The morning sun climbed steadily as Tolu and Ore left Aramode through the eastern gate.
Unlike the previous day’s training, there was no instructor waiting ahead.
No group of novices chatting excitedly.
Just the two of them.
Ore stretched her arms behind her head.
"It feels... different."
Tolu nodded.
"It does."
"We’re actually on our own this time."
"Which means if you get lost, I’m not coming to rescue you."
He gave her an offended look.
"You’re supposed to encourage your partner."
"I am."
"I’m encouraging you not to get lost."
The two laughed as they followed the familiar dirt road leading toward the eastern hunting grounds.
Several adventurers passed them along the way.
Some were returning with bulging packs and weary smiles.
Others carried the bodies of horned rabbits and wild boars over their shoulders.
One older adventurer noticed the pair and gave a small nod.
"First independent commission?"
Tolu nodded.
"Don’t get greedy."
The man smiled knowingly before continuing down the road.
Ore watched him leave.
"Why does every experienced adventurer say the same thing?"
"Because beginners never listen."
"Fair point."
Soon the road narrowed into a winding trail cutting through patches of tall grass and scattered woodland.
The sounds of Aramode slowly disappeared behind them.
Birdsong replaced the chatter of merchants.
The wind carried the scent of damp earth and wildflowers.
Every now and then they stopped to harvest patches of Greenleaf Mint growing near the shade of trees.
Ore carefully wrapped each bundle in cloth before placing it into her satchel.
"Halfway to a kilogram already."
"See?"
Tolu grinned.
"I told you we’d earn a little extra."
"You also said we’d be rich after three slime cores."
"I may have exaggerated."
"A little?"
"Maybe a lot."
Ore shook her head with a smile.
Not long afterward, a familiar translucent slime bounced lazily between two rocks.
"There."
Tolu slowly drew his sword.
"This one’s mine."
Ore stepped aside.
"I’ll watch."
The slime noticed him and bounced forward.
Tolu waited.
Just as Instructor Fadeyi had taught them.
Not too early.
Not too late.
When the creature leapt, he sidestepped and brought his blade down in a clean arc.
Splosh.
The slime collapsed into clear jelly.
Ore clapped twice.
"Much better than yesterday."
"I’ve been practicing."
"You’ve been listening."
"There’s a difference?"
"For you?"
She pretended to think.
"Not really."
Laughing, Tolu crouched and carefully retrieved the glowing blue slime core.
He dropped it into his pouch before standing.
"One down."
They continued deeper along the trail.
Gradually, the number of adventurers became fewer.
The hunting grounds grew quieter.
Eventually, Ore glanced at the folded commission tucked into Tolu’s belt.
"We should be getting close."
He unfolded the parchment.
"’Old Stone Hills.’"
He looked ahead.
Several weathered stone formations rose above the trees in the distance, their gray surfaces worn smooth by countless years of wind and rain.
"That must be it."
The pair exchanged a glance before adjusting their packs.
Neither of them expected to find much.
Perhaps a few loose rocks.
Maybe a small landslide.
The morning breeze drifted through the tall grass as Tolu and Ore followed the narrow trail toward the Old Stone Hills.
Every so often, one of them would pause to gather a patch of Greenleaf Mint before continuing.
Their pace was unhurried.
There was no instructor urging them onward.
No other novices competing with them.
Just the sound of birds and the occasional distant bounce of a wandering slime.
Ore glanced sideways at Tolu.
"So..."
"Hmm?"
"I’ve been wondering something."
He looked at her curiously.
"That sounds dangerous."
"It probably is."
She smiled.
"Have you ever liked anyone?"
Tolu blinked.
"What kind of question is that?"
"A normal one."
"It doesn’t feel very normal."
Ore nudged him lightly with her shoulder.
"Answer it."
He looked ahead again, thinking for a moment.
"I don’t know."
"You don’t know?"
"I’ve never really had time to think about it."
