PLAYER SYSTEM C12 FIRST QUEST VIII

The battlefield had been chaotic just moments ago, with the Gelatine Slimes overwhelming the adventurer party through sheer numbers and sticky, debilitating attacks. But then, the tide began to turn—thanks to Jack.

With a single sweeping motion of his dagger, waves of radiant light erupted from him in wide arcs, slicing through multiple slimes at once.

“Whoa! Larkight’s amazing!” a fighter exclaimed. “He’s practically a one-man army!”

“Incredible... is he really just a priest? Maybe he’s already a Holy Knight in disguise,” another adventurer muttered in awe.

Albert stood still, watching the fight with furrowed brows as Jack eliminated slime after slime. Dozens of corpses jiggled and melted into useless residue around him.
‘This guy
 He was struggling just a little while ago, and now he’s cutting through them like a seasoned veteran...’ Albert shook his head. ‘Maybe the Village Chief was right. Maybe the Summoned Heroes really can replace us.’

Inside the protective carriage, Asha peered through the window, her eyes sparkling.
“I knew it
 I knew Sir Larkight could handle them!” she whispered in admiration. “As expected of a Summoned Hero!”

On the field, Jack advanced confidently, slimes retreating from him in fear as bursts of light shredded through their gelatinous forms.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” Jack shouted, grinning as he chased after them. “I need the EXP!”

[Level 8 – EXP: 20 / 2,000]

His new skill, Piercing Dawn: Radiance, had leveled up to 3. The spell’s radiant cone now reached 15 meters, easily wiping out even the farthest slimes.

“He’s wiping them out by the batch...” Martha murmured, smiling as she lowered her staff. “Looks like we won’t even need to step in.”

“Indeed,” several others agreed with nods.

But Albert’s expression remained grim. “No... It’s not over yet.”

The group turned to him.

“What do you mean?” Martha asked.

Albert's gaze remained locked on the slimes. “These slimes always have a last move—an ace they only play when desperate.”

Their eyes shifted to Jack.

Jack had just stopped in his tracks, staring ahead. The remaining slimes had ceased retreating. Instead, they began to tremble
 and melt.

Before their eyes, hundreds of tiny slimes liquified into a shimmering pool of translucent white. The ground hissed as the ooze spread—then, it began to rise.

From the puddle, new slimes formed—only about twenty this time—but each was massive, easily the size of a barrel.

They weren’t just larger. They were bulkier, their gel denser and more opaque. Within their bodies swirled debris—leaves, feathers, bits of torn bread, dirt
 even broken shards of glass.

Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Oh. So this is your trump card...” He grinned and raised his dagger. “Alright then. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Albert’s worst fears were confirmed the moment he laid eyes on the towering gelatinous masses. His voice was tense.
“This is it... They’ve merged. That’s the Merged Gelatine Slime. Stronger, heavier, and far more dangerous than the base form.”

The adventurer party immediately grew more alert, tightening their formation. Even Jack’s playful confidence shifted into cold focus as he took a careful step back.

Without warning, five of the massive slimes lunged forward, their huge bodies slamming into the ground in a synchronized strike. The impact was brutal—
[Heavy Slam – AoE: 48 Damage]

Shockwaves rippled across the field. Several adventurers were knocked off their feet, groaning in pain.

Jack winced, gritting his teeth. “Tch—” He raised his palm and fired Piercing Dawn: Radiance, the radiant arc slicing across the incoming slimes. But this time, the wide-range spell only chipped away at their health.

He narrowed his eyes and quickly followed with a focused Piercing Dawn, launching a tight beam straight into the core of a single slime. It screeched before collapsing into a pile of bubbling goo.

[You killed a Level 8 Merged Gelatine Slime – +200 EXP]

Jack exhaled sharply. “Finally
 The smaller ones weren’t giving much EXP anymore, but these guys
 I really have to earn every point now.”

He popped open his flask, quickly downing an MP potion, then an HP potion.

Suddenly, three slimes began to tremble violently. Jack and the others tensed as bubbles rose from deep within their bodies, expanding rapidly before exploding in bursts of acidic slime.

“Scatter!” Albert shouted, hoisting an unconscious party member over his shoulder as he dashed aside.

Other adventurers scrambled to avoid the splash radius, their boots slipping slightly on the gel-covered ground.

