As dawn broke the next day, Oliver awoke with thoughts of young Isabella swirling in his mind. However, to his surprise, when he opened the door, he found the large door next door wide open and unlatched, the yard in disarray, but completely devoid of people.
Had something happened?!
It couldn’t be; he hadn’t caught a whiff of blood.
After inquiring around, Oliver discovered that the Alstan family had moved away in the dead of night!
It turned out that Isabella’s wealthy aunt, a solitary old woman, had passed away, leaving behind a substantial inheritance.
Consequently, the entire family had relocated to Glensorne City to ensure young Isabella inherited her aunt's fortune.
Now, the villagers buzzed with gossip about the matter, all agreeing that little Isabella was exceptionally fortunate, destined to become a noble lady.
When Oliver returned home, he found a small bag of rye bread tossed over the wall from next door— a parting gift from Isabella.
“Such a gesture…” he murmured, a sense of regret washing over him.
That girl had treated him so kindly, helping him in ways he could never repay. Yet, before he had the chance, she was gone.
If only their conversation last night hadn’t been interrupted by her father.
But perhaps the noble lady Isabella wouldn’t miss that one silver coin of his?
Still, Oliver felt deep down that this was not the end. Glensorne City? He would visit it sooner or later.
One day, perhaps, they would reunite there.
No, definitely not perhaps!
Oliver was determined to become a powerful mage, to see a world far beyond this one. He would definitely travel to Glensorne City!
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In the following days, Oliver kept himself busy with hunting and selling his catches. Instead of selling everything at once, he opted for a more measured approach, selling a few goats and deer every few days.
This caution did not hinder his reputation as a skilled hunter; it spread like wildfire through the town. A sixteen-year-old orphan had suddenly become a remarkable hunter, surpassing many seasoned veterans.
This newfound fame drew the attention of several young women in town!
Although many older residents dismissed hunters as lacking future prospects, believing they would eventually meet their end in the woods, the local girls were undeterred.
With a bow in hand and a bounty of game, Oliver cut a striking figure in town, captivating many hearts.
How could a teenage boy achieve what so many older hunters could not and not draw admiration?
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
Yet, Oliver was not swayed by their affections. His heart was set solely on making money and gaining entrance to the Magic Academy!
Of course, part of his determination stemmed from a secret he wished to keep hidden.
Venturing deeper into the forest, Oliver whistled, causing the ground to tremble.
His two enormous pets, a tiger and a wild boar, bounded toward him like playful pups.
With their help, he had managed to hunt quite a bit, and he had even stumbled upon a few magical plants like Moonflowers. However, he had yet to find anything particularly valuable.
It wasn’t that he hadn’t encountered powerful magical creatures, but some posed dangers far beyond his current capabilities. Whenever he spotted them from afar, he quickly retreated.
This forest was more perilous than he had imagined.
But at that moment, Oliver was unprepared for the news that his large cat sent him through their mental link: it had spotted a lone red slime!
The forest was quiet, sunlight streaming through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground.
The tiger crouched in the underbrush, stealthily approaching its prey. No one would expect such a fearsome creature to blend in so well, making it nearly impossible to detect.
The slime, glowing a fiery red, danced near the entrance of a cave, emanating a faint heat.
Finally, he had encountered a legendary magical creature. Excitement bubbled within Oliver.
A stream of information began to materialize before his eyes.
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[Red Slime: A low-level magical creature with almost no intelligence, rich in fire magic.]
[Due to its lack of intelligence and low mental capacity, this creature cannot be captured.]
Unable to capture it? Oliver felt a wave of disappointment.
However, even if he couldn’t catch it, selling the creature could still yield a handsome profit!
If he could fetch a high price, he would quickly gather enough for his tuition to the Magic Academy!
Then his adventures in this new world would truly begin!
Ha! This tiger was indeed a stroke of luck, bringing him good fortune.
At that moment, the red slime, blissfully unaware of its impending fate, continued to frolic around the cave entrance, releasing heat into the air.
It seemed the slime was absorbing the flame magic from this location. Perhaps deeper within the cave lay hidden treasures?
Once he caught this slime, he would definitely explore further.
However, capturing it would not be easy.
Though slimes are among the lowest of magical creatures, they still possess magical traits.
The one before him, for instance, would swell and become scalding hot if provoked or threatened.
If he encountered a more advanced fire slime, it might even breathe fire.
This particular one likely wouldn’t be able to spit flames, but if it emitted high temperatures while attempting to flee, blocking its escape could prove troublesome.
Therefore, he needed to be well-prepared.
Oliver instructed his tiger and wild boar to hide nearby and keep an eye on the slime's movements, while he rushed to a nearby stream, filling every container he had—flasks, water skins.
Once fully equipped, he returned to the cave’s vicinity. The little red creature was still there.
He quickly issued commands to his tiger and boar.
With a roar, they lunged at the slime.
The tiger, more agile, leapt between the slime and the cave, blocking its escape route, while the boar charged from the left, forcing the slime to flee right.
And to the right, Oliver lay in wait!
As the slime drew closer, he hurled the flask filled with water.
Bang!
The bottle shattered beside the slime, dousing it in liquid.
The scalding slime instantly emitted a cloud of steam, its size shrinking considerably.
Oliver quickly threw a prepared garment over the creature, covering it entirely.
Sizzle!
The hot slime burned a hole in Oliver's clothing, but he pressed on, determined to keep it contained.
As the slime struggled to escape, Oliver seized his water skin and poured its contents over the creature once more.
This made the slime calm down considerably, but Oliver knew it wasn’t enough.
He scooped it up, bolting toward the river.
The creature’s heat seared his chest, causing him to grit his teeth, but he persevered, sprinting to the water and plunging the slime beneath the surface.
Sizzle!
Steam erupted, drawing the tiger and boar closer, their eyes wide with curiosity.
This process stretched on for several minutes until the heat finally dissipated.
Looking back at the red slime, Oliver saw it had lost its vitality, barely clinging to life, the heat nearly extinguished.
Oliver knew he had succeeded!
“My first magical creature, caught successfully!”
A grin spread across his face.
With this, he finally had enough for the Magic Academy’s tuition!
In that moment, he felt a surge of excitement, patting the tiger’s head. “Well done! You played a crucial role this time!”
But this was not the end!
The cave, still radiating heat, might hold even more treasures!