Going out away from the stream was undeniably unnerving, with slime groups increasing from 30 to 40 slimes in a group he knows if he gets unlucky with the group he finds then he'll have to use most of his energy to sprint back making this a wasted trip.
Slowly approaching a group about 10 minutes away he peers around the corner to see the amount, 20 slimes, a bit more than he had hoped for but probably the best he would get.
He pushes a thin cover of energy on his dagger, he could last 10 minutes if he only applies a thin coat of energy to his weapon, rushing around the corner he stabs the slime closest to him. Pulling his knife in the direction of the next attack he doesn't bother removing it as it simply cuts out of the slime like a hot knife through butter, stabbing 4 slimes he feels a burning feeling on his left leg. Stabbing down he directly cuts the slime on his leg, 5 down 15 to go.
Putting a thin cover on his legs for a second to back out of the slimes surrounding him, he has spent about 30 seconds killing the slimes and another 10 on backing off, with about 7 minutes left to fight left he knows he can do this as long as he doesn't have to coat his legs more than once more.
Rushing the slimes once more he kills another three before a slime gets to him however instead of backing off he continues killing, having killed all but 5 in 4 minutes he knows he only barely can count as succeeding. With second degree burns on both legs, he will expand most of his time and energy following this excursion recovering from this fight.
Killing four of the last five with his water containers he slashes the last one, low on energy and injured he immediately begins to return to his cave preserving the remaining energy for if he needs to escape.
Making it back without encountering anymore slimes he sits down and begins circulating his energy, although energy can speed up healing it will take at least a week before he can attempt to fight any slimes and two before he can repeat todays performance. Although his energy can speed up healing it doesn't prevent scarring and he can't regrow lost limbs.
This means he has to be careful on what type of injury's he gets as third degree burns will mean destroying nerve ending and those take at least a month to heal enough to allow restoration of basic movement.
With nothing to do he would wait until he could kill at least 5 slimes without trouble before heading out of his cave again.
As a week passed he successfully made another bowl using his energy, with each new attempt he was learning how to tell how the rock would break and how much force will allow him to break off exactly the amount he needed. Of course the bowl was still crude and had small jagged pieces sticking out all over it, but the second was slightly smoother than the first. Not only that but he plans to condense his energy again. Only after his second excursion will he begin but he knows he needs more energy and the best way to get more is by condensing his limited supply in order to be able to pack more in.
Watering the plants that haven't finished growing alongside the new saplings he planted, he couldn't help but appreciate the dungeons consistent temperature. Without having to worry about what grows when he can only be happy that he was sent to a dungeon with the right setting for these plants to grow.
Finishing up he heads out to begin killing off any slimes in the area around the stream, although not completely healed he can still kill a few slimes even a group of them if he is at the stream do to his adventitious position.
With another ten slimes under his belt he contemplates what else he can do with his energy, he had heard that some advanced people use their energy to set up entire safe areas as big as the apartment he and his family lived in. Some could spout fire or lace weapons in different elements, some could regrow limbs and organs as long as the person was still alive. He heard different people have different affinity's and the energy in your core will only ever be energy that match's the person.
But he had no core and the energy in his body was energy he produced, there was no telling what he can and can't do with such a drastically different cultivation style. Not only that but manipulating an element you are not compatible with is supposed to be impossible but although hard he was able to manipulate water. He had yet to attempt manipulating other elements but was definitely going to attempt it when he returned back home.
Returning back safely and with no more encounters he goes over to the supplies that were originally in his comm, finding a bow of matches and a broken piece of plank to small to add to the garden he lights it on fire.
Running his energy along his hand he puts it only a inch away from the flame and begins to pull, a small flame came to my hand. However being the idiotic being I am, I forgot that those with elemental affinities have certain immunity to that affinity. Me who doesn't have that immunity however feels pain go through my hand as a small fire touches it, immediately dropping the energy and watching the fire disappear along side the energy I realize two things.
One he is able to manipulate the elements in his vicinity, and two he needs to not play with fire on his hand.