Creation system

The moment the colossal slime achieved its full manifestation, Mitch felt the air itself shift around him.

Mana signatures blazed to life in his enhanced perception. At least five massive thorny vines erupted from the stone floor with earth-shaking force, their barbed surfaces gleaming with a sickly green luminescence.

His heart hammered against his ribs like a caged bird, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead despite the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

The wooden bat felt suddenly inadequate in his trembling grip, but he forced himself to move.

With a desperate leap, he launched himself sideways, feeling the razor-sharp thorns of one vine slice through his shirt and carve a burning line across his back.

"Mana ball!" he screamed, his voice echoing off the cavern walls as he thrust his left hand toward the towering slime boss.

The sphere of chaotic energy streaked through the air like a miniature comet, its unstable surface crackling with barely contained power.

The impact sent shockwaves through the chamber, and a thunderous explosion echoed off the stone walls.

Viscous green sludge splattered in all directions, some of it hissing where it struck the ground.

But even as Mitch watched, the massive creature began to regenerate. The damaged section flowed back together like liquid mercury, though he noticed with grim satisfaction that the slime had lost perhaps a tenth of its total mass.

The core within pulsed with malevolent intelligence, its glow intensifying as if registering his threat.

"Mana ball! Mana ball! Mana ball! Mana ball!" Mitch unleashed his remaining spells in rapid succession, each one accompanied by frantic movement as more vines erupted around him in a deadly forest of thorns.

He danced between the attacks with desperate agility, feeling the wind of near-misses ruffle his hair.

Several thorns found their mark, leaving shallow cuts across his arms and legs, but nothing that would slow him down.

Each explosion chipped away at the slime's mass, and by the time his mana was depleted, the creature stood only two-thirds of its original height.

But the vines showed no signs of stopping. They continued bursting from the ground with relentless fury, forcing him to maintain his exhausting dance of survival.

With his mana reserves empty and his options dwindling, Mitch made a desperate decision.

He charged directly at the diminished slime, weaving between the thorny obstacles with the fluid grace his enhanced body afforded him.

The creature's surface rippled as he approached, and he could feel the resistance as his bat connected, far denser than even the earth slimes he'd grown accustomed to defeating.

The impact sent jarring vibrations up his arms, but he pressed the attack, raining blow after blow on the creature's gelatinous form. Then he felt it, something coiling around his leg like a serpent of thorns and malice.

He looked down and his blood turned to ice. A massive vine, easily three times the thickness of the others, had emerged from behind the slime and wrapped around his leg with crushing force.

The thorns bit deep into his flesh, and he could feel warm blood soaking through his torn clothing.

"AHHHHH!" His scream of pain and fury echoed through the chamber as the vine lifted him effortlessly into the air. His bat clattered to the ground, and for a moment, he hung suspended like a fish on a line.

"Small pocket space!" The familiar tingling sensation washed over him as he materialized his wooden sword.

Without hesitation, he brought the blade down on the vine in a savage arc, the mana-enhanced wood slicing through the plant matter with surprising ease.

The vine recoiled with an almost animal-like shriek, releasing him abruptly. He plummeted toward the ground, but his relief was short-lived.

Through his enhanced senses, he could feel new mana signatures blazing to life directly beneath him, three more vines positioning themselves to skewer him like a human pin cushion.

The first pierced his left arm, sending lightning bolts of agony up to his shoulder. The second punctured his shoulder blade, and he felt the warm gush of blood as it found the gap in muscle and bone. The third merely grazed his torso, leaving a line of blood across his ribs.

He hit the ground hard, rolling to absorb the impact, and immediately forced himself to his feet.

Blood streamed from multiple wounds, mixing with the sweat that poured from his body in sheets.

His breath came in ragged gasps, and black spots danced at the edges of his vision.

"I can't keep this up," he gasped, dodging another vine that erupted where he'd been standing moments before.

His enhanced regeneration was working overtime, but it couldn't keep pace with the accumulating damage.

He continued his deadly dance, counting precious seconds as his mana slowly regenerated.

