[Haywood, The Slime Enthusiast wishes to transfer ownership of '??? (pet)' to you.]

[Do you accept?]

'A hidden quest! Slime Enthusiast?'

It seemed like Rust had accidentally set Haywood on a strange path.

'But what's this about loving slimes? A blatant lie. It's a tradition!'

Rust was complaining but was boiling with excitement on the inside. Hidden quests were rare, and he had only managed to complete one before. It was what awarded him with the luck stat.

He accepted ownership without a second thought.

Now being the owner, Rust picked up the small vial between his index and thumb.

"What is it?"

While it looked like some kind of liquid, he realized it wasn't. Whatever was contained within clumped together when he shook it. It kinda looked like a...

"It's a slime. I think."

Haywood looked unsure as he answered Rust.

"You think?"

Rust didn't understand. It either was a slime or it wasn't.

"It should be."

Haywood gave a nod.

"It should be?"

Had Rust made a mistake in accepting ownership too fast? This whole situation seemed strange.

Haywood scratched his chin and seemed to be thinking.

"I've been trying to find alternative uses for slime cores. Then this thing appeared."

Rust nodded his head like he understood.

'Hey, hey, didn't you skip the most important part?'

This was unlike the normal Haywood. He had always been direct and to the point.

The reason for Haywood's vagueness was simple. It was embarrassment. Haywood had big pride in his alchemy. So when he had ruined half his lab with an experiment, it wasn't something he would tell others. The worst part was that he couldn't even remember what he did!

A staring contest began.

'Wait, that's it?'

Rust had gained absolutely no useful information.

Rust, the one who wanted answers, and Haywood, the one who couldn't give them kept staring at each other.

Seconds ticked by.

Rust couldn't help but laugh evilly within.

'If it's a staring contest you want, bring it on.'

Rust had complete confidence in himself. He had once stared at himself in the mirror for 30 minutes without blinking. Haywood wouldn't even be an opponent.

As usual, Rust was misunderstanding. Haywood didn't speak because he didn't know what else to say.

Minutes started passing.

In the end, Haywood was the one to speak first.

"I'll give you 5 health potions if you leave."

Was this a way to treat someone you had known for 6 years? Of course not, but the current Rust was freaking him out. He hadn't blinked in 5 minutes!

"Deal!"

'No wai-'

In the end, Rust had forgotten about his original purpose for a brief moment.

After receiving the potions, and saying goodbye, Rust was now standing outside the alchemy shop.

The blue vial was in his hand.

'Let's take a look. This is the easiest way to find out.'

Rust popped open the tiny vial and poured its content into his hand.

The blue 'thing' was small. Barely half a finger in size.

Rust had trouble believing it was even alive, but as if to prove him wrong, the blue 'thing' started squirming.

???

Level: 1

Health: ?/?

Mana: ?/?

Stamina: ?/?

? Strength

? Agility

? Dexterity

? Endurance

? Spirit

? Vitality

? Intelligence

Available stat points: 0

Skill: [?]

Skill: [?]

Title: [?]

[This creature is beyond your understanding.]

[Would you like to name '???']

'What the hell.'

This was far from what Rust had expected. The entire 'thing's' status screen was a big question mark. The only information he could get was its level. The game even told him he couldn't understand what it was.

Green, purple, red, gold, etc. A multitude of colored slimes existed, but he never heard of a blue one. It made Rust doubt if Haywood even knew what it was himself.

'A name, huh.'

How was he supposed to name something when he didn't even know what it was. The only thing he knew was...

"Blue."

[Are you certain you want to name '???', 'Blue'?]

"Yes."

['???' was given the name 'Blue'.]

Rust felt satisfied with the name.

The pet lovers of the world would have beaten up Rust up if they knew. Most players would spend a large amount of time when deciding on a name for a pet. Rust had done so in seconds and in the most basic way.

It now had a name, but everything else still remained a mystery.

Rust shrugged.

'If I keep playing, I'll be bound to find out eventually.'

Rust wasn't too bothered. Things like this are what kept Battleheart so interesting. Not to mention having a travel companion would be a nice change of pace.

He was uncertain how much companionship Blue would provide. But he decided to stay positive.

"Are you ready, Blue?"

Blue gave off a slight shiver in his hand.

Rust assumed it meant yes.

Rust turned around and took a final look at Haywood's shop.

'I won't be back.'

It wasn't meant as an insult. It was a simple display of determination to not not start over again.

Rust didn't know it at the time, but he would have to return in the future.

"Go Blue!"

Rust threw Blue towards the approaching goblin.

