The Slums' Bitter Truth

Maseok. Crystals formed by the condensation of mana, or stones and gems imbued with magical power. Over ninety percent of the adventurers staying in the Dungeon City risk their lives for these maseok, stepping into the unknown depths of the dungeon with fear clutched to their chests. Why go to such lengths? Ask any adventurer—except for a few lunatics—and they'll all say the same thing. "Because it makes money!"

Water gushes refreshingly from the central fountain in the plaza before the dungeon. Mana lamps cast a soft glow over the main roads even in the dead of night. In fact, most facilities and magical tools throughout the Dungeon City run on maseok. That's right. Maseok is the natural energy resource that keeps the entire city running. Just as modern people go mad over oil and natural gas, the fantasy medieval folk here were obsessed with maseok!

And just like any resource, maseok has grades based on mana concentration. These fantasy medieval people seemed fixated on color, so they classified maseok grades by hue, the same way they did with dungeon layers.

"So, the maseok we got is just a common one, huh."

Raven asked Sion while tucking a transparent maseok the size of a golf ball into the contractor's worn leather backpack.

"That's right, nyang."

Sion's mouth stuck out like a duck's beak—had she polymorphed from a cat beastman into a duck one? She rubbed the top of her head, still sore from Raven's earlier strike, and frowned. She kept muttering that she probably had a bump, but nothing was visible. What a dramatic cat.

"...My head feels like it's splitting, nyang."

"If it were really broken, you wouldn't be able to say that."

"You just refuse to let me have the last word, nyang."

Who told her to tease him ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like a child? It wasn't like he'd punished her out of anger.

"Uwaeo ieu uueo eu u ieo aaeieo!" (Still, I'm glad we got even a common maseok!)

The contractor mumbled through the bandages Sion had carefully wrapped around both hands, gnawing at them with her teeth. Raven had worried she was depressed from Sion's prank, but she seemed to have recovered enough to put his mind at ease.

"That's a good mindset for an adventurer, nyang! Even common maseok can fetch over a thousand dallant if the quality is decent. Don't feel too bad about it, nyang!"

"Ooh, a thousand dallant is three times my entire fortune."

"...Three times your entire fortune?"

For reference, here are a few things you could do in the Dungeon City with a thousand dallant:

1. One value meal at the Rainbow Cup.

2. Half a day's stay at a cheap inn.

3. Purchase five hundred lizard skewers.

Among these, he still couldn't figure out how those insane lizard skewers were made so cheaply. Two dallant each? Did they skip material and labor costs entirely?

"Just how poor are you, adventurer...?"

When Sion's pitying eyes turned toward her, the contractor gave a bitter smile and sighed.

"I spent most of my money securing a base. Nothing left now."

"Nyang? You already have a base, adventurer?"

"Ahem. Yes. It's in the Slums, though...."

"The Slums?"

Sion's expression grew puzzled at the contractor's words. What came next was nothing short of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shocking.

"Buildings in the Slums have no managers or brokers, nyang."

Thud.

"What...?"

The contractor stared at Sion with a look as if her heart had dropped. Disbelief and anxiety filled her eyes, making them tremble. She stood frozen, mouth agape in stunned silence, before suddenly lunging forward like she was having a fit.

"T-that can't be. The manager clearly said one room costs two hundred thousand dallant...."

"Two hundred thousand dallant!?"

Sion recoiled in shock and continued.

"With that much, you could stay two hundred days at a cheap inn near the dungeon, nyang! The Slums are just abandoned buildings that broke adventurers break into for a single night's shelter, nyang! You got scammed by some crook, adventurer, nyang!"

"Ah."

At Sion's words, the contractor's mind seemed to go blank. She began to stagger in place. Raven caught the back of her head just in time as she collapsed weakly. Like a kitten being carried by its mother, the contractor dangled from his grip by the scruff of her neck. A faint tremor ran through the robe he held. Analyzing the vibration pattern, Raven could tell she was extremely angry right now.

"Ha, haha. How amusing."

A dry, hollow laugh escaped her lips. Her lightless, inorganic pupils swirled with a murky mix of emotions.

"...."

The contractor tilted her head left and right a few times before speaking in a subdued voice.

"Raven-nim."

"Do you remember what he looked like?"

"Yes."

"Then that's enough."

No more words were needed between Raven and the contractor. It seemed there was now one more thing to take care of once they returned to the surface. He was glad to have found a volunteer for the fear vaccine clinical trial.

***

"Nyang. So, we're stopping the expedition here?"

At Sion's question, the contractor—who had calmed her emotions somewhat—answered steadily.

"Mm. I'll follow Raven-nim's decision."

"What about the crow, nyang? Are we going to catch that swindler right now? If so, I'll help too, nyang! I'm confident in tracking, nyang!"

