Since sending out my slimes during the night, Lila and I had finally gone to bed.

After such a rough day, we needed the rest.

In the end, I knew the slimes would probably bring back a few berries and herbs from the forest—nothing game-changing, but something to get by.

The problem was that some of those herbs and berries had short shelf lives, and they’d probably spoil before the next dungeon opened up.

Even so, I intended to eat them before then, just to keep myself and Lila fed for the next few days.

If anything looked promising, maybe I could sell some for a few credits.

But there was one surefire way to earn what I needed, and that was through quests.

Inside the Adventurer’s Registry and Affairs Hall, there was a bulletin board filled with all kinds of different quests, each with its own level of difficulty.

Some quests could be done outside the city, while others required venturing inside the dungeon. It all depended on what the requester needed.

Back when I was still on Earth, this was one of the things I did most while playing the game—completing quests in preparation for the next dungeon delve.

So, once morning hit, I headed straight to the hall to review the survey board, like I had done countless times in the game.

Before I could even think about entering the city, I had to buy a Proof of Access.

Access to Arn was restricted; only merchants and residents with proof of access were allowed in, and that proof had to be purchased from the government.

For most people without a permanent pass, a valid reason for entry was required.

In my case, my slave contract served as my ticket in. Normally, that wouldn’t be enough to allow me to stay within the city walls, but on the opening day of the dungeon, exceptions were made for contracted slaves.

Once you were out of the dungeon, though, you couldn’t linger in the city without some kind of proof.

This meant that if I wanted the flexibility to come and go as I pleased in the future, I’d need to purchase proper access.

Without it, I wouldn’t be able to get into the city again, and that would make upgrading my character and getting supplies a nightmare.

Unfortunately, the dungeon was already closed, and I didn’t have enough money to buy a permanent access.

My only option was to pay for a one-day pass, like a bus fare. It was cheap but temporary.

A single entry cost 3 credits, which left me with only 1 credit to my name.

With my meager funds now even smaller, I made my way back into the city.

Once inside, I headed straight for the Adventurer’s Registry and Affairs Hall.

The place was bustling with people, most of them like me—slum rats desperate for any opportunity to make a few credits.

The number of slum rats there was overwhelming, all with the same idea in mind, crowding the board and trying to snatch quests for themselves.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Even though there were plenty of requests, only a few were within reach for low-level, desperate adventurers like myself. I needed something achievable, something that wouldn’t get me killed.

I glanced over some of the more difficult requests, curiosity getting the better of me.

There were quests that asked for materials from monsters deep within the forest—creatures even high-level adventurers wouldn’t dare face.

Some asked for rare ingredients that only grew in the most dangerous parts of the forest, guarded by god-knows-what.

Then, there were simpler ones, like searching for lost pets or items, but those were snatched up immediately.

But there was one specific quest that caught my eye, the one I’d been aiming for from the start.

Tucked away in the corner of the board was a worn-out piece of paper, tattered from time and neglect.

This request had been there for as long as I could remember, never leaving its spot, never being updated.

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Requester: Adventurer’s Registry and Affairs Hall

Difficulty: F ~ SSS

Reward: 1 credit per Scarleaf Herb. (10% price increase per bundle added)

Request: Collect Scarleaf Herb

Time Limit: None

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This request was a permanent one, placed by the Adventurer’s Registry and Affairs Hall itself.

They constantly needed Scarleaf Herbs, which was the main ingredient for healing potions.

Because of the demand, the request had never been removed.

Most adventurers didn’t bother with it, though.

They either dismissed it or hoarded the herbs in bulk for bigger payouts.

You see, the unique thing about this request was that the more you gathered, the more valuable it became—the price increased by 10% for every pound you turned in.

But the real kicker was the difficulty: F ~ SSS.

Why would something as simple as gathering herbs have such a wide range of difficulty?

That’s because the Scarleaf Herb only grew in the Arn’s Dark Forest, and the risk of scavenging in there was no joke.

You could walk in and encounter nothing but a few harmless creatures, or you could run into something like a pack of demonic wolfs ready to tear you apart.

The forest was unpredictable, and so was the level of threat you might face.

For most, the quest wasn’t worth the risk.

But for me, this was exactly what I needed.

The slimes I’d sent into the forest might just bring me back what I was looking for.

I just needed enough luck and patience.

However, since I could only take one request at a time, I decided to leave the medicinal herb quest for later.

Once I had gathered enough herbs, I would return and fulfill that request to maximize my profits.

For now, I needed to find another task that would help me earn credits.

As I browsed through the numerous forms on the bulletin board, one in particular caught my eye.

Unlike the others, this one was extremely worn out—much like the perpetual herb request.

But this wasn’t tucked away in a corner like the herb one had been; this was placed right in the middle of the board, almost as if it had been deliberately set there for people to notice.

Curious, I leaned in to take a closer look.

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Requester: Steelheart Family

Difficulty: N/A

Reward: Item of Choice from Steelheart Family Vault

Request: Unlock Valerian Steelheart's Sealed Pouch

Time Limit: None

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I froze.

The Steelheart Family? That wasn’t a name I could just brush off.

But what really struck me was the request: Unlock Valerian Steelheart's Sealed Pouch

My heart skipped a beat as I read the name again.

Valerian Steelheart. That was my Bloodzerker’s very own pouch—the one where i kept his loot while delving into the dungeon.

Those bastards... How did they get their hands on it?

A thought crossed my mind. Did they get their hands on it because of my former party members? Could they have survived? But how?

I needed answers.

I looked around the bustling hall, my eyes scanning the adventurers. Most were busy, caught up in their own search, but then I spotted one—a veteran-looking adventurer who seemed somewhat approachable.

He had the look of someone who had seen enough of the world to know things, but not so jaded that he wouldn't lend a hand.

Without thinking, I reached out and touched his shoulder.

“Hey.” I started, my voice low, trying to keep my tone casual. “Do you know anything about this request here?”

The man turned, a curious look crossing his face as his eyes shifted to the worn-out paper in the middle of the board.

He squinted at it for a moment, then let out a short chuckle.

"Ah, this? Don't even mind it." he said, waving his hand dismissively. "That request is impossible to complete."

I furrowed my brow. "What do you mean by that?"

The man glanced at me and shrugged. “It’s been up there for over a century.”