The Slime Doesn't Die from Mana Transfer

Chapter 75 : The Undead Fortress

On the snowy plains east of Flemont.

Before the colossal bone-carved gates of the Undead Fortress, a sea of adventurers surged.

Unlike ordinary underground labyrinths, the Undead Fortress always manifested in the form of a gate appearing from thin air, as though it were the entrance to another world.

At the very front stood the squad led by Blue Falcon. Directly behind them were two A-rank squads. The higher the rank, the closer to the front they stood. Although once inside the labyrinth everyone would act independently, it didn’t stop others from instinctively clustering behind the strongest.

Chris stood at the very front of her team.

As a rogue, her job was scouting terrain and detecting dangers. Naturally, she was the one to lead.

Behind her followed Thomas, one hand hefting a massive black greatsword. His towering figure right at her back was a reassuring sight. Kate, meanwhile, didn’t walk beside them but kept some distance, maintaining an optimal angle to attack.

As an archer, he didn’t need to clash head-on. His role was to cover Thomas and Chris when enemies appeared, ensuring their safety.

Winnie held her sword and stood behind Thomas. She glanced back sharply, scanning the mixed mass of adventurers trailing them. Her sharp gaze caught sight of a small, familiar figure huddled in a large cloak, hood pulled low.

“It’s her…”

So, that girl had come along after all.

Winnie frowned faintly.

“What’s wrong, Winnie? Something up?”

Thomas followed her gaze, but only saw a crowd of shifting heads.

“Nothing.”

Winnie retracted her gaze.

Rozelite kept to the edge of the crowd, pulling her hood lower to hide her presence. She could feel Winnie’s sharp eyes pass over her. That intuition of hers had likely already noticed, but she hadn’t acted.

“Mr. Slime, Miss Winnie really is a good person.”

Rozelite whispered inwardly.

“She may just not want to invite unnecessary trouble.”

Russell’s gaze rested on the great gate ahead.

It reminded him of queuing up for dungeon raids in online games back in his previous life...

“Everyone!”

Just then, Thomas turned at the very front of the group and shouted.

“We’re all proper adventurers here, so I’ll skip the empty pleasantries. Since we all chose to explore the labyrinth today, whether you’re here to fight for yourself or for other reasons, I’ll say just one thing—let’s prioritize peace!”

“In labyrinths like this, especially undead-type ones, the spoils are usually poor. There’s no need for blades to be drawn. If anything unexpected happens, I hope we all stay calm. The priority is returning home alive. Work together, and we all profit!”

“I’ve said my piece. Who agrees? Who objects?”

“...”

The iron-tower of a man swept his gaze around.

All around, silence.

Adventurers glanced at one another, but no one spoke.

Even if some harbored different thoughts, this was hardly the time to voice dissent.

In truth, Russell agreed with Thomas. The phrase “harmony brings wealth” was correct anywhere. Fighting might bring temporary gain, but cooperation and mutual benefit led to lasting victory.

But the world was unpredictable, and people’s hearts were deceitful.

The more who abided by order, the more profit there was for those who broke it.

This paradox and spiral were not things Thomas could resolve with a few words.

Still, for the moment, he had achieved what he wanted.

The true exploration would now begin...

Chris stepped forward and placed her palm on the great gate. With hardly any effort, she pushed it open with ease.

Inside lay pure darkness—like undiluted ink. No one could see what was beyond.

Chris stepped in, her body swallowed whole by the blackness.

Thomas followed right after.

The rest hesitated only briefly before moving in line, one after another.

In just a short time, more than half had already entered.

“Let’s go too, Mr. Slime,” Rozelite said inwardly.

“Mm.”

Russell nodded.

Rozelite drew a deep breath and stepped into the abyss.

Darkness.

Endless darkness.

The instant it fell, the pressure was suffocating—so thick it felt as though the whole world had died.

“Mr. Slime?” 

Rozelite’s inner voice trembled slightly.

“Calm yourself. This isn’t absolute darkness. Your eyes just haven’t adjusted yet.”

Russell’s tone was steady.

Rozelite widened her eyes, scanning around.

After a moment, her vision began to adapt.

Those who had entered earlier had already lit torches or delicate magical lamps, casting light across the deep black labyrinth.

What emerged before them was a massive corridor, built of sandstone and black rock, wide and imposing.

The air was icy, laden with heavy moisture and a stench of decay that refused to dissipate. Torchlight flickered, sending shadows of stone walls and moving adventurers crawling wildly across the rough bone-lined walls.

“So this is... the S-rank super-labyrinth, the Undead Fortress.”

Someone murmured in awe.

Thanks to the intelligence gathered by the first expedition, there was no panic, even under such oppressive circumstances.

Unlike ordinary labyrinths—

There was no true “right direction” here.

Countless jagged tunnels stretched in every direction, indistinguishable from one another.

Torchlight couldn’t pierce far.

Some adventurers tried wandering, soon finding markings carved on the walls.

But adventurer markings weren’t universal.

What was left by the last explorers wasn’t necessarily the truth.

Still, according to the first expedition’s report, the first floor wasn’t a true maze. Though the paths branched endlessly, as long as one continued forward and defeated the monsters encountered, they would eventually reach the entrance to the second floor.

After a short pause—

Some teams picked their own tunnels.

Others quietly followed behind Blue Falcon, hoping to avoid needless combat under the S-rank squad’s protection.

And Thomas did not stop them.

In fact, he openly spoke with their captains, advising them on what to watch for during battle.

“Let’s move,” Russell said.

“Mm.”

Rozelite had no intention of joining others.

She picked a tunnel that no one else had entered—

And stepped boldly inside.