Chapter 25: Sub-Dungeon #4

Chapter 25: Sub-Dungeon #4

Mages are all crazy.

It’s not just prejudice.

In the world of “Nine Stars,” there’s even a paper that seriously researched this topic.

Titled, “On Mages and Mental Instability.”

The conclusion of the paper ends as follows:

Whether one’s mind becomes strange from using magic, or whether a strange person becomes a mage…

It’s a question that cannot be separated into cause and effect, like “which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

Who wrote such a paper?

Of course, it was a mage.

Anyway, the Contaminated Deposit is a hellscape created by the accumulation of experimental waste from such mages over many years.

Therefore, it might not be so strange that insane, erotic creatures inhabit this place.

Perhaps the distorted desires of a mage who remained a virgin for ten thousand years seeped into these slimes.

Just like these guys right in front of my eyes.

“Kyaaah-!”

Flora’s scream echoed.

The transformed slime was fast and agile.

Before I could even stop it, the green blob of slime covered Flora’s body at a speed incomparable to before.

Wagner and Mitchell’s faces turned pale.

They must have recalled the power of the slime’s corrosive attack from just moments ago.

They might have imagined Flora’s flesh melting away to a skeleton in an instant.

However…

“⋯Huh?”

Flora, covered by the slime, tilted her head in confusion.

Flora was unharmed.

No, to be precise, the slime didn’t touch a single strand of her hair and only melted her clothes.

“Hey, your clothes! Your clothes!”

“Waaah! Why is this happening?”

Flora flustered as her shirt and skirt melted and dripped away.

Her white undergarments were starkly revealed against the dark waterway.

And soon, even those undergarments would…

“Damn it, bear! What are you staring at!”

Mitchell yelled in anger and covered Flora’s body.

Wagner hastily turned his head away.

“D-don’t worry. I-I didn’t see anything.”

He stammered vehemently.

Wagner’s ears were bright red.

“⋯Never mind the bear, kid, why are you like that?”

“Estel, it’s okay. You can look this way, Estel.”

Flora, covering her chest, tilted her head and looked at my face.

It’s not just Wagner who doesn’t know where to look; it’s the same for me.

Oh, shit.

I knew this would happen.

Seeing a beautiful girl’s naked body with my own eyes is completely different from seeing it on a game screen.

My face was constantly flushing hot.

My ears were probably as red as Wagner’s right now.

“Q-quickly, get that slime off you. You can touch it with your bare hands, just hurry.”

I spoke incoherently, still keeping my gaze fixed on the ground.

“Kid, you’re acting strange? Are you shy?”

“Shut up. Just do it quickly.”

“Hmm… The more I see you, the cuter you are.”

Mitchell narrowed her eyes and smirked as if finding it amusing.

Does she think this situation is a joke?

Although it might seem less serious because it only melts clothes without touching the body, the Erotic Slime is still an extremely dangerous monster.

Why else would it be nicknamed Erotic Slime?

After the ‘Dissolution’ mode, which melts adventurers’ clothing, the ‘Rape’ mode follows.

I won’t go into detail about the process, but those who fall victim to this mode suffer immense psychological trauma.

The after-effects are particularly severe for female adventurers…

Players of “Nine Stars” referred to this as “ruining a party member.”

“Ah, shit. This thing is sticking to me too! What the hell- Get off? GET OFF!”

The slime began to crawl up Mitchell’s arm.

See, you idiot.

I told you to get it off quickly. Now you’re screwed.

“Mitchell! Your clothes!”

“Ah, crazy-“

What happened to Flora moments ago was repeated, targeting Mitchell.

The slime covering Mitchell’s body from top to bottom began to melt her thin spats and bra top as if licking ice cream.

And what’s even more horrific…

“Wagner, it’s on you too!”

“B-but I can’t see right now…”

“It’s no use, open your eyes! Hey, it’s getting inside your armor!”

Is the sadistic slime indiscriminate of gender?

No, targeting Wagner is not just a matter of gender distinction.

These slimes have too wide a strike zone for their preferences.

The ultimate opportunist.

The two Erotic Slimes instantly pushed our party to the brink of collapse.

‘Ah, these hopeless fools.’

Do I have to step in after all?

I’m the only one in the party who can act freely right now.

Trying my best not to look at Wagner’s body, I tore at the slime.

“Mitchell and Flora are fine. But Wagner, damn it, you crossed the line.”

