Dungeon Refrigerator 163

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A Full Course Of Salt In Green

Riding up the gravel-stripped, red-soiled exposed slope on my bike in one go, I reached an open parking space that seemed large enough to fit about 20 cars. From the only entrance, I could see scaffolding made of steel pipes and plywood walls with a gate typically seen at construction sites. The plywood painted in colors of iron and concrete, adorned with words like 'DANGER', bullet marks, and various paintings, showing a lot of effort went into it. Yeah, it really looks like an airsoft field.

The monsters that had been corralled into the gate were led here by Shark and the others.

"Phew... Seems like this place is okay as I heard."

Parking the bike on the slope feels risky, so I'll park it at the edge to avoid being a hindrance.

[[[Rumble, rumble, rumble...]]]

"Hey, hey, are there really no other distinctive features?"

"That's right! You'll see as soon as you look!"

Heading to meet Serai-san and the others climbing up the slope on foot, I found them bickering with Shark as usual. They really get along well. And it's not just Shark and Serai-san coming up; there's also a trio of friendly middle-aged men in camouflage outfits—Nabe-san, Fuchi-san, and Matsu-san—joining us.

The other enthusiastic youngsters had already been injured in battles with monsters early on. Some had gone to the hospital, while others rested near their cars.

"I wonder if it's really okay..."

"No worries, with Jang-kun here, we should be fine."

"Yeah, he can flip a woodlouse all by himself. That's quite something."

Nabe-san and the others came along because they were worried about Shark and us. They are really caring people, after all.

"Now then, Shark. Final confirmation, but neither the bamboo nor the aloe really look like monsters, right?"

"Yeah. But their odd thickness and size give them away immediately. They just stay still until you get close, blending into the surroundings, which is dangerous."

Hmm, an ambush. The term 'ambush' means lying in wait, but it's tricky when plant monsters do it. If an ambush bush ambushes you, that would be quite hard to figure out.

"Got it. Serai-san, try to stay away from the plants as much as possible. Bamboo and aloe, in particular, require caution."

"Understood! Shall we head out now?"

[Ngyigigi...]

Unlocking the front gate secured with chains and bolts, we peek inside cautiously. There are simple sheds on either side of the entrance, likely serving as rest areas.

"Hmm, nothing at the entrance."

"Yeah, we've circled around and guided everything to the battlefields."

Beyond the sheds lies a battlefield with overgrown dry grass, making visibility poor. I see, hidden within the undulating terrain over there are the plant-type monsters.

"Alright, Nabe-san and the others, guard the gate here. Shark and Sekurai-san, standby here. I'll go check things out first."

"No, I'm coming too!"

"Yes, me too!"

"No, wait, both of you stay here. It's better to confront them than to walk into their trap with a large group. I'll go alone first and lure the monsters here. You two wait here."

"That's right, Shark-chan. Even if we're going to defeat them, it's better to counterattack than to be ambushed suddenly. It's just like in a game."

"Tch... got it."

Yeah, good follow-up, Nabe-san. Truly experienced. And without Shark noticing, Nabe-san closes one eye charmingly towards us, signaling reassurance. I give him a thumbs up, and I start moving stealthily like a scout.

Becoming one with the surroundings and disappearing into thin air is something we solo gamers excel in.

As I infiltrate the battlefield, I spot the bamboo and aloe. While other plants are withered or losing leaves, these bamboos are unnaturally thick and lush green. The same goes for the aloe. They stick out like a sore thumb.

Although they are not as bad as vegetation, it's obvious they are out of season. For them, winter being just around the corner was their undoing.

"Hmm, they said they attack when you get close... Let's see how they like this (whoosh)."

"(Swish!)... Zu-byuuu!!"

"Oh, the aloe's standing up!"

I pick up a handy rock and throw it toward the suspicious aloe about 8 meters away. The aloe lets out a strange roar and stands up, about a meter tall and wide. It looks like a regular aloe plant, not some fierce monster from manga or games.

But those spiky leaves are clearly menacing, swaying and rustling threateningly. 

[Zubiyura! Zubiyura!]

