Kays Translations

Chapter 255: The Slime Layer

Tauro passed through the castle gate that had suddenly appeared before him.

Within the walls surrounding the dungeon entrance stood several buildings, including a rest area, a tool shop, and multiple weapons and armor shops. The entire compound bustled with villagers.

Several children smaller than Tauro sat at the edge of the square, listening carefully to adults giving instructions.

They were being taught what to do—and what never to do—inside the dungeon, along with the necessary safety precautions.

Apparently, dragonfolk began familiarizing children with dungeons from an early age.

“Are those children going into the dungeon too?”

Tauro asked in surprise.

“Yes. The first three underground floors are relatively safe because they contain only slimes. The floor below them is completely different and far more dangerous, so we repeatedly warn the children never to go beyond the slime layer. Since this is probably their first expedition, they’ll march down to the third floor and back. It takes an entire day.”

The explanation contained several ominous phrases despite the leader’s casual tone.

“An entire day?”

“Yes. The slime layer refers to the first through third floors. It isn’t particularly dangerous, but it’s extremely broad and complicated. Traveling from the first floor to the third and back takes a full day. I did it as a child too, and walking almost nonstop except for brief rests was pure hell. Ha ha ha!”

The leader laughed cheerfully.

You make children do that?

So this is where the dragonfolk’s reckless nature begins… Tauro thought.

“Don’t worry. Today we’ll take the shortest route. We should reach your destination—the transfer room—in only a few hours.”

The leader pointed toward what initially looked like nothing more than a narrow fissure in the slope.

“That’s the dungeon entrance.”

Unlike Babylon, the dungeon near the Royal Capital, no building covered the entrance. It was simply an exposed crack in the earth.

Several guards stood around it. The five warriors exchanged casual greetings with them before leading Tauro inside.

Because everyone knew one another, the guards immediately recognized Tauro as the rare human visitor who had saved their people. Instead of an ordinary greeting, each thanked him.

Tauro acknowledged them with a small nod and followed the leader into the dungeon.

Despite its crude exterior, the interior began with a beautifully maintained cobblestone staircase characteristic of dungeons.

Of course, no one maintained it manually; the dungeon repaired itself.

Even if someone damaged the cobblestones, they would eventually restore themselves.

That same regenerative property made it impossible to dig a shortcut directly to a lower floor.

As in other dungeons, the floors, walls, and ceiling emitted a faint light, leaving no truly dark areas.

The dungeon’s appearance changed dramatically after they descended the staircase.

The stairs were paved with cobblestones, but the first floor resembled a natural cave of exposed rock and soil.

The pale glow radiating from every surface was what distinguished it from an ordinary cave.

In the end, even this natural-looking environment was a construct created by the dungeon.

“So dungeons of this type exist too.”

Tauro looked around in admiration.

“Have you entered other dungeons before, Tauro-dono?”

The leader sounded interested.

“Yes. One had only recently formed, and the other was Babylon near the Royal Capital. Both had brick walls and cobblestone floors extending into the first floor. I only saw their uppermost levels, though.”

“Most dungeon entrances are built that way. This one probably resembles a damp earthen cave because so many slimes spawn here. Even so, you can’t actually dig into the walls or scoop out the soil.”

The leader pressed his hand against the wall and made a grabbing motion, but his open palm remained empty.

Tauro imitated him and tried to grasp the fragile-looking soil, with the same result.

It felt exactly like earth beneath his fingers, yet nothing came away, leaving a peculiar sensation in his palm.

“Let’s continue. Please follow me.” The leader resumed guiding the group.

As Tauro followed, he began spotting slimes clinging to the walls.

They came in every imaginable color, making the passage resemble a slime exhibition.

“That green slime and the earth-colored one should normally live in completely different environments, shouldn’t they?”

Tauro pointed out the oddity.

“Yes. Slimes of many varieties appear throughout the slime layer regardless of the environment. But don’t worry—high-ranking individuals don’t normally appear on these shallow floors.”

The leader reassured him.

His explanation reminded Tauro of an experiment he had been wanting to try.

“There’s something I’d like to test. It shouldn’t take long.”

“Certainly. What do you intend to do?”

The leader asked with interest.

“I want to try a little dark spirit magic…”

Tauro answered, deciding to use the dark spirit magic he had recently avoided.

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