CHAPTER 6

Gold Slime (2)

4.

He signed the contract.

It was the contract agreeing to participate in the Mystic Gate strategy that Ebis had proposed.

"You must know what it means to sign a contract with the Gafor Company, so there's no need for me to explain that."

It was a contract handed over not by just anyone but by the Gafor Company itself—the very devils who even managed to collect debts from Balok.

"I'll give you a brief explanation."

Of course, once the contract was signed, there was no turning back. And so, Ebis spoke without hesitation.

"This Mystic Gate allows a party of five to enter, and there are twelve scars."

At that explanation, El Pam's eyes narrowed slightly.

That was all.

He didn't show any other particular reaction.

'Is that so?'

Ebis was secretly surprised.

And for good reason.

A Mystic Gate having twelve scars meant that at least twelve parties had entered, yet not a single one had made it back alive. It meant the place was a monster that devoured adventurers.

There was no way El Pam, who had spent three years as a bait slave, wouldn't understand what that meant.

Yet, he remained so calm?

As Ebis was taken aback, El Pam spoke.

"If there are twelve scars… then the goal isn't to defeat the boss monster but to retrieve an item, correct?"

He understood the purpose of the request.

Ebis was satisfied with that response.

'I don't know about his skills, but he definitely knows Mystic Gates better than most adventurers.'

Adventurers who were capable of having a proper conversation were hard to come by.

"The total number of items we need to retrieve is twenty. The market price for each is 3,000 mesos."

Of course, the contract itself followed the typical Gafor Company style.

'A first-circle item usually sells for at least 7,000 mesos.'

The fact that they would only pay 3,000 mesos for something that sold for 7,000 on the market meant they weren't even offering half of its value.

But this was standard for Gafor Company contracts. Most of the time, adventurers were the ones at a disadvantage.

Even so, many adventurers still sought out Gafor Company. The reason was simple—there were far more adventurers than people thought who couldn't engage in normal transactions elsewhere.

El Pam was one of them.

He had no other choice.

"El Pam, your debt currently stands at one million mesos."

Although he was recognized as an adventurer instead of a slave, the fact remained that he was deeply indebted to the Gafor Company.

"Do your best."

It was an absurd amount.

No one would have lent a young man working at the Lis Harbor a million mesos.

In truth, El Pam had never borrowed money from the Gafor Company.

His father had purchased Black Moss—a medicine that slowed the progression of Black Blood Disease—on credit from the Gafor Company. And they had set the debt for that Black Moss at one million mesos.

Despite all the years he had risked his life as a bait slave, the amount remained unchanged.

It was an outrageous sum, but since Black Moss was so rare that it didn't have a set market price, El Pam had no grounds to dispute it.

The Gafor Company had made their stance clear, and in the end, it was he who had signed their contract.

The same was true this time.

There was no need for unnecessary words.

"Where are the remaining four members besides me?"

All that mattered was carrying out the request.

5.

"I'm Cheb."

After signing the contract, the first person El Pam met was the leader of the four-person party, Cheb.

He was a big man.

And on his back, he carried an even bigger shield.

"I'm a warrior, the party's tank."

Cheb extended a hand as he spoke. El Pam cautiously reached out and shook it.

"I'm El Pam. You can call me Pam."

El Pam's voice was tense as he introduced himself.

"You little brat."

Cheb lightly patted El Pam's shoulder and grinned.

"I heard everything from Ebis. You used to be a bait slave, huh? I don't care about that, so don't worry."

A repeated reassurance.

"My comrades feel the same way."

Cheb introduced the rest of the group with a hearty and friendly demeanor.

"Looking forward to working with you."

However, El Pam remained indifferent toward them.

There was no reason to get close to them.

For El Pam, this request was something he could handle alone.

Besides, he wasn't doing this just for money.

He had something to prove.

'Ebis wants me to be his right-hand man. If I show him my abilities, he'll bring something worthwhile to the table.'

He wanted to demonstrate his strength for greater rewards.

'I have no reason to cooperate with these people.'

More than anything, he already knew.

'These guys are rookie hunters.'

He recognized their true nature.

6.

"Cheb, what do you think?"

On the way to the Mystic Gate, one of his comrades, Eva, asked him.

Cheb smirked slightly and answered.

"He's a total rookie."

At that, the other members of the group smirked as well.

That was rather unusual.

Adventuring beyond a Mystic Gate was extremely dangerous. Having a weak teammate meant putting your own life at risk.

Normally, the reputation of rookies was even worse than that of those with bad rumors.

So why were they smiling?

"What about his equipment?"

"Looks like the Gafor Company lent him some magic—Fire Arrow, apparently."

"Oh? Then?"

"That means we can at least make 10,000 mesos off him."

There was only one reason they would act this way.

"Let's string him along and take care of him at the end."

They were rookie hunters.

They lured rookie adventurers into Mystic Gates, stripped them of their equipment, and left them for dead.

It was more common than people thought.

Rookies were much more valuable than the typical Mystic Gate loot.

They always had items. While a Red-grade Mystic Gate might only yield one or two items, a rookie was guaranteed to have at least one.

Moreover, rookies, despite their lack of experience, were still adventurers—more useful in combat than mere bait slaves.

Most importantly, hiring bait slaves cost money, and if they died, the expenses were high.

In contrast, recruiting a rookie cost nothing. In fact, many rookies even paid experienced parties just for the chance to join.

But the real reason?

"No matter how many people you kill, the bodies disappear once you leave the Mystic Gate."

Whatever happened inside stayed buried there forever.

It was a highly profitable business.

Cheb had already gathered quite a few items that way.

'Once I unlock the second circle, my life will change.'

He needed the necessary items to do that.

'This job should cover the cost.'

With that expectation, Cheb and his comrades whispered among themselves.

From a distance, El Pam watched them with a sly grin.

'They can't wait to take me down, huh?'

He had figured out their true nature the moment he met them.

It wasn't because he remembered them from his past.

He simply knew.

'I'll settle this beyond the Mystic Gate.'

And so, after a long ten-hour journey, they finally arrived.

"There it is!"

A Red-grade Mystic Gate with twelve scars loomed before them.