“Ew. I don’t want to deal with this.” Robyn said. She typically wasn’t the type of person to turn her nose up at dirty activities. If the job called for it, she’d jump into a pool of mud so long as she was properly rewarded. Her price wasn’t especially high, and her time in this world lowered it significantly. This job had no shortage of disgusting monsters and scenarios. Showers and bathing were also limited given the time they lived in. With all of this information, it wasn’t surprising to see how The Unnamed Team got used to filthy conditions, but that certainly didn’t mean they enjoyed it. The current predicament was only worth complaining about because of the substance in question and the knowledge that they were far from their homes and subsequent baths.
“Yeah, well… This is where Skull said to go.” Nicholas said as he stepped further through the hall. The team of four had found themselves in a long corridor covered in slime. The dimly lit room didn’t offer many details, but faint hues of varying colors reflected off the goo that painted the walls, ceiling, and floor. Thankfully, the hazard wasn’t particularly dangerous because of the team’s unique skill [Slime Resistance III]. They didn’t need to worry about losing a limb or being eaten alive. The worst part of the hall was simply that each step required extra strength to pull out of the gelatinous trap.
“Not said. I am saying this is where to go. Although, it’d be much easier to see if I could come out.” Skull said. The words were muffled through multiple layers of fabric and leather. It was the lich’s idea to come along and show the team where to go, but The Unnamed Team was concerned about traveling with someone that could be a potential enemy. As a sign of good faith, Skull removed its skull and gave it to the team for safe travels. They immediately put their new friend into their bag, where it was now shouting directions to take. Each order was blindly followed, which some members were against doing.
“We’re still trusting the elder lich?” Xander asked with a hushed voice. He wasn’t keen on having an undead for a friend, even if Skull seemed different from most. There was no telling if or when the lich would turn on them. The noticeable lack of skin and a face made reading the undead’s expressions impossible. Skull also had a motive to betray the team once the current Demon King was defeated. The elder lich would be a great contender for the newly emptied throne. Betrayal was the obvious option. There was also a lack of evidence that Skull couldn’t cast magic in its current state. These many reasons were enough to warrant caution, but some were willing to avert their eyes.
“If you’ve got a better idea, I’d love to hear it. We haven’t run into any demons and the slime is getting denser.” Rex whispered back. Skull guaranteed three things before the group departed the previous room. First, the team would be led to the throne room via the sins’ quarters. Second, the route taken would result in few, if not zero, encounters with wandering demon patrols. Third, slime would appear more frequently as the group grew closer to their destination. Everything had gone according to Skull’s predictions, so there was little reason to complain.
“Agreed. The lich didn’t seem to lie. If we can trust it, we should find ourselves in the sins’ quarters soon. After that, the throne room.” Eins said with a low voice. They were crouched to further mask the sounds of their steps. It was difficult to remain quiet with the constant schlopping sound beneath them. The noise was akin to playing with jelly or jam in their hands and clapping them together. It was annoying and auditorily displeasing. Despite this hindrance, Eins managed to stay relatively silent when compared to the others. Too silent.
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All voices stopped. The mood had suddenly changed. The hall went quiet as everyone’s mind raced. There was a presence that wasn’t there before: Eins. Had The Unnamed Team not notice the Demon Slime until now? No. That should have been impossible. They distinctly remember leaving the familiar at The Feral Tomcat with Lust and Gluttony. Plus, Skull was unaware of the additional party member. If anyone, the high-leveled lich should have seen Eins, but that wasn’t the case.
Panic and mayhem quickly ensued. The voice may have been familiar, but no one was ready for it. Tensions were high, and this wasn’t the time to suddenly appear out of thin air. Half of the team stepped back. The others lunged forward. Eins appeared in the perfect spot to startle everyone and send them reeling. Robyn fell to the ground with an audible splat. Xander stumbled like a young deer. Nicholas and Rex both grabbed at the walls for support only to find they too were slick and slid to the floor. Skull remained stuck in a bag so all that it did was scream in confusion.
“Ah! This is the worst!” Robyn said. She flung her arms away from her main body to keep the mess from getting any worse. She scraped away the excess gunk from her armor as she complained and cursed underneath her skin. When the team was prepared for the final battle, they were not expecting this. It would have been best to bring a bucket of water or something similar, but no one possessed such a level of foresight.
“Calm down. You’re going to draw attention to us.” Xander said with a hushed. He too was covered in slime. His mess was the result of his dramatic and entertaining dance that he used to stay upright. Goo was kicked up during the performance and managed to land directly on Xander. Sure, it was annoying, but not enough to potentially jeopardize the mission by complaining.
“Calm down? How can I stay calm when this place is freaking weird?! And you!” Robyn yelled as she turned toward the target of her rage. Her outburst was justified. The place was a mess and smelled odd. Demons roamed the halls, and the team was pursued immediately. It was only natural to be upset. Robyn was an incredibly powerful person in many aspects including both physical and magical, so no one stood in her way. They didn’t want to be on her bad side at this point. They chose life. As such, Robyn was free to choose her own target. The person that caused this mess in the first place. She yelled at the Demon Slime once again, “Why are you here?!”
“Am I not allowed to join the team on its final mission? Last I checked, I am a member of the group, even if it is as a familiar.” Eins said with a calm voice. They had no reason to fear Robyn. The level difference was significant, and Eins had already proven that they were stronger than the entire team combined. The only emotion they showed was defiance. The Unnamed Team had asked them to stay behind and protect the sins in case the Demon King tried to enact revenge. To the Demon Slime, it was an idiotic request. Under no circumstances would Eins simply watch the rest of their team complete the most epic mission without them. The sins were fine on their own and more than capable of fighting off assassins. They said so much themselves.
“Where have you been?” Nicholas asked. He let out a heavy sigh. If Eins was going to ignore the request, they could have simply said so. It wasn’t as if The Unnamed Team could refuse or fight the Demon Slime. All that would have changed was the number of rations brought and the team’s sleeping shifts. The deception wasn’t necessary. At least, no one on the team could see why Eins would remain hidden all this time. Fortunately, the person in question was willing to educate the others.
“I’m avoiding any unnecessary fights to preserve strength, so I’ve been using [Stealth IV] to traverse the castle unimpeded. You know, like someone with half a brain would know to do.”