I won't be a fraud, I'll make it!
Were the first words out of my mouth when I logged off the world, and entered this one.
Unfortunately, I was in the middle of nowhere in a medieval fantasy world, where the only good thing about it was the fact that there were modern toiletries.
Small mercies, I could have been in a world without functional sewage systems.
But that still didn't help the situation, nor the fact that nothing changed since I was granted my new lease on life.
I was still slaving away at low-level monsters, and doing odd jobs just to make ends meet.
My head banged into the desk, the noise of the tavern dimming down to a buzz in the background.
Five years to the day.
That was how long it took for the screen in front of me to appear. And to pour salt on the wound, it dared to mock me for surviving that long.
Although, it did shed some light on why things were the way they were.
[Welcome Donald "Don" Sanchez]
[Congratulations on surviving 5 years in Terarria]
[The user has been deemed worthy of being a part of the Skye Crossing Company]
Second thought. Maybe things weren't so sweet joining a mystery company without knowing what they did.
The window flashed for a few more seconds before disappearing. Presenting three options in their place.
First was a function labeled as [Mission Status], however, it was crossed out for the moment.
The next two were simply named [Forums] and [Trading]. Both of which appeared to be functional. Although, they were very limited in their functionality.
Looking through the forums for any sort of guide found me stumbling upon a pinned thread, where a majority of my questions were answered.
The Skye Crossing Company was a corporation that dealt in worlds. Plucking those it deems worthy, and making them employees. Though, there didn't seem to be any qualifications other than having a pulse. Which, looking at the other threads, also appeared to be loosely defined.
Scrolling through a few more walls of text revealed that, for now, I was just a trainee. Requiring that I gain renown in my own universe before I step into the depths of other worlds.
Confirming that I had limited access to the system, and the perks available to those with more standing in the company.
What those benefits were, I did not have the slightest clue, but a small promise in the fine print mentioned that they would be revealed in time.
However, what I did know was that, now that there was a multiverse watching me, I could not be put on fraud watch. Nor was I going to allow anyone to call me broke despite my knowledge of a modern world.
I had to keep up an agenda. Even if I was just barely masking things to make myself look better.
Was it fake?
Yes… Yes it was.
But it was for the love of the game.
If I knew anything, it was that there was no one better at faking it except me.
Successfully motivated, and with a fire burning my ass, I vowed that there would be change in my life.
"To the guild!"
{---}
Strapped with a bronze sword, I strolled into the building like I owned the place, many of the village's eyes on me as I stared at the quest board.
"Great heavens," They must be thinking, "It's that young man Don! He must have had an enlightenment if he's walking with his head held so high."
Naturally, only one so great could comprehend the earth and skies.
And I would show it to them by conquering…
My gaze trailed along the wooden surface of the board, eyes darting from one post to another.
I cou- wouldn't stoop myself low to take menial tasks. No. My name was going to be turned into legend. Tales spoken by bards throughout the land. Gold will rail upon me, and my number of achievements will be longer than any book!
Harvest crops for Uncle Mart. 50 Copper coins.
Grind grain for Baker Tom. 40 Copper coins.
Cull local slimes population for the Village Guard. 3 Silver Coins.
Spool Yarn for seamstress Yarla. 20 copper coins.
Killing slimes?
What a noble task that the village is in dire need of!
I shouldn't allow anyone else to take it.
Averice clouded my vision. But, it was only natural. I needed to keep the village safe.
After all, it was here where my foundations were laid. And just like a bamboo shoot, it will be where I sprout from. Where it shall cool under my shade, and where I will weather the storm in its place.
With a cheshire grin, I strolled to the front desk, the request in hand.
"I will take this quest." Leaving no room for debate, doubt, or the notion that anyone else could possibly be equal to the task.
"Right," The clerk stamped, handing it back after a second. "Just remember that there's a deadline for that quest which ends in a week. Past that, the guild will consider the quest as void."
Heard loud and clear, I nodded and left without another word.
I knew what I needed to do.
I was the protagonist of my own story, and it was time to start filling out the pages of my book.
{---}
Slimes.
Described in the bestiary as quasi-sentient blobs of acidic goop. They tend to gather in groups of three or more, and have the tendency to have an internal hierarchy based on their individual size and the brightness of their color.
This can be seen in how larger slimes get first pick of any matter that the group takes down. And how darker colored slimes tend to be more subservient to those with brighter colors.
And standing at the top of the hierarchy was the King Slime.
Or so the bestiary said.
The Queen Slime was going to be a whole different beast.
Though, that posed a lot of questions based on the dynamic between the two, and the types of roles that existed within a theoretical slime society. Questions that I didn't know the answers to.
However, what I did know is…
They were incredible masters of jumping.
Deflecting slime 1 against my sword, I countered with a downward slash at its core. Skipping back when another slime came to its brethren's defense.
Three slimes were peacefully hopping about, enjoying the bright sun and the open field.
Only to stumble upon me like I was the random encounter, and they were the adventuring party.
However, I was their Big Bad Evil Guy!
