《King Slime:From an Experiment to A Ruler, Backstory of a Boss》 Chapter 1:Birth All slimes are formed from alchemical mishaps. Wild slimes are formed when water collects enough magical detritus from various plants to react; all other slimes are formed when some foolish alchemist miscalculates an action. All slimes are dangerous. A recently formed slime is insanely caustic, dissolving almost anything given time, though glass will contain it for a short time. A slime that absorbs enough of something will take on some of it''s properties, which can make it more dangerous. On the other hand, a slime that dies will leave behind more of what it absorbed than it originally took. On some rare instances, a slime has somehow developed a second base. The most common, and least dangerous slimes of all are dirt and plant slimes. Fragile and relatively non-caustic, but also effectively worthless. Gold slimes are commonly created intentionally by alchemists. These are more caustic than dirt or plant slimes, and a little more sturdy. They are prized because you can feed them rubbish for a few months, destroy them, and reap in a significant amount of wealth. If it were not for it''s use in enchanting, gold would have been devalued beyond belief. Nonetheless, alchemists and wizards who have abused gold slimes have driven the price of gold down low enough that you can reasonably expect a meal in a tavern to be half a gold piece. Metallic slimes besides gold are less common, both because they¡¯re less lucrative and thus less likely to be intentionally created, and because they¡¯re much, much more dangerous due to their resilience. Flesh slimes would be as weak as dirt slimes, if not for their cunning. Fortunately, they¡¯re rare¡­. Experiments with isolated slimes have revealed that the type of flesh used can effect the process. Heart slimes spew blood; Liver slimes purify alcohol. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES¡­. IS A BRAIN SLIME TO BE CREATED.
Hungry. That was my first thought when I came into existence. Not ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡±, because I was not developed enough to be an ¡®i¡¯. In fact, thought was a stretch. I did not think I was hungry. My existence was hunger. Hungry. Trapped. For you see, I was in a rather spacious beaker. Uncapped, but since I was about the same size as a thimble, that hardly mattered. ...Eat? I attempted to eat the beaker, which worked out¡­.not at all. ¡­.Ow! Food? FOODFOODFOODFOODFOODFOOD! ¡­.I had had a chunk of something...something¡­.delicious dropped in me. I quickly withdrew from the walls of my confinement and began devouring the morsel. I Want More. ¡­ What Is I? ¡­. FOODFOODFOODFOODFOODFOODFOODFOOD (Another morsel had been fed to me)
From The Journal of Archmagus Azera the Exiled Those fools fail to understand the true potential of slimes. All they see is the money they can get by abusing these freak accidents of magic. I see a potential they never would have seen. What if a brain slime maintains the intelligence of the brain it was fed? Why, such a thing would grant whoever it was fed to, if not immortality, then a second lease on life. I must test my theory, and damned be the rules! I have found an old man, desperate for another day but on the brink of death. Even alchemy cannot restore old age. ¡­ Until today, that is. He all too eagerly agreed to be my first test subject, knowing his end was soon. I stayed by his side, ready with preservative spells, and extracted his brain once he breathed his last. If this journal reads no more past this point, then this experiment was folly. May the Gods forgive me if my actions bring destruction to the land.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Yet if my experiment succeeds, then I shall be hailed as one, and on the day of my death I will join him in slimedom. I have built an alchemically treated shell in case the caustic properties of a slime are not controllable on a conscious level. It should look identical to any golem, which is good, as most golems cannot talk and I cannot assume that he, as a slime, would be able to. It would be a mere trifle to build more, far less work than a golem. I must be off. I have treated this journal, too, so that any who come after me may know of my folly or success.
[Congratulations! You have evolved from a Common Slime into a Brain Slime! +20 Intelligence! +5 Constitution! +25 Wisdom! +2 Strength! +1 Dexterity! +10 Charisma! -5 Corrosion] As I devour the last morsel, something appears in front of me. I jump, startled. My flinch, combined with my increased mass from the meal, upsets the beaker, which flips and shatters. Vibrations rend the air around me(I would later determine that the vibrations were someone screaming) as I land on some kind of odd flesh. [You have consumed Leather. Would you like to add Leather to your evolutions? Evolution cap:1/11, based on Charisma. Opportunity timeout in 5 minutes.] Not knowing what the words said, I ignored them, instead simply consuming the odd-flesh, aka leather, and soon entirely destroying it. I feel myself shaken by the creature the leather adorned in an attempt to kick me off, but cling stubbornly as I begin consuming their flesh in earnest. [You have consumed Muscle You have consumed Fat You have consumed Bone You have consumed Nervous Tissue Would you like to add any of these to your Evolutions?] The creature stops screaming, grabbing something before poking it at me. Sparks fly. [Archmage Azera has cast Shatter Cohesion on you! -2 Charisma!] His hand shakes and he pokes it at me again, making the same thing pop up before hurling it away in frustration.
Why wasn¡¯t the anti-slime rod having any effect! It was unheard of for it to take more than one casting to effect a slime, and I hit both times! Oh god, I¡¯m going to die, aren¡¯t I?
