Chapter 22 -22-Chain Quest!

Chapter 22: Chapter22-Chain Quest! After walking a bit more, I came across something... horrifying. No, disgusting is the right word for it. "What the heck happened here?" I muttered. I approached cautiously, my heart pounding in my chest. The sight that greeted me was gruesome. The corpse of a monster lay before me, its body mutilated beyond recognition. Blood was splattered all over the area, and its stomach was torn open, with some vital organs spilling out. Scarred and battered, it was clear that this creature had met a violent end. The sight made bile rise in my throat, and I had to fight the urge to vomit. What kind of monster could have done this? If you're wondering why I thought it was done by monsters, it because no sane hunter would tear open a stomach and take vital parts. Now, I don't think it's the work of cannibals. Why? Honestly, I'm not sure why I think that way this time. May be my intitution. The way it was killed suggested it wasn't just one monster; it had to be more than one. The body seemed fresh, so I guessed it had been killed only a few minutes ago. I shifted my focus from the corpse to the surroundings, scanning the area for any signs of danger. Everything seemed so quiet and still, but I sensed a gaze on me. Someone's here... I'm sure of it... Maybe a monster.... B-but, I know there's someone here, but this awful smell is really disturbing me. And then, there was this smell. A seriously rotten odor of animal carcass with flies buzzing around was coming from the corpse. This smell made me even more disgusted. But, regardless, I did my best to ignore it. My senses were heightened, and the unsettling silence of the jungle only made me feel more uneasy. I scanned the area, trying to locate the source of the gaze I felt. The thick vegetation and shadows made it difficult to see far, but I kept my guard up. Suddenly a rustling noise shattered the eerie silence. My heart raced as I tensed, readying myself for whatever might emerge. Without hesitation, I turned to face the source of the sound. Through the dense underbrush, a pair of glowing eyes stared back at me, reflecting the bright sunlight filtering through the trees. A monster? I Knew it... I took my stance, preparing for a potential confrontation, my muscles tensed and adrenaline coursing through my veins. The seconds stretched into minutes as I waited in dreaded silence, my gaze fixed on the underbrush where the eyes had appeared. Then, like it came out of nowhere, a creature appeared from the bushes. I was stunned as I looked at the strange creature, its squishy body glowing in an eerie light. "What the heck?" I exclaimed, unable to contain my surprise. "Is that... is that a slime?" I couldn't find the right words to describe what I was seeing. 'What type of slime is this?' I've never seen or heard of this kind of slime in any anime, novels, or manga before. I sighed... This world is truly mysterious to me. It looked like a slime, the kind you read about in fantasy stories, but this was completely different from anything I'd imagined. The slime was square-shaped, not oval. Surprisingly, it had eyes – yes, you heard correctly! It actually had eyes, and its body was green in color. I was little curious about it, so I chose to use my appraisal skill to find out more about it. I concentrated, activating my skill and feeling a rush of energy. Then, a system window popped up right in front of my eyes. **Gletinous Slime** Height: Approximately 1 foot tall Weight: Estimated at around 5 pounds Strength: None Weakness: Fire Vital Body Parts: None Rank: Lesser-Rank monster "Wow, that's the first useless monster I've seen here in this jungle since arriving in this world," I muttered, staring at the Gletinous Slime's stats. I was genuinely shocked by its stats. I used to believe that all monsters here were strong, but this one proved me wrong. As the slime kept looking at me, I thought of trying something. 