Master Of None

Chapter 2935. Swamp

”Sister, we are not ready for this.” Onyx slithered out of the shadows and Midnight looked at him carefully. It appeared that they both understood the situation they were in now that Scylla had left them alone.

”Strong enough.” The blunt response from Midnight did not warm Onyx’s heart since he knew for sure that there was going to be even more that they needed to handle here.

”Sister, this is a new dungeon that was just found. We are not allowed to enter it and we must instruct others to take the exploration safely.”

This had come about as a test that Scylla decided on. Not because they had to take their leadership higher, but to prove that both of them could handle something with more pressure and stress. Especially since everyone had dealt with the horned rabbit tide well enough already.

While other issues continued, Scylla was also caught up in them. She had a lot of the demi-human farming experts that had been traveling to teach others returning to her service due to the fact that they had to change locations and assist in fixing certain farms.

Whether or not there were enough guards and adventurers protecting farms, that did not mean that pests did not exist or wouldn’t get through. There would always be a monster that snuck their way in to eat crops. It was an inevitable fact.

Therefore, handling the issues and making sure her own followers were being moved here and there where they were needed was of the utmost importance. She could focus on issues like dungeons or the farming issues. And since the farms provided the most food within Genesis, then that was that. She chose the one that would affect the most people the soonest.

The dungeon could wait.

Or

The dungeon could be used to better challenge Onyx and Midnight who had claimed they did not need any more help preparing themselves.

”The appraisal said that this dungeon is a swamp land. It has monsters that can poison people, inject venom, and even plants that eat people whole.” Onyx had read the reports and just finished listening to another. The scouts that had gone in claimed that the dungeon might be more terrifying to explore because of the simple fact that the terrain was the biggest challenge.

”Like the jungle?” To Midnight, this was like the dangerous jungle dungeon that they had seen before. It was full of dangers that they would need to deal with simialr to this one. However, this one was dangerous because of the terrain filled with stagnant waters and monsters and plants that fully relied on venom and poisons.

It was like a breeding jar of dangerous venom and poison that no one would wish to enter. Yet, for herbalists and alchemists it might be an amazing place. A playground of potential knowledge that they could use to create more for the people.

Some of the healers and the non magical related healing classes had even begun to use specific poisons to treat people more often. Their methods took longer but they would often heal someone better than magical healing which could cause a temporary malnutrition because the body’s stored nutrients would be used to heal at a more rapid pace.

”Potions will work. Resistances. Everyone is strong.” Midnight was entirely convinced that they would have enough resistance to poisons and venoms that they would not be affected. Onyx was not of the same mindset. He knew that people might be weaker because they did not have the same forms of training that they both had. Especially when it came to poisons naturally in the air.

There was also the fact that the manas naturally within their bodies were stronger and could naturally cause venoms and poisons to be rejected from their bodies. It would break the balance which they maintain just like a smaller closed system. Anything entering would struggle to do so.

Midnight huffed and stepped toward a group of scouts about to enter with a small mapping orb that they would use to track the area within the dungeon. When Onyx asked what she was doing he found that he didn’t even have a chance to get the words out.

Mana moved around Midnight before falling on to the group. They started to jump up and down or stretched showing that they had been significantly buffed. Onyx had no idea when Midnight had learned the multi buff skill that Walker used or how she had used it so easily.

While clearly, the skill was not as strong as when Walker used it on others, it was strong enough to make a difference. The scouts could clearly move faster and were more resistant to manas and in this case, venoms and poisons if they were even afflicted by them.

”I watched brother and copied him. It worked.” Midnight just stayed calm like she knew this would work at any time she did it. But Onyx could somewhat tell she had succeeded for the first time here and he should be wary.

Yet, the scouts entered nonetheless and they could only watch the temporary map that was attached to the small mapping orb the scouts had carried with them.

”That is one of the plants? It is larger and taking up a greater space.” The appraisal soon appeared, the communication crystal being used to share what it said and the others working outside of the dungeon explaining it.

’Gulping pitcher plant.

This carnivorous monster plant swallows anything that enters its root territory. Because of this the ground is often destroyed and cleared of other plants and monstrous plants. It also caused many monsters and traveling territorial monsters to avoid it. Therefore the soft soil becomes just like quicksand which is the ideal for the carnivorous plant to grow.

It will wait for its body to be filled with attracting hormones and pheromones stolen from its prey and release them all at once. This causes many monsters to be attracted to it so that it can eat constantly in larger amounts.

It will only become inactive at night when it cannot regulate temperature without the sun around.

Its fluids can be used to create a potion that makes pests avoid certain areas...’

They read the appraisal and wondered if there would be more value to the monster if it was harvested like a plant for materials. Then again, another appraisal was communicated by the scouting group. Several gathered up as they used appraisal scroll after appraisal scroll. It was quick proof that they were highly regarded scouts for a good reason.

’Venom root serpent

This is a species of treant that lived under the ground. It often feeds on the sap of poisonous plants so that it can develop a venom which can paralyze and degrade its prey. This way it can absorb the nutrients as the body of its prey decomposes allowing its scaly root like skin to get the nutrients it wishes...’

They watched all of these appraisals and found that many monsters fed off parts of the dungeon creating an interestingly balanced life cycle. The entire ecosystem worked perfectly and could suffer if there was a harvest without rules here.

This was why Onyx immediately called over an herbalist researcher that could speak about allowing balance to remain here.

For them to properly work, appraisals and documentation of every monster and plant would be needed. The study of this dungeon would take several times longer just to ensure there would not be a breakdown in the flow.

If they took too much from this dungeon, it would close for a full year to establish from the appraisal that they had managed to get at the start of everything.

Even more focused was the fact that it would take a lot of mana to make the dungeon open sooner than later for the next evaluation.

The swampy environment might be dangerous, but it was a perfected closed ecosystem when it was not bothered. Proving that it would be valuable in small quantities to maintain it rather than to just harvest and wait.

The venoms and potions here could be called perfect for alchemists and new potion development.

”We will restrict all access.” Onyx made the call, but Midnight added to it.

”We need ten more research groups.”

The two looked at one another and understood that they had the same thoughts.

gather more people, research faster, and then present their plan to the Genesis council. They were already acting without even needing to speak. They hadn’t really realized it, but this test was also a proof of their teamwork as siblings.

As heroes who could see beyond the average of what was needed to succeed in the world they currently lived in, they just had to make it seen by the people too.

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Repent now and go here,

Drop those golden tickets!