Rewards, first Guild mission, and night.
Looking at the map, this seemed to be the last room of the dungeon. I had already killed all the slimes in it; I didn't think much about it, they were just slimes. The only one that seemed to be sentient was the Mother slime.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: How did it go again? "I, Devas Asura, promise that as long..." Ha ha, I can't, it's too funny even to write! (Iron Man emote laughing and rolling on the floor).
And it wasn't easy not to think about it, since I had to endure this every five minutes!
[BlakeHuntressLive]: It was cute, there's a similar scene in my book.
[WhiteHuntressLive]: Don't talk about your adult content here, Blake!
[YellowHuntressLive]: My little sister finally had her first crus-
[BlakeHuntressLive]: Ruby pounced on her, let me separate the two before they break something or knock over the beds.
At least they were having fun; I just wanted to take a shower and get out of this place.
[WiseWizardGleam]: I'm still fascinated by the idea of other worlds. This device is incredible too. What did you call it? 'Cellular'?
The new guy was someone curious; I still didn't know who he was, and he seemed to enjoy that mysterious vibe, so I didn't ask. But he had many questions from the moment he found out what the stream was; he asked several about the world I was in, the monsters, even questions for Stark and Red.
Well, since he didn't know either of them, I could eliminate Marvel and Remnant from the possible worlds he comes from.
Looking at the map one last time to make sure I had explored everything, I pressed the button to exit the dungeon and was bombarded with several messages from the stream.
(Dungeon completed: Achievement unlocked - Building Demolisher! - 1000 SP!)
(Dungeon completed 100%: Achievement unlocked - Nothing hides from me! - 5000 SP!)
(Dungeon completed: Resource unlocked - Phantom Copy!)
A lot of SP and another resource. Reading quickly, the new resource basically allowed me to redo the dungeon once a day, but instead of having live monsters like now, they would be copies of the monsters I killed.
The reward for completing a phantom dungeon would also be lower than completing it for the first time, but it was better than not being able to do the dungeon anymore.
And finally, the rewards.
Just like when I got the starter package, an icon appeared on the cell phone for me to press. Clicking on the icon, a small cardboard box appeared in front of me with the words written.
(Congratulations!! You completed the dungeon 100%!)
I feel like someone's mocking me somewhere.
Inside the box were some items. To my delight, four more small health potions; next to the potions, a blue bracelet, a sheet with a cloud drawn on it, and finally, a black-covered book.
There was nothing to explain the items, so I guess I would need to spend SP to analyze them myself, but first. Taking the potion from my pocket, I removed the makeshift bandages from my face and back, along with the chainmail, leaving me shirtless.
[WhiteHuntressLive]: W...w.why are you getting naked?! Aren't you ashamed?! And why are you taking off the bandages!
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: Damn, they did a number on you, you look like shit. (Iron Man emote waving)
[WiseWizardGleam]: Is that wise, young man? Leaving those wounds exposed doesn't seem good to me, or does it have something to do with that little bottle with the red liquid? (Emote of an old bearded man scratching his chin)
Only White, the others must still be 'fighting'. Stark, as always, Captain Obvious and... "Yes, Wizard, it's a healing potion, I don't want anything to hinder the healing process."
Now, did I need to remove the cloth that got stuck to my shoulder? Or would the potion expel anything that wasn't part of my body? It was better not to risk it.
Grabbing the rest of my t-shirt and making an improvised gag, I took my sword from the inventory. This was going to hurt.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: I think I know where this is going, balls, man, you've got balls.
[RedHuntressLive]: What! Why did he gag himself and grab the sword! What's he going to do??
[WiseWizardGleam]: You might want to close your eyes, girl. It won't be pretty.
Taking a deep breath and gritting my teeth, I thrust the sword into my shoulder and began cutting the skin that had melted and fused with my shirt.
[RedHuntressLive]: AHHHH! I can't watch this!
[YellowHuntressLive]: She's hiding under the covers. I'll stay with her for a bit, but seriously, balls in the face. (Emote of a yellow bear waving in approval).
There were other messages besides these two, but I was too focused on performing this improvised operation to pay attention. I wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible. It hurt like hell!
