“Clean it, Ren.”Victor Kane spat on the floor right in front of him. The spit landed near Ren’s old shoes. Victor’s blonde hair shone under the hallway lights. His clothes looked expensive enough to buy food for a month.Ren held the broom tight. He kept his face calm, the way he always did. He bent down and cleaned the spit without a word.Victor laughed. “Four copper coins, right? That’s all you’re worth.”A few students stopped to watch. Some snickered. Others just stared. Everyone knew Ren. The quiet orphan who swept floors and never talked back. The one who would do almost anything if you paid him.Victor’s friend Leo stood beside him, chubby and grinning. “Pay him a silver and make him dance next time. He’ll do it.”Ren finished cleaning and stood up. He looked at Victor and said in a flat voice, “Four copper coins.”Victor tossed a silver coin at his feet instead. It bounced and rolled.“Keep it,” Victor said. “I want more than cleaning today. There’s still time before the awa

Ren walked home with the silver coin still in his pocket. His cheek was swollen and the cut on his forehead stung every time he blinked. The streets were busy with people heading home after work. No one looked at the quiet boy in the cheap cloak.When he opened the door of the small house, Lisa was already waiting. She saw his face and her eyes went wide.“What happened this time?” she asked, pulling him inside.“I’m fine,” Ren said. He tried to smile but it hurt. “Just a fight at the academy.”Luna rolled her wheelchair closer. “Did you win?”Ren nodded once. He took out the silver coin and a few bronze ones and put them on the table. “I also got paid.”Lisa did not look happy about the money. She made him sit down and cleaned the cut with careful hands. “You can’t keep coming home hurt like this. One day it will be worse.”“I know,” Ren said quietly. He did not tell them about the public trial or how many students had watched. He did not tell them about the grass that had grown from

Ren sold the cores the next morning. The old man at the stall paid fair prices and did not ask questions. With the coins Ren bought a better cloak that could hide most of his face and a simple pouch for seeds. He also bought medicine for the bruise on his side. It still hurt when he breathed too deep.Lisa made him rest for half a day. Luna kept looking at him like she wanted to ask more questions but stayed quiet. When the sun was high, Ren left again for the dungeon. He could not stay home. The Kane family already knew his name. Sitting still would only make it easier for them to find him.He chose Floor 1 once more. The safe zone looked the same, but fewer people stared this time. Maybe news of his expulsion had already spread. Maybe they simply did not care about a boy with grass talent.Ren walked deeper than before. He needed stronger monsters if he wanted to grow faster. After an hour he found a small group of goblins near a rocky hill. They were level 3 and carried crude clubs

Ren barely made it back to the safe zone before dark. Every step sent a sharp pain through his side. He sold the cores quickly, bought stronger medicine, and left without talking to anyone. The black stone Kael had given him sat heavy in his pouch the whole time.When he opened the door of the small house, Lisa took one look at him and pulled him inside.“You’re hurt worse than yesterday,” she said. She made him sit and checked the bruise. It had turned dark purple. “What happened this time?”Ren told her the short version. Three men from the Kane family found him again. A stranger named Kael stepped in just long enough to stop them from finishing the job. Then Kael gave him a choice and a black stone.Lisa’s face went pale. “You cannot trust people who hide their names. And the Kane family will not stop.”Luna wheeled closer. Her eyes were wide. “Will they come here?”Ren shook his head even though he was not sure. “I’ll keep hunting far from the city. They want me, not you.”He took

Ren checked the map one more time before he left the safe zone. The cave Kael marked sat deeper on Floor 1 than he had ever gone. The path led past the normal rabbit fields and into rocky ground where goblins liked to hide.He kept his cloak hood up and walked fast. The new badge Kael gave him stayed hidden under his shirt. He did not know what the mark on it meant, and he did not want other adventurers asking questions.The first hour was quiet. He avoided groups and used the grass only when no one could see. A few low-level goblins tried to jump him near a dry stream. He wrapped their legs and finished them quickly. He did not bother harvesting. He needed to save time and mana.By the time the rocky hills came into view, the light in the dungeon had started to fade. Night came early this deep. Ren slowed down and watched the shadows.The cave mouth was exactly where the map showed. It was low and narrow, half hidden by thick bushes. Faint blue light glowed from inside.Ren stopped a