Exploration (1)

Disciplining the little troublemakers had been an exhausting ordeal, but I managed to wrap it up somehow.

Still, kids were kids. More often than not, they couldn't resist their impulses. So, aside from giving them a thorough talking-to, I decided to put Ggobongi on babysitting duty. His instructions were simple: the moment he noticed the slightest sign of the cubs wandering off on their own, he was to intercept them immediately.

"If nothing unexpected happens during this entire expedition, I will give you a sweet potato."

"!!"

At the mention of a sweet potato reward, Ggobongi's eyes went wide as saucers. The guy had gorged himself on them all winter, plumping up his cheeks considerably. Even now, he would stamp his feet in agitation at the mere sight of one, though he hadn't thrown a single tantrum since my stern warning. Offering one as a formal bounty was practically a miracle to his ears.

"Got it?"

"Leave it to me!"

"Oh, and one more thing."

There was another crucial task for Ggobongi: putting gas masks on our four-legged companions in an emergency. Animals with paws instead of hands couldn't strap on a mask themselves, so we each had an assigned partner. In my case, it was Tyrano, while Ludwig and Ggobongi were responsible for Largo and Wonmo, respectively.

Tyrano still hates being touched by anyone else, after all.

It wasn't that the hatchling snarled or lashed out to prevent any physical contact; she simply darted away. Ludwig had been making steady efforts to bond, but progress was agonizingly slow. On the other hand, whenever I gave her a stroke, she would twist her whole body in delight, roll over, and expose her soft belly. She poured on every ounce of aegyo she possessed, leaving me with no choice but to handle her myself.

"Kweee. Kwee."

"Yeah, yeah. Good girl."

Case in point. The moment I gently scratched beneath her chin, Tyrano beamed happily and gave her tail a brisk wag. She even started rumbling with a cat-like purr. Just looking at her brought an involuntary grin to my face.

I have to post this.

Keeping such cuteness to myself felt like a cardinal sin. I immediately drafted a post on the Gallery.

Satisfying reactions flooded in one after another. Obliging the Juddak's command, I uploaded a few more pictures and short clips before wrapping it up.

Fun and games were over, though. It was time to set out on the expedition.

Last night, I had received a fresh batch of Inedia Pills from the Heavenly Demon and spent hours packing various essentials. Now, on the verge of departure, I ran through the checklist one final time.

"Let's see... Food packed, gas masks, Security Alarm Marbles, water-purifying canteen, Elixirs..."

Unlike our usual short-range foraging trips, this was a journey into deep, uncharted territory. Thorough preparation was non-negotiable. I had to factor in every possible contingency, including the risk of becoming completely stranded.

There was no telling what dangers lurked out there, nor what surreal horrors the wilderness might throw at us. Having stumbled into bizarre, life-threatening phenomena more times than I cared to count, I couldn't afford to be careless.

「Friend. May I ask a question?」

Just as Ludwig and I were putting the final touches on our gear, Cain waddled over, his carved face tilted in curiosity.

"What's on your mind?"

「Seeing as you possess the Gallery, I wonder why such arduous preparation is necessary.」

From Cain's perspective, it must have looked redundant. Ludwig likely harbored similar thoughts. But long before their arrival, I had made a firm, conscious vow to myself: Never become entirely reliant on the Gallery.

Even an ancient dragon found my existence bizarre. That was all the more reason to remain vigilant.

"You can never know what the future holds. Right now, the connection works fine, but what if there's a zone somewhere deep in the Forest of the Four Seasons where the Gallery drops out entirely?"

「Hmm. A fair point. Still, I should hope we carry a more bountiful supply of provisions?」

"That's precisely why I'm only packing Inedia Pills."

Inedia Pills were strictly emergency rations; Ppareumbo was the only weirdo who treated them like candy. Ideally, we would replenish our food through hunting along the way. If game proved scarce, I could always buy rations off the forum. With Tyrano and Wonmo's appetites to consider, I'd probably end up buying treats anyway—and thankfully, gold was the one thing I had in abundance.

Largo's happy just grazing on whatever leaves and grass we pass by.

Ggobongi was an omnivore, too, so he could subsist on foliage if push came to shove. Would he complain after getting used to meat? If he had a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠problem with it, he could hunt his own prey. The little ones needed proper nutrition since they were still growing, but a full-grown gorilla had no excuse.