Fortunately, the Mother slime's acid seemed to have hardened the skin, along with the shirt and the melted remains of the chainmail. I didn't need to spend too long cutting small pieces. It was like peeling a big scab; I just had to pull once.
In the end, I was cold sweating. My shoulder was raw, with parts of the bone showing. The wound on my back seemed to have reopened and started bleeding again alongside the cut on my face due to the strain on my muscles.
[WhiteHuntressLive]: I think I'm going to vomit...
[BlakeHuntressLive]: It's just a little blood, don't be such a drama queen, Weiss.
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: You've got guts, I have to admit that. (Emote of Iron Man nodding in approval).
[WiseWizardGleam]: Foolishness and courage go hand in hand, but if you were here, you'd probably be a lion.
Ignoring the messages, I quickly grabbed the potion. I could feel my vision getting blurry. I had lost a lot of blood. I'd probably pass out in a few seconds. I needed to be fast.
Holding the potion with my good arm, I opened the lid with my teeth and drank the entire contents in a single gulp. It was instantaneous; the first place where the potion seemed to take effect was on the cut on my face, closing it rapidly and leaving a scar.
After my shoulder, I watched, fascinated, once again. I could see the muscles intertwining, tendons regrowing along with the flesh, and then the skin over it. My shoulder looked new.
And finally, the cut on my back closed completely, probably leaving a scar as well.
I moved my shoulder to make sure, but nothing hurt. My back didn't hurt when I walked, nor did my face when I spoke. I was practically one hundred percent; even my energy had mostly returned!
Now, let's see what I had really gained. Taking the sheet first, I placed it in front of the phone and scanned it with Analyze: Item.
After a few seconds, a price appeared on the screen: "(89 SP required to fully scan this item!)"
I had plenty of SP. I pressed the button without hesitation. It took a few more seconds, and a small description appeared.
(Name: Magic Tattoo - Cloud / Description: A sheet of paper with the essence of a cloud sealed within it. Place the sheet on the area of the body where you want the tattoo to be applied and wait a few seconds.)
Jackpot! Damn, this paper was the equivalent of Cloud in a Bottle from Terraria. I just needed to choose the tattoo's location and apply it.
[RedHuntressLive]: A double jump! How cool! It's almost like a free Semblance! (Emote of Little Red Riding Hood with stars in her eyes).
[WhiteHuntressLive]: That! This would revolutionize the world! An extra Semblance for every Huntsman and Huntress, no matter how weak, would change everything!
[WiseWizardGleam]: Curious, magic that can be transferred by paper, magical ink? Or is the magic in the paper itself? (Emote of a hat with eyes and a mouth and a question mark on its head).
[GeniusBillionairePlayboy]: That's cool and all, but it's a pretty cute little cloud. It'll draw attention to you, quite girly, isn't it? (Emote of Iron Man laughing).
Stark was right, not about it being girly, but a tattoo would attract attention. I hadn't seen anyone with a tattoo in this world yet.
Aside from the greave on my left leg, I lifted my pants and placed the sheet there. It wasn't anything too magical or flashy; the cloud design simply appeared on my calf.
Putting the sheet in my inventory, I tried to jump. The moment I jumped, I could feel that I could do it again, almost instinctively. My body knew I could still jump again.
An illusory cloud appeared under my feet, giving me support to jump once more into the air. I landed on the ground with a smile. I had power! It was somewhat weak, but it was mine!
Smiling, I analyzed the rest of the items. The second one was a bracelet; it cost a bit more, 96 SP.
(Name: Slime Hook / Description: A bracelet containing the essence of hundreds of blue slimes, with the ability to release up to three sticky cords that attach to the first surface they hit.)
A hook and a double jump. I had the basic Terraria mobility set, which in real life meant I was a discount Spider-Man. That was already excellent. I put the bracelet on my right arm and took the last item from the box.
The book. I didn't need to spend any SP on it since I could read what was written. It was a surprise because there were words on the cover.
(Hi'as's Diary)
It was someone's diary. I would read it later when I got to the inn. For now, I had one last item to analyze, the item I took from the mimic.