Jack, seeing two nearby members caught off guard, rushed to help. He managed to shove one aside, shielding the other with his back as the acidic slime splattered across his arm.

“Argh—!” he grunted, staggering as the searing pain shot through his limb.

[-18 HP – Acid Graze]

He clenched his teeth, the skin on his forearm bubbling slightly beneath his sleeve. “Damn... Good thing that wasn’t a direct hit.”

Sweat rolled down his temple. He stood his ground, glaring at the hulking slimes as his dagger shimmered faintly with light.

“This
 just got serious.”

Asha watched everything unfold with growing concern, her hands tightly clenched in her lap. Her eyes tracked every movement on the battlefield—every clash, every spell, every cry of pain.

“I should go help them
” she murmured, half-rising from her seat.

Her personal driver quickly noticed. “Lady Guinevere, with all due respect, this is their fight. If you step in, the others—Sir Larkight included—will be forced to split their focus just to keep you safe. Those slimes are no joke. Please
 trust them.”

The bluntness in his voice grounded her. She froze, then sank back into her seat, biting her lower lip. “Just
 come back safe, all of you
” she whispered.

Meanwhile, out on the field, Jack fought with everything he had. His dagger flashed as he moved, but it was his magic doing most of the work. Another beam of Piercing Dawn erupted from his palm, slicing through a Merged Slime’s core.

[Piercing Dawn – Leveled Up! → Level 4]

With the upgrade, the spell surged with more power, burning through enemies faster—but each cast now devoured even more mana.

Jack panted, wiping sweat from his brow as he scanned for the next target.

[HP: 190 / 380]
[MP: 100 / 420]

He clenched his teeth and downed another MP potion in one swift motion. The cool liquid hit his system just as another group of slimes charged.

‘Piercing Dawn is powerful
 but if I keep spamming it like this, I’ll run dry. If I could just eliminate one per blast, it’d be worth the cost—but they’re learning
’

He narrowed his eyes as the slimes zigzagged, their erratic movements now dodging his beams.

‘Tch
 They’re adapting to my casting rhythm. Damn smart for blobs.’

He rolled aside from a charging slime, mind racing. 'I need a new approach
 or I’m going to burn through everything before this fight ends.'

His thoughts raced.
‘What now? Gracepierce isn’t cutting it—literally. These slimes only take serious damage from pure Light magic
 Wait.’

He looked down at his dagger, fingers tightening around the hilt.
‘What if I fuse Piercing Dawn’s magic directly into a melee strike?’

A grin crept across his face. “Let’s try something new.”

Jack channeled his mana, pouring pure Light energy into the dagger. The weapon began to glow—faintly at first, then blinding white, as if it had become a fragment of dawn itself. With a flash of motion, he lunged at one of the slimes, driving the dagger forward in a piercing thrust.

A searing beam pulsed from the blade on impact, leaving behind a glowing rune etched in the slime’s gelatinous body. The creature spasmed violently before retreating in pain.

[New Skill Acquired!]

[Gracepierce: Lumen Fang] (Level 1)
Chant: “By light’s edge, I strike true.”
Effect: A close-range, Light-infused thrust that pierces a single enemy with radiant force.
‱ Deals high Light damage to a single target at melee range
‱ Ignores 30% of the target’s magic resistance
‱ Deals +30% bonus damage to ooze-type, corrupted, or slime enemies
‱ Has a 10% chance to cleanse one debuff from the caster upon hit

Jack’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "Now we’re talking."

Without hesitation, he dashed forward and used Lumen Fang again—this time striking the same wounded slime. The moment the blade connected, the slime violently exploded in a burst of liquified light.

Seeing the devastating result, nearby slimes backed away, pulsing nervously.

But Jack wasn’t done.

He stepped forward with sharp intent, striking again—another burst, another kill. The remaining slimes began to recoil, uncertain of how to handle this radiant threat.

“Damn... he’s already figured them out again,” an adventurer muttered, awestruck.

Albert narrowed his eyes. “He’s not just strong
 he’s learning mid-battle. Adapting.”

Inside the carriage, Asha gripped her seat, breath caught in her throat. “Sir Larkight
” she whispered, her eyes wide with admiration. “You’re incredible.”