Lila’s announcement felt like a lifeline, and for a moment, it almost seemed like we might actually make it out of this nightmare.

“You heard her!” I shouted. “Let’s move!”

Fennel didn’t need to be told twice. He shot ahead, his excitement cutting through the tension. “Finally!” he called back. “We’re almost there!”

For a brief moment, I let myself believe it. The screeches of the swarm behind us and the tremors of their approach faded into the background. All I could focus on was the faint shimmer of the portal just ahead—our way out.

But then the sound changed. Something was off.

The high-pitched screeches of the rats were drowned out by a heavier, deeper rumble. It wasn’t just a noise; I could feel it. A vibration, shaking the walls and reverberating through the tunnel.

Fennel skidded to a stop so fast that his claws scraped against the slimy floor, sending sludge flying. He spun around, his face alarmed. “Stop! Don’t come any closer!”

“What’s wrong?” I yelled, still rushing forward. But then I saw it.

The tunnel ended abruptly, opening into a massive pit that stretched wide and deep, cutting off any chance of continuing forward. On the other side, barely visible, was the faint glow of the portal, taunting us from another tunnel just out of reach.

The pit was massive, a dark void with no visible bottom. Water cascaded from cracked pipes above, spilling in murky streams and filling the air with the stench of rot. The sound of it rushing into the pit was deafening.

I crept closer to the edge, peering down, but there was nothing. Just endless darkness. My stomach churned. This wasn’t just an obstacle; it was a dead end. A trap.

“Well, this is a problem,” Fennel said, breaking the silence.

“No kidding,”

Lila peeked out of my bag, her face pale. “It’s… it’s huge. How are we supposed to get across?”

I had no answer. My mind raced, scrambling for ideas, but everything came up short. The gap was too wide to jump, too dangerous to climb. It was like the dungeon itself was mocking us.

“This pit…” I muttered, stepping back. “It’s massive. How deep do you think it goes?”

Fennel crouched near the edge, squinting into the darkness. “Deep enough that if you fall, you’re done. I can’t even see the bottom.”

Lila clutched the edge of my bag, her small hands trembling. “Leon, what are we going to do?” she asked, her voice small and shaky.

I sighed. “I don’t know. But we need to figure it out fast, or we’re toast.”

Fennel straightened, brushing his hands off like he’d just finished a minor chore. “Alright, here’s the deal,” he said, his tone maddeningly calm given the situation. “We’ve got two options: figure out how to cross, or stand here and let the Rat Flood catch up. Personally, I’m not a fan of becoming rat chow.”

I shot him a glare. “Thanks for the reminder. That really helps.”

But he wasn’t wrong. The screeches were getting louder again.

Time was running out. Their screeches were growing louder and closer.

My mind raced for a solution, but before I could even voice an idea, Fennel moved.

He didn’t say a word. No warning, no plan—he just acted.

Taking a few steps back, he crouched, his tail swaying for balance, then bolted forward at full speed.

It took me a second to process what was happening.

“Fennel! What the hell are you doing?!” I shouted, my voice bouncing off the cavern walls. But he didn’t even glance back. His focus was locked, he zeroed in on the edge of the pit.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him. And then, just as he reached the edge, he leapt. It wasn’t just a jump—it was an explosion of motion, every muscle coiling and releasing with a force that sent him soaring into the air.

For a split second, it almost looked like he might make it. His body arced gracefully, cutting through the air and beyond the waterfall of murky water.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

But as he began to descend, the truth became clear. The gap was too wide. His momentum was fading. He wasn’t going to make it.

“Fennel, no!” I shouted, my voice cracking.

But he wasn’t done.

Mid-air, as he began to drop, his hands shot forward. His mana claws flickered to life, their faint glow cutting through the dimness of the pit.

They stretched out farther than what he'd shown previously.

With a sharp crunch, his claws dug into the far wall of the pit. The impact sent chunks of stone and sludge raining down into the darkness below.

The sound of crumbling rock echoed ominously, but his grip held. Barely.

Fennel’s body jolted violently from the stop, and for a moment, it looked like he might lose his hold. His feet kicked at the air, his tail whipping as he fought to stabilize himself. The claws screeched against the wall as he slid downward, carving deep grooves into the stone. The noise was sharp and grating, like nails on a chalkboard.

“Holy crap, Fennel…” I muttered under my breath, too stunned to say anything else.

Somehow, he stopped his descent, hanging precariously over the void. His breaths came in short gasps, his claws embedded deep into the wall. The muscles in his arms and shoulders trembled as he adjusted his grip.

Then, slowly, he began to climb.

One claw at a time, he pulled himself up. He kept going, his claws plunged into the wall again and again, anchoring him as he inched upward.

