Three days had passed since I was expelled from the guild.
I walked along the road with an empty stomach, trudging slowly.
My destination was the Elpida Orphanage, about 20 kilometers from the city of Wigarluth.
I had grown up in that orphanage. It was where I spent my childhood and where a mentor who guided me onto the right path still resided.
“It’s already been 10 years, huh…”
I left the orphanage when I was 11. Now at 21, I hadn’t even shown my face once, which, in hindsight, was rather heartless of me.
Despite the shame, I intended to ask the headmaster for help. Even if it meant working for free, I would beg to live and work at the orphanage.
I had no other choice; I was that desperate.
—On the day I was expelled, I visited several guilds to find new employment. Wigarluth was a crucial hub where major highways intersected. It was one of the country’s most renowned adventurer cities, home to many guilds of all sizes.
But none of them took me in.
There was the wall of levels, as mandated by the Guild Federation.
As some liked to mock, calling me a tall, feeble pretty boy, my weak stats made things worse.
In this era, where monsters roamed freely across the world, employees who couldn’t even be trusted to handle the most basic of battles were seen as highly incompetent.
And to make matters worse, the world was in the midst of an unprecedented battle boom.
The sudden appearance of a mysterious entity known as the “Demon King of Power” had caused monsters to surge across the globe. These monsters were special, providing far more experience points than usual—essentially bonus monsters.
The more monsters one defeated, the stronger they became, and much faster than through steady training.
As a result, the number of adventurers hunting monsters skyrocketed, and valuable skills became those that allowed for solo kills.
I knew all this because I used to shuffle papers as a guild employee. These days, it wasn’t even uncommon to see parties without support or healing roles.
The guild’s fixation on levels was a reflection of these societal shifts.
I had considered lying about my level when applying for a new job but quickly gave up on the idea.
A person’s stats could be easily revealed through the Fate Drop, an earring-like adornment everyone was born with. It accurately recorded an individual’s stats and skills, so there was no way to falsify it.
While I was struggling to find new employment, my situation became known to the landlord of my lodging, and I was kicked out of there too.
—And that brings us to the present.
“I’m so hungry…”
It was almost noon, yet not a soul could be seen on the road.
Although the road was supposedly protected from monsters, in this remote area, its effectiveness was questionable.
According to the documents I had read, slimes were known to appear around here, so I had brought some countermeasures just in case.
If I spotted one early enough, I could handle it, at least once.
The item I had was highly effective, even against higher-level slimes, so it wasn’t cheap. I had considered selling it for some travel money, but in the end, I decided against it. I couldn’t put a price on my safety.
Because of that, I hadn’t had a proper meal in three days.
“Oh… I can see it.”
A white building appeared around the bend in the road—Elpida Orphanage.
My pace quickened, almost unconsciously.
But then—
I heard multiple voices screaming from somewhere. It sounded like cries of distress.
I looked around and saw a shocking sight.
Just off the road, near the edge of a pond, four boys and girls were being attacked by a monster.
And not just any monster—
“No… no way.”
A purple mass was crawling out of the pond. Its enormous body could swallow several people whole, and its presence was overwhelming.
“Is that a Purple Slime!?”
The ultra-rare monster, Purple Slime. Its thick, soft body was highly resistant to weapon attacks, making it a particularly tough opponent for melee fighters.
If I remembered correctly, its level was… 33.
A fight between kids and a level 33 monster wouldn’t even be a contest. Especially not with children who hadn’t yet fully developed their bodies.
“Run! Hurry up and run!”
I yelled a warning while fumbling through my bag for tools. But the kids, paralyzed with fear, only screamed in response. It looked like they were frozen in place.
Something felt off.
Three of the children had collapsed a short distance from the monster.
But the fourth, a girl with long blonde hair, stood directly in front of the Purple Slime, mere meters away. She was holding a wooden stick in her right hand but showed no signs of preparing to fight.
The Purple Slime inched closer. Even then, the girl stood motionless, offering no resistance.
“Wait, is she…?”
The slime began to engulf the girl’s shoes.
“Is she trying to get herself killed!?”
There was no time left.
I grabbed the small vial I had been searching for and took a deep breath.
