The bath steam had barely cleared when Lilith was already humming around her room in a towel.
"Zone Three, here I come," she grinned, spinning once in the mirror. "I'm gonna skewer slimes and squash beetles and maybe even level up again if I get lucky."
She was glowing—figuratively and a little literally. The thrill of the last battle still tingled in her limbs. Her new [Ice Bullet] skill felt like a secret weapon, and her SP was freshly spent, powering her with extra agility and enough mana to feel dangerous.
She was still daydreaming about splashy mud fights and crunchy beetle shells when a knock echoed at her door.
"Lilith," came a familiar deep voice. "We need to talk."
She opened it to find Father Elric—no, Gareth, stone-faced as always. His arms were crossed and his presence was enough to straighten any of her misaligned posture in seconds.
"Oh. Uh. Good evening, father. Can I help you?"
"Yes." His tone left no room for fluff. "I need you home tomorrow. No dungeon crawling."
Her brows shot up. "Wait—what? But Zone Three! I cleared Zone Two today! I'm on a roll!"
"I'm aware." He raised an eyebrow. "But this isn't negotiable."
Lilith pouted, leaning against the doorframe. "Why?"
Gareth exhaled slowly. "Because officials from the Tribute & Reproduction Bureau will be visiting the estate tomorrow afternoon."
The words hit like a freezing spell.
Lilith straightened. "Already? But I just turned 18."
He nodded. "That's why they're coming. You're officially on the registry now, and Windvale needs to verify your profile in person. It's standard protocol for all first-time candidates."
She frowned. "Do I have to do anything?"
"You'll meet them. They'll review your physical health, mana readings, and ask basic preferences. You'll be allowed to filter what kind of requests you accept. You can reject anyone you don't like."
"…And if I don't like anyone?"
Gareth's mouth twitched into something between a smirk and a sigh. "Then you'll be rejecting a lot. But don't expect the Bureau to wait forever."
Lilith sighed, brushing a hand through her pink hair. "So if I do go to the dungeon tomorrow…"
"You'll be back before lunch," he said firmly. "Or you won't go at all."
She raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. Dungeon, morning only. I'll be home in time to smile politely for the baby-makers."
He stared a moment longer, then nodded and walked off.
As the door shut behind him, Lilith leaned against it with a sigh.
Tribute Bureau, huh? Paperwork, nobles, horny requests, and official evaluations. Nothing kills slime-squashing vibes faster.
She looked over at her fluffy battle gear folded neatly on the bench.
"Well," she muttered. "Guess we're speedrunning Zone 3 tomorrow."
________________
The morning sun peeked lazily over the hills when Lilith burst from her room, fully geared up in her Battle Bear Combo—fluffy hat, thick fur-trimmed coat, reinforced pants with heat resistance, and her trusty spear strapped across her back.
Downstairs, Gareth glanced up from his morning tea with the same unreadable face.
"I'm leaving," Lilith declared.
"Back before lunch," he said, deadpan. "Or I send Ren back alone."
Lilith made a face. "Don't worry. I'm not missing the baby auction preview."
Ren, already stretching near the doorway, grinned. "You'll enjoy today's dungeon."
Lilith narrowed her eyes. "That smile is suspicious."
"Is it?"
She squinted harder. "You're enjoying something I won't."
"Definitely not," he said, far too innocently.
---
Glowrock Hollow – Zone 3: Muck Tunnels
The two-hour ride was uneventful—Lilith only complained fifteen times.
Once inside, they took the winding left tunnel that led down into a sticky, dimly glowing corridor.
Zone 3 was… not what Lilith expected.
It was damp. Slippery. Covered in knee-deep sludge. The walls were slick with greenish goo, and faintly bioluminescent moss glowed like old glowsticks someone had spit on.
Lilith's boots squelched with every step.
Ren explained as they walked, "Slimes are everywhere. Some drop from ceilings, some cling to walls. You kill them by splitting them or stabbing their core."
"Got it," Lilith nodded, alert.
"And those—" he pointed at a distant cluster of rocky mounds—"are Rock Beetles. Chicken-sized, armored, slow. Flip them over and stab their belly."
Lilith squinted. "They're kind of cute."
"Wait until one crawls on you."
She rolled her eyes.
Then something plopped from the ceiling.
She felt it before she saw it—cold, heavy, wet.
A squishy weight hit her shoulder and slid down her left arm. Then latched on.
"...Huh?"
She turned her head.
And screamed.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
There was a slime. A filthy, slimy, twitching lump of goo clinging to her arm, bubbles pulsing within it. A dirty slime.
"GET IT OFF ME!!"
Lilith spun, flailed, swung her arm like a panicked squirrel. The slime held tight.
"REN!!!" she shrieked.
"You're fine," he said, not even hiding the grin.
"THIS ISN'T FINE!"
Finally, the slime detached and plopped into the sludge. Lilith collapsed onto her knees, panting hard.
"I—I almost died of gross."
"Your heartbeat is fine," Ren commented.
She stood, still shivering, and stabbed the slime to death like it owed her rent.
Ren approached casually. "Zone 3 has the highest number of rookie breakdowns. It's not deadly, but…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Because just then—
Lilith froze.
