"Please don't mind, for there are indeed not many humans in the Great Jura Forest," Rimuru said with a smile. "Since you are a traveler, would you like to be a guest in our Monster Country? I will entertain you personally."
Bai Ye asked, "May I?"
"Of course, I am actually very happy to receive guests. I also hope to spread the word about the Monster Country through travelers, letting everyone know that our Monster Country is warm and hospitable, not as terrifying as they imagine, and ultimately to be accepted by them and coexist peacefully," Rimuru smiled and extended his hand, "Please!"
Bai Ye nodded, "You are too kind!"
Bai Ye walked forward generously, walking alongside Rimuru.
Bai Ye did not suspect that the other party might have a scheme, because there seemed to be no need for it.
This was the lord of monsters whose physical attributes were over two hundred, and stamina exceeded three hundred. Although his speed could not be seen, it should not be less than two hundred!
Therefore, if the other party truly wanted to kill him, he would not be able to escape. At least, with a speed difference of more than double, it was completely insurmountable.
Then, since there was absolute power to crush, there was no need for any scheme.
Did an elephant need to use a scheme to deal with an ant?
No, because it could be crushed at any time.
As Rimuru walked, he chatted with Bai Ye: "I apologize again for the recklessness of my subordinates, but it is also understandable. Recently, the Great Jura Forest has not been peaceful. Besides the area where I am located, in further regions, some terrifying news has been heard. It is even said that some monster races have been directly wiped out. Therefore, everyone is somewhat panicked and very vigilant, which is why they are hostile towards all unfamiliar faces."
"So that's how it is!"
Bai Ye's thoughts raced.
With Rimuru's strength, this area should be quite unusual. At the same time, if this area's restricted zones were measured by Rimuru's strength, Bai Ye could assert that they were not restricted zones that the chosen ones could handle at the moment.
Furthermore, Bai Ye noticed the words "Evolving" in the information scan.
These three words indicated that the other party would become stronger, or rather, was in the process of becoming stronger.
Normally, Bai Ye would not linger in an area of this caliber. If it could not be dealt with at the moment, there was no point in staying. Not only would he gain nothing, but he might also lose his life.
However, Shion's strength was comparable to Bai Ye's, and even slightly inferior.
This indicated that Rimuru should be a top-tier fighter. If Shion's strength was considered mid-tier in the Great Jura Forest, then he himself was not entirely without a chance to venture out.
Of course, these were all considerations of strength, merely a reference for evaluating Bai Ye's position in the strength hierarchy of the Great Jura Forest region. The important part was...
Only with a quest would there be benefits!
Therefore, without a quest, staying in the Great Jura Forest was meaningless.
Secondly, the value of a quest's existence was to be completed.
A quest might not be completable, but there was always a possibility of completion. Therefore, this was also a method of judgment. If there was a quest, it meant that Bai Ye's current strength was capable of completion. If Bai Ye's strength was not capable of completion, then the quest could not be triggered.
After thinking for a moment, Bai Ye said, "I wonder if I can help with anything?"
Rimuru's eyes lit up, "You are willing to help us?"
Bai Ye replied, "Of course!"
Rimuru said, "But you are human, and we are monsters. You should fear us and dislike us."
Bai Ye shook his head, "I don't think so, we are all living beings."
Rimuru stopped and looked at Bai Ye, "If that's the case, we are very welcome to join the Monster Country, even if it's just a temporary stay, traveler."
"You have obtained a hidden quest."
"The Orc Lord is coming, agree to await orders under the Demon Lord Rimuru. Quest reward: Monster Country Residence Permit x1"
There really was a quest!
Bai Ye's eyes lit up, and then he was a bit bewildered.
What kind of quest was "awaiting orders"?
Also, what did he need a Monster Country Residence Permit for? Was he going to settle down here?
However, "awaiting orders" meant...
"In other words, this quest has a follow-up? The current quest is just to join the Monster Country?"
Bai Ye felt he had grasped the key point and became a little more pleased.
Based on Bai Ye's experience in his previous life, such quests with follow-ups were multi-stage quests.
What were multi-stage quests?
That is, one matter would be split into several quests, each with different rewards, which could also be understood as so-called chain quests, where each link had a reward. If all could be completed...
A hidden quest plus a chain quest would definitely not be bad!
Bai Ye thought as he followed Rimuru, and soon, the trees ahead gradually thinned out, and a large area of buildings came into view.
Rimuru smiled and spread his arms, "Traveler Bai Ye, welcome to my kingdom!"
After Rimuru finished speaking, he led Bai Ye forward, walking across the solid stone brick floor, and then entered the city.
"Lord Rimuru!"
"Hello, Lord Rimuru!"
"Lord Rimuru!"
...
Rimuru was clearly well-loved. Upon entering the city, the people around enthusiastically greeted him.
No, it seemed inappropriate to describe those people as "people." The more accurate term would be monsters. Almost all the inhabitants of this city were monsters.
At the same time, from the current situation, Bai Ye felt that the Monster Country should be a neutral zone in this area. Rimuru and his subordinates would maintain order here. If the chosen ones entered here, they should not be allowed to fight and kill freely, otherwise, they would face capture and punishment from Rimuru and his subordinates.
Moving forward, they soon arrived at a beautiful mansion. Rimuru smiled and said, "Bai Ye, this is where I live. There are many empty rooms, you can choose any one you like."
As soon as Rimuru finished speaking, a blue wolf with a single horn suddenly rushed out of the house and pounced directly on Rimuru, sticking out its tongue and constantly licking Rimuru's cheeks.
"Good boy, good boy, don't be noisy!" Rimuru petted the wolf's mane and then said to Bai Ye, "This is my mount, Arashi, Bai Ye, you can let your summoned beasts play with him."
Bai Ye smiled, "That would be wonderful!"
Bai Ye patted the heads of Melmetal and Gengar, letting them play in the yard by themselves, and told them not to lick him anymore. Bai Ye then followed Rimuru through the corridor and into the house.
As the door opened, a fragrance wafted out, and the table was already filled with food.
Rimuru said, "It seems they have prepared food and drinks for us. Bai Ye, let's have something to eat together."
...