The Devilish Oakenslug roared and gurgled, the ground closing up underneath it. It bellowed into the sky, Pierre shaking in his boots, disbelief etched onto his face. Thrash, on the other hand, could feel his adrenaline pump. He gripped Sigrid with determination. They had to act fast.
‘Pierre, listen to me,’ Thrash said, the beast still settling into its new territory. ‘I’ll keep its attention, got it? You run around it - look for any weak points.’
Pierre swallowed hard. ‘Aye.’
Thrash clapped him on the shoulder, then moved between the beast and Pierre, shoving the latter back and brandishing his sword with furious resolve. The Devilish Oakenslug’s eyes followed him intently, preparing for some kind of attack. Slime dripped menacingly from its eyes, leaking onto the ground and scorching it.
Mush, this isn’t a boss battle is it?
No, she responded.
Then why are the exits closed off?
I’m unsure. This is an uncommon event.
Pierre had run to the rear of the slug. The beast was leaking slime from every orifice, menacing eyes almost paralysing Thrash in place. He raised Sigrid into the air.
‘Come on, then!’ Thrash shouted.
My brave little man-child, Mush teased in his interface.
The oversized slug lunged, and Thrash dodged to the side with an expertly timed roll - so well-timed that it surprised even him. The slug’s tongue snapped out like a whip, cracking the ground where Thrash had just been standing and leaving behind a trail of fiery smoke. The name of the attack, Slime Slash, popped up on his interface. Thrash plunged his blade into the slug’s side, dragging it across its body and separating the flesh with surprising ease. It was an attack he hadn’t managed to pull off before against smaller foes, dealing far more damage than he’d anticipated. However, it was still less than he needed.
29 damage points dealt.
191 health remaining.
‘Hmm, daddy, daddy!’ Sigrid breathed.
Thrash slashed again, dealing 13 points of damage.
‘Daddy, stop!’
The beast roared and groaned, slowly turning toward its attacker. On the other side of the glade, Pierre was looking intently towards where Thrash had just been standing, frantically playing with his hair, eyes darting across the ground and towards the trees. He was desperate to find something to help. Thrash should’ve let him use Sheila’s Leg Staff. Hindsight was a bitch.
‘Come on, you ugly, slimy brute!’ Thrash shouted, his voice hoarse.
The slug spat and slithered, and then began to tremble on the spot. It caught Thrash off guard, pausing as though it was crying. He watched, confused, and then stepped back. The Devilish Oakenslug rolled, catching Thrash by surprise once again as its slimy body morphed and remoulded, its face reappearing directly in front of his. It’s mouth opened.
‘Shit!’ Thrash exclaimed. The incoming Slime Slash attack might have killed him, but his fortunate step back gave him the room he needed to jump and avoid it. Its tongue buried itself in the ground for a short moment, and Thrash seized his opportunity. He sliced at the sticky, mottled red flesh, separating it from the beast. This time, its scream hurt.
80 damage points dealt.
98 health remaining.
You have received 15 points of damage.
You have 117 health remaining.
‘Pierre!’ Thrash shouted through the devilish cry reverberating around the room. ‘Pierre, are you good?’
There was a muffled shout from the other side of the slug. Pierre was holding what looked like a long branch, which was smoking due to the slug’s attacks. He waved it above his head, shouting for Thrash’s attention. Thrash slashed again, ensuring the slug stayed in place a moment longer. Its speed was slow, and he needed time.
‘Stop! Daddy!’
13 damage points dealt.
85 health remaining.
Thrash jumped, landing beside Pierre, who was drenched in sweat in fear. Thrash could see the wetness of his clothes, the terror in his eyes. Pierre held the new sword-like branch weakly in his hands. ‘I can distract,’ he said through his fear. He quickly grabbed Thrash’s arm and pulled him back, the two of them falling to the ground with a crunch. The slug had rolled backwards like a marble, its mouth opening, spluttering slime over them like a shower.
Wear protection, darling, Mush said, appearing from nowhere. Don’t get any in your hair.
Thrash didn’t have the time or energy to respond. Fiery burns appeared across his skin, Pierre batting them away as they burned through his flesh.