[By increasing your body mass, you have increased Strength and Constitution by 1 and decreased Dexterity by 1!] I had consumed approximately a third of a meter of height off my food, and still seemed to have the most juicy bits to go. The messages kept cropping up and disappearing. About midway through my meal, the vibrations stopped. (I would later learn that I had consumed his lungs and he could no longer breathe.) [You have consumed: Liver, Kidneys, Lungs, Heart, Stomach, Eyes, Ears, Vocal Chords] As I finished my meal, a surge went through me. [By consuming a complete complex nervous system, you have obtained: +5 Intelligence +5 Wisdom +1 Charisma] Curiously, I poke at some of the pictures and manage to select Lungs entirely by accident. [You have added the Lungs evolution! You have learned the skill (Pump Air) Pump Air level 1 0% experience, cost 25 stamina Blast air to slow a enemy, knock them back or effect your environment! Currently generates a 1 second blast of air at 1 m/s +.25 Air Affinity +10 Constitution +2 Strength +5 Dexterity 2/11 Evolutions Used] I feel the sudden urge to do a thing and push air around for a minute. Wheee! After a few minutes of that, I feel incredibly tired. [Pump Air level 3 15.3% experience, cost 24 stamina Blast air to slow an enemy, knock them back or effect your environment! Currently generates a 1.2 second blast of air at 3 m/s +.75 Air Affinity] Meanwhile, my body has been eating the floor under me, chewing through the wood and down to solid rock [You have consumed:Oak Wood, Granite By consuming 10 different types of food, you have earned the title Novice Gourmand! Novice Gourmand: +50% eating rate while equipped. -10% negative food effects while equipped] Hmm, that moving thing was tasty. This ground stuff is kinda bland. I know! I should go find more moving things! My body can feel tremors in the ground, so I dial back on the floor eating and instead just feel the floor. ¡­.. [By attempting a action, you have obtained the skill Tracking! Tracking level 1, 0% experience, passive +1% effectiveness of all tracking related actions] Oh, hi, weird thing! ¡­. I think I hear something that way? I casually slide in that direction until I bump into something, then simply digest that in order to force my way inside. [You have consumed Clay Brick!] I stumble upon what I would later learn was known as a ¡®rat¡¯. But more immediately, I got to know it quite intimately as ¡®food¡¯. [You have consumed Fur! By consuming a complete simple nervous system, you have earned 1 wisdom and 1 intelligence!] Mm¡­ Delicious, but a little less hearty than the big one. [By exercise of your opinion, you have unlocked the Food Criticism skill! Food Criticisim 1 0% You are the worst kind of person.] Blissfully ignorant of the judgement of the very fabric of the world upon me, I cheerily puff air while listening for my next meal. [The status, Broken Cohesion, has faded! +2 Charisma! +2 Charisma!] Do these things actually mean anything? In fact, how am I even percieving them? It isn¡¯t feeling, which is the only sense I really have¡­ (I would later learn that the Menu would not let a silly thing like blindness prevent someone from seeing it, and thus it projected itself directly into the brain--er, mind-- of any living thing. Yes. Even plants. Not that it does plants much good, as they lack a way to pick things. And usually lack minds.) Hmm. Oh, hey, another meal! I nab the meal(rat) and quickly dissolve that too, blissfully ignorant of gaining another point of Intelligence and Wisdom. ¡­.I¡¯m feeling a bit slow. Maybe I should shed some mass? I quickly focus inwards, trying to reduce my mass. [You have unlocked the special Slime skill:Reprocess Slime! Reprocess Slime level 1, 0%, cost 1 ounce of mass/minute Per minute: +100 HP +100 Stamina +100 Mana Per half hour: +1 Dexterity -1 Strength -1 Constitution Per 5 hours: +1 Density Through use of a skill that grants ranks in the skill, you have unlocked the special slime skill Density Density level 1, 0%, passive -1% damage from all bludgeoning sources, -.5% from all slashing and burning sources +2% Strength +2% Constitution +1% Dexterity +5% Corrosion] Nng, that¡¯s slow...but still, it feels good! I feel like I have a lot more energy now. While my instincts are warring with it, something tells me it would be wise to leave that on, so I do. Alright, so, uh¡­. Yeah, I¡¯m just gonna keep hunting these tasty things. Chapter 2:Explorer
Unfortunately, I was unable to find much more prey. But that¡¯s alright! I spent my time blowing air until I could manage some pretty impressive gusts. Also, compacting and absorbing bits of slime so I can move faster ¡®n stuff. As long as I was absorbing myself, I didn¡¯t really feel hungry. I just kind of ached instead. It wasn¡¯t particularly pleasant, but still, it was better than the gnawing hunger. Hm. Perhaps First Meal went places that I can track him back to? [Insightful decision making has given you 1 wisdom!] Hmm. Whenever I see that line and the squiggles next to it I¡¯ve eaten a small meal¡­so I guess maybe it means a good thing? [Through beginning to gain the most basic of comprehension of what¡¯s going on, you¡¯ve gained the Incredibly Basic English skill! Incredibly Basic English, level 1, 10%(Hey! That bit¡¯s changing as I look at it! What gives?) experience Gives a .1% chance of comprehending a written or spoken word(!) per level.. Skill progression speed from reading dependent on Intelligence and Wisdom. Gives a .1% chance of being able to convey meaning with your own words Skill progression speed from speaking dependent on Intelligence and Charisma. Numbers are modified by relevant stats.] Oh. These squiggles are something called ¡®words¡¯. Meant to convey information. Wait! Where did that information itself come from?! [Least Brain Slime has obtained the (Selfache) status] Ow! My everything! What the heck! (I would later learn that I had experienced a ¡®splitting headache¡¯, but since my entire self was a brain what that really did was make all of me hurt!) Anyway. Right. Back to business. I move back to the room and taste the ground for traces of the odd flesh. ¡­.Ah! There! Now, trace them backwards¡­. I smack directly into a barrier, this one with gaps around the edges. ...I could dissolve this. I could, really. But what if I just sort of...squeeeeeeze in there¡­ [Through a special action, you have unlocked the Gap Squeeze special slime skill! Gap Squeeze level 1 0% experience Allows you to move through sealed areas at a rate of 1 ounce per minute per inch with gap. +1% Dexterity Incredibly Basic English has reached level 2! Gap Squeeze has reached level 2! (1.1 ounce, 2% dexterity) Push air has reached level 6! (1.5 seconds at 6 m/s, 22.5 stamina per use)] After around another 20 minutes of puffing air, absorbing myself, and squeezing in, I resume tracking the First Meal¡¯s last steps. I have to squeeze into another doorway to trace them exactly, which unknowingly nets me another level of Gap Squeeze(Yay, 3% dexterity!) I explore this room thoroughly on some instinct. I bump something and something falls on me. FOODFOODFOO--Ahem. That was embarrassing. Still, it appears that my initial analysis was accurate, even if this is a less than preferred meal. [You have consumed(!) Wheat! Incredibly Basic English has reached level 3!(.3% comprehension)] Consumed. What a useless word. It¡¯s pretty much the only thing I¡¯ve done since I came to be¡­. Still, anything that makes sense of those stupid appearing things is welcome. Anyway, if food fell onto me, and then First Meal was above me, that means¡­. Fourth Meal? I begin to dissolve the thing I bumped into while trying to climb it.. That...doesn¡¯t really work out, as it collapses both from the dissolving and the climbing. [You have obtained the special slime skill Ooze Vertically! -10 Health! -5 Health! -20 health!] I hurt in SO MANY ways right now.