THE PORTAL

Chapter 3: First Hunt – The Slime Beasts

Nathan sat in a wooden chair in the Adventurer's Guild, his head still reeling.

The result of the Magic Affinity Test had left him stunned. High magical power? Strongest magic user? This was not possible. On Earth, he was nothing—a weak, bullied nobody. He clenched his fists. “But if this world gives me the chance to become something more…should I take it”. He thought to himself.

Garrick slapped his shoulder, bringing him back around.

"Alright, kid. So we know you possess some magic. Now we need to determine if you can do anything with it." Nathan blinked. "Wait, already? Aren't I, I don't know, supposed to train or something first?"

Elara smiled. "Doing as you're told is the best kind of learning. And lucky for you, we have just the first mission."

Ren threw a rolled-up parchment onto the table. Nathan unrolled it hesitantly.

Request: Slime Beast Extermination

Client: Village of Brookshade

Objective: Kill the Slime Beasts that infest the forest bordering the village.

Reward: 5 silver coins per slime.

Nathan's eyebrow rose. "Slime Beasts?"

Garrick laughed. "Yeah, little jelly monsters. Low-level, but good practice for beginners."

Nathan let out a relieved breath. "Oh, that doesn't sound so bad."

Elara leaned in, smiling. "You say that now." Nathan didn’t like the way she said that.

A few hours later, Nathan found himself in the middle of a dense forest, clutching a wooden training sword like his life depended on it. “Alright, kid,” Garrick said, standing beside him with his arms crossed. “Your goal is simple—kill a slime.”

Nathan exhaled. “Right. Easy enough.”

Elara smirked. “You sure about that?” She pointed ahead. Nathan followed her finger—then immediately regretted it. A glowing green mass of jelly wobbled toward him, making wet, squelching noises. It had no eyes, no mouth—just a pulsating, living blob of goo.

Nathan wrinkled his nose. “Ugh. That’s disgusting.”

Ren nodded. “They’re also resilient. Physical attacks don’t work well. You’ll need to use magic.” Nathan hesitated. “Uh, small problem—I don’t know any magic.” Garrick grinned. “Then it’s time to learn.”

Elara threw a small spellbook at him. "Basic Fire Magic. Read it fast."

Nathan fumbled with the book. The words looked old, in an unfamiliar language, but as he stared at them, something bizarre happened. The letters shifted—moving themselves until they were readable in his head.

His breath caught.” I…can read this?”

Elara tipped her head. "Huh. That was fast."

Nathan didn't notice, reading a simple spell from the book.

Spell: Firebolt

Basic fire magic.

Produces a small fire sphere. Requires mana flow control.

Nathan lifted his head. The slime moved forward.

"Alright, um, how do I do it?"

Ren spoke in a steady tone, "Close your eyes. Feel the energy inside of you. Picture the flame forming in your hand."

Nathan took a harsh gulp and obeyed. He focused, trying to feel something inside of him.

There was nothing at first.

Then, a searing hot feeling churned in his chest.

His heart pounded. He extended his hand. A small burst of flame danced in his hand.

Nathan's eyes widened. "I…did it."

"Good," Elara said. "Now throw it."

Nathan turned to the slime. His heart pounded, but he took a deep breath—and hurled the fireball forward.

It missed completely.

The fireball fizzled out on the ground. There was an awful silence.

Garrick coughed. "Uh…good try?"

Elara chuckled. "Oh, this is gonna be good." Nathan scowled. "I hate this."

The slime stumbled closer. Ren sighed tiredly. "Try again. This time, aim."

Nathan gritted his teeth. Focus. He held out his hand once more. This time, he aimed deliberately. The fireball burst into being—larger this time, more stable.

He hurled it forward—

BOOM!

The fireball hit the slime and exploded on contact. The creature let out a wet, gurgling noise before it dissolved into a puddle of bubbling goo.

Nathan stared at the body, pounding heart.

".Did I just kill it?"

Garrick ruffled his shoulder. "Great work, kid!"

Elara smirked. "Took two tries, but not bad for a newb." Nathan exhaled. He had actually done it. A small, glowing message hovered in front of him.

LEVEL UP!

Nathan Cole

Level 2

+3 Magic Power

New Spell Learned: Firebolt (Rank 1)

Nathan blinked. "Uh.what's this?"

Ren's brow flew up. "A status window. It's how adventurers track their progress." Nathan hesitated. This was much too video game-like. But it meant something else too.

If he just kept leveling up…he'd get stronger. For the first time in his life, Nathan felt something stirring inside him.

A hunger for power.

"Alright," he snarled, fists clenching. "Let's go kill more slimes."

Elara smiled. "That's the spirit."

Two Hours Later

Nathan was covered in goo.

He had killed at least ten slimes, and with every death, he leveled a little more. His Firebolt had been improved, and now he could create a flame twice the size it used to be.

He glanced at his status window once more.

Nathan Cole

Level 3

+7 Magic Power

New Spell Unlocked: Mana Sense

Nathan grinned. This is wonderful. Back on Earth, he was weak. Powerless. A loser.

But here?

Here, he could be something else. He clenched his fists. I'm not going to be weak anymore.

Garrick punched him on the back. "Alright, kid, you're looking better. Back to the Guild, then."

Nathan smiled. He was exhausted, but for the first time in his life, he felt.exhilarated.

He'd just taken his first step towards power. And this was just the beginning.