When I got home, the first thing I did was tell my parents about the trial.
They listened silently as I explained about the "realm prepared by the school," the goblins, the resources, and the credits. I thought they would worry, but they just nodded calmly.
"Trust in what you've learned," my mother said.
"And don't be reckless," my father added, as always.
No arguments. No dramatic warnings.
I was almost a little disappointed.
Then I went up to my room.
I turned on my computer, waited for it to boot, and entered the Energy Source Store, a virtual marketplace where students and citizens bought special resources: energy minerals, monster parts, core fragments, rare plants, and even broken artifacts from ancient civilizations.
You could find anything there…
If you had enough money.
I stared at the screen, thinking.
"A better manual… or improving my slimes?" I whispered to myself.
I had been debating it for days.
An advanced manual would give me access to higher-level spells or techniques…
but without a stable world, without strong creatures inside it, all of that would be useless.
The slimes were the foundation of my growth.
If they improved, my world improved.
And if my world improved…
so would I.
I took a deep breath.
Decision made.
I was going to invest everything in the slimes.
I checked the balance on the card my parents had given me: 15,000 credits.
It wasn't a lot, but it wasn't nothing either.
The First Discovery
I entered the Energy Minerals category.
That's when I saw it:
Auralux Stone
A bright blue mineral with internal veins that pulsed as if breathing.
Description: High spiritual density. 2,000 credits per piece. Suitable for feeding small worlds or low-level spiritual creatures.
"Perfect," I murmured.
Compared to other minerals, Auralux Stone was almost cheap.
I bought three blocks, enough to keep my slimes from going hungry for a while.
The Second Section
Then I entered the Monster Parts section.
I almost had a heart attack.
"Everything is so expensive!" I complained.
There were things like:
• Lava Dragon Fang 30,000 credits each
• Shadow Bat Wing 18,000 credits
• Titania Turtle Shell 42,000 credits
• Runic Leopard Claw 25,500 credits
My card practically cried just seeing the prices.
But I kept looking…
until something caught my attention.
The Final Find
Front Legs of the Spectral Mantis
Price: Cheap compared to the rest
Description: Extremely sharp limbs. Contain traces of cutting energy. Ideal for feeding creatures that evolve through assimilation.
I stared at the image.
"This…
This will really help my slimes."
They could absorb the cutting properties and maybe develop some offensive mutation.
I had nothing to lose by trying.
With the money I had left, I bought five mantis legs.
The Delivery
The next morning, a notification on my computer woke me up.
"Your order has arrived. Pick up the packages at the entrance."
I jumped out of bed.
There they were:
Three small boxes with the blue energy seal of the Auralux Stone…
and one long, elongated box where the sharp legs of the Spectral Mantis rested.
A shiver ran through my chest.
Now it really begins.