The space in front of Isaac folded inward, and something small dropped into his palm.
It was a slime.
The creature was barely larger than his palm. A translucent, pale-blue blob that sagged slightly under its own weight. It didn’t bounce, didn’t wiggle, and didn’t even react much to being summoned. It just... sat there.
Isaac turned his hand slightly.
The slime rolled to one side lazily, as if gravity was too much effort. Two tiny dot-like eyes appeared for a moment, half-open, then slowly closed again.
"...You’re sleepy?" Isaac muttered.
The slime made no sound. It simply slumped further, almost melting across his palm.
He lifted it slightly and rotated his wrist. The slime slowly slid along his skin, then stopped again. It didn’t resist, or react. If anything, it looked like it was about to fall asleep.
Isaac narrowed his eyes slightly.
He could feel it.
It was weak.
Not just weak compared to strong monsters, but genuinely fragile. The mana inside it was faint and scattered. Even a light attack from a beginner mage might be enough to disperse it completely. It wasn’t aggressive either. There was no hostility, no defensive instinct. Just a soft, sleepy presence.
"...Maybe it will grow stronger once it levels up," Isaac said quietly.
The slime didn’t respond.
He thought for a moment, then looked at the cute slime again.
"Emily would like this."
...
Emily stared at the slime in silence.
It sat on her palm now, looking even smaller in her hands. The creature slowly leaned sideways and nearly slid off before she hurriedly adjusted her grip.
"...It’s soft," she said.
Alice leaned closer, crouching beside her. "It looks sleepy."
"It is," Isaac replied. "It hasn’t moved much since I got it."
"Can it even think?" Alice asked.
"Beats me," Isaac shrugged.
"Where did you get it?" she asked another question.
"System Quest reward," Isaac answered.
Emily looked down at the slime. The tiny eyes opened briefly, then closed again. The body slowly spread across her palm like jelly.
"It’s cute," Emily admitted quietly.
Isaac smiled faintly. "It suits you."
Emily gave him a slightly embarrassed look, but she didn’t argue. She gently lifted the slime with both hands, holding it carefully.
"I’ll take care of it," she said.
Isaac nodded once.
Alice stood up and crossed her arms. "I’ll stay here with Emily. Her quest is tomorrow, and she still needs to prepare."
"Alright. I’ll head back," he said.
Alice gave him a small nod. "Be careful."
"You too."
Isaac turned and left.
By the time Isaac returned to his city, the sun had already started lowering slightly. The streets were quieter than usual, and the mansion felt calm when he stepped inside.
He glanced around.
"Chairman Lucius?"
No response.
He walked further in, but the place was empty. There was no sign of the older man anywhere.
"Ruby?" Isaac called.
"Chairman Lucius has left approximately thirty-two minutes ago." The AI’s voice responded immediately.
"Left?" Isaac raised a brow. He had expected Chairman Lucius would be waiting for Alice.
"Yes. He mentioned he had something to attend to. He also requested that you inform him when you return."
Isaac nodded slightly. "Alright."
He pulled up his interface and dropped a short message.
— Returned. Let me know when you’re free.
— PS: Alice if fine.
He sent it, then closed the screen.
"Anything else?" Ruby asked.
"No. I’ll be at the farm," Isaac replied.
"Understood."
Isaac left the building and headed toward the farm area. The air felt slightly warmer there, filled with faint mana fluctuations from the plants. The rows had grown steadily.
He started working quietly, adjusting a few lines, checking the growth, and redistributing mana flow. The routine helped him think.
Time passed without interruption.
Then footsteps approached.
Isaac glanced up.
Avery was walking toward him.
She stopped a few steps away, her expression calm but slightly serious.
"I have something to talk about with you," she said.
Isaac straightened slightly and nodded. "Alright."
Avery glanced around briefly, then said, "Can you open the mirror dimension?"
Isaac didn’t ask why. He simply raised his hand and opened the mirror dimension. The space folded, and the two of them stepped inside.
The air shifted.
The outside world faded behind them.
Avery remained silent for a moment, as if organizing her thoughts.
"I didn’t say this earlier," she finally said. "I didn’t want to show any reaction in front of the human who came earlier."
"Chairman Lucius?" Isaac asked.
"Yes." She nodded.
Isaac waited.
Avery looked at him directly, then spoke, "Alice is a black dragon. That is a big thing."
"How is it a big thing?" Isaac frowned slightly.
"Very." Avery sighed. "Unlike other colors, black is not something dragons gain through bloodline. It’s different, and... special. There are two types of black dragons. One is a rare genetic mutation. Extremely rare, but still natural. The other..." she hesitated slightly, "...are dragons that carry the fate of calamity."
"Calamity?" Isaac’s frown deepened.
Avery nodded. "In the past, dragon societies believed that black dragons were harbingers of calamity. Whenever one appeared, something terrible followed. Wars, collapses, extinction-level events. Whether it was coincidence or not, the pattern formed. Because of that, black dragons were always killed.
"They weren’t given a chance. Even if they were just hatchlings. The moment their color was confirmed, they were eliminated. It became a rule across dragon societies. It was cruel, but dragons believed it was necessary.
"Now things are different. Dragon societies are destroyed. Dragons themselves are nearly extinct. There’s no organized force left that would hunt her. So you don’t need to worry too much.
"I still wanted to tell you all of this because... I thought you should know," she said.
Isaac nodded slowly.
He didn’t speak immediately. His brows were slightly furrowed as he processed the information.
Avery studied his expression.
"...It’s weird, isn’t it?" she said.
Isaac looked up. "What is?"
"Alice. She’s a Solar Dragon. They’re considered symbols of purity, and are considered holy. I’ve never heard of a black dragon being born among them. And she’s also a Saintess. That makes her even more sacred. Yet somehow... she’s also a Black Dragon."
She shook her head slowly.
"I’ve never seen or heard of something like that."