Chapter 68

The slime often has resistance to heat, cold, and lightning, but by looking at the color of the slime's body, one can usually determine its weakness.

The color of the giant slime that captured Aileen is a translucent green. Green slimes develop poison when they grow, or like this slime, they generate acid within their bodies to increase their methods of attack.

Whether it has lived for a thousand years or appeared halfway through, if it has grown to the point of filling half of this vast antechamber, it is possible that it has other methods of attack. Inside its main body, there is a liquid that seems to be acid, as well as purple poison and other blue liquids. The core of the slime can be seen deep inside, but if I were to stab it with a sword as it is, I would be entangled and my momentum would be reduced.

“Mmm... hmm, ghhhhh...”

In the sticky slime, Aileen is struggling hard. Her clothes, torn by the sticky slime, are quickly entangled, and she is rapidly becoming exposed. She probably can't even breathe, and there is no time to waste.

“Aileen! Use your magic to cover your body! You should be able to do that even inside the slime!”

“...Hmm, hmm! Hmmm!”

Aileen keeps her mouth closed to prevent the slime from entering, but even so, it's a good sign if she can hear my voice.

“Well... Whoa, no mercy even for a guy... As expected of a hermaphroditic creature that can reproduce on its own...”

“Hmm, hmm! Hmm!”

What kind of joke is this, Aileen is struggling. This slime is extending several tentacles to try to incorporate me into its body as well—while I could consider slicing the slime's body tissue with a sword, it would regenerate and reconnect immediately.

If that's the case, I should freeze and shatter its body tissue. The weakness of green slime is ice, and this is an old rule that has been established for a long time unless it has mutated.

—Mr. Dick, if I had my power, I could make the 'Eternal Ice Block' last longer. Like this...

“Mizuhana... I'm going to use your ice power.”

Why don't I make a contract with a specific spirit? It's because I can reproduce magic I've seen once, except for certain spells. The consumption of magic power is greater when I use a spirit as an intermediary, but the power is not inferior, and it can even be stronger than the original user.

The water spirit Mizuhana, who is specialized in generating cold, is called the 'Ice Fox'—I had her demonstrate her magic once after she entered the shop.

Compared to Miralca's array magic, this is much easier. However, to freeze this large slime in one blow, I need to pour in my magic power to the limit and strengthen it to the point where everything will freeze.

Aileen's body is covered in red magic power, similar to when she awakens the power of a demon god. I confirmed through the battle in the ice cave that this can prevent freezing.

The slime seems to be unable to wait any longer and extends its tentacles all at once. But by then, I had already reproduced Mizuhana's magic and wrapped my sword in a cold aura.

—Magic Sword: Ice Snow Blade—

When Mizuhana used it, the magic power consumption was low because it was used through a spirit and for daily life. However, I used my magic power to the limit and forcibly increased its power to a level suitable for battle.

To efficiently freeze a wide area, I combined the principles of wind magic I had seen before, allowing my sword to be wrapped in a freezing storm. After dodging the tentacles by jumping back, I released the cold air towards the slime along with my counterattack. The first thing to freeze would be the tentacles that captured Aileen.

“Hmm, hmm... Here I gooo!”

When the slime's body tissue froze, she exerted force from the inside and shattered it to escape. The tentacles that were attacking me also froze, and the cold air spread to the main body, making a cracking sound as it solidified.

“Dick, leave the rest to me! Once it's frozen, my punches are invincible!”

Perhaps she was very frustrated at being captured, Aileen immediately ran towards the front of the slime as soon as she was freed. After stepping in with 'Thunder' and gathering her strength, she struck the frozen slime with a palm strike from both hands.

“Haaa... Shura Double Palm Wave!”

The shock that is difficult to penetrate with a simple strike efficiently penetrates the inside with a palm strike. After the double shock wave from Aileen's palms was transmitted into the frozen slime's body, it shattered into fine particles like snow.

“Phew... W-What is this, it's like snow... Dick, how hard did you freeze it?”

“I was using it for the first time, so I didn't know how effective it would be. I'm glad you're safe, Aileen.”

“...Phew.”

I just casually called out, but Aileen's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Then, despite the fact that she had almost no clothes left, she jumped into my chest.

