Update 12: Jade Jungle, This is Not

























Uh... What're you two doing?
Gods...dammit Adan, you made us lose.
Heh, I win again.
Huh?
Staring contest.
Intimidating warriors have to perfect their intimidating stares.
...Okay. Sure. Just...lemme know, next time you need our body for that.








Hmmm, so this is Mint. Looks like a regular old plant, though I suppose that's a given.
Well, yeah.
Mint does tend to...look like a regular plant. Because it's, well, a regular plant.
*sniff sniff* Smells like...oh, it smells good. I've heard that biting into a Mint leaf will fill your mouth with a refreshing taste. Maybe I'll use it to come up with a few new dishes for the tavern!
One chef to another--well, baker to a chef, whatever--don't put mint on meat. Those don't mesh well at all.
Look at me, evolving and changing even in my old age. Pretty cool, don't you think? Ahaha! Watch out, or you just might fall for me.
Abso-fucking-lutely not.
Here's your reward. Thanks a bunch!











That's, um, one way to lock a door.




I barely felt that.

Weak.





The fruit dangles from a vine at the end of a branch. It smells ripe... It's almost as if it's telling you to eat it. You consider whether or not you should pick the fruit and eat it.
I don't think this is safe...
If anything dumb happens, we'll be ready for it.
Obeying your curiosity, you reach for the fruit. Just when the fruit is in reach, the vine comes to life and ensnares your arm!
I-I knew it.
You jump back in surprise, and the fruit begins to twitch almost as though it's laughing at you. The vine tugs at you with incredible force, threatening to whisk you away into the brush! Your party stands their ground and prepares to fight back, but as they do, a plant-like beast appears! It seems the fruit you saw was actually part of a man-eating plant. Having lured you into its trap, it's now trying to devour you! Through your constant struggling, you succeed in breaking free from the man-eating plant's tentacles. But it seems you took too much time and lost your chance to escape! You stagger back from the attack, and the man-eating plant charges you before you have any chance to recover! There's no escape! Prepare to fight!










Good foresight, at least, Sharpe, even if we chose to touch the fruit anyway.
O-Oh. Thanks.
A single misstep in these labyrinths could cost someone their life. Upon reaffirming that truth, you once again return to exploring the forest.






Sensing no monsters nearby, you tell yourself this is the perfect place to take a break. It seems someone else had the same idea. You look across the way to find another adventurer resting beneath a tree. They see your party and come over to greet you.


Oh, hey, guess there's more people using this stupid contact lens.
You exchange information about the monsters in the area. They then advise you to be careful and present you with a medicine bottle.


Well, we've already got a bunch of these, but more never hurts.
Realga insists that it's important for fellow adventurers to work together inside the labyrinths.
You're not wrong.
You gladly accept their offering and put the medicine bottle in your backpack. With that, Realga waves farewell and returns to their exploration. You take a short rest in the clearing then resume your adventure.








Oh hello there sneaky girl.

As you wonder what might have happened here, you notice some brown mushrooms growing on one of the larger trees. They don't appear to be particularly rare, but it may still be worth picking up a few.
These are worth an examination, at least.
The caps of the mushrooms are thick and supported by a central stem. They smell a bit grassy, but it's not unbearable. They seem edible enough as is, but with a little work, you could probably make them into something truly delicious. If you roast the mushrooms, you'll likely draw out their true flavor and maybe even recover some health as well. Or, if you boil them, you might bring out their juices and make a meal that will recover some stamina. You'll have to choose how you'd like to prepare them.
I think boiling them would be best for n-now.
You pick a number of mushrooms from the tree then gather some suitable firewood from the surrounding area and sit down. You get a fire going, fill a pot with water and sliced mushroom caps, then wait for the water to boil. As the water boils, it turns to an amber color, and produces an amazing smell that awakens your appetite. Unable to resist, you sip the broth and find the taste to be just as rich and refreshing as the smell suggests.


After everyone is finished eating, you resume your exploration with a slight hint of mushroom lingering about you.