Each dodge cost him another cut, another bruise, another step closer to collapse. When he finally felt the familiar warmth of restored mana, he made his move.

This time, he approached the slime with grim purpose, his sword held ready. The massive vine that had nearly killed him before emerged again, seeking to repeat its success.

But Mitch was ready. His blade met the plant flesh in a shower of green ichor, and the vine recoiled with a sound like tearing silk.

In that moment of respite, he leaped directly onto the slime's surface, feeling the strange, yielding texture beneath his feet.

Without hesitation, he plunged his right arm deep into the creature's mass, pushing through the resistance until his hand was mere inches from the pulsing core.

"Mana ball!" The spell activated with devastating proximity, the explosion contained within the slime's own body.

The force shattered the bones in his hand like glass, and he felt the wet snap of breaking fingers even as a massive cavity opened in the creature's form.

Ignoring the searing pain, he drove his left arm even deeper, stretching until his fingertips brushed the smooth surface of the core.

The slime writhed around him, trying desperately to close the wound, but his enhanced strength allowed him to maintain his grip.

"Mana ball!" The final spell detonated against the core itself, and the effect was immediate and catastrophic.

The entire slime convulsed once, then simply... ceased. The massive form collapsed into rapidly evaporating puddles of green light, leaving Mitch standing alone in the suddenly quiet chamber.

A ornate wooden chest materialized where the slime had fallen, but Mitch barely registered its presence.

He collapsed to his knees, then onto his side, his breathing labored and shallow.

His hands were mangled ruins, fingers twisted at impossible angles, and blood pooled beneath him from dozens of wounds.

The healing process took hours, far longer than any injury he'd sustained before.

He lay there in the growing darkness, feeling his enhanced regeneration slowly knitting bone and flesh back together.

The pain was constant and overwhelming, but gradually, mercifully, it began to subside.

When he finally managed to sit up, his hands still trembled from residual trauma, and exhaustion weighed on him like a physical burden. The chest waited patiently, its wooden surface carved with intricate designs of slimes and vines.

The lid opened with a soft creak, releasing a gentle golden light that seemed to push back the chamber's shadows.

Inside, nestled in silk-lined compartments, was a wooden bracelet of remarkable craftsmanship. The dark brown wood was polished to a mirror finish, and circular indentations ran around its circumference like ancient runes.

"Inspect," he whispered, his voice hoarse from screaming.

[Tier 2 Wooden bracelet of regeneration - A bracelet created through magical means, possessing exceptional mana conductivity. It actively gathers ambient mana and transfers it to the wearer. Mana regeneration +5.]

"I should've gotten this before healing!" he said bitterly, giving the empty chest a frustrated kick that sent it skittering across the stone floor.

He slipped the bracelet onto his wrist, feeling an immediate warmth spread through his body.

His status window confirmed the improvement, his mana regeneration had indeed increased by five points, bringing his total to fifteen.

The chamber entrance had reopened with the boss's defeat, but a thorough search revealed no new passages or zones. This appeared to be the end of his underground adventure.

"This is it then," he murmured, taking one last look at the chamber that had nearly become his tomb.

The journey back to his camp was a humbling experience. Despite his healing, he found himself limping slightly on the leg that had been wrapped by the vine, and various other injuries made themselves known with every step.

His regeneration had stopped the bleeding, but complete recovery would take time.

He spent the remainder of that day and the entire next day in a healing trance, his enhanced body working overtime to repair the extensive damage.

But even as his physical wounds closed, his mind remained restless, cycling through the events of the battle and wondering what came next.

A return to the chamber revealed that new slimes had indeed spawned, but they were the same basic varieties he'd grown accustomed to fighting.

Despite his near-death experience, the thought of facing another boss for potential loot was tempting, especially with his improved mana regeneration.

The next day, he systematically eliminated every slime in the chamber, but no rumbling followed. No magical array appeared. The boss encounter had apparently been a one-time event, or there was a significant cooldown period he'd have to wait through.

Days passed in monotonous routine. He farmed the respawning slimes, tested his equipment, and waited for some sign of the boss's return. A full week elapsed before he accepted that it might not happen again soon, or ever.

