Chapter 83
After wandering around the dungeon’s first floor for several hours and collecting a substantial haul of ingredients, Haruto rubbed his stomach.
He was getting hungry.
He decided to use some of the monsters he had captured to prepare dinner.
After finding a spot near a water source, Haruto took out a Walking Mushroom and cut off its feet.
He then removed the rear portion and peeled away roughly three centimeters of the outer layer, leaving only the thick, tender cap and flesh.
Once it was cleaned, he sliced the mushroom evenly.
Haruto started a fire, placed a pan over it, and added a suitable amount of oil once it had heated. He then added the mushroom slices and slowly sautéed them over low heat.
By the time their surfaces had turned lightly golden and begun releasing a rich fragrance, most of their moisture had evaporated.
Haruto added shredded ginger, minced garlic, and several other seasonings, then continued stir-frying for a little longer.
A final scattering of chopped green onion completed the dish.
The dry-fried Walking Mushroom slices were thick and pleasantly firm, with an intense aroma that only grew richer the longer he chewed.
However, a plate of mushrooms was nowhere near enough to fill Haruto’s stomach.
After finishing them, he took out a Huge Scorpion.
Using his kitchen knife, he removed its pincers, legs, head, and stinger, leaving only the plump body.
Haruto inspected the claws as well, only to discover that despite their impressive size, they were mostly hollow inside.
He cut through the seams of the shell and opened the scorpion’s body, revealing delicate white flesh with clearly defined fibers and a moist, pearly sheen.
The sight alone made Haruto swallow.
He removed all the meat, cut it into evenly sized pieces, and let it marinate briefly in seasoning.
Once the flavor had penetrated, he coated each piece with a thin layer of flour.
Haruto poured a shallow layer of oil into a frying pan and added the scorpion meat piece by piece, cooking it slowly over low heat.
The pan began to hiss, and an irresistible aroma quickly spread through the air.
Before long, the pan-fried Huge Scorpion was ready.
A crisp golden crust surrounded the tender flesh, its color and fragrance equally tempting.
Haruto picked up a piece and placed it into his mouth.
The thin crust shattered beneath his teeth, revealing firm, springy scorpion meat that was succulent and full of juice.
A faint roasted aroma blended with the mellow seasonings, creating an excellent balance of texture and flavor.
Even after finishing dinner, Haruto felt no desire to sleep.
He therefore decided to head for the dungeon’s second floor.
There were still many unexplored areas on the first floor, but its only useful monster ingredients seemed to be Huge Scorpions, Walking Mushrooms, and Slimes.
Haruto had already gathered plenty of all three, so remaining there would only waste time.
The deeper levels held stronger monsters—and, in all likelihood, more delicious ones.
Rather than lingering on the first floor, he was better off searching below for new ingredients.
With that decided, Haruto followed the route marked on his map and quickly headed toward the stairs leading downward.
After descending a long, dim passage, the scenery around him changed completely.
The dungeon’s second floor opened before him.
This level consisted of the buried remains of the Golden Castle’s towering spires.
Unlike the first floor, which required torches for illumination, the second floor was bathed in sunlight.
Even more strangely, its cycle of day and night perfectly matched the world outside.
The abundant light nourished dense vegetation.
Massive ancient trees filled the upper region of the floor, their trunks thick and upright, while their intertwined branches formed broad canopies overhead.
Vines and countless other plants clung to them, filling the area with vibrant life.
Rope-and-plank suspension bridges connected the trees.
They swayed gently beneath each step, lending the journey a peculiar charm.
To reach the third floor, adventurers had to follow those bridges steadily downward until they reached the ruins of the Golden Castle’s spires and entered through the interior.
Haruto had spent a great deal of time on the first floor, so by the time he arrived, the daylight was already beginning to fade.
Night soon descended.
Haruto had no intention of exploring in the dark.
Poor visibility would make it harder to search for ingredients, and moving around at night would only create unnecessary trouble.
He examined the surrounding trees and soon discovered a hollow that had clearly been prepared by previous adventurers.
The interior was clean and level, with a simple stone stove left behind.
Although Haruto had already eaten dinner, he lit the stove anyway. The flickering fire immediately illuminated the hollow.
Using the firelight, he took out one of his magic books and began reading carefully.
His fingertips unconsciously traced the runes on the page as he immersed himself in his studies.
He lost track of how much time had passed.
Eventually, fatigue began to settle over him, and Haruto put the book away.
After adding enough firewood to keep the flames alive through the night, he lay down nearby and went to sleep.
The night passed peacefully.
The following morning, sunlight filtered through gaps in the leaves and scattered mottled patches of light across the tree hollow.
Haruto slowly opened his eyes.
After washing up, he felt the first stirrings of hunger.
Since it was still early, he wanted something relatively light for breakfast.
That brought to mind the fruit produced by the man-eating plants unique to the second floor.
Haruto immediately set out to find some.
He had not gone far when a dense patch of man-eating plants came into view.
Huge, vividly colored flowers bloomed among the vegetation, their striking beauty impossible to overlook.
Round, plump fruits hung between the leaves and branches. They looked delicious, though deadly traps surrounded every one of them.
After a brief inspection, Haruto identified several different types.
There were soil-feeding Baraselia, which secreted threadlike fluid similar to spider silk.
The instant a living creature touched them, their vines contracted and wrapped tightly around the victim until it suffocated.
The corpse would then be left to rot near the roots, becoming nourishment for the plant.
There were also parasitic species such as Betan and Shadowtail.
They did not kill their prey immediately. Instead, they restrained the victim and implanted seeds inside its body.
Once the seeds took root and sprouted, they slowly drained every last trace of nourishment from the host.
Several digestive species grew there as well.
Their hunting method was far more direct—they simply swallowed their prey and dissolved it with digestive fluid.
Haruto glanced toward the plants’ roots.
The soil beneath them was dark and densely packed. Whether that came from years of accumulated dirt or the remains of countless decomposed animals was impossible to tell.
Haruto did not particularly care.
He was not a botanist.
All he wanted was their fruit.
After observing the plants for a moment, Haruto rushed toward the fruit hanging among their branches.
He avoided the suddenly closing petals and whipping vines, grabbed one of the fruits, and tore it free.
After making several trips in and out, Haruto had gathered a large quantity of man-eating plant fruit.
He then deliberately selected one of the digestive species and cut off a fully opened flower.
Inside its broad bloom was a large amount of clear digestive fluid.
It was clean and free of visible impurities, earning a satisfied nod from Haruto.
With his harvest complete, he returned to the tree hollow and began preparing breakfast.