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Nonetheless, I have more stuff to read. Maybe I¡¯ll comprehend a better word! [Ooze Vertically level 1 5% experience Allows perfectly safe ascension of vertical surfaces, assuming you don¡¯t dissolve your grip points. Currently allows designating 1 grip point. Currently able to be dislodged by a stiff breeze] Hm. Nothing. Well, anyway, I begin nomming on EVERYTHING. [You have consumed Iron! You have consumed Alcohol! You have consumed Time Itself! Wait, no, it¡¯s just Thyme. You have consumed Salt! You have consumed Water! You have consumed Blueberries! You have consumed Cabbage! You have consumed Coffee! You have consumed Chocolate!] The list goes on and on, and I don¡¯t comprehend a word except ¡®consumed¡¯ each time. (Nonetheless, I do gain level 4 in Incredibly Basic English.) I puff some air in celebration, then feel the vibrations of it striking the wall and rebounding. Oh, DAMMIT! The air! I¡¯ve been puffing without thinking about it! Obviously all my meals to be have been being warned off by accident by all the air I¡¯ve been throwing around! [Through making a obvious observation, you have increased your Wisdom by one!] I quickly stop that before making for the gap again to continue tracking the steps. I find myself confused in one area, where the traces become strong and then just kind of disappear. I poke around a bit and find something very soft. ¡­. NOM! [You have consumed Cotton! You have consumed Feathers! You have consumed Silk!] Eh. You¡¯ve eaten better. By far. [Through exercise, your Food Criticism skill has reached level 2!] You retrace your steps and find a fainter trail, following it. [Your Tracking skill has reached level 5] You find one more door, with wind blowing in through it. You squeeze through it and¡­..What...what is this feeling? Feels¡­.Warm. Kinda¡­.nice. You keep squeezing through and reach the outside world. [Through escaping protective confinement and reaching the great outdoors on the day of your birth, you have obtained the title Precocious Explorer! Please go inside. Your parents(!) would be sad if you died.] (I would later look back on this message and realize something: The world itself was, quite simply, not paying attention.) ¡­.Parent¡­..Something that loves you¡­.something involved in your creation¡­. ¡­. I¡¯m pretty sure I don¡¯t have one of those? Unless First Meal counts. ¡­.Does First Meal count? What does it say about me if I accidentally ate my ¡®parent¡¯? ¡­.I¡¯d rather not think about that. [Precocious Explorer +5 Dexterity +10 to Dexterity while exploring +10% to all stats while exploring +10% range to all senses] Aaaah, why is it that I can barely understand anything at all, and the things I do understand don¡¯t make me feel good! I casually consume whatever¡¯s near me and on a whim decide to poke at the message when it appears. [You have consumed Grass You have evolved Grass! Constitution +5 You have learned the special plant skill Photosynthesis! You have learned the special plant skill Photoregeneration! 3/12 evolution slots used Photosynthesis level 1 0% Draw nutrition from the sun! Increases in level as you are exposed to sun Photosynthetic efficiency:.1% Photoregeneration level 1 0% If you¡¯re hurt, you heal faster in the sun! 10% increase to health regeneration while in direct sunlight. Through sheer dumb luck, you have increased your Luck by 1!] ¡­. The warmth is tasty, hee. I casually spread out my mass, allowing myself to absorb small amounts of dirt and plants as the sun beats down on me, steadily feeding me as I puff cheerily. [Density has reached level 2! (Bonuses doubled) Slime Reprocessing has reached level 2!(Slime absorbed increased to 1.5 ounces per minute, time per restoration is now 40 seconds, time per stat shift from size is now 20 minutes, time per Density increase now 3 hours and 20 minutes) Photosynthesis has reached level 3(.3% efficiency) The sun feeds me slower than I can absorb myself, though, and I¡¯m getting a little small, so I shut that off for now and move on. This time, with no puffing. I feel tremors in the ground¡­.
¡°Aha! Look! It¡¯s another slime!¡± Cried Leeroy. ¡°Wait! No!¡± Yelled their mage, Maerin, who had used Observe. ¡°That¡¯s¡­.¡± ¡°LEEEEEEEROOOOOOY!¡± ¡°....A Brain Slime.¡± She finishes uselessly as the warrior charges in.
Ack! They¡¯re headed right for me! And they¡¯re big! Could be dangerous! I quickly slide to the side, leaving behind a very thin layer of myself. [Through a action, you have unlocked the special Slime skill, Slippery Slime! Slippery Slime level 1, 5%, cost .5 ounce of matter Generate a small area of slick surface Currently capable of covering half a square foot] The charging being doesn¡¯t adjust in time, it¡¯s foot landing on the spot and causing it to fall to the ground. I immediately pounce on him.
¡°God DAMN it!¡± Maerin yells as Leeroy gets coated in slime. ¡°[Fireball]!¡±
[-200 HP] Ow! Ow! Hot! Digest faster, damn you!
¡°Dammit! Damn IT!¡± She yells. ¡°[Fireball]! Off, you damned thing!¡±
The second time I feel the heat approaching, I¡¯m ready. I immediately remove all of myself from that side of my prey, letting it absorb the hit.
Maerin screams as she sees her fireball fade. ¡°Oh my god! I killed him!¡± Her face hardens. ¡°I-I might not have much mana left, but I¡¯m DAMN well not letting you go after what you made me do!¡± She pulls out a mana potion, quaffing it, and begins throwing fireball after fireball at that damned Brain Slime.
[By consuming a moron¡¯s complete complex nervous system, you have obtained +3 Intelligence +3 Wisdom +1 Charisma] That¡¯s my cue to get the fuck out of here I discard the bones and flee for cover.
¡°Oh, thank god, it left your bones.¡± Maerin sighs. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll get you to a temple.¡± She groans before collecting what¡¯s left of Leeroy.
...Am I safe? I¡¯m safe! Happy jiggles all around! I spread out and relax, resting to recover some of my lost health and activating my Reprocess skill to speed that up. Let¡¯s just...baaaask in the sun.
AHHHH! [-20 hp] Something just stepped in me! Oh, wait, hold on. I quickly surge up around whatever just stepped in me, reading the bevy of familiar patterns casually. Ooh, a new one! [You have consumed[¡­] Antlers[¡­]] Heh, neat. [-50 hp -40 hp -30 hp Through consuming a complete, moderately complex nervous system, you have obtained: +2 Intelligence +2 Wisdom] It¡¯s thrashes quickly stop, leaving me a little worse for wear and a LOT bigger. Seriously, this guy must have rivaled First Meal for mass! I quickly activate Reprocess Slime. Organic material is the best for increasing my mass, especially from moving things, but now I feel sluggish. If I get any bigger, I might become unable to move, and that¡¯d actually be a problem. Hmmmm¡­¡­ Maybe if I¡­. I focus on splitting part of me off. Just a small part. [You have created a special Slime skill, Divide Minion! Divide Minion level 1 0% experience, cost 5000 mana and 10 pounds of mass You have insufficient mana to use this skill, fueling from Stamina You have insufficient Stamina to fuel this skill, fueling from Health Slime Body substitutes Mass for Health for skill expenditures! Spent 5 pounds of Mass to fuel Stamina to fuel Mana] A bunch of me just evaporates as another part splits off. I can sense what it senses, the mild tremors I make when moving that I instinctively ignore, and the mild tremors it makes from my own body. Oh, yes. This¡­. This is going to be useful.
