The slime slashed at me, a stinging pain cutting across my face. I jumped back, caught off guard by the small blob’s surprising speed. It inched toward me again, rippling with malice as it prepared to strike.

I wiped my face, feeling a wet, warm sensation. The cut ran just below my eyes and above my nose. The blood smeared on my fingers, flickering faintly in my vision.

When the slime lunged closer, I raised my dagger and whispered, “Quick_Slash_Arc”. A streak of dark energy traced my swing, but it passed harmlessly through the slime’s gelatinous form.

No core hit.

Adjusting my grip, I decided to keep it simple. This time, I swung my blade without infusing mana, aiming for its center. The dagger pierced true, striking its core—a faintly glowing sphere suspended in its body. The slime quivered violently, then deflated like a balloon, its form collapsing around the core.

I reached down and retrieved the core, a smooth, coin-sized orb, slipping it into the pouch on my hip. My reprieve was short-lived. Three more slimes emerged from the shadows: one red, one white, and one yellow.

The red slime gurgled ominously before launching a small fireball toward me. I ducked, but before I could regain my footing, the white slime's icy breath froze my boots to the ground. The yellow slime, meanwhile, began glowing intensely, its body pulsating as it prepared to unleash something devastating.

Thinking quickly, I whispered, “Dagger_Arc(Target=Yellow)”. 

My dagger infused with mana, disrupting the yellow slime’s charge and causing it to collapse into a quivering heap. With a sharp kick, I shattered the ice encasing my feet, pivoting just in time to deflect another fireball from the red slime with my blade.

The remaining slimes pressed on relentlessly. Dodging their attacks, I aimed for the white slime next, whispering,

 “Quick_Slash”

The dagger slicing cleanly through its soft body without damaging the core. I finished it off with precision, then turned my focus to the red slime. Its core flickered, a sign of its growing instability. I stepped to the side, evading its final fireball, then struck low, careful not to shatter the orb.

The battlefield fell silent, save for my labored breathing. The cores now rested in my pouch, glimmering faintly.

For the rest of the day, I continued hunting slimes, testing different Mana Code commands to find efficient ways to deal with their varied abilities. Each encounter honed my skills further, and by the time the sun dipped below the horizon, I had taken down 200 more.

The blacksmith himself was a towering figure with a muscular build, a thick black beard, and piercing eyes that seemed to scan every detail. His presence was commanding, and the rhythmic clanging of hammers on anvils from the back room could be heard. Five skilled artisans were hard at work, shaping and crafting metal into various items.

“What do you need?” His voice rasped like sandpaper, gruff and unwelcoming.

“Can I have two sets of core armor made? I’ve got the slime cores right here.”

He eyed me with a weary look, as if my request was the most mundane thing he had heard all day.

“That’ll be 5 silver per set, so a total of 10 silver,” he replied, his tone flat.

I was prepared to cover the cost. I could easily hunt more slimes tomorrow and sell their drops to the guild to recoup my expenses. The price was steep, but I knew it was because he was using high-quality materials like iron and leather in the crafting process.

“And what class should these armors be for?” he asked, his attention still half on the forge.

“One for the ninja class and one standard set,” I answered, hoping the customization would be straightforward.

The blacksmith gave a brief nod after I handed over the gold, instructing me to come back the next day to pick up the finished armor. 

The blacksmith also allowed me to make a small drawing of the armor on a piece of paper, giving me the chance to add any design elements I wanted. I sketched out a few details, refining the look of the black and silver armor to match my vision. He took the drawing from me, nodding in approval as he made mental notes on how to incorporate the changes. It felt good to have that level of input in the design process.

When I finally arrived at the inn after a day of hunting slimes, it was bustling with activity however the girl wasn't there. I had some food sent up to my room.

I ordered a hearty beef stew. With tender chunks of meat, rice, vegetables and a warm loaf crust of bread. My Mom would be proud. accompanied by a warm loaf of crusty bread. When I was done, I returned the empty bowl. 

I stayed up most of the night, wondering how my mom and dad were doing. There was no way to contact them unless I filed a personal report with the guild or put out a bounty on them, but I didn’t want to risk getting tangled up with mercenaries. My sister knew this game, this world, like the back of her hand, and I’d always annoy her with my constant stories about it. But my mom and dad never really got into it. They were probably confused and scared, not knowing what to do.