The small town of Greyside Hollow was not far from the forest or from the two Dungeons. Because of that, the town often became a resting place for adventurers—law-abiding or not, experienced or just starting their first journey.
The first Dungeon that was named the Endless Gloom Cavern was not only a Copper-tier Dungeon but also rich with mana ore veins on its first floor, making it highly profitable. Because of this, many adventurers flocked to it in hopes of earning money or rare resources there.
The second Dungeon, the one Aria and the slime had just visited, offered far less profit. Only weak monsters lived inside, so most adventurers ignored it entirely.
But for Aria… that Dungeon was perfect.
The slime bounced up and down beside her as they walked. Eventually, the trees thinned out, and from the top of a small hill, they could finally see Greyside Hollow.
The town spread out like a cluster of worn gray rooftops surrounded by a wooden palisade.
Smoke drifted lazily from chimneys.
Lantern fires along the outer road flickered in the early night.
The settlement sat in a dip of land and shaped like a tired curled animal. It looks quiet and rough around the edges. The town was coated in the faint soot that gave it its name.
Aria's face tightened into a grimace.
"I don't really like going there again, slime…"
The slime already understood why Aria did not want to return to that town. Her debts, the collectors, and she didn't want to see her parents again.
But still, excitement pulsed inside the slime's core. Its excitement was bigger than Aria's worry.
"I want to go there," the slime said, using her voice.
Aria sighed softly. "I know."
She stood silently for a moment, gathering her courage. "Alright. Come on."
They walked down the hill together, heading toward the town of Greyside Hollow.
As they walked closer to the town, Aria suddenly realized a problem.
"I have to hide you," she whispered, worry tightening her voice.
"Hide?" the slime asked. Then, understanding her words, it immediately shrank its body down to a tiny size.
Aria's eyes widened. "Oooh, nice. With that size, you can fit into my pocket. Come on, hop in."
The slime jumped and slipped into the front pocket of Aria's shirt, settling inside comfortably.
Now confident that no one would notice it, Aria continued toward the town, carrying her heavy sack of teeth and bottles filled with Dust Sprite powder.
The weight pulled on her shoulders, but she pushed through.
Greyside Hollow had no guards at the entrance, so anyone could freely walk in and out. The only place that had guards was the mayor's manor.
Aria stepped through the open gate and was immediately greeted by the usual chaos of the town.
Near the entrance, a man was already passed out drunk even though night had barely begun.
A rowdy group of adventurers argued loudly nearby, their voices slurred, their movements looked so careless. They were arguing and most likely at the start of a fight.
The slime inside her shirt pocket was 'seeing' everything with its mana sense. Its core was visibly trembling. This was very interesting!
Aria kept to the edge of the street, staying close to the walls to avoid the crowd, praying no one would bump into her or try to rob her sack before she reached the store.
Fortunately, everyone was too busy watching the adventurers that had begun their fight. No guards bothered to stop them. No one looked at her.
After walking anxiously through the mess of people, clutching her heavy sack of teeth and dust, Aria finally reached the shop that bought materials like these.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside. A young man stood behind the counter, and he jolted in surprise when he saw her.
"I… I want to sell these," Aria said, placing the sack onto the counter.
The young man blinked at her, then his expression softened. He and Aria knew each other. They were the same age and he often managed the store while his father remained bedridden from sickness like right now.
"You're alone?" he asked, glancing past her toward the door.
But he saw no one waiting outside. He was certain Aria had joined a small adventurer group this week. He had even seen her heading toward a Dungeon with them in the morning.
"Yes. I'm alone," Aria replied curtly.
The young man paused. It was clear she didn't want to explain anything, so he chose not to pry.
"Alright," he murmured instead.
He opened the sack, sorting through the Stone Gnawer teeth and bottles of Dust Sprite powder.
He weighed everything carefully on the metal scale, scribbled quick notes, and calculated the total.
After a moment, he nodded.
"This comes to… eight Bronze Marks and two Copper Bits."
He placed the small stack of coins into her hand. Aria saw several palm-sized bronze coins engraved with a mountain crest, and two thin copper slivers.
Not too much or too little for this amount. Just enough for her to get by this week's payment.
Aria closed her fingers around the coins, exhaling with visible relief.
"Thank you," Aria said.
Aria stepped out of the store, clutching the coins tightly in her hand. With the money secured, she headed toward her house in one of the districts. All places here beside the mayor's area of living looked like slums.
The path there was dim, narrow, and lined with crooked homes made from old timber and patched stone.
As she stepped deeper into her district, the air grew thicker with the smell of damp timber and old smoke that clung stubbornly between the narrow homes.
The ground was uneven beneath her boots, patches of mud mixed with crushed charcoal, trash, and other kinds of brown stuff.
When she reached her own small house, she gasped.
The door was wide open.
Her heart dropped.
Aria rushed forward and pushed the door aside.
Inside, the house was a mess. Furniture overturned. Drawers ripped open. Blankets tossed across the floor.
The small shelf where her mother kept their belongings was lying on its side, its contents scattered everywhere and some of it was gone.
It was unmistakable, several people had been here. And they had ripped the place apart.
"Mom! Dad!" Aria called, her voice sharp with fear.
No one answered.
She ran through the cramped rooms, searching under the table, behind the old bed, even checking the tiny storage corner. But her parents were nowhere. Each empty space made the knot in her chest tighten.
What if something happened to them? What if the collectors came again and did something worse? What if…
Her legs weakened. She slid down to the floor and sat in the corner of the room, hugging her knees tightly.
The relief she felt minutes ago faded instantly. Just when she started to see hope, the world seemed to crush her again.
A soft weight landed on her knee.
The slime had climbed out from her pocket and now rested against her legs, watching her silently.
Its core pulsed faintly. It recognized her tears again. But this time, the feeling was different. This was not the tears of relief.
It felt something heavy inside itself, something unfamiliar. The slime trying to understand her emotion.
Before the slime could process Aria's sorrow further, its mana sense twitched.
It sensed footsteps. There were two presences coming closer to the house.
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