The next morning, A Mi and Xiao Ye once again stepped into the Contract Hall.
Compared to yesterday's apprehension, Xiao Ye’s steps were noticeably lighter. Although her clothes were still ragged, her back was straighter, and a subtle hint of confidence had entered her gaze.
Continuous fighting and clear growth seemed to be quietly transforming the once timid girl.
They headed straight for the service desk, intending to re-enter the Training Ground to solidify their levels, but they learned of a new regulation—or rather, a Rule they hadn't known before—from the Elf Receptionist, whose smile remained professional but whose eyes held a touch less warmth.
“The Beginner Training Ground is not open indefinitely. Each Contractor has a fixed amount of free time per week, and your allocation for this week was used up yesterday.
If you require additional time, you must pay an extra fee or wait for the Reset next week.”
Fees? Money again.
A Mi and Xiao Ye exchanged a look, seeing the helplessness reflected in the other's eyes.
That was exactly what they lacked most right now.
“It seems we can’t go to the Training Ground for now,” A Mi murmured.
“Mhm,” Xiao Ye nodded, her gaze immediately shifting to the relatively deserted Commission area on the other side of the hall. “Then let’s check the Commissions? Maybe there’s something we can do.”
The two walked over to the area where Commission scrolls and Light Screens were displayed.
As the Receptionist had said, there weren't many Commissions, and they were severely polarized.
Either they involved tracking down vicious Magical Beasts on the run or exploring unknown dangerous areas, offering rich rewards that were far beyond their reach; or they were extremely trivial tasks with meager rewards.
Their eyes scanned the few low-level Commissions, finally settling on a parchment scroll that looked the simplest.
【Commission Type: Clean up 】
【Commission Content: Near the entrance of the abandoned Ore Tunnel west of the city, Water Attribute Slimes have recently proliferated excessively, disturbing the surrounding environment. Clean up the excess Slimes and control their numbers. 】
【Target: Clean up Slimes （0/20 ）】
【Reward: 300 Copper Coins 】
【Notes: Slimes pose extremely low threat, but increased numbers might attract other predators. Recommended to handle quickly. 】
The reward was only three hundred Copper Coins.
In this city where prices weren't low, it might only be enough for a few simple, filling meals, or perhaps to buy Xiao Ye a set of the cheapest coarse cloth clothes.
However, contrasted against the high-level Commissions that cost tens of Silver Coins or even Gold Coins, this looked truly meager.
Yet, looking at the words "300 Copper Coins," Xiao Ye’s eyes brightened slightly.
To her, this was already a "huge sum" that needed careful planning to use.
“Mr. A Mi, this… can we try this one?”
She asked softly, filled with anticipation.
“Slimes, we’ve fought them many times in the Training Ground.”
A Mi looked at the Commission content, then at the cautious hope in Xiao Ye’s eyes, and nodded: “Yes, let’s take this one. Safety first, and it can also help consolidate our combat skills.”
After accepting the Commission and noting down the location of the Ore Tunnel, the two left the Contract Hall and headed west of the city.
The west side of the city was more desolate than the forest edge where they lived, and the road gradually became rougher.
Seeing that there was still a considerable distance to the abandoned Ore Tunnel, A Mi looked at Xiao Ye’s small frame and the stamina that might not have fully recovered from the previous battles, and stopped walking.
“Xiao Ye, get on.” He squatted slightly, his back to her.
“Ah?” Xiao Ye startled, her cheeks instantly flushing red. “This… how can this be acceptable…”
“Stop dawdling; this way we travel faster,” A Mi’s tone was calm, carrying an undeniable finality. “You conserve your stamina so you can better watch the surroundings for me when we reach the tunnel, right?”
This reason left Xiao Ye unable to argue. She hesitated, but finally, with a blush, she carefully climbed onto A Mi’s back.
A Mi supported her steadily, feeling the weight on his back, which was excessively light. He sighed inwardly, then started walking, his Speed indeed not dropping much.
Xiao Ye’s body was stiff at first, her hands nervously gripping the fabric of A Mi’s shoulder.
But feeling the steadiness of A Mi’s steps and the breadth of his back, she gradually relaxed, leaning her cheek gently against his back, enveloped by an indescribable sense of security.
“If carrying you like this is uncomfortable, remember to tell me,” A Mi reminded her, then focused on moving forward.
Xiao Ye didn't reply, only carefully burying her head lower.
“Mmm…” She moved closer to A Mi, hugging him a little tighter.
With A Mi’s pace, they soon arrived at the entrance of the abandoned Ore Tunnel indicated in the Commission.
The cave entrance was pitch black, emitting a damp, cold Aura outwards. Faintly, they could hear the characteristic "plop-plop" squelching sounds of Slimes coming from inside.
On the ground around the entrance, they could indeed see some pale blue, viscous trails.
A Mi gently set Xiao Ye down. A faint light flashed in his hand—the Yellow Creation Artifact activated—and he rapidly "sculpted" a familiar Stone Hammer from the nearby Rock Wall to hold in his hand.
“Are you ready?” He looked at Xiao Ye.