During this period, he did achieve his next level:

Congratulations! You leveled up!

+1 Allocable status point!

+1 Mind status point!

+1 Mana storage status point!

The notification felt strangely hollow this time. There was no new skill, no dramatic revelation, just a subtle clearing of his thoughts and a slight increase in his mental acuity.

The rush of power he'd grown accustomed to was notably absent.

Accepting that his time in the chamber had run its course, Mitch began preparing for the next phase of his journey.

He crafted a new bat and sword, infusing them with mana before storing them in his pocket space.

He'd discovered that the dimensional storage somehow preserved the mana within objects, allowing him to keep powered weapons ready for instant use.

His pocket space was soon filled with mana-infused weapons and every berry he could find. The bracelet's constant mana regeneration meant he could afford to keep multiple items powered without significant drain on his reserves.

After one final survey of his makeshift camp, he crafted two sturdy walking sticks, technically wooden poles that qualified as weapons, and infused them with mana.

They would serve double duty as hiking aids and emergency weapons for the journey ahead.

The forest beyond his cave proved to be a revelation. After hours of walking, he began encountering the occasional slime, but they were scattered and easily dispatched. The real change came after five days of steady travel.

The mana density in the air increased dramatically, making each breath feel charged with potential energy.

The trees grew taller and more magnificent, their canopies forming a cathedral of green above him. Most importantly, food became abundant.

Fruit trees laden with apples, pears, and plums dotted the landscape. Berry bushes offered varieties he'd never seen before, and mushrooms pushed up through the rich forest floor in colorful profusion.

"Inspect," he said, examining each discovery carefully.

[White and red mushroom – Toxic. Consumption may cause hallucinations and paralysis.]

[Brown cap mushroom – Edible. Provides basic nutrition with mild earthy flavor.]

[Blue magic mushroom – Toxic. Crafting ingredient. Contains concentrated mana that can be dangerous when consumed but useful for alchemical purposes.]

[Apple – Edible. Sweet and nutritious, grown in mana-rich soil.]

The abundance was almost overwhelming after weeks of subsisting on berries and the occasional fish. He sampled each safe variety, savoring flavors that seemed enhanced by the ambient mana that suffused everything in this region.

"Oink, oink!"

The sound was so unexpected that Mitch nearly dropped the apple he'd been examining. He spun around to see a wild boar charging toward him through the underbrush, its tusks gleaming with an otherworldly light that spoke of mana enhancement.

The creature was massive, easily twice the size of any boar he'd seen in his previous world.

Its elongated fangs curved upward like ivory daggers, and he could feel the magical energy radiating from them like heat from a forge.

Despite the danger, Mitch found himself smiling. After days of walking through empty forest, the prospect of a real fight sent adrenaline surging through his system.

He swallowed reflexively, his mouth suddenly dry, and raised his palm toward the charging beast.

"Mana ball!" The spell erupted from his hand with practiced ease.

Your efforts get rewarded! +5xp!

The notification appeared even before his spell made contact, confusing him. "I didn't even kill it yet. What's the experience for?"

The mana ball struck the boar's flank with a wet impact, tearing away a chunk of flesh and hide.

Blood sprayed across the forest floor, and a dangling piece of meat swayed with the creature's movement. But the boar didn't slow, if anything, the injury seemed to enrage it further.

Its small eyes turned blood-red, and it released a deafening squeal that echoed through the trees. The massive head lowered, bringing those deadly tusks to bear as it continued its charge.

Mitch's second mana ball found its mark perfectly, striking the boar's skull with devastating force.

The creature's head simply disintegrated in a shower of blood, bone fragments, and gray matter.

The corpse's momentum carried it forward in a grotesque tumble, forcing Mitch to leap aside as it crashed past him.

Despite his dodge, gore splattered across his clothes and skin. The metallic smell of blood filled his nostrils, and chunks of what had once been a living creature's brain dripped from his shirt.

His stomach lurched violently. The acrid taste of bile rose in his throat, and his mouth flooded with saliva.

He'd killed slimes and insects without a second thought, but this was different. This was warm blood, real flesh, a creature that had breathed and felt pain.

