Soft, rhythmic thuds stirred me awake.
Hooves.
Right… I must have fallen asleep.
Not surprising. My body had lost an unreasonable amount of precious crimson and then attempted recovery using the first skill-entry that merely included the word 'bioliquid'. Collapse was only a matter of time.
My vision lagged behind reality, heavy with lingering sleep. For a few quiet minutes, I simply blinked against the sunlight, letting the world slowly come back into focus.
I realized I was leaning forward, against none other than Zarra. The horse moved forward at a painfully slow pace.
Strangely enough, it wasn’t uncomfortable. The gentle sway of the horse was almost soothing.
“…Miss Zarra?” I mumbled.
“Hm?” she replied without turning.
“Why are we moving so slow?”
"We are in no haste to reach the city. Sudden movement could worsen your condition. I intend to fulfill my part of our agreement. Properly."
Ah, knightly honor. That explained it.
I glanced around and noticed fewer riders than before.
“…And the others?”
“I sent part of the unit ahead,” she said. “They will reach the city sooner and submit a request to the Adventurers’ Guild.”
“A request?”
“The Dark Spider you've described seemed to be more competent than they usually are. So, it is safe to assume it was somewhere around Rank D+, possibly even Rank C.”
That woke me up considerably.
“You’re sending a guild request? Why don't you just handle it yourself?”
The moment the words left my mouth, I realized how that sounded.
“Oh? You have a keen eye for soldiers.”
…Oops. There went a subtle hint that I might possess some kind of evaluation ability on top of my slime membrane and craft knowledge.
Speaking of craft... I noticed one of the soldiers carrying my rabbit-hide bag and my scythe secured alongside it.
Good, my belongings were safe.
“Well,” Zarra continued, entirely unbothered, “within adventurer classification, I am considered Rank S. So yes, I could defeat a Dark Spider—or two. However, if multiple appeared, my skill set would become a disadvantage.”
She paused briefly before adding,
“Such creatures are typically handled by assassins. Speed, stealth, and… flexibility of honor tend to improve survival rates.”
Translation: assassins fight dirty; knights do not.
There was also something about guild jurisdiction, taxes, and political agreements between cities and adventurers that I only half followed. Apparently the Guild handled certain threats specifically to keep everything… balanced.
Sounded complicated.
I let her words settle while doing mental math.
If a Level-twenty-plus spider counted as Rank D+; and a Level-sixty-plus knight qualified as Rank S…
Then someone who is a level 5, below level 10, would rank...
I didn’t feel like talking anymore.
The realization of being a mere Rank F, maybe F+ on a good day — hit harder than expected.
Lv. 01→09: F
Lv. 11→19: E
Lv. 21→29: D
Lv. 31→39: C
Lv. 41→49: B
Lv. 51→59: A
Lv. 61→69: S
Lv. 70+: ???
My mood sank quietly, and I let my gaze drift, searching for anything to distract myself.
Even something ridiculous, like a little pink and gelatinous monster rolling out of a cave in the distance.
Near the base of a rocky hill stood a narrow tunnel entrance. A cute creature emerged from it. A peach pudding brought to life, moving with a slow, wobbling bounce.
“…Miss Zarra,” I murmured, pointing weakly. “D-do you see that?”
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
She followed my gaze.
And immediately brightened.
“Ohhh! A living dungeon?” she said with genuine enthusiasm. “I have fond memories of those.”
Her excitement contrasted sharply with the cold feeling creeping up my spine, because I wasn't really inviting her to a treasure hunt:
【 New Bestiary Record 】
【 Brain Slime 】
When certain slimes come into contact with a freshly deceased body—particularly one where the consciousness has not yet fully dissipated—they may undergo metamorphosis.
Thus, a Brain Slime is created.
True to its name, a Brain Slime resembles a semi-translucent mass encasing structures disturbingly similar to a human's brain.
Faint electrical pulses can sometimes be seen traveling through its body.
After consuming the brain of a recently killed individual, the slime preserves and imitates the neurological patterns contained within it.
Because personality, memory, and behavioral identity are strongly tied to the brain, the slime effectively becomes a continuation of the deceased individual.
Speech, habits, memories and emotional responses may appear authentic.
Scholars and great thinkers had not yet confirmed if this rare creature is an actual continuation of a deceased soul or just a mere mimic.
Zarra continued talking, completely unaware of the abomination wobbling in the distance.
I deliberately looked away.
One swipe closed the Slime’s information tab, as if ignoring it could somehow make it cease to exist.
My new focus was on the lady knight and her enthusiasm with which she described the structure called a 'Living Dungeon'.
It was the same explanation that my Bestiary gave too!
【 New Bestiary Record 】
【 Living Dungeon 】
Living Dungeon: As the name implies, it is alive.
