477 – King of Roots

The ground splits open in a spray of dirt.
An ugly mass of monstrous roots appear.

A huge mouth gapes open in the roots, its edges lined with scars.
A little above the mouth, three giant misshapen eyes squirm as they peer around.

Below the giant face, a huge number of caterpillars are wriggling, each of them the size of a human and yellow with a pattern of three black spots on their heads.

“BuruwaaaaAAAAAAAAAh!”

The root monstrosity roars.
Caterpillars spray out from its huge mouth.

Wh-what is this thing…? It really is one weird monster after the other around here.

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Species: Hades Mandragora
Condition: Enraged
Lv: 81/85
HP: 786/786
MP: 267/267
Attack: 584

Defence: 372
Magic: 491
Speed: 348
Rank: B+

Characteristic Skills:
[Earth Attribute: Lv-] [Automatic HP Recovery: Lv8] [Automatic MP Recovery: Lv5] [Photosynthesis: Lv-] [Soft Steps: Lv7] [Ultraregeneration: Lv7] [Hyper Recovery: Lv7] [Raging Blossom: Lv-] [Poisonous Pollen: Lv4]

Resistance Skills:
[Petrification Resistance: Lv9] [Paralysis Resistance: Lv9] [Confusition Resistance: Lv8] [Sleep Resistance: Lv8] [Instant Death Resistance: Lv8] [Poison Resistance: Lv8]

Normal Skills:
[Bite: Lv7] [Hole Digging: Lv7] [Autoregeneration: Lv6] [Ground Tremors: Lv7] [Weak: Lv6] [Clay: Lv5] [Clay Wall: Lv5] [Paralysing Bite: Lv7] [Acidic Saliva: Lv6] [Gravidon: Lv5] [Pure Bite: Lv6] [Putrid Breath: Lv5] [High Jump: Lv1]

Title Skills:
[Rare Monster: Lv-] [Major Delicacy: Lv-] [Elixir of Longevity: Lv-] [One Who is Eaten By the Nest: Lv-] [Final Evolution: Lv-]
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I-it’s genuinely strong! It’s far more powerful than the other mandragoras, and it’s even stronger than a fenrir.
Its stats are balanced, so even though it loses to the pure attacker fenrir in terms of speed, its level is high enough that rest of its stats are overwhelmingly higher.

It’s not something I should let near Aro, let alone treant-san.
Most of all… Those caterpillars are dangerous.

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Species: Maris Caterpillar
Condition: Cursed
Lv: 52/65
HP: 388/388
MP: 98/98
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【[Maris Caterpillar]: C+ rank monster】
【Despite being a caterpillar, it is incapable of further growth.】
【Born from an accumulation of malice, it is a curse made material.】
【It transforms whatever it bites into a monster, and uses that monster as a nest to propagate itself.】

These caterpillars… They’re attackers with attack, HP, and speed aplenty.
They’re being blown out of the hades mandragora, one after the other… The reason this area is a mandragora grove must be due to them… I suppose being able to mass produce the valuable mandragoras might make them a useful insect for cultivation, but considering that the monsters they produce are B rank, they might be a bit much for humans to handle.
It depends on the bit about them being born from an accumulation of malice, but I get the impression they’re the product of some sort of skill.

I’m grateful for the supply of such a large number of C+ rank opponents, but… If I lose focus, someone could get caught out.
In the interests of safety, it’s best if we retreat for now.
It’ll be fine if I defeat the hades mandragora myself later, and then call everyone else back.

“That big one seems worth cutting.”

Volk readies magiatite-jii.
Y-you’re getting ready to fight!?

『Isn’t that a bit much?』

“Don’t worry.
I will devote myself to support.
It’s not as though I am incapable of cooperation.”

I-I didn’t mean it in that sense…

“Dragon-god-sama… I think we should fight.”

Aro looks up at me and speaks.
I-is that so? Are you not rushing a bit too much?

“…Irushia, do you believe that thing is more fearsome than Lilixira? Moreso than this monster that possess only strength, I find that woman to be the far more fearsome threat.
I only saw her eyes from a distance, but they seemed to contain far more ruthlessness than any monster I had have ever seen.”

…I suppose that makes sense.
If I try to ensure a safety margin in our fights now, it’ll affect our strength when we fight Lilixira.

“If you feel that the power you have obtained is sufficient, then you should reconsider.
That woman is the type that cannot be predicted once she is cornered.
Trying to place a limit on how much of a threat you imagine her to be is dangerous in itself.
No victory awaits one who would flee from their own good fortune.”

Volk’s words are backed by experience.
If one who has faced down so many powerful individuals is saying that, it must be true.
For me too, it feels strange to imagine that I could be more powerful that Lilixira.

『…Sorry.
I got a little scared.』

This is an ideal chance.
It’s no time to back down out of fear.
Let’s raise our levels once more!

『Stick in the same groups as before! Volk, protect the newly-evolved black lizard! Aro and nightmare, cover each other! Treant-san, with me!』

I lift up the treant with my forelegs and place it on my head.

『We’ll take on that three-eyed mandragora!』

I swing my foreleg.
It’s the [Dimension Claw] skill.
A huge line carves through the ground, scattering the caterpillars.
A caterpillar that is hit directly is torn in two, its body twisting in a gruesome splatter.

【510 experience points have been acquired.】
【Due to the title skill [Walking Egg: Lv -], an additional 510 experience points have been acquired.】
【The level of [Oneiros] has risen from 64 to 65.】

Great, I can still get experience from C+ monsters…