Silence felt heavy, almost as if it wanted to throw her body to the ground, forcing the gravity to order her legs to fail and her arms to drop.
The sweat that fell from the forehead burned her eyes, droplets landing on their corners directed by a long and swaying white hair as her movement progressively became slower.
Cho Jae-Hwa's breathing became rarefact as the burning of a fever absorbed into her body, her thoughts becoming a merged mess inside of her mind.
Because of that little thing, I got like this... I should have been more careful, but no matter what I can't brush off that feeling.
"For some reason I can't stop smiling."
Her knife was on the ground several steps away from her, even now she had no idea when she had dropped it. The moments the poison would fade she would approach it slowly, even though the amount of times she needed to evade was proving to be more of a hassle when paired with blurry vision.
The room was surprisingly dark, even with the lights provided in the walls the darkness seemed to lurk far deeper than usual.
Jae-Hwa's hands wander in front of her, going as close as three fingers in front of her eye — there was no way to be sure besides going to such extremes. Only then she was able to notice the problem, what hindered her more than usual.
The white light around her body, that which signified
The tiredness in her bones must be due to a drawback of the skill, the excruciating pain she felt around her whole body must have been because it ended... Countless times she repeated those same thoughts and more, looking for more and more excuses to give herself.
The Slime Strategist sneakily absorbed itself inside of the Armored Slime's body, observating the gaze of a enemy that was enough to make all her opponents tremble in irrational fear.
The gentle green of her eyes had almost become pale in comparison to the environment, eerily shining with a goal in her mind, eerily being encumbered by the shade of her quartz-like bangs, part of a hair so long that it almost felt alive.
Her body lowers slowly, making sure that the little ball of dangerous mucus is at the same location she remembered it being.
A creepy smile ruptures from across her face, from one corner to the other of her mouth, resulting in something akin to a vein to travel around until it finally stops beneath a piece of armor.
Her lips moved very slowly, as if a predator was enjoying the sweet aftertaste of it's prey.
"Found you." Her voice was like a whisper, a sweet lullaby of death towards her enemy. In her mind there was finally nothing but internal peace, something that she had not truly felt in years.
To Jae-Hwa there was no other option, or rather, she was unable to do anything but accept these vicious feelings.
Around her limbs the orange light formed itself again, this time brighter while it also overtook the color of her eyes momentarily.
ENERGY: 1/20
While gathering strength at the bottom of her feet, only one thought was kept in her mind amidst all the peace — this is all or nothing, there is no need to conserve — until she leapt as far as she could, reaching the back of her opponents with a swift strike that they were still able to dodge.
Vision did not seem to be a factor to their coordination, meaning they relied on other senses. All Jae-Hwa could manage to do was slash, punch and kick, her own repertoire of attacks was limited, making the only available option to attack restleesly for the next two minutes.
With her unoccupied left hand, it grabs a piece of metal that was holding itself to the orange slime's mucus, attempting to push it away from the main body and the little symbiote hiding under it.
"It's not here, it must have moved..."
Frustration kept accumulating inside of her, the thought of it possibly fleeing simply made her want to chase the tiny blob, but at the same time there would not be a better chance to attack but now.
She had to swallow her pride, as long as she survived there would be more chances to find it... No matter the amount of lies she gave to herself, that was one of the long-term certainties.
Her blade sank into the mucus, needing a certain amount of strength to penetrate what seemed to be dense fiber instead of the regular gelatin-like material that their bodies are composed of.
Although the knife was not long enough to reach the core, several cuts seemed to be doing enough work even if her body was not on perfect condition yet.
The skills activated dulled the effects of the lingering poison, but it still consumed her from the inside. From time to time, the heat of her fever would rise and make her hesitate on the grip of her knife.
Whenever a chance arose, one of the slimes would jump into the fight and bash the shoulder of the nearly-crazed woman they were attempting to kill.
Now there was nothing to do but smile. Seeing the struggles of the little beings as they attempted to finish her only fed the satisfaction she felt while battling.
The inner peace converted into an absence of thoughts and an obsession with the current goal.
Thanks to her skills she was able to see their movements as clear as water, her body followed her every command as well.
"The first one." Jae-Hwa's eyes close as she took a deep breath, dragging her arm to the handle of her worn-out knife.
A single strike was almost forced from her bones to go forward, slashing the Armored's body and landing the sharp tip straight onto the incoming slime's core, turning it onto dust that slowly flew along the corridors.
—CONGRATULATIONS————————
+ 5 EXP
DROPPED ITEM: Slime Mucus
CREDITS: + 1
A new panel has appeared in front of her eyes, triggering a cold smile accompanied with a reassuring sensation.
—LEVEL UP—————————————
It's good that I levelled up, but it only seemed to raise my stats, it didn't recover any of them
Even two mere points of attack seemed to make a difference against these types of weak monsters. In this instant, when joy has been filling her conscience, only the end of battle would be able to halt her movements... Not even the poison seemed to bother her anymore.
