Chapter 192: Great Forest
The 89th day in the Ancient Labyrinth.
A brief stop at a desert village square.
I chatted with Solorb while enjoying breakfast with the village monsters.
Of course, all the food was meticulously prepared by Merino.
【Pururu】─What Geon is eating looks tasty.
【Bubble Bubble】─What is Gauntlet eating right now?
【Pururu】─Did you lose your eyesight? See for yourself.
【Bubble Bubble】─I'm watching the Necro Puppet Master’s screen right now.
【Mysticism】─😃 I'm watching Merino!
【Pururu】─You can open multiple screens and watch them all.
【Bubble Bubble】─Ah.
【Mysticism】─😮
After finishing my meal, I got up from my seat.
Then, along with a few monsters, I crossed the desert toward our destination.
The destination was a massive gate located at the edge of the desert.
Beyond it lay the Great Forest.
For reference, the monsters of the desert village had already conducted an initial exploration of the Great Forest.
However, the desert village exploration team had only scratched the surface of the forest and returned, without venturing deep inside.
They determined that going further would be dangerous and postponed deeper exploration for another time.
They planned to be fully prepared and form a proper elite expedition team.
And today, I took over the exploration of the Great Forest.
The depths of the Great Forest remained an unexplored area.
Since it was an unknown and perilous region where unpredictable monsters could lurk, it was much safer for me to go personally.
I had SSS-rank monsters by my side.
Besides, I could always revive even if I died, so there was nothing to fear.
Even if I encountered an SSS-rank monster, I could handle it.
The chances of running into an SSS+-rank monster were low.
The Ancient Labyrinth was vast, and SSS+-rank monsters were extremely rare.
On a side note.
The Elephant Merchant recalled another memory and shared it with us—there were a total of three SSS+-rank monsters in the Ancient Labyrinth, including the one he sought revenge against.
Anyway.
After leaving the desert village and traveling for quite some time.
［Averrrrrrr! We've arrived!!］
The Giant Caterpillar, which had been carrying us, cheerfully announced and came to a halt.
We had finally arrived at the gate leading to the Great Forest.
【Rizenova】─Seems like it's gotten even faster than before.
【Bubble Bubble】─It’s growing too.
One by one, the monsters accompanying me jumped off the Giant Caterpillar’s back.
I was the last to jump down.
Then, I carefully patted the Giant Caterpillar’s body.
“Caterpillar, you did well.”
［Averrrr! Take care! I'll be waiting here!］
“No, go back to the village and rest comfortably. We’ll use a warp device on the way back anyway.”
I planned to install a warp device in the Great Forest.
That is, if I found a relatively safe location.
So, there was no need to make the Caterpillar wait here.
If I couldn't find a suitable place for the device, we could simply walk back.
［Averrrrrrrrrr!］
After sending off the Giant Caterpillar, I turned my head forward.
Before me stood a massive green-colored gate.
Thud.
I lightly kicked the gate with my foot.
Then, the gate shattered into pieces.
“······.”
【Yumi】─?
【Hwang Mir】─??
【Rizenova】─???
【Pururu】─Why'd you break it? Wtf.
“No… I didn’t mean to break it.”
I had tried to hold back my strength.
But somehow, it still broke.
I probably needed to practice controlling my strength again.
【Mysticism】─🤔 That gate was pretty flimsy.
【Bubble Bubble】─It’s not the gate’s durability that’s the problem—it’s just that Gauntlet is strong.
【Mysticism】─🧐 He barely even kicked it.
【Bubble Bubble】─He's SSS-rank.
【Mysticism】─😮
【Luna-chan】─Looks like he failed to control his strength. Well, it’s been a while since he used it, so it’s understandable. >.<
Scratching my head, I stepped past the broken gate.
Before taking in the scenery of the Great Forest, I glanced back at the gate I had just passed.
Srrrrrr-
The gate was rapidly restoring itself.
【Pururu】─What the, even the gate regenerates?
【Hwang Mir】─Whoa. It got fixed in an instant.
【Mysticism】─But isn’t that gate part of the Ancient Labyrinth’s body? What if it gets mad for breaking itself?
“Don’t worry. There’s no way it’d get mad over something like this.”
Destruction of terrain and structures was common.
Even when monsters fought, they destroyed things all the time.
There was no way the Ancient Labyrinth’s favorability toward me had decreased just because I broke a gate.
Ignoring the broken gate, I looked ahead once again.
“Anyway, so this is the Great Forest.”
Before us stretched a dense forest.
Various types of trees stood tightly packed together, with some towering high into the sky.
Some trees had trunks as large as the village square.
【Pururu】─It’s quiet.
【Mysticism】─😶
The forest was silent.
There were no sounds of animals.
No sounds of insects.
