Misery flapped its wings as it headed back to the barracks. Its somber eyes met the filthy gust once more as it obediently landed on the south edge of the top of the hill where the barracks were at. Stalls were lined up 10 meters distance apart from each other. Still, the space was congested as species active during the day jammed in the area.
The sun had just begun its duty, daylight bathed the area luminously as wild noises erupted from the busy street. Alab hopped off Misery and then unsummoned him, placing the black token back in his inventory.
He immediately checked the stalls. There were food stalls, potion stalls, and finally item stalls. Alab found it hard to squeeze in the ravenous crowd erratically lined up before the food stalls. He could hold his hunger anyways thus he decided to focus on the pressing matter at hand - the item stalls.
Alab headed to the vacated area, devoid of busy species. From time to time, a participant came and checked out the available items only to be dissatisfied by their uselessness. Alab walked towards the stall where an old woman vendor solemnly dust her commodities.
Alab scanned the displayed items and as he inferred, they were all just E-grade items and there were 25 of them at most.
[Ice Cup (E)
Description: Can produce an ice cube every hour]
[Cat Blanket (E)
Description: A blanket to slightly warm your cat.]
Multitude items were scanned by Alab one by one. They were all just E-grade items with no substantial uses. But, that would be the case for others. Regardless of their effects, every item was akin to treasure to Alab. Every item counts to him.
"I would like to buy all these items", Alab muttered, his eyes just seeing the item price of 100 copper or 1 silver coin each.
This world employed a currency system comprised of copper, silver, gold, and the inherently scarce S-grade monster's core. A hundred silver equates to one gold. As for the S-grade monster's core, they were used primarily by influential individuals.
The old woman beamed with delight as she clasped her hands then shortly calculated the total cost.
"The total price is 24 silver coins", uttered the old lady, her eyes dazzled at her generous good-looking customer. Then she extended her hand taking the silver coins handed by Alab.
Truth be told, it was costly for its trivial worth but Alab didn't dawdle at the matter for long as he checked out the other item stalls which were selling similar E-grade items. The old vendors were elated at the gallant young customer. It was unfortunate that at the 4th stall, Alab had run out of coins.
The system had initially given them 100 silver coins and his hunt procured him 103 copper coins. With that, Alab departed from the stall area, embraced in his hands were a pile of items as his [Inventory] brimmed.
Riding on Misery, Alab headed back to the hunting ground. On his way, jammed D-grade practice dungeons filled his sight. Most likely, they just completed their practice in E-grade hunting grounds and found it tedious. Several participants roamed upward the hill in search of desolated practice dungeon.
It was all within Alab's expectations with Misery gliding downwards the foot of the hill where the [Slime Practice Dungeon (E)] was at. Contrary to others, the dungeon that was barricaded with slender trees retained its tranquillity as no silhouette of entities beside slimes lurked in the area.
It was already noon when Alab arrived in the dungeon.
Alab took his time diving into the vigorous dungeon with the skeleton trainee wobbling beside him as it roamed. In no time, a slime appeared and began harassing the skeleton. Its golden core shimmered with delight as new slimes emerged from slender trees, ganging up on the bony figure.
[Skeleton Trainee (E)
Description: A skeleton that is barely moving.
Level: N/A (Same level as the summoner)
HP: 200 / 200 (10 × Constitution value × level)
MP: 100 / 100 (10 × Intelligence value × level)
< Attributes >
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1
Constitution: 2
Intelligence: 1
Skills: None]
With stats that were weaker than the weakest monster - slimes, the skeletal body eroded as the [Skeleton Trainee] died.
[Your summon has received 5 damage!]
[Your summon has received 5 damage!]
[Your summon has received 5 damage!]
....
..
[Your summon "Skeleton Trainee", has died!]
[You activated your skill "Skeleton Trainee Summoning (E)"]
[You have summoned a skeleton trainee!]
Alab's butt kissed the verdant soil, his back leaning on the slender trees as his bare feet were crossed as he sat. Items were arranged before him as he began converting them into points.
[An E-grade item has been converted into points!]
[An E-grade item has been converted into points!]
[An E-grade item has been converted into points!]
A caravan of system notifications satiated his sight as his number of points intensified each second. Before he knew it, a day had passed as he immersed himself in restoring his mana and converting points till eventually, he had absorbed all the items.
