"Ooii, Tamera. When are you going to wake up?" Oliver fanned her as she lay unconscious on the floor. It had already been 15 minutes since she fainted. He did not want his mother to return and see her like this.

"Kid, did you think this through before telling her about me? It is not wise for too many people to learn about our abilities," Husk said, now sniffing the food on the table.

"I think this is for the best. Tamera has been helping my father prepare for dungeon trips. She is also a tamer and knows a lot about dungeons."

"Huh?! So you actually did not fully believe me about all the information regarding the dungeons?!" Husk suddenly said.

"No! It is not like that. I just need her help with preparing for dungeon hunting."

"My parents told me they found Tamera lying in Crimsonmoon Forest,badly wounded, about one year after I was born. She said she had escaped from her village, which was attacked by monsters during a Dungeon Break. Since then, my parents have taken care of her. She offered herself to become a servant to repay her debt. Even though she is a servant, she is still like family, and like a sister to me. I am sure she will be a great asset for us." Oliver smiled as he looked at Tamera.

"If you have already decided, then I have no objections."

"Erghh..." Tamera slowly began to wake up.

"Are you alright, Tamera? Sorry for shocking you. I did not mean to do that."

"It is okay... ack!" She suddenly hugged Oliver as Husk stepped closer.

"Do not worry, he is my monster. His name is Velkryss, but I just call him Husk."

"Hey! Do not teach others to call me by that name." Husk sounded irritated. A proud, ancient being reduced to such a common nickname clearly did not sit well with him.

"When did you tame him, Oliver? And how did you even tame a monster? I thought the ritual was a failure." Tamera had countless questions racing through her mind.

"It all started that night..." Oliver then told Tamera everything that had happened, from taming Husk, defeating the illegal hunters, to clearing the dungeons. Of course, he left out the details about the Overlord Tamer System.

"So you are telling me Husk is actually a boss monster? I have never heard of this! Isn’t it great? We can tell your parents, and they will surely be happy." Tamera said as she gently petted Husk, who surprisingly seemed to enjoy it.

"No. I do not want to tell them. Not yet. If I tell them that I have been clearing dungeons on my own, they will immediately stop me, especially my mom. That will prevent me from getting stronger. Right now, my plan is to clear all the dungeons in this region and try to tame more bosses that can help me," Oliver said with a serious expression.

Tamera looked at him. She had always seen Oliver as her younger brother. But something lingered in her mind. Sometimes, Oliver acted like a spoiled child, yet at other times, he carried himself like an adult. It was something she could not quite understand.

But as his older sister, she knew what she had to do if he needed her help.

"So you told me all this because you want me to help you on your journey? Sorry, Oliver, but I cannot help you..." Tamera said with a stern expression.

Oliver was surprised, then frustrated.

"I see... then I cannot force you," Oliver said slowly.

"...unless you promise me that you will always take care of your safety and not do anything beyond what you are capable of. And Husk, please look after Oliver and protect him from doing something reckless." Tamera smiled.

"Tamera..." Oliver’s face lit up, and he hugged her. His height only reached her abdomen.

"You do not need to tell me. It is my job to keep him from dying," Husk said calmly.

The reason Tamera agreed to help him clear dungeons despite him being only ten years old came down to two things.

First, Oliver’s determination. He had already cleared two dungeons, which meant he had some experience, and it was clear he was serious about raiding all the dungeons and becoming stronger.

Second, the presence of Husk. There was nothing more reassuring than having a boss monster protecting you inside a dungeon. Plus, Husk looked powerful and reliable.

It seemed the two of them were truly meant to work together.

"So which dungeon do you want to clear next, and when are you going? I need to know so I can prepare beforehand."

"I am planning to take on the Arachnid Nest Dungeon next. Is there anything I need to bring?" Oliver asked.

"Hmm, Arachnid Nest is a Rank 3 dungeon. Even for the two of you, it will be very difficult to clear on your own because of the large number of monsters. And each of them has poison attacks. Just give me one day to prepare," Tamera said.

"Thank you, Tamera! I really appreciate it."

--- 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Irmine was at the bazaar in the center of town. There were a moderate number of people, all busy buying their goods. In her hands was a basket filled with fruits and vegetables.

But something felt off today. Many people were looking at her strangely, keeping their distance. Some even whispered to each other while glancing her way.

It made her feel uneasy.

She headed to the last place she needed to visit, the meat stall.

"Nesta, please give me one kilogram of meat," Irmine said.

"Sure, wait a second." Nesta began cutting the meat.

"Nesta, may I ask you something? Why is everyone looking at me differently today? Did something happen?" Irmine asked. Nesta was one of her closest friends, among the first she had made in this town.

Nesta looked at her, then paused and sighed.

"There is talk among the townspeople... about a boy who failed the monster taming ritual. They are saying it is your son... Oliver," Nesta said quietly.

Irmine immediately covered her mouth in shock.

"How... how did they know?" she whispered.

Without another word, she hurried off toward home, ignoring all the eyes on her.

"Hey, Irmine! Your meat!" Nesta called out, feeling a twinge of guilt as she watched her leave.