Oh, do you want a fight?



We'll gladly provide one.

Try me.


M-Man, where did I put my icy arrows...


Jar warfare!

Tch.




Can't say I've ever heard a monster shriek because of cold before.


Idiot.




No, I'm...better than...zzzzzzz...
Zzzzz...
(Adan, get the fuck up!)
(Zzzzz...)
(Godsdammit.)



That'll teach you to make me waver.







A-Are you okay?!
Sharpe quickly runs over and helps him up.


It's Leo, the man from earlier. He appears to have been injured.
And I was well aware of the scorpions here too...
Sorry, please, I have some gauze here...
Sharpe attempts to treat Leo's wounds, but he brushes them aside.
Huh?
I told you... I'm fine. If you want to live, you'll leave me alone.
Leo drags himself away without tending to his wounds as if to escape you as quickly as possible. Why is he pushing himself like that? And what did he mean by if you want to live? You silently watch Leo disappear before continuing on your adventure.
...I hope he'll be okay...





Don't-- Don't worry! I've got special shoes for everyone!


I'd forgotten what it was like to not have my feet mauled when simply walking. Thank you, Sharpe.


One of the tense-looking soldiers speaks to you.
In light of recent events, HQ is looking for some capable adventurers. If you think you're up to the task, be sure to pay them a visit.
And we're gonna have to talk to them to make you get out of our way, aren't we?
The soldier delivers the message then bows. Perhaps you should stop by HQ the next time you're in town.


Princess Persephone? You sent for us?
Aeon Guild, you've returned. We've called in an ally from Etria to assist with our investigation of the Primitive Jungle. Reports say this forest closely resembles one found in Etria. Just as the Lush Woodlands here resembled those in Tharsis. I personally sent a group of soldiers to help this ally quickly map the area. I had hoped to avoid repeating the losses we suffered in the Lush Woodlands... But I was too hasty. Our soldiers were met with a distraction, and we lost track of our ally... They immediately searched the area, but even now we still haven't a clue as to her whereabouts. We simply can't abandon her after she so willingly answered our call for help. Thus, I've issued a mission for any capable adventurers to search for her. Though it was an error on our part, I trust you have what it takes to resolve this matter.
You're...having us fix your mistake?
Typical royalty.


Well then, allow me to brief you on the details. We've received a report she was last seen on B2F along with accounts of an earth-shaking roar heard amongst the trees.
Another big monster? Ohhh...
...
Princess Persephone?
Ah, excuse me. I was thinking about the adventurer who accepted this quest before you. He was a lone adventurer named Leo and wasn't allied with a guild of any sort. Supposedly, he's also here from Etria and knows our missing ally. Not wanting him to act alone, I took the precaution of enlisting some of our soldiers to aid him in his exploration. I hope he's safe... Aeon Guild, please confirm their safety as you carry out your mission.
You really needed us to come all the way back here to just tell us that? Oh, whatever, just let us get back to what we were doing already.
Chihaya...
If she's not gonna respect our time, I'm not gonna respect her.


Sometimes I wonder who just leaves this money in these chests.


AAAAAAAAAAGH!
Retreat!


You check your map and find the center of this floor is the only place you have yet to look. It's possible she's somewhere around there. Map in hand, you continue your careful exploration of the labyrinth.
Where could they have gone...?


The ferns around you sway in the cool breeze. It's almost as though they're beckoning you to rest.
...Something's wrong.
Yeah.
However, Yukimaru senses a disturbance in the air and raises their guard. With that in mind, you consider whether you should rest here or hurry on your way.
Even if something happens, we're prepared for it.
Having chosen to rest, Yukimaru decides to take a look around and see if it's safe. They slowly advance, weapon at the ready... Suddenly, the tree hurls a coconut their way!
Saw that coming!
Yukimaru knocks the coconut aside and launches a counterattack! The tree sidesteps! Having evaded the attack, the tree stands upright and directs its attention to you. It appears the tree is actually a monster! As you stand before the vicious tree, you hear intense rustling in the brush behind you, and another monster appears! Thankfully, you already had your weapons drawn. You quickly turn about-face, and the monster backs off! You may have prevented the surprise attack, but you're still surrounded! You'll have to fight your way out!