Ore laughed.
"That’s the most ’Tolu’ answer I’ve ever heard."
"It’s true."
"Between helping Uncle Aremu at the shop and training..."
"...I just never thought much about romance."
Ore folded her arms.
"So if a girl liked you..."
"...you probably wouldn’t even notice."
Tolu chuckled.
"I think I’d notice eventually."
"Eventually?"
"Well..."
He scratched the back of his head.
"I’m not exactly the best at reading people."
Ore looked away, hiding a small smile.
"No."
"I don’t think you are."
"What about you?" Tolu asked.
"Has anyone ever caught your attention?"
She pretended to think very seriously.
"Hmm..."
"There was one."
Tolu’s eyebrows rose.
"Oh?"
"He worked hard."
"He was honest."
"He cared more about other people than himself."
"Sounds like a good person."
"He is."
"What happened?"
Ore sighed dramatically.
"He’s hopeless."
Tolu laughed.
"Poor guy."
"I know."
"He probably has no idea."
"What a shame."
Ore looked at him for a long second before shaking her head with an amused smile.
"You’re always so slow."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
She quickened her pace, walking a few steps ahead.
"Hurry up."
"If we spend all day talking, we’ll never reach the hills."
Tolu hurried after her, completely missing the amused expression on her face.
Some things...
Were easier for everyone else to see than for the people living them.
The trail gradually became rougher as Tolu and Ore entered the Old Stone Hills.
Towering slabs of weathered stone rose from the earth like the backs of sleeping giants.
The grass here grew taller than their waists, swaying gently in the breeze.
Tolu unfolded the commission once more.
"We should be close."
Ore nodded, scanning the area.
"It’s quieter than I expected."
The songs of birds had almost completely faded.
Even the wind seemed softer among the ancient rocks.
The two walked cautiously between the stone formations.
Minutes passed.
Nothing.
"No signs of a landslide," Tolu said.
"No broken trees either."
Ore knelt beside the ground, brushing her fingers across the dry earth.
"It doesn’t even look disturbed."
Just as Tolu was about to suggest turning back...
Ore suddenly raised a hand.
"Wait."
He immediately fell silent.
"What is it?"
She tilted her head.
"...Be quiet."
Both stood perfectly still.
For several heartbeats...
There was only silence.
Then...
Rumble...
It was so faint Tolu almost thought he’d imagined it.
A gentle vibration travelled through the soles of his boots before disappearing again.
His eyes widened slightly.
"You felt that?"
Ore nodded without taking her eyes off the ground.
"Very faint."
"But it’s there."
Several moments later...
Rumble...
This time they both noticed the subtle trembling beneath their feet.
Ore slowly pointed ahead.
"It came from that direction."
The pair exchanged a cautious glance before moving forward.
They kept their voices low.
Every few steps they stopped, waiting for the next vibration.
Rumble...
Again.
A little clearer this time.
Tolu looked toward a massive boulder standing alone between two rocky slopes.
It was nearly three times his height, its surface covered with patches of moss and creeping vines.
"The sound..."
"...is coming from behind it."
Ore nodded.
"Stay alert."
Hands resting on the hilts of their swords, they carefully circled the enormous stone.
Tall grass brushed against their legs with every step.
Neither of them spoke.
As they rounded the boulder, Ore gently pushed aside a curtain of grass.
She froze.
"Tolu..."
He stepped beside her.
Beyond the swaying grass lay a narrow opening in the hillside.
Cold air drifted from the darkness within.
Stone steps, worn smooth by unimaginable years, descended into the earth.
The entrance was partly hidden by roots, vines, and overgrown shrubs, as though nature itself had spent decades trying to conceal it.
Tolu frowned.
"I don’t remember this being on the maps."
Ore slowly shook her head.
"Neither do I."
They stood in silence, staring into the darkness below.
Whatever had caused the tremors...
It wasn’t on the surface.
It was waiting beneath their feet.