[Available Converted Points:
- E (×127) ]
Alab ran an analysis in his head, determining the crucial matter to upgrade. He could upgrade 5 things at the moment, his skills [Luck] and [Skeleton Trainee Summoning], and his three tokens [Griffin Summoning Token], [Agile Horse Summoning Token], and lastly [Red Shark Summoning Token].
The tokens could be out of the topic for now as upgrading them was not a pressing matter at the moment. He could take his time promoting them later on.
In five days, the entrance examination would be conducted. Alab was confident that he would pass the handwritten test but in terms of combative assessment, he could only rely on his sole damage-inclined skill [Skeleton Trainee].
However, he himself could slaughter the slimes with ease. Upgrading the skill was not urgent. With that, Alab had decided.
"Upgrade the Luck skill"
System notifications acknowledged his words, his points dwindled at the speed of light as he saw his [Luck] skill undergo tremendous change.
[You have successfully upgraded the "Luck" skill!]
[Luck (D)
Description: You are a little bit lucky.
Effect: +0.1% Luck]
His luck heightened significantly, surging from 0.000001% to 0.1% luck. Shortly, Alab gauged the percentage increase as he lifted his body from the soil, his feet tracing the path towards the skeleton that once again perished under the onslaught of about a hundred slimes.
Resummoning the skeleton, Alab took its rusty sword as he dashed towards the slimes, plucking their lives one after another.
[Slimes (D)
Level: 5
Description: A small monster that is a little acidic. Watch out for burns. Destroying its core will kill it regardless.
HP: 1500/1500 (100 × Constitution value × level)
MP: 0 (100 × Intelligence value × level)
< Attributes >
Strength: 1
Dexterity: 1
Constitution: 3
Intelligence: 0 ]
[You have killed a level 5 slime!]
[Exp: 25% --> 25%]
[You have received a Copper Coin ×1!]
Monsters boasted a higher HP and MP than humans as their multipliers were at least a hundred. This multiplier differs per species and tier. Boss monsters swelled with hundreds of thousands of HP that could be branded as anomalies of this world.
Slimes barely procured him with EXP at level 10. Still, their growing numbers made [Slime Practice Dungeon] the most profitable site to drop items. And as he deduced, after the 20th brandishing of the rusty sword, a nostalgic system notice came.
[You have killed a level 5 slime!]
[Exp: 26% --> 26%]
[You have received a Copper Coin ×1!]
[Drop item obtained! Slime liquid (E)]
His upgraded luck worked. An item dropped at a faster rate than last time. Little the increment in luck might be, it was significant as it exhibited its might. Alab then began another cycle of luring the slimes with skeletons and massacring them with his amateurish swordsmanship.
The sun set for three times now, shading the dungeon with coal as Alab panted for air. His exhausted body plunged to the ground, his stomach rumbled for nourishment from two days of suppressed hunger.
It was the third day since they arrive in this world. Alab had gone back to the barracks one time to replenish his stock of food and most of the time hunted slimes as he dived deeper into the dungeon.
Taking out a piece of egg sandwich from his inventory, Alab satiated his days of hunger, sipping on bottled water right after.
The all-day energetic skeleton stood as slimes pounced on its spines, it couldn't feel pain anyways, wobbling as it baited more slimes.
Beside Alab, ten [Slime Liquid (E)] formed a mild wave as their bottle container was grasped by Alab. As he had restored his mana, he began converting them into points.
[An E-grade item has been converted into points!]
[An E-grade item has been converted into points!]
---
The sun peeked through the dreary sky, greeting everyone with luxuriant daylight that stimulated vigor in the participants. Another day had emerged and they were nearing the entrance examination.
In the [Slime Practice Dungeon], Alab heaved a deep breath as he converted the last [Slime Liquid (E)].
[An E-grade item has been converted into points!]
[Available Converted Points:
- E (×100) ]
[Mana: 10/4800]
Alab eventually fulfilled his goal of a hundred E-grade points which cost him a day and a half of restless grinding. His chest contracted as he took a deep breath, with an exhale, it expanded as he then spoke.
"Upgrade the [Skeleton Trainee Summoning] skill"
Alab shut his mouth as his eyes unwrapped the system notice plastered on the translucent screen.
[You have successfully upgraded the "Skeleton Trainee Summoning" skill!]