common Attribute)," and "Quick Hop (E-Level Skill)." I could practically feel my virtual self getting a tiny bit faster. This was like a shopping spree, but instead of buying things, I was taking things from adorable, unsuspecting creatures.
I felt a pang of guilt, then remembered the Shadow Knight's blade, and the guilt vanished faster than my last slice of pizza.
"Come on, Max, think big!" I chided myself. "We need real skills. Skills that go 'boom' or 'zap' or 'poof, you're gone!'"
As a Mage, my basic Mana Bolt was fine for slimes and rabbits, but I knew what was coming. Goblins. And Goblins, even the weakest ones, didn't just stand there and take it.
They had tiny, pointy sticks and surprisingly aggressive attitudes.
I spotted one now, a scrawny Goblin Scout, lurking behind a virtual tree. It had a rusty dagger that looked more like a butter knife, and a perpetually annoyed expression. This was my chance. This was my moment for… the Fireball!
I remembered the basic incantation for the Mage's first offensive spell. It wasn't taught until Level 3 in the old days, but with my foreknowledge, I could practically feel the mana swirling in my virtual core.
"Alright, butter knife goblin, prepare to meet my fiery friend!" I muttered, holding out my hand. "By the power of… well, me, and a whole lot of mana… Fireball!"
A small, orange orb of crackling energy formed in my palm. It wasn't the raging inferno I remembered from high-level mages, but it was definitely a fireball. A baby fireball, maybe. A fire-pebble. But a fireball nonetheless!
I launched it. The goblin, surprisingly quick for its size, ducked behind the tree. "Missed, you idiot!" I mentally slapped myself.
This wasn't like my past life where I just clicked and the spell hit. I actually had to aim now. That was new. Or rather, old, but I'd forgotten.
The goblin peeked out, its beady eyes narrowed. It let out a surprisingly high-pitched battle cry and charged. Oh, great. A charging goblin. This was going to be embarrassing.
"Okay, okay, second attempt! Take two!" I yelled, channeling more mana. This time, I focused, remembering the trajectory, the speed, the sheer oomph needed. "You want a show, little green guy? You got it! FIREBALL!"
This one was bigger. Brighter. It whistled through the air, leaving a faint trail of smoke. The goblin, mid-charge, froze, its eyes widening comically as the fiery projectile hurtled towards it.
WHUMP!
The fireball connected, not with a massive explosion, but with a satisfying thud and a puff of smoke. The goblin didn't explode into a shower of loot like the slimes. Instead, it crumpled to the ground, a small, smoking crater where its chest used to be.
[Goblin Scout defeated! Experience gained!]
[Extraction Talent Activated!]
"Yes!" I pumped my fist. "Take that, you pointy-eared menace! That's what you get for trying to butter-knife me!"
The extraction list popped up.
[Extracted: Rusty Dagger (Common Item)]
[Extracted: Minor Strength Fragment (Common Attribute)]
[Extracted: Goblin's Keen Eyesight (C-Level Skill)]
A C-level skill! This was excellent! 'Goblin's Keen Eyesight' sounded like it would give me better perception, which would be super useful for spotting hidden traps or, you know, other goblins trying to sneak up on me. My Mage was slowly but surely becoming a multi-talented powerhouse.
I continued my grind, feeling more confident with each successful Fireball. My mana management was getting better, and I was starting to chain my Mana Bolts with the occasional Fireball for maximum efficiency.
I even extracted a "Minor Intelligence Fragment" from a particularly brainy-looking mushroom, which felt appropriate.
Suddenly, I heard a frustrated shout nearby. "No! Not again! Stupid, fluffy death-bunny!"
I paused my extraction frenzy. Someone else was in the tutorial area. And they sounded… spectacularly bad at this game. My curiosity, and a tiny spark of my old, protective self, tugged at me.
I rounded a cluster of virtual trees and saw her.
A girl with bright pink hair, dressed in the standard newbie robes, wildly swinging a staff that glowed faintly. She was flailing at a fluffy rabbit, which, to its credit, was effortlessly dodging her clumsy attacks. The rabbit looked more annoyed than threatened.
