Chapter 24 : Chapter 24
Chapter 24: Scorned by Others, Accepting a Mission
Ryan searched through the job board for a suitable mission.
But he soon discovered that with his current status as a D-rank adventurer, it was difficult to find any missions that matched his actual strength.
Most of the D-rank missions on the board were trivial errands within the city, such as searching for missing people or looking for lost cats and dogs.
And the rewards were not high either, only around 10 to 50 Copper Coins.
To Ryan, that was simply a waste of time.
So he returned to the counter and asked the staff member for advice.
“Hello, may I ask whether there are any monsters suitable for a D-rank adventurer to subjugate?”
The moment Ryan asked the question, before the staff member could even reply, the other adventurers nearby who were submitting their mission results began to sneer.
“Hahaha, did you hear that? There’s a newcomer here who wants to go subjugate monsters even though he’s only D-rank.”
“My, he looks pretty young too.”
“Young people these days are far too arrogant. He dares to subjugate monsters at only D-rank? That wouldn’t be subjugation, that would be delivering dessert to the monsters!”
“Exactly. Back when I was C-rank, I only started subjugating monsters after joining a party. Newcomers these days really don’t know their place.”
“......”
Ryan naturally heard everything they were saying.
But he did not take it to heart.
After all, how could those people possibly know his true strength?
The staff member looked at Ryan apologetically and said, “Sir Adventurer, you heard what the others said, didn’t you? You’re currently a D-rank adventurer, so it would be best if you first took on some simpler missions to improve your strength. Once you advance to C-rank, then you can consider subjugating monsters. How does that sound?”
“To be honest, before I became an adventurer, I had already successfully subjugated monsters. I have great confidence in my strength, so please tell me what monsters a D-rank adventurer can subjugate.”
Ryan refuted her calmly.
“If that is truly your request, then I can register a monster-subjugation mission for you. However, whatever happens during that mission will be entirely your own responsibility, including your safety and your life. Do you agree to that?”
“No problem. I agree.”
“Then there is a monster-subjugation mission here. The details are to eliminate the Deadleaf Wolves in the Monster Forest to the west of the city.”
“The specific information on Deadleaf Wolves is recorded in your Adventurer’s Handbook, so you can check it there.”
“One thing you should note is that in order to prove the subjugation, you must bring back the Deadleaf Wolf’s fangs. The reward is 1 Silver Coin for each Deadleaf Wolf.”
As Ryan listened to the explanation, he nodded in satisfaction.
This kind of mission suited him quite well.
Although he did not particularly care how much the reward was, no one ever complained about having more money.
And besides, he also wanted to test how much damage the guns in his hands could deal to other monsters.
“All right, then I’ll take this mission.”
“Very well. The mission has now been registered under your name. I wish you victory at the first stroke!”
Ryan nodded, then turned and left the Adventurers’ Guild.
After he left, the surrounding adventurers broke into animated discussion.
“No way, no way. Did a brand-new D-rank adventurer really take a monster-subjugation commission?”
“Damn, so there really are people who aren’t afraid of dying!”
“Heh, there are plenty of people in this world who aren’t afraid of death, but someone this eager to die is rare.”
“What do you think? Can that kid make it back alive?”
“Do you even need to ask? Of course he can’t! If that brat makes it back safely, I’ll eat a pile of crap right here!”
“Damn it, you’re trying to scam yourself a free meal again!”
“What do you mean scam a free meal? If you’ve got the guts, you eat one too!”
“Tch, what’s there to be afraid of? You think I’m scared of you? If he makes it back alive, I’ll eat one in front of everyone too!”
“Ohhhhh!”
“......”
Because everyone started betting on whether Ryan could return safely, the atmosphere became lively to an absurd degree.
Ryan, who had already left, had no idea that so much had happened after his departure.
......
Meanwhile, as Ryan traveled, he read through the information in the Adventurer’s Handbook regarding the Deadleaf Wolf.
The Deadleaf Wolf was a common monster in the Monster Forest. Its body length was about 1.5 meters, its shoulder height about 0.8 meters, and its weight ranged from 40 to 60 kilograms.
Its fur was mainly a withered yellow, mixed with dark brown and gray strands. The fur on its back and tail was longer, with curled tips that resembled dead leaves.
Its head was wedge-shaped, and its ears stood upright. Tufts of grayish-brown bristles grew at the tips of its ears, and the ends were serrated.
Its eyes were amber-colored, and in bright light its pupils narrowed into vertical slits. It had excellent night vision and could clearly detect movement thirty meters away in a dim forest.
Its nose was black, and its sense of smell was keen enough to distinguish the scent of prey within five hundred meters.
Its mouth was rather wide, and both the upper and lower jaws contained four sharp fangs each, about five centimeters long. Ring-shaped markings circled the roots of the fangs, with each ring representing one year of age.
Behind the canine teeth were molars suited for crushing bones and tearing flesh.
Its body was packed with tight muscle, its back slightly arched, and its limbs long and slender. The front legs were somewhat shorter than the hind legs. Its claws were grayish-black, and the claw sheaths were marked with fine vertical striations. When hunting, the claws extended fully to a length of about three centimeters, their tips sharp enough to tear through bark and prey hide with ease.
