By the time the town gates came into view, the sun was beginning to set. Warm orange light spilled over the rooftops, and the smell of roasted meat drifted through the air.
My stomach rumbled.
"Pyo! Food!" the slime shouted happily from my shoulder.
"Yes, yes, we'll eat after we turn in the quest."
The guards at the gate looked up as we approached. One recognized me and waved.
"Back from your first quest already? Alive? Impressive."
"Barely," I muttered.
We entered the town, weaving through merchants closing their stalls. Everything seemed normal—
Until we stepped inside the Adventurer's Guild.
Every head turned.
Every conversation stopped.
Every eye locked onto… me.
And my slime.
"Uh," I whispered. "Why does it feel like we walked into our own funeral reception?"
The slime whispered back, "Pyo… scary…"
The receptionist rushed over, slightly out of breath.
"Akira! Thank goodness—are you unharmed?"
"Uh… yeah? We just gathered herbs."
That caused the entire guild to erupt in whispers.
"He says just herbs—!""That can't be right…""Is that the kid who broke the mana crystal?"
A group of armored adventurers stood up from their table.
One of them, a man with a scar across his cheek, pointed at me.
"You. Newbie."His voice was low and gravelly."You caused trouble before you even registered."
"I caused—? Sir, all I did was breathe!"
"That's the problem!" someone shouted from the back.
Laughter spread across the guild.
I felt my face heat up. "Look, I really didn't mean to break anything. I just placed my hand on the crystal—"
"And it exploded," the scarred man finished. "We heard."
"Can we… not blame me for things I can't control?"
"Can we not have walking disasters in the guild?" another adventurer muttered.
I sighed.
This was not what I expected from a fantasy world.
The receptionist clapped her hands. "Everyone calm down. Akira, please report your quest completion."
"Oh—right."I placed the herbs on the counter.
The receptionist's eyes widened. "These are perfect! And you gathered them so quickly!"
"Well, I had help."
"Pyo!" the slime said proudly.
A few people stared.
"Does the slime… talk?""No way…""Is that a talking slime?!"
Great. More attention.
The receptionist smiled sweetly. "For completing your quest swiftly and bringing extra herbs, here is your reward."
She handed me a small pouch of coins.
Ping!
[Skill Acquired: Money Handling][Money Handling → Intermediate]
"Oh come ON," I said out loud.
People snickered.
The scarred adventurer stepped forward again. "Hey, kid."
I tensed. "Yes?"
He crossed his arms. "What rank did you say you are?"
"…F."
"And your slime?"
"Uh… unranked?"
He stared for a long moment.
Then—
He laughed.
Loudly.
"You're telling me an F-rank newbie and a slime beat a pack of wolves?"
"Wait," someone shouted, "he fought wolves?!"
I froze.
"…Oops," I whispered to myself.
The guild exploded with noise.
"What kind of beginner fights wolves on their first day?!""Is he trying to die?!""No wonder the crystal cracked!"
The scarred adventurer looked at me with a strange expression—half disbelief, half annoyance.
"Listen, kid. This town doesn't need another 'Chosen One.'"
"Chosen… One?"
He jabbed a finger at me. "Every few years, some self-proclaimed savior shows up with strange powers. They cause chaos, destroy half the town, fight monsters way above their level—then disappear."
His voice darkened.
"And we're left to clean up the mess."
Oh.Oh no.
"I'm not a chosen anything!" I said quickly. "I'm just a regular guy who… accidentally evolves everything he touches!"
"Pyo!" the slime agreed loudly.
That did not help.
The adventurer sighed like he already had a headache. "Kid, I'm warning you—don't cause trouble. Keep your head down. Don't do anything stupid."
"I'll try," I said.
He walked away, muttering, "Damn kids with their ridiculous powers…"
The receptionist leaned over the counter and whispered, "Don't mind him. He's just… cautious."
"More like suspicious," I muttered.
As I turned to leave, I noticed someone staring at me from the corner.
Silver hair.Sharp eyes.The girl from before.
She held her gaze for a few seconds—unblinking, unreadable.
Then she turned away.
Who was she?
Before I could think too much, the slime tugged my sleeve.
"Akira… hungry…"
"Right. Let's go eat."
We left the noisy guild behind and stepped into the cool evening air.
The town didn't seem to want a "Chosen One."
Good.
Because I wasn't one.
I was just a guy trying to survive with a talking slime and a broken skill system.
How hard could that be?
…Right?