"Ha... Ha..., how much time has passed?"

I had initially thought I could manage my injury for at least a few days before it became a serious issue.

However, as I continued moving, the pressure from my weight on the deepening wound made each step increasingly painful.

It had been about half an hour since I ventured forward. During this time, I encountered no additional monsters.

The damp, echoing grotto seemed to house only the echoes of my own movements and steady drip of water droplets.

Reflecting on it, my first summoned slime took about half an hour before it encountered and was destroyed by a viscous fiend, which I had already dealt with.

Did that mean I might not encounter any more monsters for a while?

While I was in a rush to gather more resources, the pain was intensifying with each passing minute, putting doubt in my strategy.

"Huh?"

As I walked, I was surprised to see Slime Two, my forward scout, suddenly stop its squishy march. Puzzled, I whispered, "What's wrong?"

The slime wobbled vigorously, signaling an alert.

Straining my eyes to adjust to the dim light of the grotto, I finally saw what had halted our progress.

Ahead of us was a large path completely submerged under water. The usual rocky floor of the grotto gave way to a water-filled passage that blocked our way forward.

The only way to continue was to immerse myself in the water and navigate through to the other side.

"Great." I muttered to myself, realizing the challenge this posed.

Not only would wading through the water aggravate my leg wound, but submerged environments in the dungeon could also harbor unseen dangers.

"From what I know, Viscous Fiends can also dwell underwater. There's a good chance one could be lurking there. But given the darkness and the unknown depth of the water, it's extremely risky to proceed."

The murky water not only obscured whatever threats might be waiting but also complicated any effort to defend myself, especially with my limited mobility and lack of resources.

Yet, turning back wasn't an option either; I needed to find more Crystallized Hearts to secure my way out of debt and afford medical treatment.

"Slime Two." I said, keeping my voice low, "check the water ahead for any signs of danger. If you encounter anything, don't engage. Just come straight back to warn me. Understood?"

The slime responded with a definitive wobble, indicating it had received the command.

Carefully, it moved towards the edge of the water and slowly extended part of its ooze into the murky depths.

This scouting was essential. By having Slime Two check the water, I could steer clear of potential dangers, especially since I wasn't in the best shape to handle a fight in the water.

Taking every precaution was vital to safely making my way through the unpredictable dungeon.

After a tense few minutes, Slime Two reemerged from the murky water and made its way back to me.

Since the slime couldn’t speak to report its findings, I had to rely on our simple system of signals.

"Slime Two, wobble if there were any monsters in the water." I asked cautiously, watching the slime for any reaction.

It remained still, not a wobble in sight, which was somewhat reassuring.

But to be absolutely sure, I needed to confirm its safety for crossing.

"Just to make sure, is it safe to cross? Wobble if it’s safe," I instructed next.

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This time, Slime Two wobbled, clearly indicating that it was safe to proceed across the water.

While this didn’t guarantee the absence of all potential threats, it suggested that immediate danger like predatory monsters wasn’t present.

Relieved by Slime Two's feedback, I prepared to cross the water.

The information from the slime wasn’t foolproof, but it was the best lead I had under the circumstances.

I began to traverse into the cold, dark water, alert for anything that might arise during the crossing.

As I floated into the water, I struggled to swim, particularly because I had to rely heavily on my legs to stay afloat.

Each movement sent sharp pains through my injured leg, worsening with every stroke.

It was then that an idea occurred to me.

I recalled observing Slime Two's underwater maneuverability, clinging effortlessly to the bottom.

What if they didn't need to cling? Could their gelatinous bodies float? This sparked a potential strategy that might just work.

I called both slimes over, "Slime One, Slime Two, come here!" As they approached, I noticed how effortlessly they floated on the water's surface.

Their light, gel-like structure allowed them to bob without any effort.

"This could work," I muttered to myself, relieved by the sudden ease in floating.

With the slimes supporting me, I no longer needed to use my legs vigorously, significantly reducing the strain and pain.

"Good job, you two," I praised them as they stabilized me on the water. Now hanging on the surface by my two makeshift floaters, I could concentrate on navigating through the water more comfortably.

This creative solution not only facilitated my crossing but also lightened the burden on my injury.

As I relied on my summoned slimes to float across the water-filled path, I found myself grateful for their support.

As I drifted, I focused on maintaining a steady pace, using gentle movements to guide us toward the opposite side.

"Ughr!"

However, as we progressed, a throbbing pain began to resonate in my injured leg.

I was puzzled because I wasn't exerting much force with my feet, thanks to the slimes' support, and there were no immediate threats like monster attacks.

"Why the increased pain?" I wondered aloud. It seemed counterintuitive, especially since the cool water should have somewhat soothed the searing pain, not exacerbated it.

The discomfort grew more pronounced the longer we stayed in the water.

Finally, after what felt like an agonizing duration, we reached the other side.

I was relieved to feel solid ground under me again as I carefully climbed out of the water with the help of the slimes. Yet, the pain didn’t subside; it intensified.

"It hurts! What's happening!"

Just then, a system message materialized in front of me, cutting through the confusion with a stark revelation:

You have been inflicted with the status ailment: Bleeding

"Bleeding?!"

Instantly, it clicked.

In [Dungeon End], danger lurked not just in the form of monsters and traps but within the environment itself—whether it was the searing heat of deserts, the biting cold of snowy mountains, or the silent spread of deadly plagues.

While I hadn't encountered such environmental hazards in the grotto level, I was now facing a direct and painful consequence of this world's hidden perils.

Curious and concerned about the cause of the exacerbated pain, I decided to inspect my wound more closely.

With cautious movements, I peeled away the makeshift bandage, flinching in anticipation of what I might find.

The sight that greeted me was worse than I had imagined.

"Ah! what is this!?" I muttered in dismay.

Clinging to my wound was a cluster of leeches, their bodies engorged as they feasted on my blood.

They had burrowed into the very flesh of my injured leg, a horrifying sight that explained the unbearable throbbing.

"No wonder I couldn't feel them." I said aloud, a mix of horror and realization in my voice.

The intense pain from the wound had masked their presence, leaving me oblivious to the new danger until it was nearly too late.

Removing the leeches carefully to avoid further damage, I began the delicate process of detaching each one.

The status message flickered ominously before my eyes once again.

Status Ailment [Bleeding] still in progress.

Panic set in as I stared at the wound. "What's this! I took off the leeches, why isn't the bleeding stopping?" I muttered, frustration and fear creeping into my voice.

Despite having removed the leeches, blood continued to seep relentlessly from the wound.

It was as if removing them had triggered an even more persistent flow.

My heart raced as I scrambled for a solution. "W-What am I supposed to do!?" I exclaimed, feeling the situation spiral out of control.

The continuous loss of blood was alarming, and without proper medical supplies, stopping it seemed nearly impossible.

Quickly realizing that mere pressure from a makeshift bandage might not suffice, I tried to recall any relevant knowledge from the game that could help.

Perhaps there was some natural form of medicinal herb in this environment that I was previously unaware of.

However, as I frantically searched for anything that could help, a grim realization washed over me.

"There's nothing i can do... am i going to die like this?"