Chapter Six: Hunter Gatherer

Although there were no trees or identifiable landmarks, numerous patches of herbs were scattered throughout the grassland like breadcrumbs.

Random spots you could barely see until you were about to step on them.

Some of them were spiky, poised like porcupines, and buried deep within the ground. Only the bare needles of the plant stuck out of sandy soil.

They sort of looked like potatoes but with a furry, spiky brown outer skin once I started toeing them.

Using my knife and a steady hand wrapped in a piece of my cloak.

I carefully removed the nettles to reveal the roots.

[Spiky Earth Fruit]

[Spiky fruit that grows from an upside-down tree buried in the ground. Offers nutritious value and a rich flavor to a meal. Can be made into oil.]

"Sweet."

The allure of food and raw materials called to me. That could’ve been the sound of screaming blobs of slime but I took it the former way.

“Boo. Go scout that one.” I pointed with a knife to the next bush and he took off. Hopping towards it with a silly tail swaying up and down.

There were quite a few other random dungeon plants, much like the first I’d unearthed. Each spattering was different in tiny ways but the variety was incredible.

Unfortunately only a handful were edible but still. A win is a win.

The weirdest one I had seen so far was a pair of walking plants named Puffsprouts.

They even sound cute and they kind of are if you wrinkle your nose a little bit.

Tiny mushroom fungi—that hop around like mini bunnies and release spores that smell like candy.

It’s so sweet and kind of powdery like milk? It’s a weird slightly pleasing smell that makes it easier to find them once you know what you’re looking for.

From their system description, I could discern that the spores and the puff sprout itself were entirely safe to eat.

If not a little annoying to catch and tame.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I took a tiny bite out of one of them. I don't know what I was expecting, but…It was different, alright.

It tastes like a perfect mix of pineapples, cotton candy, and grapes. At first, I cringed from the rush of sweet blood. Apparently the fungi bleeds.

Surprise surprise. I don’t know why it does but it’s not juice or sap. Definitely blood. From a mushroom?

Whatever. Dungeon Magic.

However, after my first few bites, I couldn't get enough of the tiny things.

I made it my mission to grab as many of these tasty things as possible and hopefully transplant them into the space one day...I even grabbed a bunch of dirt just in case they only grew in the dungeon's dirt.

Of course, it was tempting but I managed to put them away in the space and save my appetite for later.

Anymore unique finds?

A couple of feet away from them was a little patch of regular white and brown speckled mushrooms.

I collected them into a pouch in my backpack so I wouldn't take up space in my inventory when I saw something—the hell?

”Inspect.”

[Mandrake]

[A humanoid-looking plant that makes an ear-piercing scream when removed. Dangerous to remove, but a common garden plant. Highly nutritious.]

"I think that's the most descriptive you've ever been. I'm guessing this scream is a problem."

An entire patch of these highly dangerous plants lay before me, and I wanted to eat them right that second.

Food is scarce, and I don't mind what form it takes these days. What should I do?

The slime's screams died down almost to a whisper, and I sighed.

No notifications.

More monsters it is, then. I should pull these out soon. However, I don't want to risk being hurt by the scream.

Wait a minute. What if I just tried to pull them out from a distance while holding up a barrier? Aja taught me how to do it, and it was pretty easy.

"Hmm…"

Boo yawned and I shared the sentiment.

I backed up and tried doing the cocoon again. It was surprisingly easy, and then I remembered that I had it as a skill.

So what's the difference between skills and spells?

Maybe a spell needs something that a skill doesn't?

Skills might make it easier to enact a specific thing that can be expanded on or improved, like a shield.

However, you have to practice it over and over in order to achieve better results. Spells might be something else.

Something you have an affinity for. Ugh. It's all so complicated. If I could just see it in action like the teleportation circle!

“Stop it. Focus. Do your thingie.” I pressed a finger to my skull and tried to summon up the same feeling.

Mental magic is something that only psychic witches can do, to my knowledge. Nevertheless, let's say a certain witch gets her claws on a spellbook for teleportation.

Using this spell, she can use that type of magic even though it's not her specialty.

Even use it to leave a Dungeon.

My weak concentration snapped as I ran over that single daring thought.

A loophole.

Quickening breaths slowed until all the air in my chest settled and refused to move.

