97. Nepenthes Gluttony
“Former plant shaman, Sangyoon Hunter, could only tame up to two grade-1 monsters at a time.”
Currently, Sangyoon Hunter’s taming limit was two grade-1 monsters.
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And not just any creatures, only those with weak intellect or those who follow humans well could be tamed.
The meaning of those words was that his actual taming limit was lower than that.
Though it was at a modest level, just that much was sufficient for Sangyoon Hunter to become one of the few grade-1 hunters in the country.
Being able to handle two grade-1 monsters was a tremendous advantage and privilege.
Having two grade-1 hunters by his side was equivalent in meaning.
But this sight was truly extraordinary. There was no other kind beyond common sense.
Sangyoon Hunter possessed abilities beyond comprehension.
They were already a fearsome legion.
Dozens? No, not even close.
The numbers were increasing rapidly.
Even she had long surpassed the point where she could handle the quantity.
The stage of being surprised had long passed.
All that was left was a sense of emptiness or absurdity.
It was ambiguous what to say.
“……”
Jin Hwarin silently turned her back, then startled, turned her gaze back forward.
In her eyes, as she pushed through the dense foliage, there was a wriggling question.
‘Could that ability of hers… mean that there’s absolutely no limit?’
***
“System.”
[Please speak.]
“Are the elves all doing well?”
[So far, there have been no issues.]
Sigh.
They needed to return as soon as possible, but this place was vast beyond measure.
It was natural, given the endlessly sprawling forest.
“So, how much further do we have to go?”
[We’re just getting started. You still have to go another 30 kilometers.]
“W-what?! 30 kilometers! Huh.”
Startled by that shocking answer, Han Yi cried out in surprise, then quickly thought of her and closed her mouth.
But now, Jin Hwarin seemed to have adapted in her own way, just smiling wryly.
“hahahaha… Looks like we still have a long way to go.”
“S-Sorry, Hwarin. I didn’t know it would be like this.”
“No, it’s okay.”
However, she brushed off Han’s apology as if nothing had happened.
“Huh?”
“Since we’ve come this far, I naturally expected this much from the beginning. Besides, even among the first-class dungeons in Korea, this place was known for its vast size.”
Well, this was to be expected.
Wait. So, if we still have a long way to go, what should the elves do? That question arose as a concern.
“Huh? Wait a moment.”
Suddenly, as if something had come to mind, Jin Hwarin stared directly at Han and asked.
“Han. Is this really the right way?”
“…? What do you mean?”
Not understanding her intention, Han asked back.
“Doesn’t the system tell you about this? Like, go this way?”
“What do you mean?”
“If you keep going straight ahead from here, there will be a boss up ahead. It’s the owner of this Extremeist Dungeon. The only target beyond 30 kilometers is that.”
[Yes. The direction I am guiding you to right now is where the boss of the dungeon is.]
“…!”
Is this system insane?!
Did it just send us here to die?!
Seeing Han’s expression, Jin Hwarin also looked troubled.
“What, what’s this. Surely you didn’t know either, Han?”
“I didn’t even know where this was. Of course, I didn’t know where we were headed either. I just followed the system’s guidance in a certain direction.”
It would have been better to start with that statement.
The system’s response, cutting off all context and going straight to the point, was another accident this time.
“…I’m sorry to bring this up now, but Han.”
Han cautiously opened his mouth.
Wouldn’t it be better to turn back now?”
“….”
Hwarin did not respond.
She was just lost in thought with her hand on her chin.
After a long silence, she spoke up.
“Han. You have to be careful about this. Facing a boss is different from facing an ordinary monster.”
Han knows this well.
He has witnessed it through the elves’ battles several times.
The existence of a boss is fundamentally different from that of ordinary monsters.
The difference is even greater than between goblins and orcs.
Moreover, this area was classified as a high-grade zone among the first-class dungeons.
“No matter how skilled a hunter is, facing a boss alone without the support of fellow comrades is unreasonable. No, even catching its attention would be a challenge.”
Even the top-tier hunter can’t do much alone.
Ultimately, there are limits to what one person can accomplish.
Binding the monster’s feet is the magician’s job, the priest protects the party, and the warrior distracts the monster’s attention.
It’s the basic formula for conquering dungeons.
“Of course….”
After a moment of hesitation, Jin Hwarin spoke.
She glanced behind her back before speaking.
“No matter what may happen, just looking at those Grade 1 monsters gathered behind you, I can’t be sure of anything… But then again, there are things we don’t know, right?”
Even her voice grew quieter.
Having never experienced such a situation, it’s only natural that she can’t be certain.
Understood.
Even though conflicts among monsters are common, they possess clear intelligence and awareness of disadvantage.
Simply put, when facing a strong monster, they know to flee.
