Outer Gods invade, stuff them all into your equipment inventory.

"My current location is..."

Sean glanced around and realized he seemed to be lost.

There was no way around it; after all, he was just an ordinary person before this.

He had absolutely no experience in how to navigate or remember complex terrain features in the wilderness where there were no clear roads or signs.

Relying solely on the memory of the seven dots marked on the simplified map on the information board is simply not enough to achieve accurate positioning while actually walking.

"Everywhere there were twisted, withered trees, identical jagged rocks, and a perpetually lingering mist..."

This is completely different from the environmental features around the slime monster's lair that he was planning to visit, as described on the forum.

"It seems I've strayed far from my planned route..."

When did it start?

Was it half an hour ago or an hour ago?

He really couldn't remember.

In the wilderness where there are few reference points, even the slightest misjudgment of direction can be magnified infinitely over time.

With no other option, Sean could only take out a simple compass from the Novice Adventurer's Wilderness Kit.

This compass is no ordinary item.

Its base contains a small, treated, directional magic stone that resonates stably with the earth's magnetic field.

This magic stone not only has the ability to accurately point to magnetic poles, but also, when combined with the coordinate ring on the side that can be manually rotated and is engraved with fine scales, it can be used to determine its location coordinates.

"Fortunately, I learned how to use this thing in a practical class at school."

Sean was glad that he hadn't wasted his time at the school in the settlement.

At least that's true in the use of this one piece of equipment.

Sean placed it flat in his palm and waited for the pointer to stabilize.

Then, based on his memory of the current vague position of the sun behind the fog and the approximate direction of the landmark where the gathering place was located, he began to carefully rotate the coordinate ring to perform triangulation estimation.

This is a testing method that requires experience and skill, and is especially difficult for a beginner.

Sean frantically struggled for a full five or six minutes before finally managing to obtain a coordinate reading that he considered relatively reliable through repeated adjustments and comparisons.

坐标环上，代表经度的长指针颤巍巍地指在「E-74-3-19」附近，而代表纬度的短刻度则停在「N-12-7-08」的区间内。

「E-74-3-19……N-12-7-08……」

Sean read the coordinates aloud, his brow furrowed.

He quickly compared this coordinate with the coordinates of the target area he remembered.

"The error is quite large!"

Looking at the numbers displayed on the scale ring, which were far from his target coordinates, Sean gave a wry smile.

Judging from this figure, he probably took the wrong turn a few minutes after leaving the gathering place.

"From our current location, continuing towards that monster's lair is not a good idea."

He re-examined the distribution of the seven points of light in his mind.

Using his current coordinates as a reference, he found himself positioned between the lines connecting two of the target lairs.

Compared to the first nest he originally planned to go to, he is now closer to another marker.

"The goals need to be adjusted."

Sean made a quick decision.

It is foolish to cling to the original route; everything is the best arrangement of fate.

"Everything that happens is to my advantage."

"Anyway, I don't know which monster's lair that spatial slime is hiding in."

"It makes no difference which one to explore first or which one to explore later."

「对了，E-74-3-19……N-12-7-08……这个坐标看起来好像有些眼熟啊！」

Sean quickly retrieved the area information board and opened the forum to find posts about the Heroes Guild's latest quests in the Eastern Wilderness region.

"That's right, that's it!"

The post included several bounties for specific high-risk variants.

One of the bounties mentioned that the high-risk mutants are found in an area near this coordinate point.

"Since we've already ended up here by some twist of fate, we might as well try our luck."

Sean had no interest in completing the bounty missions issued by the Hero Association.

What he was really interested in was the high-risk mutant mentioned in the mission.

High-risk mutants refer to monsters that have undergone extremely rare mutations and gained dangerous traits during evolution or under the influence of special environments.

They are often far stronger than other monsters of the same kind.

Moreover, they are more aggressive than ordinary monsters.

Once a high-risk mutant appears, the Heroes' Guild will issue a bounty immediately to nip the danger in the bud.

"Shouldn't a high-risk mutant be weaker than an elite monster?"

Sean licked his lips.

"My new monster husk has been found!"

If the hunt is successful, the remains of this high-risk mutant could provide equipment of far greater value than those of a regular slime.

Prior to this, Sean had no intention of coming to hunt down the high-risk mutants.

He carried a limited number of hunger-resistant pills on this trip and had to return before his supplies ran out.

Time was of the essence, and his primary objective was to find the Space Slime; he did not intend to cause any unforeseen complications.

However, when he discovered the wonderful uses of the Fallen Flesh skill, it had solved his food problem.

In theory, he could stay in this wilderness area for as long as he wanted.

In addition, by sheer coincidence, he had arrived near the coordinates of one of the high-risk mutant activity areas given in the bounty.

The option that was originally excluded from the plan has now suddenly become a very tempting possibility.

"Whether spatial slimes actually exist is not actually certain."

Even if a spatial slime has actually appeared, Sean can't be sure if he has a chance to find it.

"But... this high-risk mutant does exist."

"Otherwise, the Hero Association wouldn't have issued a bounty mission."

This means that at least multiple eyewitnesses or reliable intelligence have confirmed its existence and threat.

A sharp glint flashed in Sean's eyes.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Rather than chasing after a vague legend, it's better to transform the high-value goal that has already been confirmed into a tangible force in our hands.

"Plan changed. We'll deal with the high-risk mutants first, then go back to find the space slime."

Sean made up his mind immediately.

Anyway, three months have passed. If the Space Slime really exists, and it's in a monster's lair...

Adding another day or two wouldn't make much of a difference.

Its location will not change decisively just because it has a few more days.

But high-risk mutants are different.

The Hero Association issued a targeted bounty, and he wasn't the only one who could see it.

"Although few brave adventurers would be willing to come to the Eastern Wilderness to complete a quest,"

But what if?

What if another powerful hero, who happens to be interested in the materials or hero points from the bounty mission, also notices this mission and is on their way?

In fact, the other party may have already taken the lead over Sean.

This matter is of utmost importance and cannot be delayed.

Sean no longer hesitated. He reviewed the mutant characteristics, activity patterns, and known coordinates provided in the bounty mission one last time and memorized this key information.

He then put the information board away again and walked in the general direction indicated by the coordinates.

This time, he carried a simple compass with him so that he could keep track of coordinate changes at all times.