Chapter 227:

Chapter 227:

Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Maturation

The next day, we dove into the fridge dungeon early in the morning, only to find it in a state of utter devastation.

“Whoa... What is this mess?! The precious ingredients are all over the place and ruined! What the heck?!”

“Well, yeah, but it was an insane amount to deal with... Plus, when the clams and crabs fused, they became surprisingly strong, so I couldn’t hold back.”

Though the scene was gruesome, after a night had passed, the softer innards had been largely absorbed by the dungeon. It wasn’t as bad as it had been after yesterday’s battle. Still, the hard, giant crab legs and shells, and the fragments of giant mussels were scattered all over the floor. Long muscular tentacle scythes lay sprawled and stuck to the floor in layers.

“Even so... isn’t this a bit much?”

As she peeled off one of the tentacles from the floor, Serai-san looked at me with an exasperated expression, as if to say, ‘Did you really have to go this far?’

“Well... there was that unexpected trouble just when I thought I could finally relax yesterday. Plus, the monkeys were terribly beaten up, so I admit I got carried away...”

“Hmmm... But, you know, Shiz might really love this kind of stuff!”

Serai-san brought the tentacle close to her face and sniffed it as she spoke.

“What!? Well, it does look like it's dried a bit, since the dungeon absorbs moisture first...”

“Hey, hey, smell this! It has a nice shellfish scent. Let’s roast it a bit and taste it!”

Serai-san wouldn’t back down once she got like this. So, as she suggested, we toasted it in the toaster for a taste test, and it turned out to be delicious.

“Whoa!? This is tasty! It makes me want some sake!”

“See! It smelled really good!”

What a surprise... The giant mussel tentacle scythe that tormented me last night turned out to be an incredibly delicious delicacy when lightly dried overnight in the dungeon.

“I’ll collect these, so Egetsu-san, go clean the crab dungeon!”

“That’s harsh!”

Well, fine. This trouble was my fault, so I’ll clean it up. I defeated a lot yesterday, and if I defeat a few more, I’ll probably level up too.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com

.....

Fridge Dungeon, Basement Level 1. At the end of the secluded corridor, the lid of a plastic bucket, the entrance to the Crab Dungeon, lay quietly.

“(Silence...)”

“Whew...”

The dungeon’s serene atmosphere always sharpens my mind and spirit.

(Thank you, dungeon! It’s because you’re filled with danger and threats that I can so deeply appreciate the value of life...)

Indeed. Once I set my heart on fighting in the dungeon, any matter other than losing my life becomes trivial. Even if Serai-san treats me coldly or complains, it becomes endearing when I consider the thought of losing her or myself.

“Yes, this is love!”

I stared at the lone blue plastic bucket lid, feeling a sense of love. Stepping into the Crab Dungeon, I found myself in the world of giant mussels. The rocky cave, resembling an underground waterway, was densely covered with giant mussels, making the rocks nearly invisible.

“Hmm...”

Indeed...

The dungeons that appeared on Earth took the form of underground labyrinths and caves, yet there were no small bugs to be seen. Normally, such an environment would be full of them, but instead, it’s inhabited by basketball-sized slimes and monster-sized cockroaches.

(Could the monsters be the adapted forms of those creatures in this environment!?)

If so, even smaller creatures might have been decomposed and absorbed by the dungeon, naturally selected out of existence.

“I see... That makes sense.”

“Come on, don’t overthink it, and just try it!”

“Hmm, if you insist. I’ll give it a try...”

I tore off a piece of the dried and melted crab meat with my fingers. The scent that wafted out was like that of smoked cheese, and the texture was intriguing—springy yet easily pulled apart like cheese.

“Hurry, try it...”

“Oh, right.”

As Serai-san urged, I took a small piece and put it in my mouth. The rich taste of crab meat, combined with the aroma and depth of cheese, spread through my mouth.

“Wow, this is delicious... It’s matured, and would go perfectly with red wine!”

“Right! Shizu will be thrilled with this. Isn’t it great, Egetsu-san?!”

“Ugh, you don’t have to rub it in... I’m really sorry about that time.”

Well, there’s a reason why Serai-san said that.

Basically, Nina-san only agrees to sex when she’s in a really good mood. And as a gentleman, I don’t force her. But there was a time when I was really desperate and asked Serai-san as a substitute, which upset her greatly.

“Oh, I don’t mind at all...”

No, you definitely do!

“Anyway, I’ll make it up to you somehow! For now, let’s finish sorting these ingredients!”

“Pfft... Haha! Egetsu-san is all flustered! How cute, hehe!”

“I’m really sorry, Serai-san...”

Serai-san, who has a cat-like personality, sometimes tests my love by making impossible demands. How much she’s willing to accommodate determines how much she thinks I love her. So, sometimes she taunts me like this.

But in those times, you mustn’t get angry. You have to embrace her and show a deep tolerance that envelops even her thorns.

“But it’s a lot. You must be tired from gathering so much, Machi. I’ll give you a massage later. One that will make you melt and fall asleep instantly.”

“Hmm, okay. Let’s finish tidying up quickly then.”

When I suggested that, her mood seemed to lift a bit, and she started organizing the ingredients efficiently. Indeed, dating a girl requires a lot of effort.

The path of a man is truly about enduring hardships with patience and determination.