The dark Dungeon, especially the lower levels, was a place many adventurers feared. Even at high levels, they dared not relax their guard easily, because they weren't just looking for a monster to fight, nor was it a game where they could automatically return after victory.
They also needed to reserve supplies and prepare for potential dangers on the way back to the surface.
And they had to make space for loot.
Therefore, it was destined that they wouldn't prepare too many supplies, but instead would look for edible food within the Dungeon. While these ingredients from the Dungeon could be eaten and provide necessary nutrients, they definitely wouldn't taste good, merely being palatable.
But at this moment, the lower levels of the Dungeon welcomed two people with a different vibe.
"Wow, this is delicious too! Is this what people on the surface eat?"
A green-haired girl with fair skin, draped in a cloak, sat across a fire from a boy in adventurer's attire. The girl spoke with a tone full of happiness, stuffing her mouth full of roasted meat skewers.
"Eat slowly, there's plenty more."
Takatsuki chuckled, placing the freshly skewered meat onto the simple grill over the bonfire.
What was considered extremely luxurious by other adventurers was just standard practice for Takatsuki. To avoid suffering too much in the Dungeon, his backpack was filled with many supplies, most of which were food.
"Mmm-hmm!"
Marie nodded, making some muffled sounds, mainly because her mouth was completely stuffed, preventing her from speaking.
Looking at Marie's legs bent as she sat on the ground, Takatsuki praised himself for his intelligence.
The power of the Monkey Talisman was to turn anything into an animal. Even inanimate objects would become animal-shaped inanimate objects, and humans themselves were a type of animal.
Takatsuki tried it and it was indeed successful.
When Marie turned into a human, her hair was still green, but her skin color became that of a normal human, and she gained two legs.
Just as Takatsuki was also preparing to eat lunch, he shared it with Marie, who was experiencing being human for the first time.
"What do you usually do when you're hungry? Do you go to the Dungeon's food storage?"
There were some special locations in the Dungeon called food storage areas, which were also where most monsters fed. The Dungeon was a self-contained ecosystem; it had plants and grew fruits, but they were all varieties not found on the surface.
"No, there are plants too. I usually eat those. Let me see, ah! Here."
Marie put down the meat skewer in her hand, quickly ran out, and then soon returned with a flower, handing it to Takatsuki.
"Takatsuki, Takatsuki, try this flower. Just suck on the stamen."
Takatsuki took the flower, which looked somewhat like a lily, and brought it to his face, taking a light sip.
"So sweet!"
It was cloyingly sweet, but Takatsuki didn't actually consume anything. Takatsuki observed that the sweetness came from the flower's pollen; the petals and juice had no sweetness at all. It was very strange, but there seemed to be quite a few plants in the Dungeon.
Moreover, food in the Dungeon did not include meat, because monster flesh would quickly turn to ash after detaching from the magic stone. Although bloodstains would remain, trying to eat monster meat was impossible.
Unless one was willing to eat the materials dropped by monsters.
Takatsuki didn't know if anyone had eaten them, but he certainly wouldn't.
"What's this flower called?"
Looking at the flower that resembled a lily but was completely different, Takatsuki asked Marie.
"I don't know either. It often blooms by the shore, and it hasn't been given a name."
It was actually quite normal. There were many such plants in the Dungeon. They neither filled one's stomach nor caused any trouble, so many adventurers wouldn't pay attention to them or name them, and monsters even less so.
"Then, can you take me to pick some?"
Seeing this novel flower, Takatsuki remembered that he hadn't given Mei flowers in a long time. Although it was due to various reasons, after seeing this unfamiliar flower, Takatsuki thought collecting some and arranging them into a bouquet would be a good choice.
"Sure, follow me."
Following Marie, Takatsuki quickly collected some unknown flowers and simply tied them into a handheld bouquet using materials he had in his backpack.
After collecting the bouquet, Takatsuki stuffed it into his backpack, adding a slight burden to the already precarious backpack capacity, and then the two returned to the bonfire.
While having lunch with Marie, Takatsuki also briefly learned some related knowledge about the Dungeon from her.
Takatsuki also told this little mermaid, who yearned for other places—oh no, now she should be called a girl—many things about the surface, and some interesting anecdotes he had encountered.
Chatting with interesting people makes time pass quickly. Before they knew it, several hours had passed.
"Ah, it's already this late. I have to go."
Takatsuki took out his terminal and glanced at the time. Even in the sunless Dungeon, Takatsuki could tell how much time had passed.
Unfortunately, after losing network connection, the terminal only had this function.
"What is this?"
Marie curiously looked at the glowing object in Takatsuki's hand.
"This is called a mobile phone, a small tool. Oh, let's take a picture together."
"A picture?"
Takatsuki raised his terminal and took a picture of Marie, who had already turned back into a mermaid, then showed it to her: "It's like this, it can save what you want to keep. It's a pity I can't extract the photos, otherwise I would leave you one."
"How amazing! It's okay, after all, it's not easy for me to carry these things underwater."
After taking a picture with Marie, Takatsuki took out something that looked like a sharp tooth and handed it to Marie: "I can't do anything about the photo, so keep this as a souvenir."
"What is this?"
Marie tilted her head, taking the tooth from Takatsuki's hand.
"A Dragon Tooth. If you throw it on the ground, it can turn into a Dragon Tooth Soldier, but it can only be active for a maximum of twelve hours a day before turning back into a Dragon Tooth."
Takatsuki explained its use to Marie, which startled her.
"This is too valuable, Takatsuki. You're an adventurer, this must be very important."
"You take it. The strength of a Dragon Tooth Soldier means nothing to me; in my hands, it's just a collectible. Although Dragon Tooth Soldiers don't have high intelligence, they don't die. If shattered, they just turn back into a Dragon Tooth, and as long as the Dragon Tooth remains, there's no problem. Monsters in the Dungeon generally won't destroy such inanimate objects."
Takatsuki shook his head: "Even underwater, it can move and help you retrieve things on land. It's more useful in your hands than gathering dust in mine."
"Then... I'll accept it. Thank you, Takatsuki."
Watching Marie carefully put away the Dragon Tooth as if it were a treasure, Takatsuki also stood up, preparing to head towards the entrance to the lower levels.
"Hey, Takatsuki, wait a moment, don't go that way."
Marie suddenly spoke, stopping Takatsuki.
"What's wrong? Isn't that the fastest shortcut to the lower levels?"
Takatsuki remembered that Marie had told him about this path.
"My intuition tells me there's a very unpleasant aura over there. It should be that thing I was afraid of before."
Upon hearing this, Takatsuki glanced at the dark Dungeon: "Then all the more reason for me to go. Don't worry, my strength is still very strong."
Saying that, Takatsuki continued to walk in his original direction.
And then...
He encountered a monster feast.
Takatsuki rolled his eyes, looking at the dense swarm of crab-like monsters in front of him.
"So Marie felt that the monster feast was unpleasant? I can't do anything about this."
After all, a monster feast was actually a mechanism of the Dungeon, essentially referring to a situation where monsters gathered in clusters. Killing a batch was meaningless.
However, Takatsuki quickly noticed something was wrong.
"No... this isn't a monster feast!"