“What the heck was that potion you drank, Pom? Did it turn you into a human slime or something? Also, can you control it at all? This could be a more useful skill than I first thought—imagine using it to slip out of handcuffs or squeeze through prison bars!”

Elara questioned Pom enthusiastically, poking a finger into her new subordinate’s arm. Pom wore a nervous expression as she glanced at the fierce yellow eyes staring at her so intently.

Her skin felt like normal human flesh—soft, warm, and smooth. However, if Elara pressed hard enough, it immediately transformed into a pink, slime-like substance, preventing any physical damage.

Pom shook her head, trying and failing to pull her arm away.

“I-I’m not sure, Elara. Legendary potions can have all kinds of miraculous effects, permanently altering the attributes of the people who drink them. All I know for now is that my body changes on its own to avoid danger.”

Elara ran the naturally black nail at the tip of her pointer finger across her chin, nodding slowly as she did so.

“I see… We’ll need to add this to our training. Your ability is a trump card against purely physical fighters, but until you learn how to fight, you won’t be much of a threat.”

Pom’s eyes widened slightly as she snapped her head toward Elara.

“F-Fight?! I thought I could take on more of a s-support role! You know, making potions and stuff.”

Elara pursed her lips and finally released Pom’s arm, shrugging.

“That’s fine, but you still need to learn to fight. Emergencies happen in this business. Sooner or later, everyone gets forced into a fight.”

A wave of anxiety washed over Pom as she considered Elara’s words.

Noticing her unease, Anthony placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Pom. We’ll stick together no matter what happens. Even if you have to fight, you won’t be alone.” His voice carried as much reassurance as he could muster.

It seemed to work. The anxious look faded from Pom’s face, and after glancing at the hand on her shoulder, she nodded firmly. A bright smile spread across her face as she looked up at Anthony.

The group stood in front of the town square’s notice board. Elara had decided that the best way for them to learn to work together—was to work together. Pressing her black lips together, she scanned the board filled with notices, tracing a finger across the words as she read.

“Perfect!”

Her focused expression shifted to satisfaction as she ripped a sheet of paper from the board, waving it in front of Anthony and Pom.

“It’s probably a bit too easy for us, but it’s our first mission together, and it’s just for training anyway.”

Anthony and Pom quickly scanned the notice in Elara’s hand.

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Reward for Extermination! One Silver!

A small group of goblins has taken up residence in the abandoned mill near the southeast side of town.

Bring proof of extermination along with this notice to the town hall to collect your reward!

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Anthony rubbed his chin as he read the notice, nodding at Elara after seeing what she had chosen.

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“Okay, that should be easy enough.”

Pom nodded as well, though the way her fingers tightened around the straps of her heavy backpack betrayed her nervousness.

Wasting no time, the group swiftly made their way to the old mill. The property had been abandoned ever since a rockslide diverted the river that once powered its waterwheel, rendering the entire structure useless.

As they approached, Elara devised a plan.

“We’ll set up at the entrance and lure them out with smoke. We can pick them off one by one as they come running out.”

Anthony and Pom nodded their approval as they quietly approached the building. They could already hear movement inside, so they didn’t hesitate.

Elara spent a minute carefully conjuring a spell Anthony had never seen her use before, whispering softly as she pointed toward the structure. Soon, a thick billow of smoke poured from the tip of her finger.

This smoke was different from the vapor-like dark mist she had used before to obscure their location. Instead, it was a harsh, acrid smog that burned the lungs and eyes. Anthony’s own eyes watered from just a casual whiff, making him glad he wouldn’t be the one forced to breathe it—unlike the goblins inside.

Anthony took position beside the door, sword raised high, while Elara stood on the opposite side, dagger in hand. A few feet away, Pom clutched Elara’s spare dagger in one hand and a vial of unknown liquid in the other.

As the smog filled the building, an angry roar echoed from inside, followed by the heavy scratching of claws against wood. The floor trembled beneath the creature’s movements.

Elara’s eyes widened as the deep growl reached her ears. She clenched her teeth and took a wary step back.

“Damn it! That’s not a goblin! Be careful!”

The loud, scraping steps grew closer. Anthony’s muscles tensed, his grip tightening around the hilt of his freshly sharpened sword.

Then, suddenly, the cloud of smoke at the entrance exploded outward as a large body barreled through.

A juvenile male warg came charging out of the building, a half-eaten goblin still clamped between its powerful jaws.

The beast was a monstrous mix of wolf and demon, its shaggy orange fur bristling around its thickly muscled neck. It was massive—its back nearly reaching Anthony’s chest as it lunged from the smoky interior with terrifying speed.

Elara’s dagger shimmered with a soft green glow as she drove it deep into the warg’s flank. The weapon was ripped from her grasp as the beast surged forward, the blade remaining embedded in its backside.

Anthony’s sword struck the warg square in the chest, carving a deep laceration that immediately began to pour blood. The creature let out a heavy whimper before instinct took over, and it charged toward the first enemy it saw.

Pom’s eyes widened in panic as the monstrous, demonic wolf lunged at her with a furious snarl.

She forgot to throw her potion. The warg’s massive body crashed into her, knocking the dagger from her grasp as her form instantly dissolved into a pile of pink slime.

The beast hesitated, its snarl faltering as it tried to bite into the strange gelatinous mass. No matter how hard it clamped down, the substance simply slipped away, reforming as if untouched.

Growing frustrated, the warg snapped at the pink slime repeatedly—until its teeth finally sank into something solid.

The potion bottle.

With a crunch, its powerful jaws shattered the glass, spilling the potion’s contents into its mouth.

A sudden, panicked whimper tore from the creature’s throat as a bright flash of light erupted from within. Moments later, flickering flames began to spread inside the warg’s maw. It shook its head violently, thrashing from side to side in a desperate attempt to rid itself of the burning sensation.

Anthony seized the opportunity. Rushing forward, he lunged and drove the tip of his blade deep into the beast’s ribcage.

The warg howled in pain and spun with all its might, slamming into Anthony and sending him flying through the air—straight onto the soft, slimy pink cushion nearby.

Elara picked up Pom's dropped dagger and stepped forward to attack, but the warg, now grievously wounded, turned and bolted down the dried-up creek bed, fleeing with a dagger and a sword still lodged in its body. A thick trail of blood marked its path as it vanished into the distance.

Elara let out a heavy sigh, watching the creature escape before turning to check on her companions—only to freeze at the sight before her.

Pom’s body was reforming, her limbs and hair returning—entirely tangled up with Anthony.

Pom’s face turned beet red as she scrambled to untangle herself. When Anthony had landed, his hand had sunk into her gelatinous form. But now that she was back to normal, the slime wrapped around his hand had become… her shirt.

“S-Sorry!” Anthony blurted, instinctively pulling his hand back—only to accidentally yank Pom’s shirt up with it.

“Eeeeek!” Pom squealed, trying to pull her shirt back down, but her arms were pinned beneath Anthony’s legs, leaving her helplessly exposed. She could do nothing but shriek in embarrassment.

Elara snorted, trying—and utterly failing—to hold back her laughter. A spray of spit shot from her tightly sealed black lips as she struggled to keep it in.