"Is this a progress quest?"
Bai Ye's face was a question mark, and he fell into a state of confusion.
He knew about progress quests.
Some quests within the world battlefield were calculated based on progress, hence the name progress quest.
For example, if killing a hundred pig-headed men was a progress quest, then killing a hundred pig-headed men would naturally mean 100% completion, seventy would be 70%, and fifty would be 50%...
But was this hidden quest a progress quest?
There was no progress standard at all!
As Bai Ye was bewildered, the surroundings erupted in cheers.
The death of the Pighead Emperor meant the Monster Kingdom had achieved victory!
Under Rimuru's command, his subordinates had already begun to integrate the pig-headed army, and the chosen ones were starting to disperse.
Since the quest was complete, it was time to make a quick exit. Lingering here might attract the attention of chosen ones coveting God's Stone Shards.
As time went by, and they experienced more dangerous zones, people gradually got the hang of this.
Often, the period right after a dangerous zone ended was more perilous than the zone itself. With experience, everyone learned to be cautious.
Bai Ye wasn't in a hurry. This time, he wasn't injured. If anyone dared to target him, Bai Ye wouldn't mind having a chat and clarifying who was supposed to be offering God's Stone Shards to whom.
However, while he wasn't in a hurry, it was indeed time to leave.
Continuing to stay served no purpose. The quest was over, and after Rimuru devoured the Pighead Emperor, his strength had further increased. As the master of the Monster Kingdom, the sole neutral territory in the Jura Great Forest, and the only force and nation within the Jura Great Forest, Rimuru's increased strength meant the level of this region had once again improved. With the current strength of the chosen ones, it was almost impossible for them to open the dangerous zones of the Monster Kingdom or undertake higher-difficulty hidden quests.
Thinking this, Bai Ye casually walked up to Rimuru to bid farewell.
"Mr. Bai Ye is leaving?" Rimuru asked. "The Monster Kingdom is still under construction and is in great need of various talents."
Bai Ye smiled and shook his head. "I am merely a traveler."
Rimuru nodded, then called out, "Shion!"
Shion approached Rimuru, still holding a wrapped brocade box.
Rimuru said, "We are extremely grateful to Mr. Bai Ye for helping us deal with the Pighead Emperor and for resolving the demon Kurumiut. Therefore, this small token of gratitude is offered with sincere appreciation."
Bai Ye blinked. Was this the reason for the 35% quest progress?
At the same time, Shion handed the brocade box to Bai Ye. "Take it."
Bai Ye nodded. "Then I won't be polite."
Rimuru reverted to his slime form and smiled. "At any time, the gates of the Monster Kingdom will be open to Mr. Bai Ye. We welcome Mr. Bai Ye's arrival at any time."
Bai Ye smiled. "I believe I will definitely return."
This was not mere politeness. The Jura Great Forest was undoubtedly a high-level region. It was just that the chosen ones did not yet possess the ability to explore it extensively.
Therefore, how could Bai Ye give up on this area?
Once his strength was sufficient, Bai Ye would definitely return to the Jura Great Forest.
Waving goodbye to Rimuru, Bai Ye left the plains and walked towards the depths of the forest.
"Next..." Bai Ye murmured, stroking his chin, "Where should I go?"
His trip to the Jura Great Forest had been quite rewarding.
However, the most valuable item had nothing to do with the quest; it was the Venom-Venom Fruit that Shion had helped him draw!
Bai Ye had originally intended to go to the Xianxia or Wuxia regions to enhance his combat skills. With the Venom-Venom Fruit, Bai Ye was no longer lacking in combat capabilities.
After all, it was a red-quality ability.
Conversely, having witnessed the strength of Rimuru and the Pighead Emperor, Bai Ye felt he needed to strengthen his physical body again.
Taking the Pighead Emperor as an example, with the abilities of the Venom-Venom Fruit, he could already contend with it in terms of offense. In fact, the Pighead Emperor's regeneration ability was precisely countered by the corrosive poison of the Venom-Venom Fruit. But in a real fight, Bai Ye knew he wouldn't be a match, because their physical attributes were too different. The Pighead Emperor could kill him with a single punch.
Of course, under normal circumstances, no chosen one at present could fight the Pighead Emperor. Obtaining something like the Venom-Venom Fruit was also not something that could be acquired at this stage. Bai Ye's acquisition of the gacha machine was purely an accident.
However, since the accident had already happened, Bai Ye naturally desired more.
"I shouldn't have traded the G-virus to Jin Sha. If I can find an antidote for the G-virus, I can strengthen my body through the virus again!" Bai Ye thought, resting his chin on his hand. "However, I remember Umbrella Corporation produced more than just the T-virus and G-virus; they had several others. Should I go to the Apocalypse zone to look for them?"
Strengthening the physical body...
Bai Ye's first thought was viruses. However, in his previous life, Bai Ye had only obtained the T-virus and G-virus. He had never acquired the other viruses. It wasn't very convenient to find them now.
"Forget it, I'll think about it later!" Bai Ye took out the brocade box given by Rimuru. "Let's see what Rimuru gave me first."
Bai Ye opened the brocade box. Inside was a saber.
Famous Sword Bloodsucker (Weapon) (Blue): A masterpiece forged by Kubei, the master blacksmith among Rimuru's subordinates. It fuses the blood of various monsters. Effects: Bloodsucking (during combat, after dealing damage to the target, it will absorb the target's blood to restore the wielder's injuries and stamina). Blood Demon Arts (condense the absorbed blood into blood demon orbs for attack. Depending on the mental strength value, it can gain additional magical attack bonus. Currently, the additional magical attack bonus is 5%).
Bai Ye showed a look of realization. So it was a magic weapon!
This was the reward for quest three for other chosen ones. After defeating the Pighead Elites and Pighead Generals, they would receive a magic weapon and God's Stone Shards.
"So..." Bai Ye murmured, "By completing 35% of the progress, my reward was downgraded to an ordinary reward? If that's the case, it would have been better to give me the content of an ordinary hidden quest. At least I could have gotten more God's Stone Shards."
Bai Ye complained in frustration. Of course, complaints aside, if he were given a choice again, Bai Ye would still choose to attempt to kill Kurumiut and prevent the Pighead Emperor from becoming the Pighead Demon Lord.
Even though the quest was not easy, but...
The rewards were too generous!
However, it was all in the past, and Bai Ye didn't want to dwell on it too much. He hung the Bloodsucker on his waist and intended to proceed deeper into the forest, but at that moment...
"Help!"
...