87-86  summer wolf, autumn velvet




"Phew! Great job beating Lotus! But they're the weakest of the new monsters I've prepared for you!

 That's when you started acting like a villain, Veerle.

'Come on! Proceed to the third station, quickly! That's where more powerful monsters will be waiting for you!

 I know, but....

What are you going to do?
''It's right after the battle, let's take a break. Just in case, I want to find out if this turtle can be used as a material...

 Maybe a turtle could make it look like a spoonful of noodles? I thought, but it seems very impossible to do so with such tentacles inside.
 Can the shell itself be used for something?
 It's hard, has a good shape, and might have some uses.

"Don't get comfortable!

 The dungeon master is furious.

I'm going to hold the materials of the monsters I killed for a time! I'll give it to you all in one piece when I leave, so get on ahead of me!'

 And so on, the corpse of the spinning flying turtle Lotus suddenly disappeared from in front of him.
 It was like being sucked into a gaping hole in the air. Moreover, not one, but more than ten turtle corpses that we had defeated had disappeared in an instant.

 Probably Veerle carried them away as declared, though.

''....Hey, Prati.
What?
'Maybe Veerle could annihilate us as quickly as we could if he got serious?
'Of course. That boy is a candidate to succeed the dragon emperor, Geyser Dragon, and this is a dungeon that he rules over.

 You think that while this dungeon is limited to this dungeon, it can be as versatile as a god?

 I guess this is really an attraction type of game for Veerle. That's why we're safe and sound.
 Let's try to entertain her as best we can.

              * * * *

 And so it came, the third area.
 I'd heard before that the dungeon was a different space, and I suddenly felt it as I entered this third area.
 It's hot.
 The moment the area switches, it's sweltering hot.

'The third area is the summer area! The most powerful monsters in those high temperatures will attack! You must be prepared for this!''

 The game master was in a panic.

The dungeons even have a temperature control system inside...?
I'd like to think it's impossible unless you're as high-ranking a master as Veerle. It's really hot. I'm sweating through my shirt...!

 The sweltering heat in the third station area tormented us more than a monster in some ways.
 We didn't have to deal with the heat at all.
 Especially for mermaids like Platy and Lamp Eye, who are vulnerable to drying out, the heat is drying them out at any moment.

 It would be better to get out of this area quickly.

 But then.....
 The real disaster has arrived.

"This time it's wolves...?

 In a pack of several wolves, a gray wolf with a slightly bluish fur color appeared.
 They bared their sharp fangs like knives and snarled with gulls.
 Its hostility was obvious.

'That wolf-shaped monster is the monster that is said to be the most troublesome in the quadrupedal system, the Hyricaon! When it comes to single combat power, there are a number of higher-ranked ones. But these guys always act in packs, chasing their prey for days on end and never giving up!

 That was Veal's explanation.
 If it's as explained, it's tricky. Since they are placed in a place like this, these monsters are probably built to withstand the heat by nature.

 In contrast, we're in the extreme heat, and even just moving would take away their stamina.
 Even if you run away, they will definitely catch up with you, and even if you want to fight them, we will certainly run out of stamina first.

''........''

 The other party knows that, too, or maybe they don't jump in without a second thought, but it's a long-term battle plan.
 Oh, I'm sweating just from staring at each other like this. It's exhausting.

 You should launch a strike before you get your energy sapped in earnest, but.......

".........

 But then the wolf came up to me.
 Stumbling.
 What is this completely unguarded gait?
 Then he approached close enough for me to reach him, and suddenly he rolled over on his side.

 With her stomach on full display.

 ........Is this a surrender pose, perhaps?

 I haven't even done anything yet.

"It seems that Hyrikion sensed the strength of the saint through his senses.

 A magical broadcast echoing from the void.
 But it's clearly not Veerle's voice. It's the teacher.

''Wolf-type monsters establish a strict hierarchy to form a pack. They must have smelled the saint-sama's tremendous strength and recognized him as their master.''

 Seriously, though, I don't think I'm that strong at all.
 So I don't intend to be that strong myself at all.

 I stroked her belly, which had been on full display for me to try it out.
 His fur was fluffier than I had expected.
 Then the wolf twisted around comfortably and rubbed up against me, wanting me to pet it more.
 The other wolves also gathered around, just to say 'me and me too.

''This........how should we judge this?''
'Oh my God, the masters have won! Congraculation!

 Veerle is losing his temper.
 I'm sure they were planning to develop a blood-boiling battle here.

 I'm sorry to disappoint you.

 The wolves newly recognized me as the leader of the pack, as if they didn't care about such a disappointment of the game master.
 Hyricaon, right?
 He was wagging his tail and leading us somewhere.

 I followed him obediently and found the exit of this area, a pathway to the next area.

'Seriously...'

 The difficulty level is not a humbling factor.

 And if the wolves looked up at me with dull eyes, they'd huff and puff and stick their tongues out.
I gave them a pat on the head under the silent pressure as they tried to say, "Praise, praise,

 We moved on to the next area and the wolves followed.

 They completely looked up to me as their chief and seemed to follow me everywhere.

              * * * *

 Next area.
 The fourth station is the autumn area.

 The main monster was a mushroom.

 A mushroom with legs and a walker.
 They emit large amounts of spores from their umbrellas, and if you inhale them, you'll experience hallucinations.

 However, the hallucinogenic effects of the spores don't seem to work on the same kind of monsters, so the Orc Squad led by Orcubo and the Goblin Squad led by Gob Kichi.
 And it has been overrun by a group of hyrichaons who have just joined in.

 The fourth station. The autumn area is now clear.
 The next and final level, the fifth and final level, is the fifth level.