Soon, the monster group before them was completely slaughtered.
Looking at the piles of corpses on the ground, Ouka's Adam's apple bobbed as he gulped. This result was something he hadn't anticipated.
Having been a bystander the whole time, just as he was thinking about how to greet Zephyr, before Ouka could even speak, he saw Zephyr at the very front suddenly gazing toward the pitch-black cave passage ahead.
It seemed a massive creature was approaching rapidly.
'This is what I was looking forward to.'
This Monster Feast was, at best, a warm-up session before the battle. That extremely familiar notification from the system surfaced in Zephyr's mind at this moment.
[Soldier Frog]
[Capture Level: 13]
[The combat power is not very high, but it possesses five pairs of eyes, allowing it to see 360 degrees around, making it extremely difficult to attack it.]
[However, the meat of the Soldier Frog is very delicious. The firm and tender meat is comparable to high-grade bullfrog, and it also contains a faint flavor of bird meat.]
Its capture level is comparable to a Crab Pig. Appearing in the 12th Floor, it could be considered a Monster Rex in a practical sense, and with their current scale, clearing it wouldn't be particularly difficult.
Most importantly, he had an impression of this thing. Its appearance was slightly Lovecraftian, rendering traditional ambush tactics ineffective.
However, when his gaze swept over the description provided by the system, he was filled with interest.
The firm and tender meat quality, the texture comparable to high-grade bullfrog, plus the faint flavor of bird meat—it was hard to imagine the specific taste.
Powerful Gourmet Creatures could provide greater stat boosts. They could even allow him to acquire special skills.
He reined in his surging thoughts and looked at the group behind him who were gradually relaxing their vigilance, and reminded them, "There are still relatively powerful monsters approaching ahead."
"?!"
Ouka's entire face stiffened upon hearing the reminder.
Logically speaking, after ending an abnormal situation, there basically shouldn't be any follow-up events. However, that crushing battle earlier had already made him completely trust Zephyr's judgment.
Lili gazed toward the depths of the cave. She was more familiar with Zephyr's reactions than anyone else. He felt no fear at all. On the contrary, his eyes were filled with intense anticipation.
Lili remembered those unprecedented creatures they had encountered in the Dungeon during this time, which were delicious when cooked into dishes.
Those troublesome things again...
She placed her hand on the crossbow at her waist, not thinking of helping the team, but at least not wanting to cause trouble for Zephyr.
Moreover, since a special creature that Zephyr was very interested in had appeared, the subsequent processing procedure would certainly be the familiar killing and dismantling.
If she really had to express a hope, it would probably be that she hoped the monster ingredients would be relatively acceptable?
Lefiya adjusted the rhythm of her breathing, her hands continuing to grip her staff tightly as she looked toward the pitch-black cave in the distance ahead.
In front, a figure comparable in size to an Infant Dragon was approaching. Due to its characteristics, every leap and landing caused a noticeable tremor on the ground.
Zephyr was eager to try, saying, "I think today's Dungeon exploration should allow for an extra meal."
Soon, what came into view was the eerie appearance of the Soldier Frog. Its dark green skin looked like it was covered in camouflage clothing. It was at least three meters tall. And what was most striking was the five pairs of eyes.
Ouka's face was now filled with horror. The image of the monster before his eyes completely shattered his existing concepts of Dungeon creatures.
Although there are many types of monsters in the Dungeon, basically all of them have been recorded by the Guild, and during this time of exploring the Dungeon, he had never seen a frog-like creature with five pairs of eyes.
When Mikoto looked at the Gourmet Creature ahead, a flash of unease crossed the depths of her eyes. She could clearly perceive the pressure brought by the Gourmet Creature in front of her. It exceeded all the monsters she had encountered during her career as an Adventurer.
How on earth did the Dungeon give birth to such a monster?
She tried hard to calm herself down, adjusting her scabbard to a convenient angle, maintaining a combat stance ready to draw her blade at any moment.
