Chapter 51.1: Hallmenta (2) 6 ! Thank you to Reikichi, Orphylia, Hillpond and Shinonema for the donations! ^^
The environmental characteristics of the demonic lands existing on the continent varied.
In some places, lava pillars spewed out of the earth, in some places lightning struck a dry sky, and in some places, even the water that was poured out in the extreme cold immediately froze.
Compared to such other demonic lands, Hallmenta’s environment and topography belonged to the mediocre axis.
This was why even after entering the entrance, Asher and I could still ride horses.
The sun is no longer visible.
I looked up at the sky filled with almost black dark clouds.
Because of those clouds, it was almost as dark as night when it was still broad daylight.
It was a landscape with that kind of atmosphere that would come to mind naturally when one thought of the end of the world.
Keek!
And the monsters that popped out from time to time were a bonus.
Asher’s sword cut a monster in half that had fallen from the cliff and rushed at them.
The monsters that they encountered were all on the weak side, so whenever they appeared, Asher took care of them.
There are really a lot of monsters here.
The number of encounters was incomparable to the ones we usually encountered when passing through forests or mountain ranges. That’s probably why it’s considered a demonic land.
It’s not a big deal, but I already feel tired just thinking of how annoying it would be when we had to sleep at night.
I looked at the map again and thought about the place where the mystery was hidden.
A huge rock in the shape of a tower in the center of the demonic land.
And a cave somewhere.
It was a place that appeared during that bastard’s flashbacks in the game.
Still, for this mystery, all I had to do was go to the central area of the demonic land and find the rock, so I could pinpoint the exact location.
After a few days of travel, we finally entered a forest.
They were not green trees that were expected of a typical forest, but rotten old trees with only black-colored leaved.
As we walked along the eerie forest path, I looked around.
The trees also had dark-colored fruits, which I examined.
Although Hallmenta was quite ordinary, there was a point that clearly set it apart from other demonic lands. It was the plants.
There were plants that seemed to grow without undergoing the germination process.
Some had deadly poisons, while others had great medicinal effects.
That’s…
Among them, I found one fruit and my eyes widened.
A round fruit the size of a melon with a black rind and reddish cracked texture.
The fruits hung like grapes until they almost touched the ground.
As I got closer, the large insects that had been eating a single fruit that had fallen to the ground flew and scattered.
I picked one fruit in good condition.
In the game, because of trying to get more achievements, I had to spend a lot of time gathering herbs and fruits in Hallmenta, so I knew what this was.
Monstache fruit.
It didn’t really have any beneficial effects on the body.
However, unlike its appearance, it was the fruit with a setting of having a heavenly taste that was to die for.
It was pretty hard to find in the game, but I was lucky enough to come across it here.
I couldn’t help but wonder about the taste, so I took a small bite of it. The flesh had a crunchy texture.
Wow···
As soon as I ate it, I was overwhelmed by the intense sweetness that spread in my mouth.
I could see why the game called it heavenly taste. As soon as I took one bite, I had to admit it right away.
As I savored the sweetness, I turned my head.
Next to me, Asher was looking at me with a slightly bewildered look.
It probably looked strange that I suddenly picked a fruit and ate it. Especially since the fruit in question looked like a lump of cold lava.
“You should try it as well.”
As I grabbed another one and held it out, Asher was silent and shook her head.
“···I’m fine.”
“I’m not forcing you, but if you don’t eat it, you’ll regret it.”
It’s a waste to taste this delicious food alone.
When I said that, she seemed to be curious about it, so she accepted it with hesitation.
Then she took a small bite and opened her eyes.
I smiled and ate the fruit I was eating. It was so large that I was full after eating just one.
“Let’s keep going.”
As I was about to move forward again, I heard a popping sound from behind.
When I turned my head, Asher picked another fruit and put it in her mouth.
She gulped the fruit she was chewing with a look as if she was a kid who had been caught stealing candy.
“···Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
What’s wrong with eating more if one wanted to?
