Splash, Splash.

In the narrow confines of this space, the sound of splashing echoed vividly.

Though I couldn't see its source, the likelihood of it being another human was slim.

Once one enters the dungeon through its portal, they are randomly placed within the first floor.

While everyone enters the same ecosystem—like the Grotto, in this case—they are not likely to start in the same location.

Parties that wish to remain together must physically hold hands as they enter to ensure they are transported to the same spot.

The layout of the dungeon's areas is incredibly complex and never repeats; it's no exaggeration to say that during my entire time inside, I might not encounter another adventurer.

This unpredictability is why there's no single, fail-safe strategy for navigating a floor's layout in the dungeon.

While information about the monsters inhabiting these areas is relatively common and can be prepared for, the same cannot be said for navigating the terrain itself.

Thus, the most logical expectation was that an enemy was nearby. Given what had killed my slime, this presence was most likely the viscous fiend.

Splash, Splash.

The noise grew louder and closer with each passing moment.

I strained to pinpoint the origin of the sound, but the cavern's echoing acoustics distorted its direction, making it seem as though it could come from anywhere.

Splash!

'Cold!'

The latest noise was more distinct than the others. It wasn't just the sound of splashing I heard; cold water reached out and touched my hand.

This chilling interaction indicated one thing: the source was directly in front of me!

With a heavy sense of dread, I slowly lowered my gaze, hoping that I was mistaken.

'!'

There, in front of me, was a relatively large, globulous creature. Its body was hard to discern against the dark cave background, its darkish blue hue blending almost perfectly with the shadows. It crawled along the ground, seemingly in search of something.

'It's the Viscous Fiend! It's really him!'

My heart pounded in my chest as I faced the creature that had ended my slime's brief existence.

Now, more than ever, I needed to stay calm and think strategically to navigate this perilous situation.

'I can't make a single noise! Else it's going to find me.'

Thankfully, Viscous Fiends lack visual sensory capabilities; they have no eyes and primarily engage with their environment using echolocation.

This means that as long as I remain silent, it shouldn't be able to detect me.

However, the creature was alarmingly close. If it were to veer just a few meters to the right, it could inadvertently come into contact with me.

Should that happen, the fiend would latch onto me, and its corrosive body would begin to dissolve my skin and bones until nothing was left.

The thought alone was enough to send cold sweat trickling down my spine and shivers coursing through my body.

I needed to stay absolutely still, controlling even my breathing to ensure it was as quiet as possible.

Bump-Bump

'No!'

Bump-Bump

'My heart! The stress of the situation is making it beat wildly.'

Bump-Bump

'The sound is getting louder! If it keeps up, it could easily be heard in this quiet cavern, amplified by the echoes. I need to calm down!'

I took a deep silent breath, attempting to steady my racing heart.

I focused on slow, controlled exhalations, trying to quiet the loud thumping in my chest that threatened to give away my position.

But my heart just wouldn't calm down. How could it?

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

This was an extremely stressful situation, unlike anything I had ever faced before.

My nerves were frayed, and no matter how much I willed them to relax, the pounding only seemed to intensify to the point where I could vividly hear it in my own ears.

The tension was unbearable.

It was then, suddenly, that the slowly advancing monster stopped in its tracks, right in front of me.

Initially, it had been a few meters away, but now it stood directly in front of me—a mere breath away. Any slight movement on my part would result in contact.

BUMP-BUMP!

My heart threatened to betray me, each beat sounding like a drum roll in the echoing silence of the cave.

It twitched! IT TWITCHED!

The Viscous Fiend's body suddenly shifted, a slight but unmistakable movement that sent a surge of panic through me.

The creature seemed to react, its body quivering as if responding to the sound of my pounding heart.

Frozen in terror, the precariousness of the situation had escalated; any further sound or movement from me could be catastrophic.

'Don't... you... dare...'

BUMP-BUMP!

Despite my silent pleas, the thunderous beating of my heart was too much—the Viscous Fiend’s gelatinous body twitched once more, its senses honed in on the source of the vibrations.

In a sudden, swift movement that I barely registered, it extended part of its body.

Before I could react, it had latched onto my leg.

The cold, burning sensation was immediate and excruciating.

The creature’s corrosive touch began to sear through my clothing and skin, sending waves of intense pain coursing through my body.

I stifled a scream, knowing that any noise could worsen the situation, yet the pain was overwhelming, consuming all other thoughts.

Panic intertwined with the physical agony. I had to act quickly to prevent the acidic substance from dissolving more than just the surface of my leg.

