A Single Mother's Farm of the Gods-Chapter 377: Monster Taming Again [I]

Summer is when the sea gets really quiet, making the sea a perfect place for swimming. However, the opposite happens around dungeons and places where monsters do spawn and exist. Summer is the time when monsters increase in numbers and can be seen in multiple groups or increased numbers compared to the regular times making it the perfect time for adventurers to cull their numbers by taking quests on the Quest Board present in the Adventurer’s Guild.

Although it is not necessary to hunt the monsters to extinction, people do tend to kill many of them because of their increasing numbers and their danger if they suddenly appear in town or perhaps in the main capital. So far, regular spots like forests and caves are less of a priority for culling practices but it is still being done if someone reports their abnormal numbers. Otherwise, these things are done in the dungeons to avoid dungeon breaks from happening.

Elaina received a letter from the Adventurer’s Guild about this matter and since she is now an adventurer, she is now given the right to take culling quests on the Quest Board if she wants to do so. They are not mandatory, but they are a welcome thing to do.

Learning this matter, Elaina has realized that compared to the other gods who she has fulfilled their tasks quite well, she barely did any taming tasks and despite the chances of doing so for many months, she hasn’t taken any of them and her tamed monsters remained small with only the Hencluckle as the actual monster tamed and if wild animals are counted, the Wild Cows as well.

Therefore, with summer being the increased chance of monsters appearing frequently, Elaina decided that it was indeed time to increase her selection of monsters in her bestiary and collection of tamed monsters. She didn’t want to lose the benefits that the Goddess of Taming had already given to her.

So after finishing all of the farm work for the day, she told both Curaj and the Feys that she would be going for a while and hunting.

And so, the beginning of Elaina’s hunt for new monsters.

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"Didn’t expect you to call me instead of Miss Julia," Yona said to Elaina as they both entered the forest.

"Well, with Julia being busy, there’s only you who I can ask for help with."

"Considering that you are planning to tame monsters right now, I must say that you are going to be doing something controversial right now," Yona chuckled.

"I already know that. Considering taming as hard is something that many have said before which is why I will do something that has never been done by others before and spread the word that taming monsters can bring benefits instead of hunting them."

"Controversial indeed. But I like it. It is a break from the norm and something that we, witches have done in the past. Breaking off the norm. However, be careful, Miss Elaina. Although taming is not as controversial as magic back then, there might be some people who may take offense at what you are doing and start denouncing you for doing something wrong. You better ensure that you are prepared for that to happen once you start spreading the monster taming to the public," Yona suggested.

"I am prepared to always. I have plenty of enemies and if they try to mess with me, they will suffer a lot. Just because I brought them something new doesn’t mean it is the work of something evil or something. Just because they didn’t do it themselves as first doesn’t mean it is something that should be shunned, especially since it comes with monsters."

Yona grinned hearing Elaina. It seems she now has some basic understanding with Elaina and she is also happy that Elaina has something to stand on her beliefs.

"Alright, if you are indeed going to show the world how taming will be beneficial, then let me assist you with that!"

The two proceed to enter the changing parts of the forest. Using her Almanac’s map reveals function, even if she is entering a new place, thanks to this function, she will never be lost even if the place changes midway. A reliable gadget that only she can see.

"I didn’t expect you to be so good at pathfinding, Miss Elaina. I am quite confident in my skills in pathfinding and finding my way around forests like this but seeing you move around with ease on forests that becomes confusing the further you go, I can only say that you are quite amazing."

"Huh, is that so? I am not doing anything particularly good, though. And considering that this forest is not as dense and confusing as the Deep Woods, isn’t it a big exaggeration?" Elaina shrugs off the praise that Yona has given to her. After all, she couldn’t say that she was using a map to follow their path and not because of her skills as a pathfinder. Elaina has no skill related to being a pathfinder and remains nonexistent to this day, making those praises something she didn’t deserve to have.

"Just because the forest is not as confusing as the Deep Woods, doesn’t mean you don’t get lost, Miss Elaina. People get lost every time and it doesn’t only occur specifically in places like this, it also happens in regular places like towns and mountains. Places that are so civilized but you have not visited will still get you lost. In short, don’t sell yourself short seeing how great you are at finding the right path in the forest."

Elaina sighed. Yona is just like Julia, they will not let it go until their point is correct. In the end, Elaina didn’t say anything and just continued to move around in search of monsters that they would be taming. On the map of the almanac, a monster label appears, showing that Elaina will be encountering a monster soon.

Learning about this, Elaina readies her hand over her sword as the two proceed to go into the area where the monsters are located, ready to attack in case it is a dangerous monster.

As soon as they went to the location, Elaina was welcomed by the monster that was labeled on the map.

"Huh? Are those ceramic pots?" Yona pointed over at the ceramic pots scattered not too far from them. They are scattered around the place and they look so out of place in the forest. They look like they are just put down there without any signs it was done by people. They are just there.

And on those ceramic pots are various flowers of different kinds. The smell of the flowers is quite strong and even though they are far, the fragrance coming from the flowers just hits differently. However, Elaina had already opened the bestiary of the Almanac and the new monster’s entry appeared before Elaina. Without it, she would be cautious about it, but now with the bestiary entry, she can check the monster without becoming a victim of its appearance that can fool the average adventurer who hasn’t met this monster.

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Bestiary Entry

Monster’s Name: Planting Pot-Shelled Crab

Threat: Minimal

Type: Passive - Aggressive

Monster type: Crustacean type

Information:

If one sees an out-of-place ceramic pot around dungeons or forests with flowers growing on them, do not carelessly approach and pluck those flowers carelessly. There is a high chance that they are owned by someone else, or those are monsters of different kinds known as Planting Pot-Shelled Crabs.

These unique crabs are known to have adapted to the land and are no longer capable of living in the water though their body structures and their appearance do remain to resemble a regular crab. They are unique as they are the first monsters to utilize photosynthesis as something that would be beneficial to them since they get their nutrients and food by having the flower growing in their back photosynthesize. Many adventurers who have seen and have documented it thought that they were hermit crab monsters that took over a potted plant and used them as their own but they soon realized that those shells that looked like a ceramic pot were actually part of their bodies and these crabs will die as soon as those shells get removed or destroyed in their bodies.

If one encounters during their trip in a dungeon or just on the field and spots one, do not carelessly approach them. They are passive to humans and will not carelessly attack unless they are threatened or attacked first. And they are easy to be threatened especially if humans try to pluck the flowers growing on their potted shells.

In an attempt to drive away those people, they will spray paralyzing powder that would make any people who smelled the powder to get paralyzed in an instant, making them vulnerable to monsters. They will then attack the people who tried to harm them before leaving, making them still a big threat if disturbed.

Nowadays, some gardeners would task some adventurers to hunt these monsters just to get these flower pots on their backs. It was revealed that all the flowers that grow on their back are authentic flowers that just grow there to supply them with food. After studying further, it was soon revealed that all the flowers grown in that pot would remain fresh and would not wilt no matter if the seasons and harshest weather happened around them, earning them the nickname "everlasting flowers."

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