The week passed faster than I expected.
At the beginning, I ended up exhausted every time I tried to extract even a little bit of power from my spiritual world, but with practice we all started getting used to it. It was like learning to breathe in a different way: clumsy at first, natural over time.
The power that came from our worlds had many uses more than I imagined.
We could recharge energy weapons, something common among students who came from richer families.
We could also reinforce our bodies, making them stronger, faster, almost superhuman.
The first time I reinforced my muscles, I accidentally broke off a chunk of rock from the training yard.
Nolan lifted tree trunks like twigs.
Mira sliced through blocks of wood with her hand like they were butter.
And not just the body:
We also learned to infuse ordinary weapons like spears and swords. A simple knife could become capable of cutting through a metal pillar if you channeled enough spiritual energy into it… at least before your body ran out of strength.
The teacher said this was the basics.
That the truly powerful things came later.
"There is another way to use spiritual power," she explained one day as she walked in front of our rows. "Spells. Advanced techniques. Direct manipulation of the power within your spiritual world."
Several students gulped.
So did I.
"But to learn those, you need higher-level manuals," she continued. "And those are not cheap. Each one explains complex theories, advanced circulation methods, energy structures… what you're using now is just a simplified sketch."
Nolan sighed like he had just heard the phrase "eternal debt."
I stayed quiet.
Between what my parents had and what I had saved… I couldn't afford anything like that.
And even if I could…
My world needed to grow first.
My slimes were still too weak.
While the teacher spoke, we all took notes.
But the most important part came afterward.
Her voice shifted in tone.
More serious.
Heavier.
"In two days, you will take the school's first trial."
"You will enter a special world created by the institution," she continued. "A sealed realm filled with resources, dangers… and hostile creatures."
A holographic map appeared behind her.
It showed a massive forest, crossed by mountains and rivers. But what stood out were the red markings scattered everywhere.
"Those are enemy villages," she explained. "The dominant species of the realm: goblin tribes."
Some students murmured.
We had read about them.
Fast, numerous, aggressive.
Not very strong individually, but in groups they could crush anyone careless enough to underestimate them.
"Your test," the teacher said, "will be to destroy the defenses of those villages. You don't need to wipe them all out, but you must overcome a certain level of resistance to pass."
Then she added, as if wanting to encourage us:
"Everything you find inside the realm will be yours. Rare resources, special materials, spiritual beasts… anything. And when you return, you'll receive credits and additional rewards based on your performance."
That woke everyone up. Nothing motivates a poor student more than "you keep what you find."
I felt a spark of anticipation.
Rare resources…
Strange materials…
That was exactly what I needed.
My slimes had cleaned my world like a polished plate.
If I could get even one special resource… even just one…
I could multiply them faster.
And once I had enough…
The system could begin its true work.
I clenched my fist.
Two days.
Two days to prove that slimes weren't trash.
Two days for my true growth to begin.