As the two remaining slimes recklessly leaped to her, one towards the stomach and other towards her chest, restraining Jae-Hwa's options. Either she took damage or didn't slice, however she couldn't afford to just take damage considering it was probably on the bottom.
"I just have to do it, don't I? You damn system, always giving me hard times."
Jae-Hwa stretched her body backwards, holding her body's weight with both her hands as the attacks were evaded, shortly after being immediately retaliated by one of her kicks.
While it didn't do much damage, it still was enough to disorientate the monsters.
As soon as she regained her balance, her blade, seemingly like an extension of her own limbs rushed to the enemies, finishing them with a violent horizontal slice.
After accordingly receiving her rewards, there was only one more hassle, only one more problem before she could finally rest.
"Your time has come, big one."
She pointed her chipped weapon towards what she could only assume to be the front of the big slime, threatening it with a short future.
In response, it started to comsume more of the metal floor beneath itself, essentially forming a large hole and new armor to protect most of it's body.
"It covered everything? How do I even...?"
Naturally, the bottom remained uncovered, but there was no safe way to hit there, instead all she could find as a solution was to brute force the protection.
As Jae-Hwa approached the monster, the orange glow around her fingertips started to vanish until it was completely gone, losing the effects of her
Cho Jae-Hwa's knife struck the metal plates, countless times that sounded like a hammer of a forge. Slowly she was able to create tiny cracks, but at the same time the blade dulled and even tore itself in nearly microscopic fragments, until it reduced the bonus damage by one point.
DAMAGE: 10 (+3)
After what felt like a hundred strikes, a crack wide enough for her arm finally opened, which she took opportunity and immediately sunk it in, swiping what remained of sharpness at the core that dangled around.
A few more seconds and finally the being desintegrated into particles of colored dust and the respective victory panel appeared.
—CONGRATULATIONS————————
+ 10 EXP
DROPPED ITEM: Chunk of Metal
CREDITS: + 2
For a final security, Jae-Hwa checked her surroundings, analyzing every corner and hole that it could have hidden, but despite her concerns, the rare slime must have really escaped during the battle as soon as it felt threatened.
She finally was able to rest her tense body, noticing the amount of sweat on her body from the crazy movements she had performed while in battle. Her hair was somewhat sticky and her body felt overall hot and disgusting although her fever had calmed down for quite some time now.
While checking her status, she notices that her poisoned condition had disappeared and that it probably was doing damage considering how low her health was.
HEALTH: 8/110
"I'm on single digits!? This is bad, if I get hit by anything I am pretty much dead..." A moment of silence arises, her mind disregarding what could happen when it reaches zero.
"...But that feeling... Castelia was right. I put my life on the line, but it felt so good after I gave in to it."
Little by little she walked back to the settlement, fulfilled by her strength. More than the adrenaline, knowing she can be strong and that for once she seems free to do whatever she wants is something new for her.
In her life there was almost no freedom of choices for her, although despite even becoming an adult at some point of her life, the control by others wouldn't seize.
In all fairness, she didn't want to brag nor be something like a protagonist after figuring out this new possible lifestyle, but deep in her heart she also wanted to feel special, even if only once.
"Can I assume you were successful?"
Minutes after thinking to herself while walking, she arrived at the entrance of the settlement, surprisingly without finding a single slime on the way.
"Well yes... But how did you know?"
"I talked to Castelia while on my break, she can tell quite the interesting stories." The blonde guard snickers to her as he points towards the voluptuous lady sitting nearby the campfire.
"Is that so... Thank you for your concern, umm... Gabriel."
"No problem, but honestly I am in a mix of surprise and relief. The people here can barely kill a slime, much less an armored one and you did it without a blessing."
Jae-Hwa looked at her status panel, noticing how it shows that she does not currently have a blessing.
"I did notice that, but what is a blessing? A title I can figure it out, more or less, but not exactly a blessing."
"A blessing is a gift given from the gods! If they happen to fancy you, they can either make you stronger or give you weapons or skills, truly the mercy of the almighty ones!"
So they can raise stats, give skills or equipment... That sounds too good to be true.
Ranting much like a religious fanatic, Jae-Hwa sneakily lets him keep talking and sneaks past him. The excitement and confusion from many resounded in the air, somewhat reminding her of how people all over the world used to react to football games.
Their excitement was directed to a single point in the stuffy room where many cheered and shouted like happy little children. A screen of the same design as the system panels was presenting a video to which everyone reacted.
It didn't produce any sound, only visuals, and even then there was only something akin to a thunderstorm happening along with occasional blurs that went around them.
Jae-Hwa approached Castelia that looked around confused at everyone's reaction.
"Hey Castelia, I'm back... What is exactly happening?"
"I also wonder. The forgotten ones suddenly started looking at the eastern wall screaming and shouting for some reason."
"Hm? So you can't see it?"