‘Shit,’ Thrash swore again. He picked himself up, grabbed Pierre by the collar of his shirt, and the two scampered away like dogs on ice. The slug rolled again, clearly reduced to a single move after its tongue had been removed. The two Adventurers kept running, dashing around the edge of the glade.
Pierre panted, eyes watering. ‘What now?
Thrash pushed Pierre a few feet away. ‘Do not hurt yourself - I will not let you die.’
Thrash ran back to the slug, who was curling up to attack again. He dived to the left and dragged Sigrid through its flesh once more. She screamed out. ‘Daddy!’. To his surprise, Pierre followed on the opposite side, holding his branch.
28 damage points dealt.
57 health remaining.
3 damage points dealt.
54 health remaining.
‘Daddy!’
Thrash kept running behind the slug, Pierre mimicking his movements. The farmer was slow and unsteady, but quick enough. His overalls were soaked through. A ding sounded on Thrash’s interface.
Your ‘Boss Boy’ skill has activated.
Devilish Oakenslug has been instilled with fear.
Your Boss Boy skill has levelled up. This title now has a 3.5% chance to instil fear or respect in enemies.
‘Hah!’ Thrash grinned at Pierre. ‘Look at that - we’re on the up now, Pierre!’
Then, the slug whipped its long body away in terror, its tail lashing out and catching Thrash on his chest, its tip sharp and cold. Thrash saw the notification of damage on his interface and felt the crunch of the grass below his back before he felt the pain.
You have received 59 points of damage.
You have 58 health remaining.
You are stunned.
Thrash couldn’t move. He was stuck in place, blood soaking across his shirt. Fuck. This is it.
It’s been a pleasure, Dungeon Master, Mush said, unsympathetic.
Thrash felt heavy. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw Pierre grab his branch and leap toward the now-shrinking slug, its body contracting into itself.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
No… Thrash thought. He couldn’t activate his Wet Wipes. He needed them - they were the only thing he had that could remove a debuff. He couldn’t see Pierre, but he could hear the dings of each swing of the wooden branch.
3 damage points dealt.
3 damage points dealt.
3 damage points dealt.
Thrash felt his body tense. Then, his vision went dark. At the top of his interface, he noticed another important notification he had missed:
You are bleeding.
You are losing 1 HP per second.
Effect duration: 30 seconds, or until treated.
Thrash couldn’t help but gurgle, spluttering blood before passing out.
----------------------------------------
Thrash's vision blurred as his eyes struggled to stay open. Each breath felt like another battle - his chest tightened, and his limbs felt impossibly heavy, as though they were sinking into the earth itself. His bones groaned with every slight movement, while his head throbbed with a pulsing crimson haze, clouding his thoughts. A dry, suffocating sensation choked his throat, preventing him from swallowing or speaking.
The heaviness persisted for a short while until Thrash felt a hand grasp his, another lightly slapping his face. Slowly, the world began to come back into focus. Thrash's eyes flickered open, but the light was intense, and the figure before him was shrouded in shadow, a silhouette against the sunlit glade. He blinked, closing his eyes momentarily as his interface swirled briefly, finally loading back into place as his consciousness returned. At the bottom right corner of his screen, Thrash noticed a new icon: a pair of eyes.
He was being watched.
Thrash groaned, gargling as he tried to swallow. He gagged on a chunk of food lodged in his throat, but after managing to swallow it, his health flickered up by 50 points. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Pierre kneeling beside him, covered head to toe in thick, black slime.
‘You did it?’ Thrash rasped, though his voice didn’t come out quite as expected. Pierre frowned, wiping the gunk off of his own forehead. Thrash tried speaking again, but Pierre's confusion only deepened.
‘Stop yer crying and blubbering,’ Pierre told him. ‘Yer not making sense. Take a breath, see.’
Thrash blinked in confusion. He wasn’t crying - he’d never cried from passing out before - but as he reached his hands to his face, he found them wet and slimy, covered in his own snot and tears, tinged red with blood from his injuries. He took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, inspecting Pierre, who appeared to have levelled up during the fight.
‘You did it?’ Thrash asked again, his voice steadier but still cracked.
Pierre glanced back at the dissolving slug, already looted. ‘I wouldn’t go that far, sir. It were a close one; we’d have been dead meat if not for yer thinking.’
