Harvest Season

It turns out that profit and risk are directly proportional.

After crossing the Milk River and leaving the safe zone, Shuen and the others were attacked within a few steps.

It was a wild boar larger than a tank. Honestly, all the animals and plants in this area are oversized. Besides being huge, I can't think of any other adjective.

[Roast Whole Pig]

[Mental Power per unit: 60]

[Vitality: E+~D--, Strength: E+~D--, Intelligence: E-, Stamina: E+~D--, Speed: E+, Overall Combat Power: E+~D--]

"This monster looks delicious!"

Heat emanated from the Roast Whole Pig's body, burning anyone who got too close. Upon seeing Shuen and the others, the monster's emotions flared, causing the heat radiating from it to intensify and its meaty aroma to become even richer!

After a slightly difficult battle, it ended with the Roast Whole Pig dead, two members of the Hammerfall Squad injured, and Shuen bitten by the pig.

This monster's combat power wasn't strong; ten ordinary, well-built people with weapons could have taken it down, but casualties were unavoidable.

While everyone was busy dividing the spoils, Danya fell into deep thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Aili asked.

He fiddled with his blood-stained dagger and said with a strange expression, "This pig was good to stab. No, I shouldn't say good, I should say I've never stabbed a monster with such good meat before. I feel a bit unable to stop."

Aili silently moved two steps away from him.

"What's the principle behind this monster being able to survive?" Qilajie asked, marveling as he circled the Roast Whole Pig after treating the injured. "It roasted itself, so why is it still alive?"

After much hesitation, he used a small knife to cut off a slice of meat from the Roast Whole Pig and put it in his mouth to savor.

"Mmm."

Everyone watched his reaction.

Qilajie opened his eyes and said, "It's exactly like high-quality roast pork!"

The entire body of the Roast Whole Pig was fragrant and hot roast meat, perfectly edible as is. The only pity was that the battle had taken a bit too long, and the Roast Whole Pig had emitted more heat when provoked, causing most of the meat to be slightly burnt.

Driven by curiosity, everyone tried a taste, and the result was uncontrollable. They gathered around the Roast Whole Pig and began to eat.

Even without any seasoning, the roast meat was incredibly fragrant.

Qilajie suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He grabbed a Soy Sauce Locust and dipped the roast meat in the soy sauce on its back. One bite, and it was so delicious he almost burst out of his clothes.

He felt he had discovered the correct way to use the Gourmet Area—combining different ingredients to find the menu that suited him best!

"Sain Underground City is truly magical," the timid priest exclaimed while eating. "I've never seen a monster that could roast itself in any book."

"Milk River, Chocolate Fountain, Pudding Mushroom, trees that grow roast meat... I've only heard of these in fairy tales," Aili said blissfully, suggesting, "How about from now on, after we finish exploring each day, we come here for a big meal? We'll save money on food."

Danya agreed wholeheartedly. Shuen, his mouth full of roast meat, mumbled, "Agreed."

"I wonder what Sithran is doing. It's a real shame she's not here."

After eating their fill, the two squads continued their exploration.

The Gourmet Area was no smaller than the Swamp Area, and the density of items was greater than in the Swamp Area. This allowed adventurers to make new discoveries every few steps. Bats hung from trees with broccoli for tails, small rodents scurrying past their feet were covered in crispy french fries, and ordinary mushrooms had the sticky texture of pig trotters, full of collagen.

There were simply too many new things. At first, they would meticulously record every new species they discovered. Later, they even ran out of ink, and new ingredients continued to appear.

They were numb, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of new discoveries.

It felt like the Adventurer's Guild's discoveries over the past year didn't compare to what they had found in just one day here.

And at this moment, the exploration work of the two squads encountered an unprecedented crisis—

They were too full.

They had been eating as they walked, and they encountered very few monsters, so they hadn't had a chance to exercise. This resulted in everyone's stomachs bulging slightly.

Under duress, they had to rest briefly under a tree.

"Let's, burp, summarize," Danya said, lying on the grass without any pretense. The ox-tongue dandelions around him emitted a fragrant aroma, but he genuinely couldn't eat another bite.

"Okay."

Qilajie rubbed his stomach while taking out his notebook. He and Aili were responsible for recording the discoveries along the way.

"For now, we'll call the area from the cave to the Milk River the safe zone, and the area beyond the Milk River the danger zone."

"Currently, we've discovered 46 new species in the safe zone, including both plants and animals. The actual number is estimated to be far greater than our findings; I suspect at least a hundred species."

Aili added, "All the new species have edible value. It seems that everything we've discovered so far only has edible value. We haven't found any materials for making magic items, nor have we found any treasure chests. It feels like this place was made solely for gourmet food."

Qilajie continued, "Giant aquatic creatures lurk in the Milk River, and there are also peculiar aquatic plants. However, everyone here isn't particularly skilled at swimming and didn't explore underwater."

"Let's leave that for future explorers," Danya said. "We can't do everything perfectly."

Aili flipped through the notebook, her interest piqued. "So far, this area seems to have a complete ecosystem. After crossing the Milk River, the first encounters are Roast Whole Pigs and some small creatures. After walking for about half an hour, you'll encounter Bread Lions and Giant Crocodiles that feed on Roast Whole Pigs."

"The crocodiles inhabit an area near a river wider than the Milk River. Following the river leads to a lake. Even just looking from the surface, you can see the rich variety of fish within. Strangely, the closer you get to the lake, the safer it becomes, with only harmless small creatures."

"I feel like this place will become a fishing paradise in the future," she joked.

The entire Gourmet Area seemed to be divided by the river. Beyond the river where the crocodiles lived was an even more dangerous area. Even the members of the Morning Wind Squad sensed the danger, and a tough battle would be unavoidable within.

However, the Giant Plant at the end was full of temptation, and the adventurers' nature drove them forward.

Perhaps the area from the Milk River to the Crocodile River could be renamed the Low-Risk Zone.

Qilajie closed his notebook and sighed, "Even ordinary people could come here. If they hire one or two Adventurers as bodyguards, it shouldn't be dangerous."

He had collected a lot of ingredients along the way, planning to sell them for a good price.

"Dong dong."

A melodious bell chime drifted from afar, and everyone realized it was time for the Dungeon to close.

"Time flies so fast," Aili said with reluctance, "I don't want to leave."

The others felt the same way, with some even thinking about living here.

"What a shame," Shuen said, looking at the Giant Plants in the distance with regret.

With the final chime, the Adventurers' figures blurred and disappeared.

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