Chapter 42 – Floor 7. Search Party and the Raiser

Like ants following pheromones left by their leader, four green-skinned strong men walked through the densely overgrown jungle of green grass, each carrying a thick, crude weapon.

Their footsteps contained power, as if to prove they were warriors, but somehow the atmosphere was completely unsettled.

Steps mixed with anxiety and slight trembling crushed the grass.

“What could have fallen to make the upper layer collapse?”

“There’s nothing up there except grass and the corpse of that cursed traitor anyway!”

Fear. The deep voice, as if pretending to be strong while scratching the neck, was mixed with fear of the unknown.

And a desperate wish that it would be nothing serious.

The green-skinned man leading the group turned around at the grumbling.

His thick lips trembled with displeasure, as if he had heard an unpleasant sound that bothered him, and he walked heavily toward the man at the very back who had mentioned the traitor.

Though the man had just realized his verbal mistake, he covered his head with his hands against the fist coming down like lightning.

Thwack!

“Urgh!”

“I told you not to speak carelessly about that!”

Hiss– The sound of air rushing through his nose, as if excited.

The smallest green man, who had received the knuckle tap, rolled on the ground exaggeratedly to hide the tears welling up from the pain.

“Ouch! Brother, I think my skull is cracked!”

Watching him roll around on the ground, two of them, excluding the leader, smiled wryly, and the atmosphere lightened a bit. The leader, seemingly no longer in the mood to scold, returned to the front.

After all, their mission wasn’t to perform comedy in the middle of the jungle.

To investigate the cause of the vibration that occurred a few hours ago.

They were the search party dispatched to resolve the anxiety that had engulfed the village.

“Be careful next time. We don’t want to run into those lizard guys for no reason..”

“Ugh…”

“More importantly, that place looks strange! I’ve never seen such a big hole living here!”

Just as they turned their heads to continue exploring, the second man in line pointed past the narrow path.

He was the one with the sharpest eyes among them.

Given the credibility his talent brought, the other three all turned their gaze to where the sharp-eyed one pointed.

Naturally, with shadows cast by leaves and branches, and everything obscured by grass and vines, there was little chance of seeing anything.

But as if trusting him, they all headed in that direction, tightly gripping their weapons and cautiously walking toward the hole that they couldn’t yet see.

“It’s huge! Do you think it goes all the way to the ground?”

“It’s too dark to see.”

There really was a huge hole that the four search party members had never seen before despite living in the area, so they took turns looking at the breached ceiling and floor, discussing possible causes.

A meteorite fell, a powerful warrior dug the ground until it collapsed, a mage made a mistake while using excavation magic to create a workshop… and so on.

Plausible but unrealistic stories were exchanged.

Because they too knew nothing!

They only knew that the vibration occurred because the ceiling fell and the ground collapsed, but how could these ignorant men know the cause?

They also disagreed about what to do next.

Ask the shaman, persuade the village to relocate, investigate below the hole, fight the lizards!

Everyone almost agreed with the last opinion, but since it had nothing to do with this incident, they decided to beat up the smallest man who had suggested it.

“Hmph. We’re not getting anywhere.”

The largest man sat on a broken tree, crossing his arms with bulging muscles, and fell into contemplation.

Knowing that answers never came no matter how much he pondered, the others seized the opportunity to clear a relatively flat area and lit a fire.

They had walked for a long time and were tired and hungry! They were all fine warriors, but they were young men in their prime who couldn’t endure hunger.

Crackle-crackle–

The green-skinned men sat in a circle around the bonfire, warming the food they had brought and chatting.

The four became not warriors concerned about the village’s safety, but simply young men in their prime, discussing lighthearted topics.

“How’s it going with Grasha? That guy seemed totally infatuated with you!”

“We’re just friends! I’ve said countless times that I have no intention of living with someone who seems likely to nag! My mouth is wearing out from saying it!”

“Keeping a girl who likes you waiting! I think you might be impotent! Let’s check!”

“No!!! Why are you doing this! Stop!”

A power struggle began between two of them trying to pull down the youngest’s pants to check if “it works” and the youngest desperately trying to protect his pants.

Giggling laughter mixed with the youngest’s red-faced shouting.

“That’s it! I’m never coming out with you brothers again!”

“Getting upset like a girl! This brother didn’t raise you that way! Education!”

Smack!

