The tavern stew sat heavy in JP's stomach as he and Lyra made their way back through the city streets. Lanterns burned low, the chatter of vendors and drunks slowly fading as the night pressed in.
JP shifted his satchel on his shoulder, muttering, "You know, I was hoping to spend the evening figuring out how to turn slime cores into a portable cooking kit. Instead, I get velvet mafia threats. Not really the fun night I had in mind."
Lyra gave him a side glance, her hood drawn up. "Better than being stabbed in the street, isn't it?"
"Not by much," JP grumbled, then added in a lower voice, "Do you think he bought my 'old master' story?"
Lyra almost smiled. "You told it with enough nerves to be believable. But now you've made them think you're backed by someone powerful. That will scare some—and make others curious enough to test you."
"Great. I've basically painted a target on myself with glitter." JP sighed, kicking at a loose cobblestone.
They reached the inn, but instead of going inside, JP detoured around to a quiet alley. Lyra frowned. "What are you doing?"
"Testing something," he said, crouching down. He pulled out one of the smaller slime cores from his satchel, then tapped it with the tip of his Appraisal-enhanced lens. A faint shimmer of information spread across his vision.
[Slime Core (Lesser)]Contains trace mana. Reactive to heat and pressure. Can be stabilized into—
JP blinked. His new Appraisal perk scrolled further.—potential cooking fuel, or compressed into a mana battery with proper alchemical bonding.
He let out a low whistle. "Okay, that's… actually better than I thought. These things could be campfire starters and batteries. The merchants would riot if they saw this."
"Then don't show them," Lyra warned, arms crossed.
"I wasn't planning to. But imagine—portable stoves, lamps that never need oil…" His eyes lit up, mind already racing. "I could actually make adventuring safer and easier. Not just for me, but—"
"JP," Lyra cut in sharply. "You don't have the luxury to play benefactor. Every invention you make draws eyes. You need to decide what's worth showing… and what you hide."
Her tone was firm, but there was no malice in it—only concern.
JP tucked the core back into his satchel, lips pressed tight. "Yeah. I know."
For a moment, the only sound was the distant murmur of the city. Then JP chuckled, breaking the heaviness. "Still, if I can turn monster guts into cookware, maybe I can at least feed us without burning everything. Consider it… progress."
Lyra shook her head, but the faintest smile tugged at her lips.
As they finally headed inside, neither spoke further. But JP couldn't shake the feeling that someone, somewhere in the shadows, was still watching.
And he was right.