“I slept well, as expected from this recommended sleeping bag!”
Although the dungeon lacks morning and night, humans require sleep. Lysette falls asleep in her sleeping bag inside the 【Barrier-Magic】 and awakens feeling revitalized.
The view before her eyes is the same as it was before she fell asleep. Located between the pond and the woods. And the sky is as blue as it has always been.
“I will now enjoy the Dungeon’s blessings, but meat alone is not nutritious… Fruits and vegetables are still required…”
She packs her sleeping bag and prepares to leave while thinking.
—My grandmother had lectured me on edible plants, but this is a dungeon, and I shouldn’t expect the outside world’s common sense to prevail.
—If you see fruits, consider them a trap for plant-based monsters.
“First and foremost, let us act. Let’s go deep into the woods.”
With her luggage on her back, she set out to explore the depths of the forest. It was like going for a walk. It was peaceful.
—It’s far too quiet.
Lysette was walking through the forest when she realized she hadn’t seen a single monster today. There’s no slime, jumping frogs, or flying insects.
—Perhaps the monsters are avoiding me because my level has increased?
If this is the case, it is a serious issue. If she can’t get food, her time in the dungeon will be up.
She has resolved to eliminate all signs of the monsters. If this continues, she may have to resort to traps.
As she walks quietly through the forest, she hears sounds other than her own.
She hides behind a tree and quietly peers out, spotting a figure deep in the forest.
—An adventurer or a monster?
She investigates further to determine whether it is an adventurer or a monster. She then realizes it isn’t human. It was humanoid in shape, but its surface was covered in brown mushrooms.
—I believe it’s Mai… Mai…
She frantically searched for her memories.
Then she recalls her grandmother telling her about these things.
—Yes, maitake mushrooms! According to my grandmother, the brown maitake is so delicious that it makes you want to dance!
The correct term is Myconid, but Lysette has no time to second-guess herself. Therefore, she didn’t use【Appraisal】
She throws a flaming spear at the myconid as soon as she steps out. The large spear pierces Myconid’s center, knocking him out.
“A-a~h… What a delectable aroma.”
She dashes to the myconid and gathers mushrooms from the surface, placing them in a burlap sack. She examines the myconid more closely, and it appears to be a humanoid old log that has turned into a mushroom patch. She is relieved that it’s not a living organism being used as mycorrhizal beds.
“I can’t eat this much… oh, I know! Let’s lightly dry them for preservation.”
She continued her search after collecting the mushrooms and came upon another pond.
The water was clear and transparent, and it appeared to be safe to drink.
As Lysette walks around the spring, she finds a strange big rock with a lot of scratches and white powder around it. It looks like it was used to sharpen something.
—I’m curious if the monster is sharpening its horns or claws.
The boulder’s scratches are still fresh. It’s possible that the monster is nearby.
She continued her search with caution, wary of the monster, and discovered an area covered in the same type of grass.
The leaves are deep green, with slightly reddish stems, and the grass appears to be familiar.
—Could this be a patch of anti-poison grass?!
【Appraisal】 anti-poison grass.
It should not be harmful to the human body if it is anti-poison grass. So she picked one, cast a purification magic spell on it, and ate it.
The leaves are paper thin. They become crispy when chewed, and the crunchy texture is enjoyable. They’re a little bitter, but they’re tasty.
“Nom, the freshness—I could use them in salads and soups…”
She then harvested the ones that appeared to be tasty. Taking care not to include any other grasses and being cautious not to take too much.
She’d like to turn the area into a cultivation field, but she’s not sure if she’ll be able to return, and she tries not to take too much, in consideration of the adventurers coming next and the dungeon ecosystem.
She was eagerly harvesting when she felt a gaze and looked up.
Its pure white fur glistened in the light, lending it a divine beauty.
However, regardless of how beautiful they are, the majority of the animals in the dungeon are monsters.
A long horn that sprouts from the monster’s brows is razor-sharp and viciously pointed. It looks like a spear that has killed many people. Perhaps the boulder has sharpened it. An armored person would be pierced through by such a thrust by these horn.
Besides, it’ll be no laughing matter if kicked with a fine hoof and thick legs.
【Appraisal】 Unicorn. A horse monster with a single horn protruding from its brow. A fearless and ferocious horse monster who only sleeps on the lap of a pure maiden.
—What exactly is that?!
The last sentence makes her scream in her heart. What exactly is a pure maiden? What is its meaning? In any case, if the unicorn does not like you, you will be kicked or horned to death.
—Neither of these appeal to me!
Lysette is terrified, but she slowly leaves so that Unicorn does not notice.
But her gaze meets the unicorn’s, and they exchange a silent stare.
The Unicorn approaches Lysette slowly and calmly, showing no signs of ferocity.
Their hearts seem to be in sync, and…
“Freeze-Lance!”
(Lol)
From above, a sharp ice spear pierced the unicorn’s head.
The Dungeon is the jungle’s law. It will kill you if you give it a chance.
“Sigh, It’s a lovely horse. And those horns are really beautiful.”
She breathes a sigh of admiration as she continues with the appraisal.
【Appraisal】 Unicorn’s horn. It can purify poison and water.
“Wonderful! It could be used for madler or cooking.”
Her main worry is food poisoning. It will make cooking safer if it can purify water and remove monster poisons.
“It could also be used in areas prone to drought. How many people would be saved if they could drink clean water… We need to take care of this.”
She decides to turn it into a walking stick and keep it on her person at all times.
“While we’re on the subject of horses… horse oil. That’s right… You get the fat out from under the mane…Hm… Is it safe to make soap? or as a hair oil? Perhaps even cooking oil?!”
She then cut off the fat and wrapped a large leaf around it for storage.
She then cut the meat off, which was a lot for a whole horse. It was not a quantity that could be consumed by a single person.
—I’m curious how much I could fit in my item bag.
Except for those that will be consumed and those that will be preserved. But she was forced to return the rest to the dungeon. Other creatures will undoubtedly consume it.
After the meat has been roughly chopped, it is time to prepare the dish.
The meat is thinly sliced with a knife and cut into bite-sized pieces.
She starts a fire and places a frying pan on top of it, and the horse fat melts in no time.
She seasoned the meat with salt and spices before sautéing it with mushrooms and anti-poison grass.
The unicorn meat stir-fry with vegetables is now complete.
“Let’s eat!”
As she took a bite, Lysette’s cheeks flushed and her eyes relaxed.
“It melted in my mouth… delicious!”
The unicorn’s meat is so soft that it melts in your mouth, and the anti-poison grass hides the smell of the meat.
The mushrooms soak up the oil from the meat well, but they still retain their aroma and texture.
“Excellent! It’s fantastic!”
Lysette ate the entire dish. with a few tears in her eyes. Even as a noblewoman, she had never tasted anything so delectable.
And it wasn’t just tasty. It warms you from the inside out and gives you a lot of energy.
“Phew… Thank you for the food.”
After Lysette ate all of the stir-fried unicorn meat and vegetables, she thanked the dungeon very much.