“Phew~! Dick, Dick... I thought I was done for... I knew I shouldn't let my guard down against slimes, but I was easily captured... Uu, waaan!”

“Hey, you...”

At first, I was taken aback and almost said, "You're an adult, stop crying," but when I realized she was really crying, I gently wrapped my hand around her back, which had almost no clothes left, and stroked her to help her calm down.

An SSS-rank, the strongest martial artist in the kingdom. The girl who always led the charge with Cordy in the demon king extermination team. I thought she was fearless, a walking embodiment of courage and energy. But seeing the innocent part of her that occasionally showed, I realized she wasn't fearless at all.

“Phew... Uh, sniff...”

“If there's a slime that big, you don't have to force yourself to fight. I'll take care of it.”

“Hic... Yeah... I'll ask Dick... I haven't practiced enough... I'm weak...”

“You're not weak. It was just a bad match. Even I wouldn't want to fight a huge bug if it were the enemy.”

“...Is that so... Dick, you don't like bugs?”

Aileen wiped her tears and looked up. Seeing her red eyes made my chest hurt, but it was good that she had stopped crying.

“Among all the monsters, there aren't many who are good with bugs.”

“...Hehe. I'm fine with anything except slimes. If a big bug comes, I'll take care of it for you.”

“That's reassuring. Well, I can't afford to be called a coward anymore, and I won't dislike something just because I haven't fought it.”

“Dick, you were worried... I'm sorry, you heard it, didn't you?”

“Yeah, a little. But, did I show you a little of what it means to be reliable?”

“Yeah, I thought I was safe when Dick came. I guess I can't do without Dick.”

“S-Sure... No, I'll teach you how to defeat slimes, so try to develop your independence.”

“If Dick says so. How should I do it?”

A gauntlet that generates power like fire and ice—while it's a high-level magic tool, if you make one, Aileen can use magic, so she won't be helpless.

But honestly, when she says she can't do it without me, the urge to protect her becomes stronger.

And with Aileen almost naked and this close—just moving my hand on her back a little, I wonder what would happen.

“...Aileen, let's put that aside... The melted slime is sticking to us, what should we do?”

“Ah... Uh, can you make water, Dick?”

“I can raise or lower the temperature, but I can't make water. We're almost at the sixth floor, so it's better to escape and take a bath. I'll close my eyes, so can you move a little away?”

“...What if I say no?”

“If you say no, you can't complain about what happens, can you?”

“...H-Hai, I won't complain.”

“That's not what I meant... Sigh. You...”

When Aileen doesn't listen, for some reason, I feel gentle.

I seem to have a personality that can't leave someone who needs help alone. But if we stay like this, the others will come soon now that the passage has opened after defeating the slime.

“Ahh... Dick, Aileen, we found you!”

“Kyaa... Everyone, wait a moment, this is...”

Aileen tried to hide her body and pressed closer to me. Soft things were pressed against my chest, and before I could think of an excuse, Miralca and Verlene arrived.

“...W-What are you doing? Did the enemy tear your clothes?”

“Hmm, it seems they were fighting a slime. Moreover, a rather large one... Hmm? This is...”

Verlene walked in the direction where the slime had been buried and picked something up.

“Eh... A baby slime?”

It's understandable that Aileen thought so, but what Verlene brought over was a slime the size of a palm.

To be precise, it's not a baby slime, but a 'Slime Core' left behind when it was defeated. As long as this remains, the slime can grow back over time.

“This is a Slime Core. Once it's like this, it can be easily controlled. Slime, from now on, your master is me, Verlene Elsain.”

The slime quivered. The profession of taming monsters is not very popular in the capital, but in some regions, it is a mainstream profession. For Verlene, the former demon king, taming a slime is a simple task.

“What will you do with a tamed slime? I think it would be difficult to keep it once it grows.”

“Slimes can be quite useful depending on how they are raised. They become uncontrollable when they grow, but if tamed at the core stage, they can synthesize what they eat inside their bodies.”

“That's... alchemy, isn't it? Using slimes like that is new...”

Miralca, as a researcher, seemed interested, and her eyes changed as she looked at the slime. Her master, who was not afraid of slimes to begin with, was poking the slime on Verlene's palm.

