Chapter 27

Mei got talkative as the Japanese markers got more frequent. “We’re approaching the shrine,” Hina said, translating for her.

Water dripped from the ceiling, stalactites and stalagmites dotted the tunnels, and their feet splashed in puddles as they walked. The Ito-clan members didn’t appear bothered by the moisture, though. Diya found it concerning since the jungle of bioluminescent mushrooms had ended abruptly. If anything, they had to be denser in areas of high humidity. Besides Mei’s wisps, the only light source was the moss spread in abrupt clumps all over the distant walls and ceiling.

Diya kept his axe in hand, and Hina mirrored him with her club. It wasn’t long before Mei, and her fox’s spine went stiff simultaneously. Seek Prime Beast reacted, too. Diya moved his hand around, observing as the rune's pulsing intensified when he moved his hand further in the direction they were heading. Hina caught sight of the curious occurrence but didn't comment on it.

More wisps spread from the fox, surrounding the party in ethereal blue light. When Mei scanned the cavern, Diya spotted the same yellow glint in her eyes that he had seen before. He guessed her soul's third ability gave her dark sight. The fox soul's summon, mobility, and sense enhancement made Mei's starting skill set almost identical to Lawrence's. The magical abilities gained from a single monster card made her future path completely different, though. Diya couldn't help but feel amazed by the range of possibilities for his own soul.

If it were up to Diya, he would’ve liked to turn back. The possibility of more troglodyte hordes or giant monsters didn't bother him. Instead, the shifting stones, old landslides and collapsed tunnels left him concerned for their safety. The Ito-clan members carried on, and so he followed. Mei let out a high-pitched shriek when what they thought were damp rocks turned out to be a half-digested troglodyte corpse. The flesh and bone had greyed, and there was no blood left. Somehow, he and Hina had missed it while walking ahead.

“What is it?” Diya asked in a whisper

“I don’t know,” Hina answered. “Most beasts shed the bones or turn everything into shit.”

Then a slight shimmer on the wall to Diya’s left caught his attention. It looked no different from any other part of the wall, but there was something off about the troglodyte-shaped patch. He knew it. When Diya poked the area with his axe’s beak, it rippled. Without wasting another breath, he grabbed Hina’s hand and hurried her along to Yukiho.

“Slimes!” He said. “We’re surrounded by slimes. You'll see the lights moving if you watch the ceiling.” A shiver ran down Diya’s spine as he thought about their disgusting gelatinous fluid. “They must’ve digested every living thing in this area. We have to turn back.”

“Nonsense,” Yukiho replied. “They’re just slimes. The creatures are blind and deaf. If any get in our way, the frostfire can freeze them solid. Hina seems intent on the fight, too, so she can help by shattering them to bits, and we’ll carry on.” She looked around the room. When the wall beside her shimmered, she hopped away from it, and her cape stiffened. “The shrine isn’t far. We’re carrying on towards it.”

Diya sighed, letting go of Hina’s hand. If push came to shove, he was confident in his skills to cut and run. Yukiho and Mei had already shown their souls’ ability and willingness to do the same. Koki and Hina didn’t have such benefits, though.

“Stay close to me,” he whispered. “They shouldn’t bother us unless we agitate them.”

“Don’t worry too much,” Hina told him. “I know what you think of Yukiho, but she’s been up to the tenth floor. She knows how to deal with slimes.”

“I don’t think so. Even if she was looking out for the entire party like she claims, slimes are a threat to anyone in the first two intervals. They’re almost impervious to physical damage, and Cores that grant elemental spells and summons are much too rare. We don’t have the tools to deal with it. Yukiho’s soul is especially ill-suited for something like this. If things go south, she’ll take Mei and run.”

Diya hoped Mei truly didn’t understand English. Yukiho would soon discover what he thought about her if she enhanced her hearing and eyesight. Before long, the slimes were no longer just on the ceiling and floor but in their path too. The party had to take care to go around them. Despite the chill in the air, sweat-soaked Diya’s back and pits. One slip up, and they’d get swarmed.

Mei saw the shrine first. The party’s attempt at picking up the pace failed as more gelatinous obstacles appeared in their path. Things got worse for Diya when the bridge connecting their approach to the final stretch of their journey came to an abrupt end. The party looked at him expectantly. He’d have to find a way across despite the countless slimes moving like slugs on every surface around them.