Ouka turned his gaze toward Zephyr. Remembering the extra Meal mentioned in that previous sentence, he couldn't help but ask, "What does 'extra meal' mean?"
"It means exactly what it sounds like." Zephyr answered.
He didn't have time to consider what Ouka might be thinking. His gaze was fixed on the Gourmet Creature that had appeared in front of them, his heart filled with anticipation.
Is it hard to kill?
Just looking at the Capture Level, it actually wasn't that difficult overall. Furthermore, as long as he could successfully kill it, the rewards would definitely be abundant.
It could not only increase his stats, but the excess materials could even be brought back to Orario to be sold.
Zephyr reminded Lefiya, "Prepare for battle."
"Okay." Lefiya nodded.
Although the Soldier Frog's appearance was quite likely to cause physical discomfort, as an Adventurer, the path she pursued was naturally to fight against powerful monsters.
Encountering such a special creature that far exceeded the specifications of the 12th Floor, was a challenge for her.
She gripped her staff tightly, waiting for Zephyr's next instructions.
Just then, Mikoto, who had been standing at the back of the party, took the initiative to step forward beside Zephyr.
"Do you need help? If you need it, I can provide some magical assistance."
"Sure." Zephyr naturally had no objections.
After all, a Gourmet Creature wasn't like a boss in a game where you could monopolize the experience points after killing it. If other Adventurers were willing to help, the clearing process would become easier.
As for strategy?
There was absolutely no need.
He turned around to look at Lili and spoke, "Get me a Bone-Cleaving Knife. I feel like to counter this kind of special creature, I need to switch to a different weapon that's easier to handle."
Lili took out a giant black sword from her backpack. Although she didn't understand why Zephyr called this thing a Bone-Cleaving Knife, she chose to comply.
As the time spent with Zephyr increased, she could perceive his incomprehensible train of thought.
Zephyr weighed the weapon in his hand. With his current strength, this amount of weight couldn't be considered a burden at all.
Immediately after, he crouched slightly, sprinting toward the Soldier Frog.
After leaping into the air, he hacked toward its head. However, the moment the blade made contact with the Soldier Frog's skin, he sensed a strange sense of dissonance.
The dark green skin was covered in a layer of slime, which diluted much of the force of the attack. Combined with the Gourmet Creature's elastic camouflage coating, it only left a shallow white mark.
After landing, he quickly pulled back to create distance.
Its a bit hard to kill.
However, this bloated frog-type Gourmet Creature was clearly much faster than he had anticipated, and it instantly launched a counterattack.
It opened its mouth, and its scarlet tongue shot out, streaking toward Zephyr's chest.
Zephyr didn't have time to dodge and could only activate [Dragon Scales] to cover his arms, resisting the Soldier Frog's counterattack.
The immense impact force caused him to slide backward, his feet dragging two deep grooves into the ground.
Something's not right!
Zephyr shook his numb arms and examined the Gourmet Creature before him. The slime covering its skin was clearly the key to its defense, he had to find a way to get rid of this layer of protection.
Thinking of this, the magic Lefiya had used before surfaced in his mind.
He turned his head and said, "Use fire-attribute magic! The one from last time! We must get rid of the slime on its skin to actually inflict effective damage!"
"No problem."
Clearly understanding her position as the party's long-range damage dealer, Lefiya did not hesitate at all. Wasting time would only make Zephyr's situation more dangerous.
The Soldier Frog, already thoroughly enraged by Zephyr's previous attack, kicked off the ground, its body leaping toward the party.
Boom!
Seeing this, Zephyr gritted his teeth and sprinted toward it. He had to buy enough incantation time for Lefiya.
He gripped the handle of the Bone-Cleaving Knife with both hands, his expression grim. "If I don't cook you into something delicious, it wouldn't be worth the effort I've put in."
However, the Soldier Frog's reaction was equally swift. Its tongue shot out, entangling Zephyr's blade, and it used its massive body to charge at him. Zephyr could only temporarily abandon his weapon and actively roll to the side to dodge.