"Delm's Gorge of Fatty Acids? What is this? Some kind of game made by kids or something?" Minion found the name bizarre.
"Dude, you stayed in a city named after Donuts for a week or two. You still find this weird?" Dreads mocked Minion's reaction.
The Kingdom of Doof had bizarre names and monsters that originate from anything food-related. Meteder's influence over his subjects manifested in this form.
"If everything in this kingdom is food-related, are we also food?" Enma asked as he was curious.
"Well, monsters eat humans as food so I guess that's a given?" Dreads replied.
Humans and adventurers are nourishment for mobs and monsters. Whenever a generated monster hunts a human, whether they be NPC or player, they also gain experience. This is the cause for rogue mobs that are terribly overpowered compared to their specie.
"However, that's a rare scenario. Just like us, monsters need to kill more than a few of us to gain levels." Dreads continued explaining.
"I see. I guess that explains that. But still, this kingdom is ridiculous, isn't it?" E voiced his thoughts.
"Indeed. You can try tasting the dirt, and you'll see why we remained here." Dreads smirked as he said. He baited them into eating dirt.
"Oh? Yea! I can vouch for that!" Bob said enthusiastically.
"Cluck!" Lavanuk too.
"EH?"
Everyone was surprised, including Dreads. Dreads' face of shock also shocked everyone else, they thought that he was certain of what he said.
"Why are you surprised?!" Minion asked Dreads.
"I was obviously JOKING!" Dreads exclaimed.
"Bob, you tried tasting the dirt here?!" He continued.
Bob and Lavanuk nodded their heads. Both of them experienced getting dirt into their mouths plenty of times before during combat. Either they get thrown by force or the simply fell face flat.
"You can try it for yourself. It isn't recommended but it does have a specific earthy taste." Bob explained and Lavanuk nodded her head constantly.
Curious, everyone looked at the ground and swallowed their saliva. They had an aversion to trying but somehow they're allured by it. It was the curse of humanity's thirst for knowledge.
'I must at least try!' They all had that in mind, but not one of them moved, at least noticeably. Before anyone of them could try, someone was already on it.
"Ooof." Chikinsupu tripped when he ran towards the party as they were getting ready to move to another area.
He fell face first and was given the chance to swallow quite a lot of dirt.
"So, how does it taste?" Dreads asked Chikinsupu.
"Pfffff." Chikinsupu cleared his mouth of dirt.
"Fuck off, Dreads." He cursed.
However, Chikinsupu still was able to try the taste and it wasn't disturbing in the mouth. Although powdered food particles in the mouth feel awful, at least the taste was not revolting.
Chikinsupu chewed the remaining dirt in his mouth and didn't mind the party as he didn't hear their conversation.
"See? He likes it." Bob said and Lavanuk nodded her head once again.
"I see. I still don't want to do it either way." Annera replied.
"Yea. Me neither."
The party immediately began to prepare for their next destination. It was still hours away from lunchtime so they continued.
"Here's a TP scroll, use it and I'll see you in the city." Chikinsupu offered to Bob.
"Thanks, but isn't it too extravagant? The city is only a couple of minutes away." Bob argued as he received the scroll.
"That's true, but getting to the center of the city would also require dozens of minutes to fully traverse. We don't have much time as we only have today." Chikinsupu argued back.
Getting to Delm's Gorge, they have to pass through Donut City as it's over on the other side of the river that cuts through Donut City. Plus, they also had to rid themselves of a considerable amount of useless junk they gained from the Pepper Demons.
Ripping the scrolls apart, small magic circles began to form under everyone's feet. These magic circles drew mana from the atmosphere and then proceeded to construct itself.
"Whatever you do, do not move from your position!" Gideon exclaimed as a reminder to everyone.
[Channeling - 60 seconds]
A few seconds later, Annera noticed an anomaly, someone wasn't covered in a magic circle.
"Eh? Bob!? Rip your scroll already!" Annera worried that Bob may be left behind by himself.
[Channeling - 45 seconds]
"Oh? Is that what I have to do?" He ripped his scroll as he said.
