The only class left before the mid-year holidays is Dungeon Exploration. The theoretical part of the course is over and now it's time for practice.
Aurellius Silverstar, the professor, told us that we will be exploring a real dungeon for the first time and unlike previous classes, this time we will explore the dungeon all together. I'm already excited to be there and start.
We finally arrived at the entrance of the E-rank Sticky Dungeon, the journey was uneventful. The students from different classes traveled in carriages in groups of five. So, I was able to board the same one as Mike, Zephyr, and Pepper, which made the journey enjoyable and pass quickly.
Once we arrived, Aurellius and the other teachers explained to us that the large broken statue marks the entrance to this dungeon. They asked us all to prepare and follow them. Beyond the broken statue is a large room worn by time.
Our torches allow us to see the remains of small bones, puddles of water, and mold. Nothing enchanting yet, I thought. Proceeding cautiously, deeper into the mysteries of the dungeon, we passed through many rooms and passages. We finally arrived at what is probably the last room, but a large granite door blocks the way. It is covered in sinister symbols, which have not been altered by time and the elements unlike everything else, and a huge monster skeleton is chained to it. I wonder what happened in this place. I approach to inspect the skeleton and suddenly something grabs my shoulder.
"No, don't touch, Heolstor! Sometimes, even what seems dead for ages can wake up," Aurellius whispers, pointing to the cadaver's bones.
Indeed, the skeleton trembles a little, and the chains creak, but nothing more. The teacher tells us to gather around him and explains that the skeleton and the large door are vestiges of an ancient time. This probably leads to a deeper part of the dungeon, but so far, no one has been able to get close to it.
We are told that in a few moments, we will use a small door that I had not seen and will find ourselves in the Slime Dungeon. Aurellius asks us to follow him to the base camp for safety reasons.
As we pass through the door, I am immediately confronted with a new world, the sunlight falls on my face, and the wind tickles my ears. This is a change from the crypt, I thought, smiling happily at this sudden change. Getting serious again, I see some strange beings a little further away. They seem to have noticed our presence but must have realized that it is probably better to keep their distance.
The small creatures are Slimes, small balls made up of various materials that have evolved by eating anything. They look like pudding or jelly balls, and come in all sorts of colors and elements. Aurellius informs us that the now calm road once led to an ancient city, now absorbed by nature, which will be our base location for the expedition. Some buildings are still standing, but otherwise, all that remains of the old city are ruins and gardens.
Broken tiles litter the streets and gardens, while dry, crispy paint decorates the walls and fences. The center of the ghost town contains an unkempt square of grass surrounded by uniform hedges. A pond has been built there, where a few slimes can be seen wandering. Despite the abandoned nature of the place, the landscape is rather beautiful with small bushy flowers and the pond. The unkempt grass and plants slightly disturb the immaculate aspect, but one can easily imagine what the landscape looked like in the past.
The professors stop in an old market square and ask us to set up camp, so we divide up the tasks. Some go to gather dead wood for campfires, while others prepare the tents. Once everything is ready, Aurellius and the professors explain how the week will unfold.
"As you can see, we're going to camp here for the next seven days. During this week, you will have to explore the dungeon and survive. You can do whatever you want, but don't go near the ruins next to the crevasse. That's the territory of the King Slime, a creature of rank SS, so don't disturb him, because even I probably won't be able to save you..." he stops, leaving a heavy silence.
"Before you all go your separate ways, I'm going to give you a distress stone," he continues, taking a box out of one of the tents. "If you break it, a signal light will appear in the sky, and one of the professors will come to save you and bring you back to camp. However, the exploration will be considered a failure. Do you have any questions?" he asks, finishing the explanations.
Niko, the Shaman, asks whether we will have to prepare our own meals or if they will be provided at the camp. One of the teachers starts laughing and explains that in a dungeon exploration or even on a mission, you have to prepare your own food unless someone is paid to cook or volunteers. He winks at us and tells us to figure it out. Some students continue to ask questions and slowly but surely, the sun begins to set...
My friends and I gathered around a campfire.
"Are you excited?" asks Mike.
"Kind of, the dungeon doesn't seem too difficult, but it's different from the academy's dungeon," replies Pepper.
"More or less, I've already visited more difficult dungeons with my family, so I don't think this outing will allow me to gain much more experience," complains Zephyr timidly.
"I'm still excited, though. I like discovering new monsters, even if they're weak," I say, with a silly smile, thinking about all the skills I'll be able to acquire.
The rest of the evening passes quickly as we chat around the fire. Night falls and I fall asleep to the sound of Mike's snores.
The dungeon is generally a large plain with wooded areas and small lakes. I can see some ruins here and there, but the most impressive thing is the quantity of Slimes wandering around. They are everywhere on the path, in the trees, in the water, there are all colors and several elements.
Mike, Zephyr, and Pepper have formed a group to explore the dungeon. They invited me, but I declined since I want to be able to come and go as I please to the Void Mall.
Over the past two days, I've been taking out bluish-grey Slimes with long tentacles. They're usually found near bodies of water, such as fountains or ponds. I've also seen brown Slimes that camouflage themselves with rocks. When I approached one, the creature tried to attack me. Out of curiosity, I wanted to test what would happen if a slime caught prey, so I threw a piece of meat at it and the slime caught it. Soon after, the piece melted due to the acid that the monster contained. I also eliminated two other types of Slime: green Slimes and orange Slimes. Green Slimes were quite difficult to defeat because once I destroyed one, the slime would divide into two and start again, so one slime became four. In my opinion, orange Slimes are the most complex because they're smaller and can easily climb on a person. I realized this earlier when I felt weak for no reason. I had an orange slime that had slipped into my boot and was slowly draining my stats. Fortunately, it's temporary, or I would have cried... With all these little battles, I've come to the conclusion that to defeat them, you have to destroy the energy crystal that the creature hides in its body. It's a bit like golems, but easier to spot since most slimes have a semi-transparent color.
Reflecting on it, I'm beginning to understand why the dungeon isn't too popular. First, to kill the slimes, you have to destroy their energy crystal, and secondly, the only profitable creature is of rank S to SS, so it's too dangerous for most people...