Chapter 40: White Grapes of Trent│Read translated stories and daily updates at: Awebstories.com
The half-dead Manticore spews an amber-colored magical stone.
There is a brief moment of silence following the victory.
But the monsters, the Cyclopes and the Garms, remain.
“All right, Leon, Dee!”
They flee in an obscure direction, taking out the approaching monsters.
The bounty hunters did not pursue them. They are not going to take the risk with so much damage and the monsters are still out there. The survivors will come back empty-handed.
“…I’m starving.”
“Does everything you eat turn into magic? I’m not sure if it’s fuel-efficient. “
Lysette’s strength dwindles as she stares at the Cyclopes she has just defeated.
“Hey! Humanoids are out of the question! And I absolutely hate the talking ones! You’ll get some kind of disease!”
“Then what about the Garm…”
“It reminds me of a dog I used to have…”
Leonhardt’s face contorts in sorrow.
—These two are extremely delicate…
Fortunately, there is still plenty of food available. She doesn’t want to force them, so she gives up.
The psychological consequences are also a concern. If it has an impact on the battle, it will be fatal.
“It would be nice if there were bird monsters or plant monsters…”
“…Wait a minute, something smells sweet…”
Dee mutters and sniffs the wind to determine the source of the smell .
“It’s this way.”
They arrive in a green garden.
Lysette is captivated by the sight while being carried on Leonhardt’s back.
It could have been a nobleman’s mansion. The gardens were large and full of plants and flowers, and there was a massive fallen tree that seemed out of place in the gardens.
There’s no sign of a monster.
“This… is a Trent—It’s no longer alive.”
Leonhardt examines the fallen tree monster, only the bark of which remains.
【Appraisal】Trent. A tree spirit. It’s slow and laidback, but when he gets angry, nothing can stop him.
The trent appears to have died a long time ago.
And white grapes were growing on the dead Trent’s shelf.
The fruits are abundantly ripe.
“That’s what that sweet smell is—are they edible?”
Lysette steps off Leonhardt’s back, beside Dee, who is wary.
She grabs the closest grape, plucks it off, and eats a piece.
“Seriously, without a doubt…”
The sour-sweet juice flows out of the fresh berries as the thin skin breaks in her mouth.
“Sweet… Delectable…”
She eats them one after another. Her throat and body are moistened by the fruity water.
“It’s very tasty, you two.”
They all sit on the grass and eat grapes together. It’s like going on a picnic.
“They’re fantastic… I’m curious who planted these grapes.”
“Someone must have discarded the seeds.”
“I can’t believe they grew so well… I’m blown away…”
—I can eat as many as you want. I could soak them in syrup or make sorbet out of them.
Just when she thought that, Lysette magically freezes the grapes and eats them.
“Hmm?”
She shook her head.
—It’s not sweet enough. They taste better as they are.
She concluded and ate the grapes with a carefree expression.
Some grapes improve with modifications, while others are better as they are.
“Perhaps these grapes grew up drinking Trent water as well.”
Leonhardt observes the abundance of grapes and the fallen Trent.
“What is that?”
“It is the water that flows from the Trent that encourages the growth of living things—Trents are said to be so large because of this water.”
“Wow. Perhaps this is why there are so many large monsters in this level.”
“That is entirely possible.”
Leonhardt puts down the grapes.
As he stares at the grapes, his profile is solemn.
“…When I was here before, the big monsters weren’t as numerous. The Dungeon is expanding.”
“Expanding? Is the dungeon expanding?”
—It is as if the dungeon itself has a life of its own!
Leonhardt nods in response to Lysette’s surprise and excitement.
The monsters multiply and become more vicious as the dungeon expands. And they climb to higher layers in search of food, and… when adventurers are no longer able to contain the monsters, they crawl out on the ground.”
“That’s…”
It would be a disaster if the monsters overflowed onto the ground.
There is, however, a barrier in the dungeon territory.
The barrier that keeps Sinner from escaping should also keep the monsters out, but there is no guarantee that it will be as effective.
“It is said that the wild monsters on the ground are descended from dungeon monsters. Because of the different environmental conditions, most monsters are killed and cannot survive, but some species occasionally interbreed with animals and survive.”
Monsters exist on Earth as well. However, the majority of them are small and timid. just like regular beasts.
However, some are enormous and ferocious, such as the Giant-Killing-Bear, which is omnivorous, loves meat, and attacks humans.
“Isn’t it a horrible sensation? Aren’t the monsters within becoming more powerful?”
“The dragon on the sixth layer could have evolved with two heads.”
Dee mumbles uncomfortably.
“No—From the start, the dragon I saw had two heads.”
“Oh my goodness…”
A dragon with two heads
“Perhaps it’s a triple or a power head or something.”
“You’re being too casual about this! It’s more complicated than that! Firepower, fortitude, I’m getting the impression that things are becoming increasingly hopeless. “
“Well, we can’t just sit here and discuss it. We have to see it for ourselves!”
“I’m getting a bad feeling about this…”
Leonhardt gets to his feet.
“Let’s get started. We’ve defeated the area boss, the Manticore, so Lysette should have no trouble finding the stairs.”
“If I so desire…”
The stairs could be found in the hollow of the fallen Trent.
“We’ll meet the dragon soon!”
Lysette began to descend the staircase, her excitement growing.