The frostfire wisps spread under Mei’s guidance as she tried to find an alternate route. There was none. The only option Diya could see was to scale the wall to their left, shuffle across along the top, and then drop down on the opposite side. It was easier said than done, though. Slimes covered the surface. There weren’t just dog-sized blobs roaming around aimlessly but dormant, flat creatures that almost blended into the rock face.

Diya's attempts at sending the grappling hook and vines across the broken bridge failed. The tier-zero launcher lacked sufficient power to propel it all the way. He had no choice but to climb across the wall ten feet to the bridge's left and carry the vines across. Diya swapped the launcher card for the tier-one Burst of Strength before starting his journey. Darkness enveloped the opposite wall and floor below, leaving Diya to wonder how far he had to fall. The motes of bioluminescence didn't help gauge distance, either. The slimes appeared to eat all the fauna they could reach, which meant the mushrooms and moss were far outside their territory.

None of the nearby surfaces appeared suitable for clamps and hooks, making the crossing more dangerous. Given the collapsed bridges and tunnels, retreating wasn't an option. Yukiho would, With Koki's help, Diya fastened the vines to a wide stalactite using a series of intricate knots. He tied the other end around his waist before starting his climb. The runes on the back of his hand lit up with enough brightness to illuminate the surrounding stones. He was sure the Itos saw them now.

Hina attached tufts of dandelion fluff to Diya, making his body lighter. He had to tell her to hold back since the lack of anything weighing him down left him disoriented. As he moved, Diya willed the Ink Vines to extend from the fountain pen tucked into his belt. He hoped the slimes' digestive fluids wouldn't dispel the vines if they touched.

Little frostfire wisps followed Diya. “Keep going, and don’t look back,” Yukiho called. “If any slime gets too close, Mei will freeze them. If they’re stunned, they can’t alert the others.”

Diya wasn’t sure the beasts could communicate, but he tried his best not to think of it as a possibility. Spiders, troglodytes, and wolves didn’t bother Diya. However, the image of drowning in a massive slime while it digested him alive terrified him. The damp wall didn’t help, either. Diya made a note of investing in chalk. It would help deal with slippery handholds.

All of a sudden, the rock under Diya’s right hand wobbled. His heart leapt into his throat as he watched his fingers sink into the cold, gelatinous substance.

“Frost fire!” He yelled! “On my right hand!”

Yukiho translated, and a wisp flew into the slime a moment later. It solidified around Diya’s hand as he pulled with all his strength. Fortunately, his timing proved just right. Parts of the slime’s outer surface cracked and splintered as his fingers found freedom. Even though the exposure to frostfire only lasted a moment, it felt as if a dozen angry wasps had stung his palm.

“Keep moving!” Yukiho yelled. “If it recovers too quickly, we will not make it.”

Diya swore under his breath. They’d run the other way and survive. On the other hand, he would be left to his own devices, facing countless slimes in a compromising position. His axe would be useless against the creatures. Diya sped up his sideways scramble, keeping an eye out for more slimes. The wisps danced around him, illuminating his path. Diya was three-quarters of the way across when his left foot sunk into the rock face. Moments later, his right hand followed.

“The slimes are coming out of the wall!” Diya exclaimed. “Pull me back, Hina!”

“There’s no pulling you back,” Hina yelled. “That’s not a wall, Diya. You’re climbing across a massive slime!”

Diya looked up to find the surface above losing its rocky texture. “Hit it with all the frost fire!” Diya ripped his stuck limbs out so hard he almost fell. Mei didn’t need a translation. She did what was required. The wall froze around Diya. It only lasted for a couple of minutes, though. The surface cracked and then wobbled.

“Hurry!” Diya couldn’t tell whether it was Yukiho or Hina shouting. Koki and Mei’s increasingly louder words in Japanese got in the way. He didn’t need telling, though. If he let go, the fall or a mass of slimes would kill him. If he held on, the giant slime in disguise would consume him. The only escape was moving forward.

Almost the entire wall was jelly now. Frozen patches floated away from one another like icebergs. Diya leapt, grabbing the closest one and used the forward momentum to propel himself to the next. Hina still had a hold on the tether and kept it taut. So, when he missed a handhold, his arm plunged into the jelly. She pulled him back. Diya’s vision narrowed, and he kicked at a frozen chunk of slime to facilitate his escape. It worked, but his left palm now had an extended cut across it, and every bit of exposed skin stung.

