Before setting out on his mission, Raymond spent 2 of the 10 silver coins he had left to buy a specially sharpened dagger for killing Slimes. He now had 8 silver coins remaining.
After finishing his preparations, he set off to complete the quest.
Using his personal System map, he easily discovered where such monsters gathered outside the city. Without traveling far, Raymond arrived at a vast plain not too far from the city walls.
There were no trees in sight, but the area was filled with dense green bushes as tall as a person. From time to time, suspicious rustling sounds and strange sticky noises could be heard from within them.
Gripping his newly purchased dagger tightly, Raymond cautiously stepped into the bushes.
As he carefully observed his surroundings, a green creature—a Slime—suddenly sprang out from behind him like lightning. The sticky, soft-bodied monster attached itself to his back using its own weight.
Caught off guard, Raymond lost his balance and fell forward onto the ground.
The Green Slime climbed onto him and began bouncing repeatedly as if enraged, trying to crush him beneath its weight. However, thanks to the black armored outfit and steel protective pieces he had recently purchased, the monster was unable to inflict any physical damage.
Raymond quickly regained his composure, stood up, and began violently shaking his body.
After several attempts, he finally succeeded in throwing the sticky Slime off his back.
The creature hit the ground like a sponge. Before it could recover, Raymond kicked it with all his strength using his sturdy leather boot.
The impact was so powerful that the Slime's soft body could not withstand it. It split apart in a gruesome manner and scattered across the ground.
At that moment, a blue System notification appeared in the air:
[First Slime Successfully Killed!]
[Reward: 1 Bottle of Slime Mucus]
Picking up the small glass bottle that had appeared as his reward, Raymond could not hide his surprise.
"What? It's that easy?" An incredulous yet satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Compared to the bloodthirsty enemies in the graveyard, this creature seemed incredibly weak.
"So that means I can kill dozens of them instead of fighting them one by one!"
Adjusting his grip on the dagger, he headed deeper into the bushes.
The desire to obtain double rewards and grow stronger burned brightly in his eyes.
Soon, he noticed not one but three green monsters approaching him simultaneously.
Raymond confidently stepped forward and launched an attack.
Holding his newly purchased dagger firmly, he cut down the first two Slimes in rapid succession with swift, precise strikes.
Their sticky bodies were violently torn apart beneath the dagger's blade.
Before the third one could leap at him, Raymond smashed it with his elbow using all his strength.
The Slime crashed to the ground and failed to recover.
Raymond then stomped on it with his sturdy leather boot, crushing it completely.
The monster burst apart, leaving behind disgusting trails of slime.
Immediately, another System message appeared:
[Three Slimes Killed!]
[Total: 4]
[Reward: 3 Bottles of Slime Mucus, +1 Coin]
Looking at the slime splattered across the ground and the dagger in his hand, Raymond smiled proudly.
"My idea is working even better than I expected," he thought.
"If I keep this up, I'll become stronger much faster and earn even greater profits!"
Although the creatures seemed weak compared to the bloody battles he had experienced in the graveyard, that only proved how much stronger he had become.
"Who's next?" he said as two more green monsters emerged from the bushes ahead.
His confidence had grown, and his horrifying past experiences had made him far more cold-blooded.
Raymond charged forward and delivered a powerful punch to the first Slime.
His armored fist plunged directly into the sticky creature's body.
However, he quickly shook his arm and sent the monster flying.
The Slime hit the ground and was completely crushed.
Raymond then stabbed the second Slime with his dagger, causing it to burst apart as well.
Continuing in the same manner, he killed nearly ten more Slimes before another System notification appeared:
[10 Slimes Successfully Killed!]
[Reward: 10 Bottles of Slime Mucus, +2 Coins]
[Total: 12 Coins]
His total wealth had now risen to 12 Coins.
Feeling slightly tired, Raymond left the monster-infested bushes and sat down on a wide grassy field not far from the city walls.
His armored hands were covered in mud and slime, and fatigue was beginning to settle into his body.
He looked at the dozens of small glass bottles filled with glowing green mucus.
"I have System rewards," Raymond thought to himself.
"If what the System says is true, I can sell this slime mucus for profit."
"If I bring it to the Player's Guild, they'll accept it as proof that I've killed the monsters."
"I can claim both the personal quest reward and the guild mission reward at the same time—double the rewards!"
Just as Raymond stood up and prepared to return to the city, something unexpected happened.
Instead of the usual blue screens, terrifying blood-red messages began flashing before his eyes one after another.
A dreadful warning signal echoed through the air.
[Warning: Player Attempting to Deceive the System!]
[Warning: Player Attempting to Deceive the System!]
[Warning: Player Attempting to Deceive the System!]
[Punishment: Boss Battle!]
[Punishment: Boss Battle!]
[Punishment: Boss Battle!]
The endless stream of crimson messages completely stunned Raymond.
Cold sweat covered his body.
His heart pounded violently as he failed to understand what was happening.
"What does this mean?!" he thought in shock and terror.
"Attempting to deceive the System?"
"Could this be referring to my plan to receive rewards from both sides?"
"Did the System discover what I was trying to do?!"
Before he could fully comprehend the horrifying consequences of his scheme, one final thought flashed through his mind:
"What kind of Boss is a Boss Battle?!"
At that exact moment, a blinding flash erupted directly behind him.
A terrifying pressure spread through the air as black energy surged outward.
Something had appeared.
Raymond spun around in horror.
Standing before him was a gigantic and savage bear approximately two to three meters tall.
This was no ordinary beast.
A terrifying black horn protruded from its forehead, while the claws on its paws were as long and sharp as swords.
The scent of death radiating from its body seemed to freeze the very air around it.
Raymond froze in fear.
For several seconds, he could not command his own body.
Finally, he regained control and desperately tried to turn around and flee.
But the enormous bear attacked with lightning-like speed.
Raymond had absolutely no way to react to such supernatural velocity.
He couldn't block.
He couldn't dodge.
He couldn't even defend himself.
The bear's long, razor-sharp claws tore through Raymond's newly purchased armor as though it were nothing more than paper.
The claws sank into his waist.
The monstrous force behind the strike instantly severed Raymond's body in half.
His body was torn apart in a horrifying fashion.
Everything below his waist remained beneath the bear's feet, while the upper half of his body was launched several meters away before crashing into the muddy ground.
Raymond could no longer speak.
Thick blood continuously poured from his mouth.
His internal organs had been scattered everywhere, and his body had been completely destroyed.
"Why?"
"Why did this happen?"
"Why didn't the System warn me?"
"It should have warned me before I tried to carry out my plan!"
Even as he lay dying, those thoughts echoed through his fading consciousness.
Unbearable agony consumed his entire body.
Yet after several seconds, even that pain began to disappear, replaced by an overwhelming coldness.
The next moment, darkness completely filled his vision.
Before he was swallowed by the abyss of death, the final thing he saw was a cold System notification flashing before his eyes:
[Player Has Died.]