A circle came to mind and all I did for what seemed like an eternity was stare off into space. Thinking it over and over. Denial. Acceptance.

A sprinkle of hope. How would it work? What would work? Clenching my fists I tried to brainstorm. Think like Aja would. Pipes.

My eyes almost popped out of my skull.

Pathways.

Maybe the circle or spell operates like an external pathway.

So, wouldn't that make it sorcery? That’s magic that anyone can do as long as they have instructions and a sacrifice.

Sensitive information courtesy of lunch table gossip and shameless pestering.

Whatever it is I can’t solve it yet.

At least not now. I have to finish the floor in order to snatch the keys to the castle. If only I had some paper on hand to copy the circle into. I’ll have to search for it but I can substitute that with the wood I brought here.

“Get your head in the game.” Determination steered my mind onto the right course and the barrier went up like a curtain.

A tendril poked through the barrier, and I carefully grabbed onto a Mandrake. Its mouth opened wide enough to dislocate.

That's a little creepy. I gave it a couple more seconds to get it all out.

No more waiting.

I ripped off the band-aid and yanked it upwards. The entire plant came out of the dirt and although I couldn't hear it fully.

The system wasn't lying when it said ear piercing.

Muffled screams rang out as I pulled them out. Boo yowled and pressed his ears close to his head, while pressing his face to my leg.

Me too, Boo.

When the screams finally stopped, I stepped closer and backed away with a jump quickly.

Something coppery oozed out of the ground and tried to drag my plants away.

“Eugh.” Frowning, I collected all of my plants and threw them in the Inventory.

Enraged, a large brown slime came pouring out of the empty holes I had left behind, and it crawled towards me with its huge body jiggling menacingly.

[Slime King LvL 20]

[HP: 10,000/10,000]

[MP: 1,000/1,000]

I don't think fire is going to do much to this one, but let's try.

I ran towards the bonfire and jumped over some of the smoking parts. It followed after me through the flames and smothered the fire instantly.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

Time to use the big guns then.

What are slimes anyway? If they had a weakness then, it’s time to exploit it now. Fire came easy but there has to be something else.

Lucky, Cage. I wish I had firepower.

Game logic says they’re gelatin creatures with weird anatomy.

They have little organs floating in their blob, and as long as you hit them just right, you can kill them pretty easily.

This thing's kinda opaque though.

So, I'll have to get closer to try to find it. A thicker barrier formed around me, and I stopped running. A lot closer.

The slime encroached upon me, screaming at the top of its lungs, and swallowed me whole.

Maneuvering my little bubble around inside, I walked around. Pushing through thicker layers and jumping a little in place. Boo treated it as a trampoline.

Trying to jump as high as possible while I just enjoyed the squishy feeling under my feet.

Not here. Nor is it here.

Not there either. Maybe I should search higher. I fought against the blob with my barrier and felt the air growing thinner.

Limited air.

Wonderful.

I continued higher with a little more omph in my strides and found something.

It looked more like a big green rock than anything else.

Good enough.

I poked a tendril out, and slime came rushing in from the hole it left.

Need to hurry.

Sludge coated the walls and bottom of the bubble, while I grabbed the stone with tendrils of magic, wrapped it up, and squeezed my hands together until it popped.

[+500 EXP]

[Floor Three Cleared]

The blob collapsed in on itself, and I was pushed to the tippy top of the defeated enemy.

Once I broke the surface, I dispelled my barrier and climbed on top of the oozing slimy mess.

Panting from near oxygen deprivation and depleting magic, I didn’t notice the smell at first or the slime coating my knees and hands.

The rest of my brain scrambled to restore factory settings.

”Huff. Hahh.” Phew.

Is this edible too? Boo sneezed and it caught on like the common cold. Disdain caused him to crawl onto my back and I hissed from the sharp pricks from his claws.

Not so fun now, huh.

“Inspect. Ow!” Lighter! Boo finally nestled on top of my head, safe from the flood of gross.

[Slimes are gelatinous monsters that can be used to make stews, soup thickener, potions, and sauces.]

[Collect?]

That’s new.

[Yes.]

I pressed the floating button with a trembling finger and it was slowly sucked into the inventory.

I flicked my cloak and gagged at the leftover slime on it.

Soap. Does soap work on monster goo?