The next morning came way too soon.
"Ughhh…" Jae-hyun groaned as the faint light of dawn crept through the tavern's cracked shutters. His back ached from the stiff wooden bench he'd passed out on. The tavern owner hadn't exactly offered him a bed—apparently, dishwashing didn't come with deluxe lodging. He stretched, joints popping. "Man… even in another world, I'm still broke. Some protagonist I am."
His stomach grumbled in agreement. Of course. Always hungry. Always.
He pushed himself up, rubbing his eyes. "Alright. First step, Ironspire City. Second step… get money. Third step… profit. Easy."
By the time he made his way outside, the streets of the village were already waking up. Farmers loaded baskets onto carts, children chased each other barefoot in the dirt, and vendors set up small stalls selling bread, herbs, and trinkets. It should've felt peaceful, but to Jae-hyun, it just emphasized how out of place he was. His black hair and sharp dark eyes drew curious stares everywhere he went.
One little boy—maybe five or six—stopped mid-run and pointed at him. "Mama! Why does that man's eyes look so weird?"
Jae-hyun froze. His eyebrow twitched. Weird? My eyes?
He leaned down slightly, glaring at the kid, though only in his head did the words spill out. Listen here, you little gremlin. These are premium limited-edition Korean eyes. Top-tier genetics. Who do you think you're pointing at, huh?
The boy, blissfully unaware of the storm raging in Jae-hyun's head, giggled and ran off.
Jae-hyun straightened, sighing. "Fantastic. Even six-year-olds are roasting me now."
He bought a piece of stale bread from a vendor with the last coin the tavern owner had begrudgingly tossed him as "pocket change." Then, armed with nothing but his uniform, his fists, and his so-called trash skill, he left the village behind.
The road stretched out like a ribbon of dirt, bordered by trees and rolling hills. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance, but the air carried a faint heaviness. It was the kind of silence that made your skin crawl—like something was always watching.
Jae-hyun adjusted the straps of his ripped backpack (he'd salvaged it from the tavern's lost-and-found). "Alright, Ironspire's only, what, two days away? Piece of cake. Just gotta walk. Easy. Totally won't die before I get there."
As if mocking him, a rustle sounded from the bushes ahead.
He froze. "...Nope. Not ominous at all."
From the undergrowth, a small, gelatinous blob wobbled out onto the path. It jiggled like an overfilled water balloon, semi-transparent with little sparkles inside. A single beady "eye" floated lazily in its goo.
Jae-hyun blinked. "...That's… a slime. Like, actual slime. Straight out of an RPG."
He squatted, peering at it. "Kinda cute, actually. Like a jello pet. How dangerous could it be?"
The slime suddenly launched itself at his face.
"GAHHHHH!" Jae-hyun flailed, stumbling backward as the slime bounced off his chest with a wet splat. It jiggled, wobbled, then reared up to attack again.
He scrambled to his feet. "Right. Okay. Not cute. Definitely not cute."
His stat panel flickered before him as instinct kicked in:
Minor Copy Activated.
Skill Acquired: Slime Body Bounce (F Rank)
Duration: 24 hours. Efficiency: 15%.
He stared blankly. "...Slime Body Bounce? Are you kidding me? What am I supposed to do, jiggle aggressively at my enemies?"
The slime charged again. Jae-hyun, fueled by equal parts fear and irritation, threw a wild punch. His fist sank into the goo with a disgusting shlup. The slime wobbled violently, then burst like an overripe fruit.
Blue goo splattered all over his uniform.
He stood there, dripping, chest heaving. "...I just punched a slime to death."
A faint ding echoed in his mind.
EXP +3
Level: 1 → EXP: 6/15
He wiped slime off his face, muttering. "Great. I'm officially a monster hunter. First wolf, now a slime. At this rate, I'll be slaying… I dunno, demon chickens by next week."
Still, a grin tugged at his lips. But hey… that's progress. I'm leveling up. Me. The guy with 0.1 luck. Maybe this world's underestimating me.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of walking, muttering to himself, and dodging suspicious rustles in the grass. Every now and then, a rabbit-like creature darted across the road, or a flock of strange glowing birds wheeled overhead.
By afternoon, hunger gnawed at him again. He sat on a rock by the roadside, chewing the last of his bread. "Man, if this is the adventure life, I'm screwed. No sword, no money, no friends. Just me and my trusty slime punch."
As if fate enjoyed mocking him, a shadow passed overhead. He looked up—and froze.
A massive bird circled above, wings wide enough to blot out the sun. Its feathers shimmered metallic, its talons gleamed like blades, and its cry split the air with a shriek that rattled his bones.
"...That's not a pigeon," he whispered.
The bird tucked its wings and dove.
Jae-hyun bolted off the road, crashing into the underbrush. Branches whipped his face as he ran, his heart hammering. Behind him, the ground exploded as the bird landed, talons gouging deep furrows into the dirt.
Panic surged. He screamed at his panel. "Copy! Copy! Copy something useful!"
Minor Copy Activated.
Skill Acquired: Steel Wing Slice (F Rank)
Duration: 24 hours. Efficiency: 15%.
His arm tingled. His hand glowed faintly, a thin sheen of metallic energy outlining his skin. The bird screeched and lunged, wings slicing toward him like swords.
Jae-hyun clenched his glowing fist and swung wildly. The energy crackled, meeting the bird's wing mid-swipe. Sparks flew. The bird screeched in pain, stumbling back.
He stared at his hand, panting. "...Holy crap. Did I just… parry a giant murder pigeon?!"
The bird beat its wings furiously, glaring at him with glowing eyes. Then, with a final shriek, it took to the skies again, retreating into the clouds.
Jae-hyun collapsed onto his knees, gasping. "Oh my god. Oh my actual god. I'm alive. I just fought Big Bird's evil twin and survived."
Another faint ding rang in his ears.
EXP +5
Level 1 → EXP: 11/15
He flopped back into the grass, staring up at the sky. "Two more monsters and I'm level 2. Maybe… just maybe… I'm not as screwed as I thought."
The sun dipped lower, painting the horizon in fiery orange. Ironspire City was still far ahead, its tall black spire just barely visible in the distance like a jagged tooth piercing the sky.
Jae-hyun grinned despite his exhaustion. "Ironspire… here I come. And when I get there, I'm getting real food, a real bed, and maybe—just maybe—a sword that doesn't involve punching slimes."
He pushed himself upright, wiping dirt from his clothes. His journey had just begun, and already he was knee-deep in trouble. But for the first time since sneezing at a goddess, he felt something spark in his chest.
Excitement.
The kind of excitement only an adventure could bring.