Lucien quickly realized something was off.
For a dungeon that had just formed, the first level felt too massive. He had assumed it would be small. But after wandering for what felt like hours, he still hadn't found the end.
He finally understood why dungeon crawlers often spent days and even months inside. They would set up camps to rest and kept pushing forward.
The deeper Lucien went, the more intense it got.
Slime groups appeared in increasing numbers, swarming him in larger packs. Their levels weren't stagnant either. He'd encountered slimes ranging from Level 2 to Level 7.
So far, Lucien had encountered six types of slimes. Each one reflects a color of the rainbow and each with their own quirks and combat challenges.
Red Slimes radiated warmth and when agitated, their bodies grew noticeably hotter. Their slime shots were uncomfortably warm like getting slapped by a warm and sticky towel.
Orange Slimes were walking glue traps. They left sticky trails in their wake which clung stubbornly to Lucien's boots. Their bodies were tacky and tough to cut through.
Yellow Slimes were more solid. Their gooey bodies were denser and more resilient especially against blunt attacks. Lucien had to exert extra force just to slash them and each hit feeling like chopping into rubber.
Green Slimes were the speedsters of the bunch. Their slime shots came faster too and their ability to dodge made them a slippery foe. Literally and figuratively.
Blue Slimes had been the first he encountered and compared to the others, they were practically easier to deal with.
Purple Slimes, on the other hand, were unpleasant in a way. Their slime shots stung on contact, leaving behind a twitchy sensation. When Lucien had made the mistake of touching one, the slick surface sent an electric-like tingle up his arm.
At first, these differences gave Lucien a hard time. But as he goes on, he memorized their patterns. They then became easier to deal with.
Unfortunately, that's when a new problem arose.
His inventory was now swamped with slime plushies. Apparently, every color dropped its own squishy toy replica. They didn't stack. His slots filled up fast and he nearly lost it when he couldn't pick up more.
Luckily, he leveled up and gained a few more slots.
And thankfully, not all the drops were useless. Some were genuinely exciting.
Then, something new...
A skill card dropped from a slime.
***
Skill (Active): ★
Illustration: A slime shooting a blob of goo
Name: Slime Shot
Description: Shoots a blob of sticky goo toward a target
***
Lucien's eyes lit up. He wasn't sure if he could learn it as he wasn't a slime but he had managed to learn a skill from a Soilwyrm before so it should be possible.
Still… he hesitated.
The image of himself flinging sticky goo like a slime made him gag a little.
For now, he tucked the card into his Skillpedia.
More time slipped by as Lucien pushed deeper into the dungeon. The steady rhythm of battles blended into a blur. Just when he was starting to lose track of time again...
[Ting!]
The familiar chime of the system echoed in his ears like a drop of water in silence.
[You killed a slime. You gained 14 copper coins]
Reach Level 10
Rewards:
• Drops now contains 2 items
• Increased chances for higher rarity drops
[Ting!]
< Drop Out >
Description: Everyone thought you dropped out of life... but everything else dropped for you.
• Job Skill: Drop Rate: MAX – All defeated or subjugated living targets yield 100% item drops.
• Job Skill: Auto-Collect — Automatically collects drops (effort is for people who didn't drop out) (NEW!)
Lucien ignored the system's sass. He was too busy grinning.
Lucien bent down and picked up a green drop. Inside, two glowing stars shimmered.
His eyes lit up.
Two items!
The boosted chances of higher rarity drops gave him a quiet thrill too.
Still, the process of picking up loot piece by piece had been a real hassle... until now.
Thanks to Auto-Collect, he could finally do what he enjoyed most. Focus entirely on the hunt!
He went on a small rampage, slaying more slimes to see the new skill in action and voila! It worked like a charm. The moment loot dropped, it shimmered briefly then vanished.
No need to pick things up manually anymore.
No interruptions. Just pure efficiency.
Lucien quickly noticed the Auto-Collect skill had about a one-meter radius.
What truly caught him off guard was that mana cores were also collected.
'So they count as drops too?' he thought.
Oddly, mana cores didn't take up inventory slots. Instead, they went straight to the Assets section. Lucien figured the system treated them like currency.
Even the damaged ones or those sliced in half were still perfectly recognized and tallied.
That discovery alone made him feel relieved. With all the other junk filling his inventory, at least mana cores wouldn't take up space.
Like Drop Rate: MAX, the Auto-Collect skill had no side effects. It wasn't even listed in the Skillpedia. Lucien couldn't help but wonder that maybe his job skills weren't just rare… maybe they were above legendary.
Lucien grinned. The thrill of growing stronger never got old.
Time slipped by unnoticed as slimes fell one after another.
He went into another killing spree
Then, after another quick kill...
[Ting!]
A system notification popped up.
Lucien blinked in confusion. He opened his inventory... and froze.
"Eh?" He leaned closer. "What the hell? This can drop too?"
There it was:
Neatly packaged.
