CHAPTER 5

Gold Slime (1)

1.Gapor Merchant Guild

Among the many merchant guilds established in the port city of Liss, the Gapor Merchant Guild was one of the ten largest and had rapidly expanded its influence.

In terms of history and tradition, however, it fell short compared to the other top ten guilds in Liss.

Nevertheless, it occupied the tallest and largest building in the city as its headquarters.

As vast as the building was, so too was the number of people coming and going.

"Hey, isn't that someone we've seen before?"

"Where? There are too many people; I can't tell."

There were so many faces that it was hard to distinguish one from another.

Adventurers were difficult enough to recognize, let alone slaves. No one bothered remembering their names.

"Look over there! That's—"

"Oh, it's Palm!"

However, El Palm was an exception.

In the Liss branch of the Gapor Merchant Guild, he was more well-known than most adventurers.

And for good reason.

"He survived again?"

"Unbelievable. He lived through another mission as a bait slave?"

Bait slaves rarely survived beyond three missions, yet El Palm had been returning alive for years.

People couldn't help but think:

"If he keeps coming back alive, Gapor must be truly terrifying."

"No doubt. It'd be better to just die than to try escaping from Gapor."

If someone chose to stay with Gapor even after enduring hell, then it meant the guild was scarier than hell itself.

"Wait a second."

Then, the atmosphere shifted.

People began to notice something unusual about Palm.

"Why is he alone?"

"Alone?"

"Don't tell me… he survived the Mystic Gate on his own?"

Survivors of the Mystic Gate era were seen as omens of misfortune.

And Palm was a bait slave. It was only natural that the gazes toward him turned sharp.

The stares were so intense they could suffocate an ordinary person.

'This again, huh?'

But Palm didn't care.

He didn't feel a thing.

Compared to the six eyes of the monstrous Horntail staring him down, these human glances were meaningless.

Of course, before returning, the old El Palm had been different.

'I was a mess back then.'

He had been thrown into battle as bait, watching as the adventurers around him were wiped out.

Barely managing to escape through a swarm of Orange Mushrooms, his mind had been shattered.

He hadn't even realized he had unlocked the First Circle at the time.

He had returned to Gapor in a daze, thinking only about reporting his survival.

But now, things were different.

"Why does he look so calm? If his party was wiped out, shouldn't he be more shaken?"

With an expression devoid of emotion, Palm strolled into the Gapor Guild's headquarters.

"W-wait."

Then, he willingly revealed something.

"Look at his wrist! Is that… a Circle?"

2.Lakan, an Executive of Gapor Merchant Guild

"El Palm? Who's that?"

That was Lakan's first reaction upon hearing the name.

"A slave?"

When the details were explained, Lakan was surprised.

But he wasn't angry.

Because he understood.

"You wouldn't have come running just because some slave survived. What's going on?"

If a low-ranking guild member had sought him out in a panic, there had to be a good reason.

"He unlocked the First Circle?"

Upon hearing that, Lakan acknowledged the significance.

"Hmm."

Still, he wasn't overly shocked.

"A bait slave unlocking a Circle, huh?"

It wasn't the first time this had happened. In fact, it was more common than one might think.

Many people unlocked the First Circle, which was why the age of adventurers had begun in the first place.

So the fact that Palm had achieved this wasn't the issue.

"A bait slave."

The problem was that he was a bait slave—someone who had no reason to harbor goodwill toward Gapor.

And not just any bait slave.

"Three years?"

Undoubtedly, among all the surviving bait slaves, Palm harbored the most resentment toward Gapor.

That made him a problem.

"He could become a headache if he grows stronger."

If Palm became a successful adventurer, would he maintain a good relationship with Gapor?

Even if he did, it would likely require heavy lobbying.

From the guild's perspective, it would be easier to eliminate him now.

But that wasn't a simple solution either.

"Killing him outright would be tricky."

Gapor Merchant Guild was ruthless, but they were still a business.

Their contracts were sacred.

Palm had a contract. Killing him simply because he became inconvenient would be bad for business.

It could be done in secret, but if discovered, the risks would be too great.

Besides, killing him wouldn't bring immediate profit.

He was a debtor capable of repaying what he owed. Killing him would be a financial loss.

This called for careful judgment.

"So, what's his condition?"

Lakan needed to weigh the threat Palm posed.

"He walked in calmly?"

Upon hearing this, Lakan's expression changed.

It wasn't rare for adventurers and bait slaves to be wiped out in the Mystic Gate.

But it was never a trivial matter.

Most survivors would lose their minds.

Yet Palm remained composed?

"So, what? He's asking to renegotiate his contract now that he's an adventurer?"

Lakan narrowed his eyes.

This was not a good situation.

As previously stated, a bait slave turned adventurer was a major liability for Gapor.

But fearing risk was not how a merchant survived.

'He's got guts.'

Clearly, Palm wasn't just another newly awakened adventurer.

Still, Lakan didn't dwell on it.

At the end of the day, Palm was a mere novice with the First Circle.

From the perspective of the massive Gapor Merchant Guild, he was nothing more than a slightly larger pebble on the road.

Lakan quickly made a decision.

"Leave him to Evis."

3.

"Evis, huh?"

The man who extended his hand had a face completely covered in a thick beard.

He was massive.

An unforgettable appearance.

'Evis.'

Palm recognized him immediately.

'Lakan's left hand, one of Gapor's key executives.'

A powerful figure.

Palm was pleased.

'This means Lakan sees me as important.'

Before his regression, when Palm first unlocked his Circle, he had been clueless.

He had acted rationally, and Gapor had treated him accordingly.

Just as indebted adventurers were exploited until death, so too had Palm been used.

It had taken him three years to gain his freedom.

His initial debt of one million mesos had only grown as he took on guild requests, forced to borrow money and equipment just to survive.

This cycle had trapped him for three long years.

And he had been lucky. Most remained shackled to Gapor for life.

'I won't let history repeat itself.'

Palm had no intention of being used again.

That was why he acted differently now.

And Lakan had responded.

'Evis is the best possible outcome.'

Evis wasn't just an executive—he was ambitious.

Someone who wanted to surpass his current position.

And just as Palm expected, Evis was thinking to himself.

"You're an interesting one."

Evis had dealt with many desperate adventurers.

His instincts told him Palm was different.

"You want an E-rank contract?"

"Yes."

"Fine. But you'll have to prove yourself first."

He handed Palm a contract.

"Show me you're not just talk."

Palm signed it without hesitation.