[Max's POV]
After clearing the slimes at my entrance, I kept my shield up.
Whenever some slimes tried to sneak attack—
the next second, there was a crunch, and they were gone.
[You have killed a Mud Slime. Loot is stored in your inventory.] ×15
My account balance of Myth Coins was rising steadily.
As I reached the end of the patchy group of small islands in the swamp, I arrived at the edge where the trees began—
a dense thicket of swamp roots, tangled in vicious pools.
I entered the area with slightly more caution.
The barrage of mud balls stopped, a sign that I'd crossed into another slime's territory.
After walking for a few minutes, something struck my mana shield.
Instead of scattering like the usual mud, it stuck—trying to eat its way through.
"Acid…" I muttered.
I followed the trail, but there was nothing. No ripple. No sound.
Another shot hit my shield, but this time, I swung my sword in a diagonal arc—
trying to cut through the invisible slime.
Nothing.
No crunch. Only silence.
I narrowed my eyes.
"That's only possible if the trail itself is false… This is some kind of illusion or camouflage at its best."
Multiple shots came from all directions now, hissing through the air.
My shield held firm—Infinite Mana had its perks.
But I couldn't keep standing here.
I closed my eyes.
Countless ideas flashed through my mind within a second, and I chose what I considered the best one.
---
I focused inward.
I'd moved mana through my body before to form shields—but this time, I wanted something new.
I reached into my mana pool—an endless well—and pushed mana outward in a slow, silent circle.
A mana pulse rippled out from me.
I fed more energy into it, sustaining the wave until the swamp around me became clear—
even without opening my eyes.
Three distinct signatures lit up in my senses.
"So, three types of slimes, huh…"
A system panel flickered—but I ignored it for now. I already knew what it meant.
---
Three blue panels materialized before me.
[Spore Slime]
[Rank – E-]
[Remark – Passive, but releases spores which paralyze the body]
[Acid Slime]
[Rank – E+]
[Remark – Agile and shoots acid balls; not deadly but surely dangerous]
[Moss Slime]
[Rank – E]
[Remark – Camouflages itself and allies in green environments]
"Camouflage in a green environment… and I'm in a freaking forest."
I sighed.
"Well, that doesn't matter now. But why don't I feel any paralysis? I've been here a few minutes already. I don't feel sluggish."
"System?" I asked.
[That is likely due to your Physique. It doesn't need to manifest any trait to counter such poison or spores.]
"Wow. One more point for the mental note," I said, pushing my mana wave further into the dungeon.
More signatures appeared—some familiar, one new, and one that shone like a beacon.
"That must be the boss."
Their camouflage was useless now. The slimes were as good as dead.
---
I moved.
The moss slimes were first—one stab, and their cores shattered.
Their deaths broke the camouflage.
The acid slimes were faster, dodging a few swings before I found their rhythm.
Perception met precision—one by one, they fell.
The spore slimes were harmless against me. They were last to die.
After the fight, I checked the notifications.
[You have killed Moss Slime. Loot is stored in your inventory.] ×7
[You have killed Acid Slime. Loot is stored in your inventory.] ×8
[You have killed Spore Slime. Loot is stored in your inventory.] ×6
Then another one blinked.
[You have created your first spell which highly surpasses your power level. You are awarded 50 Myth Points.]
Seeing the reward made me grin—
then frown.
"Only 50?"
[Your first deed may be extraordinary; that's why such an amount was awarded. Otherwise, 5–15 is the range players usually receive until Rank S.]
"Then that's nice," I said, multiplying the points with my ability.
Lamina hummed happily in my hand.
I took the shortest route toward the boss.
---
More slimes appeared—but after my new spell, they barely lasted a heartbeat.
Every swing, every downward stab—it was over before they could move.
Then came the Crystal Slimes.
They fired mana bolts that nearly halved my shield's endurance in a single hit.
I dodged instinctively, using my detection spell to predict the next attack.
The combination of my senses, my shield, and Lamina's sharp edge turned the fight into a blur of destruction.
Their cores shattered, one after another.
After the last crystal slime fell, I stepped into the final chamber.
---
What I saw could only be described as crafted to terrify new players.
A cavern—not of stone, but of twisted branches and swamp leaves.
Roots hung down like skeletal fingers, brushing the ceiling.
A damp green glow pulsed faintly from within.
I couldn't help muttering, "Who the hell designs something like this?"
The system answered.
[Boss Chamber – Pit of Verdu]
[Verdant Ooze Tyrant]
[Rank – E+]
[Remark – Abode of Slime Sovereign]
"Not creepy at all," I remarked, stepping forward.
The ground squished under my boots—semi-liquid, half mud, half gel.
Each step sent ripples through the floor, like walking on stretched skin.
My detection spell pulsed quietly, mapping the area.
But still, I stayed alert.
The hanging roots above were too still.
Then I saw it—
a pond filled with green gel, surrounded by smaller ponds.
No movement.
"Don't tell me… it's the pond," I muttered.
As if on cue, the surface bubbled.
From its depths rose a humanoid mass of slime and moss.
It stopped at waist height, shimmering grotesquely.
"Man, you're one lazy villain, aren't you?" I muttered.
More slimes blinked to life around me.
"And a bully too," I sighed, gripping Lamina tighter.
Every type of slime I'd faced was now before me.
Even the camouflaged ones revealed themselves in my mana sense.
---
Despite having Infinite Mana, I couldn't help wishing for something simple.
Like fireballs. Or a storm spell.
Keeping my shield up, I swung my sword, cutting through slimes as I advanced.
When I reached the boss, I slashed across its chest—
but there was no crunch.
Instead, a rain of mud, acid, and mana bolts exploded toward me.
My shield flared, then cracked.
"Of course. It can't be that simple," I muttered.
I focused my detection spell on the pond.
At its deepest point pulsed a dense core of mana.
"So that's where your life is hiding."
But before I could act, over fifty slimes swarmed forward, attacking in perfect unison.
---
I exhaled slowly.
No more remarks.
Just action.
Jumping high, I focused my mana into my sword.
"Ready, Lamina?"
The blade hummed in response.
I swung.
Spectral blades erupted from the sword, slicing through the swarm like butter.
The pond roared—a deep, guttural wail of fury.
Using the nearest branch as a foothold, I launched myself even higher.
Mana surged through Lamina like a living river.
The black blade burned with white light, the energy extending and reshaping its form.
Below, the boss unleashed larger mana blasts.
My shield absorbed them—barely.
I locked onto the true core and swung down.
Mana ignited.
The arc blazed across the air, cutting through the Verdant Ooze Tyrant from head to waist.
The strike kept going—
until it reached the core.
Crunch.
The sound echoed across the swamp chamber as the monster's body split apart, collapsing mid-scream.
---
I landed in a crouch, exhaling.
The sword's glow faded, but its edge still gleamed.
Sliding Lamina back into its sheath, I smirked.
"Well, that was satisfying. Now… where do I file the extermination report for 'sentient snot'?"
The system window flickered before me.
[Dungeon 'The Slime Brood Marsh' Cleared]
[Completion – 100%]
[Reward – Uncommon Rank Chest]