"I might've let you go if you didn't attack me," he said weakly, his eyes watering as he finished retching. The words felt hollow, an inadequate apology to a creature that could no longer hear him.

Despite his revulsion, practical necessity won out. He retrieved his wooden knife and began the grisly task of butchering the carcass.

The work was clumsy, he'd never butchered an aniamal before, but he persevered, determined not to waste the meat.

The hide came away in ragged strips, and he scraped muscle from bone with growing confidence.

It was messy work, but as he progressed, he felt an unexpected pride in his self-sufficiency. This was survival in its most basic form.

Within the ruined skull, he discovered something unexpected: a small, crystalline core that pulsed with residual mana.

"Inspect," he said, wiping blood from his hands.

[Tier 2 Small wild boar core - Can be converted to experience points or used in crafting.]

[1 x Small wild boar core converted into 20 xp points!]

The core dissolved into motes of light that flowed into his body, bringing with it a familiar warmth. Twenty experience points was a significant boost, more than he'd gained from several slimes combined.

The boar's tusks had maintained their mana signature even after death. Each was roughly the length of his hand, and when he tested them with his knife, the blade couldn't even scratch their surface.

They were clearly meant for more than just decoration.

[Tier 2 Boar tusk - A naturally mana-enhanced weapon. Despite its organic origin, it possesses remarkable durability and sharpness. Can be used as a crafting component or improvised weapon.]

That evening, he made camp beside a small stream and constructed a proper fire pit.

The boar meat sizzled over the flames, filling the air with an aroma that made his mouth water despite his earlier revulsion.

He'd eaten meat before, of course, but this was different. Perhaps it was the extended period of simple foods, or maybe the traces of mana within the flesh, but each bite was a revelation.

The meat was tender and flavorful, with a richness that seemed to energize his entire body.

He found himself missing the simple pleasures of his old life, salt, barbecue sauce, cooking oil, all the processed foods he'd taken for granted. But the boar meat helped fill that void, connecting him to something primal and satisfying.

His journey continued through increasingly diverse terrain.

He encountered deer that bounded away on legs that sparked with electrical energy, more boars that he dispatched with growing efficiency, and even glimpsed a wolf that seemed to evaluate him as a potential threat before wisely choosing to avoid confrontation.

The sound of running water eventually drew him to a small river, its crystal-clear waters reflecting the mana-charged sky above. The sight of fish swimming in lazy circles beneath the surface gave him an idea.

"Mana ball," he said, targeting a cluster of fish near the bank.

The underwater explosion sent shockwaves through the water, and several fish immediately floated to the surface, killed instantly by the concussive force. It was perhaps not the most sporting method of fishing, but it was undeniably effective.

The fish proved to be ordinary specimens, no mana signatures, no cores, just clean protein that cooked well over his evening fire. He decided to follow the river for a while, using it as both a water source and a natural navigation aid.

For several days, his routine remained pleasant and relatively safe. He fought the occasional boar, caught fish for variety, and made steady progress through the forest.

The nights were peaceful, filled with the gentle sounds of flowing water and nocturnal wildlife.

But on the fourth night along the river, something changed.

Mitch was settling down for sleep when movement in his peripheral vision made him freeze.

Something large was moving through the trees, something that walked on legs thick as tree trunks and moved with predatory grace.

He held his breath, not daring to move as the creature approached his campsite. In the dim light of his dying fire, he caught a glimpse of something that made his blood run cold: a spider the size of a horse, its multiple eyes reflecting the flames like malevolent stars.

The creature paused at the edge of his camp, its alien intelligence clearly evaluating him.

For a long moment, predator and prey regarded each other across the flickering firelight. Then, as silently as it had come, the spider melted back into the darkness.

Mitch lay awake for hours afterward, every shadow suspect, every sound potentially threatening.

Was he losing his mind from isolation, imagining monsters in the darkness? Or was there truly something out there, watching him with hungry eyes?

He hoped for the former, but deep in his heart, he knew the truth. The forest held dangers he was only beginning to understand, and his journey was far from over.