Chapter 24: Sub-Dungeon #3

Chapter 24: Sub-Dungeon #3

“You know, we’re not here to play around. Everyone knows that, right?”

A sharp mental lecture that pierced the core.

“Mitchell, if you get cocky and charge off alone, we can’t help you. Are you planning to fight alone without party members?”

Cold feedback given to each individual.

“⋯Okay, that’s all for now. Let’s do better next time. Don’t forget what I said and remember it well.”

A clean finish without any lingering resentment.

Wow-

This is what a true leader is.

I clearly showed everyone what a proper party leader should be.

Indeed, perhaps my efforts were not in vain, as everyone looked impressed.

Oh dear.

Did I show too much charisma?

It’s not like you have to respect me that much, though. It’s a bit burdensome.

“Estel, I understand perfectly. From now on, I’ll do better as you say!”

But as soon as I finished speaking, Flora suddenly hugged me tightly.

⋯Huh?

It’s soft and warm, so it doesn’t feel too bad…

‘Charisma… I did show it, right?’

Even a stern leader shouldn’t be too distant from their party members.

Can this be considered a natural expression of respect…

Or maybe not. But aren’t you hugging me too tightly, like I’m a doll?

“It was informative and cute, Estel. You’re just like a baby bear doll that speaks only the truth.”

“The kid is a bit cheeky, but what she says makes sense. Alright, I’ll keep it in mind too.”

Mitchell also came over and tousled my hair.

She even pulled my cheeks.

⋯Charisma?

⋯Is it there?

This isn’t the atmosphere I was hoping for.

But I can’t get angry about it now.

In the meantime, my gaze met Wagner’s.

“Ahem.”

Wagner seemed to have a rough idea of what I wanted to show, but…

With a look that said, ‘What can I do?’, he subtly avoided my gaze.

Hey guys.

Can you stop patting me?

I’m not a toy, you know?

Especially you, Flora. Where are you touching?

Are you subtly touching weird places?

“Estel, tell us one more time. We’re not here to play around! Please?”

“⋯.”

“Ah, I’m begging you- that part was the cutest.”

Buried in Flora’s embrace, I quietly closed my eyes with a sense of futility.

To become a dignified party leader…

It seems I still have a long way to go.

***

The conquest of the Contaminated Deposit continued.

Following the Translucent Eyeballs, various mutated eyeball variants began to appear.

The Mud Monsters also grew larger and faster.

“Senior, there’s an ‘Aing Eyeball’ behind you!”

“Yes!”

At my shout, Flora quickly turned around and used her magic shield.

BOOM-

The ‘Aing Eyeball’ self-destructed with a deafening roar, just barely missing.

Fragments flew like bullets in all directions, but they were all blocked by the magic shield.

“Phew- That was close. Thanks, Estel!”

“Okay, but stay focused, Senior!”

“Okay-“

We don’t have the luxury of leisurely exchanging thanks.

I kept my body moving without rest, using magic arrows to keep the monsters in check.

It’s most efficient for me to deal with the ‘Bloodshot Eyeballs’ floating in the air, dripping contaminated blood.

And the ‘Rotten Mud Monsters’ that attract swarms of flies are subdued by the combined efforts of Wagner and Mitchell.

A fierce battle continued without a moment’s respite.

After a while, a pile of monster corpses lay scattered around.

“Phew- I’m starting to get a little tired now.”

Mitchell sat down with a thud, rubbing her shoulders.

It’s only natural that she’d be tired.

As the party’s main damage dealer, she worked very hard.

If there were a damage meter, Mitchell’s damage output would undoubtedly be the highest among the party members.

Wagner, as the tank, primarily took on the role of blocking the monsters’ attacks, and Flora and I had to rest when our mana was depleted.

We decided to take a short break.

Wagner also lowered his heavy shield for the first time in a while, and Flora dozed off.

Everyone seemed tired, but…

Even during this time, I alone rummaged through the monster corpses, scurrying around.

‘I must collect as much as possible before they rot.’

I absolutely cannot stand to see hard-won spoils go to waste.

Especially the biological tissues of the eyeball series, which sell for a high price; if not collected quickly, they’ll rot.

Chomp, chomp.

My nimble hands made my dagger dance merrily, tearing through the flesh.

At first, it was disgusting, but now that I know it’s all money, it’s just rewarding.

“Kid, what are you doing? Need help?”

“No, I’ll do it. You rest.”

I didn’t ask for help.

From the perspective of maintaining the party’s combat effectiveness, Mitchell will have to work hard from now on, so it’s better to let her rest and recover her stamina.

And I’d be furious if she messed up the spoils with her clumsy skills.

No one in our party can match my collection skills.

Tough hunting. Then collecting spoils.

Even though it was a game, it was a routine I was too familiar with from repeating it countless times.

Perhaps because my mind was at peace, I even hummed a tune.

After finishing the collection, I called my party members together again.

“Alright, alright, rest is over. Let’s move.”

Everyone still looked tired, but they obediently got up without complaint.

We were now past the halfway point of the Contaminated Deposit.

The level of monsters appearing grew progressively more threatening.

Moreover, the problem wasn’t just the monsters.

“Uh, oh?”

Wagner, whose foot slipped, flailed wildly in place.

Just as Wagner’s unbalanced legs were about to fall into the contaminated waterway…

“Whoa, be careful-“

At the last second, a magic shield appeared, serving as a foothold.

Wagner breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

“Hoo, thanks.”

