The morning sun glinted off the reinforced roof of Leon's base, scattering rays across the freshly placed torches. The Eye of Cthulhu was defeated, and for the first time, he could feel a tangible sense of momentum. But Master Mode didn't reward rest. Every day carried risk, and every night demanded vigilance. His minion army—three creatures bound to his will—was small but sufficient for early challenges. Expansion would require strategy, gold, and careful planning.
Leon reviewed his current resources, spreading them across the workbench in neat piles. Iron bars for armor upgrades, ropes for vertical traversal, heart crystals for health, and, critically, coins collected from mobs. His summoner system pulsed faintly as if reminding him of its potential. With gold, he could expand his minion capacity beyond three. The first slot upgrade required 100 gold coins, a sum that would demand serious farming in this world. Each subsequent upgrade would cost more, scaling steeply to ensure careful decision-making.
He tapped his fingers against the workbench. To unlock an additional slot, he would need to amass 100 gold. That meant deliberate encounters with high-yield mobs and careful farming of coins, especially since Master Mode spawns were tougher and more lethal. But Leon thrived on challenge. Every plan began with preparation.
The first target: the King Slime. A giant, gelatinous mass that appeared rarely on the surface. While optional in normal progression, Master Mode made even King Slime a formidable threat. If he could defeat it, he would secure valuable loot, including coins and rare crafting materials. And if fortune favored him, the drop of a Slime Crown would allow him to summon the King Slime at will—a perfect test for his summoner army and a potential gold farm.
Leon equipped his silver armor and summoned his three minions: the finch darting above, the bat patrolling ahead, and the green slime in front. The coordination of his army was precise. Each creature responded instantly to his mental commands, their attacks automatic but strategically placed. He approached the open plains near his base, scanning for the telltale glimmer of a naturally spawning King Slime.
Hours passed. Small slimes bounced along the surface, generating minimal coins and experience for his minions. Leon kept careful count, collecting gold as he went. By midday, he had amassed a few gold coins—a start, but nowhere near the 100 required for a summoner slot upgrade. Each encounter also strengthened his army's coordination. Bats began intercepting multiple targets without command; the green slime blocked aggressive mobs with better efficiency.
Finally, just as the sun began to tilt west, he noticed a faint ripple across the plains. A deep, resonant thump vibrated through the ground. The King Slime had appeared. It was massive—its gelatinous body pulsing as it moved, bouncing erratically but with enough mass to crush a lone adventurer in seconds. Its spawn caused nearby slimes to scatter, creating chaos on the open field.
Leon's first priority was positioning. King Slime's erratic bounces made melee attacks dangerous, and ranged weapons were limited. Summons would be the key. He placed the finch above the slime's trajectory, the bat intercepting smaller slimes and aerial hazards, and the green slime positioned in front to absorb incidental hits.
The fight began in earnest. King Slime's bounces caused tremors in the soil, sending rocks and debris flying. Leon dodged instinctively, allowing his army to engage. The finch struck the eye first, chipping away at health. The bat harassed smaller targets, keeping them from distracting him, while the green slime absorbed the occasional swipe from the massive gelatinous body.
As Master Mode dictated, the fight was prolonged. King Slime split repeatedly into smaller slimes upon reaching half health, each new slime bouncing independently and creating additional chaos. Leon adjusted constantly, repositioning his army and timing his own short sword swings to prevent being cornered. Coins and gel dropped from the smaller slimes, providing immediate rewards that he collected carefully as he dodged.
Hours felt like minutes. Eventually, the King Slime reached its final phase, bouncing erratically and coordinating nearly as if aware of Leon's tactics. The finch darted precisely at openings in its attack arc, the bat intercepted flying threats, and the green slime absorbed hits with perfect timing. One well-timed dash and coordinated assault later, the King Slime shattered into fragments, leaving behind a significant drop of coins, gel, and—most importantly—a Slime Crown.
Leon exhaled. Coins clinked in his hands. By sheer calculation, the drops amounted to 27 gold coins—progress toward the first summoner slot upgrade. He would need to repeat this farming at least a few more times to reach the 100 gold required, but the path was clear. More importantly, he now possessed a unique method to summon a high-damage boss ally at will.
Back at his base, Leon used the Slime Crown to experiment. Summoning the King Slime as an ally was no small feat; it consumed one of his three minion slots, forcing him to manage carefully. The massive gelatinous creature moved in coordinated attacks, smashing through smaller mobs and providing a new layer of offensive and defensive coverage. For now, his army consisted of: finch, bat, and King Slime—or, on alternative runs, finch, bat, and green slime for different tactical formations.
The first night after the encounter, Leon positioned his base defenses for a simulated night challenge. Waves of zombies, demon eyes, and skeletons advanced toward him. King Slime smashed through the front, absorbing hits, while the finch and bat focused on precision attacks. By the end of the night, Leon had collected 12 gold coins from standard mobs, a steady contribution toward his next minion slot upgrade. Each time he gained coins, he considered the balance between farming and exploration. Too much farming risked overexposure to Master Mode spawns; too little slowed progression.
Leon leaned back against a wooden post, surveying his growing empire of minions. Three slots were still the limit, but each decision felt weighty now. Should he swap the green slime for King Slime? Should he farm gold to unlock the next slot, increasing his army's capacity? Master Mode demanded these choices constantly, and the system responded to his intent. The world wasn't just alive—it was challenging him at every step.
As the first streaks of dawn appeared, Leon began planning. Tomorrow, he would venture farther, seeking new creatures, mining deeper ores, and accumulating the gold necessary to expand his summoner capacity. He had survived the first optional boss and proven that careful strategy and coordination could overcome even Master Mode's brutal mechanics. The path forward was clear: grow the army, expand resources, and prepare for biome-specific threats.
Leon's summoner journey had entered its first true stage of strategy. Every coin gained, every monster bound, and every slot expanded would matter in the days ahead. Master Mode Terraria was a world of unforgiving logic—but Leon had learned to adapt.
And as sunlight spilled over the plains, he smiled. The impossible was only a matter of planning.