The real lingering headache is the Sky Whale ambergris.

Up until now, I had kept the ambergris stashed away in my subspace backpack. Whenever I took it out, it floated weightlessly like a helium balloon, instantly becoming the cubs' favorite toy. Its buoyant levitation properties were incredible, which was precisely why leaving it lying around was so problematic.

I can't just bury it in the dirt.

For all I knew, burying it might rip an entire chunk of bedrock right out of the earth and send it drifting into the sky. It sounded absurd, but in this forest, the absurd was an everyday occurrence.

Yeah... handing it over to Allfather for safekeeping is definitely the smartest move.

I had already reached out to him yesterday evening, explaining that I lacked a secure place to store the ambergris and asking if he could hold onto it for a while. Allfather had readily agreed, merely asking if he might shave off a tiny sliver for his personal research. Since I had no immediate practical use for it anyway, I gladly gave my permission.

With the ambergris safely entrusted to Allfather, our preparations were complete. I had rechecked every supply crate multiple times and monitored the condition of every party member.

"Old Man Ludwig. Everything feeling all right? No discomfort?"

"My foot feels rather awkward, I suppose."

"That doesn't count as 'discomfort' anymore."

"..."

「Merciful Goddess.」

A few dry quips aside, we were officially ready to march. Just before stepping past the shelter's threshold, I threw up one last status update on the forum.

Having received such hearty "encouragement" from the fixed nicks and anonymous trolls alike, I turned back toward the cave wall.

Etched into the stone was a rough map of every territory I had scouted so far. It wasn't precise by any stretch of the imagination, but having a crude sketch was leagues better than walking blind.

I need to avoid the gorilla troop and the terror chickens at all costs.

The gorillas were out of the question because of Ggobongi's past, and the giant birds were simply far too dangerous. If I were traveling alone, maybe I could slip past unnoticed, but a noisy entourage of this size would provoke an immediate, violent reaction. That left only one viable route: the Mandrake Colony.

Since I had never ventured past the colony before, the plan was to push straight through it.

We tie the World Tree Silk at the entrance and lay it down as we advance. That should guarantee our way back.

The navigation plan was rock solid. I turned my head to address the party. I had intended to give an earnest pep talk, reminding them that this journey would be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠long and perilous, but...

"Kyuaaaack!"

"Ppeee-aaack! Ppee-ack!"

"Good grief. You two, knock it off!"

I had to jump in to break up another scuffle between Tyrano and Wonmo. The grand speech was scrapped entirely. Instead, I simply laid down the ultimate law: anyone who kept fighting would have their meals revoked. Fortunately, both cubs were exceptionally obedient when food was on the line, and immediate silence fell over the camp.

"The formation stays exactly as we discussed yesterday. I take the point, Ludwig takes the center, and Ggobongi brings up the rear. Everyone understand?"

"Understood."

Naturally, Ludwig would travel mounted atop Largo. We planned to walk parallel with a bit of breathing room between us; given Largo's sheer towering mass, keeping reasonable spacing was the only way to avoid tripping over one another.

"Let me state this clearly one more time: do not put anything in your mouths without my explicit permission. That goes double for mushrooms. Got it?"

"Kyuuu?"

"Ppeee?"

"..."

After drumming the survival rules into their heads, it was finally time to move. Setting out had taken a small eternity, but when venturing into a lethal wild, that was how it had to be. Our first waypoint was the Mandrake Colony. Beyond that line lay the true unknown.

Maintaining a disciplined formation, we arrived at the Mandrake Colony right on schedule. Just two days ago, a fierce territorial clash had unfolded here, yet now the clearing rested in eerie tranquility.

First time I've ever walked right past this border.

I surveyed the surroundings as we stepped among countless Adult Mandrake Roots. Every single crimson root was a plant-type monster possessing unfathomable value. Scattered across the soil were strange, alien shrubs—foreign flora introduced during the recent territorial encroachment. I had no idea what properties those new plants possessed, but right now, leaving them completely undisturbed was our safest bet.

The moment we crossed past the Mandrake Colony and the alien brush, the atmosphere shifted drastically.

"The scenery changed already."

"Mmh."