The violence disguised as education, delivered without delay despite the slight show of displeasure, was necessary to cultivate the youngest’s warrior spirit.

Along with this heartwarming scene, the foods placed in the fire were browning nicely.

A spider the size of a palm, fruit the size of a head, fish the size of a forearm, and among them, the most envied lunch box—a large lizard tail.

The fresh cut lizard tail, looking as if it might still flop around, blackened in the fire, emitting fat and shrinking. The three who weren’t the owner swallowed their saliva looking at the delicious-looking roasted tail.

“You’ll share, right?”

“Surely you won’t eat it all by yourself!”

“You’re greedy, but not that greedy, right!”

As each added a comment, creating an atmosphere that the lizard tail should be shared equally with everyone, its owner hugged the roasted lizard tail as if trying to hide it, looking wronged.

“Do you know how I found this! I wouldn’t trade it even if you gave me all of those!”

Surely the crisply roasted spider, the sweet-tasting roasted fruit, and the plain-tasting grilled fish would be delicious, but how could they compare to the mouth-filling lizard tail roast!

But this was the jungle, ruled by violence and emotion rather than reason.

Three large fists mercilessly pounded the man trying to hide the lizard tail.

After finishing the perfectly friendly and perfectly equal meal, they all rubbed their slightly unsatisfied stomachs.

The juicy lizard tail was indeed worthy of being called a delicacy, but naturally it disappeared in the blink of an eye when shared among four.

“By the way, where did you get this? Going down to the lower level alone is forbidden!”

Is he planning to find fault and beat him up after stealing and eating his precious food? The former owner of the lizard tail hurriedly waved his hands in denial.

“I never went down to the lower level! I just happened to see a lizard fighting with a crazy tribesman!”

“Hmm..!”

Crazy tribesmen.

Long ago, all tribesmen living in this jungle helped each other and got along well. Of course, this was long before they were born, so they had only shallowly heard the stories of the past as if listening to fairy tales from older tribesmen.

At some point, their tribesmen who began to kill indiscriminately, whether animals or fellow tribesmen, started to appear.

As they mumbled terrifying language and ran wild, the tribesmen began to build villages to protect themselves, and gradually reduced contact with the lizards, with whom they had been fighting for dominance of this jungle for a long time.

Outside the village was dangerous, and it was the same for the lizards.

That’s why a small number of warriors formed search parties, patrolling around the village to prevent dangerous situations.

And this lucky man claimed he had only picked up the tail that a lizard had cut off and abandoned while fleeing from a crazy tribesman.

“So there’s no more. Tsk…”

The big man smacked his lips in disappointment, as if he had been planning to ask if there were more hidden tails.

The owner of the lizard tail shuddered at this thuggish behavior but couldn’t express his discontent. If he had complaints, they would be silenced by that huge pot lid-like palm!

A barbaric society of warriors ruled by strength.

Though their insides boiled with anger, warriors grow stronger while vowing revenge, promising themselves that one day they’ll become stronger and return this treatment tenfold.

“I’m hungry.”

“There’s been much less to eat lately.”

Growl.

As if already hungry again, the four stared blankly at the bonfire where food had been cooking just a moment ago, as their stomach clocks rumbled.

As if doing so would make food appear.

Thud.

A large piece of meat was actually placed on the bonfire.

Bone with fat and muscle harmoniously mixed, full of marrow, looking like it would provide plenty to chew on.

The sweet scent of simmering fat gradually rising from the fire made their noses twitch.

“I, have tasty meat.”

“You have tasty meat? Why bring it out now!”

“Is it a rat? I’ve never seen such a big rat!”

“Isn’t it a rabbit rather than a rat?”

“Rabbits don’t have that much fat.”

The four chatted excitedly, seemingly pleased with the suddenly added food.

But something was strange.

Clearly none of them had spoken over each other, so why were there more voices than the four of them? And where on earth did this meat come from?

Realizing this simultaneously, the four turned to look at the person who had placed the meat on the fire.

“Uh, hello?”

A human man with black hair and black eyes, wearing a strange conical hat and ill-fitting leather armor.

“A, a human!!!”

As the leader urgently raised his club, the man shouted.

“AAAAARGH!!! A human!!!”

“EEEEEEK!!! Why are you freaking out when I’m sharing meat with you, you fucking bastard with no business ethics!!!”

The jungle darkness filled with the screams of five hoarse men.