Xiao Ye took a deep breath, untied the Vine Lasso she always carried at her waist, nodded firmly, and her eyes became focused: “Yes! I’m ready, Mr. A Mi!”
The two exchanged a look, stepped forward together, and entered the dark and unknown Ore Tunnel.
Stepping into the tunnel, the light abruptly dimmed, and the air was filled with heavy dampness and a faint, pungent Acid smell.
The ground underfoot was slippery, and the cave walls were covered in sticky, pale yellow slime marks, completely different from the clear trails described in the Commission as being left by Water Attribute Slimes.
“Mr. A Mi, the smell is wrong…”
Xiao Ye whispered cautiously, her Black Eyes struggling to adjust to the dim light.
A Mi also frowned, gripping the Stone Hammer in his hand tightly.
They advanced cautiously. Not long after, the scene before them made both of them gasp simultaneously.
In a relatively open collapsed pit within the Ore Tunnel, what gathered was not scattered small Slimes, but a massive, slowly writhing gelatinous mass the size of a small hill!
It was an ominous, murky yellow-green color throughout, towering as high as two people. The bubbles that constantly swelled and popped on its surface released an even richer, acidic, putrid odor.
This was not a normal Water Attribute Slime at all, but a more aggressive Acid Slime!
And judging by its size and the energy fluctuation it emitted, it was definitely not an ordinary individual—it was likely a Slime King formed by the fusion of numerous Acid Slimes over a long period!
The moment they discovered it, the massive Slime King seemed to sense the intruders. Two hollows resembling eyes in the center of its huge body locked onto them, and a heart-palpitating sense of pressure washed over them.
【Acid Slime King Lv. 16 】
Level Sixteen! A full six levels higher than A Mi!
And judging by the situation, it was absolutely incomparable to those passive punching bags in the Training Ground.
“The Commission information was wrong… This thing has probably been left unclaimed in the Hall for a while, and the Slimes inside have mutated and merged.”
A Mi instantly understood the reason, and his heart sank.
Level Suppression, coupled with the unique nature of the Acid, made this battle extremely dangerous.
“Mr. A Mi, should we…” Xiao Ye’s voice trembled with fear, instinctively wanting to suggest retreating.
“We are not retreating!” A Mi cut her off, his tone decisive.
“We accepted the Commission, so we must complete it. Besides, leaving this thing near the city will eventually become a disaster.”
...More importantly, they needed those 300 Copper Coins; they needed to prove they could complete a mission on their own!
Without any hesitation, a sharp glint flashed in A Mi’s eyes. He let out a low roar, raised the heavy Stone Hammer, pushed off the ground, and charged toward the massive Slime King like an arrow loosed from a bow!
He intended to use the weight of the Stone Hammer to deliver a heavy blow!
However, the Slime King reacted extremely quickly!
Facing the charging A Mi, its massive body suddenly contracted, and then, like a squeezed pustule, it violently spewed a large stream of viscous, yellow-green Acid emitting pungent white smoke toward A Mi!
The Acid rushed toward them like a water cannon, covering a wide area!
A Mi’s charge was too fierce; he had no time to dodge completely and could only hold the Stone Hammer horizontally in front of him to try and block.
“Sssshhh—!”
Most of the Acid was blocked by the Stone Hammer, producing a grating, corrosive sound. The surface of the Stone Hammer was instantly etched with pitted marks, emitting more white smoke.
But some of the Acid still splashed onto A Mi’s arm and chest!
“Ugh!”
A Burning Status pain shot through him. A Mi grunted, and the force of the Acid impact combined with his own momentum sent him flying backward, slamming heavily onto the slippery ground and rolling several times before stopping.
He struggled to get up, feeling a searing pain where the Acid had splashed. His Spirit Body even felt somewhat unstable.
The status bar in his consciousness immediately updated:
【Status: Light Injury 】
【Corrosion: Parts of the body have been eroded by Acid, suffering continuous minor damage, and agility is reduced 】
And the Stone Hammer in his hand, due to the Acid’s Corrosion, had become even rougher.
“Mr. A Mi!” Xiao Ye cried out, attempting to run over.
“Don’t come over!” A Mi sharply stopped her, his gaze fixed on the Slime King, which was already beginning to writhe again, brewing its next Attack.
The heavy Stone Hammer felt even more cumbersome under the injury and Corrosion status, slowing down his Speed and flexibility.
A direct clash of Strength, under Level Suppression and compounded by the Acid interference, was not feasible!
In a flash of thought, A Mi made a decision.
He violently hurled the damaged Stone Hammer toward the Slime King, attempting to distract it, while simultaneously pressing both hands onto the ground again—Yellow Creation Artifact!
This time, the flowing Rock rapidly took shape in his hands. It was no longer a clumsy hammer, but two relatively lighter, narrower Stone Twin Blades better suited for chopping and thrusting!
“Weight slowed me down… Then, I’ll use Speed and technique!”
A Mi gritted his teeth, enduring the stinging pain of the Corrosion and the sluggishness in his movements. He gripped the new Stone Twin Blades tightly, his eyes sharp as a hawk’s, and once again crouched, locking onto the target.
“Again!”