Finally, with one last grunt of effort, he reached the edge near the portal. His claws retracted as he hauled himself over the lip and rolled onto solid ground.

Then he pushed himself up, turned to face us, and grinned. Despite everything, his expression was triumphant. “I made it, Leon! Lila!” he called, his voice ringing out across the pit.

I stared at him, my heart still pounding. “You’ve got to be kidding me…” I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.

Fennel wiped the sweat off his forehead and grinned down at me, leaning casually against the rocky edge near the portal like he hadn’t just barely survived his own insane leap. “Your turn, Leon!” he called out, way too cheerful for someone who had nearly fallen into a death pit.

I stared at him with disbelief. “You’re kidding, right? How the hell am I supposed to do that? I don’t have claws growing out of my hands, you lunatic!”

He shrugged. “I dunno, you’ve got your little slime buddies, don’t you? Figure it out!”

I shot him a glare but didn’t have time to argue. Behind me, Lila screamed, her voice cutting through the chaotic noise of the cavern.

“Leon! They’re here!”

My stomach flipped as I spun around. The Rats had finally caught up. A sea of glowing red eyes flooded the darkness, the screeches and scurrying clawed at my ears, making it hard to think straight.

There was no time left.

“Ah, screw it!” I muttered, backing up as far as I could. This was crazy—suicidal, even—but what choice did I have?

I took off running, every muscle in my body straining as I pushed toward the edge of the pit. Just as I reached it, I activated my boots’ [Slime Propel] ability. The burst of speed launched me into the air, my heart pounding as the ground disappeared beneath me.

But as soon as I was airborne, I knew. I wasn’t going to make it. The gap was too wide, and my momentum was already fading. My stomach sank as I began to fall, the black void yawning below me.

“No, no, no!” I shouted, panic gripping me. But then, an idea—a desperate, ridiculous idea—flashed through my mind.

“Slimes! Hands and feet, now!” I yelled, my voice shaking with urgency.

My slimes reacted instantly, sliding up my arms and legs, their gelatinous forms clinging tightly. They stretched out, forming a sticky, makeshift adhesive just as the wall loomed in front of me. I braced myself, every muscle tense as I hit the surface.

The impact rattled my bones, and I immediately started to slide, the rough stone scraping against my slimes as they struggled to grip.

“Slower! Slow me down!” I yelled, my voice rising with each passing second. My descent felt uncontrollable, the screeching sound of my slimes clinging to the wall grating in my ears.

And then—finally—I stopped. I clung there, my chest heaving, the slimes trembling as they anchored me in place.

A sound—louder, more guttural—cut through the chaos. I opened my eyes and looked down.

My breath caught in my throat.

The pit below wasn’t just dark—it was alive. Tens of thousands of red eyes glowed in the blackness, shifting and swarming like a living, writhing sea of nightmares. There were more rats down here, far surpassing the tide that was chasing us.

“What the hell…” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the cacophony of screeches and scurrying claws.

“Leon, climb! NOW!” Lila screamed, her voice snapping me out of my daze.

The rats that where chasing us from above—were falling into the pit, tumbling and clawing at each other as they piled up into a grotesque, wriggling mass.

Adrenaline surged through me, and I didn’t hesitate. My hands moved instinctively, the slimes stretching and sticking to the wall as I pulled myself up.

The rats weren’t giving up. Some of the falling ones clawed at me as they tumbled past, their teeth snapping wildly. One latched onto my sleeve, its fangs scraping against the fabric.

My slimes reacted faster than I could, their gelatinous forms stretching out and prying it off before it could sink its teeth into me.

“Keep going! Don’t stop!” Lila yelled out.

Another rat clawed at my boot, its jagged nails scraping against the slime-covered surface. I kicked it off with a grunt, watching it disappear into the writhing pit below. My arms burned, my legs ached, but I couldn’t stop.

“Almost there,” I whispered, gritting my teeth as I reached for the next handhold. The light was just above me, the edge of the pit only a few more pulls away.

With one final, desperate pull, I hauled myself over the edge with the help of fennel gripping at my cloth, collapsing onto solid ground.

My chest heaved, my body trembling from the effort. I glanced back at the pit, the writhing swarm of rats still clawing at the walls, and let out a shaky breath.

Fennel leaned over me, his grin as wide as ever. “Not bad, Leon. Not bad at all.”

I rolled onto my back, staring up at the faintly glowing portal above. “I hate this place,” I muttered, my voice hoarse.

Lila peeked out of my bag, her face pale but her eyes wide with relief. “You made it…”

“Barely,” I replied, forcing myself to sit up. “Let’s not do that again.”