<h4>Chapter 578: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Giga nt</h4>


    I''d just brought back the Ambrosia from the tea party.


    "Wow! You found the Ambrosia!"


    "Wow, so much… That''s plenty for the quest."


    "Master! With so much around, it''s alright if I eat one, right!? Right!?"


    Go ahead, eat. One won''t hurt.


    "Delicious. Juuuuicy! Kinda makes ya feel energized."


    "Should we try some too, Muzoh?"


    "Yeah, Uzoh. Let''s share one."


    I decided to try one myself… It tasted pretty much like a pear. Sweet and delicious.


    There''s a bit of a medicinal vor to it too… Like cough syrup?


    Uzoh and Muzoh also swallowed theirs.


    "Thanks for the treat. It really invades the body."


    "Did you find anything other than Ambrosia? I wonder what that mysterious presence was."


    I pondered for a moment on how to respond to Muzoh''s question.


    "… Maybe a Dryad or some kind of nt spirit. I got the Ambrosia from them."


    "A Dryad! I see, that makes sense."


    "To think you could negotiate for Ambrosia. That''s impressive."


    Well, it''s mostly true. Core Number 219 was originally a nt-based monster, and being a Dungeon Core, it''s something like a spirit. Ontentoo actually was a spirits. So it wasn''t really a lie.


    "Anyway, that way is a dead-end. Let''s head this way."


    "Hm, understood."


    We headed towards the boss room rmended by Core Number 219.


    "… Seems like there''s a strong presence this time."


    "Yeah, but apparently it''s not too strong."


    "Hm, you know about it?"


    "I''m told that it''s just a bit stronger than an Ivy Giant, so we should be able to win. ording to the spirit at least."


    Using the spirit as an excuse came in handy here.


    Otherwise, it''d be like [How do you know that?] I mean, I could have just charged into the boss room without saying anything, but still.


    The room was quite spacious—inside was a giant ball of tangled vines, bigger than our inn. A giant red flower bloomed on its front, about four meters in diameter. With stamens and pistilsbined, it looked almost like a parabolic antenna.


    … Is that the boss?


    "Ah, that is… a Giga nt!"


    "You know it, Muzoh!?"


    "Yeah. That''s a Giga nt. It''s one entity—well, no. It internally houses nt monsters, so maybe not just one? Anyway, it''s a huge monster."


    Giga nt. A giant nt that produces nt monsters.


    It''s a y on words with [nt] as in a nt and [nt] as in a factory nt—actually, it also meant [nt] as in nters for growing nts, a triple meaning monster…!


    Though they shared the same etymology… I wonder if it''s the same in this other world? Well, that''s not important now.


    The issue is that it''s literally like a factory, producing Soldier nts, ymore Self-Destruct Weeds, Cannon Flowers, War Cacti, and Ivy Giants.


    "… So it''s an endless spawn of minions, then?"


    "That''s about right."


    Then, as if the Giga nt noticed us, a groan resembling the sound of machinery started.


    … She said it was okay to defeat it, so… shall we try? Well, if it looks like we''re going to die, there''s always my [Super Transformation]. If pushes to shove, I can throw everyone into [Storage] and run.


    Ideally, it''d let us escape for Rokuko''s sake.


    "Shall we run, Muzoh?"


    "Seems so, Uzoh."


    Huh?


    "Eh, because there''s nothing else we need to do ahead. Right, Muzoh?"


    "Right, Uzoh. We have plenty of Ambrosia already. There''s no reason to fight."


    "… Oh, okay. True."


    As if the Giga nt heard us discussing, it suddenly bloomed its flower in a panic. And just as quickly as it wilted, Ambrosia appeared on it.


    It kinda seemed like the Giga nt was proudly showing off its reward.


    "… Look, it prepared some reward for us?"


    "No need, we''ve got plenty. Right, Muzoh?"


    "Getting greedy doesn''t end well. It''s crucial to know when to pull back. Right, Uzoh?"


    "… But I wanna eat that one."


    Ichika''s opinion was ignored.


    "Lifees first…"


    "If we were the type to act recklessly here, we wouldn''t be alive. Well, yeah, we were forced into recklessness in the Demonds… but we had strong support from ourrades."


    "You guys must''ve had it tough."


    Well, I never said we had to defeat it, neither did Number 219.


    That was a close one. I almost ended up working for nothing…!!


    So, shall we head back? Just as we were about to turn around, several flowers resembling trumpet guns bloomed wildly from the Giga nt''s body, shooting seeds at us in an attack.


    Wow, it''s like a battleship onnd. I created a wall without chanting to block the seeds.


    "Whoa, thanks, Kehma-san. Let''s hurry and get away."


    "Eh, did you just chant?"


    "I did, it''s Stone Wall."


    Well, it''s actually [Stone Pile], but I modified it into a wall.


    "Then, shall we go back? You remember the way, Muzoh?"


    "Yeah. Of course, Uzoh."


    "Right, let''s deliver the Ambrosia while it''s still fresh… Master, can''t you just quickly go and quickly defeat that thing and get some more Ambrosia?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous. I can''t do it alone."


    I could probably manage if I went all out, but I don''t feel like showing that to the Uzoh-Muzoh bros or Number 219.


    I thought Number 219 might say something about not showing Rokuko something cool, but Rokuko probably doesn''t want to see me fight anyway. If anything, she''d probably just beughing heartily right now if she was watching.


    I know that running away in front of an enemy now won''t make me disliked.


    Because it''s not for the sake of our Dungeon''s defense. There''s no reason to go all out.


    I only need to fight seriously when my sleep is disturbed or when I need to protect Rokuko.


    So, sorry to disappoint Number 219''s expectations, but we turned tail and ran.


    We faced some interference on our way out of the dungeon, but we managed to escape without much happening.


    So tired—