For the first time in years, I wake up feeling fully refreshed, without a hint of drowsiness. I quickly get ready in order to head to the Elemental Slime Nest again, I only get three levels all of yesterday, and I really wanted to quicken my pace.

I make it to the guild before the sky fully brightens. Today the guild seems to have gone back to normal, its better like this or it won't feel like an adventurer guild. The request boards are still crowded as people look for a good job to take, though the atmosphere is completely different from yesterday.

I take a glimpse at some of the requests as I made my way to join the small line for selling my mana crystals. The requests are all pretty similar, they are all either bodyguard quests, delivery quests, and collecting materials from dungeons.

If only there were any valuable materials on the first floor of dungeons. Then maybe I can get enough money to relax, and since this is a fantasy world, I should be able to buy a beautiful slave to serve me right? Having a reliable companion is key if I want to move further than the first floor in adventuring, plus it would be a lot safer to be in a party than alone.

While I try to justify the dream that the demons in my head started entertaining me with, the dream is crushed as the angels rush in to remind me that money doesn't fall from the sky like that. If it does its a trap or some scam.

"...Sigh."

I waste time fantasizing about suddenly striking it rich while I wait in line.

"Next please."

The next available guild staff calls out to me while I was still fantasizing, staring in the direction of the request board.

"Sorry about that, I would like to sell these."

I bring out the result of yesterday's expedition along with my badge and place it on the counter.

I try my best to keep my chuckle in, as the image of the burly dogkin with glasses is quite comical to me.

The male dogkin guild staff makes sure to unstack the crystals as he places them on the counter and pushes his glasses up, then a surprised expression form on his face.

"You got these all by yourself?"

"Yep, is there a problem?"

"...Impressive."

The man seemed like he wanted to say more, but swallowed the thought and deftly continued his work.

"Total of 41 low-quality crystals plus 1 of medium quality, the total worth is valued at 51 silvers."

Ten times huh? Its an okay amount for a boss monster, though it was still an easy kill.

I count my total cash now as I want to start keeping track, as my funds get larger, it wouldn't be funny if I didn't even know if someone stole from me. I have a grand total of 1 gold coin, 104 silver coins, and 70 copper coins. I'm gonna keep it in silver as that's used the most often.

Now that my purse is fuller thanks to that unfortunate soul yesterday, I think its time to upgrade some of my equipment, at least get some armor as its game over for real if I get seriously hurt.

---

I enter the shop where I previously got my shield and start looking for the armor section.

"Welcome to our humble shop sir, is there anything I could help you with?"

A high pitch voice suddenly sounded beside me and I look over to see a little girl with pink hair tied into a long ponytail, her head barely came up to my stomach, and with skin pale white that makes me look tanned in comparison.

I crouch over so that she wouldn't tilt her head so far back to look up at me.

"Hey there, are you helping out your family at work today? What a good girl you are."

Her expression immediately turns red, red for anger.

"I'M NOT A CHILD, DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, I COULD PROBABLY BE YOUR OLDER SISTER!"

Her little outburst grabs the attention of everyone else in the shop, as an awkward silence seems to take hold of the entire shop for a moment as everyone stares our way while she continues to stare straight at me in anger.

Fuck, its probably a gnome or dwarf or some shit isn't it. I quickly use identify.

 

Dwarf Female

Age: 18

Magic Level:   Strength Lv. 13   Stamina Lv. 10   Dexterity Lv. 1   Fire Lv. 1   Water Lv.1

Unique Magic:   Physical Boost

"Sor------"

"CLARICE! WAT DID AR SAY ABOUT SPEAKING TO CUSTOMERS!"

As I was about to apologize, another short figure emerges from the back of the shop. This time it was a midget, no a dwarven man with a full brown beard, with soot over his face, and carrying a thick hammer. He spoke in a thick, dwarven accent that sounded like a pirate, fits perfectly with his looks I say.

The girl Clarice twitches and looks back at the dwarven men in shame.

"...Sorry dad...I..."

She couldn't keep eye contact with her apparent father and looks to the ground.

"Why don't cha go outside and take a breather."

