Volume 3 Chapter 2 The False Plain
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The third floor of the dungeon we stepped into looked just like a plain on the surface.
A wide expanse of grassland with trees scattered here and there.
The peaceful and tranquil atmosphere almost makes you want to relax.
Looking up, you can see white clouds floating in the blue sky.
But there’s no sign of the sun anywhere.
Yet, the surroundings are bright.
It’s a mysterious space.
Even if someone told you this is a floor in the dungeon’s underground, it’s hard to believe such a scene.
”At a glance, it seems like there’s no danger at all.”
”Yes, it feels like a nice place.”
Lifia is scanning the grassland with narrowed eyes.
But we can’t let appearances fool us.
We know better because Tifi told us in advance.
This place is known as the “Deceptive Plain.”
Looking back, there was a wall of earth stretching out.
The stairs we came down from the second floor emerged from within that wall.
Following the wall, I raise my gaze and spot a small hill.
The hilltop is empty, and the blue sky stretches on beyond it.
The unnaturally calm scenery is somehow unsettling.
”It feels like the space is twisted somehow.”
I murmur as I look around.
We’re supposed to be underground, yet the sky above seems endless, with clouds floating.
The scene is so much like the surface that I’m once again amazed by this dungeon’s oddity.
”Truly, a mysterious space.”
Lifia nods beside me as she looks up at the sky.
Her deep blue eyes seem to merge with the enigmatic color of the sky.
A calm and beautiful view.
But there’s no doubt that we’re in a dungeon.
We can’t afford to let our guard down.
We turned our eyes to the path we must take.
We have no idea where the danger might be lurking on this plain.
It looks serene, but this is definitely a dungeon.
There could be traps hidden in the grass, or monsters lurking in the shadows of the trees.
”Then I’ll leave the terrain exploration to you.”
”Yes. Mooluum, Ex Vent.”
Lifia closes her eyes, focusing on her spirit magic incantation.
A wind blows out from around Lifia, rippling the grass at her feet and spreading out.
Lifia slowly opened her eyes after a while.
But her expression looked a bit down.
”I’m sorry, Master… I still can’t find the next floor.”
I can feel some frustration in Lifia’s voice.
I lightly pat her shoulder to encourage her.
”Don’t worry. The third floor is probably huge, so it can’t be helped.”
This floor doesn’t have fog or anything that blocks the wind.
Still, it’s just too vast.
The second floor’s distance of travel was about twice that of the first.
So imagining the size of the third floor, it’s even bigger.
”And there’s no need to rush ahead. At this stage, it’s better to explore slowly while gaining experience, rather than push yourself.”
”Yes!”
Lifia nods strongly.
Seeing the light return to her eyes makes me feel relieved too.
Walking across the grassland.
The view is just endless green.
The only landmarks are a few scattered trees.
None of them are especially big, just normal-sized trees.
From a distance, they aren’t very reliable as markers.
But since we can safely retreat with the Love Hotel skill if we get lost, it’s not a big deal.
Still, I wonder how regular adventurers figure out directions in this vast plain.
A thought crosses my mind.
After walking for a while, Lifia stops.
”Master, there’s a pretty big monster ahead.”
”Got it. We’ll proceed cautiously.”
Following Lifia’s words, we move carefully.
But when we arrive at the spot she indicated, all we see is peaceful grassland.
However, one lone flower caught my eye.
It’s a flower like a white lily of the valley.
I remember it’s a rare plant sometimes used as potion ingredients.
But there’s nothing else there.
”Where’s the monster?”
”Under that flower… it’s hiding underground.”
I look toward the direction Lifia points and focus on the ground.
But nothing appears to have changed, it just looks like ordinary grassland.
Based on the info from Tifi, I can remember one possible monster.
”Can we lure it out?”
”I’ll try. Air Palm.”
Lifia chants and unleashes her magic in a series of bursts.
The wind, keeping the shockwave at bay, strikes the ground, getting closer to the flower like someone is walking towards it.
And then, at the moment the magic hits near the flower──
The ground jolted upwards.
The spot where the white flower bloomed opened wide, swallowing up space itself.
It looked like a giant bear trap showing its teeth.
There was a monster with a huge mouth.
After closing its mouth, it dug into the ground without showing its whole body.
Its barely visible silhouette reminded me of a deep-sea anglerfish.
A giant anglerfish that could swallow a human whole.
When the mouth that had swallowed closed again, it vanished into the ground.
Nothing was left there, only the gouged earth and a gaping space remained.
”So this is the Angler grass?”
Lifia nodded carefully, focusing her eyes to observe.
The Angler grass, in short, opens its mouth upwards and lies in wait underground like an anglerfish.
It swallows prey that passes overhead in an instant.
The grass growing there is the sensory organ of the Angler grass, only pretending to be part of the meadow.
Furthermore, the rare plants growing above act as bait to lure in prey.
I see, if you approach carelessly thinking about the precious herbs, you could be gobbled up in no time.
As I watched for a while, the Angler grass quietly opened its mouth again, blending back into the original meadow scenery.
As if nothing had happened.
It’s an ambush-type monster.
They say individuals of this size don’t move from their spot.
If we attack from a distance without getting too close, we might defeat it easily.
”Shall we hunt it? Lifia, do it.”
”Yes. Mooluum, Air Impetus!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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