Taking the strange ring from my inventory, it still pulsed, as if it were alive. It was also the most expensive to analyze, a whopping 700 SP! But the price was worth it.
(Name: Heart Valve / Description: A valve that appears on top of a mimic's heart when it reaches adulthood. It serves to regulate its metabolism, converting mana into energy, allowing the mimic to go for months, even years, without eating anything, just waiting for its next prey.)
[WiseWizardGleam]: A valuable artifact. I know some people who would love to analyze it. I find it fascinating myself! (Emote of an old man with bright eyes).
[RedHuntressLive]: Cool! But I don't think I could go without my cookies. But it would be great for an extended mission!
[YellowHuntressLive]: You're still young, Ruby. This is every woman's dream, not having to eat and staying healthy. I'd kill for that! Do you know how hard it is to maintain this body of mine? (Emote of a girl with golden curls posing in front of a mirror).
[WhiteHuntressLive]: (Snow White waving).
I owe it to my paranoia. I didn't know if I had mana or not. If I put the valve on as a ring and it started working, I didn't know what could happen.
Curiously, Blake was the only one I had never seen send an emote. I wonder why.
Leaving the copper sword resting on my waist and the bracelet on my wrist, I stored the rest of the items in my inventory. It was time to return to the kingdom.
The walk back was peaceful. I used a nearby river to wash up, still in my clothes, of course. I'm sure no one from the stream would want to see my naked body.
Finishing washing up, I resumed my peaceful walk. It was early afternoon, and the weather was nice. The only thing bothering me were the random slimes that appeared to die, but other than that, it was good.
Returning to the kingdom, I managed to enter without anyone asking questions. It seems that shirtless and wet people are a common occurrence here. Shrugging, I went to Emily's shop. Who was I to question something that helped me?
The person at the counter was Markus. Greeting him, the man asked me about the scar on my face. I just nodded and said I knew a wizard who healed me; he seemed to accept that explanation.
I bought some new clothes and changed in the shop's bathroom, putting the rest into my inventory.
Finishing everything, I left the store and bought a meat skewer on the street. I didn't bother thinking about where the meat came from; I was hungry, that was enough.
Arriving at the Guild, I headed to the mission hall. Let's see what I could do before ending the day. Scanning for a while, I found one that caught my attention.
[Copper Mission: Slime Extermination, Gel Delivery: Bring 2 liters of gel / Reward 20 coppers, 5 coppers more for each extra liter of gel - Time limit: 10 hours]
I took the paper and went to the nearest counter without bothering to look for Nyssa. The attendant confirmed the mission and gave me the contact's location for when I would deliver the gel.
Well, now I could either go directly to the contact and deliver the gel I had on hand, or I could go kill some more slimes. Looking at my inventory, I saw I had a bit over five liters of gel from the common slimes. I was still energetic from the potion; it wouldn't hurt to get a bit more.
The next few hours were repetitive, but I appreciated the calmness. Basically, I killed slimes in the forest near the kingdom and chatted with viewers, mainly Wizard; the guy had a lot of questions.
When I had approximately twenty liters of gel in my inventory, I went to a store and bought two buckets to put the gel in, then I went to the mission contact.
Walking to the location, it was a small clinic on the outskirts of the kingdom. It wasn't a very luxurious or wealthy-looking place, but I could see it was well-maintained and clean.
After knocking a few times on the door, I waited until a woman opened the door and attended to me. I didn't waste much time, exchanged a few words to make sure she was the person who posted the mission, and left one silver and ten coppers richer than before.
I returned to the Guild and picked up more missions similar to that: killing slimes, helping paint houses, trimming bushes, trees, simple tasks.
It was already night when I returned to the inn. There was about an hour left for the stream to shut down on its own, so I just sat in a corner of the inn, drinking and chatting with the (CHAT). When the stream shut off, I went to my room to sleep. Today had been a full day; tomorrow would be another.
As I lay down, I fell asleep almost as soon as I touched the mattress. My body and mind were exhausted from the day.
Unbeknownst to me, even as I walked on the street at night on my way back to the inn, my body refused to look up. Like an instinct, my body refused to gaze at the moon.