Holding one slime like a rag in one hand, I wildly slashed at it with the Frost Blade in the other.

I could feel my own emotions fueling my speed more than usual.

It’s not because I have affectionate feelings for Wagner.

This emotion was pure anger, like when you accidentally see a disgusting image posted online.

“Don’t show me anything dirty.”

“Th-that’s too harsh, Estel…”

“I wasn’t talking to you, so don’t worry about it.”

“But… ‘dirty’…”

Wagner, dejected, seemed to have lost his will to fight and buried his face in his knees.

Anyway, I killed one slime.

Meanwhile, the slime that was melting Mitchell’s clothes changed targets and rushed towards me.

‘Fast.’

At a speed that Estel’s physical abilities couldn’t evade.

If I summoned the power stored in the holy artifact, maybe, but I have to save this ability as it can’t be used often.

Still, it’s okay for now.

As long as it doesn’t stick for too long, it’ll just melt my clothes and end there.

It’s not a very pleasant experience, but…

Instead, I’ll give up my clothes and take its life.

‘Since everyone else is undressed anyway, it’s only polite for me to shed a layer too.’

Come on.

Strip me all you want, you lewd slime.

I deliberately changed into cheap clothes that I wouldn’t mind getting melted, just in case.

I spread my arms and welcomed the slime.

Soon, a sticky, squishy sensation touched my entire body.

So this is what it feels like.

It’s much more unpleasant than I imagined.

“Oh.”

However, the slime didn’t melt my clothes.

After sticking to my body for a moment, the slime, with what seemed to be its face, tilted its head and then detached itself from me.

“What are you?”

The slime shook its body left and right.

Then, it transformed its body, pointed at me with the tip of its tentacle, and made an X shape.

“What does that mean? You dislike me?”

The slime drew an O shape.

Why can we communicate?

No, more importantly, why do you dislike me when you were targeting Mitchell, Flora, and even Wagner?

As if answering my question, the slime made a gesture with its tentacle, as if measuring me from head to toe.

“My height?”

Another O shape.

“Why my height?”

It pointed at the floor with its tentacle. Then it shook its hand, palm facing outwards.

“You dislike me because I’m short?”

Nod, nod.

“You crazy bastard. You stripped Wagner, but you dislike me because I’m a kid? Does that even make sense?”

As I spoke, my voice trembled with disbelief.

What a slime with excessively strict moral standards.

Why do I feel angry rather than relieved that I wasn’t stripped, even though I wasn’t?

It’s frustrating.

I’m angry that I was rejected by a slime just because I’m a small girl.

And I’m even more angry at myself for feeling this way about such a thing.

“Just die, you bastard.”

Slice.

I slashed the slime in half with my anger.

“Wow- Phew. Kid, you really landed a good one just now-“

Mitchell approached, about to make a joke, but swallowed her words when she saw my stern face.

Mitchell cleared her throat and patted my shoulder.

“⋯It’s okay. You’re cute enough. The cutest girl I’ve ever seen. Really. They’re the ones who are weird.”

“⋯.”

“You’ll grow taller soon, right? You’re at the age where you’re still growing.”

“⋯I don’t know.”

Mitchell, with her tall and superior physique, offered no comfort to me.

Perhaps Mitchell would never understand.

The feeling of having to live as a short girl my whole life.

The feeling of regret, thinking that if I were just 5cm taller, I wouldn’t be treated like this.

Damn it.

***

After the frantic battle ended.

The party members took off their clothes, which had become tattered from being melted, and changed into the clothes I had provided.

“Wow, those gloves didn’t melt. Imperial gloves really are good-“

Flora said cheerfully, waving her gloved hands. She wasn’t embarrassed at all, even though she was half-naked.

Is she like a little daughter I took to the bathhouse? She has no reservations.

“Senior, put on your clothes first. Clothes first.”

“Ah, thank you. Estel, you’re so well-prepared! If it weren’t for you, I would have been naked for this entire expedition-“

“Enough talking, just put on your clothes already-!”

“Ah, what’s the big deal? We’re women, after all-“

Flora put her hands on her hips and laughed heartily.

Well, with Flora’s beautiful girl visuals, it’s understandable that she’d be brimming with confidence even when undressed…

But it’s embarrassing for me to watch.

Meanwhile, Wagner and Mitchell…

“Bear, if you look this way, I’ll kill you, seriously?”

