Volume 7 Chapter 5 Jibechinus
Two days later, about an hour after entering the narrow stream from the landmark rock, Al and his group found themselves in a dark, moss-covered area surrounded by thick jungle. Even though it was noon, strong sunlight couldn't reach them, making it feel dim. The air was hot and humid. Behind Al, Orson sat on a chair created by the 'Carrier' spell. He looked around and pointed to the upper right.
"I found it, that fruit. No doubt about it."
Orson's finger pointed to a cluster of about 20 oval-shaped lumps, each about 10 cm long (≈ 3.9 in) hanging from a tree. They were mostly gray-green and covered in thorns.
"Is that the destination?"
"Yeah, that's right. That's a Jibechinus tree. It should only grow in the forest east of the capital, but for some reason, it's also growing around here. That's what we were looking for."
Al tilted his head at Orson's answer. Weren't they here to find Raindrop? Why were they looking for this Jibechinus tree?
"Please don't look at me like that. Raindrop can only be found in the soil around the Jibechinus tree. It must be a naturally grown Jibechinus, not one planted by humans. Since Raindrop was discovered, many people have tried to grow Jibechinus trees in their fields, but Raindrop does not come from those."
"So, can Raindrop be found from the Jibechinus here?"
Orson smiled brightly and nodded, of course.
"How did you know that?"
Madoc murmured, sounding impressed.
"Once, there was a stall selling Jibechinus fruit in the capital. I asked the old lady there. Well, I'll tell you the details later. Let's go."
Orson urged impatiently. The 4 of them quickly approached the Jibechinus tree.
"Wait a minute..."
As they approached about 30 meters (≈ 98 feet) from the tree, Al raised his hand to signal everyone to stop. He spotted something covered in brown fur on a nearby branch. It could be an Stone Hurling Bongo, but it was hard to see clearly because of the green surroundings. If there was a group of them, it could be dangerous. Just yesterday, they had encountered one in the forest and had to hide to escape. Seeing a group of over 50 together was quite striking. Al quietly informed the other three about his discovery and moved into the shadow of a nearby tree.
"Just wait a moment."
'Sensory Boost.'
'Floating Eye.'
Al decided to use the 'Floating Eye' to check what the brown fur creature was. The transparent eye moved closer without being noticed. It turned out to be an Stone Hurling Bongo, a magic beast the size of an adult human. It seemed to have already noticed Al and the others, staring intently at the shadow of the tree where they were hiding. However, there was only one Stone Hurling Bongo, and no other members of its group were in sight.
"Just one. For now, let's check the surroundings."
He lifted the 'Floating Eye' higher, above the trees, reaching about 30 meters (around 98 feet). Up there, he saw only birds and small animals that resembled monkeys or mice. Larger animals likely did not go up to the treetops. He slowly lowered the height to continue searching, but he still could not find any other Stone Hurling Bongo.
"It might have gotten separated from its group. One shouldn't be a problem."
"You think we're safe? Are you sure it won't call for backup?"
Orson muttered while scanning the surroundings, with Madoc looking a bit anxious beside him.
"If there's no group nearby, let's just take it down quickly. If it makes any loud noises, we can always run for it. No need to overthink it,"
said Najira, and Orson nodded in agreement. Madoc murmured,
"That's right, let's move in. I heard one of these creatures is about as strong as a lizardman. If the situation looks good, Najira and Al, you two go in for the attack. Madoc, you'll cover them with your shield. I'll take the rear and keep watch on the surroundings."
Orson jumped off Al's chair and drew his sword, while Najira swapped her sword for the bow she carried, nocking an arrow. Madoc took the lead, holding up his large shield. They were close enough to strike, but if they wanted a one-shot kill, they needed to get a bit nearer.
Gradually, they moved closer. They were now within 30 meters (≈ 98 feet). Al and Najira exchanged nods. Najira steadied her stance and drew her bowstring, while Al began to chant the ‘Magic Missile' spell.
Najira's arrow and Al's glowing blue Magic Missile hit the Stone Hurling Bongo one after the other. Without a sound, the creature collapsed onto the ground.
"Nice!" "Yeah, we did it."
After checking that nothing was stirring around them, the group approached the fallen Stone Hurling Bongo. The monkey-like magic beast appeared to be completely lifeless, with no movement whatsoever.
"So, what do we do with the body? Even though it's a magic beast, I don't think I'd want to eat monkey meat. Should we just bury it?"
Though Madoc is known for eating nearly anything, it seemed monkeys didn't appeal to his appetite.
"Yeah, there's no bounty on Stone Hurling Bongo, and there aren't any Barbarians around here. Just covering it lightly with dirt should be fine. But let's not forget our main goal──the Raindrop."
The kingdom pays rewards for creatures that threaten humans, like Barbarians or certain magic beasts, but there's no bounty on Stone Hurling Bongo. Orson began searching the ground, while Al pulled out a knife to cut a bit of the creature's fur.
"Why are you taking its fur? Planning on using it for something?"
Madoc asked curiously.
"Yeah, I've learned a spell called 'Animal Transformation'. To transform, you need to have seen the animal in person, and also use part of its body to complete the registration ritual. The Stone Hurling Bongo is supposedly a magic beast, but it looks just like a regular animal, right? I figured if I ever get the chance to use the spell, I'd like to try registering it."
"Interesting."
"Found it!"
Orson called, pointing to the ground after flipping over a large rock. Beneath it, there were around 20 bluish-white objects, about the size of bird eggs, lined up neatly.
"Wow, so these are Raindrops."
"Yep! They're not always easy to find, so this is good luck. Twenty of them... before we left, the Adventurer's Guild mentioned they're worth 30 silver coins each. That's 6 gold coins altogether. I bet there are more Jibechinus trees around here, so let's keep searching!"
Orson's words made Al and the 3 of them nod their heads vigorously.
Jibechinus (Durio Jibechinus): I imagine something like a durian. I think there are types that can grow in the jungle since the trees can reach about 20 meters tall.
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