The distance to the target was about 20 meters.
I set my sights on the purple slime. The chance is only once.
“Skill [Long Throw]――!”
I threw the liquid-filled vial with all the spring in my body.
One of my few specialties, [Long Throw]. A skill that allows me to throw items and hit accurately.
The contents of the small vial splashed across the purple slime’s translucent body.
Immediately, the purple slime began to writhe in agony. Its body started to crumble apart.
I had saved a slime-specialized potion for emergencies. Its effect was outstanding.
But that didn’t mean it was defeated yet. The girl wasn’t safe.
I ran with all my might.
My mind was solely focused on saving her. The tightness in my chest and my hunger vanished.
When I reached the girl, I lifted her up and pulled her away.
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have any serious injuries. She was tougher than she looked.
The girl looked at me with a surprised expression, but I had no time to respond.
A superior monster, even in a near-death state, was writhing in front of me.
Visually grotesque. The intimidation was overwhelming. I felt nauseous.
I drew my dagger from my waist.
Sweat dripped as I strained my eyes. I had to find its weak point, the core.
High-ranking slimes cannot be defeated unless their core is identified and destroyed.
If I didn’t defeat it here, everyone would be in danger.
—Can I do it?
I had never fought a monster of this high level before.
My combat skills were barely more than that of an amateur.
I was weak. No doubt about it.
But that’s exactly why.
Just putting my life on the line isn’t enough. Think. Remember.
What are your strengths that can be useful right now? Isto-Rilos!
It is—’your Eyes.’
You could spot flaws in documents faster than anyone else. You could notice changes in others’ physical conditions more keenly than anyone else.
Believe in yourself, Isto. Your eyes should be useful even now!
Search! Focus! And struggle until the very end!
You can definitely find it!
“There!”
The tip of my dagger made a high-pitched metallic sound as it came down.
Hit the core—but.
“Tch, it’s hard!”
The purple slime’s body clung to my arm as if to prevent me. It had a habit of melting and consuming its prey from the inside. I felt a sharp pain accompanied by the sound of burning flesh.
I grit my teeth.
Which would come first? Destroying its core or having my arm torn off and dying?
“Uooooooh!”
I placed both hands on the handle and pushed the dagger in with all my weight.
Huuuh—The resistance weakened.
The sticky slime’s body crumbled away like sand. I held my breath as I watched.
The core was becoming exposed.
It was split wide open.
When I realized that fact, I felt a momentary relief as my consciousness drifted away.
“I did it…”
I exhaled long, squeezing all the air from my lungs.
As I was about to collapse, a “Message from Heaven” descended upon my mind.
《“You have defeated the ‘Purple Slime.’ Level Up! 8→9
Level Up! 9→10
Level Up! 10→11
Level Up! 11→12
Level Up! 12→13…》
I was dazedly listening to the endless voice announcing my level-up in my mind.
The messages that come down when one grows or gains skills. It is said that it is a depiction of a deity writing information into the [Droplet of Destiny].
“Oh, right, the experience points for the purple slime were enormous, weren’t they?”
I felt a refreshing sensation as my level soared not just in leaps but as if I were soaring through the sky.
In the end, my level-up stopped at 20. In terms of level alone, I was on par with a respectable mid-level adventurer. My stats were… decent, to say the least. Very much like me.
“Well, I didn’t expect my first fight in a while to be a life-or-death situation.”
《Cleared the condition “Life-or-Death Battle.”
As a result, the Gifted Skill [Awakening Appraisal] has been unlocked.
You can discover and forcibly unlock the Gifted Skills possessed by the target. Additionally, if you develop the unlocked Gifted Skills to a certain level, they can further evolve into new skills.
Additional effect “Sample Lv.1.”
You can reproduce the Gifted Skills unlocked or surpassed by [Awakening Appraisal] at any time you choose. The usage limit is once per skill.
Additional effect “Monitoring Lv.1.”
Displays the skills acquired by the target. Can be used by those without Gifted Skills as well.
Caution.
The skill unlocking effect of [Awakening Appraisal] can only be exerted on special subjects possessing Gifted Skills.》
“……………… Huh?”
