The Level 12 was a grassy plain with a river running through it. A few scattered trees stood nearby, and herds of horses were drinking water. Even when several of them noticed us, they didn't react. Since there was no danger, we began searching for the entrance to the next floor.
The Level 13 was a vast field of crops. Despite each crop requiring a different temperature to grow, they all thrived in the same environment. Should I say… this must be the power of the dungeon?
We saw several adventurers harvesting vegetables. So this was why food was so cheap in the capital. They seemed to notice our gaze and looked our way. We nodded, smiled, and continued toward the next floor.
The Level 14 was a pasture full of livestock—chickens, pigs, cows, and other animals domesticated by humans.
We even saw the same sheep from the Level 11, except these were black. Before I could stop her, Lina rushed forward to pet one of them. At the same time, I spotted a llama standing on the teleportation circle while munching grass.
Brett had told me that a teleportation circle only activates when exactly one person stands on it; more than that won't work. The llama wasn't being teleported, so I assumed it was because it belonged here.
(Well, duh. If it did teleport animals, the dungeon entrance would be many animals!)
I ridiculed my own silly thought, then walked toward Lina, who was petting the sheep with such enthusiasm that it finally ran away. Luckily, it didn't attack her.
The Level 15 was a stormy plain where lightning and thunder raged nonstop. A tree nearby had already been struck and was burning. Not a single animal could be seen—obviously nothing could survive in such constant storms.
"Put the weapons away."
"Mm."
Brett said that as long as we didn't raise our weapons above our heads, we wouldn't get struck by lightning. I sheathed my sword, and Lina stored her staff in her storage hole. With that, we passed safely.
The Level 16 was a plain of tall grass, about 170 centimeters high. I could barely see ahead, and Lina—being shorter—couldn't see anything at all.
I drew my sword and cut the grass, but it grew back instantly. It was impossible to clear a path this way. I sheathed my sword, crouched down, and looked at Lina.
"Lina, get on my shoulders. Tell me where the entrance to the next floor is."
Lina looked surprised—and somewhat happy.
"Eh!? Can I really?!"
"And also look for the teleportation circle."
I needed her to find the circle so we wouldn't accidentally step on it. Lina nodded twice.
"Mm, mm!"
She climbed onto my shoulders, her smooth, white legs resting against my head. After making sure she was seated securely, I grabbed her ankles and stood up with ease—Lina was very light.
She steadied herself by placing her hands on my head, then began searching for the entrance.
"Karen, I found it! The entrance is over there— the teleportation circle is in the same direction."
She pointed ahead. I crouched down so she could climb off, but Lina didn't descend. Instead, she made a request.
"Karen… can I stay on a little longer?"
"Then stay until we reach the entrance."
I granted her request and stood up again, moving toward the direction she pointed. The animals on this floor stayed far from us, so there was no risk.
"Yay! Thank you!"
Lina happily thanked me as I pushed aside the grass. She guided me to avoid stepping on the teleportation circle. When we finally reached the entrance, she climbed down, and we proceeded.
The Level 17 was a massive field of flowers, blooming like a colorful ocean. Bees gathered nectar nearby, while adventurers were trying to harvest honey from a hive.
"What a beautiful sea of flowers!"
Lina marveled at the scenery, and I agreed.
"Yeah. Each flower is pretty on its own, but when all of them bloom together, they create an entirely different kind of beauty."
We admired the field for a while before heading to the next floor.
The Level 18 resembled an African savanna, filled with all kinds of animals—lions, elephants, giraffes… almost anything you could imagine.
"Karen, what's that animal with the long horn on its nose?"
"That's a rhinoceros."
"What about the horse with all the stripes?"
"That's a zebra."
"And that one?"
"That's…"
Lina eagerly asked about every animal she saw, and I answered each question one by one. As we walked, we even witnessed a pride of lionesses hunting.
What shocked me was that none of the predators paid attention to us. Knowing how strong they were, I passed them with trembling legs, tightly gripping my sword.
Lina, who didn't understand how dangerous they normally were, remained relaxed. And strangely, the animals showed no hostility toward us.
I realized that as long as adventurers didn't attack them, they wouldn't attack us either.
(This is still within the Violet-rank range. Maybe the animals here aren't as strong as I thought?)
Remembering we were still in Violet-level territory, I calmed down and continued onward.
The Level 19 was a vast plain with a lake where many adventurers were fishing. If this was for a quest, wouldn't magic be faster? Or were they just killing time?
"Karen, what are they doing with those sticks by the water?"
It was Lina's first time seeing a fishing rod, so I explained its structure and function.
"They're fishing. What they're holding is called a fishing rod. There's a string tied to the tip, and a hook tied to the string. The hook has bait on it. When a fish bites it, the rod tip shakes, and that's when they pull it up."
"I see… then why don't they just use magic?"
Her question was sharp. Using "Water Cage" would catch fish instantly—no rod needed. And those adventurers were sitting patiently on chairs, waiting.
"Probably to pass the time."
Fishing tested a person's patience. Hurry and you catch nothing. It was perfect for relaxing and killing time.
The Level 20 was a violent plain full of tornadoes. Dark clouds covered the sky, and debris was flying everywhere—but at least it wasn't raining.
Brett said that levels ending in zero were always rank-up trials, called Upgrade Level.
Ahead of us, several adventurers were running and dispersing tornadoes with magic before reaching the entrance. Soon after, new tornadoes formed in their place. If two collided, they merged into a bigger one.
There was a simple way to pass, but I had an even simpler method—just sprint straight through.
So I cast speed enhancement on myself, then grabbed Lina's shoulder and thigh, lifting her into a princess carry.
"Yah! K-Karen!?"
She panicked and squirmed, startled by the sudden lift. But my eyes were focused on the route ahead.
"Don't move. We'll be through in a moment."
"…Mm."
She quieted down. When I looked down, Lina had her eyes shut and her face pressed against me, blushing. So cute.
The moment the tornado path opened, I tightened my hold and sprinted. The world blurred. Tornadoes looked like they were spinning in slow motion.
"Lina, we're here. I'm putting you down."
She open her eyes. I crouch and set her on the ground, then I sit down on the ground, cancel enhancement magic.
The harsh recoil made me gasp for air. My legs throbbed with pain. Lina immediately used biological magic "Nutrient Recovery" to heal me.
"Thanks, Lina."
"You're welcome."
My breathing steadied, the pain faded, and a refreshing lightness spread through my muscles—though my stomach started growling.
We stood up and continued forward. I took out a sandwich from my storage hole and ate while walking.
(The next floor is the 21st… I wonder what it'll be like.)
Every ten levels, the ecosystem changed. Would it be a desert? Or Snowfield? From here onward, it would be Indigo-rank territory.