Slimes were virtually invincible against physical attacks. All except for their cores which generally were situated at the center of their amorphous bodies. It was a spherical ball which would break under enough pressure, dissipating the mana animating their bodies.
Unfortunately, I lacked the aptitude to learn any magic.
What I did have though was sheer grit in making it out of here three slime richer than I was when I woke up.
"Come here and take it!" I shouted, provoking each of the three slimes into combat.
Slime 1 was the first to react, leaping for my center mass. But a simple duck was all it took to completely dodge the attack.
However, I wasn't able to account for their successive attacks.
Slime 2 took advantage of this, already jumping for my legs like a particularly annoying cousin.
The power of friendship was what inevitably did me in.
Their successive follow up attacks got me. As Slime 2 stuck me in place, Slime 3, the leader of the bunch, attacked me from the side. Its acidic insides seared my flesh, as it broke through what meager strips of clothing I had, and left me with a slow agonizing death.
Is what would have happened if I wasn't the Protagonist!
The hero wouldn't fall to beginner village mobs!
My legs sprung me upward. Diverting course until the slime was now underneath my feet, leaving me in prime position to counterattack.
"Stick this, dumb bitch!"
Driving my bronze sword into the dirt, it cleaved through the Slime 2's core, the mob turning into goop right before my eyes.
And before their leader could take its revenge, I rolled to the side. Only narrowly missing the slime as I shot it the middle finger.
"That's right!" I bellowed, cackling like a loon. "Not so tough now that your best friend's gone. How about you just die to m-"
My Monologue!
Slime 1 dared to interrupt me!
This wouldn't stand.
Stepping back, Slime one plopped right at my feet, a dangerous grin forming on my face.
This was personal.
My hand plunged into the slime, assaulting the acidic sludge directly as my fingers gripped at its core.
"You!" Ripping it out, the slime barely clung onto my hand, holding on for dear life as it was held at my mercy.
Flicking my hand to the side, the core was torn free of its confines, leaving the slime in the dirt. Counting two down for the count.
And leaving slime number three for last.
"Three!" I called out, staring at the quivering slime as it shook madly. "You have lasted this long because I allowed you. Make no mistake, I intend to decimate you the very same as the others."
"I am the he-"
The once green slime turned cyan, changing entire shades all at once, whilst staying the same size.
Of course I fell for the oldest trick in the book.
I let my enemy get stronger while I monologued!
"Alright, talk later. Let's kill this slime first." I grumbled, vowing to be better in the future.
But then again…
Would people be able to call me a fraud for fighting a stronger opponent?
"HAHAHA!" I cackled, pointing my sword at the now evolved Cyan slime. "Stand proud, Slime three. You are a worthy opponent. Our battle will be legendary!"
As though we were of one mind, we both engaged at the same time, leaping into battle as I entered with a rising slash.
Only that, one became two.
The slime had partitioned itself, leaving behind a copy in its place.
My slash met its fake body, cleaving through the gel as my eyes widened. Too committed to counter as its real body caught me lacking when I needed it most.
I'm a fraud.
… Not if I couldn't do anything about it!
I needed to be better than my previous self. To go beyond even if my back was against the wall.
Don wasn't a fraud. I won't stand for this slander!
Uphold the agenda! I won't be put on fraud watch.
From the moment I woke up in this new world, I did nothing but survive.
But, in those five years of life, have I ever strived to live above my means?
Have I yearned to one day grab destiny with both my hands and take it for my own?
With a shadow looming over me, I cocked my arm back. Sword falling by the wayside as I grit my teeth as hard as I could.
As a slime's strength rose, so did their viscosity. Which was what made the King Slime a menace to most who weren't mages, as their weapons became food for the slime's growth. Unable to even break it apart using the impact of their blows.
However, that didn't mean I couldn't pull off the legendary and pluck its core from its center.
This wasn't yet the King Slime.
I genuinely had a decent chance!
My arm shot out, darting for Slime 3 with everything I had.
And Slime 3 gave just as much effort, spreading itself thin to surround my hand.
A foolish mistake!
"Gotcha bitch!"
I grabbed the core, using its moment against itself, as my arm plundered the core from right under Slime 3's nonexistent nose.
Acid touched my skin, searing through a majority of my body as it tried to eat away at what it could.
Only to turn inert as the mana powering it was crushed in the palm of my hand.
"Three down!" I heaved, each breath I took feeling more triumphant than the last. "Oh god, that was only three!"
Of course, the threat on the village wasn't just those three slimes I found.
Where there was one pack, there would inevitably be more.
"This is going to be a long day…" I sighed, looking down at my feet.
Despite feeling like I ran a marathon, for a moment, I felt like I could take on the world. Accomplishment was truly a drug that was easy to get addicted to.
"Be honored. You have become the stepping stones to my great rise!"
Laughing like I was the only person in the world, the first pages of my legend were now truly born.
[A/N: First chapter in a while. I'll crank these puppies out as fast as I can. Hope I do it properly this time. If there are any comments or suggestions, feedback, they are all welcome. Thank you!]