Disclaimer: I don't own Danmachi or Noumin Kanren no Skill bakka Agetetara Nazeka Tsuyoku Natta. This story involves Al Wayne from Noumin Kanren no Skill bakka Agetetara Nazeka Tsuyoku Natta series.
The head of a Mad Beetle crashed to the ground of the 19th floor. Al swung his hoe at the body to blow away most of the exoskeleton. He head the crash of the magic stone and looked at the Mad Mandibles, a drop item of the Mad Beetle. Al scratched his head asking himself, "Wonder why the 19th floor is so infested with bugs? Is the bark rotting?"
Laurier sweatdropped as she replied to him in disbelief, "No, the bark is just fine. The bugs are Monsters that belong to the floor."
Al looked back at his recent comrade, "Oh, ok. Well, I just need to collect a gemstone tree cone. Then, my next task can be done."
Laurier grabbed a gemstone from one of the trees, "Like this one?"
Al looked at it then back to his Quest paper, "No, this shows a green gem that's shsped like a Pinecone. The quest says it's guarded by a modtly rumored monster, an Jubokko Shīsā. Something about a moving tree with the body of a-"
Laurier interrupted him as she saw behind Al appear out of bark like Dunfeon wall, "Lion?"
Al replied to her, "Close, how'd you know?"
Laurier pointed at the monster that appeared behind him as if was merged with the bark, "It's behind you!"
Al turned around to dodge the paw of a wood made lion-dog monster. The monster roared as it thorny vine mane launched at him. Al dropped his hoe and pulled out his pruning shears. He used the gardening tool as both it's intended purpose and like a short sword. Just one with an extra handle.
The bark on the monster was cinnamon-red, with blood lining it's teeth and claws. The monster had no actual eyes, showing it to be possibly hollow on the inside.
Al pulled out a hatchet and threw it with a spin at the monster. The hatchet head dug deep into the Jubokko Shīsā's shoulder. It wailed in pain as it couldn't move it's left limb.
Al ran forward and dashed for the now exposed neck. The monster's mane stopped it's attacks while it was suffering. Al opened the shears and closed them around the hollow neck. The head came clean off and rolled along the ground. Inside it's chest cavity was a network of pulsating roots wrapped around a magic stone and a dwarf pine tree with a single green gem shaped pinecone.
Before Al could reach in to get either of them. The mane waved to life forming into another head. Now with it's mane, the monster went at Al with it's maw.
Al felt the wooden teeth dig into his arm. His skin began to get an inflamed rash, very much akin to poison ivy. Al kicked the hatchet handle, shattering off the limb. The pain made the monster release his arm.
Al gritted his teeth as he seethed feeling the forearm throb. Laurier threw a pair of darts at the monster to try and distract the monster.
Al applied some Potion to his arm along with Antidote. The wound and rash healed up nicely. Al went for his hand trowel and chanted his magic, "Speed of sound mowing. Clear Field."
The Jubokko Shīsā broke into splinters as the magic stone and gemstone tree cone hit the floor. Roots began to grow from the ground and Al went in for a swing of his shears. The magic stone shattered and he wiped his forehead with a sigh of relief. The Jubokko Shīsā stopped regenerating, "Finally, complete."
Laurier was astonished, "Amazing."
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Al sowed the six fields on the 18th floor. In a special seperate culvation plot, he was growing a row of grafted bushes. One of the plants that he found was rather unique. The graft itself produced a bush that grew to 2 feet tall and four feet wide. When fruit was bared it was cherry red with a small monster inside. The fruit would grow to fit in two hands. Then, the delicate skin would break revealing a miniature monster. The spawn would be called a 'Minimon'.
Al found that the Minimon was demonstrated and would grow no bigger than an armful. After a week it became quite the trend for Adventurers to buy a Minimon from Al. With the proceeds going to repairing Wheat Manor's fields on the surface.
Al also grew a unique plant that he found on the 19th floor. When the bulb was about to bloosom, he would snip off the bulb and put it aside. Then, he would harvest the branch of the short tree. Digging whittling the bark off until it got to the juicy part. When ground it looked like hamburger. The vegetable was ground and rolled into patties. That would be salted, then given an egg bath and coated in dehydrated mashed potatoes flakes. He would put the patties into a peanut oil flyer. And produce a delicacy known as the Ceres Burger. A slice of white goat cheese was placed on with a bell pepper ring. And loaded onto a piece of toast with red bean paste smeared on.
Al even got the Sword Princess and Rabbit Foot to like it. They seemed to have been practicing on the 18th floor.
Al was humbled by the Hestia Familia Captain's praise. Watching the Loki Familia Swordswoman munch on just the Ceres Patty itself made him think 'CUTE'. Which is what the Thousand Elf would say when spying on the pair from the corn field.
Al remarked to himself feeling the aura from Thousand Elf noting how the monsters stayed away, "Guess I don't have to build a Scarecrow."
Al watched as Rabbit Foot had bought a Minotaur Minimon. While, the Sword Princess bought a Al-Mi'raj Minimon. Al didn't understand why the Amazon who called the Rabbit Foot "Argonaut" would sweatdrop at the Sword Princess's purchase.