Translucent tentacles sprouted from the giant slime and wrapped around Diya’s right leg and arm, arresting his flight. A trio of frost fire wisps froze the appendages, and Diya broke free. He used their stumps as footholds and jumped. Another clump of tentacles burst from the wall, charging at him. Unlike the last lot, they appeared solid and opaque. Diya let go of his handholds and dropped, hoping to grab onto something else lower down. The amorphous limbs were too fast and swung into his side and face. They failed to catch Diya and flung him to safety. He landed hard on his back and was glad to see the tentacles retract. The surrounding rocks were still solid. He hoped they remained that way.

“Get up!” Yukino screamed while Diya lay winded. He channelled Burst of Strength and scrambled away from the collapsed bridge’s edge. Diya coughed, struggling to take in air. His chest hurt, and spots clouded his vision. A broken rib was the last thing he needed, so he begged Gaia to make it just a bruise. His newest card had a duration of fifteen seconds. Giving him a few minutes to ignore pain and

Once he had regained his focus, Diya pulled the vines taut, tied the vine off to a stalactite, and used his best knots and clamps. The party started its journey across straight away. Yukiho used her Gaia-given abilities to run across the tether. It barely budged under her weight. Mei followed similarly. Instead of bulging muscles, her figure appeared lithe and toned. Much to Diya’s surprise, Hina crossed with inhuman speed, too. He guessed she availed the dandelion fluffs’ weight-reducing power. Baba often said that terror was an excellent teaching tool.

Koki brought up the rear, moving much slower than the others. Diya’s temples throbbed with every heavy heartbeat. Tentacles danced around the rope. The slime couldn’t see him, of course, but even a grazing touch would give him away.

“Use your frost fire, Mei!”

Mei looked at Yukiho hesitantly. The latter didn’t speak a word. It wasn’t until Hina screamed in Japanese did Mei finally make a move. Her fox leapt at the wall, drawing the two remaining wisps of frostfire. The critter disappeared into the slime, and the gelatinous exterior froze, giving Koki some respite.

“Tell him to cut the vines behind him,” Diya told Hina.

“What?!"

“Just do it! He’ll never make it otherwise. Koki is too slow. If the tentacles find the rope, they’ll get him almost straight away.”

When Hina translated Diya’s message, Koki didn’t hesitate. First, he wrapped the vine around his right hand and arm. Then he released his leg hold, dangling by just one hand. Then, using his left, he fished a hand-sized knife out of his hakama and swung at the tether. As soon as he made the cut, the coiled vines behind him exploded into a shower of ink, spraying the giant slime. It reached towards the stalactite that had acted as the starting anchor, ignoring Koki. Meanwhile, the vines still attached to the pen's nibs remained intact.

Koki yelled in pain when he dropped with the severed tether and swung into the rock face below. Hina sent several dandelions down to him before the party worked together to pull him up. Diya was glad he managed to hold on.

“He’s bleeding,” Diya commented. He offered Koki his flask. The man accepted the offer with his left while his bloody right arm hung limp. After taking a swig, Koki thrust it back into Diya’s hands, speaking in Japanese. “What did he say?”

“Koki is honoured that you’d share your brew with him before drinking it yourself,” Hina said.

“Why would I need it?” Diya raised a confused eyebrow, looking at the pair.

Hina stroked Diya’s cheek, and blood painted them red when she pulled her fingers away. “It’s above your eyebrow,” Hina said before highlighting several other injuries. Almost every bit of exposed skin stung. Diya felt little else. He guessed the adrenaline kept the other aches and pains at bay, too. “Looks like the slime lord whipped you hard.”

Diya looked up at the countless tentacles dancing in the air. He thanked Gaia and whatever kept the creature stuck in the wall. If it could move freely, they’d all be dead now. Diya retracted the vine into the fountain pen, feeling thankful for his soul.

Yukiho checked on the party before egging them on. The party dodged smaller slimes as they scaled the rest of the path to the shrine. He found a dry spot devoid of gelatinous creatures and slumped down on the floor, breathing heavily. The healing brew had stemmed the bleeding from his forehead and hand, but the bits that sunk into the slime lord continued to burn. Diya needed clean, cold water to wash up the digestive fluids before they left him with burns.

While the Ito-clan bowed to their shrine and recited little chants, he watched the giant creature in the distance. The surrounding walls cracked and crumbled. It wouldn’t be long before the monster got free. Diya didn’t worry. A door sat at the end of a short tunnel not far from their position. He intended to run if the slime lord sped up its approach.

Hina joined Diya, and he talked her through breathing exercises to calm her heart rate. He had no doubts that there would be more life-threatening scenarios in the future. She needed to learn how to remain calm and functional. Baba claimed that people with powerful souls died all the time. It was the level-headed individuals that lived the longest.