It starts advancing towards me surprisingly fast, using its thick roots like tentacles.

"Hmm, so this is a plant-type monster... Indeed, it's the Walking Plant."

"Zubyyyyy...!!"

"Alright, come at me then!"

.....

"I'm back... What the heck, Jang! Why did you bring five aloes all at once!"

Returning with a trained group of aloes towards the gate, Shark scolds me for bringing too many.

"What the hell!? How do we deal with this when we don't even have proper gear!? (Tap, tap, tap!!)"

"Yeah, Jung-kun, this is a bit too much! (Tss, tss, tss...!!)"

When I join them, Shark and Nabe-san hastily try to fend off the giant aloes approaching from behind with air guns.

"[(Pew, pew, pew!)]... Zu-biiiimm!"

"Oh, the aloes are angry. Getting hit by BB bullets at close range must hurt."

"Hey, Egetsu-san! What are we going to do about this!"

"Don't worry, watch this. Feast your eyes on the Rock Salt Crescent Shuriken Salt Cutter!!"

Crafted from mana, it's a multitude of small, sharp crescent-shaped salt shurikens. They fly towards the approaching giant aloes with great momentum.

"[(Crisp, crisp, crisp!)]... Ju-biiiiiimmm!"

"Why are they...? Just with that, the aloe monsters are in such agony!"

"That's it, Shark. Remember this well. Salt is like poison to plants (Slice)."

"Oh, right. Salt damage is a thing!"

Exactly, as Sekurai-san said. Salt is the nemesis of plants. When seawater gets carried by the wind and spreads over fields, the crops there suffer immense damage.

That's why traditionally, they use sacred sake instead of salt for purification.

As Shark mentioned earlier, using a Fire Wand for attack is not impossible, but it's not effective. Living trees are full of moisture and not easy to ignite. It takes time for them to dry out before they burn. Maintaining strong firepower using magic for that long is highly inefficient and nonsensical.

In comics and anime, they burn enemies instantly, but I wonder how much firepower that would actually require.

[(Jubiiiii...!)]

"It's amazing! Just those made the aloe monsters suffer so much!"

"Even after we hit them with shovels multiple times, they didn't go down..."

Is that so? Well, plants do have high vitality. But if you hit their weak spots accurately, this is what happens.

"That was anticlimactic..."

"Kilolilili! Kilolililil!!"

"Hmm, what's this sound?"

"Hey, look over there, Jang! It's bamboo, the Kung Fu Bamboo is here!"

"Bamboo...? Oh!"

From beyond the grassy mounds on the battlefield, bamboo approaches, swaying its branches like arms. It easily must be over 4 meters tall.

Moreover, despite being bamboo, it has long branches like arms growing on its sides. It swings them angrily, creating a loud wind noise each time. Its legs, what's with those? Creepy. Long underground stems spread out like roots, with roots attached wriggling like numerous centipedes, very unsettling.

"Oh! Aloe's coming from there again!"

"Hey, don't you realize how many threats are converging all of a sudden?"

"Well, that attack looks powerful indeed. It could easily crush a car's windshield."

Yeah, the enemies are formidable. But that's why if I shine here, Shark might rethink his opinion of me a bit. Alright, that's it. Let's do this.

"Kilolilili! Kilolililil...! (Whooosh!)"

"Oh no, they're here!"

"Alright, Egetsu-san, pass me the salt! Salt!"

"It can't be helped. Here, take this. The Rock Salt Stake Salt Pile. Let's do this together!"

"Huh? Uh, w-wait...!?"

"O-Okay!"

Yeah, [Show them and make them listen, let them try, and praise them if they succeed]. That's a saying attributed to Uesugi Takasana, a famous leader from the Edo period and a great ruler known for revitalizing the Uesugi clan when it was on the brink of collapse.

"Wait, Egetsu-san! Even if you suddenly say that! Kyaaa!"

"Don't worry! You can do it if you believe! Fight on, Serai-san!!"

"I-I'll do it!"

Yeah, this is just one of the many battles against unfamiliar monsters that lie ahead. This experience will come in handy.