Something was crawling.
Not on the floor. Not nearby.
On her.
Tiny skittering legs brushed her back.
"…"
And then she screamed again.
"IT'S ON ME! SOMETHING IS ON ME!!!
AAAAHHHH!"
She erupted into a full-body flailing dance, spinning like a wild animal caught in laundry, her hands swatting her back, her hair flying like pink chaos.
The beetle—now upside down in the muck nearby—had been launched like a frisbee.
But Lilith hadn't noticed. She was still dancing.
Ren finally stepped in, slicing through two more approaching slimes and grabbing her shoulder.
"Lilith!"
She blinked, shaking, almost crying.
"There's nothing on you anymore. It's gone. You're safe."
She looked at him, then started hitting him weakly with her fists. "You didn't tell me this place was alive! You didn't say they crawl! I hate this. I'm going home. I'm never coming back here. Ever. EVER!"
Ren let her vent until she slumped into the slime-muck floor again, arms crossed, huffing.
After a while, he helped her up and offered a potion-scented rag to clean her face.
"Let's call it a day," he said gently. "Zone 3's not worth the trauma for one morning."
Lilith sniffled. "Damn right it's not."
Together, they made their way back toward the exit, Lilith muttering curses under her breath and glaring at every ceiling patch they passed.
---
Today's adventure ends not with a level-up, but with a deep, personal grudge against ooze and anything with legs.
_____________
The carriage rocked gently along the cobbled trail, the afternoon sun casting warm rays through the canopy above. Lilith slumped against the side wall, arms crossed and face buried in her fluffy coat.
"Stupid dungeon," she muttered. "Stupid slimes. Stupid bugs."
Ren sat across from her, arms behind his head, looking entirely too relaxed for someone who had just witnessed a meltdown of legendary proportions.
Then—
Her adventurer badge began to glow.
A soft silver pulse radiated from the metal, lighting up the inside of the carriage with rhythmic flickers.
Lilith blinked, sitting up. "Uh… Ren?"
He glanced at the badge and gave her a sly smile. "Looks like something that'll lift your mood."
"I don't trust you when you smile like that."
"Well, since we're headed back early anyway… why don't we drop by the guild? See what this glowing badge has to say."
Lilith narrowed her eyes suspiciously but held her tongue. After the morning she'd had, she wouldn't say no to anything that didn't involve slime.
---
Windvale Adventurer's Guild
The front doors swung open with a whoosh as they stepped inside.
Their favorite silver-haired receptionist looked up and blinked. "Back already? That's… early."
Lilith, despite her clothes still streaked with slime stains and beetle goo, cleared her throat and said primly, "We didn't go to the dungeon today."
Ren snorted.
The receptionist's eyes drifted over her muck-stained pants, the sticky spots on her furry sleeves, and the clump of moss stuck to her hair. He wisely said nothing.
"I figured you might be trying Zone 3," he said instead.
Lilith struck a casual pose. "I heard Zone 3 isn't much of a challenge. So I decided to rest."
From somewhere in the guild hall, a voice called out:
"Don't worry. Everyone screams their first time in Zone 3!"
Another voice chimed in, "I almost peed my pants the first time a beetle climbed up my back!"
Lilith turned her head in a regal motion, as if she hadn't heard a single word.
"...Armas, My badge is glowing."
The silver-haired boy smiled. "Yes. That means you've earned enough experience and performance merit to apply for your D-Rank promotion."
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the hall.
A nearby adventurer muttered, "Already? She just registered, what… a week ago?"
"Ranked up in record time," another whispered. "Blessed by the gods, huh?"
"Or blessed by luck and firepower."
The receptionist cleared his throat. "Congratulations, Miss Lilith. D-Rank status comes with some added privileges. You can now accept higher-tier quests, earn better pay, and access the second floor of the guild for resource training."
The guild hall erupted in a round of claps and cheers—some genuine, some tinged with envy.
Lilith lifted her chin, holding her glowing badge with an expression that screamed Yes, I deserve this. Worship me.
Ren leaned closer. "Feeling better?"
She replied with a smug grin. "I have always felt better."
---
Return to the Elric Estate
The carriage ride back felt less miserable. Lilith leaned out the window, humming to herself. Her spirits had returned, and the trauma of Zone 3 now lived only in the recesses of her psyche labeled never again.
When they reached home, Luca rushed out to greet them with wide eyes.
"You're back! Did you beat more monsters today?!"
Lilith responded with a proud nod. "I ranked up. D-Rank, officially." Completely ignoring the experience today.
Luca gasped dramatically, then ran back inside yelling, "SIS IS RANKING UP LIKE FIRE!"
Inside, the whole family welcomed her with smiles, applause, and a warm lunch waiting on the table.
But before she could get too comfortable, Gareth—Father Elric—spoke from the corner with his usual solemn tone.
"Lilith."
She looked over. "Yes?"
"Don't forget. The TRB officials arrive at afternoon. You must be prepared."
Lilith froze.
"…Right," she said. "The... tribute thing."
Ren clapped her back. "Rest well, future icon."
.
Continued...
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