Aqua

  Or maybe not…

  I pant in exhaustion while narrowing my eyes at the massive plant monster.

  Unfortunately, despite being a plant, it’s not stupid. And it didn’t take long to realize how weak the slug actually is.

  After realizing that, the thing stopped attacking the slug with poison and just grew some vines to tear apart the slug.

  Even after I brought the slug back by summoning another of the same blueprint upon its death, the plant easily kills them while beginning to fire off poison at my other abyssal servants. Destroying them one by one.

  In fact, eventually the plant monster stops attacking the slugs entirely. Deciding that the slug is apparently harmless to it while focusing on me and the other servants.

  So it leaves me placing the slug far away to absorb all of the built up poison in the water around us. Pretty much leaving it as a glorified water filter.

  And that’s not all as I look at all the dissipating abyssal servants around me.

  The plant monster tore the rest of them apart with surprisingly little difficulty. Despite the plant monster’s diminutive size in comparison to the others.

  Which I guess means size doesn’t matter.

  Sorta.

  The worst part though is that my mana is uncomfortably low.

  So low that I almost begin to wonder if I should just flee from this creature now. But the sight of its numerous wounds, and the fact that it’s missing more of those bud mouth things that were spewing poison than it has left, both have me deciding against it.

  Because I want this cave.

  I glance at said now-nonexistent-cave. A cave that I kind of smashed to bits at the start of the battle.

  Because I want this magic ore.

  And because the monster is a plant monster. And plant monsters are known for having great regenerative prowess so long as they’re in the ground.

  Which means this thing will go plant itself into the ground somewhere and quickly begin to regenerate from the damage it’s taken. Leaving this entire battle as a waste.

  Also, that magic ore is still in the ground. So I can’t just grab it and run.

  And the chance that the plant monster just leaves to go somewhere else instead of taking root at the magic ore again is very slim considering the mana that ore is still letting off. Even outside… of the… caves…

  My thoughts trail off at that thought before I find myself grinning.

  That could work.

  Monster Research Lab

  “What’s she doing now?” Aulta Vestro asks while frowning at the screen. Then she adds without taking her eyes off of said screen, “Make sure to continue noting down everything you can about the creature.”

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  The other researchers don’t even answer her as they fully invest themselves in their research.

  Because, unlike many surface plant monsters, aquatic plant monsters are so rare they’re almost nonexistent. To the point that some Pioneers and explorers in the Alliance don’t even bother preparing for a potential battle with them. Because they don’t believe they will ever meet one.

  Which also means there is little to no research on them. Making this battle, just like many of Aqua’s previous battles, a wonderful battle for research purposes.

  But now Aqua can be seen on her Pioneer broadcast retreating away from the plant monster.

  Which isn’t something Aulta ever expected to see.

  Aqua isn’t the type to run away or give up on something she wants. That’s been clear since her very first broadcast.

  So Aulta has trouble believing she’s starting now.

  And her hunch is quickly proven correct when Aqua rushes back and attacks the plant the moment it tries to embed itself into the ground. Then she rushes away again after interfering with the long process.

  “Take note on its embedding process,” Aulta comments while grinning.

  After doing that, Aqua repeats the process over and over again. Almost like she’s stalling for something.

  Interfering with the aquatic plant monster just enough to make absolutely certain it doesn’t embed itself into the ground again to regenerate. But not actually fighting it or using up much mana in the process.

  Then it happens. Exactly what Aulta believes Aqua has been waiting for.

  Bright flashes of purple light shine in the distance. Signaling the arrival of some new monsters.

  And when the plant monster notices the light, it immediately turns its focus onto the monster that the light originates from as said monster approaches.

  But it’s not just the one monster. Numerous other powerful monsters begin showing up one after another over the course of the next several minutes.

  Meanwhile Aqua swims away to a safe distance to watch it all.

  Aulta chuckles at the sight.

  “This almost feels like one of those games where kids would put a bunch of poisonous creatures into an enclosed space to let them fight it out amongst each other,” Aulta hears one of the researchers in the lab mutter, but she ignores him.

  He’s not entirely wrong though. Except that Aqua isn’t trying to test whose poison is the strongest.

  All of the monsters have poison. There’s no doubt about that since the monsters are all in the Viridian Ocean. Which is filled with poison and poisonous monsters aplenty.

  So in a way, the strongest one that survives the fight for the magic ore will be the one with the strongest poison.

  Still. Using other monsters to whittle down the plant monster. It’s a pretty smart move. And one that doesn’t require much work.

  The magic ore itself is still attracting mana to it even after the cave’s collapse. Which is leading to mana being condensed openly in the ocean without the complex cave system to hide it like it had before.

  Every powerful monster in the general region should be rushing right over there to check it out.

  “Record everything you find about the approaching monsters as well! I want every last detail documented, with the recordings of this livestream ready to replay after the livestream!” Aulta shouts, following which all the researchers murmur agreements as they all completely focus on their jobs again. Having been distracted by Aqua’s actions not long ago.

  Aulta begins to write down her own notes now that Aqua isn’t doing anything anymore. Other than sitting back and watching as the monsters begin to approach.

  Amongst the monsters in question, Aulta finds some ones similar to things she expected, as well as ones completely different.

  There are monsters similar to regular poisonous animals, like monsters similar to pufferfish, but there are also monsters completely unrelated to anything that could normally be poisonous amongst regular animals.

  Like poisonous shark monsters.

  And poisonous orca monsters.

  And even poisonous seahorse monsters.

  So many new monsters to research…

  Aulta feels blissfully happy as she writes down everything she can about the monsters one after another. With the other researchers in the lab doing the same just as fervently as she is.

  And it doesn’t take long before the monsters all end up fighting each other in a grand battle royale. Spreading poison all over the ocean around them. With the poison itself being of various different colors.

  Some of the monsters have green poison. Others have purple. And some even have other, brighter shades. Like light blue and even pink.

  Aulta makes sure to put a special note by the monster emitting the pink, glowing poisonous liquid. Since it’s different from the others in that it also has some pink gas mixed in.

  I wonder what effects that poison might have? I wish I could get Aqua to collect a sample and deliver it, but that’s not possible until after she claims planet leadership.

  She sighs at that thought before continuing to research the monsters.

  Patience is key.

  Even Aqua is showing patience as she sits back watching the monsters fight each other. So Aulta can as well.

  With that thought in mind, she focuses entirely on her research.

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