Known Stats(By The Slime) Mass:120 Kilos.(Unit Of Measurement Not Understood/Known) Chapter 3
I send out my Slime Minion, wondering idly how all these creatures can be so blind to the tremors when I move, yet so perceptive when I¡¯m not. It¡¯s like they have some kind of third sense, that tells them about large objects. Hrmph. Still, if I could somehow gain access to what they have¡­. Ah! Slime Minion senses big prey! I quickly tell it to hide and slide in that direction.
Unicorns were beautiful. Unicorns liked virgins. Unicorns were the most dangerous motherfuckers around, and everyone knew it. Shadowmane snorted dismissively when he saw the small slime and casually ignored it. A slime of that size would never attack him; follow to sponge off any blood he shed, yes. Eat him if he died? Oh, most certainly. But even the stupidest slime could tell he was a threat beyond their level. He didn¡¯t even bother looking up as he grazed. If something attacked him from above, he¡¯d be able to tank the first attack anyway, then lash out with his Lightning Horn Wave. Most avians were weak to Lightning. Then he heard snapping branches from the trees above him, and looked up and behind him just in time for a massive slime to land on his horn. [Critical Hit Recieved! -1200 HP Critical Hit Inflicted! -500 HP]
I could tell that this prey was dangerous. Still, I can sense that it will also be the most rewarding. I carefully slide up a tree, levelling Vertical Ascent. The rough bark of the tree provides me with a excellent grip. Other Slime confirmed that the prey was standing right under me. I drop. CRUNCH! [Through a special action, you have unlocked the skill Death From Above! Because you are a slime(!), Death From Above has evolved into Slime Slam! Through a special action, you have unlocked the martial arts skill Snap the Neck! Through a special action, you have learned the skill Combat Tactics! Slime Slam level 1 0% experience Fall from above to crush your foes! Damage is based on height and mass. +5% damage per 10 meters(!) fallen. Snap The Neck level 1, 0% experience, cost 50 stamina Inflict severe spinal trauma to your unsuspecting or helpless foe! Causes 1 second of (Stun) 1% chance of instant(!) kill +25% damage Incredibly Basic English has reached level 5!The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Combat Tactics level 1 0% experience +1% Wisdom and Intelligence +1 to Wisdom and Intelligence when making plans for combat] And now I understand the basic concepts of distance, myself and time. Neat. It isn¡¯t until I start digesting the prey that I realize my mistake. I hadn¡¯t immediately killed it. I would later realize that it was stunned because of one of my new skills, and also a little bit by my sheer audacity. The beast bucks and struggles fiercely, with might far exceeding that of Leeroy. Alas, it is no good. I cling fiercely, with tenacity equal to the prey I have, and encase it¡¯s neck. I activate one of my new, instinctive skills. When I realize the beast isn¡¯t dead, I do it again. And again. [-62 hp! Stunned target! -62 hp! Stunned target! -62 hp! Stunned target! Snap the Neck has reached level 2! -75 hp! Stunned target!] And so on. The beast crumples the minute I reach level 3 in Snap The Neck.
The forest paused for a moment in recognition of the fall of one of it¡¯s most deadly inhabitants. Then everything continued. Even the mighty die. Such is nature.
Chow time! (My favorite kind of time.) [You have consumed Unicorn Horn!] [Through consuming a complex nervous system, you have obtained: +5 Intelligence +5 Wisdom +1 Charisma] Along with a whole bunch of other things that I¡¯ve seen but still don¡¯t understand. Hmmmmm. I bash on one at random. [You have added the Heart Evolution! +10 Strength +10 Constitution +10 Dexterity +20 Charisma 4/35 slots used Skill Gained: Pump Blood Pump Blood level 1 0% experience(!), cost 1 ounce of mass. No, not like through veins, more like a geyser. Half second burst at .5 m/s. +.25 Water affinity +.25 Dark affinity] ¡­.Oh my god. Of all the things I¡¯ve learned. This is the most fundamental. Things get better as I use them! That¡¯s why I felt that random urge to keep using that weird skill earlier! Do things get better as Other Me uses them, too? I order Other Me to use the new skill 5 times and check my skill. [Pump Blood level 1 1% experience, cost 1 ounce of mass. No, not like through veins, more like a geyser. Half second burst at .5 m/s. +.25 Water affinity +.25 Dark affinity] Um. It¡¯s a line now. Not a circle. Is that a good improvement? Is it a bad one? You know what? I¡¯m going to burrow, turn on Reprocess Slime, and read that skill over and over until I understand every god-damned word!
As it turns out, that decision, while incredibly time consuming, was incredibly worthwhile. I now UNDERSTAND a good part of what¡¯s going on! And what¡¯s even better? Incredibly Basic English reached level 10! Oddly enough, in spite of the fact that IBE said a 1% chance, I think I was getting a word approximately every 40-50 times i read it. Hm. Oh yeah, also, it¡¯s been a day. Density¡¯s at level 10 now, Reproccess Slime¡¯s a solid 3, and I¡¯ve trimmed off a lot of weight. Since I also gained a lot from eating that thing earlier, I think I have about, uh¡­..150 kilograms of weight! Oh yeah, I also learned about weight by reading Reprocess Slime.
¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°Positive, sir.¡± Maerin salutes unsteadily. ¡°There can be no doubt. I Observed it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°That¡­.that utter fool! Creating a Brain Slime can spell nothing but disaster!¡± Magelord(The title belonged to any noble who used magic, and was much more prestigious than ¡®Viscount) Kay exclaimed. ¡°....Sir?¡± ¡°There is no other thing that can be given to a Slime that gives the proper combination of stats for them to be a true threat.¡± The Magelord explains. ¡°All the non-base slimes we have seen have a Charisma of 1. Gold and jewel based slimes have at least 2, and are the only type that have ever managed to have extra evolutions. Even then, it¡¯s rare. Do you know why?¡± ¡°....No?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because we¡¯re GOD-DAMNED lucky that the things are too stupid to actually interact with menus! And what does that fool Azera do? He takes the damn equipment to some hidden lab and makes a god-damn BRAIN SLIME!¡± ¡°S-surely it can¡¯t be that bad, milord.¡± The adventurer, well, ventures. ¡°After all, slimes are practically harmless!¡± She quails under the baleful gaze of the Magelord. ¡°Er¡­. Most slimes?¡± ¡°Have you ever seen a Lava Slime?¡± He snaps and a servant brings him a goblet of wine. ¡°Er¡­ No?¡± ¡°They¡¯re the most terrifying thing I¡¯ve ever seen. Somehow, a slime has to reach lava without evolving otherwise. Then it has to somehow survive the heat long enough to ingest enough to evolve. But once that happens¡­.¡± He takes a gulp of the wine. ¡°A Lava Slime will usually be massive, as it drinks from rivers of lava. Arrows and blades do nothing. Fire magic, a slime¡¯s one chief weakness, splashes off of it. Ice magic dies the moment it gets near the lava slime.¡± His eyes take on a unfocused appearance. ¡°If you ever meet a lava slime, unless you have a Ghost on your side...you run, or you die. Sometimes, you even run AND die.¡± ¡°S-sir?¡± She quavers. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll pay for Leeroy here to be raised. And then¡­. We¡¯re assembling a slime hunting team.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Relax. It¡¯s just a Slime. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll have any real Skills.¡± Chapter 4 Alright, so here''s the deal. I understand the concept of level now, and with that came a bit of a understanding of the whole way the world works thing. Now, here''s the problem. While I can open skill descriptions without a problem using my third sense, I can''t think of a way to actually use whatever levelling gets me. Also, I don''t think I have levelled. [A Quest is available!! ''Menu? But we just met!'' Learn how to access the menu proper. Rewards: Upgrade from [Monster] to [Elite Monster] Access to Menu Access to Level System Challenge Level removed Character Level added Job Level added Ensoulment Prerequisites (Requirements increased for Monsterhood): 20 Intelligence-Completed! 20 Wisdom-Completed! Exceed 80% of the average lifespan of your species(Average lifespan:3 days) -Completed!]
