Well, that was my past life anyway.
Whatever grudges I had against Black King Caesar back then don’t matter now—and truthfully, I kind of admire his personality and approach to things.
If he’s willing to let things slide, I’m more than happy to play along.
But if they do push it too far, well… they’ll have no one to blame but themselves.
They clearly hadn’t expected to run into anyone in a place like this—let alone a cute little loli.
A wave of motherly instinct seemed to ripple through the female members of the group.
“Aw, she’s adorable~”
“She looks so tiny!”
“Those cat ears are totally cheating.”
It wasn’t until Black King Caesar cleared his throat that the chatter died down—though a few whispers still lingered.
“Blade, take a squad and scout that direction,” Caesar instructed calmly.
A shielded warrior acknowledged the command and peeled off with a twenty-man team.
Black King Caesar gave me a look—his gaze cool but not hostile.
He definitely noticed the opened chest behind me, but a mere bronze chest wasn’t worth his attention.
“This place is dangerous, little one. You should hurry along,” he said.
Judging by their formation and direction, they were here for the newly spawned Thornwood Dryad Leader—a rare forest boss that dropped the Briar Set, which offered true damage and a defensive aura that made it ideal for main tanks. It was a key piece for upcoming team dungeons.
I had no interest in sticking around and staring at them awkwardly. Since Caesar gave me the perfect excuse to leave, I gladly took it.
“Okay, Mister.”
The rest of the team burst into snickers. Caesar coughed again to restore order.
“Mister, huh? Do I really look that old?” he muttered, rubbing his chin as he watched my tiny silhouette disappear into the trees. With a small shake of his head, he turned back to business.
He wasn’t the type to fuss over a child.
But just because he didn’t care didn’t mean no one else did.
A nearby Dark Mage narrowed his eyes at the opened chest and quietly slipped over to a longbow-wielding ranger named Baimu Senshin. He whispered something in his ear.
“You’re sure?” Baimu asked.
“My friend mentioned seeing her open two chests in a row. That’s not luck—she clearly knows some spawn locations,” the Dark Mage replied.
Baimu rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
“Alright. Take a few guys from nearby guilds and check it out. If she really knows where the chests are, try and get some info out of her. Offer a reward if needed. Just don’t burn any bridges.”
The Dark Mage nodded, sent a few quick messages to his buddies, and began quietly following the trail I left behind.
***
Norman Hills – Level 4 Slime Training Grounds
Slimes were notorious for their high physical and magical resistances. Most physical classes couldn’t even scratch them, and only well-geared mages could deal real damage.
But those “well-geared, skilled” mages were usually already recruited by major guilds and off grinding in better zones.
That left Norman Hills mostly deserted, except for solo spellcasters or parties who couldn’t find a spot elsewhere.
Among them was Lost Skies.
A short incantation escaped her lips.
A flicker of red fire latched onto a nearby slime—Fire Seed—causing continuous burn damage.
The slime let out a gurgling sound as it lunged forward, its muddy body morphing into a puddle and rushing at her.
This was Slime Slam, a self-wrapping skill that not only dealt significant damage but temporarily disabled the player inside. Worse, any AoE attacks on the slime while a player was wrapped would deal partial damage to the trapped victim.
One of the reasons why most players avoided this area—high defenses and disgusting mud-wrapping “fetishes.” No thanks.
But Lost Skies was not “most players.”
She had studied slime behavior extensively. Backing up a few paces, she perfectly baited the Slime Slam’s range, evaded the hit, and instantly detonated Ignite, triggering the Fire Seed for massive damage.
The slime wobbled violently but was interrupted mid-counterattack by a Flame Ring, knocking it back over ten meters. Before it could recover, a single Fireball ended its slimy life.
Her movements were smooth and practiced—on par with the elite mages of big guilds.
As a solo Fire Mage, Lost Skies’ confidence came not just from her technical skill, but from her mastery over a specific combo: Fire Seed + Ignite.
Fire Seed was a basic Fire Mage spell that applied minor burn damage and boosted the next fire attack by 10%. Most players found it underwhelming and skipped it.
Even those who discovered the explosive synergy with Ignite gave up, citing how hard it was to time properly.
But Lost Skies was different. Whether by talent or sheer instinct, her sense of timing was uncanny. She could land perfect Ignites consistently, turning the combo into a devastating nuke that even outclassed Fireball, the Fire Mage’s staple early-game skill.
It became her go-to combo for leveling.
The reason she was grinding here, however, wasn’t just the exp—it was a quest.
She had accepted a rare mission that would let her evolve her Fire Seed and Ignite skills. The final item she needed dropped only from these slimes.
“Nope… still nothing.” With a sigh, she picked up a few copper coins from the dead slime and sat in a safe spot to recover mana—her supplies were out, and natural regen was her only option.
If she weren’t one item short, she would’ve never bothered with this mudfest.
With nothing better to do, she opened the game forum and checked the Soma Town tab for anything interesting.
And then, her eyes landed on a newly posted strategy thread:
[Irresponsible Guide Team] Alwyn Empire Walkthrough – Soma Town (Includes Hidden Quest Clues)
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I’m super cute. Please upvote my post owo.jpg