[Critical Strike!]

[Blue has dealt 1 damage.]

['Male Goblin' has been blinded for 2 seconds.]

By luck or otherwise, Blue had taken a direct path towards its eyes. Rust wouldn't let the 'blind' debuff go to waste.

He moved and planted his foot in the chest of the goblin as it stumbled around blindly.

[You have dealt 58 damage.]

And shortly followed up with a punch to its face.

[You have dealt 54 damage.]

The goblin got forced backward and shook it's head as the 'blind' debuff faded away.

Goblins had low intelligence and only used a single strategy. Attack, attack, and attack until someone died.

Staying true to its nature, it launched itself towards Rust.

The goblin's club set into motion.

Rust put his hands up to guard against the strike.

[You have suffered 41 damage.]

"Ouch."

Being hit by a club was unpleasant, to say the least.

Rust forced his way through the shock the club had brought his body and grabbed ahold of the goblin's head. His knee did major damage as he thrust it into the goblin's face.

[Critical Strike!]

[You have dealt 91 damage.]

Rust was actually more than capable of avoiding the goblin's club. The reason he didn't do so was two-fold. He needed to get used to fighting without a weapon. That included blocking as well. Weak goblins with clubs were the perfect opponent.

'Skill...'

The other reason was the hope that it would develop into a new skill.

The goblin hit the ground and turned into motes of light.

[You have defeated 'Male Goblin']

[You have gained 72 exp]

[You have received 'Goblin Tooth' x4]

[You have received 9 copper]

Rust smiled. "Only two more."

He brought up the quest information.

[Find My Teeth!.]

Difficulty: ☆

The self-proclaimed accessory genius known as Momok has given you a task. She wants you to collect 20 goblin teeth for her latest crafts project.

Momok is lacking in patience and asked you to return within nightfall.

Completion Status: 18/20 'Goblin Tooth'

Completion Reward: Momok's liking towards you will increase. A random accessory. 500 exp.

Failure Penalty: Momok's liking towards you will decrease. Witnessing a genius level temper tantrum.

Time Remaining: 6 Hours.

As a person who was willing to wear neon-green summer sandals in a middle-ages setting, he had no right to question her taste in accessories.

This was actually the first time he'd ever heard of or met Momok.

But 6 years had passed in Battleheart, so it wouldn't be strange for some new faces to show up among the NPCs.

Rust's quiet contemplations got interrupted by a weird sensation.

Looking down he could see Blue squirming up his leg. He gently cupped Blue into his hand.

"Good job, Blue."

The tiny Blue shivered. Did praising it make it happy?

[You merciless massacre has awoken the 'Goblin Chief'.]

[Prepare yourself for battle]

[Quest: 'Find My Teeth!' was updated.]

'Merciless? Massacre?'

This Goblin Chief was unreasonable. Not only had he hunted a small number of goblins, but he even allowed them to hit him! The game made it sound like he had slaughtered an entire village of women and children.

The Goblin Chief was what players called an Elite. Most of the time they were a stronger type of whatever monster was common to the area. Some people called them 'Mini-bosses', as they could be difficult to hunt solo.

The goblin chief stepped out from the biggest hut in the goblin camp. He was at least twice the size of a normal goblin and thrice as muscular. He looked more like an orc than a goblin.

Another difference was the equipment. Goblins in early zones wore loin cloths and used clubs. The Goblin Chief, however, wielded a sword which glittered in the sunlight. He also had a higher defense because of some basic leather armor.

Rust had a lot of experience playing Battleheart, but he still worried about the Goblin Chief. He hadn't even gotten his class yet. The bar was only halfway to level 10.

Honestly, he wanted to leave.

He took a look at the updated quest.

[Find My Teeth! And Tooth!.]

Difficulty: ☆☆

The self-proclaimed accessory genius know as Momok has given you a task. She wants you to collect 20 goblin teeth for her latest crafts project. She didn't tell you of her wish to use a goblin chief's tooth as the crowning jewel, because she does not yet trust your abilities. Prove your worth by bringing her both. Failure will cause rumors of the goblin chief to spread, and Momok will hear of your involvement and failure.

Momok is lacking in patience and asked you to return within nightfall.

Completion Status: 18/20 'Goblin Tooth', 0/1 'Goblin Chief Tooth'

Completion Reward: Momok's liking towards you will increase substantially. [Wolf Teeth Bracelet ☆], 1500 exp.

Failure Penalty: Momok's liking towards you will decrease substantially. Momok's temper tantrum skill will rise by 1 level. Witnessing a genius level temper tantrum.

