The town grew clearer as I approached—stone walls, wooden roofs, and a giant windmill spinning lazily in the breeze. Smoke rose from chimneys, and merchants shouted from beyond the gates. It looked exactly like the fantasy villages from games… except this one smelled strongly of cow dung.
"Pyo," the slime commented sagely.
"Yeah, buddy. Reality hits hard."
As we neared the gate, two guards stood watch. The first was tall and muscular, with a spear resting on his shoulder. The second was short, round, and looked like he'd eaten ten breakfasts.
"State your business," the tall one said.
I opened my mouth—then realized I had no clue what I was supposed to say."Uh… new traveler? Just arrived in the world— I mean, uh, the… region."
Smooth, Akira. Totally not suspicious.
The fat guard squinted at me. "Where are your entry papers?"
"Entry… papers?"I turned to the slime for help.It jiggled uselessly.
The tall guard sighed. "Another one without documents. Let me guess—you're from a tiny rural village where no one keeps records?"
"Yes!" I said instantly. "Exactly that."
"Name?"
"Akira."
"Last name?"
"…Do I need one?"
Both guards stared at me like I'd just confessed to murder.
The slime jumped in front of me defensively. "Pyo!"
"Hey now," the fat guard said, wiping sweat off his forehead. "You can't bring monsters into the town either."
"Oh, he's not a monster," I lied. "He's… a pet. A very special pet."
The slime nodded vigorously.
The guards exchanged a look.
"Fine," the tall one said. "But register him at the guild before sundown, or he'll be considered wild."
Guild?That sounded important… and maybe dangerous.
The gates creaked open, and I stepped inside.
The town was bustling—market stalls selling fruit, blacksmiths hammering metal, adventurers boasting about quests. It felt alive, noisy, chaotic.
My heart raced.
"This is… amazing."
Ping!
A window appeared.
[Skill Acquired: Observation][Observation → Intermediate]
"Of course," I muttered. "Even looking at things is a skill now."
We wandered through the streets until we found a large wooden building with a sign shaped like a sword and staff crossed together.
ADVENTURER'S GUILD
"This seems important," I said.
"Pyo!"
Inside, the guild was louder than the market. Adventurers laughed, argued, compared weapons, and drank from massive mugs. A board full of quests stood on the wall—everything from "Gather Herbs" to "Goblin Nest Extermination."
Behind the counter stood a receptionist with long blonde hair and glasses. She smiled professionally as we approached.
"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. Here to register?"
"Yes," I said. "Both of us."
The slime hopped onto the counter proudly.
The receptionist blinked. "Oh. A slime pet. Unusual choice."
I decided not to mention the biting incident.
She handed me a form. "Please fill this out."
My heart sank. The form was filled with complicated symbols and unfamiliar words.
"I… can't read this."
The receptionist blinked. "You can't read… common language?"
"Village life," I said quickly. "Very little schooling."
She smiled sympathetically. "No problem. If you place your hand on this crystal, it will record your identity automatically."
I placed my hand on the glowing blue crystal.
It lit up—then flashed violently.
KRRSH!
The crystal cracked down the middle.
Everyone in the guild turned to stare.
A window popped up.
[Skill Acquired: Mana Surge][Mana Surge → Intermediate → Advanced][You have overwhelmed the Guild Identification Crystal.]
"I swear that wasn't me!" I lied.
The receptionist's glasses slowly slid down her nose. "…Sir. That crystal is designed to withstand the mana of A-rank adventurers."
The slime hopped excitedly. "Pyo!"
I wanted to bury myself.
"…So," she continued, adjusting her glasses, "your attributes are… unusual. But you're registered now."
She handed me a wooden badge engraved with my name:
AKIRA – Rank: F
"F-rank?" I asked.
"That's the standard rank for beginners," she explained. "Don't worry—you'll rise quickly if you take quests."
A group of adventurers snickered nearby.
"Hey, look," one of them laughed. "A newbie with a slime pet. How cute."
The slime puffed up angrily. "Pyo!"
Before I could respond, another adventurer—a girl with silver hair and sharp eyes—glanced at me.Unlike the others, she didn't laugh. She just… stared.
Then she turned away without a word.
Strange.
The receptionist interrupted my thoughts. "You should start with something simple. How about a herb-gathering quest?"
"That sounds safe," I said. "We'll take it."
The slime hopped in agreement.
As we walked toward the exit, I looked down at my new badge.A new life, a dangerous power, and a world full of mysteries.
And this was only the beginning.
"Alright," I whispered. "Let's see where this fantasy life takes us."
The slime bounced beside me, and together we stepped into our first quest—completely unaware of the chaos Eternal Growth would unleash next.