The backyard wasn't big. Just grass, a few weeds, and the remnants of a broken fountain. Perfect, if your goal was to fight a giant blob of slime that could probably squish you like a bug.
Eli stepped forward, squinting at the little blue wobbling nightmare. The slime pulsed, gelatinous and wet, each movement making that gross *plop-plop* sound that would haunt his nightmares.
"Okay," Eli muttered. "You've got one job. One. Don't… murder me yet."
[Monster Detected]
[Name: Lesser Slime]
[Threat Level: Low]
Eli glanced at the holographic stats hovering near his head.
[Level: 0]
[Strength: 1]
[Agility: 2]
[Intelligence: 3]
[Mana: 0]
[Luck: 5]
He groaned. "Of course. Level zero. Stats trash. And the system decides my first opponent is… a giant puddle of goo."
The slime seemed to notice him—or maybe it didn't. It just wobbled forward, ominously, almost smug.
Eli's eyes darted around. The old maintenance shed to his left. The fence to his right. A pile of broken garden tools behind the fountain. Maybe he could… improvise.
[System Tip: Use Environment]
"Finally," Eli muttered. "Thanks for that helpful nugget, floating screen."
He grabbed a rusted metal pipe from the tools. Balanced it like a staff, or a very questionable weapon.
The slime surged forward.
Eli stumbled backward. Tripped. Rolled. Ended up face-down in wet grass. The slime collided with the spot where his feet had been. Splashes of its blue goo hit him, sticky, cold, and slimy.
Eli spat some slime out of his hair. "I hate my life."
The System chimed.
[Combat Suggestion: Exploit Slime Instability]
"What?" Eli exclaimed. "Exploit instability? Like… kick it until it cries?"
The slime lunged again. This time, Eli planted the metal pipe in the ground and yanked it upward, slicing into the gooey mass. Bubbles erupted, fizzing and hissing.
Eli jumped back, heart hammering. "Yes. That worked. That… definitely worked."
The slime wobbled violently, stretched, then — in a sudden, almost dramatic pop — burst into a shower of harmless blue liquid that evaporated into mist.
Eli collapsed onto the grass, breathing hard. "I survived. I… I actually survived."
The System chimed cheerfully.
[Monster Defeated]
[Quest Complete]
[Rewards Granted: 10 EXP, 5 Gold, +5 Stat Points]
[Class Selection Unlocked]
[Milestone Reached: First Step]
Eli sat up, staring at the screen. "Wait. Did I just… get better?"
His stats updated automatically.
[Strength: 3]
[Agility: 4]
[Intelligence: 5]
[Mana: 0]
[Luck: 7]
He blinked. "Not bad. Not bad at all."
Mara's voice drifted from the doorway. "I saw some of that from inside. You're… okay?"
Eli wiped slime off his jacket. "Better than okay. I'm a level zero legend now. At least in backyard combat."
He glanced at the next screen, his stomach twisting in a mix of excitement and fear.
[Choose Your Class]
Three silhouettes hovered, waiting.
Eli's hands itched. His chest pounded. This wasn't just a fight. Not just stats. This was the first step.
Assassin. Warrior. Mage.
All of them sounded dangerous. All of them sounded impossible. And yet… one of them had to be his path.
He glanced at Mara. She nodded encouragingly, her eyes saying more than words ever could. "You can do this," she whispered.
Eli swallowed, taking a deep breath. "Level zero," he muttered. "Time to see what you can really do."
The slime puddle he'd just defeated hissed in the distance, almost like a warning. Somewhere deep in the back of his mind, Eli felt a shiver. This wasn't just a tutorial fight. It was the beginning.
[Hidden Parameter Detected]
[Monitoring User…]
Far above the city, unseen, something stirred. Watching. Waiting. And smiling faintly.