"Whatever it is, no, I cannot. I asked around and apparently there is a forgotten fighting 'to reach the next level'"
Reach the next level... Does it mean the next domain? Whatever it is they are fighting must be necessary to advance, but I thought no one here could defeat an Armored Slime.
Her mind searched for an explanation until she remembered how a notice appeared when she took the first step into the dungeon, saying that she was the seventh player to enter.
One of the six other people before me is fighting... How did they become strong so fast—? No, I shouldn't think that... If I know something is that it will only hinder me if I keep thinking like that.
"Still, the screen is only visible to us Players, what a way to raise morale, I guess." She wondered to herself until the gentle trader noticed her muttering.
"Sorry?"
"Ah no, I'm just talking to myself, don't worry."
Jae-Hwa looked to the screen once more, whoever was battling was too fast for the eye to accompany, the only times it was visible was when an attack landed and even then the person moved right after to evade the attacks.
"Anyways, here..." Selecting the items from her inventory, the four slime mucus and the chunk of metal materialize on top of her hands, presenting them to Castelia. "Just like you asked, I was able to hunt them down!"
A genuine smile appeared on her face, no longer being the same despaired and indecisive expression.
"It seems like you found your answer."
"I think I did, at least."
Grabbing the items and placing on her lap, a white gentle light covers them while her quest
Shortly after, a silhouette forms around her hands a tiny metallic amulet gradually appears from the dissolving light.
With a form resembling the north star, in the middle it contains a small blue sphere that released odorless smoke, so thin that it was almost invisible.
"This is a Slime Ward, but in the form of an amulet to put on your clothes. It will work like the normal version since I used an equivalent amount of mucus, but be careful, if something hits the orb it will explode."
"That... Sounds too dangerous, honestly, but I will try to be careful. Thank you, Castelia."
"No problem dear, you also don't need to pay anything this time, seeing your genuine smile was enough of a payment."
As she grabs the amulet, she places it against the right side of her shirt, near the area her breast was.
A gentle smile resurges in her lips, soon coming to a halt to her next words.
"By the way, is there anywhere I can take a bath? I feel disgusting right now."
"A ba...th? Once you rest, every dirt and whatsoever on your body is cleaned."
Castelia's were genuine, clearly she didn't know what a bath was or the wonders and necessities of it, but even then it seemed to convenient.
"Also, she has been looking for you. Apparently she has something to tell you." The purple-haired trader says after remembering it from the depths of her mind.
"By she, you mean..."
Castelia nodded and looked in direction to the little girl, covering her red wolf ears with both her hands, wearing an expression of pain most likely due to the loud sounds.
Cho Jae-Hwa walks to her side, sitting on one of the stairs right next to her. Awkwardly, her hand guides itself to the little beastgirl's shoulder, comforting her from the pain.
"You're back." Marni says while holding her savior's torso stronger, sinking her tears of suffering into Jae-Hwa's chest.
"Yeah, I had some things to do."
"Is that so. Say, will you trust me now?"
Always eager to go to the point, the little girl gazes into the eyes of the woman she was holding, trying to find the green that was covered behind the wet white bangs.
Jae-Hwa breathes in, this was still a difficult situation she had forgotten, but it surely became easier to decide.
"I still have my doubts, but one thing is for sure... I will battle."
A sly smirk, laughter with her eyes that were devoid of emotion but filled with a blue light, fast movement in Marni's fingers. Once again this was happening, but somehow she hadn't noticed when it started.
They are listening. Whoever it is, it's listening.
"This will be your quest, if you can do it—" She takes a small notebook, no bigger than her hand and presents it in front of her face. "I will give you this information about this domain's Ruler."
—SIDE QUEST————————————
QUEST NAME: To Survive
DESCRIPTION: In order to prove that you are fit to defeat the Domain Ruler, you will need to defeat several strong enemies.
OBJECTIVE(S): Defeat 3 Armored Slimes. Defeat 1 Slime Guardian.
"A ruler? As in a king?"
"Yes. Whatever the other forgotten ones are watching, it must be the ruler of this domain. According to this, it is the one that guards the passage to the next domain. Sound similar?"
"Yes..."
Right now it must be the other being talking, there is no way that she would be saying it so calm. Is there no way that I can't help her?
"Alright... I will rest and go do it then."
Jae-Hwa could no longer bear to look at her, knowing that the little girl she was talking to was somewhere lost in those eyes.
She gritted her teeth, held her rage to herself and whoever was controlling her and headed to one of the campfire's makeshift beds to rest for the next mission.
—CURRENT STATS——————————
PLAYER NAME: CHO JAE-HWA // LEVEL: 1 <20/40 EXP>
BLESSING: none
TITLE: none
HEALTH: 8/110
DAMAGE: 10 (+3) // DEFENSE: 12 // ENERGY: 1/25
WEAPON: Damaged Knife
ARMOR: Simple Uniform
SKILLS:
CREDITS: 4