Chapter 86
After confirming the condition of the five Giant Bats inside the hollow, Haruto checked his surroundings and adjusted his position so he could retreat quickly.
Once everything was ready, he activated his ability.
The Mandrake stored inside Gourmet Restaurant instantly appeared in the middle of the sleeping bats.
The moment it emerged, Haruto turned without hesitation and sprinted down the escape route he had chosen, moving like an arrow released from a bow.
Behind him, a piercing scream erupted.
The sound waves were so intense that even the surrounding air seemed to tremble.
Violent flapping came from inside the tree hollow, mixed with the frightened shrieks of the Giant Bats.
Their cries overlapped with the Mandrake’s scream, creating an unbearable storm of noise.
The five bats scrambled through the narrow entrance and flew out in a panic.
They did not make it far.
The strength suddenly left their wings, and their bodies plunged straight down.
Several heavy thuds followed as they struck the fallen trunks below.
After twitching weakly a few times, their eyes lost focus. Within moments, all five were dead.
At the same time, several hundred meters away, Laios and his companions were discussing the route they would take through a ruined building.
The Mandrake’s shriek pierced through the passages and reached them.
"What was that sound?"
Laios frowned and instinctively looked in its direction.
Senshi and Chilchuck appeared equally puzzled.
"That sounded like a Mandrake," Marcille said gravely, a faint trace of concern in her eyes.
Hearing a Mandrake scream at close range could be fatal.
"Should we go check?" Chilchuck asked Laios.
Anyone reckless enough to pull one from the ground was probably a novice adventurer who knew nothing about the dungeon’s dangers.
The scream might be terrifying, but there was still a chance someone had survived.
Whether they should spend valuable time investigating, however, was for Laios, as the party leader, to decide.
"Mandrakes are excellent ingredients too," Senshi added calmly.
They planned to take a route with fewer monsters from here onward, which meant they would have fewer opportunities to gather food.
It would be wise to stock up in advance.
"Then let’s go take a look."
Laios made the decision immediately, anticipation flashing through his eyes.
Mandrakes were plants rather than monsters, but he was still curious about their flavor.
Helping any injured adventurers they found would be worthwhile too.
The four changed direction and headed toward the source of the sound.
...
Haruto only returned once the Mandrake had stopped screaming.
He inspected the Giant Bat corpses and confirmed that every one of them was dead.
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"The Mandrake worked even better than I expected."
He stored the five Giant Bats inside Gourmet Restaurant one after another.
They were ugly creatures covered in coarse black fur, but their meat was apparently quite good and rich in protein.
With proper preparation, they could become excellent food.
Besides, now that he had killed them, leaving the bodies behind would only be wasteful.
After collecting the bats, Haruto stored the Mandrake as well and looked toward the others growing nearby.
An ingredient this useful—both as food and as a weapon—was naturally worth gathering in large quantities.
Haruto resumed harvesting.
With his first attempt as experience, he became far more careful.
Each time he pulled a Mandrake from the soil, he transferred it into Gourmet Restaurant before it could release its scream.
Occasionally, he was a fraction too slow, but the brief exposure was no longer enough to cause serious trouble.
Just as Haruto stored the twenty-third Mandrake and prepared to pull up another, movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention.
Laios and the others were approaching.
Haruto paused and looked up at them.
Come to think of it, he had spent most of his time collecting ingredients, yet his progress through the dungeon was roughly the same as theirs.
After considering it, he quickly understood why.
His superior physical abilities allowed him to take shortcuts.
While Laios’s party had to follow the suspension bridges on their long, winding descent, Haruto spent very little time traveling between areas.
"It’s you!"
Laios immediately recognized him and smiled brightly.
Encountering someone else with such a strong interest in monsters twice inside the dungeon felt like a rare stroke of fate.
Laios studied him for a moment, however, and realized with some embarrassment that he had forgotten the man’s name.
"What was your name again?"
"I forgot to introduce myself last time. I’m Suzuki Haruto."
Haruto offered his name first.
He had been so focused on tasting monster cuisine during their previous meeting that introductions had slipped his mind entirely.
Laios realized the same thing.
Despite everything they had discussed, neither side had ever properly introduced themselves.
"I’m Laios Touden."
He then gestured toward the three people behind him.
"These are Marcille Donato, Chilchuck Tims, and Senshi."
Haruto exchanged brief greetings with each of them.
The moment the introductions were complete, Laios spoke excitedly.
"That Swamp Fish Beast you gave us was delicious, Haruto! Once we roasted it, the flesh had the delicate texture of fish but still retained just the right amount of chewiness."
"Of course."
Amusement flickered in Haruto’s eyes.
He would not have kept the creatures if they tasted bad.
"Swamp Fish Beast is also excellent in soup. Its flavor seeps fully into the broth, and if you add a few vegetables, the result is rich and savory without becoming heavy."
"I think it would taste wonderful fried as well," Senshi added, longing in his eyes. "Crisp batter surrounding tender fish meat... It’s a shame we already finished the one you gave us."
"Mm. That would definitely be worth trying."
Haruto, Laios, and Senshi immediately became absorbed in discussing possible monster dishes, seemingly with no end to the subject.
Marcille finally interrupted them.
"Laios, Senshi, don’t forget why we came here."
The two scratched their heads awkwardly.
The moment monsters entered the conversation, they had completely forgotten their original purpose.
Marcille sighed helplessly before turning to Haruto.
"We heard a Mandrake screaming from this direction. Do you know what happened? Was anyone injured?"
"The Mandrake scream?"
Haruto rubbed his nose, then answered honestly.
"That was probably the one I pulled up earlier for an experiment."
"Huh?"
Marcille stared at him suspiciously.
Haruto’s expression was calm, his breathing steady, and he showed no signs whatsoever of having been affected by a Mandrake’s scream.