“Ah, it’s nothing-“

In the latter half of the dungeon, the contaminated waterway increasingly eroded the path, reducing the areas where one could move freely.

Therefore, I designated Flora as a rescue specialist, assigning her the mission to super-save her comrades with a magic shield if necessary.

It’s not just the slippery floor that requires caution.

The toxic slime seeping from the walls and ceiling is also a target of concern.

Splat.

Mitchell, who accidentally leaned her shoulder against the wall, let out a sharp scream.

“Ah, damn!”

Even though she only touched it for a brief moment, Mitchell’s shoulder quickly turned red, and smoke began to rise.

“Ah, that really stings.”

“⋯Don’t put saliva on it, Mitchell. It’ll get worse. I’ll treat it properly with herbs later.”

The horror of poison, magical contamination, and corrosive acid.

Adventurers who haven’t learned how to navigate and overcome hostile environments will quickly become prey in the Contaminated Deposit and melt away.

However, the most terrifying enemy is something else…

“Estel, speaking of which, your clothes have changed?”

“Yeah.”

“Is it an image change? Your new clothes are cute too-“

I still don’t know whether to thank her for calling them cute.

In any case, I had changed into clothes with a different style from my usual sporty girl fashion during the break.

Ordinary cloth clothes and a skirt.

No special options, and it’s safe to say there’s no defense whatsoever; they’re just junk equipment.

Later, I wouldn’t even pick them up because they’d take up space in my backpack.

But there’s a reason I switched to worse equipment.

“Uh, what’s that?”

Mitchell narrowed her brow.

An amorphous monster approaching with a sloshing sound in the darkness.

“Is it a Mud Monster?”

“It’s different from the ones we saw. It’s green.”

“Wow, it looks like melon jelly- How pretty.”

Have they finally appeared?

The formidable enemy of the Contaminated Deposit, the Slime.

Unlike the large Mud Monsters, these are less than half the size, and as Flora said, they look quite pretty, but these guys are truly dangerous.

You know, like in cartoons.

Just like the cliché where the small guy standing with his arms crossed next to the burly figure is stronger.

I immediately used Frost Blade.

A long blade of blue frost extended from the ritual dagger, illuminating the darkness of the waterway.

‘There are two slimes. It would be good if we could defeat them quickly, but…’

There’s no easy way to conquer them.

We just have to fight them with all our might, just like we fought the other monsters.

However, I can only hope that critical damage doesn’t accumulate.

“Hmph!”

Wagner raised his shield and swung his mace with all his might, initiating the battle.

CRUNCH.

The slime, directly hit by the mace, crumpled into the shape of the weapon, then vibrated elastically and restored its original form.

High HP and regeneration that don’t fall with one or two attacks.

And then, the counterattack.

“Kugh…!”

Pshhh-

Small droplets from the slime’s body began to corrode Wagner’s armor.

Wagner groaned.

Wagner’s exposed hands and neck, unprotected by armor, burst into flames, emitting smoke.

The troublesome “Corrosive Fluid” trait.

With every attack, fragments of its body scatter, spewing acidic damage around.

For a party at our level, without any countermeasures secured, this is a disaster.

“Aaaagh…”

Even Wagner, who had silently served as the party’s shield until now, was groaning in pain.

“Mitchell! Get behind me!”

“Uh, wait. Bear, if you do that-“

“I don’t think I can hit them with bare fists!”

Wagner raised his voice, which was rare.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Mitchell followed Wagner’s words without complaint.

‘Accurate judgment.’

Wagner’s split-second decision was correct.

While Wagner, equipped with steel armor, could endure it, the rest of the party members would find it difficult to withstand the slime’s acidic attacks.

Not only me and Flora, who were wearing cloth clothes that were practically everyday wear, but Mitchell’s bare skin was also exposed like an athlete.

However, this was also a harsh judgment for Wagner himself.

As Mitchell retreated, the slimes, looking for a new target, attached themselves additionally, and two of them rushed at Wagner simultaneously.

“Kugh!”

Wagner gritted his teeth as if they would break.

The sight of smoke rising from various parts of his body was unbearable even for those watching from behind.

“Uaaagh- P-please hold on just a little longer!”

Flora, half-panicked, unleashed a barrage of magic arrows.

Although she had completely lost her composure, ranged attacks from a distance were still a valid method of attack.

Meanwhile, I aimed my Frost Blade and approached the slime.

“Estel, get back…!”

“A party leader never abandons their comrades.”

Dodging the acid droplets splattering in all directions, I accurately focused on the slime.

Cutting off a part of its body won’t be enough.

If we fight like that, the damage will accumulate endlessly.

Just one hit.

I just need to pierce it accurately once.

Towards the core, faintly visible in the center of the wriggling, shimmering melon-colored fluid.

“Here I go.”

Fwoosh.

Frost Blade pierced the slime’s body.

I immediately turned and pierced the core of the next slime.

“It stopped! Is it dead?”

Mitchell, from behind, uttered the words that should never be said.

Mitchell, don’t you know that’s a taboo?

They say even dead enemies come back to life when you say that.

It’s like an emergency defibrillator.

Well, anyway, the slime originally had two more phases, but…

The slimes, frozen in the shape of their pierced cores, began to bubble and boil.

This is a signal that they are changing from the “Corrosive Fluid” trait to the next one.

The two slimes slowly transformed their bodies into green heart shapes.

It has begun.

Phase 2, Erotic Slime Mode.