Livelihood Dungeon! (English Version)

The remaining kobolds were alarmed by the screams of their comrades as they fell from the tree. They winced in shock, certain that none of those who had fallen could have survived. The height of that gigantic banana tree was easily over a hundred meters.

The surviving kobolds grew serious. What had initially seemed like a simple mission had suddenly turned dangerous the moment the long-absent guardian of the giant banana tree returned.

They found themselves unable to decide what to do.

On one side stood the original guardian of the giant tree—a Man-Ki with deadly long-range attacks. Beyond its destructive power, it also possessed the ability to send them to their deaths even from a great distance.

And now, a dangerous giant wolf had also appeared. They did not know where the guardian had obtained it, but it was clearly a serious problem.

The newly arrived wolf could rain sharp stone fragments from above. At first, the bold and veteran kobolds intended to ignore it, but they quickly realized how overwhelmingly destructive those attacks were.

The Meteoric Drops were so devastating that even a mere graze was enough to pierce the part it struck.

Some were hit in the shoulders, hands, and arms. But the most unfortunate ones were those struck directly on the head.

Their skulls were like an infant's fontanelle, completely shattered without offering the slightest bit resistance. Jagged rocks pierced straight through their brains; the ill-fated kobolds never even sensed their own demise.

The remaining living kobolds were utterly shaken.

But above all of it, what irritated them the most were the tremors caused by the Man-Ki guardian.

Despite all the times they had encountered it, not once had its Stamp directly reduced their numbers. Yet its ability to immobilize them, even for a brief moment, was already more than enough to be infuriating.

With the combined power of the Man-Ki and the giant wolf, the kobolds finally felt genuine fear and dread.

Even knowing the danger ahead, they still chose to charge forward.

At first glance, retreating seemed like the smartest option. But upon closer analysis, that very choice would have led them straight to death. They would only become sitting ducks, repeatedly bombarded by Meteoric Drops and pushed off the tree by Moriko's long-ranged attacks.

The only viable option was to pressure the two of them, preventing them from fully executing their combined abilities.

And so, that was exactly what the kobolds did. They had no other choice left.

The kobolds charged forward in a rough but determined formation toward their enemies.

Because of the combined tremors and their evasive movements against falling debris, one by one their weapons slipped from their hands. But not a single warrior even looked back. Their focus remained entirely on closing the distance with their targets.

At first glance, the kobolds looked almost ridiculous. However, because of that very recklessness, Ichiro and Moriko began to frown. Slowly, they started to feel the pressure of the kobolds' desperate assault.

Ichiro continued to rain down Meteoric Drops in an attempt to slow their advance. Occasionally, a few kobolds were still taken out.

Moriko's repeated use of Stamp served the same purpose—disrupting and slowing their approach.

But even if she wanted to use Ki Destruction again, she knew it would take time. The kobolds' aggressive charge effectively sealed off her strongest attack.

As the kobolds drew closer and closer, Peter could not help but feel irritated.

Not a single kobold was even acknowledging him as a threat.

He felt as if he were nothing more than air.

In frustration, Peter finally snapped. He went all out.

Peter also ordered Iyashi to attack using its newest ability—Mimic.

The Regeneration Slime transformed.

Peter was amused as the jaws of the approaching kobolds collectively dropped at the sight.

Without hesitation, Peter swung his farming sickle at a stunned kobold.

In a single strike, he decapitated it.

Peter winced as he struggled to control his own remorse. He also tried to suppress the hesitation that crept in whenever he saw the dog-like faces of his enemies.

He knew that even a moment of hesitation could cost his small group their lives.

He did not want to witness death again like what had happened to the young Man-Ki before.

"This is the Eternal Forest. There is no place here for hesitation," he repeatedly reminded himself.

As heads flew amid Peter's storm-like assault, the newly transformed Iyashi also began to move.

Every kobold that met the gaze of the Regeneration Slime—now transformed into a Moon Bear—staggered backward in fear.