Thrash managed a snort, but his interface distracted him. The eyes icon remained, signalling that someone was still watching. His suspicions began to rise.
Mush, what happened there?
You were locked into a room and forced to fight a level 6 Devilish Oakenslug. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten? It was literally thirty seconds ago, darling.
Thrash swore. Pierre took it as a sign that he was okay and stood up, glancing around the glade. Thrash thought Pierre already looked older - more seasoned.
But why were we locked in? Thrash continued. It wasn’t a boss battle, right? So why were we forced to fight a fight?
I will review now, man-child.
Thrash swore again, shaking his head as his Passive Health skill fully restored his health.
Your Passive Health skill has levelled up. This title now restores 2% of max health per second outside of combat.
That was a bonus. He stood and stretched, checking his interface. He'd earned 115 experience points from the fight, and Sigrid had gained 50, nearly placing her at Level 3. Though it had been a good fight, and had ended positively, it would have gone better without the limitations. Thrash imagined using the environment to his advantage, but being trapped in an open field had made the battle far tougher than expected.
Devilish Oakenslugs recently received an update, Mush said. If at least one player is five levels below the slug, the room treats it as a boss battle. However... oh, that's odd.
What’s odd?
The description has now changed. It seems like a glitch in the system, man-child.
Thrash kicked the remains of the slug, cursing the beast again before catching Pierre's gaze. He forced himself to stop. Anger was still a worryingly strong fuel for him - even with his pacifier active. He couldn’t imagine how he’d dealt with it before. He just wanted to kill something else - right now.
‘Yer okay?’ Pierre asked cautiously.
Thrash offered a brief smile. ‘Sorry, Pierre. It seems somebody - or something - is out to get me. We shouldn't have been locked in with that thing. You could’ve died. If you want to head back, I can -’
Thrash paused, his interface opening as a quest notification popped up.
Quest Update: Quest for Slime
20/20 requested pieces have been collected.
Return to base to complete this quest.
Pierre grinned at him, shrugging. ‘Yer okay, sir. We got what we needed - much, much more than we needed.’
Thrash nodded. He looked at Weekly Challenges, slightly annoyed that he wouldn’t be able to finish that quest. ‘Nice work, Pierre. Based on today, I recommend we head back. I need some advice before going any deeper.’
Pierre hesitated. ‘If yer feeling okay, I could use some more stone?’
Thrash considered this. ‘We’ll finish the floor. At the exit, we head home.’
I recommend proceeding to the third floor and returning from there, Mush added. If Pierre decides to visit Starr Eternal again in the future, he can start again from that point.
‘That was actually helpful, Mush,’ Thrash said, relaying the information to Pierre. ‘We head on, and hope that floor three doesn’t lock us into a boss battle. Stay close.’
Pierre nodded. ‘I’d argue staying away would be more helpful.’
Thrash couldn’t deny that.
They made their way through the remainder of the floor with much more ease. Thanks to the Devilish Oakenslug - a highly uncommon appearance - the rest of the floor seemed desolate. They didn’t face a single other creature. There were four more rooms to explore. The first and second were lucky finds for Pierre, who acquired a handful of stone and copper - both of which worked toward some of his independent quests, ones that would have taken him much longer to complete otherwise. The third room was apparently empty, a common occurrence on early floors, according to Mush.
Finally, the fourth room led to a set of stairs. Thrash went first, landing with a pop on floor three. Pierre followed soon after, the two of them briefly surveying their surroundings. The glade they found themselves in was much larger than the ones Thrash had visited before. However, he immediately turned back to the floor entrance portal and nodded to Pierre.
‘Ready?’
‘Aye,’ Pierre said.
----------------------------------------
Thrash invited Pierre to stay for supper, with Mush managing to pull two bowls of Miner's Delight from somewhere. Thrash really needed to ask her about her sources. Pierre sat in a wooden chair, eating slowly, while Thrash sipped from his bowl while seated on the counter. Mush and Sigrid were on the other side, with Mush speaking quietly.
‘Good girl,’ Mush said, earning an eye roll from Thrash and an uncomfortable chortle from Pierre.
