Alex felt his stomach churn. He had expected a small, harmless creature. But as he held up the brazier, he saw a huge, disgusting monster. It was made of hardened waste and slime, with brown sludge floating inside its body. Alex was terrified. He had never seen anything like it before. He put down the brazier and grabbed his sword, holding it with both hands. He took a step forward, then another. The dull red light from the brazier didn't provide much light. Alex had expected to see a small slime, but the monster was huge, taking up the entire cavern. There were strange, rock-like things stuck to the floor and walls. Alex searched his memory, trying to remember where he had seen something like this before.
Alex stared at the monster, his stomach churning at the smell. "It looks like a fatberg," he said, wiping his mouth.
"A fatburg?" Fufi asked, tilting her head. "What's that?"
"I think it is a giant ball of fat, oil, and other stuff that builds up in sewers," Alex explained. "It's caused by people flushing things down the toilet that they shouldn't, like baby wipes and bacon grease."
"That's disgusting," Fufi said. “What are baby wipes?”
Alex also saw bits of crushed stone pipes in the debris.
"Baby wipes are not important right now." Alex wondered why the flamingo brought that up. "And it looks like this one has merged with the slime and is now blocking the sewer. And it has broken the water pipes."
"That's why the fountain is dry," Fufi said.
"Exactly," Alex said. "We need to find a way to get rid of this thing."
"How are we going to do that?" Fufi asked.
"I don't know," Alex said. "But we need to figure something out, and fast."
Fufi took a step back and advised Alex to move on, saying that the creature was too big for him to handle. Alex considered his options and said that if the slime was stuck, it might be damaged by ranged attacks and unable to retaliate. He crouched down, picked up a brick, aimed it with his right hand, and switched his sword to his left hand. He told Fufi to stay back and let him know if he got too close. Fufi nodded and stood there, shifting from one webbed foot to the other.
Alex took a deep breath and yelled, "Fire!" as he threw the brick as hard as he could at the creature. He then gripped his sword with both hands and prepared for any counterattack.
The brick hit the creature's brown, slimy flesh with a splash, and the creature began to shake.
His phone unhelpfully narrated:
[Alex attacks with Brick Throw,It is ineffective]
Alex glanced behind him to make sure Fufi was safe, then looked back at the creature.
The giant stationary slime's attack was already halfway to him.
Alex raised his sword to block, hoping to avoid being engulfed by the slime.
However, instead of launching a projectile, the slime turned part of its body into a foul tendril that shot along the ground and grasped Alex's foot.
[Slime uses Tentacle grasp, it is super effective]
Alex cursed his useless phone as he felt himself being dragged along the floor towards the slime. He heard Fufi cry out in alarm as he lost his balance.
The slime pulled him towards it, so he hacked at the putrid flesh with his sword, which went through it as if he were trying to cut through jello.
[Alex uses slash it is ineffective]
Alex watched in horror as his sword, now covered in disgusting brown slime, failed to penetrate the creature. He cursed under his breath, feeling an undeniable pull towards the monstrous slime. Gripping his sword with one hand, he desperately tried to cut himself free, while his other hand clawed at the ground in a futile attempt to resist. The slime's strength was overwhelming.
A tentacle from the creature wrapped around his leg, tearing through his pants. Alex wondered how much longer he could endure, knowing his sword wouldn't last much longer against this formidable opponent. As the slime continued to draw him closer, the memory of his recent defeat by the cartoon-like stuffed animal resurfaced. Was he about to face another humiliating loss?
Suddenly, he heard Fufi honk in terror. She was standing behind him, looking terrified. Her voice was filled with panic as she screamed, "Alex! The creature is turning into a giant mouth!"
Alex looked up and saw that Fufi was right.
The slime was morphing, transforming into a giant, gaping mouth. It was a creature that had no business being in an underground sewer, its tendrils reaching out to ensnare Alex and pull him into its widening maw.
Alex fought frantically, hacking at the tendrils that bound him, but another wrapped around his sword arm, forcing him to drop his blade. As he struggled, he saw a slime tendril squirming like an earthworm towards him. He swung his arms desperately, trying to fend it off, but it drew closer, almost upon him. In a last-ditch effort, he pushed against it, but it kept advancing, a long tentacle reaching out to snatch him into its mouth.
His mind raced, but no solution came to him. This was his final chance to act, to do anything!
