[System Notification] Race Change Scroll (Elf) activated.
[System Notification] Successfully changed race to Elf.
The change felt immediate, like stepping into warmer clothes after a cold rain. Leo's body felt lighter. His senses stretched wider than he was used to, and beneath it all, a quiet connection sparked. Subtle, but there.
So this is what it's like… he thought. Being Amanda.
Not fully, maybe. But enough to get it. Enough to feel how the world moved when you were part of it instead of just walking through it.
He opened his menu and navigated to the sync list. Amanda's profile blinked at the top. He tapped it, scrolled past the general traits, and there they were.
Race skills are now enabled.
Leo smiled and used Elf's Perception.
The effect hit like a wave crashing through his skull. He staggered a step, catching himself against a tree.
His awareness exploded outward.
The grass tickled his boots. He could sense it, not just see or hear, but feel each leaf trembling from the wind. Birds fluttered far above, and he could hear their feathers cut through the air. Insects crawling beneath tree bark. Footsteps—soft ones—adventurers moving slowly, cautiously.
Then monsters.
Their presence burned through the noise. Slinking. Hunting. Breathing.
Too much. His brain struggled to hold it all. The edges of his vision blurred. A headache pressed behind his eyes.
"Focus only on what you want to see, Leo," Ai said softly beside him.
Her voice steadied him.
He inhaled. Exhaled. Closed his eyes and forced the noise to thin. He filtered by instinct, pressing the mess into silence until only one thing remained.
Monsters.
They lit up in his mind like stars in fog. He opened his eyes, breath steady again.
"This skill's insane…" he whispered.
Clusters. Dozens. Moving like gelatinous rivers in tight paths.
So this was why new adventurers stayed closer to town. The deeper parts weren't dangerous because of one strong enemy—they were dangerous because there were too many weak ones.
"More slimes mean faster leveling, right?" Leo asked, squinting at the nearest gathering.
"Normally, yes," Ai replied. "But these are aggressive."
Leo narrowed his eyes.
Sure enough, small red icons floated under each slime's name.
Aggressive
He nodded. "Right. Doesn't matter how weak they are if they all jump you at once."
He moved closer to the nearest pack, slipping through low branches. When he reached a small clearing, he paused to count.
Ten… fifteen… twenty?
"Twenty-five slimes," Ai corrected casually, standing beside him.
Leo blinked. "How do you know that so fast?"
He shot her a look. She just smiled.
That's when a red exclamation mark blinked above one of the slimes. Its gooey form quivered, then let out a sharp, wet squelch.
The rest followed.
In a blink, the entire pack charged.
Leo's stance shifted. Hands ready, eyes locked. But instead of panic, he waited.
The first impact was softer than expected. The slime hit his leg and bounced off. Another slammed into his side.
Nothing.
No pain. Just the faint shove of their bodies squishing against him.
He blinked. "They can't even hurt me?"
"They can," Ai replied. "But not enough to break your defense stats."
Leo relaxed slightly. But something else struck him.
"…I forgot to buy a weapon."
Ai didn't even hesitate. "There's a wooden sword available in the VIP store for one coin. Want me to buy it?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "That's the weakest one, right? Nothing stronger?"
"Plenty stronger. But locked until you're a higher level. Some things have level requirements."
Leo sighed. "Figures. Alright. Get me the sword."
[System Notification] You have received a Wooden Sword.
A faint shimmer sparked beside him.
A wooden sword dropped into his hand with a quiet ping. Rough handle. Balanced just enough to not feel useless.
Leo grinned. "This'll do."
He shifted his grip, stepped forward, and swung.
The sword cut through the first slime like butter.
Squelch. Pop.
Two more in the next swing. Then three.
Their bodies exploded in blobs of translucent blue, melting into the dirt. He kept moving. Flowing from target to target, eyes sharp, breath steady. The rhythm came fast, almost natural.
Not a game anymore.
This felt real.
His strikes had weight. His strength, now measured and clean, wasn't wild like before. He'd felt it in the Orc Lord fight. Then with the three.
Now, he had control.
Shrill squeals echoed through the trees as the slimes lunged, but he danced between them, cutting down everything in range.
[System Notification] Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 2.
Leo didn't stop.
He finished the wave. All twenty-five slimes, gone in under a minute.
He turned. Moved to the next group. His pace faster. His confidence rising.
Squelch. Slice. Plop.
[System Notification] Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 3.
Leo moved like water—efficient, deadly, and focused. The forest echoed with the sounds of combat. The sword sang. Slimes splashed.
