Jon turned slowly, expecting danger—but what he saw instead was... squishy.
A small blue slime, no larger than a bucket, wobbled in place a few meters away. Its translucent body shimmered in the light, revealing a softly glowing orb pulsing deep within its gelatinous mass.
Jon narrowed his eyes.
Analysis.
[Blue Slime | Level: 2]
He tilted his head, calculating.
"I've got a weapon. I've got a human's intelligence. It only has one level on me. Theoretically… this should be a fair fight."
The slime and goblin locked eyes—or, well, Jon assumed they did. For a few seconds, neither of them moved.
Then Jon dashed forward. His short legs pushed against the dirt path as he sprinted with purpose, dagger raised. In one quick movement, he slashed downward, stabbing into the slime's squishy body. But instead of resistance, his blade sank in almost effortlessly—too easily. The slime's body jiggled and rebounded, the dagger coming free with a wet pop.
It didn't even seem hurt.
Jon jumped back instinctively, returning to his original position as the slime slowly wobbled in place, as if taunting him.
His eyes narrowed.
That little core... That's it. That must be the weakness.
The core shimmered faintly inside the slime, seemingly untouched. The creature inched forward, clearly trying to move toward Jon, but its sluggish body made any kind of pursuit almost laughable. Its low agility worked in Jon's favor—he could easily outpace it.
He took a breath, steadied his arm, and aimed his dagger like a thrown spear.
Then he hurled it.
The blade whistled through the air, spinning end over end before piercing the slime dead center. It struck the core with a loud, wet crunch. The slime froze, its entire body trembling. Then it collapsed inward, melting into a puddle. The core inside cracked, then split in two with a faint snap.
[You killed Blue Slime | Level: 2 | +55 XP]
[You've advanced to Level 2!]
[ Name: Jon
Race: Goblin
Level: 2
XP: 5/100
HP: 14/14
MP: 0/0
Strength: 6
Vitality: 7
Intelligence: 6
Agility: 9
Bonus Points: 5
Abilities: None ]
Jon grinned to himself.
"Yes."
He walked over and looked at the remains of the slime. The shattered core glinted faintly in the grass.
"How did that adventurer get the cores?" he muttered. "I had to break it to kill the slime…"
He crouched down, poking the cracked fragments with a finger.
"Probably worthless now."
He stood, leaving the ruined core behind. But he didn't walk away disappointed. That kill had been clean. Quick. Smart. And it made him feel like he belonged here.
With a new surge of confidence, Jon started moving again. The forest was thick, but he was learning to maneuver his small goblin body better with every step. His posture adjusted naturally to the low center of gravity, and the limited field of view from his height wasn't bothering him as much anymore.
Ten minutes later, something caught his eye.
A dark gap between two boulders.
He approached carefully, brushing aside vines and weeds that had long since overtaken the entrance. A faded wooden sign hung crookedly from a stake, barely readable through the grime.
"Dungeon for Complete Newbies"
Jon raised a brow. The place looked ancient. Moss crept along the walls. Roots had torn through parts of the stone. Even the air had a musty, unused scent.
"This is my opportunity to level," he whispered, a grin stretching across his green face.
With cautious excitement, he pushed past the overgrowth and slipped into the shadows of the dungeon.
The air grew colder.
Dust clung to everything. Cracks lined the floor, and old cobwebs hung from above. Jon barely took a step before he heard a noise.
A soft clatter.
From the darkness ahead, a skeleton emerged—its bones loosely held together by the remnants of armor straps and sheer animating force. In its bony grip was a long, cracked sword.
Analysis.
[Skeleton | Level: 1]
Jon smiled slightly.
Neglected dungeon. Probably filled with old, weak monsters. Overpopulation might've brought more of them to the entrance, but if they were all like this… he had nothing to fear.
The skeleton saw him—and charged. Its bones rattled as it sprinted forward, sword raised clumsily overhead. Jon didn't back down. Instead, at the last moment, he ducked low and kicked out at the skeleton's shin.
Its leg bent the wrong way with a dry snap.
It stumbled.
Jon sprang up, his dagger already drawn, and jammed it straight through the skeleton's skull. The blade pierced through bone like it was paper. The creature let out a hollow rattle, then collapsed in a heap of loose bones.
[You killed Skeleton | Level: 1 | +30 XP]
[XP: 35/100]
The bones clattered to the floor, unmoving. The cracked longsword lay nearby, lifeless.
Jon examined it.
Analysis.
[Long Stone Sword | Quality: Terrible]
He snorted.
"No thanks."
Jon stepped over the remains and moved deeper into the dungeon, his fingers tightening on the hilt of his dagger. The thrill of battle still tingled in his limbs.
He was just getting started.