"That should be the last of them. You can put your whack stick down now."
"Oh, har har," the massively armoured young man snarks, shooting one final glance at a stain on the floor that was once a spider hatchling, before nodding in satisfaction at the obviously unmoving puddle of viscera. "You know Hell's Well how much these things freak me out. I can't believe you didn't tell me we'd be clearing spiders! Worst of all, you still haven't given me a good reason for why we had to come down here, and you know what?"
Sighing in long suffering exasperation at the giant of a man's antics, the red bearded elder of about thirty years plays along, turning around to cock his head. "What?" Well aware of 'what' his compatriot's reply will be, the lighter- yet still solidly armoured -man humours the younger man, barely glancing away from his assessment of the small cavern.
"You never fangin' will, Ash! Because there is no good reason on this mana-starved rock to send a Strike down here to clear out a satellite nest! Especially," he continues while reattaching the rapidly shrinking mass of a briefly tree-sized shield to his arm, "when this is a job for those damn nuggets!"
Honestly, Ash has to agree, eyeing the few bits of carapace still glued to the bottom edge of his irritated friend's- now normally proportioned -tower shield. He'd much rather be delving in the Second Atrium, where the challenges are comfortable and the rewards still worthwhile, but he'd promised Sariya he'd make sure the next batch of Soil's to be sent down wouldn't run into any surprises.
"I know this isn't ideal, and you're right that this is a job for an Adventurer-heavy Guild, but in case some arachnid-induced terror loosened your grip on your short term memory, there aren't any of those around, at least at this altitude. I know you hate spiders, Bee, but unless you want a tide of the little buggers swamping the Soil's training grounds, the nuggets need to keep Big Momma in check down there so the others can clear space for the rest of us."
Ignoring the far larger Delver's muttering about the overrated-ness of Adventurers, Ash continues the clean-up. Bee did a serious number on the place when the nest's reserve forces started crawling out of hidden cavities in the roof, his shrill screams drowning out the spider's own as he obliterated them in droves with his titanic shield. Talk about overkill. Though, bright sides, Ash hadn't seen Addie laugh that hard since she got revenge for Aloysius' last prank birthday gift. How the Bonder managed to get a hold of such a dense slime Ash would never know, but the sheer mess caused by the rigged present's eruption had him cleaning slime matter from between gaps in the Guild hall's ceiling slats for days.
Of course, the cheeky bastard said it was worth every aching muscle, but the way he twitched whenever said sister walked by for the next week made his words ring a little hollow.
Looking over at the redhead weaver while keeping an eye out for any lucky finds, the senior member of their Strike shakes his head at the toned woman's casual use of Woven water to clean spider gunk from her short hair, the refreshing liquid trickling down the sides of her shaven head before unravelling into threads of invisible mana. How they managed to land a War Weaver of her calibre he'll never know, it's not every spell weaver who can thread mana with such ease.
Even her odd penchant for unravelling her mana weaves when she's done with them speaks to her control. Most people would let the mana dissipate as is, but Ash can count on one hand the number of times the woman has allowed that to happen, and most were because she was either interrupted or physically unable to move due to exhaustion.
Catching sight of the older man as he wanders over, his search concluded, Addie looks over his shoulder at the pile he just left, a query in her gaze. "This lot Heartless?" Nodding, the broadsword wielder gestures around the room at the thoroughly pummelled mess of arachnid parts.
"Yeah, not a one, and Bee's... totally justified and reasonable use of force," he smirks, pretending to miss the finger said man flips his way, "means there aren't much in the way of resources to gather." Clapping his hands together, the Delver ensures both Strike members are paying attention before he begins, his face serious. "You know what a nest popping up here means. It wasn't well established, the monsters haven't had time for that, so the culprit must have slipped past the adventurer's cordon recently."
"Bloody nuggets," Bee grumbles, daintily flicking bits of spider carapace off his favoured shield/weapon. "What's the point of 'em if they can't keep Big Momma's little horrors from the safe zone? Our Guild's work will be ruined!"
Clenching his jaw, Ash reminds himself that Bee is just stressed. He knows the Delver is aware that it's almost impossible for any force, bar Guilds or nations with far greater numbers than their own, to completely prevent monsters from spreading in the First Atrium. The Adventurer Guilds stationed below simply don't have the manpower to patrol every one of the myriad tunnels, especially when more can open up out of nowhere at a moment's notice.
