Chương 6: Slimes and goblins

Slime. This weak monster was a staple across many fantasy works. The slimes here were no different, weak, quick-reproducing monsters that lie at the bottom of the food chain. However, in this world, they had an important role. Waste purification. They were great at decomposing trash and organic/inorganic waste, making them a crucial component of the ecosystem. Mirevale town didn't have a good sewage system; thus, its residents could only throw the sewage in a drain leading to the Ber River.

A river that was crucial to Mirevale town. That was where slimes came forth. They were introduced into the river not long after the construction of Mirevale Town, playing an important role in purifying the Ber River and keeping it safe for both consumption and agriculture. However, it wasn't all positive. After the slimes were transferred to a safe, food-rich environment, they started quickly reproducing, greatly affecting the ecosystem and the farms along the Ber River.

Once their numbers increased to a certain extent, mutated individuals started appearing among them, which were much more dangerous than their usual counterparts. That was why the adventure guild established a daily quest about clearing slimes. This quest was usually reserved just for newbies. More experienced adventurers would probably be refused if they tried to accept it.

'Then again, few adventurers would be willing to take this quest, right?' Kyle thought as he walked through the grassland outside Mirevale town, heading towards the Ber River.

'According to the [common monsters and magic beasts guide], slimes are corrosive creatures. Although their corrosive properties aren't enough to instantly melt flesh, it's still very bothersome.' Kyle went through the information he gathered in his mind.

'The most crucial point is that their corrosion is very effective against iron weapons, especially low-quality ones. Oftentimes, a sword would be scrapped after killing just 20 slimes. To prevent that, one must apply an anti-corrosion sword oil before proceeding, and after deducting the cost of the sword oil, the gains from hunting slimes might not break even. It's very cost-ineffective.'

'The only way to circumvent this is to have a high-quality anti-corrosion weapon, or an enchanted weapon. However, those who have such weapons are usually high-ranking adventurers or rich people, and such people would disdain hunting slimes.' Kyle thought as he patted the sword hanging on his waist, Valecguard.

'Fortunately, I also have one.' It was under these circumstances that Kyle decided to accept the hunting slimes task.

'As they said, I'm a bit cautious, but people have just one life; it's natural to be cautious.' Kyle internally justified his actions, a satisfied smile hanging on his face. It didn't take long for the Ber River to appear in front of him. He walked along the river towards the slime gathering location until he eventually reached it. Looking at the many blue blobs moving around the river, Kyle was quite curious.

'So that's how slimes look. They're almost exactly how I imagined them, just a bit smaller. About as big as a football? No, even smaller than that.' Kyle thought as he walked towards the nearest slime. He noticed that just as he entered a two-meter range around it, it suddenly contracted.

"It's about to attack, huh?" Kyle raised his eyebrow as he stopped and prepared himself. A second later, the slime lunged forward. Kyle quickly moved to the side, avoiding it as he unsheathed his sword and split it into two.

"Easy!" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Kyle smiled at how easy it was. However, he quickly noticed that many blue blobs quickly crawled towards him before contracting and lunging forward. Kyle dodged and jumped back, creating distance between them.

"Hmm, that was a bit reckless." Kyle muttered as he took his stance with his sword unsheathed. The best and safest strategy for hunting slimes would be to attract one or two away from the herd before killing them. Although it was time-consuming, this was the safest strategy. Kyle wanted to test himself; that's why he didn't bother doing so. Of course, the reason why he dared to be so reckless is that slimes had an obvious wind-up before launching an attack, so they were not difficult to dodge.

Moreover, even if they managed to strike him, the impact force would be about the level of a gut punch from an adult man. For a peak apprentice like him, it would deal almost zero damage. He only needed to protect his face to prevent suffocation and make sure that slimes didn't adhere to his armor and clothes for long to prevent corrosion. Facing the incoming slimes, Kyle dodged their attacks one by one, splitting them into two or stabbing and crushing them.

For those he couldn't completely dodge, he would deflect with his sword or defend with his leather vambraces. He didn't even bother using [Mana Enhancement], killing them one by one. After killing over a dozen slimes, the rest quickly retreated, jumping into the river.

"Haah, as expected, that was easy. No wonder they're called the weakest monster." Kyle muttered as he wiped the slime fragments from his body. To be honest, that was easier than he ever expected. Then again, he was already infinitely close to a professional level, with exceptional swordsmanship, so naturally, he felt that it was easy. Most low-level adventurers didn't even have an apprentice class, just ordinary people. Therefore, things that they might struggle with were easy for him.

He already stood at the peak of low-level adventurers, just a bit short of becoming a true professional. After cleaning his equipment of any trace of slime liquid, especially his sword, Kyle put on the glove he prepared and started gathering slime condensate.

"Ugh, this might be the hardest part of this quest," Kyle muttered with disgust as he gathered the slimy condensate on the ground.

"Hmm, this should be enough. I have to go to the Silverbark forest to look for goblins now." Kyle muttered as he hung the pouch containing the slime condensate on his waist, then took the slimy gloves off. Kyle tightened his parcel as he walked upstream. The Silverbark Forest was one of the largest forests on the Aetherion continent. Bordering several kingdoms, it was one of the largest gathering locations of monsters and magic beasts. It was even said that elves lived in the deepest parts of it.

Most importantly, it contained vast resources and even ancient ruins and dungeons, making it a holy land for all adventurers seeking fame and riches. Of course, it was also incredibly dangerous. Countless people lost their lives in it seeking riches. Naturally, Kyle wouldn't go deep into it. Most low-level quests could be completed in just the periphery, and that was the activity area for iron and even copper-class adventurers.

After walking along the river for a few minutes, a giant forest, stretching to the horizon, appeared in his sight. Some of the trees seemed to glow a dim silver as the sunlight flashed on them. Hence, it was called the Silverbark Forest. It was said that the silver light shines even brighter at night. Kyle looked in amazement at the vast forest ahead.

'As expected of an otherworld.' He exclaimed inwardly before walking towards the forest. He pulled out the prepared map and compass and confirmed his current location before proceeding forward. As he walked inside the forest, the lush foliage shielded the sunlight.

"Tch! I forgot to use the bug spray," Kyle muttered as he waved off the mosquitoes flying around. It wasn't until he used the prepared bug spray that the insects dispersed.

"Now, that's better." Walking through the dense forest without experience was a bit disorienting. He had to stop several times and confirm his current location on the map before continuing.

'I guess that's the issue with going solo.' Kyle thought as he carefully took in the surrounding environment. Most newbie adventurers joined experienced parties and accumulated experience through constant adventuring with their seniors. Things were more troublesome for him, as he had no experienced individual to guide him. Nevertheless, he didn't plan to look for a party for now. At least not until he became a professional and used his talent to develop some secret skills.

Tensing up upon hearing a rustling sound from a nearby bush, Kyle relaxed when he saw a rabbit jump out, darting through the forest. Listening to the chirping of birds and looking at the insects hiding under the tree roots, Kyle felt that the forest was alive. After half an hour of trekking through the forest, he finally reached the goblin active area highlighted on the map. Kyle tucked the map and compass back in his bag and unsheathed his sword.

Putting away his slightly relaxed mentality, he carefully waded through the forest. After walking for a few more minutes, he soon heard some strange sounds.

"Gahh wah!"

"Gehehe!"