Lina and I stepped into a completely new environment.
The Level 21 is a vast forest of timber trees, and we could see wild rabbits attacking adventurers here and there.
Since we hadn't provoked any animals earlier, we still didn't know how these creatures fought. I quickly focused my eyes in that direction, watching their battle carefully.
The adventurer wielded a short dagger, while the rabbit relied on powerful charge attacks—fast ones.
The adventurer could barely react in time.
In the end, the rabbit was defeated. After that, we encountered several wild rabbits ourselves.
The Level 22 is a forest with a beautiful waterfall.
Sunlight filtered through the trees, creating a cool, shaded atmosphere. There was an open clearing in front of the waterfall—perfect for a picnic.
Not a single animal could be found here. It felt like a recreational spot, especially since a group of half-naked men stood at the top of the waterfall, apparently preparing to dive.
"Karen, why are they standing up there without clothes?" Lina asked, pointing gently at the half-naked men.
"They're probably just playing, want to jump down into the water," I replied.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"Probably not? The pool looks deep enough."
I checked the depth of the pool. I couldn't see the bottom, so it should be safe.
Still, the waterfall was pretty high—jumping from there took courage. I definitely didn't have the guts to jump down without any protection.
Lina kept staring at them, waiting for the moment they jumped, but I didn't want to waste time watching.
"Let's go. We need to find the entrance."
"Mm."
We searched for a long while without finding anything, and then a scene from a movie suddenly came to mind.
(Maybe there's a cave behind the waterfall.)
We approached the waterfall, and from the side, I spotted firelight.
Sure enough—there was a cave. There was a path beside the waterfall, and when we entered, we found the entrance.
The half-naked men had already jumped by then and were playing in the water.
The Level 23 is an autumn forest.
Reddish-brown leaves danced in the wind, and the ground was covered in them. Every step we took made a crisp crunch sound.
Just as we were about to reach the next entrance, an owl suddenly swooped toward us.
I quickly raised my arm to protect my face—it was attacking.
It struck at me several times, but its attack pattern was incredibly simple. Lina aimed and fired the Wind Blade.
The owl didn't even try to dodge and was struck cleanly. We collected its magic core and continued.
The Level 24 is a fruit forest—every seasonal fruit imaginable, perfect for making a giant fruit salad.
I picked two red apples, had Lina clean them, and took a bite.
Crunch.
So refreshing—the sweet taste was nostalgic!
Apples were full of nutrients—good for digestion, memory, disease prevention, and most importantly: beauty and weight loss.
A must-have fruit for anyone who loves staying pretty.
We tasted every unfamiliar fruit along the way.
At some point, a troop of monkeys appeared, eating bananas while attacking us.
We took a little time, collected the magic cores unharmed, and proceeded.
The Level 25 is a swamp forest—wetlands where the ground was soggy, filled with water or thin pools, and layers of peat.
Just hearing "swamp" made me think of danger.
Step into one, and you'd slowly sink. Struggling would only drag you down faster.
If you noticed yourself sinking, the way to survive was to lean back, fall gently, and spread your arms to distribute your weight.
Move slowly afterward, allowing the mud or sand to fill beneath your limbs.
Fast movements would create gaps that pulled you deeper.
If you had a companion, don't struggle—wait for them to throw a rope or stick to drag you out.
If you were alone, lie on your back and slowly swim backward like a backstroke to reach solid ground.
But we had nothing to fear—someone had built a bridge leading directly to the entrance.
Truly, the predecessors plant the trees, and the descendants enjoy the shade.
The death rate was greatly reduced.
The only danger here was the animals, though none were too strong, and we collected plenty of magic cores.
The Level 26 is a winter forest—something tropical regions could never experience.
The trees were bare, and the ground was covered in snow.
(Snow!)
It was my first time seeing real snow. I was thrilled.
I crouched down to scoop up a handful, wanting to feel its texture.
Cold—just cold.
The snow melted quickly in my hands from my body heat.
But the fun part wasn't the texture—it was everything snow could be used for: snowball fights, snowman…!
I felt chilly, so I took out my coat and reminded Lina.
"Lina, take out—oh, you already wore yours."
When I turned around, she was already wearing a sky-blue coat.
It suited her so well.
"Mm. Karen, you look really excited."
"Can you tell? It's my first time seeing snow."
As I answered, I touched my face—my lips were definitely curled upward.
Then I put on my gray hooded coat and buttoned it up.
The ground was slippery, so I warned Lina to watch her step—and cracked a joke.
"Lina, be careful, or I might lose sight of you."
"Why would you lose sight of me if I fall?"
Ah. She didn't get it.
If she fell backward, I'd still see her.
But if she fell forward, her snow-white hair would blend perfectly with the snow—like the sheep on the 11th floor.
"Because your hair is the same color as the snow."
Lina grabbed a small lock of her hair and compared it to the ground, nodding thoughtfully. Then, as if getting an idea, she smiled and reached out her hand.
"Then you just have to hold my hand. Even if I fall, you won't lose me."
She really came up with that excuse… nothing I can do.
I smiled, took her hand, and answered her.
"Alright. I'll hold on tight."
Lina flushed immediately. Still not used to holding hands?
But she gripped mine pretty tightly.
Later, we saw an adventurer hunting a deer.
He kept shooting us a look full of envy, jealousy, and bitterness.
I understood perfectly, but it was better if Lina didn't.
We soon found the entrance.
The Level 27 is a bamboo forest.
I'd never seen so many varieties before—thin ones, thick ones, tall ones, short ones.
Bamboo could be used to make furniture, baskets, umbrella frames, and more.