"You know the situation. We need them down there, or a lot of people up on the surface right now will be in serious trouble very soon. It's time to nut up or shut up, Bee," he says firmly, pointing down one of many innocuous tunnels spreading out into the Dungeon around them. "We need to find the monster responsible for establishing this nest and kill it before it has a chance to start again somewhere else. Yes, that means we'll run into more spiders, but would you rather the Soil's be the ones to find the next lot?"
Glaring at his senior-in-age-only, as the man is wont to make it known, Bee says nothing, leaning forward with his arms crossed atop his shield in, the height and width of the board of dense wood hiding most of his face.
"Thought not."
"If you're right, and this nest wasn't well established," Addie comments, sporting a serious visage of her own, "we have a problem. There were quite a few monsters in here and the surrounding tunnels, but they barely spread, which indicates that they probably didn't have the time to secure their foothold." Tone grim, the weaver looks down at the forest of shattered legs littering the floor, barely enough clear space in the room to stand still without getting spider guts on your boots. "Any monster capable of laying this many young needs to have gone through at least a couple specialised evolutions. We could be dealing with a Brood Mother, possibly even one of the Children."
Proud of the young woman's foresight, Ash nods, Bee's face turning ever so slightly green. "Exactly. Now that we've seen this, we can't let a monster like that establish territory with a Surge coming, or we'll have a new infestation on our hands. Though," he begins, giving their strongest member a reassuring smirk, "I doubt it's one of the Children."
"Why is that?" Addie asks, still tense.
His grin turning mischievous, Ash glances at the still green young -but by no means small -man across from him.
"The Children can't fit in the tunnels up here."
"Oh, shut yer maw!"
Even with his attempts to lighten the mood, the very idea of an infestation popping up so close to the surface sends a shiver through each of the Delver's spines. Larger cities than theirs have been razed for allowing monsters to consolidate territory before a Surge, even whole countries in some cases.
"Right, enough delaying. We've got a spider to hunt."
Glaring up at the cave roof, Bee settles the shield larger than some humans on his forearm with practiced ease, rolling his broad shoulders before leading the Strike into the tunnels once more, muttering under his breath the whole time.
"You owe me a fangin' barrel of stone mead for this, Sariya..."
----------------------------------------
I wait for something to happen with bated metaphorical breath, unsure what to expect. The Mana Heart I have tucked away back home felt distinctly rock-like, I hope having one grow inside me isn't painfu-
A small mote of warmth sparks to life within my core, like the soft caress of a summer breeze. I can feel the mote grow progressively more dense over the span of the next handful of seconds, going from light and airy warmth to the soothing weight of a smooth, sun drenched stone. The process only lasts for a minute, a slight eddy of sadness running through me when the sensation recedes, leaving a tangible weight resting within me.
That was one of the most calming, most pleasant things I've ever experienced. Like curling up around a perfectly warmed water bottle on a cold day, or having a deep tissue massage.
Well, I've never been lucky enough to try either of those, but if they're anything like that, I can see why people spend more money on such luxury than I used to earn in a week.
[Congratulations! You have successfully catalysed a Concentrated Mana Heart!]
Booyah! Turning the focus of my Mana Receptors inwards, I see a faceted spherical structure suffused with the soft glow of mana floating in the middle of my mass. Cautiously giving it a little poke, I'm surprised to feel no resistance, making no contact with the structure despite it sitting there, plainly as day. Giving it a firmer push, I try to roll or budge it by warping my body, but although I can watch it spin around by keeping an eye on the facets, I can't do anything more than look at it.
I was really expecting some kind of rock, like what I pulled out of the Vine Parasite, but the more I think about it, the more I realise it would actually be rather inconvenient for me as a slime to have a rock floating around inside me. How would I squeeze into tight spots or pancake myself if I had to worry about my fancy new Heart?
Ahh, speaking of which, time to take a look-see at what this choice has done for my status! I can worry about this later, it's here, so let's figure out what it does!
