Chapter 180: A Day Trip Adventure
The time was early afternoon.
The party quickly devoured the sandpan prepared at the forward base and set off toward their next destination.
“That sandpan was delicious. It’s a world apart from hardtack and jerky.”
“It looks like it wouldn’t last long, though. I wonder how it holds up?”
The sandpan had received rave reviews. Typically, adventurers in the forest subsisted on long-lasting provisions like hardtack, jerky, and nuts, along with foraged herbs, fruits, and small game they managed to catch.
Being able to enjoy well-seasoned sandpan on the first day was apparently revolutionary.
“Hmm.”
Scan.
“The ingredients have a high moisture content, making them unsuitable for long-term storage. It would be different if we could refrigerate them.”
“Refrigerate?”
“To keep them cool.”
“Oh…”
By the way, the concept of refrigeration was nearly nonexistent in the Afrasia United Kingdom. The region had a consistently high temperature year-round, and snowfall was almost unheard of, so there was no culture of ice houses.
While it was possible to cool things using spring water, it seemed that a more developed culture might have led to the invention of refrigerators utilizing spring water.
Given that the Paraiso was eager to spread cultural influence, it was unlikely that such region-specific customs would flourish in the future. It was a sad reality.
“However, it’s great to have that backpacker carry our gear. The burden is completely different.”
“Absolutely. It’s so much easier. It’s a shame we can’t take it deeper into the forest…”
The party was walking through a relatively open area with fewer trees.
The backpacker was a small multi-legged machine, about chest-height for an adult, with a width and length of around three meters. It could easily traverse minor uneven terrain, but it would struggle in densely wooded areas where there was no room to maneuver.
“Is the backpacker not very useful?”
This temporary party was a test for the Paraiso, which was exploring the Demon Forest alone. If the backpacker—or any similar machine—couldn’t venture deeper into the forest, they would need to reconsider their entire plan.
“No, if we’re going deeper, we’ll need to establish a base camp as we progress. With that backpacker, we can significantly increase our load capacity. It would be worth it to even clear some trees to take it along.”
“I see. So it’s for transporting supplies for the base camp. If we’re going to be exploring for an extended period, we’ll operate around the base camp?”
“Exactly. We’ll have to decide every few days whether to return or push forward. Larger alliances often create paths as they advance. We haven’t done that yet, though.”
Reidas and his party primarily conducted solo explorations. They rarely collaborated with other parties. Apparently, they had a significant dispute over loot distribution during a previous alliance, leading them to operate as a solo party ever since.
It seemed that the three of them could secure enough income to live modestly.
“If we’re going to conduct a large-scale exploration, that method could be considered. However, it’s commonly believed that making too much noise attracts monsters. It’s hard to know what we can do safely. That’s why we try to act as quietly as possible.”
“I understand. Still, we need to start with how to navigate the forest. Your guidance is incredibly helpful.”
“I’m glad to hear that. You all seem to be walking quite well, despite what you say. Do you have any experience?”
“We’ve been training. …Reidas is coming back.”
“Huh?”
Reidas, who had been scouting ahead, came running back.
“Salpha has keen ears, being based on a leopard.”
“Stop here for a moment. There are traces of monsters.”
“Does that mean it’s a slime?”
If there were monsters actively attacking, Reidas had a rule to call everyone back. Monsters had a high sense of awareness, and if they were detected, they would likely know of the party’s presence as well. Thus, it was best to summon the attackers before turning their backs, as the risk of being ambushed was high.
“Yeah, it’s a slime breeding ground. It seems like a low-concentration hot spot. It wasn’t here last time, so it must be new.”
Among the monsters that appeared in this area, slimes were the least harmful and least profitable.
The existence of slimes was known through the Paraiso’s intelligence network. However, there wasn’t much information beyond their name.
Regions with many slimes also tended to have a higher number of monsters. Caution was necessary.
“Do hot spots increase in number?”
“Ah, who knows? They can both appear and disappear. It seems that places that have existed for a long time don’t vanish, though.”
New hot spots were said to fluctuate wildly in their appearance and disappearance. Therefore, Reidas, as the scout, was constantly checking the Magic Essence Meter.
“Today is the first time we’ve seen a monster. That’s a slime.”
As Reidas pointed, they saw a jelly-like, amorphous creature moving lazily. It was about the size of five liters—roughly equivalent to a bucket.
“There are many like that all around here. They are generally harmless, but when there are too many slimes, other monsters tend to gather as well. Normally, we would either exterminate them or avoid the area altogether, but since I’m the guide, I thought it would be fine here, as strong monsters shouldn’t appear.”
“Can they be exterminated?”
“Yeah. They won’t die from being cut or hit, but if you reduce their size, they’ll disappear on their own. If you can get them down to about the size of a handful, that should do.”
Thus, Nadira, Graver, and the Paraiso’s three members took on the task of extermination, while Reidas remained on guard.
“You can use anything—a stick or whatever—to hit or cut them into smaller pieces. If they’re small enough, you can even step on them. They’ll burst and disappear on their own. Don’t worry if some gets on your hands; it’ll eventually vanish too.”
Nadira explained this as she energetically stomped on a nearby slime. The slime burst with a splat, scattering goo around.
“…The volume is decreasing.”
Chris, who had been watching intently, murmured. The splattered slime gradually shrank, with the smaller pieces evaporating into thin air.
“Be careful of slimes that have absorbed something. They’re omnivorous and can take in anything. If you crush one that’s ingested a corpse like that, it could lead to a disaster, so be cautious.”
Even if the slime itself disappeared, whatever it had absorbed would remain. That certainly sounded like a catastrophe waiting to happen.
“I’ll give it a try.”
Using a fallen branch, Salpha struck the slime at his feet. While there were blunt weapons like batons, they were too short to reach the ground effectively.
The slime, struck with the makeshift club, split into two. This particular one was a bit larger and continued to move even after being divided.
With another strike from the club, the slime ceased its movement and began to shrink gradually.
“Fascinating.”
“Well, it’s quite mysterious.”
“Slimes are the most baffling monsters. Other well-known ones have proper bodies, but slimes just vanish. Even when defeated, nothing remains, yet they attract other monsters. They’re a troublesome presence.”
“If used wisely, they can draw in monsters. However, they usually attract more than necessary, so extermination or avoidance is recommended.”
After exterminating the surrounding slimes, they confirmed that none were left in sight.
“There were quite a few. But judging by this, they must have formed about a week ago. As for medicinal herbs… well, there’s hardly any.”
“A week isn’t enough time for significant growth.”
“In about two weeks, it should become a good gathering spot.”
Medicinal herbs mutate as wild plants grow in hot spots. Therefore, it was only natural that a newly formed hot spot would have few herbs.
“Alright. It’s about time to reach our limit for a day trip. Shall we call it a day?”
“That’s sufficient. It was very educational. I look forward to your guidance in the days to come.”
“Sure. Well, let’s focus on getting back safely first. Now that I understand your capabilities, we can venture deeper next time, even if it means staying overnight.”
“I’ll consider it.”
And so, the party concluded their day trip adventure.