After the bloody duel came to an end, Raymond blended into the crowd of spectators and left the arena. Having already drawn the conclusions he needed from what he had witnessed, he headed straight for the Adventurers' Guild to continue with the plans he had made that morning. By now, he had completely lost interest in System quests and had decided to focus on earning real money instead.
Upon entering the guild's main hall, he walked directly toward the enormous quest board and began searching for a safer mission suitable for his level.
The board was filled with notices of varying difficulty, ranging from F-Rank all the way to B-Rank. However, no matter how carefully Raymond searched, he could not find any quests ranked A or above.
The reason was simple.
This city had very few high-level professional players. Even powerful B-Rank fighters were rare enough to count on one hand. As for A-Rank adventurers and those above them, there was hardly any point mentioning them—they rarely stayed in small or medium-sized cities like this one and usually headed directly toward the imperial capitals.
Accurately judging his own strength, Raymond shifted his attention to the lowest section of the board, where the F-Rank quests were posted.
Among them were the familiar Slime Hunting missions—the very quests that had indirectly led to his first death.
Raymond had no desire to even look at them again and immediately moved on to other alternatives.
After some time, several interesting F-Rank notices caught his eye.
One in particular immediately attracted his attention:
"Assist the City Guards."
According to the quest description, the player would be required to regularly patrol the forests surrounding the city, determine whether dangerous monsters were approaching the city limits, and inspect the general safety of nearby settlements.
Most importantly, unlike the System's solo quests, this mission offered a direct reward of one silver coin.
Raymond carefully analyzed every condition and requirement listed in the quest.
The assignment suited him perfectly.
Without hesitation, he decided to accept it.
Working alongside the city guards was significantly safer than taking on monster-hunting missions alone. Even if an unexpected danger appeared, there would always be heavily armored guards nearby who could provide assistance.
"This quest is much safer than the others," he thought.
Raymond tore the notice from the board and walked toward the familiar receptionist behind the counter to register for the mission.
"Good day, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?" the receptionist asked politely as he approached.
Without a word, Raymond placed the quest paper in front of her.
"I'd like to take this mission."
"Of course. One moment, please."
The receptionist checked the seal on the document and confirmed through the guild's system that the quest had been assigned to him.
"The quest has been successfully accepted. Good luck, esteemed player."
Once the registration process was complete, Raymond said nothing further. He simply turned around and left the guild.
His destination was the quest's designated starting point—the city watchtower near the gate where he had first entered the city. There, he was supposed to receive additional instructions from the captain of the guards.
As he walked through the streets, the usual city noises filled the air: shouting merchants, noisy customers, and traders loudly advertising their goods.
Wrapped in his black cloak, Raymond carefully navigated through the crowds.
Suddenly, a young boy darted out from the crowd directly in front of him.
The child was moving so quickly that only a few centimeters remained before a collision.
However, ever since his first death, Raymond's reflexes and awareness had become significantly sharper.
Acting on instinct, he sidestepped just in time.
The boy was visibly surprised by Raymond's quick reaction but continued running.
After taking several more steps, he slowed down and secretly glanced back at him.
"Damn it, that didn't work..." he thought angrily.
The boy had actually intended to use the crowded street as cover to pick Raymond's pocket.
With his plan ruined, he quickly disappeared back into the crowd and continued on his way.
Raymond was slightly puzzled by the encounter.
Although he sensed there was something suspicious about the boy's behavior, he had no interest in wasting time investigating such a minor matter.
Remaining cautious, he continued toward his destination.
Before long, the enormous stone watchtower beside the city gate came into view.
Raymond arrived at the base of the tower and entered through its heavy wooden door.
The interior was noticeably cooler.
A spiraling stone staircase stretched upward.
He began climbing.
The tower was quite tall, so reaching the top took some time.
When he finally arrived, he found a modest observation chamber filled with neatly stacked weapons and equipment.
Taking out the quest document, Raymond approached the commander of the watchtower guards, who was currently discussing something with several soldiers around a table.
The commander appeared to be around fifty years old.
He looked like a disciplined veteran who had seen countless battles.
His left eye was blind, and a deep scar ran across it.
His beard had turned completely white, while years of warfare had etched deep wrinkles into his face.
Although old, the steel armor he wore shone as brightly as if it had just left the blacksmith's forge.
It clearly reflected his discipline and meticulous care for his equipment.
"I've come regarding the mission," Raymond said, adjusting his black cloak.
Hearing his voice, the commander raised his head and carefully examined him with his remaining eye.
"Good. You arrived on time. We were just preparing to head into the forest."
His deep voice echoed through the room.
Then he glanced down at the old parchment map spread across the table.
"What's your name, lad?"
"Raymond."
"Very well, Raymond. Listen carefully."
The commander pointed at the map.
Raymond stepped closer and studied it attentively.
The city occupied the center, while vast forests surrounding it were marked in considerable detail.
"Take a good look. You'll be inspecting this area—the eastern forest outside the city."
The commander pointed to a specific location.
"We've recently received reports of small goblin groups appearing there. Investigate the situation. If you can handle them, eliminate them. If the group turns out to be too large, return immediately and report it. We'll send soldiers."
"Understood," Raymond replied with a nod.
"After you've finished inspecting the eastern section, head farther north—to the northeastern forest."
The commander moved his finger toward a darker, denser region on the map.
"Recently, rumors have been spreading about something roaming around there. Some unknown creature."
He paused.
"But don't worry too much. According to witnesses, it hasn't dared attack people directly yet. Just investigate the area and figure out what it is."
After finishing his instructions, the commander strapped his massive sword to his waist, called several heavily armored guards, and left the room with quick, purposeful strides.
Raymond remained alone.
He carefully memorized the routes leading to both the eastern and northeastern forests.
The goblins probably wouldn't pose a serious threat.
However, the mysterious "unknown creature" in the northeast stirred both curiosity and caution within him.
Descending the tower stairs, he checked his weapon one final time.
Then he passed through the city gate and began walking toward the quiet forest beyond.