Name: Luke
Species: Baby Blue Slime [Concentrated Mana Heart]
Level: 1
Hit Points - 13/15
Mana - 5
Physicality: 8
Fortitude: 8
Thought: 24
Intent: 19
Skills: Pound [Lv.4], Malleable [Lv.1], Bounce [Lv.4], Stealth [Lv.4], Engulf [Lv.2]
Mutations: Mana Receptors +3 , Digestive Molecules +3 , Motive Molecules +2 , Membrane +2
Skill Points: 2
Impurities: 5
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
OI! SIR DAVID ATTENBOROUGH, YOU GET YOUR ASS IN HERE! Why have I gone all the way back to level one?! I worked seriously hard for those levels, you give them back right this instant! Metaphorically huffing and puffing until my grotesque little house nearly blows down, I circulate in an effort to cool my non-existent head.
It's alright Luke, you just got a caught off guard. The description the system gave for catalysing your new Heart mentioned forgoing evolution in exchange for this new doohickey, which means you should get the opportunity when you reach level five again.
...Probably...
Be that as it may, me, getting to the point was a rough experience! I know I have better mutations, and more combat experience, and I've upgraded a skill... and most of the rest are pretty close to upgrading as well... and I have a better idea of how the system works...
.....
Y'know, maybe I am overreacting.
If slimes could blush, I'd be doing my best impression of red Gatorade right now. Deciding the best thing to do is forget my little outburst ever happened (huh? outburst? what are you on about?), I turn my attention to the tasty new keyword next to my name, opening a detailed descripti-
Ah. No info, huh?
Damn, that's mighty inconvenient. I wasn't expecting the secrets of the universe, but is it too much to ask for a tool tip?
Bah, I'm not gonna let this get me down! What next... Oh! Let's see if I've got any new skills available! Opening the Skill menu, I'm not disappointed (for once).
[Available Skills: Grip - 1 SP: Assists with technique and fine motor skills required to maintain the skill holder's grasp on surfaces, objects and other entities.
Swimming - 1 SP: Imparts basic knowledge on techniques suited to the skill holder's physique for the purposes of traversing liquid environments.
Mana Weaving - 1 SP: Imparts to the skill holder knowledge on how to gather, mould, and weave mana.]
There it is! Mana Weaving, reveal your secrets unto me!
[You have successfully purchased Skill: Mana Weaving]
Stopping just shy of salivating as knowledge trickles into me, I can scarcely believe I have the foundations of actual, literal magical theory slowly building beneath my metaphorical fingertips! Before I can get carried away, and to give the knowledge and instincts time to settle, I look over the two other skill options that've popped up. Grip and Swimming, huh? Did these Skills appear because of my recent activities, or are they standard for all monsters at my level? Actually, come to think of it, I haven't opened the Skill menu since I cleared it out buying Engulf. Did they show up here before, but I just never bothered to check?
I hope not, that would be super embarrassing...
In any case, both of these would be pretty useful, but I only have one Skill Point left to spend... I think I'll hold off for now, I want to keep that one in reserve to upgrade one of the Skills I already have.
Next up, mutations!
[Mutate Mana Receptors to +4, consuming 4 Impurities?]
Without hesitation!
The world goes out of focus once more, my mass filled with a sensation akin to having a can of Fanta poured directly into my bloodstream. Soon, my sight returns just that bit sharper, once imperceptible cracks and inconsistencies in the uneven tunnel floor making themselves known to me. Now that it's up to +4, I can see the range of my mana sense has improved notably from where it started. The walls and floor blur together a good distance back up the tunnel, but I can see considerably further than what I was once capable of.
I don't care how risky putting off upgrading my combat options is, I will not allow myself to be caught out like I was by that stupid thread. That one little strand of web cost me the opening strike, I mightn't have had such a hard time fighting that spider if I didn't give myself away there.
Closing the mental screen, I wobble in satisfaction, commencing the final digestion of my temporary hiding place. You've served me well, my 'shell'ter, but now it's time to perform your final act of service; gettin' into mah belleh! Clearing up the hollow carcass in under a minute, I check on the hyena still webbed to the floor in the middle of the tunnel.
I was lucky, looks like nothing came by while I was occupied. I was prepared to sacrifice the Impurities in order to have an early warning system in place, but looks like I'm able to have my cake and eat it too in this case!
[You have consumed 1 Impurity]
A few minutes later, now full up on health, I slip out from under the blanket of webbing, grinning. My hunch turned out to be spot on, while the threads do stick to my membrane, they only do so to a very minor degree. All I need to do is dissolve any stuck membrane, flow away, reform, and Bob's your Builder, spider trap escape!