Its tail was about 0.6 meters long. At the end was a tuft of fluff resembling a dead leaf, with a somewhat stiff texture. While running, the tail remained level to help maintain balance.
When danger approached, the tuft at the tip of the tail would stand upright and release a faint strange odor to warn its companions.
Deadleaf Wolves usually lived in packs, with each pack numbering between five and twelve wolves and led by the strongest male wolf.
During the day, they hid among piles of fallen leaves to rest. They were active from dusk until dawn, mainly preying on small forest animals, though they would occasionally come out to attack lone travelers.
Their fur possessed a camouflage effect. When lying still on a leaf-covered forest floor, their coloring blended almost perfectly with the surrounding environment, and they were easy to notice only when they moved.
Ryan felt no fear at all. On the contrary, he was excited by the thrill of accepting his first mission.
Before leaving the city, Ryan had already purchased more than enough essentials.
Because his System could only exchange firearms, he still needed to buy other necessities from the tailor’s shop in the city.
After arriving at the tailor’s shop, he directly announced that he wanted to buy the finest armor in the store, to the point that the clerk initially thought he was there to make trouble.
But once the clerk realized that Ryan genuinely intended to buy armor, the man immediately displayed an unprecedented level of enthusiasm.
In the end, Ryan spent 100 Gold Coins to buy the best set of mithril armor in the tailor’s shop.
That was even after a discount for buying the full set at once.
Otherwise, if he had purchased the mithril armor piece by piece, the full set would have cost around 120 Gold Coins.
The complete mithril armor set included a helmet, breastplate, pauldrons, gloves, leg armor, and foot guards.
Without hindering movement, it protected Ryan’s body to the greatest extent possible.
He cherished his own life very much.
After finally getting a second chance at life, safety was his highest priority.
If he died in this world, he did not dare guarantee that he would be able to transmigrate again.
Aside from the necessary armor, he had also bought plenty of wilderness survival supplies.
These included ten soft loaves of bread, two jin of smoked dried meat, and five compressed biscuits, all packed in waterproof cloth bags.
He also brought two hard water skins, each with a capacity of two liters, made from sheepskin and tightly stoppered to prevent leaks. In addition, he prepared ten water purification tablets to use in case he encountered an unknown water source.
He also carried a small bag of salt, which could be used both for seasoning and for disinfecting wounds.
He also packed three days’ worth of medical supplies, including hemostatic powder, bandages, and herbal ointment. The bandages were made of cotton cloth, ten meters long, and rolled into a tight bundle.
There were also two bottles of insect repellent, which could be applied to clothing to reduce insect bites in the forest.
He brought a square oilcloth as well. It could be draped over the body for rain protection or spread on the ground as a temporary mat for resting.
If Ryan had been an ordinary adventurer, he definitely would not have taken so many things with him.
But Ryan had a spatial backpack.
These items happened to fit neatly inside it.
So Ryan packed everything into the spatial backpack in case he might need it.
Only then did he begin heading out of the city.
After leaving the city, the dirt road gradually narrowed, and the farmland on both sides turned into wasteland.
The weeds grew as high as a man’s waist, mixed with scattered stones.
In the distance stood sparse trees, their trunks twisted and crooked, their leaves a dusty gray-green.
When the wind blew, the grass rustled, startling several gray sparrows into flight.
By the roadside stood abandoned wooden huts, with half-collapsed roofs and crooked door panels hanging askew.
Farther ahead, low thorny shrubs began to appear.
The ground also became uneven, forming small earthen mounds.
Dark brown rocks protruded from the slopes.
The air carried the scent of soil and rotting leaves.
Now and then, animal droppings of various shapes could be seen.
The clouds at the horizon hung low, a grayish white.
The sun was hidden behind the clouds, and the light dimmed.
In the distance, indistinct beast cries could be heard before quickly fading away.
At times, blue jelly-like monsters could be seen wriggling beside the road.
By consulting the Adventurer’s Handbook, Ryan learned that these monsters were the most common creatures in this other world—Slimes.
However, Slimes had no combat ability whatsoever, so the people of this world did not go out of their way to eliminate them.
After walking for about twenty minutes, Ryan finally arrived at the Monster Forest.
At the forest’s edge, the trees grew denser. Their trunks were thick, and their interwoven branches and leaves blotted out the sky, leaving the light dim beneath them.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves, which crunched softly underfoot, mixed with the scent of decay.
Vines hung down from the trunks, some of them covered in thorns.
Irregular paths wound through the woods, most of them trodden out by monsters.
The air was damp, and from time to time droplets fell from the leaves overhead.
The sounds of insects and unknown beasts echoed through the forest, sometimes near, sometimes far.
Deep within, mist lingered in the woods, lowering visibility. The shapes of the trees grew twisted, their bark mostly a dark green, and claw marks could be seen on some of the trunks.
Ryan took a deep breath, then stepped into the Monster Forest.
This was his first time accepting a monster-subjugation mission, and a trace of anticipation rose in his heart.