In nature, much like in life, what you see and what’s actually there are usually two very different things. Say you’re at the beach, enjoying the sun, sand, and waves. Then you see a purple balloon-looking thing wash up next to you. At that moment, the most basic of human urges kicks in. You feel an overwhelming need to poke it. After all, it looks harmless and really squishy. What could possibly go wrong? Congratulations! You know what a man-of-war feels like now.
Cute little frog hopping on the ground in your lush jungle villa? Picked it up for an Instagram picture, did you? How was the following hospital stay? Humans forget what it’s like to be part of the food chain. As we reject our wild roots and drive around Walmart in mobility scooters, we forget that nature is brilliant in its deviance. Outside the cozy comfort of human settlements, it’s eat or be eaten, and evolution has supercharged the ability of things to deceive, which directly correlates to continued survival. In Delicious in Dungeon episode 5, we’re shown this firsthand.
As a different group of adventurers makes their way through the dungeon, they comment that lately the dungeon has been off and the monsters are acting weird. The level they just cleared was relatively easy. As their leader warns them not to get ahead of themselves, one of the group members retrieves a treasure box from a zombie they had just defeated, much to everyone’s joy. After their newfound wealth, they call it a day and head back into town.
As the Delicious in Dungeon party ventures deeper into the dungeon, they happen upon the now-deceased adventurer party. Due to the lack of visible injuries, the group surmises they were attacked by a non-corporeal entity, such as a ghost. As the rest of the party places the corpses of the fallen adventures to the side, Chilchuck mentions that the coins the group dropped would most likely be swiped by corpse collectors. As he attempts to pick up a coin, the Living Armor mollusk that Laios picked up a few episodes ago alerts him that the coins aren’t what they appear to be.
As Laios draws his sword, the discarded coins and treasure spring to life. What the previous group thought to be newfound wealth were actually bug-type monsters. Bug-type monsters that mimic coins, gems, and jewelry. But, despite the swarm’s numbers, the group manages to subdue them, and Senshi wastes no time sorting and preparing them. As anyone watching this show can easily guess, this causes Marcille to retch in horror.
But, to quote a great internet meme, ‘why tho’? Few things command as much disgust as insects and arachnids. Many factors play into this, such as learned behavior (knowing that bugs frequent dirty places and, as such, carry pathogens and germs), fear (poisonous insects are something most people have to be content with), and urbanization. In the latter, as we lose more of a connection with nature, we become more averse to anything that comes from it. So, when the topic of edibility and bugs comes up, lots of people get bugged out.
However, the reality is that insects and arachnids have long been a part of the human diet. In many places, they’re a delicacy. And that’s something you should hold to heart. As a species, we’re breeding at an unsustainable rate. And as arable land, pastures, and hunting grounds are depleted across the globe. Bugs will become the protein of the future. So, best order some Don Bugitos and welcome the future. Initial complaints aside, the group realizes that bugs make pretty good food.
Chilchuck mentions that these bugs taste better than the ones he’d had before. Senshi replies that the monsters in the dungeon taste better; the lower you go, the tastier they are. Why? Well, it’s not explained, but sourcing food and food preservation are always issues. So, being closer to where it was harvested always bodes well for a meal. As the group chows down on their skittering buffet, Laios realizes that his pet monster is working alongside him, causing him to gush over magical girls it.
Have you ever thought that your house is haunted? Well, get a carbon monoxide alarm. Have one and still hear sounds at night? Get your brain checked. Everything’s good up there, and you’re stilling shadows at night? Call a priest. But what do you do when you come across ghosts in the dungeon? Well, you join the Axis Cult because the great goddess Aqua will exorcise those bastards in a heartbeat. But apparently, the Delicious in Dungeon heathens are unaware of Aqua’s greatness. So, they try their best to avoid them.
As they try to escape, Laios drops his McCricket and tries to pick it up (the dude would 100% be the first to die in a horror movie). As he does so, a ghost touches him. And by the looks of it, ghosts have some control over temperature and can chill someone to the point of hypothermia. As the group rescues Laios, they remember that at that very moment. Somewhere in the dungeon, Falin is being turned into dragon poop and they begin to miss her. Seeing that the group is in dire straits, Senshi creates some holy water using the most unholy ingredients. Letting the Delicious in Dungeon group know when they need to bust some ghosts he’s the one to call.
Senshi is not all bluster. As his holy water is ready, he swings it around like a flail, dispelling the ghosts and saving the group. But his actions carry unforeseen consequences. Since ghosts chill whatever they come into contact with, the liquid he was swinging around in a jar has become a slurry. Say what you want to say about intelligence, but mankind conquered the world by poking things with sticks and placing random things in their mouths. That’s how we made it this far.
Senshi, holding little regard for what ghost-chilled food can do, puts it in his mouth and realizes that they made ice cream. Fun fact: the first home refrigerator was invented in 1913, and ice cream was invented circa the 2nd century B.C.E. As the group enjoys the ice cream, Laios mentions that were it not for the fact that falin is currently being turned into future fertilizer, they wouldn’t be able to taste such great food. The group shares a ‘bruh’ moment, and Delicious in Dungeon episode 5 concludes.
Screenshots via Netflix
© Ryoko Kui, KADOKAWA/Delicious in Dungeon PARTNERS