I came barreling out of the portal with no control, the momentum from my desperate leap carrying me forward.
My vision was still blurred from the portal’s bright glow, but as things came into focus, I realized something was waiting for me on the other side—a stone wall, standing directly in my path.
“Oh, crap—”
I barely managed to get the words out before I collided headfirst.
But just as I was about to smash into it, the slime on top of my head sprang into action. It slid down in front of my face, covering me like a squishy mask, forming a soft, pillowy barrier between me and the stonewall.
Instead of the sharp, painful impact I was bracing for, I hit the wall with an almost comical boing, like bouncing off a spring.
The slime absorbed the brunt of it, stretching slightly and cushioning the blow with its gelatinous body.
My nose and forehead sank into the soft surface, saving me from what would’ve definitely been a broken nose.
For a split second, everything seemed fine.
But then, gravity kicked in. The bounce-back sent me stumbling backward, and with the slime still covering my face, I couldn’t see a thing.
With a solid thud, I landed right on my backside, the impact jolting through my spine.
The slime on my face popped back up to its usual spot atop my head, jiggling innocently as if it hadn’t just saved me from a broken skull.
I sat there for a moment, rubbing my sore tailbone.
“Ow… That hurt,” I muttered, grimacing as I adjusted myself, trying to shake off the lingering ache.
The slimes attached to my shoulders jiggled slightly, and I could swear there was a hint of amusement in their wobbles.
Apparently, my less-than-graceful landing was their idea of entertainment.
“Glad someone’s enjoying this,” I grumbled, glancing around to take in my new surroundings as I pulled myself to my feet.
The air was filled with the unpleasant, stale scent of damp stone and something far less appealing lurking beneath it—a mixture of decay and stagnant water that hit me straight away.
The entire place had an oppressive, closed-in feel, with narrow, winding pathways stretching out ahead and vanishing into the darkness.
The ground was uneven, the stone floors worn and slick with a layer of slimy algae, and small puddles of murky water gathered in dips along the way.
The walls themselves were lined with patches of dark mold, and occasional trickles of water leaked down, creating a faint dripping sound that echoed through the space.
I noticed thick pipes running along the walls, rusted and corroded, some of them leaking strange liquids that left trails down the stone.
Every so often, I could hear faint skittering sounds in the distance, accompanied by the occasional scrape of claws on stone.
You've entered the second floor of the dungeon: Vermin Hollow.
This place was familiar, and after what I’d just escaped, it was practically welcoming.
I knew this place. Vermin Hollow was a sewer like area.
The biggest problem here was the oversized rats lurking around—filthy, disease-ridden rodents that were basically like poison mobs. Get hit by one, and you'd be poisoned right back.
Not exactly the ideal enemy for anyone in close combat—not that it bothered me.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
My slimes could handle them just fine, so this place was actually a decent spot to grind some experience and level up before facing whatever was waiting on the next floor.
There wasn’t much else worth sticking around for, though.
None of the skills i could acquire from their awakened crystalized heart were all that tempting to grind for, and the materials they provided weren’t great for crafting gear. Plus, the stench was enough to make you want to leave as soon as possible.
As I looked down, I realized I still had Lila in my hand, clutching onto her from my leap through the portal.
She squirmed a little, giving me a look with one eyebrow raised. “So… you planning to carry me around like a sack of potatoes, or can I get back on my own feet now?”
I let out a nervous laugh and quickly set her down.
She took a good look around, nose scrunching in disgust as her eyes scanned the area.
She gestured around with a dramatic wave of her hand. “Seriously, I’ve been dragged through some questionable places, but this?” She eyed a puddle that looked like it might start moving. “This is just gross."
“Welcome to Vermin Hollow. Think of it as… well, a sewer. But hey, the creatures here aren’t much of a threat. Just oversized rats. With my slimes, these rats won’t be an issue. It’s actually the perfect place to grind some experience.”
She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow as she looked around skeptically. “Well, as long as we don’t literally drown in rat poop or something. I guess it's a safer place then the previous one.”
Splash
I froze as a faint splashing echoed down the tunnel.
There it was again—a sloshing step in a nearby puddle. I straightened, exchanging a look with Lila, who’d picked up on it too.
“Guess it’s time to get the grind started!”
Out from the shadows came three rat-like creatures, each the size of a large dog. Their greasy fur was matted to their bodies, and their beady red eyes glinted with a hunger that was more than a little unsettling.
Their fangs poked out from their snarling mouths. I recognized them right away—Sewage Crawlers. The standard mob on this floor area.
Lila made a disgusted face, taking a step back. “Ew, that’s what we’re grinding on?”
With a mental command, I signaled my slimes to shift into their crossbow forms.
I only had enough mana left for one more cast after this before I’d need to rest and restore my mana.
“Alright, slimes, get them!” I said, my tone turning serious.
The Crawlers split up to flank us. Sewer rats or not, these things had instincts. They sensed the slimes as a threat and moved to circle around.
“Think they’re just gonna let you shoot them down?” Lila asked, glancing nervously at the rats closing in.
“They don’t have a choice,” I said with a grin. “Slimes, fire!”
Right on cue, the slimes launched their first volley. Arrows shot through the air, slamming into two of the Crawlers.
One arrow hit the lead rat’s side, making it squeal and stumble, while another struck a second Crawler in the shoulder, leaving it wounded but still snarling.
The third rat lunged forward, eyes blazing as it leapt at me. But before it could reach me, one of my slimes fired a perfect shot, nailing it mid-air. The arrow hit it square in the chest, and it let out a pained screech as it crashed to the ground.
“Persistent little guys,” Lila muttered, looking repulsed at the injured rats thrashing around.
I ordered my slimes to take aim again, keeping a steady stream of attacks at the Crawlers. One arrow after another hit its target with pinpoint accuracy.
The leading rat let out a last squeal, collapsing in a bloody heap, and the others soon followed, struck down by the relentless assault.
[You’ve Defeated a Sewer Crawler. Exp +1]
[You’ve Defeated a Sewer Crawler. Exp +1]
[You’ve Defeated a Sewer Crawler. Exp +1]
I took a steady breath, feeling that small but satisfying trickle of experience come in. It wasn’t much, but it was a start—the first step in a long grind.
Though the Sewer Crawlers only gave one experience point each—just like the mobs on the first floor, it was better then nothing.
The amount of experience awarded didn’t simply depend on the floor you were on; it was determined by the creature’s threat level.
Since Sewer Crawlers were easy to handle, even easier than the Viscous Fiends from before, their experience yield was low.
It made sense. These rat-like creatures were predictable, straightforward, and a far cry from a boss mob like the Overfiend Viscous Slime boss that gave me lots of experience. But it was something, and in a grind-heavy area like this, experience would add up.
Every Sewer Crawler meant one step closer to leveling up, one step closer to preparing for the real threats on the higher floors.
“Not bad for a warm-up,” I said, looking over at Lila, who seemed somewhere between relieved and grossed out by the mess we’d just made.
She shook her head, giving me a half-hearted grin. “If this is a warm-up, I don’t even want to know what the next few hours will look like.”
“It’s not pretty, but It's worth getting a little grimy for.”
We’d only just gotten started. There were plenty more Crawlers waiting in the shadows, just begging to boost my experience.
“Ready to keep moving?”
Lila sighed, glancing around the dark, dripping sewer. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Time to make this filthy place work for us.
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https://i.imgur.com/W64MI9i.png [https://i.imgur.com/W64MI9i.png]