A self-contained ecosystem of treasure, monsters, traps, and — at its deepest point — a powerful artifact awarded to whoever defeats the dungeon’s final guardian.
The dungeon sustains itself through the monsters it creates. Upon death, these creatures are absorbed back by the dungeon’s walls and floors, then later respawn, often improved and with fewer weaknesses. However, this cycle alone is insufficient for long-term survival.
To compensate, the dungeon attracts homeless or wandering monsters, forming contracts that bind them to its domain. These creatures share the same cycle of death and rebirth as native monsters.
Additionally—
The dungeon absorbs the corpses of fallen adventurers, along with their skills.
Excessive accumulation of such deaths may cause a dungeon to evolve beyond conquerable limits.
"Excessive accumulation"? Yeah, just a fancy way of saying "murder spree". Why are all new entries so damned creepy and dark?
Okay. New objective. Search. Something. Cute. Calming. Refreshing.
Anything that didn’t involve corpses, stolen identities, or ecosystems powered by death.
I scanned the landscape as the horse continued its slow, steady pace. Flowers swayed. Trees passed quietly. Birds circled overhead.
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
“…Damn,” I sighed.
It had become too peaceful all of a sudden, and too silent too...
“One last question, if I may,” I said.
“Go ahead,” Zarra replied.
“What currency does the city use?”
She didn't answer. Oh God! Currencies aren't mysteries just like that! I cleared my throat with a squeaky cough and upgraded my question.
“As I mentioned earlier, I am a wanderer. I suspect my currency may not be accepted there.”
Perfect!
Suspicion-free.
Totally normal traveler question, right?
“Ah, I see. That makes sense,” she said with a nod. “Our city uses coins of bronze, silver, gold, and platinum — in that order. Twenty coins of one tier equal a single coin of the next.”
My brain immediately perked up.
Simple conversion system.
Nice.
“Unfortunately,” I admitted, “I do not possess such currency. And to make matters worse… I cannot grasp its value.”
“You must be from very far away then,” she said thoughtfully. “Here is an everyday example: a loaf of bread.”
“A loaf of bread?”
“Yes. Depending on size and ingredients, it usually costs between two and five bronze coins.”
“…Oh.”
That actually helped a lot. In my previous world, bread rarely exceeded one euro, so if the cheapest loaf cost two bronze… Then one bronze coin was roughly equivalent to about twenty cents.
I smiled in quiet satisfaction at the information I’d just gained. It made sense, it was useful and it was necessary. I let out a slow breath and turned my attention back to the passing landscape, finally allowing myself to relax—
“PFHAHAHAHA! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?”
Zarra snapped her head toward me, startled — then followed my gaze.
For the first time since we met, her composure cracked. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips, dangerously close to breaking her knightly poker face.
My bestiary window had updated again.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing. Literally.
Long ago, certain wolves developed an unhealthy appreciation for the sweet fragrance of lamb meat. Spending excessive time among sheep herds eventually led to an unexpected transformation.
Once savage predators gradually became domesticated, developing thick wool coats of their own.
Ironically, their downfall from fearsome hunters resulted in a highly valued resource.
Woolf wool is considered premium quality. Despite their tame disposition, these creatures remain energetic — running, jumping, and playing wildly. The constant movement naturally softens their fleece.
When processed by skilled loom workers, the resulting fabric becomes soft as the clouds in the skies.
Any softer, and one might pass straight through it like mist.
In the distance, the creature bounced happily across the field — unmistakably wolf-shaped, yet covered from head to tail in thick, fluffy gray wool. It wagged its tail, then it ran.
Fast.
Very fast.
A blur of bouncing fluff tearing across the grass with surprising speed — until, without warning, it suddenly wasn’t fast anymore.
Its front paws caught awkwardly beneath its own wool. It tripped. And rolled. And kept rolling.
A tumbling cloud of wool spun across the field for a good thirty meters before finally reaching a herd of sheep… and several other woolves.
The herd barely reacted.
One sheep lifted its head, stared for a moment, then calmly returned to eating its grass without a care in the world...
You know the product is indeed of the highest quality, when you see the creature get up after such a fall only to start running around again.
"I'm sold! I 100% want a woolf bed with woolf pillows."
?( ? ? ??)
════════════════
? STATUS WINDOW ?
════════════════
Name: Zephyr Diana
Race: H?um??aN?
Sex: Female
Age: 17
════════════════
Level: 5
XP: 7 / 16
════════════════
System Points: 18 ??
Dice: 0 ??
Currency: 0B; 0S; 0G; 0P ?
════════════════
════════════════
? KNOWLEDGE ?
════════════════
? BESTIARY??≡
════════════════
? Demonic Rabbit
? Salmon
? Dark Spider
? Living Dungeon
? Brain Slime
? Woolf
════════════════
