"Are you sure he's not dead?" I hear Colt asking.

"Yes, Colton," Thomas responds. "I'm fairly certain he's napping. He was hunting slimes while you were, and if you'll notice, he has a bigger pile of slime cores than he did earlier."

"But his tunic is completely gone," Colt says. "And he's covered in injuries now. Burns. Lots of them. What if he collapsed here after fighting slimes and died?"

Are they just going to stand there and talk about me again? Is Colt injured in the head? How does he come to the conclusions he does and miss the things he does? I'm breathing, thank you very much! Now go away so I can go back to my prayer.

"He's still breathing, Colton," Thomas says. "Though the burns on his right side don't look too good."

"They ain't feel good, either," I say.

"You're awake!" Colt exclaims.

"I's awake last time ya came by, too."

"I suspected that," Thomas says. "What happened?"

"Big slime boy with fire powers attacked me while I was killing some slimes," I say. "Burned most of me tunic away and burned me up, too. Hurts real bad, so I's just… waiting for death to claim me. Prob'ly ain't gonna be long now."

I've already come to peace with my death. Living in the slums, it could come at any times. Colt and Thomas returning interrupted a prayer I was sending to the gods, asking for mercy in my next life. Or in the afterlife. I'm not entirely sure what happens after I die, so I was trying to be clear that my prayer was for whatever comes after I do.

The burns really do hurt. I'd gotten hit by quite a few attacks before the mega flame slime boy attacked. There's no doubt in my mind that I'm dying, I can barely move from this spot. Every movement I do make is just agony, and I think something in me is broken. Breathing sends a sharp pain into my chest, around the center of it.

I'm also feeling very sleepy. That's why I was doing the prayer now, because I'm fairly certain that once I fall asleep, I won't be waking up again.

"Have a good day, Colt, Thomas," I say. "I''s gonna continue me prayer."

"Praying for the gods to save you?" Colt asks.

"No," I answer. "For the judgment after I die to give me somethin' better. I wasn't done yet. I's hopin' they's gonna let me meet a cute guy in the next life or afterlife or whatever it is that's gonna happen to me then."

"Thomas?" Colt asks.

"Don't expect this to be a regular thing," Thomas tells him. "Just this one time."

What thing is he referring to? Colt didn't say anything other than Thomas's name.

"What's your name, kid?" Thomas asks.

"Me?"

"Yes."

"Max."

"Max?"

"Maxwell," I say. "But I's go by Max."

"Okay," Thomas says. "I happen to be proficient in light magic, Max. There's no need for you to die right now. Where's the mega flame slime? I don't see it."

Light magics? He's a healer? I'd assumed he was a bodyguard. Maybe he doubles as a healer? A good bodyguard would probably also need to know how to heal their charge in case something does happen. But then, if their charge is wounded, wouldn't that make them a bad bodyguard? Thomas must be just a teacher, then. A teacher knowing how to heal their charge would help deal with any injuries obtained during training, especially since Colt was stated to be out here to hunt monsters.

"It followed me into the river," I tell Thomas.

"That's… yeah, I can see them being stupid enough to do that," Thomas says, causing Colt to laugh. "Are you okay with me healing you, Max?"

"The gods prob'ly sent ya to me to shut me up."

"Is that a 'yes'?" Thomas asks.

"What do ya want in return?"

"Nothing," Thomas answers.

"Nobody wants nothin' in return."

"Plenty of priests will heal without charge."

"Maybe they ain't gonna charge money, but they's also gonna talk your ear off and try to convert ya if they find out ya ain't a believer," I say. "They's also gonna ask ya for donations, or to help out around the church, or something else to rope ya into bein' there more. Best to avoid 'em if ya want any safety of mind."

Some will even beat you in an attempt at making you repent for your sins. They're horrible people and I try to avoid them as much as I can. Fortunately, the only priests who come into the slums are the shady sort and won't kick up a fuss if you stab them.

Though that does sometimes mean they'll try hunting me down… but I always manage to escape.

"Fair enough," Thomas says. "What's your Constitution?"

Now that I think about it, that flame slime was actually able to hurt me. Not many of the slimes could, and all of the ones that actually caused harm to me once I gained Levels were bigger slimes. The flame slime that I lured into the river was the biggest of them all, though.

"Why?" I ask.

"I'll show you my Status if you show me yours," Colt says.

"No, Colton," Thomas says.

"It wouldn't be fair if it was one-sided," Colt says. "This is an exchange, and from someone about the same age."