Before us stretched a forest washed in an unnervingly pale, yellowish-green hue. Near our shelter, the foliage was predominantly a rich, deep emerald, but past the colony, everything turned a sickly lime-green. It was the sort of vibrant canopy that seemed primed to harbor thousands of predatory plants.

Tension wound tight in my chest at the unfamiliar landscape, but turning back wasn't an option.

"Plant monsters love spewing neurotoxins and pollen spores. Have your gas masks ready to don at a moment's notice."

I issued the warning to the group and stepped into the pale green woods.

Perhaps because this biome leaned toward jungle, or simply because of the absurd variety of vegetation, thick tangles of vines choked the path ahead. I drew the Heavenly Demon's Sword, swinging it like a machete to hack a trail through the dense growth.

Nothing particularly out of the ordinary so far.

I tapped into the plant-detection ability I had inherited from consuming the Pumpkin Jack's inner core, scanning the undergrowth. Nothing alarming pinged on my internal radar. A few faint sparkles caught my senses here and there, but they were mundane enough to ignore.

It's remarkably quiet.

No chirping cicadas. No rustling forest bugs. Not a single distant birdsong echoed from the canopy. The only sound vibrating through the air was the rhythm of our own footsteps.

Something was wrong. My survival instincts screamed in unison.

"...Hold up. Halt."

"..."

At my quiet command, the entire procession froze. The moment their feet stopped, I whipped my head around, scrutinizing every leaf and branch. While the animals cocked their heads in confusion, Ludwig and Cain reacted differently.

"It is far too quiet," Ludwig murmured.

「Neither insect nor avian cry can be heard.」

The unnerving silence had stoked their suspicion as well. This pale green forest practically radiated an overwhelming aura of primordial life, yet in stark contrast to its lushness, not a single living breath stirred within it.

Nothing shows up to the naked eye. But...

A suffocating pressure tightened around my ribs like a closing fist. What was this ominous dread prickling against my skin? I scanned the foliage again, yet every branch and leaf appeared utterly mundane. Still, standing around waiting for whatever was wrong to strike first was asking to die. In a deadly wilderness, hidden ambush plants were practically a given.

"Ggobongi. Hand me the torch materials."

"Understood."

I decided to light a fire. If some invisible plant monstrosity had seeded this entire clearing, drawing out its true colors with fire was the quickest test. Fire was the absolute bane of all vegetative life—and beasts were no different.

Fwoooosh!

I struck the Ignition Stone against an oil-soaked branch, and brilliant orange flames roared to life with a crackle.

This had to elicit some kind of reaction.

Ruuuumble!

Right on cue. The instant the flames took hold, the earth began to tremor violently.

I opened ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my mouth to shout for everyone to brace for battle. Or rather, I tried to.

Ssssshhhk—craaack!

Before the words could leave my throat, the entire lime-green forest began to move.

I don't mean the branches swayed in the wind. The underbrush, the towering trunks, the tangled vines, even the leaf-strewn topsoil beneath our boots—the entire ecosystem was slithering away in a frantic retreat. It sounded completely insane, but it was happening right before our eyes.

"Turn around! Run the other way!"

I sprinted in the exact opposite direction of the shifting biome, aiming straight back toward the safety of the Mandrake Colony. If we let ourselves get dragged along with that migrating mass, we'd be chewed up and swallowed whole before we even realized what hit us.

Thanks to that split-second reaction, the entire party managed to scramble out of the moving zone.

A few moments later...

Rrrrrrrip!

I stood frozen, staring blankly into the distance as the entire "forest entrance" rapidly receded like a fleeing beast. The patch of earth beneath my boots now was completely ordinary soil. A barren, desiccated strip of land where not a single blade of grass dared to sprout.

「...A Bush Hell.」

"...A Bush Hell?"

「Have you heard of an antlion's pit? It operates on a similar principle. It disguises its body as a patch of lush undergrowth to lure in small creatures. Normally, even a fully matured specimen grows no larger than a standard thicket, but this...」

Even Cain sounded thoroughly dumbfounded, his voice trembling with sheer disbelief.

「To think an entire forest could be a single organism. Had we walked any deeper, we would have marched straight into its stomach.」

"..."

This forest really was completely out of its goddamn mind.