A Treatise On Elite Monsters, excerpt from chapter 5 The number of elite monsters for some races is entirely contrary to the requirements for that race to grow to elite status. This is because some enterprising member of that race, or another, set things up. For instance, Orcs must exceed 65% of the average lifespan of all orcs, rather than 40%. Some damn orc shaman decided to learn and fully master fertility spells, then proceed to enslave a few elves, cast on them so they would give birth to pure orc children, then rape the poor elves over and over, killing the resulting children. By the time that bastard was found and killed, he had permanently skewed the numbers. These days, all Orcs can access the Menu by one year of age. They haven''t even mastered Incredibly Basic English by then! Oddly enough, while most low level non-sentient monsters should probably have average lifespans in the days or even hours, we''ve never really seen many true Elite dire rats. Maybe they can''t access the Menu for some other reason? Then again, I suppose that a dire rat would not precisely have the vocal chords to enunciate ''Menu'' to complete that quest.
After rereading the quest notification a few dozen times, I understand that that''s kinda a big thing. Also.... Most slimes only live for 3 days?! Aaaaaaah! I''m a slime! And I''ve been alive for at least two and a half! Am I gonna die?! Wait, no, average means that if you add together all the numbers, then... hm. Maybe most slimes die really quickly, but the ones that survive for a while tend to survive longer? [Through understanding of basic mathematical concepts, you have learned the skill Arithmetic! Arithmetic level 1 +1% Intelligence Improves your math problem solving skills.] I reread that until I understand the important parts. Oh, neat! Oh, and Incredibly Basic English is at 12. Best skill, but takes way too long to level to practical use. Overall, I give it a 7/10. ... Oh, I understand fractions now! And I also know what a fraction IS! Ahem. Right, so somehow I need to learn the secret of this menu Hmmm. Okay, well, hopefully something will turn up, because I don''t have any ideas. Oh, hey, slime minion feels some tremors underground! I eagerly slide over in that direction until I feel them, then start moving in that direction myself. The ground gives way under me on the way, or more accurately isn''t present. I don''t even have the time to grab anything. I slam directly into--Oh! Prey! (This one would later be identified as a ''rabbit''.) I wrap myself around it and don''t even stop to digest the struggling creature, finding another and half a dozen smaller ones. [Through consuming 2 complete simple nervous systems and 6 immature simple ones, you have obtained:If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. +5 Intelligence +5 Wisdom You have consumed Eyes You have consumed Nose You have consumed Ears] Along with a whole bunch of other things. I quickly begin rereading the consumed messages over and over until I understand what I''m being offered. Unfortunately, this takes 3 minutes, and it isn''t until I''m done that I hit the ''Timeout in'' and it''s down to 1 minute 50 seconds crap crap crap Uhhh.... Think fast, think fast... EARS! EYES! [You have added the Ears evolution! +5 Intelligence +25 Wisdom Sense Added:Hearing You have added the Eyes evolution! +10 Intelligence +20 Wisdom Sense Added:Sight You have obtained the sight-dependent skill Analyze! Your Eyes evolution has upgraded Analyze to Visual Scan Visual Scan level 1 0% experience; passive+active for 50 mana +25% Intelligence Enables HP bars passively for enemies with up to a 200 level advantage Enables MP bars passively for enemies with up to a 100 level advantage Enables Level display passively for enemies with up to a 100 level advantage Active use on person: View full status screen against enemies with up to a 100 level advantage Examine skills of enemies with up to a 50 level advantage, with 80% accuracy 1% chance to uncover weak point, scaled by visual obviousness of the weak point Displays damage bonuses of uncovered weak points Active use on item: Display item durability and durability cap Display item rarity Display item level Display physical item description +50% identification chance on unidentified items(multiplicative) Auto-identify Common items of up to level 1 Auto-identify Uncommon items at level 50 Auto-identify Rare items at level 100] I have to read that a few dozen times to understand all that, but in the meantime, I think... Huh, apparently Eyes are a upgrade to my third sense. Or perhaps the third sense was supposed to be going to Eyes, but I didn''t have them? I leave the burrow. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH
Alright, so it seems that adding a sensory evolution has a good chance of overwhelming me with the new input! Who knew? Unlike humans, I don''t have eyelids, so I''m forced to withstand the sensory overload until I come to my senses a little and go back underground. Okay! That...was painful! But I''m sure with a little work and time, I''ll become accustomed to it! I turn my attention to the Minion. .... AAAAAohwaitit''snotasbad. It seems that being smaller, the Slime Minion evolved fewer eyes. Neat. Maybe I can use that to kind of adjust by proxy? Hrm. In the meantime, I start eating dirt while Reprocess Slime is on. It''s not....particularly nutritious, but still, I''m getting something out of it. Dirt evolution? .....I think I''ll pass. If the nutrition value effects the actual value of the effects, then this is literally worthless. And even grass was way more nutritious than this. After a few minutes of nomming dirt, the texture changes. [You have consumed Clay!] Huh. It''s a bit more nutritious, but still....uninteresting. .... Is there a way to speed this up? I try shoving slimy tendrils through the dirt and scooping it into myself. Oh, yes! That''s so much more efficient! Not only am I now moving through the dirt faster, but I''m also engulfing smaller chunks! Small chunks get digested really fast, so I''ve almost tripled my digestion speed! [Through innovation(!), you have gained: +1 Intelligence! +1 Wisdom!] I reread that new word until I understand it. ...Innovation. .... Improvement in every way, from technology to the self, is crucial. To my understanding, Slimekind as a whole is pretty stupid if we usually only last a few days. Perhaps, then, there are slime skills that have yet to be discovered by any? Skills that once learned could be taught to My lessers so we can even the scales somehow? [Through innovative action, you have discovered the semi-restricted skill Burrow! Burrow level 1, 10%, cost 100 stamina/minute Passive Increases digrate by 2% Reduces mineral resistance by .5% +.25 Earth affinity Active Grants a top burrow speed of .25 m/s Grants a burrow acceleration rate of .01 m/s/s Grants a burrow braking rate of 1 m/s/s Grants a burrow steering rate of .5 dps Burrow speed and acceleration is decreased by mineral resistance Burrow braking rate is increased by mineral resistance] Ikeep digging as I digest that. After a few minutes, I hit a doozy of a word. Affinity. Your potential to manipulate and command the elements. To have one in a element means you are vaguely capable of using it. In the same way that a small child is vaguely capable of moving a tree, that is to say, given tools and a LOT of time and risk of self-harm, you are able to achieve the task. To have ten in a element means you have some small amount of respect from lesser elementals, and can actually use it unassisted without killing yourself, given you have the mana to do so. To have a hundred means that all elementals will acknowledge you to a degree and will at least regret needing to harm you, and that you can use moderately powerful skills from that element. To have a thousand? Iinstinctively know that at a thousand, even the mightiest elemental would view me as a friend, and all lesser elementals would be subservient to you. Of course, a thousand in a affinity would be nearly impossible to attain. You can''t even begin to imagine the amount of dilligent study in various skills that would require!