Modern design.
It was even the brand he used back in his past life!
Lucien laughed. "Damn, that's actually amazing! But seriously... this is possible?"
He recalled hearing rumors that dungeons were connected to other dimensions.
'If that's true... then who knows what else might drop in here?'
Eager to test his luck, Lucien dove back into the hunt. Slimes fell one after another and drops piled up effortlessly.
Then... another surprise.
A slime burst apart and the loot was a glowing skill card.
***
Skill (Active): ★★
Illustration: A glowing bouncing slime
Name: Bouncy Body
Description: Great resistance to blunt damage... but makes you bounce uncontrollably
***
Lucien didn't even know what to say.
Useful? Maybe.
Embarrassing? Absolutely.
Fueled by excitement, Lucien launched into another killing spree.
Time passed then something caught his eye...
A glowing drop shimmered with a deep purple hue.
"Finally… an epic drop?"
His heart raced. He had been grinding for ages, hoping for a higher rarity and it was finally here.
He opened his inventory to inspect the new loot. As expected, the drop contained two items but he quickly realized they didn't share the same rarity.
This time, one was rare…
The other, epic.
His eyes locked onto the epic item.
Type: Equipment
Rarity: Epic
Description: A wobbly shield that absorbs blunt and magic attacks
He summoned the Gelatin Shield but it looked... too goofy.
But Lucien chose to trust the system. It hadn't let him down so far.
Suddenly, he heard the system's chime again.
[Ting!]
Kill 1,000 slimes
Reward: Ancient Slime Fossil
Description: Remnant of an ancient slime. Pulses with long-lost power. (sacrificial material)
Use: Offer as a sacrifice
Effect: May awaken echoes of lost power when offered at a sacred site
It radiated the same heavy presence as his Life-Link Talisman. Lucien didn't know how to use it since the description is vague but he sensed it would be important.
He decided not to overthink it.
Today had been incredibly productive. He grew stronger, earned resources for his territory and had more loot than he knew what to do with.
Eventually, he found a large archway at the far end of the floor.
It was the Boss Room.
Lucien paused.
He didn't rush inside. Instead, he glanced at his inventory, only to sigh in frustration.
It was no use. His inventory was already full.
***
—INVENTORY—
Assets:
• 1000 mana core
• 515 gold coins (1 gold coin = 10 silver coins/100 copper coins)
• 1 silver coin (1 silver coin = 10 copper coins)
• 4 copper coin
Inventory Slots (21):
• High-Quality Honey x85
• Nectar Crystal x24
• Royal jelly x3
• Slime Plushie (Red) x96
• Slime Plushie (Orange) x91
• Slime Plushie (Yellow) x97
• Slime Plushie (Green) x98
• Slime Plushie (Blue) x99
• Slime Plushie (Blue) x37
• Slime Plushie ( Purple) x89
• Slime Gel x97
• Slime Residue x92
• Shampoo x45
• Body Wash x43
• Slime Cement x65
• Perfume x10
• Slime Patch x22
• Slime Candle x20
• Gelatin Shieldx1
• Life-Link Talisman x1
• Ancient Slime Fossil x1
***
"I didn't realize it, but I'm freaking rich!" Lucien grinned. The money alone was enough to change his situation but with all the drops, his territory's future looked brighter than ever.
He took a moment to gloat, proudly scrolling through his inventory.
To sum it up, the Slime drops so far included:
Common Drops:
• Slime Plushie
• Slime Gel
• Slime Residue (Deodorizing agent)
Uncommon Drops:
• Shampoo (Boosts hair growth)
• Body Wash (Neutralizes body odor)
• Slime Cement (Hardens over time; construction use)
Rare Drops:
• Slime Patch (Healing aid)
• Slime Candle (Calming effect; pest repellent)
• Perfume (The smell grants slime affinity)
Epic Drops:
• Gelatin Shield (Absorbs blunt and magical attacks)
Lucien sighed.
The plushies took up too much space. He needed to declutter.
Lucien realized he'd been in the dungeon for quite a while now.
Suddenly… he felt it. Someone was watching him.
He quickly turned his head but saw no one.
Still, his instincts were sharp. Something was off.
The area appeared normal at first until a faint silhouette flickered into view.
It was just Sebas stood quietly in the distance.
His status marked as Worried.
Lucien chuckled. "I guess I have been down here too long."
Lucien decided to call it a day and return.
Sebas seemed to notice his retreat and vanished in a flash.
Lucien dashed toward the entrance.
Once outside, he didn't head straight to the manor. Instead, he stopped by a cliff overlooking the forest.
With a firm nod, he made a decision.
One by one, he dropped a pile of slime plushies from his inventory.
They tumbled down the cliff, scattering into the forest below.
[Ting!]
Achievement: Drop Something For Once!
Reward: +5 Inventory Slots
Lucien laughed.
"Damn system! Can't even end a chapter peacefully... not that I'm complaining!"