You're going to regret this!



She toldja.



Having repelled the monsters' ambush, you keep your weapons drawn and wait to see if any more will appear. You then check your surroundings and slowly lower your weapons. It seems this place was actually a monster's hunting ground and was only made to look like a resting spot. If it hadn't been for Yukimaru's warning, you would have stopped to rest and surely would have been ambushed. Your party thanks Yukimaru then quickly moves away from the area.
Excellent foresight, you two.
Ehehe, we're pretty synced up, aren't we?









Is-- Is it rain-- Oh.
You look up to find it's not rain but water flowing from a broken tree branch. You recall that some trees in this forest store large amounts of water. This must be one of them. If you're thirsty, you might be able to break one of the branches and take a drink.
It looks like normal water to me.
You break off one of the nearby branches, and as you pull it down, water begins pouring out. Thanks to this blessing from nature, you quench your thirst!


Mhm. Normal water.
Feeling refreshed, you return to exploring the forest.






...Going any further would be a bad idea.
Huh?
I can't put my finger on it, but the idea of going any further unprepared makes me very nervous.
Is it maybe time to call it a night and swap out parties?
If Boss is feeling nervous, then I'm hard-pressed to disagree.




















































Alright, sis, what training've you got for me today?
Actually, if it's alright, I'd like to request a demonstration, followed by sparring.
Of?
You've been training with Abby, right? Learning Dark Knight techniques?
Yup.
Would you mind giving me a demonstration of how a Dark Knight fights?
I mean, if you want. You said you wanted to spar after that? Want me to do Dark Knight stuff for that, too?
Ah, yes, if you please.


















So, how's that? Got the demonstration you wanted?
That...was utterly terrifying.
Eh?
You can surround yourself with actual fire?
Yyyyeah?
I'd always thought those were empty manifestations, just for show...
I mean, they were, before Abby started teaching me. Turns out it's actually pretty easy to do with our Braveheart stuff.
Wait, wait, hold on. Those flames...come from our family's power? Not from Dark Knight techniques?
I mean, that's how I do it. Wasn't exactly how she taught me it, but it didn't take much for me to figure out how.
...Hmm.
Sis?
Ah, pay me no mind. Are you ready to spar, Cason?
Oh, you bet I am.
En garde!



































So, uh, Edel!
Yes, Holly?
This is, uh, gonna seem like a weird question, but do you have any experience planning, like... A royal banquet? Is there a fancier term for it?
We just called them "feasts" back in Niveaulle, but yes, I did help my eldest brother plan for those. We held them every few months or so--there's almost always something to celebrate in a palace, you know.
Oooooh, ooh, ooh, okay, perfect, so, I had an idea.
I had assumed that, yes.
What if we put on a big feast for the entire guild after we finish this Labyrinth?!
...I'm not opposed to the idea, but I do have a few questions.
Hit me!
Where are we going to hold this?
Right here in the inn! Where else?
Right... Now, who is going to cater the event? Surely Lilian cannot furnish a feast for twenty people, a dog, and a cat all on her own.
Don't worry, Adan's given me the hot Maginian catering goss, I know exacly where to go.
Hot...goss?
Gossip.
There's gossip about catering services...?
There's gossip about everything.
Well, you're the expert, I suppose. How do you plan to pay for this? Surely Ashley would view this as an overly-extravagant expense.
Oh, don't worry, I've got the funds.
...Oh, that bag is...full of ental, isn't it? Where on earth did you get the funds for that?
You can make a lot of money as a matchmaker, if you know who to turn to.
Fascinating.
I'm also of noble birth. That helps too.
...Yes. Yes it does. Well, if you already have all of that lined up, I suppose we should start planning now. Better early than late and all that.

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