After changing into their new gear, Aestus paid for the products, and the three of them left the workshop, content. Orkan felt more agile in his new boots, and Aestus' vest was more resistant, made from resin extracted from a local tree. They felt prepared for tougher battles now. Without delay, the three adventurers headed to the location of their first chosen contract.

The day passed by quickly. The battles proved to be challenging and exciting, but with Spes' help, everything became easier. Any injuries were promptly healed by the Mage. His protective spells were highly effective in mitigating the damage inflicted by the Creatures. A hunting team truly wasn't complete without the presence of a Mage providing support.

They returned to the Guild at the end of the day, tired but fulfilled. Orkan and Aestus were joyful, feeling extremely competent in what they were doing. Spes was at ease, embracing the feeling of battling once again. In fact, he enjoyed the thrill and adrenaline of the hunts. This sentiment had only been suppressed due to the trauma.

The following days were quite similar to one another. Spes still occasionally visited the clinic to assist Janis in transitioning to her new role. Every time, however, she didn't need help with any technique or tasks. All her difficulties stemmed from self-confidence and nervousness. Nevertheless, Spes was happy to see his friend excelling in her work.

One afternoon, however, a hunt offered an unexpected challenge. The contract did not specify the type of Creature they would be facing, but as it was a level two hunt, they were confident they could handle it easily and move on to the next contract. They met with the person who posted the ad, a young Lagomorph who was frightened by some noises he heard at his window at night.

"I can't really explain how it sounds," he said. "But the Creature passes by here regularly. I'm too scared to open the window, afraid it might come into my room and kill me."

The group of Hunters was in a narrow alley located at the back of some houses. It was a short, damp stretch that didn't receive much sunlight. It wasn't a spacious area or connected to the forest, which made the presence of Creatures there unlikely. The whole situation was somewhat mysterious.

"What kind of noise does it make?" Spes asked, chin in hand.

"It's a strange, kind of gross sound," the Lagomorph said, looking up, trying to remember. "It's like plof, plof, plof."

"I think it goes in and out of here," Orkan said. He crouched in front of a stormwater drain cover.

"It can't be," the contractor said, confused. "The noise sounds like it comes from a pretty big Creature. It wouldn't fit through this drain."

"Hmmm, I think I know what it is," Spes said. "Unfortunately, we won't be able to help you, sir."

"No, wait!" Orkan intervened. "It can't be something we can't handle. We've been taking down every Creature we come across!"

"We can't handle this one, Orkan," Spes said, emphatically. The Rogue had already removed the cover, sticking his head through the hole.

"Wait, we can go down there and assess the situation," Aestus interjected. He noticed that the contractor had become terrified when Spes said they couldn't handle it. He then reassured the contractor, "Don't worry, we'll bring you an answer."

"Okay, two against one. It might be fun," Spes said, with a smile on his face, already descending into the sewer.

Aestus looked at the contractor, making calming hand gestures, while Orkan descended shortly after. The Lagomorph still seemed to be in a state of panic when Aestus also disappeared into the dark hole of the sewer.

Before Aestus reached the bottom of the ladder, Orkan had used an electricity crystal to illuminate a powerful portable lantern. They were in a long, tubular corridor with a narrow path to walk on and a wide pit occupying the rest of the space. The place was damp and had a strong, musty smell. Aestus was also a little frightened, but Orkan was irritated.

"What's this talk about us not being able to handle the Creature, Spes?" Orkan asked impatiently. "Haven't we defeated them all so far without any difficulty?"

"Everyone has their weaknesses, Orkan. Ours, at this moment, is this Creature," Spes replied, unfazed by the Rogue's anger.

"But what kind of Creature is it, after all?" Aestus inquired, curious.

"I'm almost certain it's a slime," Spes said, crossing his arms. "I just can't tell which element it belongs to. Probably water, since it's hiding here."

"And you're afraid of a simple slime?" Orkan asked, indignant. "We can take care of it in no time."

Spes was about to retort but stopped himself. He just shrugged, wearing a mischievous smile on his face. Aestus also thought it could be an easy fight but felt a bit wary of the Mage's behavior. Orkan pointed out a recess to the north, and the three of them headed in that direction. The atmosphere was tense and unpleasant. Orkan was impatient and disappointed with Spes's cowardice. Spes was quieter than usual, but without showing any anger. Aestus was apprehensive.

When they reached the indicated location, they could see a large hall containing something like a control center for the tunnels. There were pipes and various valves, forming a confusing network to inexperienced eyes like theirs. Orkan pointed to the opposite corner. There, a few meters away, was a light blue mass, almost transparent, practically motionless. The Creature was not even 50 centimeters tall, a rather pathetic sight. How could something so small and ridiculous cause such terror?

Orkan materialized his daggers and lunged at the Creature. Aestus was about to do the same when he was stopped by Spes, who asked him to wait with a hand gesture, winking at him. Before Orkan could reach the Creature, the slime seemed to sense the approach of an enemy and went on high alert. Aestus observed from a distance as the slime swelled and grew, reaching much larger dimensions. It now stood nearly three meters tall, touching the ceiling of the room, and was wider than two adults. Two eyeballs floated in the upper third, above a grotesque opening that appeared to be a disgusting mouth.

Orkan didn't want to stop in the middle of his attack and thrust his left-handed dagger into the side of the Creature. However, the strike caused no damage or injury, passing through the slime's body. Orkan's hand also sank into the Creature along with his weapon. He felt a cold and wet mass on his skin, like cold and rancid porridge. Disgusted and frustrated, Orkan tried to pull his arm out of the slime. To his terror, he was stuck, unable to free his arm from it.