The dwarf's eye softens when the girl looked down but stated in an irrefutable voice.

The girl nods and starts heading toward the back of the shop and disappears from view, as the onlookers are stunned, unsure of how to react.

"Sorry everyone, feel free to continue to browse in our store, I'll give y'all a discount for today's troubles."

The dwarf impressively returns the atmosphere back to normal and people continued shopping, as the dwarf turned towards me.

"Sorry about that lad, the girl still can be a bit sensitive at times, but she meant no harm."

I nod dumbly at his words while I stare at the dwarf who fits the archetype of a dwarven blacksmith to the tee.

"So how can our store help you today lad? I'll give you a big discount, so let's sweep this incident down the rug, how 'bout it?"

I realize I was being rude staring at him without a word, looking like an asshole customer. I quickly bow slightly to finish my apology.

"No, it was my fault as well, I was rude to your daughter, sorry for the trouble I caused in your shop."

The dwarf grins.

"What trouble? Don't know what'cha talking'bout at all. Anyways lad, the names Bosgrem Grayforge, was there something yer needed?"

Seeing as how he wants to move on from the incident, I happily oblige.

"My name is Aster Estrea, I was actually looking for some armor, and maybe a new weapon. I'm a new adventurer who has been frequenting dungeons for training."

"Aye, then you come to the right place, yer an enhancer or a mage?"

I guess my current equipment with a sword and shield, wearing cloth doesn't really give the people a sense in which class I am.

"I'm a mage sir."

"Follow me."

Bosgrem walks towards the section with a bunch of leather armor.

"I take it yer want some leather armor then, anything metal would be too heavy fer y'all who doesn't have any enhancement magic."

I nod at Bosgrem's word, he's the professional, so he would know what he was talking about.

"What yer budget lad?"

I wanted to keep at least 50 silver to pay for the inn and emergency, and I would like to buy some more potions so that's another 10 silver.

"1 gold and about 40 silvers is what I'm willing to spend, not sure how much armor and weapon is, but I would like an upgrade for both."

"Aye, then how 'bout this one here made from the hide of a crocolisk from the 26th floor of Kinhelm's Embrace. Its normally 1 gold and 50 silvers, but I'll sell it for half price this time."

Kinhelm's Embrace? Sure sounds familiar, anyways I'm glad the incident earlier turned out to be a good thing for me, getting a discount out of nowhere.

"That would be perfect, I'll take it."

Bosgrem nods and carries the set of armor for me.

"So up next, to find yer a weapon, mages like yer usually prefer something with more reach as yer don't want to get too close to the fray. How 'bout a cast spear?"

"Cast spear? What's the difference from normal spears?"

Bosgrem smiles as if remembering I'm a beginner and start to explain.

"Caster spear, so cast spear in short, they made with materials that channels mana well, so it acts like a part of yer own body, letting yer cast spells originating from the spear itself."

So that's why all the mages I've seen don't carry staves, they use spears instead.

"Sure I'll take it, assuming it's within my budget though."

He gives me a bright smile and slaps his fist against his chest.

 

"Haha, no problem, leave it to me lad."

And that's how I spent a whole gold coin and 40 silvers.

---

My shopping spree didn't end after the blacksmith shop, I went to store my old sword back at the inn, as I also went to get a mana potion and an antidote potion before heading out of the southern gates.

The potions were 5 silver each, being of the lowest quality, but now I'm down to 54 silvers, and 70 coppers. My daytime dream of getting rich from this morning is getting farther and farther away. I better kill more slimes today to earn back a ton.

I take the same route as yesterday, riding on a carriage headed to Elemental Slime Nest. It seems more crowded, probably with the incident with the Count's son still ongoing, everyone ran straight in the opposite direction while waiting for the incident to pass.

Today I teleported straight into the second floor. The second floor wasn't much different from the first, being the same cave scenery with gloomy blue lights from the ceiling. The only difference was that the slimes a slightly bigger, like ten percent, and another monster, the demon boar, appears.

The difficulty shouldn't change much, but I'll be able to level up faster fighting stronger enemies, plus the boar would make a great lunch if I find one.