When carbonized, it became charcoal—capable of deodorizing, dehumidifying, and filtering water. It could even be made into clothing.
After removing our coats and storing them, we saw an animal chewing bamboo right in front of us.
A creature known worldwide for eating bamboo, protected as a national treasure, and forever sporting dark circles around its eyes—
"A panda!"
I shouted before I could stop myself.
"Karen! I understand it's cute, but calm down! You're too excited!" Lina tugged my sleeve, though her tone betrayed her own excitement.
"You're excited too! Look at how cute it eats! How can you not be excited?!"
The panda held the bamboo like it was playing a flute—adorable to the extreme.
"I really want to pet it…" Lina murmured the most dangerous words, snapping me back to reality.
"No! Cute or not, it's not the same as the sheep. It might attack us. I don't want to hurt such a cute panda."
As much as I wanted to pet it, I wasn't going to drop my guard.
"I… I know…"
Lina nodded disappointedly, so I quickly offered an idea.
"Let's get a little closer and watch. If it shows hostility, we run, okay?"
"Okay!"
We stepped closer bit by bit.
Still no reaction.
Then an idea struck me—maybe I could tempt it with bamboo so we could pet it.
I chopped down some bamboo, cut it into pieces, and enhanced its quality.
Holding it out, I tried luring the panda.
Its nose twitched—it smelled the upgraded bamboo.
It put down its own bamboo and walked toward me.
Success.
It snatched the bamboo and munched happily, finishing it in seconds.
Then it approached me without hostility and rubbed against me affectionately.
"Karen, I want that too!"
Lina sounded extremely envious, so I handed her a piece of bamboo.
She did the same thing, and the panda soon started rubbing against her as well.
Unable to hold back, Lina hugged the panda and rubbed her face against it.
Meanwhile, I fed it more bamboo.
Eventually, I too managed to pet the panda.
We reluctantly prepared to leave—but the panda followed us.
I knew it wasn't trying to join us; it just wanted more delicious bamboo.
So I enhanced some bamboo nearby, and sure enough, it stopped following.
(Even so… that still hurts…)
Before leaving, we dug up plenty of bamboo shoots—our menu just expanded again.
The Level 28 is a spring forest. It is the season of blooming, and the soft pink petals of the cherry trees are breathtaking. A gentle spring breeze scatters the blossoms, creating a scene that feels almost magical.
I glance at Lina and notice a few petals resting on her hair. I reach out to brush them off.
"Ka… Karen, w-what are you doing…?"
Lina rubs her fingers together nervously, clearly misunderstanding something.
"You have petals on your head. I'm taking them off."
"…Thank you."
For some reason, her tone carries a hint of oh, I see… mixed with disappointment. She definitely misunderstood something, but it doesn't seem like a big deal.
We later come across a fox, a squirrel, and a tanuki—nothing serious.
The Level 29 is a forest of processing materials. Oil palms, palm trees, rubber trees—every type of tree useful for crafting appears here.
Ingredients for cooking oil, hemp cloth, rattan products, and rubber goods can all be gathered on this floor.
The rubber trees each have a bowl hanging from their trunks, catching droplets of latex. It seems rubber is in high demand.
While searching for the entrance, we spot a few dogs. My hand instinctively tightens around my sword as I take a defensive stance.
In my previous life, I once got chased by a dog while riding a bicycle, crashed, and ended up injured. Ever since then, I've had a psychological shadow about dogs.
The truth is, that dog chased me because our eyes met—it thought I was provoking it. After that incident, I always look away when I see dogs.
Let me say this first: hostile or not, if a dog dares to come close, I'm cutting it down.
The Level 30 is a tropical rainforest, the layer with the greatest biodiversity. Anything you can imagine probably exists here. The moment we step in, I sense hostility—something close.
"Lina, stay alert."
"Mm."
I check the ground but don't see anything. Then I look up, and there it is—a black panther staring right at us from a tree.
I immediately cast "Tree Bind", catching the panther in an instant. I grin at it.
(Forest is the domain of plant magic. Targeting me is your own bad luck.)
I finish the panther and retrieve the magic core. This is the level for rising to Blue-rank—we can't afford to slack off.
We encounter a gorilla, a jaguar, and a python afterward, all of which we deal with. Soon, we reach a wide river.
Crocodiles and capybaras drift through the water, and the entrance is on the opposite side.
Previous adventurers built something interesting to cross the river: a tower on each side, connected by a rope and a wooden box—basically a human-powered cable car.
We climb the tower. Thanks to the pulley and rope combination, even one person can cross. The rope looks sturdy enough that it won't snap easily.
Unfortunately, the box fits only one person. I let Lina go first, pulling the rope to send her across. Then it's my turn. Lina probably doesn't have the strength to pull me, so I stand inside the box and pull myself across.
To be honest, looking down is terrifying. The crocodiles are waiting with their jaws open, and the piranhas gather eagerly beneath me. I can only hurry to reach Lina.
When I arrive, Lina studies my face.
"Karen, are you okay? Are you tired?"
I rushed over, so I'm a little out of breath, and my face probably looks a bit pale. I explain the reason to Lina.
"I'm fine. It's just… when you look down, you see the animals hoping for you to fall. It's terrifying."
"What kind of hoping would scare you like that?"
She didn't look down, so she doesn't know. I demonstrate with my hands while describing it.
"The kind of hoping that says fall down, then eat you."
Lina glances at the river and instantly looks frightened. She places a hand over her chest, clearly relieved.
"…That's scary. I'm glad we made it safely."
We head into the entrance afterward. Originally, the hardest part of this floor was the river crossing, but the cable car solves that. The real difficulty now is the animal attacks—and the swarms of insects. Truly a challenge to my courage.