Transmuted skills aren’t your average skills—they’re a bit more complex. Usually, they need a couple of abilities mixed together to change what an existing skill does. It’s like taking the basic skill and throwing it in a blender with something else to see what comes out.

Back when I played as a Weaponmancer, that’s exactly what happened. I had [Weapon Craft] as my inate skill, and when I combined it with the Necromancer class’s [Animus] trait, it turned into [Animate Weapon]. Suddenly, any weapon I created could come to life and do what I told it to, like it had a mind of its own. Basically, I was sticking makeshift souls into weapons and bossing them around.

Now, I’m using [Animus] again to mess with another skill. This time, [Ooze] and [Animus] have somehow turned into something called [Summon Slime].

I could already guess from the name: it’s probably gonna let me summon some kind of slime creature that can think and follow commands…or at least act on its own a little. But instead of just guessing, it was time to get a real look at it.

“Alright, let’s see what this thing actually does.”

I focused, and the skill info popped up in front of me.

https://i.imgur.com/OFOI6Uv.jpeg [https://i.imgur.com/OFOI6Uv.jpeg]

[Summon Slime - Lv.1]

[Summon Slime allows the user to conjure a small slime creature. This slime is sentient and capable of basic actions such as grabbing or carrying small objects inside of its gelatin like body. It is not aggressive and cannot deal damage independently.

The summoned slime can act as a minor distraction to enemies or serve as a scout. Its gelatinous body can fit through tight spaces and crevices that are inaccessible to the user.]

[Usage: Primarily used for exploration assistance, minor object manipulation, and as a decoy.]

[Mana Cost: 3]

“It’s… actually kinda useful?”

All those years of playing had drilled into me that, to make it in the deeper levels of the dungeon, you need some serious firepower. But right now, a survival tool might just be worth more than any weapon. Fighting skills are straightforward—you use them to deal with enemies. Survival skills, though, help you handle whatever else the dungeon throws at you. And right now, I’d take a survival edge over a basic attack any day.

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“I never thought I’d be lucky enough to get a skill that does more than one thing. Haven’t seen that in ages.”

Multifunctional skills—ones that can pull double or even triple duty—are rare. For example, Blood Rage was pretty single-minded. All it did was ramp up my damage as my health dropped. But Summon Slime? This thing could do three different jobs: it could carry stuff, scout around, and act as a decoy. That flexibility could be a lifesaver down here.

“No sense waiting around—time to see what this thing can do. Summon Slime!”

The air around me felt a bit thicker as I cast the skill. Right in front of me on the damp cave floor, a small, green blob started to take shape, jiggling as it solidified.

It looked… well, slimy. A small, head-sized blob, see-through with a wet shine, and it just kind of wobbled there like it was waiting for me to say something.

“Alright, little guy, let’s see what you’ve got. Go on and scout ahead, and come back if you find anything dangerous.”

It bounced a little, then slid off, wobbling over the uneven ground like a weird, jello pet. As it moved, the darkness swallowed it up until I couldn’t see it anymore. I waited, figuring it would come back soon.

Time dragged on in the dim light, with just the occasional drip of water echoing around.

“It’s taking a while. I should’ve told it how far to go…” I muttered, already getting a bit annoyed.

And then, right when I was wondering if I should go after it, a notification popped up, explaining the delay.

Your [Summoned Slime] has perished against a Viscous Fiend.

“Well… that’s one way to get intel.”

The slime hadn’t even lasted long, but it had done its job—it gave me a heads-up about what’s ahead. There was an enemy nearby, and now I knew exactly what kind.

“So that’s about a ten-minute walk ahead, and the area I’m in now is clear. Good to know.”

The notification also confirmed my first real threat: a Viscous Fiend.

The Fiend wasn’t just your average slime; it was one of the dungeon’s more notorious oozes. It had an acidic touch that could eat through skin, armor, and weapons alike. And just touching it would start burning you down to the bone—not exactly something I could take on lightly.

But the irony here? My first summon, a slime, just got demolished by another slime. “Well, that’s one way to go.” I muttered, smirking despite myself.

In the game, each area has different monster types that can show up, depending on how the dungeon feels that day. The Grotto, the area I’m in, usually has goblins or skeletons. But sometimes, just to mess with you it would change its inhabitant completely , throw in Viscous Fiends instead of the latter.

Out of all possible monsters, I just had to run into one of the most annoying ones. Viscous Fiends are nasty, especially for rookies. Their gooey bodies can shrug off most attacks, and any direct hit just sinks into them and corrodes. Their acid touch was enough to make any new adventurer think twice.

“So, what now? The only way forward is right toward it…”

I needed to think this through. With no weapon, no armor, and only my [Summon Slime] skill, I wasn’t exactly in great shape. My supplies were down to a few scraps of food—nothing that’d help in a fight. And I could only summon the slime two more times before I’d run out of mana.

One good thing? Fiends don’t travel in packs. If I ran into one, chances were good it was on its own. But just to be safe, I had to assume the worst.

But then another thought hit me: this is Dungeon End. When is it ever as simple as that? If the Fiend found my slime, it probably thinks there’s more prey to hunt. It could be wandering around, looking for me now.

Just then, a loud, sloshing noise echoed from somewhere nearby, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“...That sound. It’s… the Viscous Fiend.”