Chapter4- Quest Completed!

When the slippery creature bit into my inner thigh, I yelled in panic and pain.

Still without pants, it was too close for comfort.

Yeah, it was too close to my cock.

I grabbed the long, slippery body tightly, pulling it off my leg despite the agony.

I screamed again as it took a chunk of thigh with it but kept my grip and started flailing the creature into the prickly hedge.

(You have defeated [Flying Hagfish].)

(Defeat lesser monsters 11/12.)

Exhausted, I collapsed to the ground and quickly drank a Healing potion to ease the pain.

Ignored the blood coming out of my wounded thigh, I shouted.

"How can a fish fly? Wait, how are they even alive?"

I thought fish gills only work underwater, but here everything seems opposite.

I looked down at the wound, high up the inside of my thigh.

The fish had taken a decent gouge out of me, so the stinging lingered as the wound slowly closed.

Even so, the ability to watch an injury vanish in front of my eyes was amazing.

After eleven encounters with different creatures, I had plenty of chances to see it, going through almost 8 full of healing portion.

I used 3 portion from one fight alone, against something called a malicious dog.

A pleasant surprise was that I didn't have to stand near the smelly smoke that wafted off the creatures after looting them.

As long as I touched the creature, I could step back before collecting the loot.

Even though I was far away when the creature dissolved, the loot still went straight into my inventory.

The only issue was that if any of the creature's blood got on me, it would also dissolve away, leaving me smelling like garbage.

Each creature I killed dropped one lesser monster core, a healing potion, and a monster essence.

Occasionally, I received the entire body of the monster as a reward, although that was rare.

I did manage to get two whole bodies, but it was strange because they arrived in my inventory already cut and wrapped up.

For example, the bundle of spines from the hedgehog was tied with string, and the terror parrot meat was neatly wrapped in deli paper.

These animal parts were labeled as crafting materials, some of which seemed to be for cooking.

While I enjoyed trying new foods, I wasn't quite ready to put monster meat on my plate.

While I waited for my wound to heal, I checked the map again.

I had a decent-sized chunk of the hedge maze mapped out now, but it was quite large and I'd met a lot of dead ends.

I plotted out my next pathway and set out again.

***

After walking for 30 minutes, I found a flower growing in the middle of the path.

'Hmm? A flower.'

It's very suspicious.

Everywhere else I had been, there were only trimmed hedges and neatly cut grass.

Is it... Some kind of monster or just a normal flower?

I watched it from a distance, but it looked like just a normal plant.

I moved forward carefully, keeping my eyes on the flower.

I decided to act cautiously. Even though I might be overthinking and the flower could be just ordinary, I didn't want to take any unnecessary risks.

I tried to give it as much space as possible, but just when I thought I had passed by safely, the flower moved and sprayed spores all over me.

I got dizzy and fell to the ground, then felt something on my leg.

A vine with a bulbous head had grown out of the ground near the flower stem and was now wrapping around my leg.

I tried to kick it away, but my head was spinning and I couldn't move effectively.

The vine kept growing, crawling up my body.

The bulbous head of the vine opened up and latched onto my head like a lamprey.

I clenched my teeth, fighting through the dizziness with anger.

I reached down, grabbed the vine with both hands, and started pulling on it.

The ground under the flower bulged, with soil spilling away as a grotesque shape emerged.

It looked like a root vegetable but was the size and shape of a baby.

The vine was attached to its stomach like an umbilical cord, and the flower grew out of its head.

I let go of the vine, crawled over to the main body, and grabbed it with both hands.

I lifted it up and smashed it against my knee, hitting it again and again.

"You sneaky jerk!" I yelled through gritted teeth, each word emphasized with a strike to my knee. "Die!"

With a final shout I brought the creature down on his knee with all my strength.

The plant monster broke apart like a potato dropped off a building and hitting concrete.

(You have defeated [Carnivorous Mandrake].)

Quest: [No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service]

• Bonus objective complete: Defeat twelve lesser monsters 12/12.

• [Simple Footwear] has been added to your inventory.

• Main quest objective still available.

I took the footwear out of my inventory and found a pair of sandals.

Even though the thick grass felt nice under my feet, I put them on.

Now I was standing there naked except for a pair of sandals.

"I really hate this place."

After collecting the loot and the rare body of the monster, I checked my map again.

With no weapon in hand and still naked except for a pair of sandals, I set off, being very careful about my surroundings and watching for any incoming attacks from monsters.

I couldn't afford another surprise like the flower. An hour of exploring the maze passed, and I stumbled upon a well.

It was a circle of bricks with mortar that was aged and crumbling.

A wooden bucket and crank, both weathered with age, stood beside it.

It was the kind of rustically picturesque feature I could imagine someone putting at the center of their hedge maze.

I approached the well cautiously, peering inside.

**Quest: [Stranger in a Strange Land]**

Objective complete: Explore the hedge maze 1/1.

[Simple Pants] have been added to your inventory.

Quest complete.

"Finally, I don't have to wander around without clothes anymore."

I had been holding back for too long. It was too embarrassing to fight monsters while naked. Thank goodness nobody saw me, or they might have thought I was a pervert who enjoyed fighting monsters in the nude.

I pumped my fist in triumph and retrieved the pants from my inventory.

"What on earth? Hey, system, why did you give me such crappy pants? Can't you give me something better?"

They were simple white linen pants, with loose-fitting legs and a low crotch, held up by a drawstring.

All of a sudden, a screen popped up, and the system's voice echoed, "Sorry, Host, but I can only give you these pants for a basic monster quest."

I rubbed my temples and sighed, "Huhh... What did I expect? Forget it!"

Putting aside fashion concerns, Jason slipped the pants on, walking around experimentally. They were sufficiently roomy that it didn't feel much different to walking around without them.

After being attacked by numerous creatures, I was covered in bloody smell of their dissolved blood and sweat, even though the wounds had been healed. As a result, my body was exhausted from the constant fights and exploring.

With my concern about being naked eased, I could focus on other aspects of my situation. I sat down on the edge of the well to contemplate my next move.

"Okay, Michael," I said, preparing myself. "So, What's next?"

Sooner or later, I'd have to find my way out of the maze, but the fact that my quest ended upon reaching the well suggested there was something special about it.

I mean, the quest's goal was to figure out why there were suddenly so many lesser monsters appearing, and it ended here. That means this place is where it all started.

I began by inspecting the wooden frame, which had a basic crank and rope for lowering a bucket, along with a small wooden roof to protect the mechanism from the weather.

However, it seemed to have only worked to some extent, as both the rope and bucket appeared worn out.

The brickwork was also in poor condition, with the mortar crumbling at the slightest touch. I leaned over the well to peer down.

To my surprise, iron rungs had been attached to the inside of the well, leading into darkness below.

All of a sudden, a screen appeared in front of me, showing a new quest.

New Quest: [Well's Dark secrets]

You found a ladder leading down into the well. Explore what's down there.

Objective: Investigate the well 0/1.

Reward: New body

Bonus objective: Stay alive 0/1.

Reward: New memories

"Don't die? What kind of quest objective is that? And what do you mean by 'reward: New body and memories'? Man, this is so hard," I muttered, shaking my head.

"Forget about it."

Another screen popped out.

(Accept or Reject quest [Well's Dark secrets]?)