Let's start with the wall. Yeoh and Gov't, scouts. Yol and Kuu, a little further forward. Paula and I, Mia in the middle. Chief, you stay back.
You got it, sir.
Okay. If I see anything suspicious, I'll burn it!
Wait, wait. What?

　The flames and winds created by magic are caused by the use of magical elements.
　Therefore, when the magic element in the magic is used up, it will rapidly decay and disappear.

　Therefore, there is usually not much concern about the spread of fire, but this is not the case on this floor.
　If the fire were to spread to the undergrowth, there is a high possibility that it would become a huge fire at once.
　It's a frightening thought, but it's possible that the magical elements of the underground labyrinth will regenerate trees and grass one after another, and the burning will go on and on.

That's scary!　That's really scary!
"So be careful. And don't use biri-biri.
Ahh.

　I'm going to have to be cautious now that I've got two of my most reliable sources of firepower blocked.
　I'm going to keep Bone Boy #1 and #2 away from us and let them move through the trees.
　It's insurance in case we get attacked by something.

　Because of the trees that reach the ceiling, the sky above us is covered with a green tent.
　However, although it is dimly lit, the sunlight filtering through the trees is not enough to impair my vision.
　Perhaps the sun rock on the ceiling, the light source, is quite large.

　However, the visibility is very poor due to the huge trees that stand like thick pillars.
　Still, the depth of the room, which can be seen dimly, and the height of the ceiling, which seems to be 20 to 30 meters high, suggest that this floor is also quite large.

　And on a large floor, there is usually a large...

"Khihihihihi!

　Only five minutes after I started walking east along the wall.
　The sudden sound of fairy laughter immediately put us on alert.

　We quickly turned our attention to Gobbler, who was trying to calm the flying Yoo with a puzzled look on his face.
　There was no sign of a demon attacking him, so we rushed over.

"What's wrong?
"Ghegheghe ......

　Govt. doesn't seem to understand either.
　Yeoh's excited look as he paced back and forth in the air didn't seem to indicate any danger.
　As I looked around for the cause, Paula pointed to her feet.

"Dear, I think it's because of this.



　In between the mud walls and undergrowth, buried in the ground, were small white mushrooms.

"I see. I see.
"What, what, what?　It's these little mushrooms?
"Fairies are very fond of mushrooms, Mia.

　Perhaps she heard our conversation, because she swooped down and sat on the mushroom umbrella, flapping her wings.

"I see. It looks like a delicious mushroom when you're sitting on it. What's the name of this mushroom, Sensei?
"If they're this small and the fairies like them, they're probably numb mushrooms.

　I ripped one off and put it in the list of items, but I guess I was right.
　It is also known as the fairy umbrella, and is a relatively common mushroom.

"What?　Does it look bad to eat?
"No, it's edible, though it does make your mouth tingle a little. It should be quite tasty .......

　I've handled a lot of mushrooms in my life, but I've never actually eaten one.
　I'll just hand one to Yeoh and put the rest in the special space at once.

I'll try to make some soup on my next break.
Yay!
Thank you.
Thanks!

　Yoh, who was happily chomping on a numb mushroom, returned to the front and we resumed our search.
　It took us forty minutes, bypassing large fallen trees and small bushes in places.
　Finally, we reach the east wall.

　During this time, all I could make out on my homemade map was the location of a large number of mushrooms.
　In addition to the Numb Mushroom, there was the lumpy, round Black Rock Mushroom, the Anping Mushroom that smelled like fruit, and so on.
　It seems that this floor is all about mushrooms.

Now, what to do?

　Should I go back and fill the map to the west wall this time?
　Or should I continue along the east wall and go deeper?
　If possible, I'd like to encounter the first demon I see near the stairs, where it can easily escape.

"Hmm. What should I do first?

　Throw some labyrinthine water, some purified mushrooms, and an appropriate amount of labyrinthine salt into an iron pot and heat it.
　With this, a tasty mushroom soup is ready.

