Chapter 12: Level 1 Chapter 12: Level 1 After seeing that Shyra had no change after eating the slime core, Leo started looking for other beasts—this time, keeping Shyra around. "Hmm... I should probably see Shyra as a girl... I don’t know, it just feels right." He muttered to himself as he walked. In the same area, he spotted two more grey slimes. But one seemed unusually large, nearly a meter in diameter. "Is this the work of an adult giant? Uhhh..." he muttered, already feeling queasy. [Grey Slime (Mid 1★) - Ordinary Bloodline] If he had to level up, he needed to kill. So even though the sight of slimes repelled him, experience points were necessary. He instructed Shyra to take care of the smaller one while he handled the bigger. --- As Leo crept closer, the larger slime wobbled, its gelatinous body shifting as if locking nonexistent eyes with him. Suddenly, it spewed a massive glob of muck straight at him. "Shit!" Leo barked, diving aside. Swiss! The slime wiggled furiously, launching two more globs. He dodged one, but the second hit him square in the chest. Patchhh! "Pha—!" Leo wheezed, the air knocked from his lungs. The impact felt like a heavy pillow—but instead of comfort, a disgusting wet, sticky mess spread across his tunic. From the corner of his vision, Shyra lunged from the shadows, striking the smaller slime with her paws. Her attack went straight through, slime coating her legs. She froze, panicked, and frantically rubbed her paws against the grass. Leo, drenched in slime, roared in frustration and threw himself onto the bigger one, hands digging into the goo. "Come on, Let me just see your damn core for once!" he snarled, fingers clawing through the muck. Shyra paused, her violet eyes wide. If Leo had seen her face, he’d know exactly what she was thinking: ’Am I supposed to do that!?’ Her gaze hardened, and she hissed, crouching low as she refocused on her own target. At last, Leo’s hand brushed something solid. His eyes lit up, and he ripped it free. "Yaaaaakkkkk!!!" he screamed in sheer disgust, shaking slime off his hand. --- Grey Slime Killed (Mid 1★): 4 xp He stared at the melting corpse with wide, furious eyes—equal parts disgust, rage, and exhaustion. Then another notification blinked. Grey Slime Killed (Low 1★): 2 xp Level 0: (8/10) "Huh? ... Shyra!!!" Leo spun just in time to see Shyra chewing on a core while slime suffocated her body. Her little chest heaved as she gasped for breath. "Hold still!" Leo shouted, rushing to peel away the muck. He scraped the slime from her face first. Shyra inhaled sharply, then let out a relieved sigh. "Good girl," he muttered, patting her before wiping himself down with his sleeve. Glancing at the core still in his hand, he shrugged. "Not worth selling. Here, you take it." He tossed it toward Shyra. A notification chimed. Stats Updated: Vitality: 1.1 → 1.2 Strength: 1.2 → 1.3 Agility: 1.2 Stamina: 1.1 → 1.2 Intelligence: 1.1 → 1.2 "Finally! Looks like the mid 1★ core was helpful. Good," Leo said with satisfaction. --- But then—growls. Grrrhh—keke. Leo froze, then turned. Looks like the commotion attracted something. Ugly, bipedal green creatures emerged, hunched backs, drooling mouths, jagged teeth glinting in the light. "Goblins!!" he spat. He knew even before the system prompt. System windows popped up: Goblin (Low 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline Goblin (Low 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline Goblin (Mid 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline Goblin (Low 1★) – Ordinary Bloodline "Damn! Four at once!" Leo exclaimed. But as he studied them, he smirked. Their deranged expressions looked drunk and rabid, their beat-up weapons, more like slightly thick tree-branch in their hands, their movements sloppy as if there was a malfunctionin brain department. "Small!" he laughed mockingly. None were taller than two feet—except one that almost reached three. Leo wiped his face, drew his knife, and stood his ground. Beside him, Shyra arched her back and hissed sharply. Hisssss!! The goblins charged. One tripped, crashing into another, while the other two came barreling forward. The taller goblin swung its club in a clumsy arc as if aiming at Leo’s head. Leo caught the strike with his left hand. "Pathetic," he snarled, then rammed his knife into the goblin’s neck. He sawed the serrated edge through flesh, ripping it free in one brutal motion. Goblin (Mid 1★) Killed – 4 xp Level Up! +4 Unallocated Stat Points Another notification appeared. Goblin (Low 1★) Killed – 2 xp Level 1: (4/100) Leo glanced over—Shyra was clamped onto another goblin’s throat, eyes blazing. The creature fell limp, but her jaw held tight like a true predator. "Good job, Shyra!" Leo shouted. The last two goblins scrambled upright and charged, screeching. Keeeeeeehneeee! "As expected of rabids... no sense of danger," Leo muttered coldly. He sidestepped one dodging a clumsy strike, flipped his grip to reverse, and rammed the knife into its skull with a backhand stab. Goblin (Low 1★) Killed – 2 xp Shyra tackled the final goblin, tearing its leg. The creature screamed as Leo drove the knife into its head, ending the fight. Goblin (Low 1★) Killed – 2 xp Level 1: (8/100) Leo reached out, patting Shyra’s head. She purred softly before dissolving into violet streaks of light. "Sorry, girl. Can’t let you eat goblin cores... Those sell well." He glanced at the corpses. "Fifty copper per piece, right?" His gaze shifted to the taller goblin. He smirked. "Hmm... that one’s worth at least seventy." He then though, should I take the corpse of these goblins? They should fetch some price... But 4 at once... He then looked at the larger one. Not all three but only that one, from what I know, the alchemist’s main ingredient from goblins are their brain... He then looked at other goblins whos heads were stabbed. Yeah. I am not getting anything for them. He then brought out his Interface Name: Leo Race: Human Talents: [Beastiary of Souls], [Primordial Beast Taming] Soul Rank: Common, Mythical Level 1: 8/100 Stats: Vitality - 1.2 Strength - 1.3 Agility - 1.2 Stamina - 0.5/1.2 Intelligence - 1.2 Mana - 10/96 Unallocated Stat Points: 4 Skills: [Stealth - 35% Low] "Great! Now for the stats..."