The screeches of the monster tide grew louder and more chaotic with every passing second.
Up ahead, more Sewer Crawlers emerged from the darkness, their glowing red eyes cutting through the gloom.
“More of them? Seriously?” I complained, glancing at Fennel. Before I could even think about commanding my slimes, he was already on the move.
“I said I’ve got this!” he called back, his voice carrying an edge of excitement as he bolted forward.
His claws extended in a flash of faint white light, and he was on them in an instant.
The first Crawler barely had time to react before he slashed it clean in two, its segmented body falling apart with a splat.
He spun on his heel, dodging a second Crawler’s lunge, then countered with a precise, horizontal slash that tore through its neck.
“Show-off,” I muttered under my breath, but there was no denying his skill.
But the swarm wasn’t just coming from the front. From side tunnels and cracks in the walls, more Crawlers spilled out, their numbers multiplying.
“Leon! Behind you!” Lila’s panicked voice alerted me.
I turned just in time to see two Crawlers lunging for me, their jaws wide open, teeth glinting in the dim light. “Slimes, now!” I shouted.
Two of my slimes used their crossbow instantly. They fired almost simultaneously, their gel-like arrows piercing through the first Crawler’s head with a squelch.]
[Your Slime defeated a Sewer Crawler. EXP +1]
The second hesitated for a heartbeat too long—a fatal mistake. Another arrow hit it square in the chest, sending it skidding across the wet floor.
[Your Slime defeated a Sewer Crawler. EXP +1]
“Not bad! Your little buddies are quite good.” Fennel shouted, his voice strained as he dodged another swipe, slashing his attacker in half with a counter. “Keep it up!”
“Trying,” I muttered, sweat dripping down my face as more Crawlers closed in. My slimes were firing as fast as they could, but for every Crawler they took down, it felt like two more appeared.
Fennel wasn’t slowing down either, but I could see the cracks forming. His attacks were still precise, but his movements were losing that effortless edge.
A swipe from a Crawler’s claw grazed his arm, leaving a shallow cut.
He hissed in pain but retaliated immediately, tearing the creature apart with a flurry of slashes.
“Lila!” I yelled, desperation creeping into my voice. “How much further?”
“I don’t know!” she cried, clutching the edge of my bag as she tried to keep her voice steady. “The Pathfinder mist says forward, but I can’t tell how far!”
Fennel glanced back, his brows furrowed, blood dripping from the cut on his arm. “Then we keep moving!” he said, his voice filled with resolve. “I’ll handle the front, but you two better not slow down!”
More Crawlers poured in, merging with the tide's behind us. Increasing their number and speed as time passed.
The walls seemed to close in as the fight raged on. Fennel darted between them, his claws glowing brighter with every swing, his tail smashing into anything that tried to sneak up on him. But even he couldn’t keep them all at bay.
One Crawler managed to slip past him, heading straight for me. I barely had time to react, but my slimes did. A green arrow shot out, slamming into the creature’s side and sending it careening into a puddle of sludge.
[Your Slime defeated a Sewer Crawler. EXP +1]
Another lunged aiming for Lila, but my slimes fired again, the arrow hitting it mid-leap and pinning it to the ground.
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[Your Slime defeated a Sewer Crawler. EXP +1]
“Leon, they’re getting closer!” Lila shouted, her voice trembling as more Crawlers emerged from the shadows.
“I know!” I snapped, trying to keep my focus. “Slimes, keep firing!”
Fennel, panting but unrelenting, glanced back at me with a grin. “Don’t tell me you’re already tired, Leon. I thought you had more fight in you!”
I scowled. “Just keep doing your thing, Fennel. I’ve got this.”
“Sure you do,” he said, dodging another swipe and countering with a spinning slash that sent three Crawlers tumbling. His tail whipped around, catching a fourth that tried to pass him. “You’re lucky I’m here to carry the team!”
The tunnel had turned into a full-blown warzone. We kept sprinting, the sewer narrowing the deeper we went.