"Alex, stop trying to fight it like a man," Fufi cried in a shrill voice. "Fight it like a magical girl!"
Alex looked at Fufi with wide eyes, understanding dawning on him.
"Oh god, what do I do?" He asked himself while fighting the tentacle that was about to drag him into the mouth.
He struggled against the tentacle, feeling as if an octopus was dragging him into its lair. Suspended in the air, his legs were spread apart by the tentacles, and his right arm was secured. He desperately grasped the only other thing he could reach: the feather duster.
The slime's tentacles tightened around his wrist and forearm, threatening to break his bones. Gritting his teeth in pain, he yelled in desperation, trying to maneuver the feather duster to strike the slime. He swung his arm, sweeping the feather duster along the side of the slime's mouth in an attempt to clear some of it away.
His phone narrated:
[Alex uses skill: cleaning on sewer slime it is super effective]
Alex could hear Fufi cheering behind him as he fought the slime. The slime lost mass with each brush of the duster, large chunks of it evaporating into mist.
The slime opened its mouth wide to engulf him.
With one final swipe of the duster across its mouth, the slime recoiled, allowing Alex to dust himself. More of the slime transformed into a thick, brown gas that quickly filled half the tunnel and dissipated. Simultaneously, several blue droplets of a thick liquid fell to the ground.
Fufi hovered above him, looking concerned. "Don't give up," she said. "This isn't over yet." She pointed to the much-dimished brown slime.
Fufi's words resonated with him. He knew he had to see this through. Taking a deep breath, he lunged at the fatberg, swinging his duster with abandon. Though the slime resisted, Alex's feather duster strikes were undeniable. He continued to swish until the mass was reduced to nothing more than a thin, blue sludge.
Alex collapsed to the ground, exhausted but triumphant. He had done it. He had defeated the slime. Fufi landed next to him and nuzzled him affectionately. "Good job," she said. "I knew you could do it."
Alex smiled. "Thanks, Fufi," he said. "I couldn't have done it without you."
Alex dusted off the slimy pieces in the chamber. Even the foul bits of hardened waste turned to vapor with enough dustings.
"Keep going until you see something different," Fufi told him.
After twenty minutes of cleaning, Alex couldn't even see any traces of fatberg slime. The only thing left was a small blue puddle that settled in the middle of the passage. Fufi landed on Alex's shoulder and chirped, "Now it should be safe to proceed."
"Maybe there will be some treasure here," Alex stepped forward.
[Sewer Slime defeated]
Startled by his phone displaying "defeated 1/20 monsters," Alex, confused, realized it was now tracking his leveling progress and chose to ignore it. He took a deep breath, gazing into the passage's darkness. With the fatberg gone, a broken ceramic pipe now spilled water from the ceiling, flowing back towards their direction, presumably to the river. Alex noticed movement in the blue puddle that remained of the sewer slime. He cautiously approached it as if it were a wild animal, then reached out and quickly pulled his hand back.
He looked quizzically at the flamingo, then back at the seemingly alive pool. This time, he dipped a finger into the puddle. It was an unpleasant sensation, feeling like his finger was being sucked into jelly, though it caused no pain or sting. He watched the blue fluid flow like gel through his fingers. A jolt of energy, like an electrical zap, shot from his spine through his hand. He wondered if he was supposed to do more than just stick his hand in, perhaps pray. Alex didn't know, so he decided to stop and observe.
A couple of minutes passed, and the blue jelly solidified into a small slime girl. She opened her mouth, exclaimed "Merumeru!" while sticking her tongue out, then shot off into the water, splashing down from the pipe and playing everywhere.
"That's strange," Alex said. "This is bizarre."
"I think I know," Fufi replied. "It's the power of a magical girl. And congratulations, it's a girl!"
Alex looked around and said, "It is? Also, why are you phrasing it like I just gave birth?"
"Well, you are a magical girl, aren't you?" she asked. "You have powers, right?"
Alex, still shaken by his near-death experience, grumbled, "No, I'm not a magical girl, I'm just an ordinary man."
“Really? Maybe you should check your class again.” The bird sounded smug.
Alex sighed but wanted to get the last word in. "I don't know what I am anymore," he said. "But I definitely can’t give birth."
Fufi changed the subject and tried to bring up something less heavy. "Merumeru is cute! Luna would approve of her. Don't be rude. Your magic is what formed her after all."
