Mud monster. That's literally it. A mud monster that covers the entire ground of this dungeon floor. It has many eyes made of sand that protrude from its muddy body. They are either on the floor or on the walls, and some even manifest as a column of mud with multiple eyes.
Surprisingly, it isn't hostile at all. It only attacks when you attack, whether you're attacking the mud monster or another monster, and considering this is a dungeon.
"Meow!" [Fie]
"Thank you, Fie" [Tiara]
"This is definitely hard" [Diana]
"We must find the core quickly" [Dana]
"Considering that it covers the entire floor, it's hard even for someone like me" [Merlin].
"I'm usually good at this sort of thing, but since there are multiple cores lying around and they're all active, it's hard to tell which one is which" [Diana].
"For someone as lucky and skilled as you to say that, I guess it must be hard" [JOATMON].
Scorpion attacks us with his stinger. Flying Rock Monster literally throws its egg (made of rock) at us. Spears and arrows from the ground and the wall are thrown at us. All of these make us invoke our hostility, and hostility is the response that this mud monster clearly felt.
I tried to communicate with its soul, but surprisingly, this thing doesn't even have one. It's alive, but it doesn't have a soul. So pseudo-life? Undeath? Is there even such a thing as undeath? Whatever it is, it's surprisingly alive, even without a soul. Also, the way it has an eye (or makes an eye to see) is very alive. As I dodge the attack of the monster and the mud monster, I think about it.
"I feel like I am in a philosophical class" [Diana].
"Is it alive even if it has no soul, or is it just a core that reacted to our hostile intent, which somehow made it alive? I think the same" [Princess Siti].
"Can you two not?" [Tiara]
"Why not, I feel like throwing this is my class" [Tiara]
"Seriously..." [Teliara]
(Actually, I feel the same as Tiara. Definitely a good question for those cutie pie at school) [Merlin]
There are knights who are clearly injured after being attacked by it. I try to heal him and surprisingly
"Why?" [Diana]
"Is it attracted to healing magic?" [Tiara]
"It definitely feels like it" [Diana].
"I thought because I was angry with it that it attacked my potion, could it be..."
The knight also thought the same thing. Why was that mud monster attracted to healing magic? More than healing magic or something with healing properties, could it be
"Light Magic: Healing" [Diana].
"It's tentacles are sticking out. Watch out!" [Dana]
"Water Magic: Healing" [Diana]
"It becomes even more!" [Teliara]
"Neutral Magic: Cure" [Diana]
"Wait a minute..." [Merlin]
"Can't you try holy magic?" [JOATMON]
"Holy Magic: Healing" (Thanks for your help Healing Fairy Shifa) [Diana]
"It's definitely less responsive compared to healing based on water magic" [Princess Siti].
"So it's not undeath mud... Is it injured then?" [Diana]
"Hard to say. Maybe water is its food? And water with healing magic makes it stronger?" [Teliara]
"Diana, JOATMON, Teliara, you three can use healing magic, so how about we let you three lure it with one all the time. I'm sure we can have an easier time searching for its core instead of it attacking us due to hostility" [Princess Siti].
"This is better than searching in the dark" [Merlin]
"Meow" [Fie]
"All right, but let me heal the knight first" [Diana]
"Thank you, little girl."
After helping the knight, he offers to shield me, Teliara and JOATMON. He's a little afraid of the Mimic following us, but after Princess Siti's explanation, he's less nervous. That doesn't mean he doesn't look at us with hostile intent, which makes it harder for us. Definitely harder, but understandable. When he regroups with the other knights, he explains what just happened, and now the two groups are actively luring the mud monster with healing magic. Specifically, healing magic based on the water elemental.
"Huh. The mimic is suddenly acting like a mimic again" [Dana].
"Could it be that he's hungry and trying to lure the Mud Monster?" [Teliara]
"Maybe. How about we stay close to it. Once the Mud Monster's core is here, the Mimic can swallow it" [JOATMON].
"A good strategy. It's eating the mud monster, but eating doesn't really mean hostility, right" [Princess Siti].
"Still on this philosophical question..." [Dana]
As we increased the intensity of our healing spell (while simultaneously killing all the monsters that came towards us), a blob of mud approached the mimic. It tried to reach for JOATMON's hand, which was emitting water-related healing magic, and then
"See, it doesn't react." [Princess Siti]
"Master Merlin, is it alive or not? This mud monster" [Diana]
"This is indeed an interesting question. Why don't we discuss it during one of our classes next year" [Merlin]
"Indeed. I think it would make a good topic for a thesis" [Tiara].
"I swear to the Goddess..." [Dana]
The mimic happily eats the mud monster. But that doesn't mean we're safe from it. This is a dungeon. It will only be a matter of time before another mud monster appears, at least not soon enough for us to worry about it.