Musou Slime 62

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62. Now, Into the Dungeon

"A floor boss on the 25th floor...? Hahahaha!!"

Raize's father doubled over in laughter.

For just the two of us to make it to the 25th floor was, by all accounts, a ridiculous idea.

Currently, the highest cleared floor in the Ash Dungeon is the 42nd floor. This record belongs to the 'Union,' an S-class party formed once every three months.

Elite adventurers from the city, and sometimes beyond, gather, risking their lives to step into the unknown world. That's the weight behind the number 42.

And yet, we declared that we, just the two of us, would make it to the 25th floor. It's no wonder we were laughed at.

"Very well, if you can truly do such a thing, then you may become an adventurer or whatever you like!"

Alright, I got his word.

"I said it! Let's go, Raize!"

"Wait a moment!"

I took Raize's hand, took her in the cold, and stepped outside the mansion.

It was an hour later when we arrived at the 15th floor, where we brought Irene last time.

The dungeon's layout was still completely different, and we took our time descending from the 1st floor again.

With Raize backing me up with magic this time, our progress speed was incomparable.

"Arx, I'll shoot magic straight ahead!"

"Got it, I'll follow up!"

Raize thrust her right hand forward, casting fire magic at three incoming monsters.

"Haahhh!"

I moved in for the kill while the monsters got stunned by the flames.

The three monsters got slain, and I finally caught my breath after clearing out the surrounding monsters.

"Piggy!"

A slime had found the staircase. I sheathed my sword and headed towards the direction of the sound.

"How's it going? Can we keep going?"

"Yeah, it's easier this time with Raize here."

We hadn't encountered any tough monsters that stalled our progress yet. But things would change from here.

Beyond the 16th floor lie monsters stronger than Mithril Golems, teeming with difficulty.

The key to conquering from here would be my level. How far could I level up through battles with strong monsters up to the 25th floor?

There were many uncertainties. Honestly, it was starting to make me anxious.

"Why the long face?"

Raize tapped my back.

"When I said we'd conquer the 25th floor, what did you think?"

"I thought you were being foolish. It's beyond reckless."

"Can't you be a bit more subtle?"

"It's the truth. But at the same time, I also thought this. Maybe, just maybe, we can do it together."

Raize stood beside me and chuckled softly. There was no hint of fear in her expression.

Maybe she's expecting something from me after all. In that case, I want to live up to it.

"Alright, let's keep going!"

"I'm counting on you. This conquest depends on how much stronger you can get."

The staircase leading down caught my eye. I felt my spine straighten.

Reaching the 25th floor was a big gamble. But to get stronger, and to make Raize a companion, I'll definitely make it happen.

We descended the stairs and continued our exploration.

17th floor. The monsters were becoming considerably tougher.

Still, we could manage by leaving exploration to the slimes for now. We focused on battling monsters.

――

You have reached level 37.

The abilities of <Slime> have been enhanced.

――

20th floor. The monsters grew significantly stronger with each floor descent.

The feeling when descending from the 1st to the 2nd floor was completely different. So, this is a dungeon.

――

You have reached level 38.

The abilities of <Slime> have been enhanced.

――

22nd floor. We often engaged monsters together, Raize and I.

Appraising unfamiliar monsters, targeting their weak points accurately. Our breath started to quicken.

――

You have reached level 39.

You have reached level 40.

The abilities of <Slime> have been enhanced.

――

And we arrived at the 24th floor.

"There it is..."

After a fierce battle, we finally found the staircase to the 25th floor. Raize and I were quite worn out.

While receiving healing from a Healing Slime, I checked my own status.

――

Arx Seirant, 17 years old, Male

Level 40

Skills

<Slime>

[Slime Tamer]...Can summon Slimes of level (6→7). Maximum (42→48) slimes.

[Slime Maker]...Can perform class changes on Slimes.

・Appraisal Slime (1) ・Storage Slime (1) ・Warp Slime (1) ・Ironclad Slime (3→4)

・Healing Slime (2→3) ・Copy Slime (1)

・Slime General ・Slime Assassin

<Human>

――

I've done everything I can. Next is finally the 25th floor.

Imagining what kind of monsters lie ahead, I shudder with anticipation.