“But still, seeing how those creatures can’t seem to keep their composure when they see you, they might stick around no matter what happens.”
“hahahaha…”
Whether one should feel pleased or not that monsters, not humans, find them popular is truly uncertain.
“Mountain?”
Before long, they veered off the flat path and started ascending the mountain.
As the altitude increased, interest in the surroundings faded, replaced by the onset of breathlessness.
Watching this, Harin chuckled.
“You’re getting tired so quickly, even though we haven’t walked much. You should consider exercising.”
“Me, huff. I was definitely… going to a dungeon, why, why are we hiking, huff.”
It wasn’t even a typical mountain trail.
At some point, there was no path, only rugged rocks, slippery piles of fallen leaves, and the rough shape of the mountain itself.
Harin, still composed, had no reason to be ashamed that the man by her side was getting tired like this.
The individual next to him possessed physical abilities greater than many monsters.
“H-How much farther do we need to go, System?”
[You need to cross this mountain range.]
“D-Darn. This whole mountain?”
[That’s correct.]
Ah.
His strength drained at those words.
Because they were still at the base of the mountain.
Seemingly resigned to the fact that it might not work out, Harin offered her back to Han.
“It can’t be helped. Lean on me, Han.”
“Uh, even if it’s tough, that’s a bit…”
That was when it happened.
[Ssshh-]
Monsters behind Han began to make restless noises.
While the number of monsters dwelling here during the mountain ride had increased to the point that they were now trailing him like a shadow, Han himself, in his distraction, only now realized.
“Look. The weaker your stamina, the more nervous the monsters watching from behind will become. So, hurry up and lean on me.”
“T-That’s really fine.”
Was it because it didn’t look fine at all?
[Ssshh-!]
Eventually, a mushroom from the unexpected rear came bouncing towards them.
“What’s this?”
[Squeak!]
The guy, holding onto his confusion, lifted his grudge and began climbing the mountain while embracing Harin!
“What, what is this?”
“Wow.”
Both the victim, Han, and the girl watching were equally stunned by this extraordinary sight.
In a flash, as the scenery rapidly shifted behind them, Han blinked his eyes.
“It’s faster than I thought? And quite comfortable too.”
“Because it’s a monster. Although it may look like a mushroom on legs, it’s classified as Grade 1 for good reason. Moreover, the physical abilities of this mushroom are so remarkable that even seasoned hunters would be overwhelmed.”
Before they knew it, they were moving faster than before, swiftly ascending the mountain.
Unlike Han, who was only an ordinary person, this mushroom, firmly rooted in its spot in this dungeon despite its round appearance, was truly agile.
Han felt comfort in the touch of the giant mushroom in his arms.
“Wow, it’s so soft.”
[Squeak!]
They crossed one mountain in the blink of an eye.
At some point, the movements of the mushroom and Harin were so fast that their surroundings were quickly left behind.
The monsters behind them were no different.
Not a single one lagged behind; they all followed closely.
Soon, unexpectedly, they arrived at the shore of a vast lake.
There, they could see it.
A particularly large and red, gigantic flower bud.
Nepenthes Glurtney, Living Organism
• Danger Level: Tera Grade.
• A young offspring that sprouted on the rugged Decamile 4th planet.
• One of the ferocious plant creatures that hunt all beings with their robust physical abilities. Currently, it continues to accumulate energy for its imminent evolution to the dominant stage. A rare species traversing various eras and dimensions.
“…This is it.”
Han muttered absentmindedly as he gazed at the flower bud with a color even redder than a red rose.
“That’s the Nepenthes Glurtney.”
“How is it? Quite beautiful, isn’t it? Since this is your first time here, Han, you probably didn’t know, but this is a stunning life form that would astonish anyone who comes here.”
“I-I see.”
There was a saying among hunters that if you go to Korea, you must see the Nepenthes Glurtney in the Extremeist Dungeon, indicating the fame of this existence.
However, despite this, not a single person managed to leave behind a picture or video of the Nepenthes Glurtney, as it was strictly blocked by the Korean government.
They were probably even wary of the slightest bit of information leaking abroad.
In reality, they restricted encounters with the Nepenthes Glurtney solely to hunters among foreign visitors.
Han understood.
There was a reason why this creature was so highly praised by hunters from around the world.
It was too beautiful to be called a mere monster.
It was a colossal flower, a presence that could make humans seem as insignificant as ants or butterflies.
Quietly observing from behind, Harin finally spoke up.
“He’s still asleep, even now. It seems like he hasn’t moved an inch from where I remember him being.”
“When was that?”
“It must have been about 3 years ago.”
“That’s quite a while. Has he really been sleeping in that same spot for years?”
The guy who had been sleeping for so long showed no signs of waking up out of the blue.