While moving slowly to get used to the light, I spot my first slime of the day.

I'm still trying to get used to my new getup, wearing my green leather armor that covers my full body but the head. I have my reinforced shield and new cast spear, but since I won't be facing any ranged attacks, I strap my shield around my back.

I test out my new cast spear, freezing the slime in place before thrusting straight into its yellow fluid body. I tried to aim for the core, but it's my first time using a metal spear and barely misses. Time to try out why its called a caster spear.

I start casting electric magic from the tip of my spear, and a electric ball forms at the tip, engulfing the slime's core as it was in the vicinity.

Seeing the slime start to implode, I quickly pull out my spear and stare at my magic that is still active on the tip. Impressed, I can't help but mutter to myself.

"Damn, that's pretty cool."

It wasn't until 12 slimes corpses later that I finally find my first demon boar. It doesn't seem much different from a normal boar except for its longer tusks that are almost a third its body length.

It spots me at the same time, and start sprinting at me at speeds much faster than slimes. I cast my signature waterball freeze combo at where his feet are going and froze his front to paws. It slows down for a second behind his two hind legs pushes strongly, breaking free of the ice.

"Fucker."

I curse and cast my another spell, as electricity shoots at from the tip of my spear and lands straight onto the boar's snouts. The boar's limbs instantly stiffen in place, but his momentum continues forward and comes crashing a few meters in front of me. I waste no more mana and simply finish it off with a stab down into his head.

This spear is sure a lot pointier than my previous sword.

I collect the crystal from the boar and start to gut the corpse messily. First time for everything, convincing myself to continue, trying my best at draining the blood from the body, and skinning it.

Being a decent sized boar, I eventually have a couple of messily cut up pieces of meat being grilling on my spear from my fire magic. I sprinkle a little salt that I bought from town as the smell stimulates my stomach.

They do say that just a pinch of salt on anything is all the spices they need. While the boar tasted a bit gamey, it was still a nice meal compared to the dry rations I prepared.

Taking a break after my meal, I start to hunt again, eager to level up.

I'm going to go all out today!

---

By the time I exited the dungeon, sunset was at it's last breathe already, with the sky turning dark shortly.

Fuck I lost track of time, the carriages would've left by now. I guess my only choice is to walk back the 15 km.

"...Sigh."

As I walk down the dim road, I check my results that cost me my trip back to the city.

 

Human Male

Age: 18

Magic Level:   Water Lv.6   Electric Lv. 5   Fire Lv. 1   Earth Lv. 1   Wind Lv.1   Healing Lv. 1   Dark Lv. 1   Light Lv. 1   Nature Lv.1

Unique Magic:   Identify

Seeing the results, it cheered me up a little. I gained a whole two levels in water and electric today. My opponents were more vulnerable to my electric magic so I've been using it as much as water magic.

Counting my loot today, I also got a whopping grand total of 77 crystals today. It's mostly due to me getting used to combat, my new gear, and proceeding at a faster pace because of how fired up I was.

I mindlessly walk for another half hour, the only boon in the meantime is that my mind feels slightly lighter, the effects of recovering some of my mana.

I continued along the road when suddenly, the smell of blood reaches my nose. I've become more sensitive to this smell ever since I started killing monsters in dungeons, so I know this smells like fresh blood.

I look around, and move further into the forest, straying from the road. Hearing the rustling of trees while there was barely any light left in the day is kind of putting me on my nerves.

I refrain from making any noise, avoid startling whatever is out there. It isn't long before I see a patch of blood dyeing some bushes in their color. I move closer, past a forest of bushes and come out into a clearing of grass.

In the distance, I spot a man in cloak limping towards the west. In the direction he came from, a cold gleam shines in my eyes, a knight in full armor is drenched in a pool of blood. Beside it, were several other knights and men in cloaks and leather armor, all in a similar state.

Their bodies all have two things in common, none were moving and were all covered in blood.

I watch the figure of the cloaked man slowly limp away in the distance. Many thoughts are going through my head at the same time, while I think of my best course of action. And I better do it fast.