Himmel and Texan looted the body of the traitor and skinned the lion for materials. The dark fur, rich and golden in places, was stripped carefully, revealing the muscle underneath—a testament to the lion's majestic form. Using the efficient barrels from the first dungeon, Himmel found the items easy to carry. Every step of travel, Himmel did not forget to study. He read the books over and over, tracing the curves of the ancient language with his eyes, feeling the meanings settle in his mind like seeds in fertile soil.
After repreparing themselves, the duo walked further. About an hour into their journey, they met a road. The surface was coarse, worn with age and use, cracked with small stones jutting out unevenly. Tracks indicated that it was still traveled, though infrequently. Himmel and Texan followed the map, the leather edges creaking softly with each step. If they stayed on this road, the path would lead them to a small village, then a larger one, then three more villages, and finally the capital—a sprawling metropolis filled with danger and opportunity.
As Himmel and Texan examined the map and calculated their resources, they heard the faint clip-clop of wheels against the stone. A carriage approached, its wooden wheels rattling across the coarse road. Inside was a single old man, hunched and bent by age, and in the back, a box draped with a heavy cloth. Himmel's curiosity flared. Perhaps a slave was hidden inside. A slave would obey without question, dedicating their life to him.
"Excuse me, good sir!" Himmel called, waving his hands energetically to gain attention.
The old man noticed and brought the carriage to a halt. His eyes, lined with the wrinkles of age, flicked over them. He was level 3, but frail—his body bent under years, his hands trembling from the effort of maintaining control. Himmel's eyes softened momentarily, pity stirring. He began to speak, intending to negotiate, but Texan interrupted.
"Hello there, we noticed your luggage and were wondering how much it would cost to purchase it."
The old man's gaze narrowed, his expression sharpening. "Young man, does this slave speak for you?"
Himmel expected this. Orcs were dominant here; why would a mermaid think he could claim authority? "He handles my money and talks for me when making trade. He's a good slave," Himmel replied.
The old man's expression shifted to a cunning smile. "Oh, thanks for mentioning that. Then yes, I am willing to sell the product. Would you like to see it?"
"Yes, kind sir. Reveal the item." Texan suppressed a roll of his eyes, accustomed to such theatrics.
The drape was pulled back, revealing a beastman resembling a rhino. He was small and fragile, his muscles thin, his skin rough and gray, his eyes wide with fear. Hunger had hollowed his frame, and he trembled with every shiver of movement.
"The beast may be poor in health now, but I assure you, it has great potential," the old man said, clasping his hands theatrically like a car salesman.
Himmel and Texan studied the creature, noting its weakness but imagining its future strength. The rhino-beast whimpered, "Please… free me."
Himmel's heart softened. His original plan to acquire a slave for obedience had shifted; now, he would offer freedom. If the creature chose to stay, it would be entirely of its own volition.
"We'll offer you 50 silver, good man," Texan said, producing a small pouch of coins. Himmel wondered where it came from but assumed Texan had taken it from the village treasury.
"One gold," the old man said bluntly. Himmel and Texan were taken aback. No way. They wouldn't be scammed again. Himmel's patience snapped.
"Take the silver, old man. That's all," he said sternly.
The old man chuckled, dismissive. To him, Himmel was a spoiled child with a few coins to throw around. But he didn't understand the boy before him.
"Little kid, it's either the gold or you're not getting the slave. It really is val—" Before he could finish, Himmel's blade flashed in a perfect arc. Blood spilled like a crimson river, sliding down the old man's body to form a dark puddle beneath him. Once a healthy level 3, in his frailty, he was reduced to the weakness of a level 1.
Himmel and Texan quickly cut the chains off the rhino-beast, freeing him. "Look," Himmel said, "you have a choice. Stick with us or face the world alone. But remember which continent you are on." Himmel carefully cut off the horn from the rhino's head.
"Wait, why?! Why did you do that?!" the slave cried, alarmed.
"Look, I'm helping you. These are known to cure curses and revitalize even the paralyzed b—" Himmel began, but Texan interrupted.
"So how would they be healed?"
"Normally, people would consume them, but anyway—" Interrupted again, Texan acted instead of speaking, snatching the horn from Himmel's hand and swallowing it in an instant.
"So… how long until it works?"
"Well, if you let me finish," Himmel said, flustered, "those effects are largely hoaxes. They only work because divine beasts naturally give off the real powers, but those beasts are practically extinct." Himmel paused, a bit speechless, though he couldn't fault Texan for acting so quickly.
"But… I feel something," Texan said, exuding a dark, smoky aura that mingled with the air around them.
Himmel's eyes widened. "You're a divine beast?" he whispered to the slave.
That explained the defensiveness the creature had shown when Himmel first touched the horn.
"So what I'm hearing," Texan said, half-joking, "is that the old man really was giving us a bargain." He kept a cautious eye on the rhino.
"Himmel, we should keep him," Texan suggested. The value of such a being was undeniable. But Himmel remained firm.
"It's your choice. You decide. But know this—if you stay with us, we will protect you," Himmel said, giving the rhino a chance to choose freely.
The rhino stood and bolted—but in the worst direction imaginable.
"Let's make a wager," Texan said to Himmel.
"I'm listening."
"If he gets captured by the end of the day, we keep him."
"Well… that's not fair. You're guaranteed to win."
Himmel and Texan laughed, following the rhino from a safe distance. The beast ran straight into the next village, begging a farmer, "Good sir, please help me! I'm hungry and tired."
"Oh, that's nice," the farmer said, producing a chain and leash and quickly restraining the rhino.
"Ha! HAHAHA!" Texan's laughter rang out, echoing across the small village.
"Dude, you should've stayed with us," Texan teased as they approached.
"Hey, good sir. That's our runaway slave. Could you hand him back?" Himmel asked. The farmer refused.
"No. This is my slave." The farmer punched the rhino in the face, leaving a bruise and drawing blood.
Normally, Himmel and Texan would have eliminated the threat and taken the slave, but the farmer was not alone. Five orcs, including the farmer, blocked their path. Each orc was level 2, the farmer himself level 3. The duo had no chance. They retreated, leaving the rhino confined in a cage for the time being.
"While we wait for night before we steal him back," Himmel said, slouching in the shade of a tree, "tell me what you stole from my village."
"Oh, okay. I got this level 4 wand for you, some bone from a big skeleton, a level 4 martial arts scroll, a level 3 bow, and about 2 gold in silver," Texan said, showing them to Himmel.
"That's great. Unfortunate we can't use them yet, since our level gap is too great," Himmel said, slightly disappointed, but hopeful.
"Yeah, I know. But level 3 isn't too far for me, though level 4 does suck," Texan said with a small giggle as he rested.
In this world, you had to be at least the level of an item to use it. Martial artists could be one level lower to start learning a scroll, but couldn't learn the ultimate until reaching the required level.
Himmel and Texan relaxed, waiting for nightfall. When it came, they used Himmel's snake rings to drag the cage from a distance and ran. As they left, they asked the rhino, "What's your name?"
The slave hesitated, then replied reluctantly, "Recon."