Chapter 355
**COUNTDOWN!! It's finally here! Just 1 day left until the book release!!!**
I'm deeply grateful to everyone that this story was able to be published in less than a year since I started posting it!!! I would be overjoyed if you bought it!!
I also put a lot of heart into the newly drawn content for the book to make it enjoyable for you!!
While I'm both nervous and excited about your reactions to tomorrow's release...
Please give this book your support!
---
"Hmm... is it this way?"
"I believe the direction is correct."
"No, it's this way!"
About ten minutes had passed since the three of them began searching for monster respawn points with the dowsing rods.
In FBO, beneath respawn points lies a special magic circle buried underground that causes monsters to respawn. The story says it's caused by special magic stones scattered across the world by an Evil God. A named Church NPC once explained that those magic stones have become magic circles, fused with the land.
By detecting that magical power and burying this keystone at the seal site, you can suppress respawning in that entire area.
Although, even in FBO, it took a fair amount of time even with a specialized character. It would take even longer with a character who has no skills.
"It's here!"
"That's a remarkable reaction."
"Indeed. We don't get such a clean reaction."
Honestly, it *should* be much more difficult.
Rushing over to Nell, who turned with a smile, saying "Look, look," her hands steady, the response was perfectly centered.
"As expected."
"Ehehehe."
But you see, we have our incredibly lucky fox girl. I had a feeling this would happen. That's why I didn't hold a dowsing rod myself.
I couldn't see a future where I'd find anything with it! Yeah, I think something just got in my eye!
"So, we just drive this into the ground here?"
"Exactly."
Patting Nell's head in praise, the next step was the keystone we'd brought on the cart.
"Won't it explode?"
"It's not an Earth Crusher, so it's fine."
It looks very similar to an Earth Crusher. After all, it has to be driven into the ground, so this shape is inevitable.
Using my Class 8 stats, I busily set it up on the ground. Well, I just stood it up vertically.
"Really?"
"I wouldn't bring an explosive weapon here."
After setting it up, channeling magic to charge it, and pressing the switch, the drill at the tip spins and begins boring into the ground. Seeing the destructive power during the Aži Dahāka fight must have made Nell anxious about a magic tool of the same shape.
"Liberta, we're developing this area too, right? Won't we risk digging it up during development if we bury it?"
"This magic tool drills down to a depth of about 1000 meters. Unless something extraordinary happens, it won't be dug up."
"That deep..."
"The source of the monster respawn points is around that depth."
We watched the keystone disappear into the ground with a roar and planted a flag right next to the boring hole.
"After observing for a few days, if those Hunter Monkeys don't appear here, it's a success."
"So we can't tell immediately."
This thing's effects aren't immediate. If the keystone is working, the land will stop producing monsters, so their numbers will naturally decrease. We can only check the situation over days, or even a month.
"Ingrid, mark it on the map for now."
"Understood."
With this one shot, we secure land where monsters won't spawn.
"Liberta-kun. Where next?"
"We'll continue north. I want to secure a mountain pass as soon as possible."
However, beyond this forest lies mountainous terrain, so there's no proper flatland. But I've already placed an order with Dark-san for a method to secure flatland, and development is underway.
"It would be great if we found a Treant along the way."
"The ones for agriculture you mentioned before?"
"Yeah, yeah. Improved Treant breeds are great. They produce excellent leaf mold, vital for farmland."
That can wait for later. For now, we focus on eliminating respawn points. There are three keystones left on the cart.
I want to eliminate three more respawn points today.
"Also, if you properly nourish fruit-bearing Treants, they produce high-quality fruit. And Treants that can grow in water help manage water quality."
I'd like to find Treants along the way too. We could tame them in the Spirit World dungeons, but dungeon Treants are all the same species. They're versatile but haven't evolved to suit this specific land.
Treants native to this land are adapted to its soil, making subsequent improvements easier. Ideally, I want the Treants from this land to minimize effort.
"That's why I brought taming items. It would also be good to find bovine, porcine, and avian-type monsters."
"Wanting to domesticate monsters instead of regular livestock is so like you, Liberta."
"Indeed. I've heard they're tough, nutritious, and easy to breed, but to think of running a ranch with monsters..."
Even for farming, crops won't grow without nutrient-rich soil. Securing a water source is also essential for proper agriculture.
"What surprised me most was the idea of a Horned Dragon ranch. Do you really intend to make that happen?"
First, for crop fertilizer, the organic fertilizer made by fermenting a mix of Treant leaf mold and monster animal dung is the strongest in FBO farming. Growing vegetables, wheat, rice, etc., getting high-quality evaluations, and the effects of enhancement dishes made from them are tremendous.
"Horned Dragons are herbivorous and relatively easy to tame. Just having them settle keeps other monsters away, and they provide labor by pulling transport carts. Their excrement, being from dragons, contains immense magical power. Mixing that with leaf mold made from leaves dropped by high-ranking Treants creates the ultimate organic fertilizer. If you're farming, there's no choice but to raise them."
