Volume 1 Chapter 43
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
I spent the next several weeks grinding, repeating the cycle of hunting magic-wielding Goblins until the routine was etched into my soul. Lately, I’d begun to feel a plateau; the physical surge I usually felt from my Dungeon Infiltration Rank¹ increasing had started to taper off.
I’d certainly grown accustomed to the rhythm of Goblin combat. My clock-in times were looking professional: five minutes for a standard Goblin, ten for a sword-user, and about seven for the magic-users. For anyone with a high-tier [Combat Job], these monsters would be one-shot fodder, but compared to the hour-long life-and-death struggles I started with? This was a massive evolution.
”Well then,” I muttered, standing before the threshold. “Time to see if I’m ready for Phase One, Floor Two.”
The first floor was a simple gatekeeper—just three Goblins. Once they were cleared, the path to the second floor opened. And waiting there in the damp shadows was my new headache.
”Slimes… definitely have to watch my step here.”
In most games, Slimes are the ultimate low-level joke, but in this dungeon, they were anything but. The memory of the horrific chemical burn on Haruka-san’s arm was still vivid. The attack power of a Slime’s Acid Slug² was lethal; the corrosive damage ate through gear and flesh alike, and healing that kind of trauma took forever. They were ambush predators, too—clinging to walls or ceilings, waiting for a distracted explorer. I couldn’t afford to blink.
And then there was the physical problem.
”They’re just so damn tanky…”
Looking at their translucent, jelly-like bodies, you’d think they’d be easy to pop. Far from it. To kill one, you have to find and destroy the invisible core suspended somewhere within that amorphous mass.
The first one had already slid into view, a wobbling mound of protoplasm nearly a meter wide. Most explorers handled this with AOE skills that blanketed the whole body or “Observation” skills that pinned the core’s location. I had neither. All I had was (Pressure Point).
”Which means,” I sighed, “I’m stuck with the ‘Meathead Method.’ Just keep swinging until I hit something vital.”
In theory, if you slash fast enough, you’ll eventually snag the core. High-level melee specialists could do it in seconds through sheer attack speed. But I wasn’t an elite. I was a specialist with a very specific, very manual set of tools.
”Time for the slow and steady approach.”
I gripped a handful of pebbles I’d scavenged on my way down. These weren’t [Dungeon Stones]—just common dungeon cobble. However, because they were native to the dungeon, they were saturated with Dungeon Energy³. Paradoxically, a local rock did more damage to these monsters than a high-caliber bullet brought in from the outside world.
”Alright… let’s see if my arm holds up. Hah!”
I wound up and hurled a pebble. It sank about twenty centimeters into the Slime’s translucent meat before the creature’s internal pressure popped it back out like a spent casing.
”Weak. Mana said she could punch these clean through to the other side.”
The depth of the hit was the only thing that mattered; the deeper the stone went, the better my odds of cracking the core. I cursed my own lack of raw strength, but dwelling on it wouldn’t kill the Slime.
”Whoops—here it comes!”
The Slime didn’t have eyes, but I felt its focus lock onto me. Its body began to thrum with a sickly, rhythmic quiver. A split second later, an Acid Slug zipped toward me. It was smaller than a Fireball but significantly faster.
”If I can see it coming, I can dodge it.”
Thanks to my ‘Fireball Drills’ with the Goblins, my reflexes were sharp. I sidestepped the corrosive bolt with ease. The real danger wasn’t the speed—it was the surprise. If one of those hit you from the ceiling while you were fighting something else, it was game over.
”Back to the grind. This is going to take a while…”
Throw. Dodge. Throw. Dodge. I settled into a grueling, repetitive trance. I pelted the Slime with rock after rock, dancing around its return fire.
”It’s shrinking. Here we go!”
It’s a known fact that as a Slime’s core takes damage, its total mass begins to collapse. As the creature shriveled, the mathematical probability of my rocks hitting the core skyrocketed. An hour into the fight, my throws finally started punching all the way through the jelly.
”Almost there! Take this!”
I unleashed a final, rapid-fire volley of cobble. One stone hit with a distinct, wet crack. The Slime buckled, quivered violently, and then dissolved into a dissipating mist of dark mana.
”Wait… is that…?”
Lying in the center of the mist was a tiny, glowing crystal. This wasn’t one of the dull pebbles I’d been throwing; it was a genuine Dungeon Stone⁴. One of the true blessings of the deep.
These stones were the lifeblood of the modern world, the power source for the Dungeon-tech appliances that had long since replaced traditional electronics. The Explorer’s Guild bought these at a premium, or I could use it myself to power my home. For a guy living paycheck to paycheck, this was a godsend.
”Man, my arm is killing me… I think I’ll call it a day on a high note.”
I tucked the Dungeon Stone securely into my pocket, checked the stairs to the next floor one last time, and turned back toward the exit. The grind was exhausting, but for once, it had actually paid off.
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Summary:
Hirosawa moves from Floor One to Floor Two, facing Slimes for the first time. He utilizes a methodical ‘Meathead’ strategy of throwing pebbles to eventually strike the creature’s hidden core. After a long, grueling battle, he is rewarded with his first Dungeon Stone drop, which provides a much-needed financial boost.
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Trivia:
- Slimes can cling to ceilings, making them dangerous ambushers.
- Dungeon pebbles are effective weapons because they contain ‘Dungeon Energy’ that bypasses monster resistance.
- Modern electrical appliances in this world have been replaced by ‘Dungeon-tech’ powered by stones.
- The protagonist’s specific skill (Pressure Point) is less effective against amorphous enemies compared to standard melee jobs
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Character Insight:
The protagonist demonstrates extreme patience and tactical awareness, choosing a safe but slow method (ranged rock throwing) rather than risking a close-range encounter with acid.
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Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
The author uses the Slime encounter to establish the ‘grind’ of the world and show how the protagonist’s non-combat job requires creative solutions for standard RPG enemies.
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Glossary:
Notes:
• Haruka – Izumi Haruka, known as “The Prince” among the Four Heavenly Kings for her androgynous beauty and dignified aura, bears severe burn scars from a Slime Acid Bullet and suffers side effects from Hirosawa’s skill. She calls herself “boku,” has a large bust second only to Higuchi, and serves as a 3rd-floor Priest. A trusting classmate and close friend of Mana, she was healed by Kanade and is currently hospitalized after an intense encounter with the protagonist, while being stalked.
• Mana – Class President and one of the Four Heavenly Kings, she wields the Sage job with elite close-quarters martial arts, sporting a long black ponytail, glasses, and neat attire with bracers and leg guards. Kanade’s primary partner and emotional anchor—appearing in his mind as his reason for fidelity—she guides the harem through pressure-point side effects, administers his restorative liquid from Hirosawa’s skill, and requires sexual release to counter aphrodisiacs. Fiercely loyal and disciplined, she trained the protagonist in projectile evasion, pierces Large Slimes on the third floor, and serves as a benchmark for power levels, balancing businesslike logic with heightened combat prowess.
• Hirosawa – Kanade, a quiet, cute male student at National Third Dungeon Academy, Phase Zero power level, wields the Unique Job Vital Point Practitioner and pressure‑point cheat skill. He can alter bodies and induce lactation via pressure points. Methodical explorer, uses a Goblin Sword, and has raised his Dungeon Infiltration rank. Protagonist and narrator.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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