【Yumi】─The scenery is amazing, but it's so quiet that it feels eerie.
【Hwang Mir】─For real. Without any bird sounds, it’s kinda scary.
【Bubble Bubble】─If you hear bird sounds, it’s probably an S-rank monster. There shouldn’t be any normal birds here.
I slowly took in the scenery of the Great Forest and looked up.
Sunlight was pouring through the gaps between the leaves.
Through the spaces where the leaves didn’t overlap, I could see the sun hanging in the sky.
But I didn’t feel any danger from the sun up high.
【Pururu】─Is that sphere up there also a Solorb?
［It is a Solorb, but to be precise, it’s the corpse of a Solorb.］
Pururu’s question was answered by the Elephant Merchant.
The Elephant Merchant could read the Assistants’ chat as well.
Because I had delegated the Taming Authority.
“That’s a Solorb’s corpse?”
［Yes, it is a Solorb that met its end long ago.］
“No wonder I didn’t feel any danger from it…”
【Pururu】─ㄷㄷ
【Mysticism】─😮
【Bubble Bubble】─So Solorb emits light even after death.
【Luna-chan】─Another piece of new knowledge~.
【Rizenova】─Elephant, how did that Solorb meet its end? I doubt an SSS-rank being simply died of old age.
［That Solorb took its own life long ago, leaving behind its ability to radiate light for the sake of the Great Forest.］
【Hwang Mir】─What? You mean it committed suicide?
【Yumi】─Why??
［Hmm. It’s not confirmed, but… I heard that the Solorb failed to properly manage its body, causing all life forms within its inner world to go extinct. Unable to bear the sorrow of losing all its children, it ultimately made an extreme choice. Life forms can always be recreated, but I suppose the attachment it had formed with its children was greater than expected.］
【Yumi】─Oh no…
【Mysticism】─😭 So it committed suicide out of guilt…
【Pururu】─That’s tragic…
【Rizenova】─A sad tale.
【Hwang Mir】─That’s so pitiful.
【Bubble Bubble】─Couldn’t they revive it or something?
［Probably not. I believe its soul itself had completely perished.］
As the Elephant Merchant finished his explanation, I continued to look up at the sky and quietly asked him a question.
“Elephant, do you think the Necro Puppet Master could absorb that Solorb’s corpse?”
【Pururu】─?
【Pururu】─So while everyone was getting emotional, Geon was just thinking about how to make use of that corpse.
【Hwang Mir】─Wow. Cold-blooded.
【Luna-chan】─It’s not like he knew that Solorb personally, so whatever~.
In response to my question, the Elephant Merchant shook his head.
［It might be possible, but it’s best not to do that.］
“It’s best not to? Why?”
［If the Solorb’s corpse disappears, this Great Forest will be swallowed by darkness. That would be a terrible thing for those who live here.］
“Even if the environment changes, the monsters living here wouldn’t die, right? The ones in the Great Forest must be at least S-rank.”
［That’s true. If the environment changes, new monsters will emerge, monsters from other regions will migrate here, and the monsters that currently live here will be forced to leave. So, no monsters will die due to the change. However, forcing them to abandon their homeland and relocate against their will is still causing harm.］
“Ah. That’s true. Forcing all the existing creatures out wouldn’t be right.”
I had been short-sighted.
Admitting my mistake, I abandoned the idea of recovering the Solorb’s corpse.
…Though, in reality, my true feelings were different.
I did feel bad for the existing monsters, but if I could gain stronger forces in exchange for driving them out, I would have considered it.
But the reason I gave up so easily was simple.
The Elephant Merchant didn’t seem to want it.
I had no intention of forcing something that a friend didn’t want.
【Pururu】─Turns out the elephant is a surprisingly deep thinker.
【Mysticism】─🧐 Was Elephant always this kind?
【Yumi】─His personality seems a bit contradictory. He doesn’t hesitate to kill, though.
【Rizenova】─He just seems to dislike environmental destruction.
‘Elephant isn’t really a peaceful type… It seems like he doesn’t mind killing individuals, but he considers the destruction of environments, cultures, and communities to be a great sin.’
Or maybe he just didn’t want the Ancient Labyrinth to be destroyed.
Unlike when we advanced civilization or casually broke doors, plunging an entire once-brilliant region into darkness would clearly count as destruction of the Ancient Labyrinth.
***
We continued walking, stepping on the thick layer of fallen leaves covering the ground.
As we ventured deeper into the forest…
Gurgle—
Suddenly, the ground beneath us stirred.
Then, the earth split open.
Kwaaang—!
Dirt and stones scattered in all directions as a tree shot up from below.
To be precise, the roots supporting the tree emerged from the ground.
A skeletal face.
A humanoid body with a tree growing from its back.
