Aslan remembered the black orbs he had taken from the pouch of a soldier's corpse.
"So this is a monster core," he thought.
At first, he hesitated to reveal them, but eventually, he pulled one out to show.
"Is this what you mean?" Aslan asked.
"Yes, that's it," the woman said, taking the item from his hand and placing it onto the same device that had previously measured Aslan's level.
The white crystal inside the device emerged and extended until it reached the second line.
"Hmm, level three. Do you want to sell it?" she asked.
"What are monster cores used for?" Aslan questioned.
"I'm sure you know that everyone produces their own Tors energy. However, the rate at which someone develops their Tors can be extremely slow—some people might not develop it at all. That's where monster cores come in. By consuming them, you can accelerate your ability to produce Tors energy. They can also be used to replenish your Tors when it's been depleted," the woman explained.
"How much does a level-three core sell for?" asked Aslan.
"A level-three core is worth ten gold coins. For each level higher, the value multiplies by ten," she replied.
"I still have enough money, so not now," Aslan said.
"No problem. By the way, would you like to buy a monster territory map? It's only one silver coin," she said, holding up a map.
"Alright," Aslan agreed, handing over a silver coin.
When Aslan looked at the map, it only covered a section of the Ardan Kingdom—not the whole continent. There were numerous circles with numbers inside, clearly marking monster level zones. But there was one area shaded in gray in the corner of the map.
"What does this gray area represent? I saw something similar on a world map—some were even larger than an entire kingdom," Aslan asked.
"You really don't know anything, do you… Gray areas are regions that humans haven't yet explored or claimed. There are many parts of the world still unreachable by people. No one can guarantee that every region has been mapped. There are probably still islands out there that haven't even been discovered," the woman replied.
"Well then, I have no more questions. I'll be going," said Aslan.
"See you again. If you ever have more questions, don't forget to pay me, hehe," she waved goodbye with a smirk.
---
Outside, Aslan was suddenly approached by a group of people.
"Hey! I'm Lukas, and these are my friends," said one of them, introducing himself.
"I'm Galang. How can I help you?" Aslan asked.
"Well… I happened to overhear your conversation earlier. Since you're new too, we were wondering if you'd want to form a party with us. I heard you're pretty strong, hehe," Lukas said.
Aslan hesitated at first but agreed. They promised to meet at the same place the next morning.
---
The next day, they gathered as planned and set out using a horse-drawn wagon. They decided to hunt in a level-one monster zone, as most of them hadn't even reached level two.
Take Lukas, for example. Even though he was the leader of the group, he had the lowest level. However, he was also the smartest. Despite his low rank, Lukas managed to catch more prey than the others.
When night fell, they decided to camp instead of returning to the city. As their meal cooked, they gathered and shared stories around the fire.
Lukas and some of his friends had only taken up monster hunting out of desperation. They came from poor families in rural villages, hoping to change their fates in the city.
They had only received their Tors trigger after joining the Hunters' Association—and they were the only survivors of their original group.
"That's our story. What about you?" Lukas asked.
"Huh?"
"We've told our stories. Now it's your turn," he said again.
"Well… I felt empty in my own home. We were family, yet they felt like strangers. We passed each other without a word. So I ran away… to wander and search for a place that could bring me happiness," Aslan replied.
"That's a sad story," said Lukas.
"Ah, looks like dinner's ready. Let's eat," said one of the others.
---
Several minutes later…
"I'm getting sleepy, so I'll head to bed," said Aslan, standing and heading into the tent.
"Sleep well," the others said, watching him disappear inside.
After a while, Lukas and the others began talking among themselves.
"Thank goodness that drug worked. The shopkeeper said it wouldn't work on anyone above level two. I was worried it wouldn't affect him," said one of the members (let's call him 'A').
"But are you sure he's the guy?" another asked.
"Absolutely. I saw his wanted poster in the capital. His face is plastered all over the place," A said.
"But… are we really doing the right thing?" asked Lukas.
"What do you mean?" A replied.
"Don't you feel guilty?"
"Why should we? We should be proud. Based on what he told us—and the poster's instructions to bring him in alive—it's clear he's a noble. Come on, he's just lonely. That's normal for children born from political marriages. The palace is where he belongs. Don't you remember what happened at the association? He knew nothing about the world. Someone like him will just get used and chewed up here in the slums. Besides, if we don't turn him in, someone else eventually will," A argued.
"Yeah, he's right. I bet after a few days, he'll be begging to go back. We're just speeding things up," added another.
Lukas was silent for a moment but eventually nodded. "You're right. This is for the best."
"Let's pack up, then carry him to the wagon. Make sure to give him another dose every two hours so he doesn't wake up during the trip," said A.
They began cleaning the area. One of them entered the tent to carry Aslan to the cart—but froze in shock when he lifted the blanket.
"Aslan's gone!" he shouted.
"What?! How?! He couldn't have gone far! Spread out and find him!" A ordered.
To be continued…