Vol. 13 - Ch. 731 - Fairy Dungeon Journey - New Floor, New Sight

The scenery of the 41st floor and beyond of «Four Season Fairies Dungeon» was a fairy's dwelling—a fantastical place, as one would expect.

"Oh my god, what is this place~? And why is it so dreamy and beautiful~?!"

"Truly indeed, Lana-sama. It's so different you would've thought you'd stepped into another world."

Lana squealed at the stunning scenery. Ester was quick to echo Lana's sentiments. 

They're not exaggerating. It truly was a place out of dream, brimming with fantastical elements. 

The dwelling of spirits was undoubtedly a Paradise. 

The environment was a whimsical jumble of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. You'll see trees with fresh green leaves right next to cherry blossoms in full bloom. There were towering summer trees with thick foliage that blocked out the sun, alongside trees painted in autumn's fiery reds and oranges, while others stood bare, covered in snow. It's a truly mischievous landscape, a sight to behold.

And the fairies flitting about, lost in their own world in this forest sanctuary, create a scene so magical it strikes you with a sense of wonder and awe.

"Just as we heard, the fairies here don't attack."

"Hmm. Are they all just too busy playing?"

Sierra lowered her guard, her shield now at rest, while Karua tilted her head in

curiosity. They were right; despite our proximity, these fairies paid us no

mind.

They were engrossed in their games, seemingly just another part of the

picturesque scenery. 

It reminded me of the Cat Dungeon. There were countless cat monsters in that forest too, but only a rare few would actually attack. It's the same here; the fairies you encounter were mostly non-aggressive monsters. In other words, they won't attack you.

What if it was a trap? Players, lulled by the heartwarming sight of fairies at play, press onward, only to be caught off guard and taken down by the boss. Leave such worries behind! Well, even without that, we're not soft persimmon either. 

"Some of you might have heard this, but the fairies along the path from Floor 41

to 49 are mostly non-aggressive monsters. They rarely attack, much like in the

Cat Dungeon."

"Oh, now that you mention it, the Cat Dungeon was just like this!"

It was Sierra who spoke up for a change. It seemed she was thinking the same thing as me. I nodded in agreement with Lana's reply. There were other commonalities with the Cat Dungeon, and seeing it firsthand made quite a difference from just hearing about it. So, picking up where Sierra left off, I chimed in with a word of caution.

"Also, you can chase the fairies if you like, but whatever you do, don't attack them. If you do, they'll call their friends, swarm you, and you'll be incapacitated in no time. It's just like the Cat Dungeon in that respect."

"That's right. But as long as you don't deliberately target them, they won't

attack, so don't worry."

"Understood."

"Alright."

"Ya—!"

That pretty much covered the main points to watch out for. Sierra's additional advice was helpful too. Since these fairies fly, you'd pretty much have to deliberately aim for the sky to hit them. 

Besides, the background fairies would also evacuate at the encounter scene, and wouldn't retake their place until the fight was over. So, generally speaking, you could act pretty much as usual. Still, it never hurts to be cautious.

"For now, let's push forward. You can also gather all sorts of material that existed in previous floors, but I think we've gathered plenty already. Let's skip that."

"Sounds's like a plan. We're not on time constraint, but we've collected plenty already. Though, are there materials that can only be found around here?"

"We'll find those a bit deeper in. Let's aim for that first. Alright, let's go!"

" "Let's go!" "

Following Sierra's suggestion, we set our sights for 41st and onward floor's exclusive material—«Element Crystal» and «Element Quartz»—and began a gathering spree.

Well, there were more materials to find than just them in the lower floors, but they required the work of skill from the «Gatherer Department». We're relying on items ourselves, so they're impossible for us, needless to say. What a pity. 

Hmm, should I bring over «Farmer» Mona next time?

Anyway, the element category materials weren't bad as well. Rather, they'd plenty of use and would make good souvenirs for Hannah and Aruru. 

Beside the materials, there were three hidden rooms that could be accessed within Floor 41st~49th. 

For the first hidden room, I lead the party toward a certain spring. 

It was a spring that seemed to have naturally welled up in the forest, with numerous fairies fluttering their wings nearby. Players had named it the "Fairy Spring," and it had been a famous spot for taking screenshots among them. 

So, upon arrival, Lana's eyes lit up. And mine did too, having finally seen this sacred spot in person.

"Wow! This place is beautiful too! This water looks so clear and delicious!"

"Lana-sama, you mustn't drink it."

"Sheesh, Ester, I said that in admiration. I am not exactly going to drink it!"

"Huh? Oh, my apologies."

"Not so quick. What was the meaning of that 'huh', Ester?!"

"Nothing, nothing at all. It was merely a statement made with your health and

well-being as my utmost priority, Lana-sama."

Ester remarked that so because she knew the water here was drinkable, so forgive her, Lana.

Lana and the others seemed to be having a good time. The water from this spring was actually a collectible material. However, you must have a "container" item like a "bottle" to collect it, so one should carry them when coming here. Of course, I brought some. This shall make for a good present for Hanna too. Dungeon waters were often used as materials in alchemy.

Anyway, time to play my own role! First things first, I soaked in the sight of "Fairy Spring" (Reality Ver.)! 

"Man, I am now more and more pumped up! Alright, first, I'm going to fill these containers

with the spring water and take it home!"

With that, I pulled out about ten barrels—*thud, thud, thud*. 

They were for souvenirs. The barrels were about waist-high, quite sizable. However, they were easy to carry with adequate strength stat. So, that was everyone in our party... saving Lana.

"You wanted the spring water?"

"You can say that! But I also have another reason for coming here. See that keyhole

right there?"

I pointed to a somewhat artificially cut square rock at the back of the spring,

right in its center.

"How in the world do you even know there's a keyhole here?"

"Well, come on, in what world is it normal to have an artificial-looking square rock near such a natural spring?! It's practically screaming that there's something there. My «Intuition» skill immediately flared up!"

"Is that true...?."

Why is that question directed at Karua, Sierra? Look, she's tilting her head—shoot. I forgot Karua had that skill too!

"Anyway, let's not get bogged down in the details. This is undoubtedly a hidden

door! Let's open it right away!"

"A hidden door, which means treasure!"

See, Lana, ever the eager one, was on board. I pulled out the «Universal Key for Hidden Doors (Silver)»—or «Silver Door Key» for short—and quickly shoved it

into the keyhole and twisted before Lana could snatch it.

"Ah!"

Lana's scream followed a beat later, but too bad, I already opened it!

A rumbling and vibrating sound of grinding stone echoed as the rock rose, revealing a staircase leading downwards.

Well, I knew what was inside, so I just wanted to open the door. Wait, could you even call that a door? It's just a rock that extends upwards from below, so the door seems wrong. Whatever. For now, I'd accomplished my goal, so I let out a satisfied "phew" and stepped aside slightly. I'll let Lana open the treasure chest.

"That was sneaky, Zephyr! Hmph, I am going to have that treasure chest!" 

"Of course, milady~."

And so, I relinquished the task to Lana. But I was excited too, so I'd follow

along.

"Here I go!"

"Alright!"

"I'll accompany you as well."

"Wait, what about the barrels?"

"We can deal with those later; this takes priority."

"Geez, fine."

"Hn—, I'll come too."

And so, everyone showed their eagerness to walk underground. But, little did they know they're going to regret that decision afterward.

Why? Because, the hidden room had a certain gimmick hidden in it!

T/N - Hello, everyone. Due to occasional api issue, which leads to readers unable to read until the access is manually granted, we have begun to update the series on Patreon as well. It's simply to save readers the hassle if anyone is experiencing. Of course, the site will be getting update too.