[Channeling - 60 seconds]
He was off timing by 15 seconds and that isn't a particularly big problem. Half a minute later, when the rest of the party needed just 15 more seconds to teleport out while Bob required 30, a few Pepper Demons began spawning in.
"Stay absolutely still! They still haven't gained aggro due to recently respawning. Just don't move!" Gideon warned everyone to continue idling.
[Channeling completed, teleporting.]
As everyone saw that prompt, the mobs in the vicinity finally gained their awareness and began to become aggressive. The monsters found a large group of people and they wanted to attack
When the Pepper Demons almost reached the party, they were all safely teleported out of the vicinity and was ultimately saved, except for one person.
"Oh no."
Losing their aggro target, they could only become aggressive to the only remaining person, Bob, and of course, Lavanuk.
[You entered the range of 'Fiery Aura']
[You will now take continuous fire damage until a dispel is cast on you or you are drenched in water.]
[You entered the range of 'Fiery Aura']
[You entered the range of 'Fiery Aura']
[Your HP value has reached 0]
[You are an Essential, you can't die.]
[Your HP is set back to Minimum]
"Anyway."
Bob was suddenly cursed by the aura caused by the Pepper Demons. Just getting near one of them was enough to deal massive damage over time.
But Bob is literally unkillable, and so is the chicken-bird hybrid on his head, who now has the power to harness flames herself.
"Oh yea, it is thanks to one of these guys that you're like this now, Lavanuk. Be thankful." He said.
"Cluck.'' Lavanuk turned her head upwards and looked away.
"Heh. Well, it was nice seeing them one more tim-."
[Channeling completed, teleporting.]
-
"He's going to die, isn't he?" Gideon worried.
"Hmm, I don't think so. None of us do." E informed Gideon of their opinion.
"Me neither. Bob's a resilient guy. He didn't die in the early levels, I doubt he will now." Chikinsupu chimed in.
"Yes. That's true!" Annera also commented.
These people witnessed the tenacity of the player named Bob and how they haven't observed him dying yet. Other than Annera, the rest of E's party witnessed him fight against Ligma yet he didn't die.
And in Annera's case, she simply knew that Bob is a character that isn't allowed to die. The game code itself prevents him from dying.
PSSSSSH~
"See? He arrived!" Annera said and pointed towards a gathering of blue light.
The gather blue light signified that a player was about to be teleported in.
"-ime. Oh? Hey, guys! Does anyone have anything that can remove this Pepper Fire status effect?" Bob asked. Although it doesn't hurt, the prompts were annoying him.
"Dispel!" Annera casted a spell.
Bob and Lavanuk were relieved of the burdens of the numerous system prompt covering their vision. Even Lavanuk herself wasn't too scared of the fire damage.
"Thanks. Well, let's go!" Bob enthusiastically said and raised his left arm and formed a fist.
"Yea. We'll be heading back on track after dumping the junk loot." Gideon said and immediately walked towards the marketplace with everyone else.
-
"This is it. I bet you guys haven't been here before." Hunter said and pointed towards a gap in between the land.
It was the Delm's Gorge of Fatty Acids. It was teeming with slime like monsters and there were no other players in sight. This place is not a hunting ground for most as the loot was terrible.
"Wow. Hmm. I wasn't here with you guys at that time, but this place looks a lot like Cassava Gorge except the monsters and the acid deposits." Chikinsupu gasped at the sight.
"Yea. We didn't stay here long, it's a pretty useless hunting spot and quite dangerous. The only saving grace is that the mobs here are in the mid 60's to 70's." Gideon explained.
"60's? 70's? My god. Can you even do the same strategy as last time?" E was worried that they may be in danger this time around.
However, he didn't take into consideration, like all fat things, the monsters in Delm's Gorge were fat and slow. They were slimy and bulky but they lack mobility.
"The only danger here is when you can't kill them quick enough and you'll get surrounded by them. The obstacles, such as the random chasms made by the acids and the acid deposits themselves are dangerous." Gideon explained a textbook description of the place.
"This is why no one hunts here. It's inefficient if you don't have enough firepower." He continued.
"Not enough firepower?" Bob bobbed his head and asked.
"We have plenty of that, right, Dreads?" Gideon smirked as he said.
"Indeed." Dreads would shine in this place.