Chapter 4: "You Are All Sinners!"

Outside the city of Frostveil lies a verdant expanse known as the Kelin Prairie—a ribbon of green stretching gently between Frostveil and the Blackwind Forest. Players, however, prefer to call it the “Slime Prairie,” for its fields teem with sticky, unforgettable monsters: slimes.

These slimes, entirely green and sluggish, crawl across the prairie that grants them perfect camouflage. They’re ever ready to spit potent acid at any player who ventures too close, like living time bombs on the move. Though they are among the lowest-tier monsters in “Age of Magic,” they possess a rare elemental attack for such humble creatures: Corrosion.

Corrosion isn’t always successful, but when it strikes, even novice warriors—those who have shed their civilian origins—find themselves troubled. If the attack lands on an unarmored spot, the loss of HP is far from negligible.

Despite this, slimes remain a favorite among Frostveil’s newcomers. Their defense is only one or two points—the lowest of all level-one monsters.

Having learned the slimes’ basic stats from White Valentine, I ventured to the edge of Kelin Prairie, short dagger in hand.

At first glance, the scene overwhelmed me, beads of sweat sparkling on my brow.

It was terrifying.

On the lively prairie, clusters of newbie players darted about, surging with an energy beyond imagination. They raced toward freshly spawned slimes, then scattered like startled birds to hunt their next target, leaving behind only lifeless pools of green goo.

The poor slimes never had time to open their bewildered eyes, never savored the fresh breath of the prairie, nor felt the warmth of their companions. Their brief lives ended beneath a barrage of evil wooden clubs and short daggers.

Amen!

“You are all sinners…” Someone, adopting a sorrowful pose, shook their head and sighed, eyes scanning the field before heading toward a quieter section of the prairie where few players ventured.

On the wind drifted the rest of the lament:

“…I am, too.”

Making my way to the heart of the Slime Prairie, I found with dismay that not a single slime had so much as glanced at me.

Of course…

Credit for that goes to the two hundred low-level civilians wielding short daggers and clubs scattered across the grass. Had it not been for them, I could at least have tested the sharpness of my blade—or experienced the thrill of being a “sinner.”

Yet even when a slime happened to spawn nearby, it would be immediately surrounded by hungry civilians, shamelessly beaten to death.

The aftermath? Ugly green slime left behind, and one failed would-be criminal left standing—me!

Alas!

When the third slime to bravely approach me was dispatched, I finally couldn’t help but gaze upward and sigh aloud:

In these days of fierce competition, what else can we do? Curl up quietly in a corner, clinging to life… Of course, those who say such things rarely act on them.

Take me, for example!

…

I focused my attention once more on my target—a corner with only seven players wielding axes, longswords, and broadswords.

But just then, whether by mercy of the heavens or favor of Lady Luck upon this rookie who had just stepped onto the battlefield—a miracle occurred!

I had barely taken two steps when a blob of green, thirty centimeters tall, its round eyes wide, suddenly appeared less than two meters ahead.

Instinctively, I leaned back, “hit the brakes,” and came to a halt before the slime.

The slime seemed not yet “awake,” staring blankly at the human before it. Big eyes met small.

A thousandth of a second later.

I moved!

Though it had been a year since I left the Infantry Mecha Academy, my long training had not left me out of shape.

With a swift slide and a burst of strength, I delivered a “ferocious” kick at the precious little creature.

Yet my rapid reflexes and textbook attack stance drew no admiration. Instead, a few players in the distance, seeing someone armed with a dagger resort to such antics, burst out laughing.

If White Valentine were here, he’d surely regret giving the short dagger to the scavenger Kirin—this fellow clearly lacked sense, attacking a slime with his foot despite holding a dagger, and kicking a creature barely thirty centimeters tall at that.

“Critical hit! You struck the slime’s vital point, dealing 1 point of damage!”

My toe landed squarely on the slime’s wide-open eye. At that instant, the system relayed the battle report to my mind.

A rare critical effect!

But even rarer was dealing just one point of damage to the slime—an outcome to make any witness weep.

Yet I was wholly absorbed in the peculiar sensation of the kick, oblivious to the system’s prompt. Otherwise, the latter half alone would have knocked me off balance.

…

The moment I kicked, my body felt off.

Too slow!

And my strength was oddly lacking, as if my leg simply couldn’t muster much power.

This discomfort left me uneasy, but I did not forget I was on the battlefield.

As the slime was struck, its soft green body contracted sharply!

Was it unharmed by my attack?

My heart quivered, a sudden sense of danger flooding in. My mind swiftly conjured the scene I’d witnessed on my way here—a spray of green liquid erupting from a split slime.

Acid Spit!

…

Eyes narrowed, I quickly locked onto the direction and range of the slime’s acid attack, and decisively dodged aside.

Splat!

A jet of oily green sludge shot past me like a cannonball.

“Slime—attack missed!”

This time, I heard the system’s prompt loud and clear.

But I had no intention of tangling further with the slime. The odd state of my body left me unsure. To fight is to know yourself and your enemy—if you can’t even understand your own condition, what’s the point?

Feet tapping, I swiftly withdrew from the slime’s range as it readied its next wave of “spit.”

The moment I exited the battle zone, a dozen civilians surged forward.

The poor slime, unable to avenge the kick, was utterly overwhelmed by countless unfamiliar humans.

I paid no heed to its fate, frowned at my own hands and feet, and punched the air before me. In the next moment, my heart sank.

My strength…

Had been restricted!

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A little encouragement with a recommendation vote would be appreciated.