Chapter 585 – Plant Food.

“Get a move on!”

A loud man kicked another, sending him stumbling forward. He crashed into a nearby tree, then was yanked back and shoved ahead again.

“No, please, you don’t have to do this. Just let me go.”

The man staggered forward, his face covered in bruises and his clothes torn apart. The one who had kicked him scowled at the plea and pointed ahead as he spoke.

“Shut it. Do you think we’re stupid? You think we’d risk you running off to report this to the guild?”

As soon as he finished shouting, another man with them began to laugh. This one was much larger, his face bearing a faint resemblance to an orc, though he spoke clearly.

“Yeah, just keep walking. Don’t worry, you won’t feel much once the spores paralyze you. Or at least, that’s what I’ve heard.”

“Oh, and don’t worry. We’ll take good care of your wife and daughter.”

The second man spoke as he continued pushing the injured prisoner forward. The bruised man stumbled again, barely able to stay upright as he approached the mushroom-infested section of the valley forest. The air became thicker, laced with glistening spore particles that became visible only when the light caught them just right.

Once the group reached the edge, the two men halted. Without hesitation, they hurled the injured man forward and quickly stepped back, and then wrapped thick cloth around their mouths.

“N-no…”

The man rolled across the ground from the force of the throw. Although he was not small by any means, they had tossed him as if he weighed nothing. Their strength clearly surpassed his, which did not surprise the person watching them from within his newly created lair.

‘If they want to kill someone, why go to so much trouble? He doesn’t even have a battle class.’

Nestled in the branches of a nearby tree was a strange object shaped like an octagon, with an orb embedded at its center. It was one of Roland’s floating drones, hidden among the foliage, invisible to all but the most perceptive eyes. These drones acted as a silent surveillance network and quietly monitored the area.

Roland had planned to return home, but now he found himself observing an unusual scene. A defenseless man was being paralyzed by the spores Roland had previously observed. The two tier-three warriors who had brought him here were now watching from a safe distance, uninterested in what came next.

‘Was he just a temporary worker they brought along? Did he break some rules or insult someone important?’

Roland had not intended to investigate the human settlement he had seen in the distance, at least, not yet. The region was crawling with dangerous creatures and even deadlier adventurers, any of whom could prove a threat even to someone like him. His level was respectable, but not high enough to take unnecessary risks.

While he was confident that his armor and tactics could allow him to defeat opponents with higher levels, he knew he wasn’t invincible. He planned to gain strength quietly and only reveal himself when he was certain that no one in the area could pose a real threat.

He didn’t fully understand the power structure in this region, but he had studied many reports before arriving. The area was ruled by adventurers, functioning almost like a small independent nation. Even nobility hesitated to venture too deep into the dungeon without the backing of an army and several high-level adventurers. Down here, strength dictated authority. Even if a high-ranking noble were to disappear, it was unlikely anyone would report it.

‘These adventurers create their own factions down here. It seems this guy angered the wrong person, but what should I do about it?’

He analyzed the man’s class and quickly saw that he was nothing more than a blacksmith. While a place like this dungeon would normally be deadly for people without combat classes, some still chose to live here because the pay was good. They stayed in forts and settlements, working directly under the adventurers.

Earlier, the conversation had involved the guild, so Roland assumed this blacksmith had been assigned by the Adventurer’s Guild to work here. Supposedly, he had even brought his whole family with him, which made things more complicated.

As Roland considered the situation, the man suddenly collapsed in the middle of the area where Roland had set up his hidden hideout. The two adventurers who had brought him here started to leave the moment they saw him inhale the spores and begin to show signs of paralysis. Then things became even more interesting as something awoke within the forest. A creature that had previously hidden its presence was starting to reveal itself.

“So it only reacts when someone gets paralyzed?”

Greenish tentacles began to slither toward the man who had collapsed. Roland had previously identified something that looked like a flesh-eating plant in the area but had decided to leave it alone. He thought it was better to let it remain as a deterrent to others. However, it now seemed the adventurers living here had been using it to get rid of people they had conflicts with, which made the location of his lair more problematic than he had anticipated.

“Do they do these things often?”

He asked himself as his wind-attuned armor began to lift away from his body, replaced by a red suit. Rune Salamander encased him, transforming his appearance into something more suited to the Valley of Drachinids, creatures often referred to as lesser dragons. While many of them had strong resistance to flames, plant-based monsters like the one trying to eat the blacksmith were a different matter.

There was nothing better than a good flamethrower in a situation like this, and Roland had no intention of letting a man die in front of him, even if it complicated his plans. In a way, this might have even turned out to be a useful opportunity. The man likely had valuable information about the valley, especially if he had been living here for some time and understood the local power structure.

Roland rose through the circular opening after confirming the perimeter was secure. With a precise arrangement of his golems, he activated the concealment field to shield himself from the two outsiders. The last thing he needed was for those men to come back snooping. They weren’t a threat to him, but if they went missing as well, the situation would become even more complicated than it already was.

As he stepped outside, the lingering spores burned away under the heat of his armor’s flame aura. There, he spotted the blacksmith, now entangled in fibrous vines that oozed a strange green mucus. The monstrous plant had begun to reveal its full form. It vaguely resembled a flytrap, its gaping maw filled with some kind of liquid.

“Does it dissolve its prey with that?”

Roland moved quickly to help the man. Inside the liquid, he could see the bones of other humans floating alongside the remains of smaller animals. It was clear the creature used the spores to lure victims in, then dissolved them slowly, a death that was likely excruciating. The man was paralyzed, but his senses were still active, and he would feel every moment of it until the very end.

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His hand pointed toward the monster, and a surge of flames erupted. The moment the fire collided with the creature, it ignited instantly. Whatever mucus or liquid it had been using was highly flammable, and the resulting explosion lit up the entire area.

The blacksmith’s eyes widened at the sight, but before the flames could reach him, an invisible force pulled him back. A shimmering blue shield appeared around him, protecting him from harm.

The monstrous plant didn’t scream, but it thrashed violently, its tentacle-like appendages flailing in every direction. They struck only the magical barrier, which began to glow crimson from the heat. The surrounding flames intensified, and within half a minute, the creature was dead.

“That about does it…”

Roland used his magic to contain the flames and smoke, keeping the destruction from spreading. Only then did the golems deactivate the protective shield. He glanced down at the man, who was still paralyzed but conscious. His eyes moved, showing awareness and fear. Roland raised a finger, and his glove emitted a soft glow as he cast a spell. The man’s eyes began to flutter, then slowly closed.

“Sleep for now.”

Roland said quietly, then summoned his mage hand spell and gently lifted the man from the ground. After burning away any lingering spores and checking for hazardous substances, he opened the hatch to his shelter. The man floated down into the opening, and Roland followed close behind. Once they were inside, the hatch sealed shut behind them. Moments later, the earth shifted, covering the entrance even more thoroughly to ensure it remained hidden from view.

After glancing at the console and confirming there were no further interruptions, he activated the miniature teleportation gate. The runes on the oval surface lit up, pulsing in sequence as the gate powered on. The air inside began to shimmer, gradually forming a silvery blue portal that looked like thick, flowing liquid.