On the other hand, Iyashi seemed confused by the kobolds' reaction. Whenever they were intimidated by it, it would instinctively stop moving.

It was a new feeling for the slime—to be feared by others.

Because of that, it became unsure of what it was supposed to do next.

Still, Iyashi's presence in its Moon Bear form remained a great help.

It served as a deterrent against kobolds attempting to slip through and attack Peter, Ichiro, and Moriko.

The kobolds were left stunned by the unexpected addition of two more threats.

At first, they had assumed the human and the slime would be nothing more than background noise in the battle—non-factors. Because of that, they had not even bothered to pay them attention.

Now, they deeply regretted that decision.

If only they had known they were facing four powerful opponents instead of just two, they might have chosen to retreat—even if it meant sacrificing many of their comrades.

But it was already too late.

They had been dragged into a true do-or-die situation.

Only the strongest kobolds remained.

Once again, they charged.

Some still wielded weapons, while others fought entirely with their claws and fangs.

The kobolds' demeanor changed.

At last, they understood that resistance was ultimately futile.

Every snap of the giant wolf's jaws was enough to break the necks of their enemies.

The swift swings of the human's sickle looked like nothing more than harvesting lives, as if the kobolds were mere grass being cut down without value.

Meanwhile, the slime—transformed into a giant black bear—delivered even more brutal results with every claw strike.

And the guardian Man-Ki—in their terror—had only grown stronger after disappearing for several days.

Each punch that once merely broke bones now pierced through bodies, reaching all the way to the victims' backs.

Before long, the battle came to a complete end, overwhelmingly in Peter's favor.

Their victory was absolute, while their enemies were utterly annihilated.

Through repeated practice, Peter had already become adept—together with his companions—at transferring their spoils and the kobold corpses they had slain.

When the last trace of battle finally vanished, the four of them disappeared from the surface of the giant tree like bubbles.

They entered the Livelihood Dungeon!

...

Peter looked at the pile of kobold corpses in front of him—not too far away, but not exactly close to his master's lodge either.

He wanted to avoid contaminating his drying corn with any kind of disease that the dead kobolds might carry.

"Ichiro, Iyashi, Moriko, let's get started!" the cheerful master of the Livelihood Dungeon said to his battle-oriented companions.

Peter led by example. He hoisted one of the newly arrived kobold corpses onto his shoulder and began walking toward the direction of the establishments.

He even took a small detour to ensure the corpses would be kept far away from his cornfields.

The giant wolf, the slime transformed into a Moon Bear, and the female Man-Ki followed behind Peter, each carrying a kobold corpse of their own.

They passed through newly sprouting banana plants as they made their way toward their destination.

Peter, who had been bored moments earlier, suddenly became alert when he spotted the cluster of his establishments in the distance.

"Seed Storage..." the master of the Livelihood Dungeon muttered softly while looking at the first building he could clearly see.

"Livestock Storage..." he continued shortly after.

He stopped in front of it.

Behind him stood his three Rank C spirit beast companions. With his free hand, Peter opened the door of the Livestock Storage before stepping inside with them.

"Come in," Peter invited with a grin to Ichiro, Iyashi, and Moriko. He looked genuinely proud of the place.

His grin widened even more when he saw the stunned expressions of his three spirit beasts.

Peter clapped his hands once and cleared his throat, instantly snapping them back to attention.

"Let's start working, everyone," he said to the three of them.

"Grā!"

"Growl!"

"Ooh! Aah!"

With a mix of small hops and eager calls, the three followed Peter as they made their way toward a container inside the Livestock Storage.

Peter tossed the kobold corpse from his shoulder into the container.

"Your turn," he said to his three companions as he stepped aside.

"Ooh! Aah!"

"Growl!"

"Grā!"

The three responded energetically before tossing the corpses they were carrying into the container one after another.

Peter gave each of his three companions a light pat as they successfully completed his orders.

"Growl!"

"Ooh! Aah!"