"That's a commendable thing to say."

She was offering help even though it had nothing to do with the dungeon. Annoying at times, but truly a grateful cat. Still, Raven still had business left in the dungeon. He hadn't properly used his skill even once, and a single common maseok wasn't enough reason to leave.

Therefore—

"I'd like to try heading to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the entrance of the Green Zone. Is that possible?"

At Raven's question, Sion's eyes widened into circles.

"Crow. You're saying you want to drag an adventurer with both hands crippled into that dangerous place?"

"W-well, it's not that bad...."

Ignoring the contractor's muttering as she glanced at her bandaged hands, Sion hurriedly continued.

"The entrance to the Green Zone might be a beginner area, but it's no place to take lightly, nyang! Even for 0-tier adventurers, you need at least five people to be safe, nyang!"

...Was that really dangerous?

"Aren't you a 5-tier rogue? Even then, it's a problem?"

"Of course, as an academy second-place graduate and high-tier Dungeon Sherpa, I could stroll through the Green Zone blindfolded! But even so, protecting two people while fighting would be tough, nyang! My job is Pathfinder, not Shield Warrior, nyang!"

Two people?

"Why am I included in the group that needs protecting?"

"Because you're a demon, nyang? Demons are supposed to support the front line from the rear with magic and authorities... Huh? You're not a rear guard, nyang?"

Sion tilted her head in confusion, rubbing the neck Raven had grabbed earlier.

"Why would a demon be a rear guard?"

"Nyang? Because demons form their bodies from the contractor's mana, so their physical durability is weak, nyang... Wait, now that I think about it. How did you take my kick and stay completely fine, nyang?"

"That's...."

"Sion-nim, Raven-nim isn't maintaining his body by borrowing my mana."

While Raven was still choosing his words, the contractor answered in his place. He had no choice but to close his mouth again.

"Nyang? Does that mean his body is made entirely from his own power, nyang!"

"...You could say that."

It was the character he had raised, so in a way, it was his own power.

"No wonder he was spreading fear everywhere like a crazy demon! Was that all to gather power to maintain his body, nyang?"

"Ah! So that's why he was scaring everyone. Now I understand Raven-nim's strange behavior...."

"...."

Suddenly, all the insane things he'd done so far were being reinterpreted as perfectly reasonable actions. He absolutely could not let these two find out he wasn't actually the Demon of Terror.

"Uuum. Still, I'm a bit uneasy, nyang."

Even after hearing that Raven was a great demon who maintained his body with the power of fear(?), Sion still wouldn't easily permit going to the Green Zone. Well, their party's current balance wasn't great, so her worry was understandable. One guide, one summoner, and one unidentified crow familiar the summoner dragged around.

'Looking at it this way, this really is a hopeless party.'

In that case, what if they added one more member?

"Rogue."

"Nyang?"

"If there were four of us instead of three, would the Green Zone entrance be manageable?"

"Hmm.... That would make protecting the adventurer a bit more stable. It might be doable, nyang. But what are you planning, nyang? Are you trying to team up with another adventurer party, nyang?"

That was....

She'd see soon enough.

"...."

Instead of answering Sion, Raven quietly raised one hand. It looked exactly like a student raising their hand to ask a question.

'What's he doing all of a sudden?'

In truth, it wasn't Raven's will that raised his hand. His body had simply moved on its own the moment he thought about using a certain skill.

"Nyang?"

"Raven-nim?"

Question marks appeared in his party members' eyes at his sudden odd behavior. But Raven was just as curious. He genuinely wanted to know what this damned skill was trying to make his body do.

"...."

Yielding to an irresistible pull, he quietly observed his body moving on its own. At some point, the hand that had been slowly rising toward the sky stopped.

"...!?"

Then it shot straight toward his own chest! Fingers stiff like a hawk diving for prey.

'Wait, hold on!'

—Puuuk!

With the unpleasant sensation of plunging his hand into mud, his wrist disappeared inside his chest in an instant.

"R-Raven-nim!!?"

"Crow!!! What are you doing, nyang!!!"

Startled by Raven's sudden self-harm, the contractor and Sion rushed forward to stop him.

"Unyanyanyang!!! Why are you so strong, nyang!!!"

"Raven-nim! W-what are you doing! Pull your hand out right now!"

But their strength couldn't stop his body, which was under the skill's control.

Shuuuuk!

A repulsive ripple spread across the center of his chest as his hand sank even deeper. Then, in an instant—

He grabbed something firmly.

Squish!

'What the—?'

Something soft and chewy, like rice cake, was clutched in his hand—not the Injector. Just as anxiety peaked from the strangely addictive unknown texture, his mouth opened against his will.

"Call Out."