Thrash wiped the sweat from his back. After they had washed up - which had taken well over an hour, the slime having cemented to their skin like stone - he felt singularly hot, as though a flu were forming, which was impossible. Adventurers couldn’t get sick.
Thrash finished his meal, sitting contentedly as he waited for Pierre, who wasn’t far behind him. Pierre nodded his thanks and passed his bowl to Thrash.
‘I weren’t sure at the start,’ Pierre said hesitantly, ‘but yer a good person, Thrash. Starr Galaxy Entertainment never showed you like this.’
Thrash’s heart sank. He’d been somewhat sure that Pierre had known him, but the story earlier in the day had been easy to believe. That, or Thrash had too easily wanted to believe it. ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘The Orbite wouldn’t let me,’ Pierre said honestly. ‘But I used to watch yer as a lad. When I got the farm I were told to come here if I needed something, and when I said I were worried because - well, because yer were a fright, to be sure - they told me yer were a different man.’
Thrash grunted, less than thrilled. He waited, hoping that no questions would follow.
‘They’ve never been more right,’ Pierre said, sniffing.
The concern that had risen through Thrash immediately dissipated. He was about to ask who had passed that information along to Pierre, and why Pierre suddenly was allowed a moment of recognition, but he was too touched to think properly. ‘Thanks, Pierre. I think.’
Pierre chuckled. ‘Yer were a brute, Thrash. I’m glad to see it was all for the cameras, and I’m glad you chose the Dungeon Master class’
Thrash couldn’t meet Pierre’s eyes, his guilt rising and festering, but nodded all the same.
‘Yer happy for me to come back, when yer dungeon is a little safer?’
Thrash’s heart warmed. ‘Of course, Pierre.’
Pierre smiled, standing. ‘Well, our quest is complete, and I’ve got one more thing for yer.’
They had already decided that Thrash would complete the quest later as it didn’t require Pierre’s presence. This decision was mostly because Thrash had quite a few other achievements to pursue, and he didn’t want to take up too much of Pierre’s time. In the meantime, Pierre reviewed his inventory and pulled out a single item - well, thirty of the same item.
‘The slug dropped these, see,’ Pierre said, ‘and yer gonna to want to clean this place up. This is my gift to yer.’
Pierre dropped 30 gold pieces onto the counter beside where Thrash sat, but Thrash shook his head, holding back his shock. ‘No way, Pierre. You’ve earned those. You were the one to kill it, and you’ve just started a farm.’
Thrash pushed the gold back toward Pierre, who took a step back. ‘Afraid not, sir. Besides, I’ve got the Glimmering Golden Stone, remember. Stay in touch - I’ll message yer if I need anything.’
That’s over 100 gold pieces again, Mush, Thrash said, Mush buzzing in response.
Thrash slid down from the counter and once again shook the young man’s hand, clasping it with his other. ‘You ever need anything, Pierre, you come and let me know.’
Pierre nodded, gripping Thrash’s hand. ‘If yer find a sword, that would help. Those farm mobs are nothing compared to yer dungeon beasts, but still…’
Thrash smiled softly. ‘I’ll buy you one - with the gold.’
‘Aye, that’s fair, sir. I’ve got one more question, if yer don’t mind?’
‘Sure, anything you need.’
‘What’s with the necklace around yer neck?’ Pierre asked, as though the question had been bubbling at him all day.
Thrash looked at Mush, gripping the Tinfoil Necklace and smiling. ‘This is Mush’s work of art.’
Mush turned her attention away from Sigrid. ‘After Thrash complained about not receiving an achievement like a man-child, Mush had to intervene.’
Pierre laughed. ‘Yer did a great job, Mush. Look after him, will yer?’
‘Mush is an excellent mother,’ Mush replied. ‘Until Thrash can change his own underwear, Mush will be here.’
Thrash decided not to add any fuel to the fire, so smiled at the laughing Pierre. ‘Best of luck, friend,’
Thrash closed off the party, and Pierre exited through the portal in a flurry. For a moment, the room was dark, cold, and gloomy, and Thrash was once again left on his own. Then, a sound vibrated through the room.
‘Mush likes Pierre,’ the robot admitted.
‘Me too, Mush. Me too.’