Chapter 11: First Kill Chapter 11 - First Kill While Leo was waiting for Shyra to finish its meal, he noticed that the bumps of ribs were disappearing in real time, as well as the fact that it ate a huge amount of food and was still going on. How can something so small eat this much? It doesn’t make sense! Leo exclaimed inwardly. No. I should not follow the common sense of my previous world; I guess the biology here is different, he concluded with a sigh. As if on cue, he heard a chime. Ding! Strength - 1.1 → 1.2 "Looks like Shyra gained strength. Nice," Leo muttered with a faint grin. After a while, Shyra finally seemed full. Even its complexion had improved and it looked healthier. Leo paid the bill, grimacing as the total came to 5 Bronze coins. "Great. Now I’m down to 4 Silver and 58 Bronze Coins," he mumbled. He clenched his fists. "Finally! Now it’s time to level up." With that, he made his way to a hunting ground that was said to be beginner-friendly, as only low 1★ beasts were spotted there. Leo wondered if he would find any beasts at all, since other new Beast Masters would definitely come to hunt. But surprisingly, when he arrived, the place was empty. A wry smile tugged at his lips. "Feels like I’m the only hardworking fellow here," he chuckled. Then he recalled something. "System, how do I use my beast skills?" he asked curiously. [1 from common rank soul and 7 from Mythical rank soul] "So I get the benefits of having 2 souls? Doesn’t that mean I can tame twice the number of beasts if I have the same soul rank for both souls? That’s—" His eyes widened as the realization hit. "And there’s even the fact that I can increase my soul rank! This is greattt!" he shouted, fists pumping. He forced himself to breathe. "Calm down, calm down. My priority is to get strong, then I’ll try to live in my fantasies." He quickly thought of copying Shyra’s [Stealth] skill. "Ohh! So even the mastery gets copied! This system keeps making me happier!" he laughed aloud. Then he heard a faint rustle near some bushes. Leo’s head snapped in that direction. He spotted movement, drew his knife, and whispered, "Stealth, activate." [Stealth] – 50 mana units for activation, 1 mana per second for continued use. "Expensive!" he nearly cried out. But he couldn’t afford to slack when he didn’t know what he was dealing with. The moment he activated the skill, he felt his noise lessen, his presence fade, and his breathing quieten. Creeping forward, he peeked behind the bushes. What he saw made him grimace. A round, semi-transparent figure slithered forward, leaving a slimy trail. It was half a meter wide, wobbling like spit come alive. Grey Slime – Low 1★ Ordinary Bloodline "Uhhh..." Leo’s face twisted in disgust. "I guess I can’t expect things exactly as I want..." But a beast was a beast, and killing it meant experience points. He steeled himself. "Damn it, looks like there’s no choice," he said under his breath. He knew slimes’ weakness—their cores. But scanning the gooey mess, he couldn’t see any. "Where do I even look for the damn thing?" he muttered, eyes narrowed. Mana – 20/88 → 19/88 "I need to be quick!" He sprinted forward and drove his knife deep into the slime. Ptchhh! A wet noise burst out as his blade and hand slipped through appearing from other side, coating him in slime. "Auggg! So disgusting! Where is the damn core?!" Leo groaned, stabbing again and again, frustration mounting. The slime wobbled in panic and tried to flee, but his relentless strikes made escape impossible. Then, suddenly, it shook violently and spat a glob of sticky muck at his face. "AAA NOO! So dirtyyy!" he howled, clawing at the mess with his free hand. But it clung stubbornly. Now furious, Leo abandoned the knife entirely. "Enough of this!" he growled, plunging his fingers into the slime’s body. His fingertips struck something solid. "THERE!!!" he roared. He yanked out the core. And the system notification appeared. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚 Grey slime killed – 2 xp Level 0 – 2/10 Leo collapsed backward, gasping. His chest heaved, not from exhaustion but from pure disgust. "That was so bad! Fuck. I don’t want to deal with fucking slimes again," he panted, wiping his face with his tunic. The slime, now robbed of its core, truly looked like spat snot. Only difference—it seemed like it came from a giant’s mouth. Leo lifted the marble-sized core, inspecting its strange random patterns. "Is this thing really indestructible?" he wondered aloud, turning it over. He tested it—compressing, stomping, then hurling it at a rock. The core remained unscathed. "Nothing... What if I use my talent?" he asked, half-expectant. He activated his talent. [Beastiary of Souls] "Even my talent doesn’t accept things from crap. I like it," he chuckled wryly. "Then what do I do? Sell it... for 10 copper?" An idea struck. He summoned Shyra. Violet motes swirled as the cub appeared, eyes glowing as they locked onto the core in Leo’s hand. Leo smirked and tossed it over. "Go on, then." Shyra bit into it eagerly chewing it, and swallowed it down. Leo leaned forward. "Well? Any changes?" He clicked his tongue when nothing happened. "Tsk. What should I expect from that puny core anyway..."