　As Yol and Kuu opened their mouths side by side, I blew on them and let them drink the cooled soup in turn.
　It's honestly very cute to see their faces melt with each sip.

"Here you go, sir.

　But then Paula offers me a wooden spoon that cools with a puff of her breath.


　I'm not too old to be embarrassed, so I gulped it down in one gulp.
　Yes, it tastes so good with just salt and mushrooms.

　As I looked at Paula and smiled at each other, the village chief gave me a small cough.

I'm sorry to interrupt your fun, but there's something that's been bothering me.
"What is it?
It's that part of the trunk. ......

　I followed the chief's gaze to a nearby tree and saw a brand-new scar running horizontally across a section of the tree that was taller than I was.
　Judging by the extent of the gouged bark, the person who left this mark must have been quite large.

　I looked at Paula, and she nodded casually.
　Apparently, there had been a few of these along the way.

"On the forest floor, a large species. ...... Is this a hit?

　I was going to play it safe, but I guess I'll have to change my plans.
　If my prediction is correct, there's a good chance that the demon that damaged the bark will be essential for cultivating the farmland.

Let's look for the monster that caused the damage. If possible, I'd like to know who it is.
Yes, sir.
Yes, my lord.

　So our next course was along the eastern wall.
　Checking the trees, I followed the trail of the demon.

　And in less than a minute, we came upon our prey.

It's huge!
"Oh, it's big!
Okay, it's an antlered deer!

　It was a huge deer monster that had its neck stretched out in the underbrush and was eating something.
　As the name implies, its antlers are branching out left and right, and are as long as my hands.
　Its body height itself was well over two meters.

　If it were to hit me, I would probably be blown away. 　
　In fact, even a single kick from those thick hooves would easily crush my body.

The only thing to watch out for is the "thrusting" technique. It should come from the ground. Don't stand too close to the front.
Shouchuu!
Kuu!
We're faster than you. Let's distract it as much as we can and cut it down. Paula and Mia will assist you.
I see. Is that what you mean by "focus"? Yes, sir.
Oh, I shouldn't have used fire. Yeah, I'm going to go with the awaaay!


The village chief will attack when he sees an opening. But be careful, if you attack from behind, you will be kicked in the hind legs.
"Yes, I'll leave it to you.

　The other side is lower in level, but the larger species have higher status.
　The antlered deer in particular should be superior in physical attack power and strength.
　In the meantime, I've given the three of them some defense-enhancing medicine.

Let's go!

　The battle was started by a flash of blue light that rushed past my feet.
　Yoru, astride the blue slime Sue, thrusts his claws into the deer's legs as he passes it.

　The demon let out a small snort at the sudden attack, and lifted its paws in threat.
　It then kicked the ground twice, and suddenly stepped forward with its head low.

　The strong thrust of its horn was caught by a large bubble of water.
　Without pause, Kuu swooped down and bared his thick claws, the same as those of the fearsome bird.

　The deer, its back gouged wide open, swung its antlers madly.
　Then, with a stutter, Gobbledygook's arrows pierced it in rapid succession.
　The slime Ra from the right side and the village chief from the left side closed the distance at once and unleashed a barrage of blows.

　The antlered deer, its huge body shaking, immediately tries to kick.
　Then, a brilliantly executed 'Enchantment' struck.
　When it stopped moving, the claws of the demon children pierced deeply into it.

　Even if you have a lot of strength, you can't keep it up for very long in the face of constant attacks.
　Five minutes into the battle, the antlered deer, its entire body covered in blood, quietly put its head on the ground.
　It sat down on the ground and stopped moving.

"Yes!　I got it!
Kachidoki!
Koo!

　I looked proudly at the victors, who had won the battle without any close calls.
　Yeah, they're working well together.

　As I approached the demon to retrieve it, I suddenly felt something strange.
　I was so focused on fighting the antlered deer that I missed something...

　Oh, right, magic power.
　That's when I finally noticed that the boneys had disappeared.