"So, the Archmage is dead, and the insolent beast he spawned didn''t even leave behind a body." The blazing man sneered at the smoke curling over the table, focus not leaving it for a minute. The gathered elementals stood and spoke one by one. "This does not concern us of the dark, for the Archmage cast lights without a thought to the shadows he disturbed." A figure wearing a cloak that seemed to draw in all light that approached it On the opposite side of the table, another stood as they sat. This one was bursting with light, and by mutual agreement they had chosen to be as far away from each other as possible. "The lights he cast were not enough to merit Our direct intervention, but where the Monster encounters Our Own, We shall surely Smite him." The brilliant figure disclaimed before sitting once more. "Hizzz insightzzz into energiezzz were mozzzt welcome." Buzzed a energetic figure as he leapt from his seat. "We shall zzzap and shock the fiend! It shall not find any zzzafe placezzz to rezzzt wherever there izzz zzztorms!" A serene voice is next to join the council as they flowed out of their seat. "The New One has chosen a path that may lead him to Our embrace." They declare. "If they continue this path, We shall give them succor; else We shall wash them out." A few dismayed voices begin to speak, but the water elemental cuts them off. "Thus shall it be, and you know well there is only One who has turned Us from Our course." They sit. "That''s right, dudes!" There are groans. "Oh my god, he actually came this time?" someone mumbles. "And I must say, it''s totally not cool that Azera never used any of us, y''know?" "Oh my god, Rock, shut up...." someone else groans. "I think this new guy really has the potential to be radical!" "Stop, We''re begging you..." the Light says. "Anyway, at the moment, he''s in My realm, which means if you want to get to him..." "We''ll have to beat Yours down, right?" "....Only if you mean in a Pogs tournament!" "....Okay, you''re taking this joke a little far, don''t you think?" A soft voice declares. It continues airily, "In any case, I too stand in support of the newcomer on this matter." "Aw, really, Breezy? That''s sweet of you!" Rock declares. "My NAME is Brezai''maqz." Declares the Wind Elemental. "For that matter, Rock isn''t your name either!" "Yeah, but Rock and Breezy roll off the tongue a lot better than Roqalamz and Brezai''maqz." Responded Rock. "Also, they''re less cryptic!" "Well, maybe I LIKE cryptic!" The wind elemental retorts. "Cryptic and SOPHISTICATED! Need I remind you all that we''re the Lords of our Elements?! Show some decorum, or if not decorum, than at least responsibility! Do We not have any more important matters to attend to than that of a single slime?!" There are some sheepish mutters and throat-clearings, in spite of the fact that elementals do not in fact produce mucus that could clog their throats. "Right, then. On to the next.... important matter!"
After a indeterminate amount of time(and 4 more levels of Burrow), I think Ive fully adapted to the sensations from your minion, so you order them to burrow and begin digging upwards. You pierce the surface quickly. Ech. It still hurtsme a bit to be up here, but I can tell thatI''m not taking any real long term damage. Ah! Moving shapes! You quickly slide back into the hole. "....Don''t see what''s so dangerous about a slime." I hear. "Yeah, so it creamed some stupid fucking noob that was sent off to investigate Azzy''s lab, the crazy bastard, but it''s not like it''s going to learn to access the System(!) Menu" ..... .....System. What''s.... That''s a word that.....I don''t learn a actual definiton for. I don''t learn the associated concepts. Instead, a popup appears. [A Quest is available! ''Nature of Reality'' Learn the secrets of the world! Rewards:Variable Experience, Wisdom, Intelligence, possible Titles and Skills, depending on learned secrets. Objective complete:Secret 1 learned:System Integrity +50 exp +1 Wisdom +1 Intelligence Error:EXP variable edited when EXP value does not exist Solution:Other quest solved! You have learned the secret to open the System Menu! Simply say the words ''System Menu'', and the menu will appear! Afterwards, you can set your menu to open based on mental command, gesture, or by a unique phrase!] I read all those words enough times to understand things like what speech is and what happened. .... Alright, let''s just kind of.... "Grblm grmu" .....Oh. "Grblm grmu! GRBLM GRMU!" .....Oh, no. [A Quest is available! ''A Caged Bird'' Oh. Oh dear, you would appear to be mute. Find some other way to activate the System Menu! I''m so sorry, little Birdy, but I can''t help you with this! You must find a way to sing on your own!] ... FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK! Chapter 5 I gurgle a few more times before giving up entirely. Alright, damn it, think, think, stay calm and think. How can I manage to make a voice? I revisit the concept of ''voice'' in my head. Sound waves shaped by movements of the mouth and the vibrations of vocal chords. ...How complex. Something niggles at the back of my mind as I chew that over, but I shrug and move on. Okay, so I have the ability to push air, but I lack a mouth and vocal chords. Clearly this is a issue. How can I solve this? ...I don''t think I can. ...Maybe I can learn how to speak through magic?? But where would I find magic? ... First Prey used magic! Maybe they had something that could show me how to perform magic? It''s the only thing vaguely resembling a hint at how I might become able to talk that I have, so I immediately leap into action. ... Er... Slide...towards...action. Because I''m a slime. My best methods of transit are sliding and falling.