“Having lived for a thousand years and then reincarnated as a slime, I think this is a bit different from the norm. It was quite strong, so it must have captured Aileen, right?”

“Hau... I-It's not my fault... If Dick wasn't there, I might have been melted...”

“It must have been tough. We didn't struggle much because we could destroy it.”

Not only Miralca, Cordy, and Yuma, but also the others were safe, as I knew through the piercings. They also appeared later—apparently, they were just thrown to different places, and all the rooms were connected.

“Dick, there's a way to go down to the sixth floor. Also, we found a magic array. We had to clean up a bit because the monsters were spawning, and the transfer crystal couldn't gather magic power.”

“So, I helped with the purification with Cordy. Ah... It's a comfortable tiredness. Many lost souls are purified by the power of the gods and ascend to the promised land... What a wonderful sight.”

“It seems the slime we encountered here was the toughest enemy in the sixth floor. Lord Aileen, I'll lend you my apron to cover your body for now.”

“U-Um... But the apron, it's a bit thin at the back, isn't it? It's almost see-through.”

“We can't be picky. I'll cover the back with my cloak.”

“O-Okay... Let's work together smoothly. I'll close my eyes.”

While I closed my eyes, Verlene put the apron on Aileen, and Miralca covered her with a cloak. However, the apron didn't cover everything, and when I opened my eyes, I still saw a lot of skin.

“Phew, I'm a bit calmer... I'm sorry, both of you, I'm a bit sticky from the slime.”

“Being caught by a slime is the same as being drenched in mucus... Even I find it quite challenging.”

“Dick, let's end today's exploration and return to the first floor.”

“That sounds good. After checking the first floor, we'll transfer to the basement of the Silver Water Bottle Inn and continue exploring tomorrow.”

“Then, I'll guide you to the magic array.”

Led by Cordy, we started walking. Among the undead we defeated, ghouls and the like dropped magic stones, so for A-rank adventurers, it looked like a mountain of treasure.

The dungeon is said to be a place filled with dreams for adventurers seeking a fortune. This ruin dungeon is no exception—thousands of explorers could enter, and if they were lucky, all of them could get a harvest.

In that sense, after reaching the deepest part, this dungeon might still have value. If the dungeon remains after defeating the 'Bersalis Serpent,' it could be a lifeline for the adventurer guild, which has seen a decrease in work—this is something I also considered.

At the entrance to the sixth floor, as Cordy said, a magic array was left. Fortunately, it wasn't targeted by monster attacks, but the damage to the magic array under the transfer crystal was severe, and my master immediately started repairs. While she was working, I used Yuma's power to set up a barrier around the magic array. Even though we had cleared the area, it would be pointless if monsters from other floors invaded before we returned.

When my master finished the repairs, the transfer crystal began to emit a faint glow. After confirming that the destinations included the first floor, the temple in the forest, the Silver Water Bottle Inn, and the White Goat Inn, and that we could return to this floor, we activated it immediately.

The surroundings began to change. When we transferred to the first floor's magic array, we were greeted with applause and cheers from the people who had finished clearing the remaining monsters and were waiting.

“Master Dick, welcome back!”

“You're back earlier than I thought. The first floor is so wide, I thought it would take a few days.”

“Guild Master, we've completed the current mission. Should we stay and guard the sixth floor's magic array as a precaution?”

“I've set up a barrier, so we should be able to hold out even if monsters spawn. Everyone, take a break.”

“...Good work, Dick. See you tomorrow.”

“Ah... Miss, you've been waiting all this time, is that all you have to say? Are you going to visit Dick's guild...”

Sherry and Lotte transferred together. The higher-ranked ones were not very tired, but the A-rank and below were exhausted, and many were lying on the floor.

“A tough dungeon, really. Without you guys, we wouldn't have been able to progress.”

“We took more time than we imagined. The terrain from the second floor is tricky, so it might be better not to enter. We left behind magic stones and other items that we couldn't collect after defeating the monsters. The fifth floor is dangerous, so it might be better to make it off-limits.”

“Hmm... While you guys aim for the next magic array, I'll dive in with my team. In a less dangerous area, of course.”

If we keep repeating this, we will eventually reach the depths. After resting for a night, we want to prepare thoroughly to descend as deep as possible next time.