"Oh, come on, just die already!" she yelled, missing again. "I just want to get out of this fluffy nightmare forest!"
I recognized her. Or rather, I recognized the type. She was a new player, probably just as clueless as I had been ten years ago. But something about her voice, her sheer, unadulterated frustration, made me smile.
"Having some trouble there?" I asked, stepping out from behind the trees.
She jumped, startled, and spun around, nearly whacking me with her staff. "Whoa! Oh, hey. Yeah, 'trouble' is an understatement. This rabbit is a ninja! A fluffy, evil ninja!"
She had bright, expressive eyes that were currently wide with exasperation. Her pink hair was tied in messy pigtails. She looked completely out of her depth, but there was a spark of determination in her gaze.
"They're surprisingly agile," I said, trying to sound helpful, not like a guy who just spent an hour extracting their life essence. "You need to anticipate their movements. Or, you know, just hit them really hard."
She sighed dramatically. "Easy for you to say, Mr. 'I'm-not-being-humiliated-by-a-cotton-ball-of-doom.' Are you a Warrior? You look like you know what you're doing."
I chuckled. "Mage, actually. And trust me, I've had my share of fluffy nightmares." I gestured towards the rabbit, which was now casually grooming itself, completely ignoring her. "Try a Mana Bolt. Focus on the center of its mass. They usually jump right before you cast."
She looked at me, then at the rabbit, then back at me. "Mana Bolt? Oh, right! I totally forgot about that one. I was just trying to whack it." She looked embarrassed. "Thanks, uh… Max?"
"That's me," I confirmed. "And you are?"
"Lily! Nice to meet you, Max. Or, you know, as nice as it can be when you're being outsmarted by a bunny." She grinned, a surprisingly cheerful smile despite her frustration. "So, Mage, huh? Any cool spells yet? Like, can you summon a dragon? Or make things explode?"
I smirked. "Well, I can make things explode. On a small scale, anyway." I glanced at the rabbit, which was still preening. "Watch this."
I raised my hand, a small, but noticeably more confident, Fireball forming. Lily's eyes widened. "Whoa! Is that a… a fireball?!"
"Yep," I said, aiming carefully. The rabbit, sensing the change in atmosphere, finally looked up, its nose twitching. "Say hello to my little friend, fluffy ninja."
WHOOSH!
The fireball flew, a perfect arc, and hit the rabbit squarely. It didn't explode, but it did turn into a puff of smoke, leaving behind a small pile of loot.
[Fluffy Rabbit defeated! Experience gained!]
[Extraction Talent Activated!]
[Extracted: Lucky Rabbit's Foot (Rare Item)]
[Extracted: Minor Luck Fragment (Common Attribute)]
[Extracted: Rabbit's Evasion (C-Level Skill)]
"A Lucky Rabbit's Foot?" I blinked. From a tutorial rabbit? That was a rare item, even in my past life! This Extraction talent was truly something else. It seemed to have a knack for pulling out the most unexpected treasures.
Lily, however, wasn't looking at the loot. She was staring at me, her mouth slightly agape. "You… you just got a rare item from a rabbit? And a C-level skill? How did you do that?!" Her eyes sparkled with a mix of awe and pure, unadulterated envy. "Are you secretly, like, a game developer? Or did you just get super lucky?"
I just shrugged, a small, knowing smile playing on my lips. "Let's just say I have a knack for finding hidden potential. And maybe… a little bit of luck." I glanced at the 'Lucky Rabbit's Foot' in my inventory. "A very lucky knack."
Lily's jaw dropped further. "You're amazing, Max! Can you… can you teach me how to do that? I'm so bad at this! I just want to get strong enough to not be afraid when the real monsters come." Her voice was earnest, a genuine plea.
Her words, "when the real monsters come," hit me. She had no idea. No idea what was truly coming. But her desire to get strong, to not be afraid, resonated deeply with my own goal. This wasn't just about me anymore. It was about protecting people like Lily.
"Sure, Lily," I said, my smile softening. "I can teach you a few things. But first, let's get you past this fluffy menace stage. And then… then we'll talk about getting you ready for what's really out there."