Among them, dragon species produce the strongest fertilizer ingredients. Most are carnivorous, but some herbivorous dragon species exist.
That's the Horned Dragon, Class 7, a bit high. Its appearance is exactly like a Triceratops. Large, quadrupedal, with three sharp horns on its forehead.
Being charged by one is dangerous; they have considerable attack power and use magic. But their magic skills are so useful for agriculture it's almost comical.
Moreover, once tamed, Horned Dragons' horns regrow, dropping periodically. They also reproduce by laying eggs.
The idea of opening a ranch with dragons might seem absurd, but in the future, I'd like to raise wyverns and such too.
"I see, they're that amazing?"
"Yes, they are amazing."
Claudia is impressed, but there are many other capable monsters. Especially those with good synergy with agriculture—they're too many to count.
While talking, a "Bzzz" buzzing sound was heard.
"That sound..."
"Bees."
"Which kind?"
There are two bee species in this area.
"I sincerely hope it's Sweet Honey."
First, the beneficial type: Sweet Honey. A bee-type monster about the size of a softball, highly useful for its honey. Taming the queen bee makes them valuable for beekeeping.
"But the sound Liberta taught us is different. It's louder."
"...So it's the other kind."
The other is a ferocious carnivorous bee, reminiscent of a hornet, with orange-tinged yellow and black coloring.
Nell's ears twitched, discerning the sound, indicating they were on the path ahead.
Sweet Honey has a small, soft buzzing. I also vaguely thought, hearing this fierce buzz, it was the latter.
"Thorn Bees."
Proceeding cautiously, we found giant bees about 50 cm long. A spiky appearance with ferocious fangs.
They move in groups of three, chattering their teeth ("click-clack") as they fly around seeking prey.
"We'll take them out. If that many Thorn Bees are wandering, there must be a queen making a nest nearby."
"Should I sing?"
"Yeah, please. They're Class 4 monsters; their stingers are poisonous, and they charge, so be careful."
"I'll take the first strike."
Spinning the kusarigama's weight for centrifugal force, just as everything was ready, before Amina could sing, an ice boomerang flew through the gaps in the trees, piercing the Thorn Bee.
Given the level difference, instant death was inevitable.
"Now then, a neglected, undeveloped land. I wonder how many have built up."
However, the troublesome thing about insect-type monsters is their fast respawn rate compared to others, and in spaces where you can fight various monsters like this, queens tend to appear easily.
When a queen appears, she builds a nest to start breeding.
While a dynamic is created where they cull each other due to hostile monsters nearby, insect-type monsters have an advantage in numbers.
Having such monsters near a development site is dangerous.
It's best to eradicate them as thoroughly as possible.
"They're coming! So many!"
Lured by Amina's song, an immense amount of buzzing filled the surroundings. The sight that appeared was a nightmare for those who dislike insects.
"For insect-types, this technique works well."
With glittering red compound eyes, shrieking "Kee-kee!" to alert nearby comrades of the enemy's location, they gathered, skillfully flying through tree gaps—a horde of Thorn Bees. But to name a weakness of insect creatures...
"Blizzard Wave!"
Hit head-on by the blizzard, none could fly properly.
Of course, there's a level difference and specialized skill composition. Being monsters, they might withstand seasonal cold.
But being plunged from a warm space into sub-zero air? The temperature difference is unbearable. The Thorn Bees froze and fell one after another.
Then, aiming at those frozen, curled-up bodies rolling on the ground, I, Nell, and Claudia dashed out, wielding our weapons.
A simple job of cutting them down like nothing.
If all battles were like this, it'd be easy, but the feeling of labor doesn't fade.
"Second wave coming!"
"Seems like quite a buildup. I wonder how many waves."
But against numerous monsters, prioritizing efficiency for mental well-being might be better.
"Here we go!"
"Take this!"
"Haaaaaah!"
The vanguard intercepted the Thorn Bees lured by Amina's song. Once the recast time ended, Lady Esmeralda's magic froze them solid.
Repeating this, their numbers gradually decreased.
With fewer numbers, we switched from defense to offense.
Steadily advancing, getting closer to the Thorn Bee nest, the respawn rate increased, and their defense intensified.
But we pressed on regardless...
"Keeeeeeeeeee!!!"
We encountered a Thorn Bee Queen emitting an unusually high-pitched shriek.
"Built quite a large nest, huh."
The queen, emerging from the nest leading soldier bees to protect it, threatened with her large body. But I was more concerned about how to dismantle the nest built into the ground—the post-processing.
"Is it troublesome?"
"Yeah, troublesome. With monsters that alter terrain like this, even if you defeat them, the nest remains. Frankly, it's a nuisance during development."
This is why development takes time.
Well, it's an underground nest type. We could melt it with the Roller Golem and bury the monsters inside alive to clean up quickly.
With that relaxed conversation, we first set about defeating these bees.