My breathing was ragged, my heart pounding from sheer exhaustion, and my feet felt like they were on fire from the relentless friction.
Fennel was no better—if anything, he looked even more drained than I was. While I was only running for my life, he was pulling off feats of incredible agility, dodging and slashing through wave after wave of crawlers, fighting to protect both of us.
In a moment of clarity, I remembered the slimes I had sent out earlier to idle-farm experience. I had ordered them to return to me if things went south, and now was as south as it got.
If I timed this right, I might be able to buy us some time. A heavy cost, but better them than me.
It wasn’t long before I was signaled by their arrival. One by one, the slimes emerged from their hiding spots: oozing out of cracks in the walls, dripping down from small holes above, and sliding through rusted sewer pipes.
Each one jiggled slightly as they joined us.
The tunnel wasn’t much wider than a single hallway, barely enough for two people to move side by side. Perfect for a bottleneck defense.
“This might just work,” I muttered to myself, my voice almost drowned out by the sound of splashing footsteps behind us. Time was slipping away.
I gave the command, and the slimes responded immediately, their pliable forms rippling in acknowledgment. "Shift to shield mode!" I ordered. At once, their gelatinous bodies began to shudder and reform.
The once-fluid slimes began to condense, their trembling forms stabilizing as they shifted in a new direction.
The transformation enveloped their quivering shapes, thickening as their natural elasticity gave way to a dense, weighty structure. Smooth, rounded edges emerged, and their forms solidified into sturdy, translucent shields.
The slimes finished their transformation, wobbling slightly as if testing their newfound density.
they felt like living barricades, ready to hold the line. "Wait until we’re past you," I instructed. They quivered in understanding, planting themselves firmly in the tight tunnel.
Fennel and I rushed forward, squeezing through the narrow space as the slimes began to move into position.
Two of them dropped to the ground with a wet thud, anchoring themselves against the murky floor of the tunnel.
Their shields pressed firmly into the walls, covering the lower half of the entrance.
Meanwhile, the other two slithered up the sides, sticking to the walls and ceiling like living adhesive. They dangled above, their shields overlapping to create a seamless barrier.
Together, the four slimes formed a perfect cube-like structure, completely sealing off the passage behind us.
Their round, reinforced shields fit tightly against the edges of the tunnel, leaving no gaps or openings.
Even the corners were covered, their burly forms pressing together to ensure nothing could slip through.
I paused for a moment, taking in the scene. Their task was clear: hold the line at all costs.
They wouldn’t last forever, but they didn’t need to. All they had to do was buy us enough time to escape.
The guilt gnawed at me for a moment—after all, these slimes were my creation, but survival took precedence.
“Stay strong,” I whispered under my breath as Fennel and I pressed on, leaving the slimes to their duty.
The moment of impact hit hard. I could feel the vibrations as the enemies slammed into the slimes, taking the brunt of the charge.
At first, they held strong. For a brief moment, I let myself hope they could hold indefinitely.
But then, I saw it. Slowly, the tide began to push them back. The sheer weight of the charge was too much, and the slimes, despite their strength, were starting to slide.
Their shields wobbled under the strain, their gelatinous forms rippling as they absorbed blow after blow. They were pouring everything they had into holding the line.
I watched, as they inched back, their rounded shields grinding against the walls and floor of the tunnel.
We ran further into the tunnel. The sounds of the battle behind us faded with every stride, and soon, the slimes were out of sight entirely.
Minutes passed, each second stretching as we pushed deeper into the sewer.
Then, without warning, a series of notifications appeared in front of me, their dull glow cutting through the darkness.
[Your Slime has been defeated by a Sewer Crawler.]
[Your Slime has been defeated by a Sewer Crawler.]
[Your Slime has been defeated by a Sewer Crawler.]
[Your Slime has been defeated by a Sewer Crawler.]
“They did good,” I muttered under my breath. “I won’t waste their sacrifice.”
“I see it!” she yelled. “The portal, it’s just ahead!” LIla voice rang out.
The faint glow of the portal shimmered in the distance.