Chapter 12: Level 1
After confirming that Shyra had gained nothing after eating the slime core, Leo moved on and started looking for other beasts—this time, keeping Shyra around.
"Hmm… I should probably think of Shyra as a girl. I don't know… it just feels right," he muttered as he walked.
Not long after, he spotted two more grey slimes.
But one of them seemed… unusually large. Nearly a meter in diameter.
"Is this the work of an adult giant? Ugghhh…" he muttered, already feeling queasy.
[Grey Slime (Mid 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline]
If he wanted to level up, he had to kill. So as much as the sight of slimes repelled him, experience points didn't earn themselves. He instructed Shyra to take care of the smaller one while he handled the bigger fellow.
_____
As Leo crept closer, the larger slime wobbled, its gelatinous body shifting as if it had locked its nonexistent eyes onto him.
Without warning, it spat a thick glob of muck straight at his face.
"Shit!" Leo shouted, diving to the side.
Swiss!
The slime wiggled furiously and fired again, launching two more globs this time. He dodged the first, but the second slammed into his chest.
Patchhh!
"Pha—!" Leo wheezed as the air was knocked out of his lungs. It felt like he had been hit by a heavy pillow—but instead of comfort, a disgusting, wet, sticky mess spread across his tunic.
From the corner of his eyes, Shyra burst from the shadows, striking the smaller slime with her paws.
Her attack went straight through it, coating her legs in goo. She froze, then frantically began scraping her paws against the grass in panic.
Leo, drenched in slime, roared in frustration and threw himself at the larger one, his hands digging into the goo.
"Come on, just let me see your damn core for once!" he snarled, his fingers clawing through the muck.
Shyra paused, her violet eyes wide. If Leo had seen her face, he'd know exactly what she was thinking: 'Am I supposed to do that!?'
Her gaze hardened. She let out a low hiss and crouched, forcing herself to refocus on her own target.
At last, Leo's fingers brushed against something solid. His eyes lit up as he grabbed it and ripped it free.
"Yaaaaakkkkk!!!" he screamed in sheer disgust, violently shaking the slime off his hand.
_____
Grey Slime Killed (Mid 1★): 4 xp
He stared at the melting corpse with wide, furious eyes—filled with equal parts disgust, rage, and exhaustion.
Then, another notification blinked.
Grey Slime Killed (Low 1★): 2 xp
Level 0: (8/10)
"Huh? …Shyra!!!"
Leo spun around just in time to see Shyra chewing on a core while slime suffocated her body. Her little chest heaved as she gasped for breath.
"Hold still!" Leo shouted, rushing over to peel away the muck.
He quickly scraped the slime off her face. The moment her snout was free, Shyra inhaled sharply, then let out a relieved sigh.
"Good girl," Leo muttered, patting her gently before wiping himself down with his sleeve.
Glancing at the core still in his hand, he shrugged. "Not worth selling. Here, you take it."
He tossed it toward Shyra.
A notification chimed.
*****
Stats Updated:
Vitality: 1.1 → 1.2
Strength: 1.2 → 1.3
Agility: 1.2
Stamina: 1.1 → 1.2
Intelligence: 1.1 → 1.2
*****
"Finally! Looks like the mid 1★ core was helpful. Good," Leo said with satisfaction.
But then—growls.
Grrrhh—keke.
Leo froze.
Slowly, he turned.
It seemed like the commotion here had attracted something.
Ugly, bipedal green creatures emerged from the shadows—hunched backs, drooling mouths and jagged teeth that glinted faintly in the light.
"Goblins!!" he spat, recognizing them even before the system confirmed it.
System windows popped up:
Goblin (Low 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline
Goblin (Low 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline
Goblin (Mid 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline
Goblin (Low 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline
"Damn! Four at once!" Leo cursed.
But as he studied them closer, a smirk crept onto his face.
Their deranged expressions were wild and unfocused; it almost looked like they were drunk and rabid. Their beat-up weapons were more like slightly thick tree branches, and their movements were sloppy, as if their brains barely worked.
"Small!" he laughed mockingly.
None were taller than two feet—except one that almost reached three.
Leo wiped his face, drew his knife, and stood his ground. Beside him, Shyra arched her back and hissed sharply.
Hisssss!!
The goblins charged.
Before they could even come closer, one tripped and crashed into another, while the remaining two rushed forward.
The taller goblin swung its crude club in a clumsy arc as if aiming at Leo's head.
Leo caught the strike with his left hand.
"Pathetic," he snarled.
In the same motion, he rammed his knife into the goblin's neck, sawing through its flesh with the serrated edge before ripping it free in one brutal motion.
Goblin (Mid 1★) Killed – 4 xp
Level Up!
+4 Unallocated Stat Points
Another notification appeared.
Goblin (Low 1★) Killed – 2 xp
Level 1: (4/100)
Leo glanced sideways.
Shyra had latched onto another goblin's throat, her eyes blazing. The creature fell limp, but she didn't let go—her jaw locked like a true predator.
"Good job, Shyra!" Leo called out.
The last two goblins scrambled up and charged again, screeching wildly.
Keeeeeeehneeee!
"As expected of rabids… no sense of danger," Leo muttered coldly.
He sidestepped one, dodging its clumsy swing, then flipped his grip and rammed the knife into its skull with a clean backhand strike.
Goblin (Low 1★) Killed – 2 xp
Shyra pounced on the last goblin, tearing its leg. The creature screamed as Leo drove the knife into its head, ending the fight.
Goblin (Low 1★) Killed – 2 xp
Level 1: (8/100)
Leo reached down and patted Shyra's head. She purred softly before dissolving into streaks of violet light.
"Sorry, girl. Can't let you eat goblin cores… those sell well."
He glanced at the corpses.
"Fifty copper per piece, right?"
His gaze shifted to the taller goblin, and he smirked.
"Hmm… that one's worth at least seventy."
He paused, thinking.
Should I take their corpses? They should fetch some price…
But four at once…
His gaze settled on the larger goblin.
Not all three of them. Just that one.
From what I know, the alchemist's main ingredient from goblins is their brain...
He then looked at other goblins whose skulls had been completely stabbed.
Yeah… I am not getting anything from those.
He then opened his system interface.
*****
Name: Leo
Race: Human
Talents: [Beastiary of Souls], [Primordial Beast Taming]
Soul Rank: Common, *Mythical*
Level 1: 8/100
Stats:
Vitality – 1.2
Strength – 1.3
Agility – 1.2
Stamina – 0.5/1.2
Intelligence – 1.2
Mana – 10/96
Unallocated Stat Points: 4
Skills: [Stealth - 35% Low]
*****
"Great! Now for the stats…"