"Slime girl?" Alex asked, trying to make sense of it all. "But how did she turn into a slime girl? Is there something about me that made this happen?"
Fufi flew above his head and excitedly gushed about the small, toddler-shaped slime. "It is not strange for magical girls to create new life. Merumeru is very cute. Can we keep her?"
Alex looked at the slime girl playing in the water, happily saying "Merumeru" over and over again. Then he looked back at Fufi. "Okay, I guess she doesn't eat people. What should I do?"
"I think her name should be Merumeru," Fufi said, looking at her new friend.
"Merumeru?" Alex asked. "What kind of name is that?"
Fufi flew above him and looked down at him. "It is just what she says so it can be her name. But she is cute!"
"Fine, fine," Alex said. "Merumeru, does that sound like a good name for you?"
The slime girl gave him a bright smile and replied, "Merumeru!"
Alex thought for a moment. "Well, Merumeru, I guess we are keeping you then."
"Thank you!" Fufi said, flying around in a happy circle above his head.
Merumeru was playing with water while looking in his general direction with big eyes. It seemed she wanted him to play with her.
Alex walked over toward her as he took a seat on the ground next to her and looked at her curiously.
"Meru?" she asked him in a cute voice.
"Hmm? No, my name is Alex." He responded.
"Meru." She repeated back to him. Then she looked up at him curiously, "Meru?"
Alex chuckled, "Is Merumeru the only thing you say?"
"Meru, muru!" Merumeru replied happily, "Meru muru muru."
Alex reached out his hands to try and grab her but she popped away from his reach and splashed water at him playfully.
Alex sighed, "It seems I am out matched here."
The little slime girl stomped around splashing water around and said, "Meru muru!"
Merumeru continued playing with water going down from the pipe creating a stream deeper into the sewer.
Fufi looked down at Merumeru and chirped, "Do you want to play?"
"Meru!" the slime girl chirped back.
Fufi hopped after her and they both ran circles around Alex. After a few minutes, they stopped running and Merumeru came closer to Alex, hopped up and gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
Alex could hear Fufi saying something, but he was too distracted by the fact that a slime had just kissed him on the cheek. He looked down at the little slime girl and said, "You're getting soaked. Don't complain if you catch a cold."
The little slime girl looked a little disappointed by his reaction, but then she giggled and said, "Muru muru!"
Fufi said, "I don't think slimes can get sick. Any germs that get on them will just dissolve."
Alex managed a smile. "Well, let's try to get out of here before anything important gets dissolved."
"Muru muru! Meru muru!" Merumeru replied happily.
The three of them then left the sewer, and Merumeru continued to chatter rapidly.
Alex, Merumeru and Fufi stepped out of the sewers in front of the fountain and placed the grate back in place so no one would fall in there by accident. It may be just the three of them in this town but safety should always be a priority.
"Are you hungry Merumeru?", he asked the little slime girl.
She shook her head and said, "Muru."
Alex smiled, "Ok, then let's go to the river and get some fish and berries. What do slime girls normally eat?"
Fufi helpfully answered, "I think slimes and can eat almost anything."
Merumeru nodded enthusiastically in response, but said nothing further.
Alex cooked a remarkable meal for the trio, yet a sense of melancholy lingered as he hadn't intended to acquire the cooking skill. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, they made their way back to the adventurers' guild. They found a moment of peace on the stone steps, quietly observing the sunset.
"Merumeru is not going to eat us in our sleep is she?" Alex whispered to Fufi.
"No," Fufi replied, "She is too cute for that."
Alex didn't buy that logic, "Will being cute keep her from doing bad things?"
"Of course," Fufi whispered back, "Anyone who uses the power of cute for evil deserves divine punishment from Luna."
Alex just rolled his eyes. He didn't buy that kind of logic but was too tired to argue.
Alex yawned and stretched his legs.
Merumeru crawled up his leg and settled next to him, using his leg as a pillow.
Alex watched the sun set, a shiver running down his spine as he recalled the tentacle incident. He dismissed it as paranoia and opted to let the sleeping slime girl rest. Gently, he carried her downstairs and dressed her in bunny pajamas before heading to bed. Despite his attempts to place her separately, she clung to him even in her sleep. Alex sighed, allowing her to snuggle close. He draped the cloak over them both and drifted off to sleep with the warmth of the slime girl by his side.