Now having a better idea of what I should be looking out for, well at least one thing to be looking out for, I walk steadily through the dim tunnel leading deeper into the Nature’s Reclaimed Mineshaft while keeping an eye out for any dark blobs clinging to the ceiling or walls. This caution saves me from being ambushed again, as after a couple minutes of walking, another Sap Slime attempts to drop on my head once more, but I manage to dodge it in time. Before I attack it this time, I decide to observe it a bit to see if I can gain any more info other than its proclivity to suffocate others.

Once the slime plops to the ground, it takes a couple of seconds to reorient itself into an oblong sphere shape. Once it does so, it starts to inch towards me at the speed of a runaway snail. I shine a light on its intimidating presence, taking in its glorious amber body, and stomp on it with a [Light Of Justice] infused foot, instantly killing it in a single blow. A crunch underneath my foot informs me of the small error in that action, as I lift it to reveal the crumbled remains of another Minor Monster Core, but since I don't have a single clue as to why I should care about it in the first place, I'm not too distraught about my destruction of the item.

After that battle for the ages, another set of green windows appears to inform me of my victory over the Level 5 opponent, and a small flash of light at my feet informs me that my rewards have been delivered unto me. What greets me is odd though. The fractured monster core that was there but moments before disappeared with the flash of light, and is replaced by a pair of round metallic objects. Once I shine down a fingertip light onto the object, I discover that the slime dropped a couple of coin shaped metal objects that look to be made from copper, and [Eyes Of Aspirations] confirms this to me.

(Copper Coin)

Nothing other than that, no green window telling me more, just that the coins are, in fact, coins. Now what am I supposed to do with that? For all I know based on what I read in the captain's log, the closest settlement of people is about a week away, and that's a generous estimate since I have no clue what direction Refuge is even in. I'll carry them with me in my hand for now, but if they become an annoyance to transport, I'll ditch the coins at a moment's notice.

Disappointed that I didn't receive another vial of sap, I trudge forward while keeping an eye out for more spheres of sap. As I journey through the vine-lit tunnel, I encounter slime after slime, none of which manage to get the drop on me again. Each time, I try out new things to see if I can understand the weird creatures better. When I analyze them with [Eyes Of Aspirations], they all return nothing more than {Sap Slime: Level 5} and [Current Desire: Not Applicable], which is weird since all of them are the same Level every time. Also, they don't have a desire, which should mean a lack of sentience, but every sentient being I've found has had a Level, which I thought meant that only sentient beings could Level up. Maybe only living things can have Levels? But that would mean trees and plants should have Levels too, but they don’t, or at least the ones I've encountered haven't had any yet. The System could have its own way of deciding sentience or what gets Levels, after all, I could get the Moss Wolves’ desires from [Eyes Of Aspirations] even if I wouldn't consider them sentient since they were very animalistic in their actions, not seeming to be capable of rational thought.

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Let's get back on track though, as I don't think I'll get any answers to those inquiries anytime soon. Other than the uniformity of their analysis results, I tried out various methods of disposal on the slimes to varying results. Anything purely physical seemed to have little to no effect on the Sap Slimes, even including Skills such as [Tail Whip] or [Power Slash], as any cuts would just close up almost immediately. If I managed to take a chunk of the slime off, it would just inch over to the removed sap on the floor and reabsorb it. Granted, if I wanted to actually kill the one that I was testing on, I could have before it even got close to regaining its body mass. Nevertheless, the slimes I've fought have been pretty much immune to all attacks from both my body and axe that have no magical infusion, except for one. The slime I just destroyed right now died when my tail swept through its body with both [Tail Whip] and [Power Slash], happening to crush the Minor Monster Core by happenstance. As soon as I broke the core inside the slime, the sap lost all its cohesion and fell to the floor immediately, and I soon received the green message box informing me that I defeated it.

Since this is the only time I've beat one of the slimes without resorting to the usage of [Light Of Justice], this allows me to see a new discovery once more. Instead of a solitary flash of light like the previous six slimes I've defeated in the last twenty minutes, the rewards appear on the ground in the usual flash, but the liquid sap that comprises the “corpse” of the slime dissolves into an ethereal green mist that flows into the ceiling above. Maybe I missed the phenomena before because there wasn't enough “remains” to dissolve before, but nevertheless, I find it odd that the Dungeon disposes of its monsters in the first place. I can only guess at how this functions, just like the rest of the supernatural happenings inside this Dungeon.

Deciding to put this question with the rest of the ones I don't expect to be answered soon, if at all, I bend down and pick up my loot and store it like the rest I've received. After this slime, my combined haul so far has become a single glass vial filled up with three Minor Monster Cores, two vials of diluted sap, and a hand holding onto five copper coins in its fist. While I am glad for the easy loot so far, I do hope I run into something new soon, as I'm running out of space to hold more vials.

This wish is almost granted right after, as once I walk forward for about a minute longer, I come across a new sight in the depths of this Dungeon, a door. So far, the tunnel has been nothing but a stretch of slime infested stone that is covered in glowing vines, so the typically manmade structure comes as a breath of fresh air to me. In fact, the crack below the door is also letting out a stream of light, so whatever lies ahead should be better lit as well, which should be nice after spending about half an hour in near darkness.

Approaching the wooden door, I look around it for anything that might be suspicious, before grabbing the handle and slowly pulling it open. I hide behind it as I do so, still wary of sudden attacks, and once the door is fully ajar, I peek slightly while letting my sight adjust to the improved lighting. Past the door is a decently sized cave about the size of the guard barracks’ dining hall, illuminated by a large plant with a round spherical bulb hanging from the ceiling. The entire room is covered in tall grass, which contrasts the plain stone walls all around, with another door on the end of the room opposite the one I'm at. I do recognize something inside the room though, a group of somethings in fact. Littered about the grassy floor are three green mounds, mounds of which are almost identical to those that I came across earlier this morning. I use [Eyes Of Analysis] from my position behind the door as I peek around it with just the top of my head, confirming the Species of the monsters inside.

{Sunlight Moss Wolf: Level 10}

[Current Desire: Defend Room]

{Sunlight Moss Wolf: Level 10}

[Current Desire: Defend Room]

{Sunlight Moss Wolf: Level 15}

[Current Desire: Defend Room]