The cake was delicious. By the time I finally stopped eating, I must have finished about 70% of it. The commander had only eaten another slice before heading to his room for the night. Sitting at the table alone, I looked at my hands; they were still quivering, but the feeling of the sword was still there. While I was practicing, I could feel how badly I had strained my muscles, yet after only an hour of rest, something already felt different. It felt as if my body had adapted to be better at swinging a sword.
Feeling strange, I thought for a few moments, and I grabbed my bag and made my way outside once again. Umbra Astrum had risen in the sky, darkness now flooding the world, but with Heightened Perception I wasn't too bothered. Finding the wooden sword on the ground, I picked it up; it seemed to be lighter, if only slightly. Taking a deep breath, I got into my stance, focusing on control. I swung forward, cracking the air. My eyes widened with the strike. Calming down, I struck again. I-it's easier; it feels like I have more control!
Looking back at the house and then at the dark forest, I hesitated before entering the Lumere forest. I don't want to get caught, so I'll go deep enough where I don't have to worry about being spotted, but I'll also stay close enough to the village where there aren't many monsters. Carrying the sword, I looked back once more before disappearing into the dense brush.
Using my skills, I pushed through the forest, avoiding rocks and trees. My clothes were still drenched in sweat, but I didn't mind. I'll bathe and change into my spare clothes before I get back. My eyes fell upon the bag I had that contained my spare clothes. I walked for around fifteen minutes before reaching a small clearing. In the middle was a single blue glob.
Slime, Lvl 2
Only level two? I was surprised it was this close to the village. I guess it's just an unintelligent creature. It probably wandered this close by accident, but I'm still surprised Lumere's militia hadn't found it.
Placing my bag down, I looked at my wooden sword. I took my stance, pointing it towards the slime. I slipped off my shoes, letting my bare feet touch the earth beneath me. Tapping my foot a few times caused the slime to start rolling towards me. As it got close enough, I breathed out, striking at the slime. The air cracked as my sword fell, but to my surprise, the slime contorted to avoid my strike. My attack missed, but I hadn't fallen forward. Bringing my sword back up, I tried to attack again, but the slime was too close.
I tried to readjust myself and back up, but I ended up tumbling and missing my next strike. The slime latched onto my foot, melting the surface layer of the skin. Wincing, I kicked it away, sending it rolling away once again.
My skin regrew quickly, and I sighed, "Thank goodness I took off my shoes."
Looking at the slime that was already approaching me again, I got back into my stance. Focus... Think about your strike, but also predict what the slime might do. Of course it's going to try and avoid my attack; a mindless creature still has instincts.
Striking at it again, I watched as it dodged, but my strike clipped the side of it. Some slime flew through the air, but surprisingly my sword bounced off the creature, causing me to lose balance again. Stumbling, I tried to reposition myself. Ok, what went wrong last time? I tried to reposition in a panic, and I got tripped up, which didn't allow me to deliver a proper attack... This time, focus on your movements!
My mind raced as I backstepped away from the slime. I tripped, but it was small enough not to affect my next attack greatly. Striking down, my sword hit the center of the slime, causing its gel to ripple, but to my dismay, the wooden sword only bounced off. The slime attached to my foot again before I kicked it off.
Sighing, I readied myself once again. Looking at the slime, I watched how it jiggled against the ground. A sudden thought entered my mind. Activating Earthen Sense, I focused the skill compleatly on the slime. I swung down. Through Earthen Sense, I felt the slime vibrate beneath me, its weight beginning to shift left. Before I even realized it, I adjusted my swing and struck it directly in the center.
With the strike, the slime writhed slightly before jumping at me again. Focusing on repositioning, I dodged backwards, preparing to strike it again. Remember, it's not just power; it's control. If I strike it where it's weak, then I can do more damage! My eyes found the spot where I had just struck it; the gel around the impact was noticeably thinner. Striking down and aiming for its weak spot, I hit the creature; the attack flattened the slime, and within its blue gel I saw its core crack slightly.
The slime jiggled violently and backed away a few feet. My eyes tracked the creature, and Earthen Sense allowed me to know when it was going to move again. The slime did not move for several seconds, and with Heightened Perception I saw that the crack in its core was beginning to mend. Realizing that I needed to attack the creature before it healed, I approached it. My mind strained as I thought about my footwork.
Here it comes! The slime jumped at me, and even though I had Earthen Sense activated, I had to lean back to try and swing at it. Shit! I overextended my stance! The slime slammed into my legs, causing me to fall onto my back. It climbed onto my stomache, and started eating away at my shirt.
"That's my shirt, don't dissolve it!" I yelled, grabbing the small creature and tossing it to the side.