Okay! So this is First Prey''s home. It feels a bit...empty, somehow. Like something''s...missing. ......... Well! Time to get to work! I''m sure nothing''s missing here, hahaha! I begin searching the area methodically, admittedly using touch more than my sight to understand what I''m looking for. [You have consumed Paper(!)] ...Shit, what am I doing? I just ate something that could have contained super valuable information that could have helped me learn to talk! I withdraw from the paper and end up engulfing something else without realizing it. [You have consumed Gold You have consumed Magical Distillate (Least) You have consumed Topaz] As I read and comprehend the things I''ve consumed, I quickly accept all of them. [You have added the Gold evolution! +1 Charisma +20 Constitution +5 Intelligence +5 Wisdom You have added the Magical Distillate (Least) evolution! +30 Intelligence +30 Wisdom Int-to-mana +50% Level-to-mana +50% Spellpower modifier +50% Through evolution, you have learned the magical skill Least Magical Bolt Least Magical Bolt Level 1, cost 500 mana Unleash a poorly focused and controlled bolt of mana! Waste nearly all of the power you use on this spell because you''re a utterly incompetent wizard! Be utterly unable to use this spell in actual combat due to it''s prohibitive casting time! Are you proud of yourself? Damage:20% of Intelligence * Spellpower modifier (current total 30%) Casting time:5 seconds] Okay, that description is utterly brutal. Carrying on..... [You have added the Topaz evolution! +10 Strength +10 Constitution +5 Charisma +5 Energy Affinity] Huh, that one''s new. Why does a Topaz give me energy affinity? A heart didn''t give me Water or Darkness affinity! I feel cheated! Anyway, all that out of the way, I decide to stop looking with my slime and start....looking...with...my slime... ... That phrase works a lot better when you have distinct bodily organ systems, I assume. ...Anyway, what I mean to say is I should be working with Visual Scan rather than just fucking with stuff at random. So I start doing that! After a few minutes, and hitting level 5 in Visual Scan(as it turns out, the greater the value of the thing I scan, the more experience I get, especially if identification succeeds) I strike gold. [Golem (Unidentified) Rarity:Artifactible Unique Level:200 A humanoid figure. Unnaturally immobile. Seems vaguely... empty. Identification failed Visual Scan has reached level 6! Visual Scan has reached level 7! Visual Scan has reached level 8!] This...this has something to do with First Prey and him feeding me, doesn''t it? Why else would he keep a item capable of Artifact status here? Also, holy SHIT, one FAILED scan yielded 3 levels?! I repeatedly scan the Golem. [Identification failed Visual Scan has reached level 9! Visual Scan has reached level 10! Identification failed Visual Scan has reached level 11! Identification failed Visual Scan has reached level 12 Through repeated examination of a item crafted using metals, you have learned the skill Untrained Metallurgy! Through repeated examination of a alchemically treated item, you have learned the skill Moonshine Alchemist! Identification failed Untrained Metallurgy has reached level 2! Untrained Metallurgy has reached level 3! Untrained Metallurgy has reached level 4! Untrained Metallurgy has reached level 5! Untrained Metallurgy has reached level 6! Untrained Metallurgy has reached level 7! Moonshine Alchemist has reached level 2! Moonshine Alchemist has reached level 3! Moonshine Alchemist has reached level 4! Moonshine Alchemist has reached level 5! Moonshine Alchemist has reached level 6! Identification failed! Novice Blacksmith has reached level 8! Moonshine Alchemist has reached level 7! Moonshine Alchemist has reached level 8! Visual Scan has reached level 13! Identification Success! Slime Concealment and Deployment Armor, Model: Human Mk 1 Rarity:Artifactible Unique Level:200 A suit crafted by the Exiled Archmage, Azera, to play host to a sentient slime should his attempt to create one succeed. Too bad his creation ate him.] ...What. No, I... You mean... First Pr--Azera, Azera only wanted to help me grow? And he... ...What a waste of a valuable resource. Hmph. [This suit may be entered by simply sliding in between the seams. Once the suit is full or the slime is all inside, it will seal most of itself over in order to prevent detection without. All non-Slime specific skills are available within the suit, and some Slime-specific ones are still available.]This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Without what? [Without the suit.] So...Once I wear the suit... I won''t need to wear the suit to be undetected...? Ohhh, you''re using the archaic meaning of ''without''. My bad. I hesitate to enter the suit, but then I hear a clattering from outside. "Hey! I found(!) his lab!" Ohhhh fuck. I scramble(er, slide...) to get inside the suit quickly, and the last of me slides into place as the doors open and the suit seals itself. I... I can see! There''s a faceplate of some kind. Hopefully that doesn''t mean they can see me! (I would learn later that it was a one-way-mirrored faceplate.) "There was a struggle in here. No sign of the slime(!), but there''s a idle golem and clear signs that things in the area have been digested. The ground''s worn down unevenly(!) and shit. They''re talking about me...or another slime... and something about something being uneven? Apparently listening to them talking is giving a decent chunk of experience, so I stand idly by. "Oy, you! Come over here(!)!" One of them directs you. Fortunately, they also gesture. You begin to operate the suit...and fall over with a ''clang''. "....Well, that explains why the slime didn''t get killed." The person grumbles. "Clearly, this golem has no idea how to walk(!)" Oh! I had no idea that I didn''t just slide along the ground in this thing! I push it to it''s feet and try again. My motions are a little jerky, but I manage to get into roughly the place the soldier gestured towards. "No sign of the Brain(!) Slime so far!" ...Ooh! Idea! They''re looking for a slime that matches my description! And I just HAPPEN to have one! I call your Slime Minion and tell it to approach. With the thorough search they''re conducting, they''re still in the room when it arrives ten minutes later. I order it to spit blood at one of them. Attention got, it slides slowly forwards towards that one. "Ack! Pfft!" He splutters. backing up and shifting a staff to his hands. "God, even the Brain Slime is just a annoying fucking piece of shit! Wonder why it''s spewing blood, though, I thought that was more the Heart Slime''s schtick. Good for keeping Vampires satisfied, that finding was." He muses as he waves his staff, a bolt of ice slamming into my minion. ....Oh god, my minion''s already down by 40% of their health! What if that had been ME! Wisdom of my current path confirmed, I order it to stubbornly approach and spit in his eyes as the other guy readies a broadsword. I take my time to scan that guy. [Jayson Title:Slime Stomper(+500% all combat stats against slimes, +50 all combat stats against slimes, +500% damage against slimes)(Achieved by killing 10000 slimes) Level:20 Strength:75+50*6=750 Dexterity:40+50*6=540 Constitution:75+50*6=750 Wisdom:32+50*6=412 Intelligence:27+50*6=462 Charisma:30 Health:38500/38500 Mana:24100/24100] ...What. Just. What. The. Fuck. I don''t even see him move. One second, the Brain Slime Minion is there. The next, Jayson is standing where it was, and the Brain Slime Minion is just... gone. Obliterated. Jesus. What the fuck was that?! It''s absolutely vital that I don''t get detected. Or... Or I''ll be next. I shudder fearfully. Obviously I can''t kill these. I remember the numbers from the strongest thing I killed. I''m pretty sure it had, oh, 2000 health, tops. These two were not Prey. They were Predators.
