The Season of Harvest

It turned out that rewards were directly proportional to risks.

After crossing the Milk River and leaving the safe zone, Shuen and the others had barely taken a few steps before they came under attack.

It was a wild boar even larger than a tank. Honestly, the animals and plants in this area were all far too huge. "Giant" was the only word that came to mind.

[Roast Whole Pig]

[Mental Power Required per Unit: 60]

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

"This monster looks delicious!"

Steam billowed from the Roast Whole Pig's body, and anyone who got close would be burned. When it spotted Shuen and the others, it grew excited, and the steam it gave off grew hotter. The rich aroma of roasted meat grew stronger, too!

After a somewhat difficult battle, the Roast Whole Pig died, two members of the Hammerfall Squad were injured, and Shuen was bitten by the pig.

The monster wasn't very strong. Ten fit ordinary people carrying weapons could take it down, though injuries were inevitable.

While everyone was busy cutting up their spoils, Danya fell into deep thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Aili asked.

He toyed with his bloodstained dagger, his expression strange. "This pig was nice to stab. No, that's not right. I should say I've never stabbed a monster with such good-quality meat before. It's kind of hard to stop..."

Aili silently took two steps away from him.

"How can this monster survive?" After treating the wounded, Qilajie circled the Roast Whole Pig, marveling. "It's roasted itself through. How is it still alive?"

After hesitating for a long while, he cut a slice of meat from the pig with a small knife and tasted it carefully.

"Mmm."

Everyone watched his reaction.

Qilajie opened his eyes. "It's just high-quality roast pork!"

The Roast Whole Pig was covered in fragrant, steaming roast meat, and it was perfectly fine to eat as is. The only pity was that the fight had gone on a little too long. The pig had released more steam after being provoked, leaving most of its meat slightly charred.

Curious, everyone tried a taste. Before long, they were gathered around the Roast Whole Pig, eating to their hearts' content.

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

On a sudden whim, Qilajie caught a Soy Sauce Locust and dipped some roast meat into the soy sauce on its back. One bite was so delicious he nearly burst out of his clothes.

He felt he'd discovered the right way to make use of the Gourmet Area: combine different ingredients and find the menu that suited you best!

"The Sain Underground City is amazing," the Timid Priest sighed between bites. "I've never read about monsters that roast themselves in any book."

"I've only ever heard about Milk Rivers, Chocolate Fountains, Pudding Mushrooms, and trees that grow roast meat in fairy tales," Aili said blissfully. "How about we come here for a big meal every day after exploring? That way, we can save on food!"

Danya enthusiastically agreed, raising both hands. Shuen's mouth was full of roast meat, but he managed to mumble, "Agreed."

"I wonder what Sithran's up to. It's a shame she didn't come."

After eating their fill, the two squads continued exploring.

The Gourmet Area was no smaller than the Swamp Area, and it was more densely packed with items. Adventurers would discover something new every few steps. There were bats hanging upside down from trees with broccoli growing on their tails, and mice scurrying past with their bodies covered in crispy French fries. Ordinary mushrooms had the sticky texture of pig's trotters and were full of collagen.

There were simply too many new things. At first, they carefully recorded every new species they found. Eventually, they ran out of ink, but new ingredients kept appearing.

They were numb. The sheer impact of all these new discoveries had left them numb.

It felt like the Adventurer's Guild had discovered fewer new species in the past year than they had found here in a single day.

Just then, the two squads' exploration hit an unprecedented crisis—

They were stuffed.

They had been eating as they walked, and had encountered very few monsters, leaving them no chance to get any exercise. Everyone's stomach had started to bulge.

With no other choice, they took a short rest beneath a tree.

"Let's, hic, sum things up," Danya said, lying on the grass without a shred of dignity. The Ox Tongue Dandelion beside him gave off a delicious aroma, but he really couldn't eat another bite.

"Sure."

Rubbing his stomach, Qilajie pulled out his notebook. He and Aili had been recording all the discoveries along the way.

"For now, let's call the area from the cave to the Milk River the safe zone, and the area beyond the Milk River the dangerous zone."

"We've found as many as 46 new species in the safe zone so far, including both plants and animals. The actual number is probably far greater than what we've found. I'd guess at least a hundred."

Aili added, "All the new species are edible. So far, everything we've found seems to be edible, too. We haven't found any materials for making magical items, or any treasure chests. It feels like this place was made solely for food."

Qilajie continued, "There are giant aquatic creatures lurking in the Milk River, as well as strange aquatic plants. But none of us here are very good swimmers, so we haven't explored the riverbed."

"Let the people who come later take care of that," Danya said. "We can't do everything perfectly."

Aili flipped through the notebook and said with interest, "So far, this area seems to have a complete ecosystem. When you first cross the Milk River, you only encounter Roast Whole Pigs and a few small creatures. After walking for about half an hour, you can run into Bread Lions and Giant Crocodiles that prey on the Roast Whole Pigs."

"The crocodiles live near a river wider than the Milk River. If you follow it, you'll find a lake. Even from the surface, you can see all kinds of fish in it. Strangely, the closer you get to the lake, the safer it becomes. There are only a few harmless little creatures."

"Feels like this place will become a popular fishing spot," she joked.

The Gourmet Area seemed to be divided by rivers. Beyond the river where the crocodiles lived was an even more dangerous region. Even the members of the Morning Wind Squad could sense the danger, and a hard fight seemed inevitable.

But the Giant Plant at the end was too tempting. Their adventurers' instincts urged them onward.

Perhaps the area between the Milk River and the Crocodile River could be renamed the low-danger zone.

Qilajie closed his notebook and sighed. "Even ordinary people could come here. If they hired one or two adventurers as bodyguards, they'd probably be safe."

He'd collected quite a few ingredients along the way and planned to sell them for a good price.

"Dong, dong."

The clear, melodious toll of a bell came from far away. Only then did everyone realize it was time for the dungeon to close.

"Time flies," Aili said, reluctant to leave. "I don't even want to go."

The others felt the same way. Some had even started thinking about living here.

"What a shame," Shuen said, gazing at the distant Giant Plant with regret.

With the final toll of the bell, the adventurers' figures blurred and vanished.