"Grā!"

A series of cheerful cheers from the satisfied spirit beasts followed.

"Let's go outside for a bit. We're just getting started," Peter said to his companions.

Once they stepped out, Peter once again led his three companions back to the pile of kobold corpses.

But this time, they no longer detoured. It was no longer necessary.

Each of the four of them carried a kobold corpse again, and Peter guided them back toward the Livestock Storage.

Of course, he still took a detour on the way to avoid his plantations.

Together, they dumped another batch of corpses into the single container they had chosen inside the Livestock Storage.

After that, Peter cheerfully led his three companions back outside.

The same routine repeated several times.

To the pile of corpses.

Carrying one corpse each.

Returning to the Livestock Storage to drop them into the chosen container.

Then stepping out again.

And then, it was back again to the pile of kobold corpses.

Until once more, they delivered them into the container.

"At last!" Peter said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and body.

"Grā!"

"Growl!"

"Ooh! Aah!"

The three immediately expressed their agreement with their master's words.

Peter then checked the information displayed above the container they had chosen.

...

Kobold's corpse

Amount

- 52

...

"Not bad," Peter said.

When he turned to his three spirit beast companions, he gave a slight cough.

"Let's go!"

...

Outside, beside Peter's house, the four-member group could be seen busy with preparations.

Peter set aside the magic tool he used for drying sliced corn in a corner near the Master's Lodge. He also did the same with the stored corn kernels separated from their cobs.

After cleaning the area in front of the Master's Lodge, Peter stacked his dried firewood on the dry patch of grass.

He then went back inside the Master's Lodge to fetch more equipment.

When Peter came out again, he was carrying an enormous cauldron, which he carefully placed near the stacked firewood.

One by one, he also laid out various cooking utensils on top of it. Beside the large cauldron, he placed a bottle of cooking oil.

"You'll take care of this for now," he instructed his three companions, who immediately responded positively.

"Grā!"

"Growl!"

"Ooh! Aah!"

Not far away, Peter headed off again. Just like before, he returned to the Livestock Storage.

Peter reached into a different container inside the Livestock Storage—different from the one they had used earlier.

Soon after, he came back out carrying something heavy on his shoulder.

His three companions stared intently at Peter as he returned—especially at what he was carrying.

Moriko wiped the drool from Iyashi's mouth, who was currently in Moon Bear form.

That unconscious gesture from the Man-Ki was clear proof that they had completely buried the major misunderstanding that once escalated into a fierce fight.

"Just place it there, Peach," the dungeon master instructed the dungeon guide who had arrived alongside him.

"Okay, Master! Tehehe!" Peach replied happily.

The fairy immediately began laying out several broad leaves on the ground.

Those leaves came from banana trees that had long stopped bearing fruit—trees Peter had uprooted weeks ago.

Once a large portion of the grass was covered with banana leaves, Peter motioned for his small dungeon guide to step aside.

Without any difficulty, he dropped the corpse of a giant boar they had once hunted onto the prepared surface.

"Ooh! Aah!"

"Growl!"

"Grā!"

The three reacted excitedly as Peter slammed down the giant boar's corpse, freshly taken out from long-term storage in the Livestock Storage.

It landed heavily on top of the layered banana leaves prepared by Peach.

"What are you standing there for, Peach? Don't be shy—come join the fun," Peter said with a laugh.

With a wide smile, Peach nodded and moved to sit beside the three spirit beasts.

"Growl!"

"Grā!"

"Ooh! Aah!"

The three spirit beasts greeted their new companion with lively, competitive enthusiasm.

It felt like a silent declaration that none of them intended to lose in the upcoming meal.

"Tehehe!"

Peach could only scratch the back of his head while laughing along with them.

"Let's start!" Peter declared before pulling out a sharp knife from somewhere.

He began cutting into different parts of the giant boar's body.

He deliberately reduced each piece into smaller cuts of meat.

As time passed, his movements became faster and more refined.