Chapter 279 - 278: Evil Rot Slime

Chapter 279: Chapter 278: Evil Rot Slime

Just as Zelir had expected.

With winter fast approaching, the ecosystem in the wilds had grown harsh.

Most of the Demons suitable for subjugation were either hibernating or in hiding, which directly led to a visible decrease in the number of available quests.

As for the ones that remained...

They were either for absurdly powerful Demons, like the Lava Tyrant or the Griffin Queen.

Or they were for creatures that were a huge pain to find—a whole swarm of Demons with dozens of lairs, meaning a squad would most likely come back empty-handed.

"There aren’t many decent ones..."

Zelir sighed, a little disappointed.

Until his gaze landed on a corner of the board.

There was a request form that looked like it had just been updated.

’Hm? This quest... it seems a bit familiar.’

After a moment of thought, Zelir remembered.

It was the one he had seen the first time he entered the exclusive room for Silver Level Adventurers.

The original request was [To Investigate the Disappearances in the Crying Swamp].

Now, that title was crossed out in red ink.

Beneath it, a new, much more detailed request form had been posted.

[Subjugation Request for the Evil Rot Slime in the Crying Swamp]

The Association hereby thanks the Celtic Squad for their fearless investigation, which successfully brought back crucial information.

The situation within the Crying Swamp has now been ascertained.

A powerful Demon, the [Evil Rot Slime], and its subordinate swarms reside there.

The Evil Rot Slime poses an immense threat to the nearby villages. It is responsible for the previous disappearances of villagers and merchant caravans.

We are hereby recruiting an Adventurer Squad to go and eliminate it.

Quest Level:

Middle Level (One Star)

Quest Objective:

Completely eliminate the Evil Rot Slime and its subordinate swarms (which are mostly Mutated Slimes).

Reward:

The bounty for the Evil Rot Slime is seventy Gold Coins.

In addition, there is a bounty of Five Gold Coins for each Mutated Slime.

Association Notes:

The Evil Rot Slime possesses an extremely strong ecological assimilation ability; it can always alter its environment to suit its survival.

In warm, humid environments, the Evil Rot Slime is a nearly immortal Nightmare.

However, there is an exception to this.

We are currently in the Frost Moon, and the weather is growing colder.

The difficulty of subjugating the Evil Rot Slime is greatly reduced. We urge all Adventurers to seize this opportunity to slay it!

"This one’s good."

Zelir reached out and took the request form. "There’s still one decent quest we can take before the heavy snows arrive."

’This must be what they call the right time, right place, and right people,’ he thought.

Trying to fight this thing in spring or summer would be pure masochism. The ground would be covered in corrosive slime, enough to make your skin crawl.

"The Evil Rot Slime..."

Marcus said thoughtfully.

"Normally, that thing is disgusting, but it’s true that it’s easier to deal with in cold weather."

"And the destination isn’t too far... Perfect," Gray said excitedly, leaning over to take a look.

Valles and Maki also nodded in agreement.

Besides, the reward for this quest was quite high.

A seventy Gold Coin bounty for the Evil Rot Slime, plus a Five Gold Coin bounty for each Mutated Slime.

Add to that selling the Demon Cores and other loot...

A single trip could net them close to two hundred Gold Coins.

The squad members were in unanimous agreement.

Having decided on the quest, Zelir took the request form to the front desk to register.

Normally, this was a task Marcus handled, but it didn’t really matter anymore.

Zelir had commanded them through several difficult battles before, and he occasionally took on the role of captain.

Combined with Zelir’s exceptional strength, the squad members weren’t so rigid about who officially held the title of captain.

"Hello, Eira. Could you please register this quest for us?"

Zelir placed the parchment on the counter.

Seeing the request form Zelir handed her, Eira didn’t stamp it immediately as she usually would.

"Please wait a moment, Mr. Zelir."

With a serious expression, she pulled out a book from under the counter. On its cover was written, *Quest Information Verification Log*.

Gray rested his elbow on Maki’s shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"Whoa... they’re being this thorough now?"

In front of them, Eira carefully flipped through the book to find the latest reconnaissance report on the [Crying Swamp].

She muttered under her breath as her finger traced the lines, comparing them.

Then, Eira specifically checked the credit rating of the quest issuer. Only after confirming everything was in order did she dare to stamp the form.

"Mr. Zelir! And all you Adventurers."

Eira’s tone was firm as she spoke with great solemnity.

"Please rest assured. After the painful lesson from Falling Leaves Town, the Adventurer’s Association has begun a complete internal reform."

"All quests, no matter who issues them—even if it’s a high-ranking member of the Nobility—will undergo a rigorous cross-verification of intelligence to ensure their accuracy."

Eira handed the stamped request to Zelir with both hands.

"Although adventuring always has its risks, I guarantee you that there will be no more of that malicious, man-made information fraud! This quest is legitimate!"

"That’s for the best."

Seeing Eira’s grave expression, as if she were facing a great enemy, Zelir couldn’t help but smile.

"I believe you, Eira."

"Yes! I wish you all the best of luck in battle and a safe return!" Eira waved, full of confidence.

...

After a day of rest and stocking up on supplies.

Early the next morning, the entire squad had assembled at the north gate of Black Stone Town.

"Hsss... it’s freezing."

Zelir blew a breath of warm air into his palms.

He had already added a thick, newly-bought sweater under his Magic Robe, but he could still feel the chill seeping into his bones.

His gaze swept over his teammates, who were already waiting, and he let out a gasp of surprised admiration.