'It's body is spreading! It wants to consume me whole!'

The searing pain intensified as the Viscous Fiend's body began to spread over my leg, inching closer to enveloping more of me.

Any physical attempt to remove it with my hands would likely result in further entrapment—and increased pain—paralyzed me with fear.

Touching it was out of the question; it would just ensnare my hands as well, trapping me further and accelerating the damage.

What other options did I have?

Letting it remain attached would mean a slow and agonizing end as it continued to dissolve my flesh, potentially spreading across my entire body.

Additionally, any screams or loud noises could attract more of its kind. Facing one Viscous Fiend was already proving fatal; encountering more would be certain doom.

Desperation set in as I frantically searched for any possible solution that didn't involve direct contact.

Could I leverage my environment? Was there anything within reach that could assist me? No there wasn't.

Time was running out, and I needed to act fast to find a way to detach this creature without compromising my safety further.

'Is this how it ends for me? Here, on the first floor? After all my experience, after reaching the 100th floor, I refuse to go down like this! No!'

Desperately, I thought of my remaining abilities. Recalling my [Summon Slime] skill, a plan quickly took shape.

I still had a couple of summons left, and while making direct contact was deadly, maybe I could use another slime to intervene.

"Summon Slime!"

As I invoked the skill, another slime materialized beside me.

I knew it couldn't inflict damage on the Viscous Fiend, but a desperate idea flashed through my mind. If the fiend, itself a slime, could attach itself to me, perhaps my summoned slime could perform a similar action.

"Come to me! Attach yourself to my right hand!"

I directed the newly summoned slime towards myself, hoping that it could attach to me just as the fiend had.

My plan was risky: I aimed to use the slime as a kind of buffer or shield against the corrosive touch of the Viscous Fiend, potentially leveraging its body to peel the hostile creature off my leg without direct contact.

It was a gamble, but in this dire situation, unconventional strategies might be my only chance.

"Get off-of me!"

The strategy worked, but not as seamlessly as I had hoped.

The Viscous Fiend was tenacious, its grip stronger than I had anticipated.

Thankfully, although the slime I summoned was damaged by the corrosion, it managed to withstand the effects better than expected and acted as an effective barrier between my hand and the fiend's corrosive body.

However, I couldn't detach it; the fiend clung stubbornly.

Realizing I needed more leverage, I summoned my last remaining slime, depleting my mana reserves completely.

"Again! Summon Slime!"

This second slime I directed to attach to my left arm. Now, with both arms protected by the slimes, I had a chance to properly act.

But a thought crossed my mind: even if I managed to detach the fiend, it might simply attack again.

I needed a definitive solution—I had to end this threat here and now.

With both hands sheathed in slime, I reached towards the fiend.

My hands, protected by the slime barriers, gripped the sides of the Viscous Fiend’s body, and I began pulling apart its gelatinous mass with all my strength, as if tearing a T-shirt.

I was aiming for its core—the vital center that sustained its life.

To kill the Viscous Fiend, I had to destroy this core.

As I strained with both hands to keep the viscous fiend's body from reattaching,

I realized that my only option to reach the core was a desperate and dangerous one.

With no hands free to work further, I made a split-second decision that would involve significant risk and pain.

Bracing myself for the excruciating contact, I leaned my face towards the fiend's exposed interior.

"Aghr!"

The moment my skin touched the corrosive slime, a searing pain exploded across my face.

It felt as though my skin was being eaten away, the burning sensation intensifying with each second of contact.

It was like pressing my face against hot coals, the fiend's acidic substance trying to consume the flesh it encountered.

Despite the intense pain clouding my senses, I knew I had to act quickly.

Gritting my teeth against the torment, I plunged my head deeper into the slime's body. Finding the core by feel alone, I clamped my teeth around it.

The core was firm, an odd contrast to the fiend's gelatinous form.

With a fierce tug, driven by desperation, I yanked the core out.

The action required every ounce of resolve and strength I had, as pulling it free was like tearing a part of the creature’s essence from its body.

The removal of the core was accompanied by a noticeable slackening in the fiend's structure.

As soon as the core was free, I recoiled back, pulling my face from the corrosive mass, the pain still radiating intensely across my skin. I was left panting and in severe pain.

You've Defeated A Viscous Fiend. Exp +1

'I did it... I-I SURVIVED!'

============================================================

https://i.imgur.com/RnDlYjP.png [https://i.imgur.com/RnDlYjP.png]

Viscous Fiend