Time Remaining: 6 Hours

He made a decision.

No, wasn't this blackmail? Why would he be blamed for not doing something he wasn't asked to do?

"Hang on."

Rust placed Blue on top of his head and rushed towards the goblin chief.

He wasn't confident in winning, so he wanted to end the fight as fast as possible.

The Goblin Chief showed the difference between an Elite and a normal goblin. It had much better reactions and swung the sword towards the nearing Rust.

Rust hesitated for a brief moment. He still hadn't faced sharp weaponry bare-handed.

That short moment was critical. It put Rust off balance as he jumped backward.

The Goblin Chief didn't let it slip. He stepped forwards and planted a solid kick in Rust's chest.

Was this revenge for the other goblin? There was no time to defend.

[You have suffered 82 damage.]

Rust felt the cold sweat flowing down his back. If the chief had used its sword again, he would've been in deep trouble.

If a simple kick did that amount of damage, he wouldn't want to know what it could do with the sword.

He only had one advantage. His brain. While it wasn't the best brain, it was still better than a goblin brain... He hoped.

Rust gathered his courage and ran towards the goblin chief again.

The same thing happened. When Rust neared, the chief swung his sword. This time Rust came prepared. The goblin had no time to react as Rust sidestepped the downwards swing.

"[Heavy Punch]"

This was Rust's secret weapon. Why was it secret? Because it was his only active skill and everybody should have a secret weapon. If possible, he would have liked some pocket sand.

By activating the skill, he could put more power behind his punch. At least that's what the skill said.

He could feel every muscle tighten as the fist collided with the goblin's nose.

[Critical Strike!]

[You have dealt 122 damage.]

['Goblin Chief' has been dizzied for 0,5 seconds.]

This was another effect of 'Heavy Punch' The dizzied status would make it harder to move.

The chief shrieked as his face became bloodied, and quickly tried to gain some distance.

But Rust wouldn't allow that. He stuck to the goblin, like glue. It was made significantly easier by the goblin's slowed movements.

Once, twice. Rust struck the goblin chief.

[You have dealt 44 damage.]

[You have dealt 47 damage.]

The goblin was panicking. It had never faced someone at Rust's level. Being the 'boss' in a beginner area surrounded by weak and stupid creatures never gave it a real challenge.

Rust felt hopeful and kept up the pressure.

[You have dealt 49 damage.]

Rust was smiling widely.

'I can do thi-'

[Blue has dealt 1 damage.]

[Goblin Chief has been blinded for 2 seconds.]

'Blue?'

The top of his head felt lighter, and he could see the tiny Blue falling towards the ground.

Being blinded brought the goblin chief to the breaking point. The goblin's panic and pain turned into boiling rage. Even while being blinded, it wildly swung it's sword full force.

The attack was too sudden. Rust didn't have time to dodge and could only block to the best of his ability.

[You have suffered 252 damage.]

[You are bleeding heavily. Health will be lost every second.]

Shock filled Rust's deathly pale face The pain wasn't as bad as you would imagine. What was worse was the psychological effect. What kind of person wouldn't be shocked at the sight of a wound which went all the way to the bone? It wasn't the first time something similar had happened to Rust, but that wasn't much of a comfort.

The goblin didn't give him time to think and swung it's sword again.

'Shi-'

Rust rolled away but couldn't fully avoid the sword.

[You have taken 50 damage.]

[You are bleeding. Health will be lost every second.]

More bleeding? There was a difference between bleeding normally and having the bleeding debuff inflicted on you. The latter would deal more damage, and in some cases scale with the attackers power. At least it wasn't as severe as the first strike.

Rust came to the conclusion that it had to be the sword. He had doubts that the goblin chief would have any titles or skills that inflicted bleeding.

[You are bleeding heavily. Health will be lost every second.]

[You are bleeding. Health will be lost every second.]

[Your health is at a critical level.]

'Damn it'

Rust sucked down a health potion. The warning told him that his health was currently below 20%.

His brain started working full force.

His chances of running were slim as the goblin most likely had higher stats than him. So he was quick to discard the thought.

His health potions would be able to keep the bleeding at bay, but he only had so many.

Rust looked at the goblin. It seemed to take pleasure in his pain and displayed a wide grin. It had no intention of attacking.

It was taunting him.

He only had one option. He would have to fight and kill the goblin without taking damage. The chances of success were slim at best.

'No.'

This was the kind of defeatist attitude that would lead to death.

Rust slapped himself across the face.

He would do it. He could do it. He would kill the goblin chief and survive.

[You have suffered 1 damage.]

"..."