'Damn, this little guy would've made a great football if he wasn't shaped like this.' I don't know why, but the more I looked at it, the more I wanted to kick it. I really felt like doing it. But, should I? Feeling pity for it, I said, "Buddy, forgive me for what I'm about to do. I'm really sorry." Taking a deep breath, I gathered all my strength and kicked it hard. It flew and hit a tree branch, then fell down. "Goal!" I cheered. I was surprised that the slime was still alive. It must have tough skin to survive that kick. As I watched it, I heard rustling from another bush, making me alert. I got my daggers ready, expecting a monster this time. But, instead of monster another slime came out from the bush, but this one was bigger than the first. I checked it with my appraisal skill again, but this time, I was shocked by what I saw. **Iron-Fanged Wolf** Height: Approximately 4 feet tall at the shoulder. Weight: Estimated at around 300 pounds. Strength: Powerful jaws capable of crushing bone. Weakness: Vulnerable to silver weapons and weak skin. Vital Body Parts: Heart, lungs, Maw and throat. Rank: Lesser-rank monster 'Huh? A wolf?' I was confused when I saw the information about a wolf. I closed the screen and checked again to see if it was a wolf or a slime. But when I looked again, it still showed the slime. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. For a moment, I thought I might be seeing things wrong until I slapped my cheeks. 'Ow, that hurts.' So, it's real. There's nothing wrong with me, but there's something wrong with the system. "System, what's wrong with you?" I asked. (There's nothing wrong with me.) "Then why are you telling me it's a wolf when it's a slime?" I asked. (Please pay attention to where you're focusing.) 'Wait, what do you me-' Before I could finish speaking, the slime approached me, and I stared at it. This time, a new system screen popped up, and I muttered, "What the?" Because this time, I got the real information about the slime. This time, it's the slime? I checked the system window again, and it still showed details about the slime. While I pondered this, I suddenly remembered the system's words, 'Pay attention...' What did it mean? I decided not to ask the system again and shifted my focus to the bush where the slime emerged. I looked at it and used my appraisal skill, but this time, the information was about the wolf. Again, a wolf? After thinking for a few seconds, I had a realization. Urrgg, I get it now, I finally understand. So, there's a wolf hiding there. So, it's waiting there to find a chance to attack me. What a sneaky creature... But, now that I think about it, that guy doesn't have a single clue that I found him. I looked at the bush again. 'Oh, so you want to remain hidden and wait for your chance, is that it?' But, not for long... I thought about how I could make the wolf pounce at me. And, after considerable thinking, I finally found a way. But, it was still risky. But, regardless, I was sure it would be killed. In that case, I need to give it a chance. I turn around deliberately and showed my back. Then, I slowly retreated back the way I came. Animals often attack when their prey's back is exposed. A wolf-like monster would likely do the same. And just as I took my third step, it happens. The rustling sound of the bushes increased, and suddenly, the wolf revealed itself by jumping at my exposed neck in one swift motion. "Roar!" I had been preparing for a sneak attack like this one, so almost immediately, I swung the dagger in my right hand towards the direction of the sound. It was a perfectly-executed instinctive counter! Swish! The sharp edge of the blade sliced open the creature's maw. The monster spat out a pained cry as it flew away from me and crashed on the ground, rolling around in a heap. It was a huge wolf with a bluish coat of fur. The wolf with its maw sliced away wiggled around and threw a seizure-like fit as if it was under a great deal of pain. 'Iron-Fanged Wolf.' However, unlike before, its body started to changed its colour. What going on with it? Is it going into rage mode just like any other monsters in fantasy games and stories? From the looks of it, that must be the case. Then... For now, my most important job is to finish it completely before it enters rage mode. 'Fuck, there is no time to waste here!' With the monster immobilized by its injury, it was the ideal moment to strike. I lunged forward, putting all my strength into it. I dashed towards it, moving quickly, and slashed down with both daggers, cutting off the creature's head from its body. "Rawr!" Wolf spat out the final roar and stopped breathing afterwards. (Ding, congratulations host, Monster Core (Lesser) has been added to your inventory!) (Ding, congratulations host, Healing portion (Bronze) has been added to your inventory!) (Ding, congratulations host, Monster Essence of Wolf has been added to your Character Profile!) (Ding, congratulations host, you have triggered a Chain Quest (Death March)!) 'Death March? Interesting... Let's see, what type of quest it is?' Little did I know, I would soon regret this moment in the near future.