"Okay, is a fair trade," I say, then call up my Status.

Name: Maxwell Zanroval Age: 12 years Species: Human Sex: Male Level: 3 Experience: 2% Mana: 68/68 Mana Regen: 0.068/second Strength: 58 Constitution: 59 Agility: 59 Perception: 60 Magic: 68 Vitality: 61

Opening my eyes, I see the two guys for the first time.

Thomas has begun healing me, yellow-white light emitting from his hands, soothing me wherever the light touches, my body mending at its touch. He looks to be in his forties, with some grey in his brown hair, his eyes brown as well. He's dressed in a black, blue, and white outfit, a sword on his left hip.

Colt, on the other hand… he's really cute. He's about my age, but unlike me, he's not skinny as a twig. His thick, curly brown hair is just long enough to stop being straight and show off its curls, and his dark green eyes are filled with concern. He's concerned about me? Even though I'm just some kid from the slums he's only seen a couple of times, and only today?

I like his outfit, too. It consists of a dark green tunic with a dark blue leather vest over it, black pants, and a black leather belt and matching boots. He has no weapons on his hips, not even a pouch. Thomas doesn't have a pack or anything, either. They're not collecting loot? Are they rich enough they don't need to collect loot for money?

I'm jealous. At the same time, I'm wary. Anyone rich enough to not need to collect loot to sell is going to be rich enough that they can cause problems. Caution is advised.

Though Colt really is cute, we don't see his type in the slums very often.

"Max?" Colt asks.

"Oh, right," I say, now making an effort to be more clear with what I say because I have a serious question for him and want to make sure I'm understood. "Sorry. Ya are just really cute and I got distracted. Are ya part angel?"

Colt's face flushes. It's a real question. He's cute and he's saving my life. Well, his guardian is. So maybe he's part angel and the gods sent him here to save my life. That's a real possibility, I wouldn't be surprised if they did that just to shut me up.

It wouldn't be the first time the gods gave me a miracle to shut me up.

"Here," I say, then send him my Status.

A moment later, Colt's Status appears in my vision.

Name: Colton Kedridal Age: 13 years Species: Human Sex: Male Level: 3 Experience: 19% Mana: 68/68 Mana Regen: 0.068/second Strength: 59 Constitution: 60 Agility: 60 Perception: 60 Magic: 68 Vitality: 61

"Oh," I say. "We gainin''bout the same amount per Level, ain't we? I'd have thought ya gained more than me 'cause ya are clearly from a superior family. I mean, I's a kid from a slums, is not hard to be from a better family and ya warrant a bodyguard or pers'nal teach, so ya are def'nitely from a good one. Are ya a merchant's son?"

Thomas has stopped healing me, a look of confusion on his face. He looks at Colt, who nods.

"You don't know how the increases work, do you?" Colt asks as Thomas returns to healing me.

"No," I answer, then try speaking more clearly again because it's probably better if I do. The way a slums resident speaks probably isn't too understandable for a noble, which might be why Thomas looked confused. "I's a kid from the slums. The only people there with any form of experience gaining Levels and learning magic are criminals I don't want to deal with."

"Okay," Colt says. "Part of it is bloodline, yes. What you gain per Level is determined by your elemental affinities. Each elemental affinity improves your Attributes in different way. You gain +17 to all per Level, which means you have the maximum amount of affinities – all seven elements. Seven-affinity mages are rare, but exceptionally powerful. Once we're properly trained, it's nearly impossible for someone other than a seven-affinity mage to challenge us."

"Affinities?" I ask. "What are the affinities?"

"You know spells," Colt asks. "But not affinities?"

"I taught myself."

"I'm impressed," Colt says. "That's not that easy."

"It took me a few months."

"For a self-taught seven-affinity," Thomas says. "That's still fast. You must have a gift for magic on top of having seven affinities, probably a family of mages going back many generations. How did you learn your first spell?"

"By focusing on the feeling of air in me Mana," I answer. "And using that."

"That's the hard way," Thomas tells me. "I'm impressed. Just a few months for that? You're definitely talented, Max. You can sense the elements in your Mana?"

"Yeah," I answer. "Fire, water, earth, air, light, shadow, and lightning. Why?"

"The only elements in one's Mana," Thomas says. "Are the elements they have affinities for. You cannot use elements you don't have an affinity for – it's impossible. The majority of people only have one affinity, and it's usually inherited from their parents. The chance of having more than that is small, and the chance of having all seven is one-in-ten million. We were thinking that Colton here was the only seven-affinity in the kingdom."