It was a monster.
【Hwang Mir】─New monster spotted!!!
【Bubble Bubble】─A tree-type monster? Or maybe a tree-root-type monster?
［That’s an Oldroot. It usually hides underground and ambushes prey when it senses movement.］
Of course, no one was caught by the ambush.
It was way too slow.
［Oh, and Oldroots are a vicious species like the Pig King. Just kill it right away.］
【Pururu】─Huh? Are you sure you hate environmental destruction?
【Mysticism】─🤔 Yeah, isn’t that thing technically a tree too?
“What do you mean ‘just kill it’… We should at least try taming it first.”
Oldroot.
Its danger level was S-rank.
Even if it had twisted tendencies like the Pig King, its risk level wasn’t high enough to be a major problem.
So I decided to tame it first.
“I’ll subdue it quickly, so just wait a second.”
I lightly kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
Then, stepping through the air, I instantly closed the distance to the Oldroot.
［Uoooh!］
The Oldroot swung its arm at me.
But I had already disappeared from its sight.
In the blink of an eye, I had moved behind it and was standing on its back.
【Yumi】─Huh? Where did he go?
【Bubble Bubble】─Over there, he’s on its back.
【Hwang Mir】─Ooooh! Geon disappeared and then reappeared!
【Mysticism】─😮😮😮
【Rizenova】─I couldn’t see his movements at all…
【Luna-chan】─I couldn’t see either~. But that’s expected~.
【Bubble Bubble】─If you could see Gauntlet move like that, Rizenova, you’d have to be at least SS-rank.
【Pururu】─Can you see it if you’re SS-rank?
【Bubble Bubble】─Dunno, not sure about that either.
While Oldroot was completely unaware that I was on its back—
Thud.
Without hesitation, I lightly brought down my fist.
Then,
Paang—!
Oldroot’s body exploded like a popped balloon.
【Pururu】─?
【Mysticism】─?
【Yumi】─?
【Rizenova】─?
【Hwang Mir】─?
“…What the hell?”
【Pururu】─That’s what we want to ask. What just happened?
I failed to control my strength.
Of course, I had held back as much as possible.
In fact, I had put in even less force than earlier…
Had my senses dulled?
Simply pressing my fist against something wasn’t enough to count as an attack.
But if I applied even a little strength, it became too powerful.
This was another moment that really made me realize I needed to practice strength control again.
【Yumi】─Didn’t you say you were going to tame it?
【Mysticism】─😠 You said you’d tame it!
“I was going to, but it’s been so long since I had to hit something this lightly that I couldn’t help it…”
【Pururu】─Says he’ll tame it! (Immediately kills it.)
【Rizenova】─Hahaha…
【Hwang Mir】─Lol, oh well.
【Hwang Mir】─Just keep the corpse and tame it later!
“You’re saying to revive the corpse and tame it?”
【Hwang Mir】─Yep. And from now on, just kill every monster we encounter first and then revive them later to tame them! That seems like the most efficient way!
“No, that’s a bit…”
【Yumi】─That’s an evil way of thinking.
【Hwang Mir】─Tehe~.
【Yumi】─That wasn’t a compliment, so don’t be happy.
【Mysticism】─🤔 Mir, are you a psychopath?
【Pururu】─The real psycho here is you, stalking a guy.
【Mysticism】─😡
Now that I knew that tamed monsters could betray me, I couldn’t afford to use such extreme methods to tame them.
Subduing them first and then taming them was fine.
But killing them first and then reviving them to tame them was something I had to avoid.
Even though this time was just a mistake…
Reviving something I had already killed just to tame it didn’t sit right with me.
That wasn’t taming—it was more like turning them into puppets.
Anyway.
Maybe because it was a mistake, I felt a bit embarrassed.
So, to take a moment to settle my mind, I decided to rest here and work on the Monster Encyclopedia.
“Ahem… Everyone, sit down for a bit. I’ll work on the Monster Encyclopedia while we rest.”
I needed to get it done while Artpega Unibicorn wasn’t here.
If I delayed, someone else might beat me to it.
Just as I was about to open the Encyclopedia with that thought in mind—
─［Explorer! I’ve completed the Encyclopedia entry!］
“Huh?”
─［I’ll show you what I’ve worked on!］
Artpega’s voice rang out.
And above the crystal I was holding, an image appeared.
■ Oldroot
─ Danger Level: S-rank.
─ Abilities: Please provide details, and I’ll record them!
“…That was fast.”
─［Oh, not at all! I’ll strive to draw even faster from now on!］
“No need to push yourself. You’re already fast enough.”
─［Yes! Thank you!］
I hadn’t expected the Encyclopedia entry to already be completed.
Looks like they had been watching us the whole time through the crystal.