After a well-earned dinner—fried meat skewers for me, and suspicious glowing berries for the slime—we returned to the guild the next morning.
Today, I was determined to choose an easy quest.No chaos.No wolves.No accidental superpowers.
Just something peaceful.
The guild was quieter than yesterday. A few adventurers were lounging at the tables, polishing weapons or discussing quests.
The receptionist smiled as we approached.
"Good morning, Akira. Are you taking another quest?"
"Yes," I said confidently. "Something simple. Something safe. Something I can't accidentally destroy."
A voice behind me snorted.I ignored it.
The receptionist handed me a wooden sheet.
"This one might be perfect for you. A simple pest removal quest."
"Pest removal?"That sounded… doable."What kind of pest?"
She beamed."Chickens."
"…Chickens?"
"Yes! A local farmer's chickens escaped. You just need to catch them and bring them back to the coop."
I blinked slowly.
Catch. Chickens.
Not monsters.Not wolves.Not goblins.
Just… birds.
"I'll take it," I said immediately.
"Pyo!" the slime cheered.
We accepted the quest and headed toward the outskirts of town. The air was fresh, the sky bright, and for once my heart felt calm.
"We've got this," I said proudly. "Chickens can't possibly be a problem."
The slime bobbed in agreement.
"…Right?"
"Pyo!"
The farm was peaceful—rolling green fields, wooden fences, and a barn that looked older than my previous life's social life.
The farmer, a muscular middle-aged woman with arms thicker than tree trunks, greeted us.
"You're the adventurer?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's me," I said. "And my… uh… partner."
"Pyo."
"Good. The little devils escaped this morning. Nine chickens. Bring them back alive."
"Chickens," I repeated to reassure myself. "Got it."
She pointed toward the fields.
"They're out there somewhere. Good luck. And don't let them peck your eyes out."
"…Wait, what?"
But she was already walking away.
The moment she left, I heard rustling… followed by a loud cluck.
"There!" I shouted, spotting a white chicken strutting proudly across the field. "Let's grab that one."
We approached carefully.The chicken stared at us.
I stared back.
The slime stared harder.
Silence filled the air.
"Okay, chicken," I whispered. "Let's be civilized—"
The chicken screeched and sprinted away faster than a horse.
"OH COME ON!"
We ran after it.It dodged left.We turned left.It dodged right.We crashed into a fence.
"That chicken is faster than the wolves," I gasped.
The slime, furious, inflated like a balloon.
"PYO!"
It shot forward like a cannonball—
CLUCK?!!
—and hit the chicken, sending it flipping through the air.
I dove and caught it mid-fall.
"Yes! We got—"
FLAP! FLAP!
The chicken pecked my forehead.
"Ow! Stop!"
Ping!
[Skill Acquired: Bird Handling][Bird Handling → Intermediate → Advanced → Master]
"Master?! I don't even LIKE birds!"
The chicken suddenly went limp in my arms, defeated by my overwhelming… chicken-handling mastery?
"…Did I just mentally dominate a chicken?"
"Pyo…"
It took two hours to catch all nine chickens.
Not because they were dangerous—oh no.
Because each one had the agility of a marathon runner and the intelligence of an escaped convict.
One hid in a tree.One dug into the dirt like a mole.One stole my shoe.
By the end, I was exhausted, covered in feathers, and rethinking every decision that led me to this point.
"Quest complete," I muttered, collapsing onto the grass.
The slime patted my head. "Akira strong…"
"I fought chickens," I said bitterly. "This is rock bottom."
But as we delivered the chickens, the farmer gave us a pouch of coins and a basket of fresh eggs.
I accepted both proudly.
"See?" I said, smiling weakly. "A calm, simple, normal day."
"Pyo!"
CRASH!
Something shook the ground.Birds fled the trees.A loud roar echoed from the forest.
My smile froze.
"…What was that?"
A terrified villager sprinted toward us.
"MONSTER! HUGE MONSTER IN THE FOREST!"
The ground shook again.
I stared at the distant treeline.
"Please… no…"
The farmer looked at me. "You're an adventurer. Go check it out!"
"I just finished catching chickens!" I protested. "I'm emotionally drained!"
But the slime hopped forward bravely.
"Akira! Let's go!"
I groaned.
"Why can't this world give me ONE peaceful afternoon?!"
We ran toward the forest—toward the roaring, trembling chaos.
My first real quest…and immediate regret.