[Fragments of her memories surface, involving a witch hidden within the Stellar Kingdom…]
"A witch… hidden within the Stellar Kingdom?"
Kurose Akira rubbed his chin, sinking into thought.
He had a basic understanding of the game's background lore. Witches were beings born from warped magical fantasies, uncontrollable desires, and frenzied mana factors. Time and again, they brought catastrophic destruction upon nations and societies, earning universal hatred and condemnation.
They were rejected by every country, race, and faction. Their situation was only marginally better than that of magical beasts—at the very least, they were still beautiful women. Even so, they lived under constant loathing and relentless pursuit.
Yet from Loserine's memory fragments, it was clear that she hadn't merely fought a witch's apostle. She had come into contact with a witch hidden within the Stellar Kingdom itself—and had even clashed with her directly.
As Kurose Akira remained lost in thought, Loserine slowly walked over.
"The memory fragments are still somewhat blurry," Loserine said, trying her best to recall. "But I vaguely remember that witch had a pair of golden eyes. They emitted a strange, eerie glow."
"Golden eyes… that shine?"
"Yes. The curse on Roxia and her mother is also connected to her," Loserine continued. "And the root cause of that shipwreck at sea—it was her doing as well."
"So that's the truth behind it all…"Kurose Akira pondered silently. He hadn't expected so many events to trace back to a single witch.
The Water Sprite.The Flame-Threaded Demon Phoenix Butterfly.The Demon Spirit Doll.Roxia's mother…
All of them were intricately entangled with that witch.
But for now, the clues they had were far too limited. A pair of glowing golden eyes alone was nowhere near enough to track her down.
"It's getting late. Let's head back to the guild first," Kurose Akira said. "We still have an activity quest to do later."
"Okay~"
...
At that very moment, outside the Yerman Family's castle—
An extremely luxurious carriage stood quietly by the roadside. Its noble aura and exquisite decorations made it immediately clear that its passenger was anything but ordinary. Its arrival was like a stone tossed into a tranquil lake, instantly stirring ripples.
All the knights of the Yerman Family rushed out upon receiving the news, lining up neatly before the castle gates as they awaited the arrival of an important figure. Roxia, acting head of the family, stepped forward with utmost respect.
She knelt on one knee and declared,"Welcome, Your Highness the Princess."
As soon as her words fell, a series of light, lively footsteps sounded from within the carriage.
Under everyone's gaze, a young girl with light orange long hair and golden pupils stepped out gracefully. Every step she took radiated confidence and nobility, as if even the sunlight grew brighter at her presence.
She smiled warmly at Roxia."It's been a long time, Roxia. It's already been three years since we parted at the academy, hasn't it? I came especially this time to celebrate your birthday. I hope it makes you happy."
...
A flash of white light—Kurose Akira returned to the guild.
However, there was now something extra with him.
Loserine's little soul water serpent.
It was coiled snugly around Kurose Akira's waist, its tiny head gently nuzzling against his cheek.
"Alright, alright~"Kurose Akira felt ticklish from the constant rubbing. Worse still, the little creature kept flicking out its snake tongue, leaving behind translucent traces of water-element energy on his skin. The icy sensation sent an involuntary shiver through him.
"It really seems to like you a lot, Mr. Kurose Akira~" Ivsha said with a bright smile from the side.
"A little too much!"Kurose Akira gently grabbed the small water serpent by its wings, lifted it up, and handed it back to Loserine.
This little thing was far too attached to him. Though its touch was as soft and cool as a water balloon—smooth, supple, and oddly irresistible—having a snake constantly wrapped around your body was still… unsettling.
...
After a brief rest at the guild, an invitation suddenly popped into Kurose Akira's field of view.
[Player 'Kana's Bunny' invites you to participate in the event — Slime Battle Royale!]
"The event quest has started already?"Murmuring to himself, Kurose Akira immediately accepted.
[You may only dispatch one adventurer to participate in battle.]
"Only one adventurer?"
After a moment's thought, Kurose Akira decided to bring Ivsha.
After all, when it came to clearing mobs, mages were far more efficient.
With a flash of white light, Kurose Akira and Ivsha were teleported to the event location.
When he arrived, he found himself standing on an endless plain. Lush green grass stretched as far as the eye could see, and the air was fresh and pure—completely devoid of any trace of monsters.
Not far away, two figures stood quietly, as if waiting for someone to arrive.
"Su Xuan~"
One of them—a girl wearing a mage's robe and a pointed mage hat—waved and called out to him.
Kurose Akira focused his gaze.It was Liu Xue.
Beside her stood a beautiful female elf. Tall and slender, strikingly elegant, she looked like a living painting.
"An elf, huh? Not bad at all."
Kurose Akira studied the elf closely. Her unique aura and graceful bearing left a deep impression on him.
If only he could recruit an elf of his own…
According to rumors, high elves weren't just breathtakingly beautiful—they were also formidable in combat. They would be an ideal addition to his guild.
Though… in this game, elves seemed to have rather special settings?
"So this is your adventurer?"Liu Xue and the elf walked over lightly.
When Liu Xue saw Ivsha standing beside Kurose Akira, her eyes instantly lit up with amazement. Ivsha's beauty left her stunned—so much so that even the striking elf at her side seemed dim in comparison.
She couldn't help but think:She's so beautiful… amazing figure… and her chest is huge…
"Yes."Kurose Akira nodded and introduced her. "This is Ivsha, the first adventurer in my guild. And also… she's a nun."
"Nice to meet you~" Ivsha greeted Liu Xue with a gentle smile.
Yet Liu Xue remained frozen, not responding for quite a while.
"Liu Xue?"Kurose Akira waved a hand in front of her face. Why was she spacing out?
"Ah! N-nothing! Hello~"Liu Xue snapped back to her senses and hurriedly introduced her own adventurer. "My first adventurer is the elf Vinnie. She specializes in archery and wind magic."
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."The female elf smiled at Kurose Akira.
As a race renowned for kindness and friendliness, her smile was like a warm spring breeze, making people feel instantly at ease.
Elves really are great…
"Judging by the time, the event should have started by now. But why is there nothing here?" Liu Xue looked around in confusion.
"Let's wait a bit," Kurose Akira replied.
Suddenly, white light flashed—and a green slime materialized out of thin air on the grass.
"There!"Liu Xue's eyes lit up.
She immediately commanded her elf to attack.
Elf Vinnie drew her bow. With a sharp whoosh, the arrow flew—and the slime was effortlessly slain.
[Slime defeated ×1, EXP +50!]
"Fifty experience for one slime? Not bad," Kurose Akira muttered.
And it was fifty EXP per person—not exclusive to the killer.
Just then, white light flashed again.
Slimes began appearing in groups before their eyes.
Liu Xue continued issuing commands, having her elf clear the steadily spawning slimes.
Just as Kurose Akira was about to instruct Ivsha to join in, several notifications suddenly popped up in his vision.
[Abnormal data detected!][Hidden quest acquired — Slime Battle Royale: Ultimate Edition!][Objective: Defeat the Slime King!][Quest rewards: Slime Condensate ×1, Blessing of the Slime King!]