Out of Control Inferno

Uncontrollable zzzt— "Ugh, gross little shit."

The centipede, half its body blown away, was still wriggling. It looked just like a massive cockroach. Zeeeek.... It thrashed around for a while before going limp, as if all its strength had drained out.

"Anything worth taking from this thing?"

I approached to see if there was anything to harvest from the centipede. Its head was gone, vaporized by my Holy Endowment, leaving just a bit of tail and torso. Nothing major seemed salvageable.

"...Nothing good here."

Shwick— I tore off a few legs and a chunk of the torso and stuffed them into my bag anyway. I was planning to push to the 9th floor today, so I'd have to gather more on the next floors—no need for a ton.

I'd just grabbed what I could and was about to stand when—

Pii!

"...What the hell are you doing?"

What was it even trying? Blackie zipped past me toward the centipede corpse. And then—

Pwing— Pi~ pi~ ...

"Where'd you learn a dance like that?"

It hopped right onto the corpse and started doing this weird dance. Lightly waving its hands up and down, spinning, then striking a pose like it was firing a gun at the end.

"What, you saying you killed it?"

Pii! It looked down at the centipede with this smug, satisfied expression, like it was showing off its kill.

Thwack— Pip—

"Don't get cocky, you little shit. I finished it off."

I flicked its forehead. Blackie tumbled off the corpse with a roll. Who the hell got us into this mess in the first place? What was it so proud of?

"Anyway, get ready, everyone. We're heading to the 8th floor."

I scooped up the two slimes into my arms. This time, to avoid another fiasco, I gripped Blackie extra tight.

Piii! It squirmed like crazy trying to escape, but I ignored it and stared at the blue window in front of me.

"Figures, kinda stingy."

The rewards were a bit underwhelming, as expected. How huge ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would the boss fight payout have to be to justify this? It really knew how to build anticipation.

Pii?

"Nothing, let's get going."

I dismissed the reward window and found the message to head to the next floor.

My choice was, of course, Y. The familiar floating sensation hit, and the scenery shifted around us.

Pii! Blackie tried to bolt midway through, but that just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made my grip tighten even more.

And so we entered the 8th floor.

"Alright, kids, you know the drill now, right?"

Queeek? Zeee. Kiiik?

Ahead was a cave like before, but deeper-looking, swarming with scorpions and centipedes on high alert at our sudden arrival. I muttered shortly,

"Go on, kill 'em."

Pii! Piii…!

At my command, the two nodded and charged forward. Blackie took point, water orbs in both hands.

Splack!

Queeek!!!

Perfect hits on the scorpions' heads. Just like before, they melted on contact.

And then—

Kiiiek! Pii…!

Whitey hurled water orbs at the centipedes lunging for Blackie—

Chiiik! Kiiik!

—covering it flawlessly. They synced up perfectly without a word, moving like they'd always been one unit.

"Guess I can't just sit back."

Impressed by their performance, I drew my knife too. No Holy Endowment or barbecue sauce this time.

Kiiik?!

"Show me those fangs, poison mouth!"

I couldn't let it vanish like last time. I closed in on the centipede. It reared up its body at my sudden rush.

"Whoa."

Kiiiek!

It slammed down its raised body and head. I ducked low instantly.

Swhoosh— its head grazed past.

"Those fangs look brutal, huh?"

Blackie dodged it, so no way I couldn't. I circled behind in a flash and mounted its back.

Pfook!

Kiiik!

I stabbed the knife into its head area, and it bucked wildly.

"Wheee~!"

Felt just like a rodeo rider. The scorpion thrashed up and down while I held on. The thrill was no joke.

Pii?

"Took too long?"

While I was enjoying centipede rodeo, Blackie and Whitey had finished up and were watching me. Piles of corpses behind them made quite the sight.

Pok. Shwick— Crunch—

"Sorry, it was kinda fun."

I ripped off the scorpion's neck completely and hopped down. Then—

Pii!

Blackie eyed me sparklingly as I dismounted. What was with it? Following its gaze, I saw the scorpion I'd killed.

"...You wanna try too?"

Pii!

"Later. Gotta head up first."

Piii!!!

Stubborn little shit. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It'd listen if I said next time. I bagged a massive centipede fang, reddened Blackie's forehead for its tantrum, and hugged it close while distributing the stat points from the rewards.

Pip!

"Got it, don't get mad. We can do it on the 9th floor."

I calmed the furiously thumping Blackie—its reddened forehead pounding my chest—and headed to the 9th.

The scenery shifted. No cave this time. Thick sand winds and bright light. The 9th floor was a sandy canyon. Finally out of the caves.

"Whoa, this is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠intense."

Not up on the rims, but down in the gorge—still, the view was stunning. Towering sand pillars and sandstone layers drew you in mysteriously.

As I took it in—

"Whoa... that's a lot."

Quest-style clear conditions again. Wipe out all those bugs and enter a specific cave.

"Looks like a war of attrition would suck. Better to lure 'em all and wipe at once."

It screamed time sink if dragged out. Lumping them together for an AoE seemed best.

"Sorry, but you two sit this one out."

Piii…?

I stuffed Blackie and Whitey into my hoodie hood. Then—

"Hold on tight!"

A quick warning, and I leaped forward. I'd dumped over 10 into Agility earlier—my speed was nearly double now.

Queeek?!

"Kids, throw if you can from in there!"

Pi, piii! Pi…!

I handed them prepped water orbs. They flung them from inside the hood as best they could. Not matching my pace perfectly, but—

Kiiik! Woooong!

—as long as they aggro'd well, it was fine. Like the Pied Piper, I raced ahead with dozens of bugs swarming my back.

"There it is!"

We reached the target cave in no time.

"Don't come out of the cave entrance, got it?"

Piii~? Pi…?

I tucked the puzzled pair at the entrance and extended my hand forward.

Rumble— Queeek! Kiiik!

The bug horde crept into view. I waited till they closed in fully. Then—

"Phew... Mana stat's up almost 20 now. This should be different."

Whoosh— I exhaled deeply, imagining sun-like flames. A massive fireball began forming in my palm, warping the air with heat haze as it grew.

Now!

I was about to launch the head-sized blaze when—

"Cough!"

The mana pull was out of control. My heart felt crushed.

"What the—!"

Blood sprayed from my mouth nonstop. But the real issue was—

Roar!

"Wha—!"

The fireball exploded in size insanely, devouring air, twisting space, sucking my mana dry. It ballooned into a sun-like sphere. And on top—

Queeek!! Kiiik! Woooong—

—the bugs were nearly within 20 meters. No room for rational thought.

"...Burn."

Fuck. My whole body ached.

Queeeek!!!

"All of you—BURN!"

The uncontrolled fireball detached from my fingertips. They went numb.

Kiiik?!

The lead scorpion touched it—

Whoosh! KABOOM!!!

The explosion dominated the space. Flames whipped into a fierce tornado, scorching bugs, sand, and sandstone alike with blistering heat.

"Cough cough."

I collapsed right there. And then—

"Fuck...."

The red window floated before my eyes, followed by the two slimes rushing over with something in tow. That was the last thing I saw before blacking out.