Peeking out of my possible ‘unused storage room’ hideout, I tried to pick out anything I could use as a weapon. Fighting slimes barehanded is just the height of stupidity, unless you’re a monk or some other class that specializes in fighting barehanded. The Bajir’s natural body blades would be so useful right now…

No point in empty wishes, though. Just need something, anything would - hmm? Is that what I think it is?

Oh, it most certainly would do.

Taking a deep breath to help focus my control over my still weak body, I slide the door open wider and dashed as silently as I could to the building across from me. In my peripheral vision I notice that all the structures around me seem to be made of packed earthen walls and wooden doors, as well as glass windows. Very interesting. Maybe once I finish this fight I’ll be able to explore and see why this place is constructed so.

Assuming that my hunches are correct and I survive, that is.

I also noticed something that was even more important than infrastructure. A slight breeze between my legs and a gentle slapping…

Dammit, couldn’t have woken up with clothes this time?!

Fighting in the nude isn’t too hard, but wow is it annoying. This needs to be fixed as soon as possible, but not is not the time.

In a few moments I reach my target, a length of hardened wood with a base that could comfortably fit in the palm of my hand and a thick head (get your mind out of the gutter, you pervert!). I think back in my first world it would be similar to...what was it...a baseball bat? Might be what it was called. Here, though, this was clearly just a basic club, probably used to train new fighters, getting them accustomed to the weight of heavier weapons. It was discarded along the wall of this building, which I did not have time to identify since the slime seemed to have noticed me. Thankfully, the wooden club was not too heavy for me, though I took it in both hands just to be sure the slight strain was shared across both hands.

Alright now, let’s see what this baby could do.

But before that - DODGE!

The approaching slime just leapt up to attack me, but I made a quick sidestep to avoid it, leaving it to bounce off the wall. It rebounded in my direction, but I anticipated it and sidestepped again. This time, when the slime landed, it bounced forward a little to cancel its momentum, then turned around to face me again. Which makes absolutely no sense since it has no face. Well, at least this world doesn’t have to face copyright infringement...yes, my jokes are horrible, sue me. Wait, please don’t sue me, I have no money yet. Actually, even if I did have money I wouldn’t want to be -

DODGE!

Sigh, this really is the worst part of ‘waking up’, my mind is too scattered and unfocused. If I don’t get my act together I will be killed...again. Not the biggest deal, if I am totally honest, but I would only welcome it if I knew that it was the ‘final’ death.

Actually...that’s it. That is what I will use this iteration for. I will find a way to die, once and for all. There will be no more new iterations. This will be the last. A hundred lives have been more than enough.

With that thought, my mind finally settled into place. So far, I have been avoiding the slime by instinct alone, making exaggerated movements, wasting precious energy. Now, with at least one goal in mind, everything became calm. My breathing evened out, my eyes focused, my grip tightened. I was ready.

The slime, being the unintelligent creature that it was, did not notice my changes. It continued to charge blindly at me, which, to be fair, is not a bad strategy for a slime. It doesn’t feel pain and has unlimited stamina, so in theory it has the advantage over puny humans. Eventually it should be able to catch me and eat me, then continue on with its day.

Too bad its opponent is me.

I observe the slime as it continues to chase me, noting the timing of its jumps, watching for the walls where it could bounce back into me. With each pass I feel my soul adjusting to my body, granting greater control, allowing me to use less effort to avoid each attack. Soon enough I feel and look as if I am taking a casual stroll, not a care in the world.

It was at this point that I struck finally struck back.

I shifted my position slightly so that when the slime next lunged at me it would hit the wall behind me. And, just as I predicted, it bounced off the wall again, trying to catch me from the new angle. I sidestepped for what I hoped was the final time.

When the slime does its little ‘double jump’ and hits the ground, it takes a little longer to get back into motion, in the same way that a sack of beans remains on the ground after it smacks against a wall. And this is the moment that I capitalize, using the motion of my sidestep, converting it into a twist of my body, swinging my club up above my head in a two-handed grip, and letting gravity assist me as I bring it down hard onto the slime.

“WHHOOOAAAAAAAHHHH!”

I couldn’t help but release a cry at the same time, slightly increasing my output as my club smashed into the slime’s slightly flattened body. The timing was perfect, as it had just touched the ground half a second before my shaft made its impact (oh, just go ahead and think it, filthy minded people). The membrane, caught between the force exerted by the ground and the force exerted by my wood, popped like a balloon, splattering my lower body and making me frown deeply.

...I really do not want to think about what I look like now.

Gooey mess ignored for the time being, I quickly flicked my dripping club, knocking the core away from the rest of the slime. Without any idea as to whether this core is mucous-binding or -producing, I decided to take no chances and just combine two solutions: crack it and send it flying with one strike. I ran over to grab it, intending to give it a good ole home run, but -

You have obtained your first Attribute Core.

...Huh. Things just got a lot more interesting.