The dense forest on the 59th floor looked very lush.
From a distance, the trees seemed tightly packed together, appearing quite crowded.
But upon entering, everyone discovered it was a different world.
Contrary to expectations, there weren't various branches obstructing the way. Surprisingly, in the dense forest, where everyone stepped, there was a wide, yellowish-brown path leading into the distance.
It formed a stark contrast to the surrounding green environment.
Following the direction of the sound.
Both groups of people walked towards the path's extension with solemn expressions.
Until, after more than ten minutes.
Everyone's view broadened.
And the source of the chewing sound came into view.
It was a strange and even bizarre-looking creature.
Tens of meters tall, with a body standing upright like a caterpillar, composed of blue, green, and yellow.
At the top of the caterpillar, or what could be called its head, several large purple tentacles grew like hair.
A blue, round face resembling a theatrical mask was on it, looking very frightening.
Extending down from the head, similar to insect segments, petal-shaped things stretched from the back of the caterpillar's neck to its feet, two parts resembling flower buds.
In addition, there were several green, giant vine-like appendages surrounding the monster, serving as its hands.
This was a monster beyond the knowledge of most adventurers.
Moreover.
What caught everyone's attention even more was that the vines extending beneath the monster would occasionally grab a nearby monster and stuff it into the mask-like mouth on its head.
The chewing sound everyone heard was the sound of the monster chewing on monsters!
"Is it a strengthened species?" Gareth, a dwarf from the Loki Familia, said with a solemn look at the monster in front of him.
Strengthened species are a general term for special monsters in the dungeon that can grow stronger by devouring magic stones.
To some extent, the Heterogeneous behind Lu Yuan belonged to the strengthened species.
Because they can all grow stronger by devouring magic stones.
"Rather than a strengthened species, I think it can be called an aberrant species," Lu Yuan said, sizing up the giant monster in front of him.
It eats and takes everything.
Strengthened species only eat magic stones, but this guy even eats the monsters themselves.
Calling it an aberrant species is not an exaggeration.
"Should we attack?" Finn sought Lu Yuan's opinion.
"Wait a little longer," Lu Yuan said.
Lu Yuan's words made Finn frown for a moment, then, as if he had thought of something, his brow relaxed.
"Does someone in your team want to rely on this monster to complete a great feat?" Finn asked.
In the Danmachi world, adventurers who want to level up must not only meet the numerical requirements but also complete an adventure that can be called a great feat.
Judging by the monster's behavior of devouring its own kind, although its specific strength is not yet clear, Finn felt it must be strong!
It would definitely be a part of a great feat.
"You can understand it that way," Lu Yuan nodded.
Great feat?
More than a great feat, what he wanted was the experience points after killing this monster.
"Then..." Finn was about to say something.
But before he could finish speaking.
The monster's action of devouring monsters suddenly stopped.
Then.
Under everyone's astonished gaze.
A shrill cry came from the monster's mouth, and cracks began to spread rapidly upwards from the bottom of the monster's body.
"Ah!!!"
The bright sky began to dim.
The next second.
The entire sky of the 59th floor was dyed a layer of hazy purple.
"Mo, monster!!" Covering her ears, Weine almost curled up in Lu Yuan's arms.
As a dragon girl, her hearing was too sensitive.
The monster's roar was a complete disaster for Weine.
Even, in just a few breaths, blood seeped from Weine's ears...
Her eardrums were damaged!
Until the monster's roar disappeared, Weine collapsed into Lu Yuan's arms, losing her strength.
"Weine!" Rei and Fia, who had just recovered from the Heterogeneous team, cried out and hurried forward to check the injury when they saw the unconscious Weine.
"My fault, I overlooked Weine's condition, fortunately, this injury is nothing," Lu Yuan said, touching Weine's head and looking at the unconscious girl, he immediately took out the medical kit from the four-dimensional space.
With the help of the medical kit.
In just a moment, Weine woke up again, and even the injury in her ear was healed.
Moreover, because everyone in the Loki Familia was attracted by the new form of the monster.
Rei and Fia's remarks and the magical scene of Lu Yuan taking out the medical kit were not noticed.
"What... is this guy!!?" Looking at the monster's new form, all the adventurers were shocked.
Following everyone's gaze.
In the giant flower, a humanoid woman with gray skin was sitting with her eyes half-closed.
Her lower body was connected to the entire flower, looking very strange.
Around the flower, a large number of man-eating vines with sharp teeth surrounded it.
From time to time, it would roll up a magic stone and hand it to the monster to continue devouring.
Twisted, filthy.
This was everyone's first impression of the monster.
"Aria! You're here! Hurry, hurry and let me eat you!!"
Rumble!
A huge vine wall rose from the ground, blocking the retreat of the two teams.
The monster, or rather, the Filthy Fairy, looked at Ais in the Loki Familia team with a greedy gaze.
Appetite stirred in the Filthy Fairy's heart.
Aria is Ais's mother.
Obviously, the origin of this monster is not simple.
But no one was exploring the origin of the Filthy Fairy at the moment.
Because.
Before everyone could react.
The next second.
Man-eating vines with sharp teeth emerged from the ground in large numbers, launching an attack on everyone in the Loki Familia.
"Everyone, prepare! Fight!!" Noticing the Filthy Fairy's gaze, Finn didn't even have time to communicate with Lu Yuan, and immediately ordered his team to start fighting.
War was about to break out.
"Can you handle this monster?"
On the other side, in Lu Yuan's team, Alfyia shattered a large number of man-eating vines with a magic spell, her expression grave.
She could feel the power of this monster.
It could be predicted that in a one-on-one situation, an ordinary adventurer would definitely be mercilessly killed by this monster.
With Lu Yuan's strength, without using props, his basic combat power was at most comparable to or even .
Alfyia didn't think Lu Yuan could swallow the experience of this monster.
"Of course! Originally, this was a reserved program I prepared, but now it seems that I have to go on stage early..."
With a slight smile on his face, showing an excited look, Lu Yuan suddenly shouted behind him: "Haruhime! I'm counting on you!"
"Understood! Lord Lu Yuan!... Grant hammer return to earth, grant blessing... Uchide-no-Kozuchi!!"
Brilliant light rose from Haruhime's body, instantly enveloping Lu Yuan.
In an instant.
A violent dragon roar rippled from the void!