"The fact that we crossed paths today," Colt says. "Is a sign the gods manipulated events. What are the odds that two seven-affinities came to the same area at the same time? Who were your parents?"

"I dunno," I answer. "I was found as a baby, been in the slums ever since."

"When's your birthday?" He asks.

"According to when my Status updates that," I say. "It's on the seventh of next month."

"So a little less than a month from now," he nods. "Thomas, have you heard of Zanroval?"

"Heard of what?" Thomas asks as he has me sit up so he can heal my back.

"That's his last name," Colt tells Thomas. "So it's his family name. No kid from the slums has that. And Father said you can't edit or add a last name, the System only puts what it is if you have one."

"I haven't heard of the Zanroval family," Thomas says.

"Does having a last name really mean anything?" I ask. "I mean, I know others from the slums don't have 'em, but is it really special?"

"Family names are a sign of status," Colt explains. "If you have one, you're either from a very wealthy family or from nobility. Chances are, Zanroval is the land your family governs. If your family lost that status, the System would have removed it from your Status."

"Oh."

"Almost done," Thomas says. "I'll look into the name, see what I can look up."

"Okay."

"You don't seem too enthusiastic about that," Colt says.

"My family abandoned me to the slums," I say. "I's gotten past the fury part and now I's just ain't care about them. They ain't care about me, why should I care about them? Anyway, thanks for the healing. Once Thomas is done, I's gonnahunt some more."

"Try not to fight any of the large ones," Thomas tells me. "Until you're at least Level 5. Considering your Level and how powerful you are now, Max, you'll have a harder time doing that until then."

"Yeah," I nod. "I gain way less Experience now. It takes me several slimes just for a single percent of it. That's why I went after some of the bigger ones, but they were hitting me too hard, so I stopped."

"Monster power levels scales pretty fast after a certain point," Colt tells me. "Though where it happens varies for each monster. The normal-sized slimes can't do anything to you, but I know the ones about three feet or bigger are still hurting me."

"The slime he was referring to," Thomas says. "Is over twenty feet in length. You're lucky to still be alive, Max."

"I'm lucky it followed me into the river," I say. "I was just trying to put out the flames, and now it's just chilling down there. Literally. That water is cold!"

"Done," Thomas stands.

"Thanks," I tell him. "Not being hurt feels good, and you got rid of all my old injuries, too."

"You're welcome," Thomas says. "We may see you again, Max."

"He's a seven-affinity," Colt tells Thomas, then looks at me. "Do you want to come back with us? We can provide shelter and proper training, and you'd get three meals a day. Guaranteed."

That sounds like a tempting offer.

"No, thanks," I try to make sure I speak as clearly as possible for my response. "Even if Thomas did heal me, I don't trust you. I'm grateful and you're cute, but I don't trust easily. Ya learn that in the slums. The last time I trusted someone who seemed nice and was powerful, he tried to sell me into slavehood."

"What happened to him?" Thomas asks.

"He got hit by lightning."

The bolt interrupted one of my prayers, another example of the gods granting me safety in order to shut me up. At least it works and they aren't punishing me for bothering them despite being a slums kid. I know the gods care about me, even if no one else does. The gods care about all of their children, I'm sure, so I'm not really that special.

"That's… interesting," Thomas says. "We should be heading back now, Colton. Let's go. Good luck, Max, and be careful with your hunts. Considering your Stats and your gains per Level, you should be fine to go into the woods a little bit and hunt some stuff that's a little tougher, like goblins and beasts. Most of the weaker ones are manageable by Level 10 for a one-affinity. You're significantly superior to that. Goblin nails sell for less than slime cores, but the pelts of various beasts can sell for more. You can also sell their corpses for money as well. Most can be sold for meat or parts. Once you're Level 5, try hunting some of the wolf beasts."

Could he be trying to send me to my doom? A slums boy being a seven-affinity would be a threat to the standing of nobles, wouldn't it? So it's possible Thomas is hoping I'll get myself killed in the forest.

"Okay," I say. "I's prob'ly gonna work on my aim some more the next few days, then give that a try. Thanks, Thomas."

"You're welcome," he says. "Let's go, Colton."

Colt and Thomas leave, and once they've gone, I send up a prayer to the gods for saving my life today. Then I look at the pile of slime cores I've amassed. My tunic got burned up and can't be used to carry them anymore. Maybe there's a spell that can help me carry them?