Harvest Season

As it turns out, reward is directly proportional to risk.

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

It was a wild boar even bigger than a tank. To be honest, everything in this area, whether animal or plant, was excessively large. Besides "giant," no other adjective came to mind.

[Roasted Whole Pig]

[Mental Power Required Per Unit: 60]

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

"This monster looks delicious!"

Steam erupted from the Roasted Whole Pig's body. Getting close would cause burns. When it saw Xiu En and the others, the monster's emotions became agitated, and the steam it emitted grew even hotter, making the aroma of meat even richer!

After a somewhat difficult battle, it ended with the Roasted Whole Pig's death, two members of the Falling Hammer team injured, and Xiu En bitten by the pig.

This monster's combat power wasn't strong; ten ordinary people with weapons and strong bodies could take it down, but casualties were unavoidable.

While everyone was busy dividing the spoils, Dan Ya fell into contemplation.

"What are you thinking about?" Ai Li asked.

He toyed with his bloodstained dagger and said with a strange expression, "This pig was good to stab. No, not just good, I should say I've never stabbed a monster with such good meat quality. It's a bit addictive."

Ai Li silently moved two steps away from him.

"What's the principle behind this monster being able to survive?" After treating the injured, Qi Laje circled the Roasted Whole Pig, clicking his tongue in wonder. "It's roasted itself cooked, why is it still alive?"

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

"Hmm."

Everyone was watching his reaction.

Qi Laje opened his eyes and said, "It's completely high-quality roasted pork!"

The entire body of the Roasted Whole Pig was fragrant and steaming roasted meat, perfectly fine to eat directly. The only pity was that the battle had lasted a bit long, and the Roasted Whole Pig, stimulated, had emitted more heat, causing most of the meat to be slightly burnt.

With a sense of curiosity, everyone tried a taste, and the result was uncontrollable. They gathered around the Roasted Whole Pig and started eating on the spot.

Even without any seasoning, the roasted meat was so rich and fragrant.

Qi Laje suddenly had an idea. He grabbed a Soy Sauce Locust, dipped the roasted meat in the soy sauce on its back, and took a bite. It was so delicious he almost burst his clothes.

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

"The Zane Dungeon is truly amazing," the weak-willed priest exclaimed while eating. "I've never seen a monster that can roast itself cooked in any book."

"Milk River, Chocolate Fountain, Pudding Mushroom, trees growing roasted meat – I've only heard of these in fairy tales," Ai Li said with a happy voice and suggested, "How about from now on, after we finish exploring each day, we come here for a big meal? It'll save us money on food."

Dan Ya raised both hands in agreement. Xiu En's mouth was full of roasted meat, and he mumbled indistinctly, "Agreed."

"I wonder what Si Telan is up to. It's a real shame she didn't come."

Full and satisfied, the two teams continued exploring.

The Food Area was no smaller than the Swamp Area, and the density of items was greater than in the Swamp Area. This meant that Adventurers could make new discoveries every few steps. Bats hung upside down from trees, but their tails grew Broccoli. Rats scurrying by their feet were covered in crispy French Fries. Ordinary mushrooms had the sticky texture of Pig Trotters, full of collagen.

There were simply too many new things. At first, they carefully recorded the newly discovered species, but later they even ran out of ink, and new ingredients kept appearing endlessly.

They were numb. They were made numb by the impact of the new things.

They felt that the Adventurers' Guild's new species discoveries over the past year weren't as many as what they had found here in just one day.

And at this moment, the exploration work of the two teams encountered an unprecedented crisis –

They were too full.

Eating as they walked along, and encountering very few monsters, they didn't have time to exercise, which caused everyone's stomachs to bulge slightly.

Out of necessity, they could only rest under a tree for a while.

"Let's, hic, summarize," Dan Ya lay on the grass without any regard for his image. The Ox Tongue Dandelions beside him emitted a fragrance, but he really couldn't eat any more.

"Okay."

Qi Laje rubbed his stomach and took out his notebook. He and Ai Li 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 after crossing the Milk River the dangerous zone."

"Currently, we've discovered as many as 46 new species in the safe zone, including both plants and animals. We estimate the true number is far beyond our discovery, I guess at least a hundred."

Ai Li added, "All the new species have edible value. It seems that everything we've found so far only has edible value. We haven't found any materials that can be used to make magic items, nor have we found any treasure chests. It feels like this place was created specifically for food."

Qi Laje continued, "Giant aquatic creatures are hidden in the Milk River, and there are also peculiar aquatic plants. However, none of us here are particularly good swimmers, so we haven't explored the bottom."

"Let's leave that for people who come later," Dan Ya said. "We can't do everything perfectly."

Ai Li flipped through her notes and said with interest, "From what we've seen so far, this area still has a complete ecosystem. After crossing the Milk River, the first things you encounter are only Roasted Whole Pigs and some small creatures. After walking for about half an hour, you can encounter Bread Lions and giant crocodiles that feed on Roasted Whole Pigs."

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

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

The entire Food Area seemed to be divided by rivers. After crossing the river where the crocodiles lived, it was a more dangerous area. Even the members of the Morning Wind team felt the danger, and a tough battle was unavoidable there.

But 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-danger zone.

Qi Laje closed his notebook and sighed, "Even ordinary people could come here. If they hired one or two Adventurers as bodyguards, there shouldn't be any danger."

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

"Dong dong."

A melodious bell sound came from afar. Only then did everyone realize that it was already time for the dungeon to close.

"Time flies so fast," Ai Li said with a hint of reluctance. "I don't want to leave."

Everyone else felt the same way, and some even had the idea of living here.

"What a pity," Xiu En looked at the giant plant in the distance, his eyes filled with regret.

With the last chime of the bell, the figures of the Adventurers blurred and disappeared without a trace.

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