The Slime Doesn't Die from Mana Transfer

Chapter 61 : The Second Floor’s Endpoint

The deep cave stretched downward, like the greedy throat of a giant beast.

Rozelite advanced carefully along the passage. This was the only corridor between layers of the labyrinth. The sole way to reach the next level was to defeat the boss guarding the entrance. Anyone who tried tunneling straight into deeper layers would be struck down by the dungeon’s rules—similar to how monsters were punished if they attempted to leave. Forcibly breaking through that way was far more difficult than facing the boss head-on.

As the descent continued, the air changed. It no longer reeked of damp rot alone; now it carried a sharp, acidic sting, like an overturned jar of rotten vinegar left to fester for years. The temperature rose as well, muggy and sticky, every breath thick as swallowing warm phlegm.

Russell’s tendrils occasionally brushed away Rozelite’s sweat, helping her keep her body temperature steady.

The path underfoot vanished entirely, replaced by muddy water and sludge bubbling with faint blisters. It felt exactly like wading along the edge of a marsh, treading half-rotted mire. Jagged stone walls and protruding rocks were coated in dark green moss. Sparse ferns glowing faintly green sprouted from cracks, barely illuminating this treacherous realm.

After some distance, a monster emerged.

“Guwaaahhhh—!”

A poison dart frog, green-skinned with black blotches, lifted its head from the muck.

The newly acquired Thermal Vision skill was nearly useless here. Rozelite’s Eagle Eye was much better at picking out irregularities.

“Don’t intervene, Mr. Slime.”

Rozelite gripped her sword tightly, voice low.

“Let me handle this.”

Before she finished speaking, the frog kicked off the ground, body snapping like a coiled spring. Its bumpy back contracted—shhhht!—a jet of dark green water hissed through the air straight toward Rozelite’s face!

Her waist twisted, legs driving power into a sudden sidestep.

Shhhrrrk!

The poisonous stream grazed the edge of her cloak and struck the moss-covered wall behind.

A sharp hiss erupted as the moss blackened, curled, and dissolved, thick smoke billowing into the air.

【Quick Step Lv1】

【Godspeed Sword Lv1】

Dodging the venom, Rozelite darted forward. Before the frog even landed, her blade split it clean in two.

“Guwaaah! Guwaaah! Guwaaahhhhhh—!”

The croak echoed like a signal. Suddenly, frog calls erupted from all around!

Ripples spread across puddles, shadows shifted on rocks, and a swarm of poison dart frogs revealed themselves. Their warty hides pulsed rapidly.

Pupupupupu—!

In an instant, dozens of venom streams shot forth like a torrential storm, blanketing every inch of Rozelite’s escape routes.

Her heart clenched. She was about to retreat when a gale surged from behind her, scattering the venom midair.

【Wind Magic Lv5】

The toxic streams splattered onto the mud, corroding small smoking craters into the ground.

An invisible barrier of wind coiled around Rozelite’s body. The poison arrows lacked penetration and fizzled harmlessly against the shield.

With the frogs’ assault broken for a moment, Rozelite threw away defense and charged into their midst. She slaughtered them mercilessly.

The monsters on this floor were stronger than the first, but even these “small fry” rarely exceeded level 10. Without the ability to pierce Wind Magic, they stood no chance before Rozelite.

Soon, it was over.

Around her stretched a ring of carnage. The few frogs that survived croaked frantically, vanishing into the swamp’s depths in panic.

Rozelite wiped sweat from her brow—only to realize she lacked any real means of dealing with wide-area attacks. If not for Russell stepping in earlier, her cloak might have been ruined. With her purse empty, she could not afford to lose the clothes she’d just bought.

She checked the corpses, but most were too badly damaged to harvest. A sigh escaped her lips.

At least there was Russell.

【Poison Lv4 → Lv5↑】

“Mr. Slime!”

Rozelite puffed out her cheeks.

“This place is awful—filthy, stinking, wet, and sweltering. Can’t we pick somewhere nicer next time?”

“...”

Russell really wanted to say, “Child, you picked this dungeon yourself.” But pointing that out would only make things worse. Instead, he soothed her.

“Look on the bright side. We’ve already reached the second floor. According to the guidebook, this place only has three layers. It’ll be over soon.”

“...Fine.”

Rozelite pressed on, reluctant but determined.

Her mouth complained, but her steps never faltered.

They passed through the frog-ridden swamp. The environment grew even harsher: puddles bubbling with unseen shapes beneath, slimy roots and slick rocks the only footholds.

Shhhk-shhhk…

A chittering, crawling sound came from every side—far more unsettling than snakes.

Rozelite scanned the slime-coated walls. From cracks in the stone, dark green scorpions emerged, tails raised. Furry fist-sized spiders dropped from moss above. Thick worms squirmed in the mud, oozing sticky fluids.

Her face turned pale.

“Mr. Slime…”

“Yeah, this might be pushing it,” Russell admitted.

Even he found this disgusting.

Before the swarm could pounce, arcs of lightning burst outward, driving the vermin back.

【Repelling Lightning Lv5】

“Rozelite” lifted a hand.

In the next instant, roaring flames surged from her palm like a broken dam, flooding the corridor ahead.

The swarm of bugs, snakes, and vermin was incinerated to ash.

When the fire faded, even the air felt cleaner.

Rozelite exhaled in relief. She was much more comfortable now.

The price, however, was that the burned remains were too damaged to feed Russell’s 【Insatiable】—little more than charred skeletons.

Not that Russell cared. The small fry didn’t matter. His goal was only the floor’s boss.

The second layer sprawled far wider than the first.

After marching for several hours without rest, the number of monsters dwindled. Ahead lay a more open space.

The floor was no longer swampy but coated in a whitish, fungal carpet. It was soft, slick, and spongy underfoot. Luminescent mushrooms grew from walls and ground, casting eerie blue light. Jagged stones encircled a relatively dry clearing at the center.

“Mr. Slime, is this…?”

“Ah. The so-called boss room.”

As Russell finished speaking, Rozelite heard a chorus of scuttling footsteps.

She braced for another horde—but instead, saw what looked like a boulder creeping closer.

No, not a boulder. A centipede.

Its shell gleamed a dull metallic hue. Countless armored segments glistened coldly under the mushrooms’ light. Rows of scythe-like legs scraped against the stone with shrill screeches. Its massive compound eyes glared with feral menace. From its mouthparts dripped sizzling corrosive saliva.

“Rozelite” acted without hesitation.

【Mana Cannon Lv8】

White energy condensed at her fingertip and blasted forward.

But just as Russell expected the monster to be blown apart, every one of its legs twitched at once. His vision blurred—and the centipede vanished.

BOOM!

The explosion rocked the cavern, but the shot missed.

Russell blinked. The creature now clung to the wall above, scythes scraping menacingly, its gaze fixed squarely on them.

“Tch. My least favorite type,” Russell muttered.

A speed-type monster.

Even with his high level, Russell was still a slime. His kind had poor dynamic vision. Enemies that moved fast enough could easily slip out of his sight, leaving him frustrated with power but no precision.

Against such foes, the only option was massive, wide-ranged spells. But that usually destroyed corpses too badly for absorption.

Wait…

“Rozelite. Can you follow its movements?”

“Of course I can.”