Looking down at my shirt, I saw that the fabric was slightly thinner but was still intact. Letting out a breath of relief, I approached the slime again, focusing even more. I sensed it was about to attack, but I realized I had overextended once again; this time, I reacted quickly enough and dodged to the side. Cursing, I tried again, and as I sensed it beginning to move, I struck down, finally placing myself in the right position. Adjusting my attack to its movements, I struck it in its center once again, cracking its core even more.
The slime jiggled and began to retreat once again, but I sensed this. With a controlled step in its direction, I raised my sword once again; the air cracked as it struck down upon the creature. It did not have time to avoid, and with the sword making contact with its gel, its core shattered.
Acquired 10 EXP
Picking up its broken core, I absorbed it into my hand. No new skill or upgrade this time... but at least more blood, and it was tasty! Smiling, I looked up at Umbra Astrum hanging in the sky. It had moved slightly; that meant I'd been in the forest for almost an hour now.
I have until Umbra Astrum reaches the center of the sky; then I have to bathe and do my chores. That still leaves enough time for a few more slimes.
Closing my eyes, I focused completely on Earthen Sense; its range spread through the forest as I tried to pick up on vibrations. I ignored the other creatures that I could sense, focusing on just finding a slime. After a few minutes of looking, the vibrations echoed through my body.
"Found you," I said aloud.
I placed my shoes in my bag and picked it up. Using my skills, I ran through the forest while deliberately practicing the footwork Roderic had taught me, even without an opponent in front of me. When I reached the slime, I saw that it was inside a fallen log, jiggling around slowly. Dropping my bag, I tapped my foot on the ground once again to get its attention. Sensing that it was starting to move towards the log entrance, I prepared. As it appeared, I saw that it was quite smaller than the previous one.
Slime, Lvl 1
Smiling, I dashed towards it, ensuring to use the proper footwork. Swinging down at it and sensing its vibrations, I struck it dead on with my wooden sword, shattering its core instantly. Level one slimes are truly much weaker than level two slimes...Or has my swordsmanship improved that much already? Pondering the question, I picked up the core and absorbed it.
Acquired 5 EXP
"Yummy," I said aloud while licking my lips.
The night flew by as I encountered more slimes and practiced my skills on them. I faced another level one, which was a simple challenge; another Level 2 was more difficult, requiring three precise strikes to the same spot before I finally destroyed it. The last slime I came across was a true challenge, a level three. A Level 3 slime could form simple shapes from its gel, including spikes. This made me work the hardest, as I had to figure out how to strike right away after dodging, since if I didn't, it would attack with another spike right away.
It took quite a few tries and a few close calls, but in the end, after half a dozen strikes, I killed it. But there was a cost. A small hole in my pants... and a chip in my wooden sword. On the upside, the level three slime pushed me just over the edge, causing me to level up! None of the slimes gave me any skills or upgrades, though.
You have reached Lvl 3
The words vanished, and a strengthening heat enveloped my body; I could feel myself getting slightly stronger. After several seconds, the heat dissipated, leaving me with a feeling of new strength.
Sighing, I looked up at Umbra Astrum; it was nearing the center of the sky. Looking at my sword, I got into my stance and took a swing; the added power from my level-up almost caused my legs to buckle since I had not gotten used to the change yet. I had to fight to stay balanced, but the strike was a success. My eyes traced along the sword upwards into the air where a purple screen popped up.
Acquired Swordsmanship Lvl 1
"Swordsmanship? I actually got a skill related to swordsmanship?!" I exclaimed, looking at the wooden sword in my hand. Examining it, I became vividly aware of its size and weight, as if my hands understood the weapon better than they had moments ago.
Getting into my stance, my eyes widened. It feels different... more natural. I didn't have to think about my grip nearly as much, and the tiny imperfections in my stance were easier to notice. When I shifted my feet, my body seemed to understand the movement better than when I'd practiced before.
Everything feels more refined!
Taking a few more swings, I felt my body adjust to the increase in strength. I looked up once again; Umbra Astrum had now reached the peak of the sky. Taking a glance around the forest, I focused on Earthen Sense to make sure no one or thing was around. I picked up my bag and began a slow, methodical walk through the forest toward the stream.
During the walk, I made sure that my body had gotten used to being level three. Once I arrived, I undressed and took a long soak in the crystal-clear stream water. I washed away the muck caught in my hair and cleansed myself of the sweat that ran down my body. Floating in the water, I closed my eyes and just listened to the forest, the rustling of leaves and the howling of wind.
Standing up in the water, I got into my stance and slashed using just my hands. I felt that even without the sword, my technique was fairly good. Falling back, I laughed. Sinking underneath the water, I felt my soreness fade. I closed my eyes and let the darkness engulf my vision once again.