The Slime Dungeon and the Desperate Village

After the events of Slime Party (2), all other schedules were put on hold. I demanded to know the origin of the item Lime had brought back.

"Where did you get that?"

Kkeureureuk.

Lime stretched its body as high as it could, pointing toward the ceiling. It twisted its entire form, trying to convey its intent, but to me, it just looked like a flailing inflatable tube man outside a car dealership.

"I was drilling through ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the ceiling when I felt a strange magical energy, so I changed course. I found that thing there, so I grabbed it?"

"Holy crap."

Ryun had understood Lime’s gestures. Lime extended a fist toward Ryun, confirming ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she was right. If it had grown fingers, it would have looked like it was about to perform a magic trick.

"You didn't eat it, you just brought it back?"

"There was a Slime Dragon carcass buried there, so I filled my stomach with that. It’s rotten on top, but there’s plenty to eat."

"......."

Is the entire cliff actually just filled with slimes? 'Let's start by using the Dimension Stone.'

Fortunately, using the Dimension Stone wasn't very difficult. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Thanks to acquiring it, the number of facilities I could build had increased by one.

I immediately used the Dimension Stone to open the sub-dungeon. No special materials were needed; it was a system where you simply used the stone on a desired area to create a portal.

'If I can install it on a wall, there's no reason to put it right here.'

If enemies entered the dungeon, they might mistake the sub-dungeon for the real thing. Since the slimes were only up to 3-star rank and the boss was a Slime Dragon, it wouldn't be too difficult, but it would still be a nuisance.

'I should build it in the most annoying location possible.'

"Lime, you and the slimes go dig some ground."

I reorganized the squad and made Lime the foreman. While Harsus and the ghoul squad guarded Mei’s prison, I watched Lime direct the slimes and realized how intelligent it was.

'As expected of a 4-star, it’s got a good head on its shoulders.'

Having the intelligence to scheme meant it was smart. Lime understood my hand-drawn instructions instantly and completed the work exactly where I wanted.

"Hmm...."

"Why?"

"No, it just seems like fewer magic stones are coming out than before."

Just as Ryun said, strangely, no magic stones were appearing during Lime’s work. I compared the Big Slime squad assisted by the elf to the squad directed by Lime and realized the difference.

'It’s eating the magic stones in between.'

It seemed to gain experience by eating magic stones, which was why the monsters' levels were rising automatically. It wasn't just digging holes in the dungeon; it was leveling up by consuming the dungeon's internal resources.

'Magic stones really are important.'

I had never really eaten them. They didn't taste good, and it felt like chewing on broken glass, so it wasn't my preference. Furthermore, Forneus didn't provide magic stones to young orcs separately.

'If you gain experience through combat to level up, there must be items like experience books or Rare Candies.'

For now, it seemed magic stones acted as experience books. If magic stones were required to increase both the quantity and quality of monsters, then without a doubt, the most important resource in this dungeon was magic stones.

Kkeureuk.

While I was lost in thought, Lime had already created a long passage in the dungeon to the area I wanted. I installed the sub-dungeon at the end of that passage.

'With this, the first floor is basically complete.'

I installed the sub-dungeon at the ◎ position. Blue currents flowed out from the wall, centered on the Dimension Stone, and it transformed into a giant oval mirror.

'If you go inside this, it's the sub-dungeon.'

In terms of location, those who went straight from the entrance without turning right would fall into a hell of dancing slimes. Whether intruders could even enter the sub-dungeon was a mystery, though.

'Now, I have to go in myself.'

"Ryun, go to the communal area and bring the staves. Both of them."

"Yes!"

Ryun ran toward the communal area, and in the meantime, I reorganized the squad centered around myself. The Pahuu Squad. A small, elite group consisting only of Ryun and Lime, led by Captain Pahuu.

'I just need to catch the Slime Dragon myself.'

"Master!"

"Let's go."

I took Ryun, who had brought the staves, and Lime, and entered the sub-dungeon.

* * *

At that time, in the slash-and-burn village of the Virgo Barony.

"Village Chief! What are you going to do now?!"