Haaa, that hit the spot! And my sighing is getting much better now that I've gotten some practice in with Malleable, I can make an improvised bellows inside my body with which to push air out. It sounds a little flabby if I'm not careful, but I'm getting there!
Looking up and down the tunnel, I'm a little concerned at the complete lack of traffic. I have no idea what's ahead, but I won't feel comfortable going back the way I came for at least a few hours. Oh well, I may as well continue my exploration then. Not to mention, with my newly upgraded mana sense and only two possible avenues of approach, I can focus most of my attention on practicing what may well end up being one of the most important Skills I've picked up to date.
Focusing on the knowledge I've gained from my new Mana Weaving Skill, I turn my attention inwards, feeling out the glow contained within my Mana Heart, the tranquil font of energy rippling under the weight of my perception. Slowly, carefully, I picture teasing a single, hair thin strand of mana from the pool with a current, pulling out a loose thread of glowing mana and dragging it through my body like I'm waving a dancer's ribbon around underwater.
Straining from the effort of maintaining this level of directed focus, I move on to the next step. If someone had tried to describe to me the process of 'moulding mana with the force of your Intent', I'd have smiled, nodded politely, and immediately asked someone else for a better explanation. But, thanks to the foundational knowledge and instincts imprinted into my mind, all I have to do is work on figuring out what feels right for me.
It's pretty difficult to 'hold' the thread of mana together without it dissipating, while simultaneously trying to mould it with my Intent without any appendages to provide a framework for me to guide the thread along. It takes a minute and a few failed attempts, but after giving myself a couple of stubby vestigial arms, I manage to stretch a single, glowing thread of blue mana between the tips of my pair of armlets. It almost immediately dissipates into the air, fading to nothing moments later.
But I did it! That was unmistakably, undoubtedly, mana. My mana, pulled and stretched by yours truly! The rush of exhilaration upon my initial success is almost immediately followed by a sudden smouldering focus, every spare inch of concentration not being used to crawl down the tunnel spent smothering this challenge with my Intent.
I wouldn't say I'm in the zone, but I definitely end up in a state similar to 'packer mode'. I used to work at a popular fast food joint where the burger are better, and while the work technically wasn't difficult, it was repetitive. There was a flow to it, one I would drop into on a good day. It was one of the few times I felt like it was possible for me to actually focus on more than one thing at once, as long as it was part of the flow.
I've probably been crawling and practicing for a few minutes now. I'm midway through trying to figure out how to change the shape of the thread when it suddenly falls apart. Snapped out of 'packer mode'- or 'weaving mode' now, I guess -with a sudden jolt, I check my mana levels, finding that my reservoir has run dry. Well, now that I'm here, I may as well figure out how long it takes for my mana to regenerate.
Continuing on, I watch my mana slowly tick back up for the next few minutes. Once my reserves are full, I start all over again, pulling out another strand and making an effort to move it around with my limited appendages. Whatever method the Skill inserted in my noggin, it doesn't seem well suited to creatures without limbs, much to my frustration. I can make limbs, obviously, but it strikes me as an oversight that there isn't an alternative method of weaving mana that doesn't need some kind of appendage to work with.
To be fair, as I understand it, appendages like arms or fingers aren't a requirement for moulding mana into shape, one's Intent is the only thing doing the actual manipulating, they just act like a scaffold for your Intent so you don't need to focus so hard on picturing the shape you want. If I had to liken it to anything, it would be the difference between trying to draw a curved line from memory, as opposed to putting a piece of paper over the original and tracing it. You can definitely do it the first way if you're able to visualise it clearly, but tracing it is faster, more accurate, and overall just way less effort.
I'm not sure whether or not to be thankful that I don't know any spells yet. While I can pull the mana into a single strand almost every time now, it's already seriously difficult to make the mana move without the additional mental load of forming and maintaining limbs. I wish there was an easier way to do this, but the Skill's given me what the Skill's given me, so I guess I'm gonna be grinding for a whi-
Dropping the thread of mana stretching between my little appendages, I swiftly edge myself up against the wall, the stalagmites I might otherwise be using for cover rather sparse in this section of tunnel. Eyeing the reason for my sudden caution, I creep closer to the end of the tunnel, noting that it opens up into an area that must have a lot of mana, going by the glow emanating from it. If I could see light, I'd think this tunnel is letting out onto the surface. There's no chance of that though, I've been going down this whole time. This world is considerably different than my old one, but I'm confident 'down is down' is still a steady, multiversal concept, excepting the intervention of any pesky hand waving by magic.