"I advise you to hold your breath, Orkan!" Spes shouted, with a hint of mockery in his voice.

The Rogue drew breath right before being engulfed by the Creature. Orkan was now trapped within the slime's body, his eyes closed, struggling slowly like a rebellious fetus. Spes found it amusing, but Aestus panicked, materializing his weapon and charging at the Creature. He delivered a vertical strike, slashing through the slime's body. The Creature seemed unfazed by the attack, shooting a jet of water at Aestus, who fell at Spes's feet.

"Calm down, we'll get your friend out of there," Spes said calmly. "I'll cast a light orb that will cause some discomfort to the slime. Then you'll plunge your arms into it and pull Orkan out with all your strength. Are you ready?"

The Knight nodded and positioned himself. Spes materialized his staff and pointed it at the slime, shooting a small orb of white light toward the Creature's eyes. Upon impact, it let out a bubbling grunt. Aestus noticed the signal and grabbed Orkan by the legs, pulling with all his might. The Rogue was freed from the Creature's body, covered in sticky goo. He gasped for air, making a loud and desperate sound. Aestus felt relieved to see his friend alive and apparently unharmed.

"Run!" Spes shouted, alerting the other two.

The slime had recovered and was already charging towards their friends. Orkan quickly got to his feet and sprinted towards the entrance of the hall. Aestus, a bit slower, narrowly evaded the Creature's attack and caught up with Spes and Orkan shortly after. The two of them ran towards the staircase they had descended earlier, with Aestus following closely behind. The enraged Creature pursued the Hunters.

Orkan reached the staircase first, ascending the steps in the blink of an eye. He held the portable light at the entrance of the sewer so the others could see where they were going. Aestus was the next to climb, with Spes following closely behind. The slime managed to grab hold of the Mage's foot, but he was pulled out of the tunnel by Aestus. As soon as they were all out, Orkan replaced the lid. The Creature emerged through the holes in the lid, like small blue tentacles, but quickly retreated back into the darkness.

The contractor stood there, wide-eyed and trembling, staring at Orkan as he tried to clean the blue slime off his hair and clothes. Aestus felt somewhat embarrassed for not being able to help the young Lagomorph. Meanwhile, Spes was talking to the contractor, displaying remarkable naturalness and tranquility.

"So, my friend, we couldn't handle the contract (as I had warned)," he added, in a whisper. "This is a job for a Warlock. They can cast two shock or ice spells on this slime, and it will dissolve instantly. Don't worry, I'll arrange for someone to come here today. You'll sleep tonight without any 'plof plof plof.'"

The Mage patted the contractor on the shoulder and walked away. Aestus gave a brief nod of farewell and followed Spes. Orkan didn't even glance in the direction of the young Lagomorph, grumbling quietly as he followed the other two. Aestus caught up with Spes and asked,

"What just happened? How do we defeat that thing?"

"We won't be able to do anything," Spes replied, moving forward without looking at Aestus. "Some Creatures can only be defeated by attacking them with the right element. That applies to slimes, golems, and certain elemental sorcerers, for example."

"And how can we do that?"

Spes's green eyes gleamed cunningly. His expression was mischievous and playful.

"I have a plan."

***

The next morning, Spes entered the clinic, finding the reception area almost empty, with only a few patients and a drowsy receptionist. He greeted everyone, briefly talking to the patients before heading to Janis' office. He knocked on the door and, upon receiving permission, entered. Janis was seated behind Spes' old desk, analyzing a schedule, making notes, and crossing out others. She looked up and saw who it was, immediately breaking into a wide smile. The two hugged and began talking right away.

"I see you're already making yourself at home here," Spes said, looking around. "I like the new arrangement of the furniture."

"Oh, do you really like it?" Janis asked, feeling a little embarrassed. "I wasn't sure if I could change anything in case you decided to come back. I think I was a bit hasty, wasn't I? I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Spes said, waving his hand. "It's perfect. But I didn't come here to discuss the decor. I came to give you some news, and you'll be the first to know."

Janis sighed, already anticipating what it would be. She looked down at the floor, afraid that if she looked at Spes, she would start crying. He gently caressed her arms in a friendly manner.

"Don't be like that, please," Spes said, his voice choked with emotion. "I wanted you to be happy for me."

"You're right, I shouldn't be sad. But it's difficult to say goodbye to your best friend, you know? The person who always believed in me, who always supported me."

"But it's not a farewell," Spes said, wiping away a stubborn tear that had fallen. "I'll come back to visit you soon. You won't even have time to miss me."

Janis gave a timid smile, tears now freely flowing down her cheeks. She hugged her friend tightly, whispering in his ear,

"Go and chase your dreams. You're going to change this world."

Spes returned the hug, shedding a few tears himself. They stood there, locked in a silent embrace for a while. After regaining her composure, Janis let go and asked,

"And where are you going now?"

"Foscor, the city of the Witches and Warlocks. We're going there to recruit one of them for our team."

"Oh, I've always wanted to visit Foscor," Janis said, sighing. "The city of eternal night. It must be fascinating. Promise me you'll bring me a souvenir from there?"

"I promise to bring you a souvenir from every city I visit," Spes said, emphasizing his words. "But now, I have to go. The others are waiting for me."

The two friends said their goodbyes with more hugs and laughter, savoring their last moments together. Spes walked out the door, his eyes still slightly moist, but a huge smile on his face. Janis sat on the edge of the desk, arms crossed. She was overjoyed to see her friend embarking on his journey, a journey that would never bring Spes back to Silvi.