The villagers' expressions were fierce. Even though the day had dawned, Richard and the children hadn't returned, and even the mage, Mei, hadn't come back.

'Shit. I'm screwed.'

The chief looked at an item he had stashed in the corner while lusting after Mei. The silver-rimmed mercenary badge looked like a genuine article from a fairly famous guild.

"The children didn't return! And that witch didn't come back either!"

'If that witch uses magic just once, everyone here will be slaughtered, so shut up!'

"...There must be a reason. But we can't just sit still like this. Yes, let's go."

The chief stood up. His wretched body clad in leather armor looked somewhat plausible, and in fact, the chief had experience exploring dungeons in his youth long ago.

"What if all the young people go?"

"Ma'am, imagine your son has disappeared. Can you even swallow food?"

"Damn it. How did those kids end up like this..."

"Everyone, stop. Aren't the young people the future of our village? Let's go quickly. Now, in front of this—"

Thud.

A wounded pigeon fell at the village entrance. The pigeon flapped its wings in exhaustion and collapsed in front of the chief.

"This is...?"

"The witch's pigeon?"

"Quiet!"

The chief suppressed his pounding heart and examined the paper tied to the pigeon's leg. The handwriting, which looked hastily scrawled, was definitely Mei's.

"Let's see. 'If I don't return after a day, report it to the Barony...?'"

"...W-well! Didn't the mage say one day! Don't worry! It might be a dungeon that takes a long time! Old man Jack, Kai's mother! Who knows?! Maybe those kids entered the dungeon and awakened as heroes!"

"So when is that 'one day' supposed to be?"

The chief's desperate attempt to stop them failed. Kai's father, his eyes bloodshot, picked up the collapsed pigeon.

"I can't take it anymore. I'm going to go to the Baron right now and tell him."

"Are you crazy?! If you do that, we'll all have to pay taxes!"

"Taxes or whatever, damn it! My son is missing, and that's what you have to say? Your son isn't back either!"

Kai's father threw the pigeon away, huffing. "I'm going to the Lord! I'll kill anyone who tries to stop me!"

"H-hey, stop him!"

The chief shouted, but he couldn't stop Kai's father, who was leaving the village with a demonic look on his face. The chief sat down, pulling at his hair, and scanned the people with bloodshot eyes.

"......Let's wait just one more day."

The chief needed time. Time to run away.

* * *

Wooooong.

Ryun, Lime, and I entered the dungeon's sub-dungeon.

'A place for grinding.'

The daily limit of 3 was painful, but I was so happy to be able to hunt slimes. 'Honestly, there should be a free dungeon for farming experience or magic stones.'

Because I was a young orc, I only participated in intercepting humans, so I didn't even know such sub-dungeons existed. I had only lived and grown stronger within our tribe's territory.

'The problem is my status.'

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

My level was high, but I had reached 75, the level cap for a 3-star. 'There is no way for me to evolve into a 4-star yet.'

When the time comes, when I meet the conditions, a system window will surely appear before my eyes and urge me to evolve. 'So, I’ll yield all the experience from this slime dungeon.'

To Ryun and Lime.

"Now, Ryun. Try holding this staff."

"L-like this?"

Ryun held Mei’s staff.

"Yes. And you see that thing coming out over there?"

I pointed to a slime crawling toward us. It looked weak enough to burst in one hit, but Ryun was also only Lv.5.

"Watch closely what I do from now on."

I held Mei’s staff and tapped the slime very lightly. Kkudeuk. The slime crumpled in place, shivering and unable to move. I raised the staff and struck the side of the slime hard.

Kuu—-ung!!

"Eek!"

Ryun screamed, and Lime clung to Ryun. Both were terrified by my action of striking the floor.

"Now, you strike the slime like this. Got it?"

"W-what is the meaning of this...?"

"Hmm, I see. You wouldn't understand."

I rolled the crumpled slime to Ryun’s feet and answered her. "Ah, this is what you call 'power-leveling.'"

The primary goal was Ryun reaching level 15. Ryun's ★★☆☆☆. 'I wonder if I can... once she becomes a 2-star.'

I'd have to raise her to find out.