King Laqerigeos(God, he hated that name. So pretentious.) stood with his hands clasped behind his back as he Observed the crystal in the plaza as the ceremony proceeded. The ceremony was a daily thing, and really more business transaction than it was a ritual. Mainly the poor partook in it, though there were some who supplemented their income by doing it. When they found children doing it, they made sure to let their parents know. Not that it was dangerous, but they may have been cut off from their allowance and seeking to bypass it. [Mana Crystal Durability 10,000/10,000 Capacity 500,000,000 Storage: 12,043,401] His eyebrow twitched slightly. Who. Who had allowed someone without full mana to contribute to the Crystal? Whatever. It''s not worth firing or executing someone over, though it''s totally worth being grumpy about. The Crystal was a massive source of wealth, both for the poor and for the city. For every 125 mana contributed, you receive a single copper coin. For every 80 mana drained, you must pay a single copper coin. Now, of course, there were many more people who contributed than who really needed to drain it... So the King added a additional note. By paying 4 copper, you may check out a book from the Lesser Royal Library for a week, which was chock full of basic magical texts and books that contained skills that would boost Intelligence, Wisdom, Maximum Mana or Mana Regeneration. For 10 silver, or approximately 200 copper, you may check out more advanced books. Five gold, or 100 silver would yield excellent techniques. However, there''s a discount for a very specific kind of book. Enchanting texts are a mere 1 gold to check out for a full month. This is where the Kingdom makes it''s money back, and the King was in fact confident that eventually that crystal would see a greater demand than supply and they''d have to designate drawing days where people were allowed to pull rather than add mana. Enchanting was a very magically intense procedure. It took 1000 mana to get the very weakeest of enchantments. It would make something marginally more effective. A very skilled enchanter could perhaps milk a +1 to a single stat out of that. More likely, they''d fail to do anything with a significant enough effect to cause a mechanical effect like that. But they could make, for instance, a scrubbing brush that''s a little more effective than most, or wears out a little slower. This kind of item was mainly in demand by petty nobles for their staff, housewives, or moderately wealthy merchants, and you could perhaps expect to receive a silver above the normal value for it at best. A Enchanter that did this with mana from the Crystal would not only make a 7.5 copper profit, but they would receive valuable experience with enchanting. A step up from that, you have 5000 mana items, which you can typically expect anywhere from a +2 to a +6 from. The lower end of that tended to recieve sneers, but the high end could yield a gold coin. And all this commerce was, of course, taxed. Mind you, material and mass were both limiting factors in how much a item can be enchanted. Still, a decent robe could accept 25000 easily, and anyone who got wealthy enough to afford a miniature mana stone that could hold that much charge had the skills to get at least a full point per thousand mana The only issue was that there was too little surface area on The Crystal and he was leery of allowing multiple people to touch it, in fear that one would decide that they could totally manage to take some mana or claim another person''s contributions without being noticed. So instead what the King did was order a bunch of smaller mana stones commissioned that he could send around with armed guards, then have a skilled mage transfer into the larger Mana Crystal. He had 100 stones, to serve five thousand men, women and orphans who gave up their energy willingly for the promise of a few coins to rub together.. More than one person who had failed to pay their taxes or a debt had been chained up and brought to a Stone to bleed their mana until it was paid in full. But the number was surprisingly low, and there were few truly homeless people on the street owing to the simplicity of obtaining money. Unless you had a trait that reduced your Mana or Regeneration, even someone with 5 Wisdom, 5 Intelligence and 1 Level could expect to make a pittance of money reasonably. A little over 10 copper, enough to get food, to possibly bargain their way into sharing a room in a inn, and to check out a basic book. Even if they chose not to check out a book, the very act of donating their energy to the Stone would slowly train their Wisdom, allowing their mana to recharge to full more frequently, as little as it was. A far more reasonable Level 5 with 10 in each who spent all day stopping by mana stones would net a much more respectable 80 copper. Enough to get their own room all to themselves, good meals, and save in a few days to get advanced books. After studying enough books, they could go out and kill a few weak monsters with relative confidence, especially if, say, they were to buy a item of Constitution or Defense with a week''s savings. At the moment, the King calculates that there''s about 100,000 copper''s worth of mana in the Crystal(as in, what they paid for it; selling it would net 150,000). And over the last year, he reckons that at least 25,000 has been paid directly for more mana to be pulled from it, and 50000 for library usage directly related to the Crystal. So really, he''s running a direct deficit. But indirectly, he''s sure he''s running a surplus from tax on enchanted items.. Within the last year, many enchanted items have been crafted, and many more have been exported, stimulating the economy. In any other city, adventuring is considered the safety net. However, hunting a Dire Rat for bounties, meat and what precious little mana it''s teeth contain was dangerous(for the un-levelled) for little pay and a pittance of experience. Mana Farming was by far more luc-rat-ive(Damn the jester! Even he''s thinking in puns now!) than that. And the rewards would make it easier to break into adventuring. While the number of adventurers hailing from Rainhold had dropped to a mere fifth of what it had been, the number of Rainhold casters who reached level 25 had doubled. Additionally, all of the adventurers from Rainhold had added a small amount of magical tricks to their arsenal from the Library, as had the guards. There was, of course, a effort made to keep them out of the hands of criminals, and a fairly successful one as each book was covered in tracking charms, and most career criminals didn''t bother checking their books in. That tendency had resulted in a great reduction in crime, and a increase in prison population. He kept a second crystal there, along with a runeset that actively drained a few mana per second from each prisoner. ... Of course, that ALSO slowly trains their wisdom, but it''s still pretty damn good for keeping their magical prisoners in check. All at the low, low, price of making those FUCKERS more powerful if they ever manage to get OUT. Of course, it also helps to justify keeping them alive rather than just executing them to his nobles. All in all, Rainhold wasn''t the richest city, but by God was it the least poor. If most other cities were cheap whores in outfits that hid all their worst traits, then Rainhold was a plain Jane in a farmer''s outfit with decent muscles and a perfect bill of health. So why, then, did King Laqerigeos feel like something was about to go very, very wrong?