Another twenty-five fell.
[System Notification] Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 4.
Still no pause.
Third group. He rushed it, clearing them with minimal resistance. His breathing synced with his movement now, almost like he wasn't thinking, just reacting.
[System Notification] Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 5.
The air was thick with the scent of slime remains. His arms were slick with residue, his boots covered in faint blue sludge.
He spun on his heel and returned to the first spot.
The slimes had respawned.
He didn't hesitate. Another wave down.
Another twenty-five.
Another notification.
[System Notification] Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 6.
He exhaled, sword angled downward, the sword dripping with slime fluid.
Finally, he paused.
His menu flickered open, and rows of unread messages lined his view.
He scanned through the level-ups.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Not bad for a morning warm-up," he said.
Leo checked his status screen.
He flicked open his quest log to check.
Daily Quest: Hunt 100 Slimes – Complete
He tapped it.
[System Notification] Congratulations! You have leveled up to Level 7.
Everything's going according to plan. He scrolled further, skimming over his base stats. Nothing surprising.
Leveling at the start felt like a breeze. But he knew that wouldn't last. Once he reaches a certain point, things would change—steeper experience curves, tougher monsters, fewer shortcuts.
He'd seen it before.
In the games he used to play, there was always that one level. That grindy wall where everything slowed down. Quests dried up. Monsters got repetitive. EXP crawled.
Leo usually relied on quests to cover those gaps. The bonus rewards were always worth it. Gear, currency, sometimes even hidden items.
A quiet smile tugged at his lips. But his thoughts shifted. There was something he needed to address.
"Ai," he said, looking her way, "from now on, I want you to handle things however you think is best for my current tasks. If it makes sense, just go for it."
Her eyes glinted slightly, and her tail curled with amusement. "Understood, Leo. I will proceed accordingly."
He didn't expect the flood of notifications that followed.
[System Notification] Looter pet: Twin cats (White) purchased.
[System Notification] Twin cats (White) looter pet activated!
Light shimmered at his feet, then split like water droplets mid-air. Two white cats—identical, sleek, and graceful—emerged from the glow. Their fur was pristine, as if starlight clung to them. They circled once, tails weaving like ribbon, then broke off in opposite directions.
Leo blinked, taken off guard.
The cats moved with purpose. Not a single wasted step. They darted through the grass, weaving between slime corpses and shimmering loot without making a sound.
[System Notification] 1 Slime essence received.
[System Notification] 2 Slime cores received.
[System Notification] 1 Slime fragment received.
[System Notification] 1 Slime essence received.
[System Notification] 1 Slime mucus received.
[System Notification] 2 Slime droplets received.
[System Notification] 3 Slime essence received.
[System Notification] 1 Slime essence received.
[System Notification] 1 Slime core received.
Item after item filtered into his inventory. The cats moved like ghosts, silent, elegant, completely ignored by the respawned slimes.
Leo didn't speak. He just watched.
His throat tightened when one of the cats stopped to glance his way. Its bright eyes, so familiar, locked with his for a second before it returned to collecting. The way it moved, the tilt of its ears…
It stirred something deep.
Back on Earth, there were two white kittens he visited. Strays in an alley behind his office. He made a habit of bringing them milk and food, even cleaning their little corner with old towels and makeshift boxes. Rain or shine, they were always waiting for him.
The last thing he said to them before everything changed was, "Be safe, you two."
He crouched down as the cats returned, brushing against his legs. He reached out, running his fingers through their fur.
"Good job, you two," he murmured.
The cats purred softly, leaning into his hand.
His vision blurred, but he didn't stop petting them. Didn't move. Just sat there in the quiet, letting the warmth of memory soak through the ache.
Ai watched with an unreadable expression, arms loosely crossed. "They are quite efficient, aren't they, Leo?"
He chuckled, wiping at his eyes. "Yeah… more than you know."
Her gaze lingered for a moment, then shifted as if processing something.
"This makes things way easier," she said.
Leo's hand lingered a moment longer on one of the cats before pulling away. He looked at Ai with a tired smile. "Thanks. I mean it."
Ai nodded once. "I calculated that an automated looter would optimize your efficiency by 28.4% during grind sessions."
Leo raised an eyebrow. "You really know how to kill a moment."
Her tail flicked. "You're welcome."
He took a breath, steadier now. The cats curled up beside each other near a tree, alert but calm.
"I think that's enough grinding for now," he said, exhaling. "I've still got to face the Scourge Rite."