“You’d better be careful too.”

“Are you crazy? Why would I look at your naked body? Like the kid said, it’s damn dirty. I’m going crazy.”

“You keep glancing even while saying that.”

“Ah, damn-“

They turned their backs to each other, neither willing to back down, exchanging words as they changed.

Both of their cheeks were flushed red.

It seems the embarrassment caught up to them a beat later, after the excitement of the battle subsided.

‘Good times.’

I stirred the soup in the pot with a ladle.

The dish I’m making now is called “Deposit Special Slime Soup.”

The name sounds like waste that no human could possibly eat, but it’s actually a delicacy.

When boiled, the slime’s gelatinous mass turns transparent and melts into a broth with an exquisite flavor.

Season it with the chicken stock, salt, and pepper I brought, and finish with a sprinkle of parsley, and it’s done.

Eaten with bread toasted until the crust is crispy, it’s no less than a feast from a high-class restaurant.

As I crouched down, engrossed in cooking, Mitchell, who had finished changing, approached.

“It smells okay. What’s it made of?”

“Slime.”

“Slime? Ugh… Is it really edible?”

Mitchell took the soup bowl and narrowed her eyes.

“If you don’t eat it quickly, I’ll eat all of yours too?”

“I don’t know if this will give me an upset stomach.”

Mitchell tilted her head and stirred the soup with her spoon.

Hmph, so suspicious.

Slurp-

Meanwhile, Wagner, who had downed the soup bowl in one go, had a radiant expression.

“Magnificent.”

“It’s even tastier dipped in bread!”

Flora also smiled brightly.

“Are you guys conspiring to tease me?”

Mitchell looked at us with lingering suspicion, then cautiously took a spoonful of soup.

And then…

“Oh.”

Mitchell’s eyebrows curved into a perfect circle.

“Well, it’s not bad.”

Although she ate with a prim expression, her spoon moved very quickly.

Despite her words, her body is honest, Miss Elf.

This is just the beginning.

You will be unable to escape the magic of my cooking.

Someday, you might even say this.

‘Please, I beg you, cook for me- My body has become unable to eat anything but your cooking-‘ like that.

⋯Anyway, Slime Soup isn’t just for its taste.

「Consumed Special Slime Soup.」

「Acid resistance increases for one day.」

「Received Cooking Skill bonus. Stamina and energy slightly increase for one day.」

The cooking bonus obtained when skillfully preparing monster ingredients.

The key to this dish is acid resistance.

Having acid resistance in advance will make the upcoming boss battle much easier.

“Phew-“

Mitchell, who finished eating first, devouring the food like a hawk.

Mitchell stretched with a satisfied expression, fully enjoying her meal.

“⋯Pfft.”

Suddenly, Mitchell looked at us and burst into laughter.

“Everyone’s outfits are a complete mess.”

We all looked at each other.

Indeed, as Mitchell said.

“Mine too.”

Mitchell laughed, fluttering the sleeves of her maid outfit.

“It was the only thing that fit. You know, it’s not like we can be picky about clothes in the frontier.”

“I know, I know. Kid, don’t mind me. I just find it funny. It’s the first time I’ve ever worn clothes like this in my life.”

“⋯I think it suits you well.”

Wagner, who had been quietly eating his soup, chimed in.

Mitchell’s eyes widened, as if she hadn’t expected such a reaction.

Honestly, I agree with Wagner. She looks good, like an elf maid.

“Wh-what’s the bear saying? No, but what about your clothes? Are you a bear or what?”

“⋯It’s warm and soft, so I’m satisfied.”

Wagner was wearing a bearskin fur coat.

For reference, it’s a one-piece suit.

To be honest, I didn’t choose it with malicious intent.

It was really the only thing that fit.

“I like my clothes too-“

Flora said brightly.

Flora’s outfit is a linen shirt and skirt. On the surface, it looks the most normal of the three.

If you only look at the appearance, though…

“Especially the underwear is wonderful. It’s the first time I’ve ever worn such pretty underwear in my life. What do you think?”

Pfft-

Wagner spurted soup when Flora slightly lifted her skirt.

Mitchell’s mouth also dropped open.

A black piece of lingerie with lace, about half the size of a palm.

It’s closer to a piece of cloth resembling panties, used for other purposes, than actual panties.

I secretly covered my forehead.

I’m sorry.

It was really, truly the only thing that fit.