Translator: CinderTL After counting the slime trails for a while, Vales stood up.
“There must be about twenty slimes here.
No wonder the water source is contaminated.” Slimes constantly secrete poisonous fluids and prefer to gather in damp places, especially rivers.
There have been numerous cases of people swimming in rivers being swarmed and killed by slimes.
One or two slimes are manageable, but once their numbers increase, quantity transforms into quality, causing severe damage to the local aquatic ecosystem.
Drinking contaminated water can lead to diarrhea and dehydration at best, and life-threatening conditions at worst.
Twenty slimes are manageable, but maintaining proper formation is crucial.
They must keep the slimes’ attacks focused on their front.
If the slimes surround them from all sides, things could get tricky.
Positioning is therefore paramount.
“I’ll take the lead, Vales will stay in the middle to provide light with his torch, and Zellier will bring up the rear,” Marcus began outlining their strategy.
“When I advance, you advance.
When I retreat, you retreat.
Don’t move ahead of me.” “Understood,” Vales nodded, retrieving a half-meter-long pine resin torch from his backpack, ready for Zellier to light.
“No need for the torch,” Zellier said.
“I can handle the illumination.” He focused his mind, and after a brief incantation, a luminous orb materialized at the tip of his ashwood staff.
With a flick of his wrist, Zellier tossed the staff upward, and the orb floated above the trio, casting a far wider and brighter light than any torch, automatically following Zellier’s movements.
“You learned a new spell?” Marcus asked, tilting his head to gaze upward.
“Of course,” Zellier grinned.
“One must always expand one’s skills.” Vales was also surprised.
But thinking about it, it made sense.
After their last mission, each member had received four gold coins.
Buying a magic scroll or two was only natural.
Moreover, freeing up a hand by not needing a torch allowed for quicker combat readiness, enhancing their safety.
The team entered the abandoned cave.
At the entrance, the uneven ground formed small pits where trickles of water seeped from rock fissures, collecting in the depressions.
The water in the puddles had become noticeably thicker, emitting the characteristic sour, rotten stench of slime—clearly contaminated.
Massive vines and unknown ferns hung from the ceiling, partially obscuring the darkness ahead.
The light orb drifted slowly with the group, illuminating their path.
Marcus advanced at a steady pace, shield raised in one hand and sword in the other.
Vales unslung his bow from his back, ready to strike.
As they ventured deeper into the cavern, the sound of the underground river grew louder.
Waves crashed against the rocks, their echoes reverberating through the cavern in a thunderous roar.
“Wait, did you hear that?” Vales suddenly asked.
Marcus stopped in his tracks, and he and Zellier strained their ears to listen.
Drip…
Drip…
Drip…
Drip…
The faint sound resembled jelly falling to the ground—subtle, yet unmistakably present.
“That’s the sound of slimes moving.
They’re ahead,” Marcus stated tersely.
“Prepare for battle,” he ordered.
“Stick to the plan.” After rounding a massive stalagmite, the cavern opened up into a vast, plaza-like space.
Here, an underground river converged into a deep pool.
Around the pool, countless translucent, grayish-green gelatinous masses writhed—slimes!
Adventurer’s association Common Monster Compendium Sequence 2: Slime Individual Threat Level: Simple Appearance: Translucent, gelatinous creatures.
At their core lies a faint magic crystal, the source of their life force and instincts.
Slime coloration varies with their environment, ranging from the common grayish-green of cave-dwelling slimes to the dark brown hues of swamp-dwelling varieties.
Behavior: They prefer dark, damp environments and are among the most primitive demonic beasts, possessing virtually no intelligence and acting solely on instinct.
Special Abilities: Due to their gelatinous structure, slimes exhibit considerable physical resistance.
The corrosive mucus they secrete can cause corrosive damage to human flesh but has no effect on iron.
Core Weakness: Attacking the magic core at the center of a slime’s body will instantly kill it.
Alternatively, fire is also effective.
Sustained burning will quickly melt a slime’s body.
Adventurer’s association Notes: These slimy, low-level demonic beasts pose little threat to humans.
They move slowly, and their only attack method is to leap onto a person’s face, suffocating them while their corrosive slime burns the skin.
Simply avoid their attacks.
Additionally, when resting in swamps or damp areas, thoroughly inspect your surroundings.
Slimes are known to crawl onto people’s faces while they sleep.
Marcus glanced back at his companions and nodded slowly.
These creatures were their mission targets.
Without another word, the battle began!
Vales’s arrow was always the first to fly.
He targeted a slime closest to the group.
Pfft!
The arrow pierced the gelatinous body, striking the core with pinpoint accuracy.
The slime instantly exploded, splattering viscous, semi-solid goo everywhere.
This single shot threw the slime colony into a frenzy.
Realizing they were under attack, over twenty slimes began leaping and bounding toward the team.
“Come on!” Marcus charged forward, taking the lead and positioning himself at the front line.
A slime leaped, aiming to pounce on Marcus’s face.
Marcus blocked it with his shield and followed up with a swift slash.
The battle blade met the slime’s body, its force visibly diminished.
But Marcus’s strength was immense.
The blade still cut through, striking the slime’s core and killing it instantly.
With a backhand swing, Marcus slashed at another slime.
This time, his strike missed its mark, failing to hit the core.
The blade sank several centimeters into the slime’s body before stopping, merely pushing it back a short distance.
The slime remained mobile.
Meanwhile, Vales’s arrows continued to fly.
But with the slimes bouncing erratically, his accuracy suffered.
Most arrows only pierced the slimes’ bodies, failing to hit their cores and kill them.
Zellier observed the situation.
In this scenario, the fireball spell seemed ineffective.
The fireball spell’s impact was fleeting, and the slimes lacked flammable material to sustain a fire.
The water ball spell was even worse, offering only negative effects.
Using the fire dragon art…
that seemed like overkill.
The spell consumed vast amounts of mana, and the slimes were too scattered to be wiped out in a single strike.
After a moment’s deliberation, Zellier decided on a strategy.
He raised his ashwood staff and began drawing a magic formula.
(End of the Chapter) —————————————————— 🧩 What happens next?
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