Grind For Early Levels

I slowly made my way to Mondorus the next neighbouring town, now most adventures would decide to go out into the nearby forest and defeat the average enemy's of slimes and the such to get some better experience for later challenges as monster's would only get tougher and tougher. I was well aware of this tactic (well less tactic more common sense) but there was one thing stopping me from charging head first past the magic barrier and straight into the forest, fear.

I was using my calm and causal walk to Mondorus as a way of ignoring the issue, I was well aware that going into that forest would cause me less pain in the future, but being brought up your entire life barley leaving your own house to suddenly having to steal up the courage to go and fight monster's is easier said then done not to mention all the expectations put on me by John and the literal Goddess herself. Just as I was beginning to think that "maybe going to Mondorus first wouldn't be such a bad idea" I remembered John's proud look in his eyes as I told him about my quest, the look a parent would feel about their son getting into the best school in the world. I grabbed the photo of us from one of my bag's many pockets and started at it seeing that same twinkle in his eyes "I couldn't betray that, I was accustomed to giving up, accustomed to stopping because it was to difficult, but I'll be dammed if I give up on that trust.

I stopped my steps, turned my body, stared at the deep jungle which lay before me, took one much needed deep breath and walked in. Through the magic barrier, through my fear and into my first true experience as an adventurer. And as weird as it sounds this forest was almost magical to me, my only experience was reading about it from old books which the local library would lend me or watching it from my top floor window, which was as exciting as it sounds so finally seeing birds soar above my head or hear the sounds of leaves and sticks crunching underfoot (even if embarrassingly it made me jump more times than I'd care to admit) was all new to me. As much as I wish I could have enjoyed the beautiful greenery that surrounded me, I had to be careful, who knows what could be lurking in these woods so I started slowly taking very precise and careful steps, trying to make as little noise as possible so that if I did see a monster I could go in for a sneak attack, I know I know not very heroic but cut me some slack here.

Right when I thought that my sneaking strategy was over thinking things, a rustle quaked from a pile of leaves in front of me something much larger then the petite birds that gave it mild shakes before. Unlike what I always thought I would do in this kind of situation and keep still like my legs were frozen out of fear, my legs did the exact opposite, diving the rest of my body into a nearby bush at speeds I didn't know I was capable of and with a firm hand placed over my mouth I watched as the creature appeared from the cluster of nature.

It wasn't human, that much was definite, instead of a pale skin tone, it was a light ocean blue, instead of still, stagnant movements it jiggled and sloshed as it moved and instead of soft, warm skin it was cold and gooey all adorned with two large rounds breasts and and a supple ass, there was no mistaking it, this was a slime girl. "I could have sworn I heard something over" The slime girl asked confused, looking around, I coward in my bush, a wild range of emotions went flashing through my mind. One half was of lust, seeing such a beautiful looking women, human or not it caused me to feel emotions I would never ever admit to manly on her breasts, for a women to just have her breasts out like that, that's indecent right?.

The other half was of terror, much like with this forest, my only exposure was of the books in the library detailing most monster that existed of things such as common personality traits, favourable living conditions and the like, the only weird things was that every second page was ripped out by the librarian who handed it to me. I did find one ripped page once, before the librarian snatched and scolded me for looking at it, the only thing I remember was seeing a word called "mating" whatever that means. My mind went rampant about just what kind of cruel way's would this slime kill me if she saw me, would she block my mouth and nose with her slime and suffocate/drown me at the same time or is that goo acidic, my body shuddered just thinking about it, I'll just wait here, let here pass and just go to Mondorus cause that's what an ordinary person would do.

I stared down at the ground below me, "But I'm not supposed to be an ordinary person am I" I thought to myself "I'm supposed to be someone who goes out and protects other not the one in need of protecting, I'm not victim I'm the hero" It was a cliché pep talk but hey I felt motivated so I guess it did the trick. "I guess it was just my imagination" The slime girl said with a hind of disappointment in her voice as she slowly made her way back into the thick leaves "Stop right there" I said with my most confident sounding voice I could muster as I jumped onto a nearby log, almost losing my balance but that's beside the point. "I-I am the one and o-only hero of the goddess herself I-if you wish to keep your life then turn back n-now", I had practised that very line in the mirror a few hour's earlier, only now realizing just how corny it sounded which certainly wasn't aided by my shaky voice and almost as shaky legs not just from trying to steady my balance but also embarrassment. I hoped that my declaration would scare the slime off back into the forest or if I was lucky maybe she would even join my side as a companion. I was not however expecting her actual response.