Of course, there's nothing to say magic can't still shatter my perception of the world by proving that expectations of any kind are tantamount to blasphemy. I make this amendment due to the fact that this world seems to be trying to grind said expectations into powder.
Caution falling by the wayside in favour of gobsmacked wonder, I look upon the space before me, wishing I had some way to clean or otherwise verify my Mana Receptors are functioning properly, because I'm finding it mighty hard to process what I'm seeing.
I stare out from my position at least a few stories up on the edge of a narrow cliff, a huge forest broken up by bare, rolling hills, interspersed with various sized lakes and streams stretching off into a general haze of aquamarine at the edge of my perception. The glow I was seeing seems to be coming from both the terrain below and the ceiling of this humongous cavern, the vast majority of which is covered in thick shelves and stalactites made of brightly glowing crystal. The overall effect comes together to showcase at least several football stadiums worth of forest and hilly plains stretching out beneath a soothing, evenly lit, crystal sky.
Okay. Alright. Forest, underground? Check. Sky, glowing crystal? Checka-roo. Sense of reality and self control required to stop myself from haring off into this undoubtedly beautiful landscape, which is also undoubtedly stuffed with monsters?
Fading.
Rapidly.
Thi- This is... no words. No. Words. I just sit there, guzzling down the sight before me like a dying man stumbling upon a sports drink convention. Turns out, slimes can cry, if they try hard enough.
Smoothing the ribbon-esque waves rippling down my membrane and settling the trembling sensation surrounding my Heart, I try to figure out why the mere sight of this place has affected me so strongly.
I always enjoyed being in nature, I lived in a park for a while, and my first time seeing open space sends a soothing ripple through some vestigial instincts left over from being human that I haven't been paying attention to, but neither of those reasons can account for the strength of my reaction. Taking another look over the vista spread before me and trying not to get lost, I reflect on what I'm thinking and feeling...
...and come to a somewhat startling realisation. This is the first place I've seen in this world that looks like I could enjoy myself, maybe even have some fun. I've been forced to think only of survival ever since I was reborn, and I realise now that it's been stifling me. I've been trying to stay positive, but there's only so resilient I can be before the tension gets to me, the constant battle of kill or be killed taking it's toll on my psyche. But this place... I'm not about to assume it's safe, far from it, but this underground forest is big enough that I'm sure I'll be able to find a little nook or two to sleep in while I try to figure out how to find some fun here.
Looking back the way I came and thinking of the stony, tight, unwelcoming atmosphere of the tunnels, I turn to observe this gorgeous forest, the blue mana of the Dungeon mixing with green mana wafting through and around the trees into a swirling wash of colour that reminds me of Van Gogh. I don't care that it's probably filled with monsters that would happily welcome me as a snack, I don't care if I'm leaving a perfectly safe cave behind for it, I don't care that I'll be putting myself at risk.
I won't ignore my survival of course, I'll still be trying to upgrade my Skills and gain levels, but I can do that while I look for other slimes, maybe make a game of it? Feeling a previously unnoticed depressive weight lift itself from my shoulders, I vow to myself to never again lose sight of the fun in life. I'm a slime in a fantasy dungeon filled with monsters and magic! It's dangerous, of course it is, but who wouldn't be excited by that!? Don't give up your zest for life, Luke! It was the fun you had bouncing around the tunnels that laid the groundwork for the Bounce Skill that's saved your life more than once.
Bobbing with pep and excitement, I look over the ledge at the floor far below. I may have been afraid of falling as a human, but as a slime?
Sliding back from the edge that terminates in open air and a sudden, precipitous drop, I don a manic smile for no one else's benefit but my own. Bursting out the gates with a wild trill, I leap out into open space, gravity immediately proving to me that I can't fly, regardless of my soaring heart. Spreading myself out like a skydiver, my ululations echoing silently around me, I plummet towards the forest below, giggling like a kid about to unwrap a present 'this big!'