The Slime Dungeon's gate looked like the entrance to an underground tunnel carved straight into the earth.
Two guards stood on either side, methodically checking each diver's guild badge before allowing them to enter.
Swordmasters filled the area, mostly young men and women between 18 and 20 years old. Some formed small groups, others paired up in duos, and a few stood alone, just like Adonis.
Despite their different formations, one thing was common among them all.
Excitement.
Their faces brimmed with anticipation for the first real challenge of their lives.
"Man, I'm so nervous," a nerdy-looking young man muttered, rubbing his palms together. "Up until now, we've only trained with dummies and drills. Dungeons won't show us any mercy."
"Relax," his companion replied, forcing a grin. "It's just slimes. F-rank monsters. As long as you don't panic, you'll be fine."
"That's easy for you to say," the first shot back. "What if they swarm us?"
"Haha, then we need to cut them down. That's what swords are for, remember?"
Adonis stood quietly a short distance away, listening without reacting.
Holding the Harem sword in his hand, he seemed relaxed and completely appeared to be one of the ordinary divers.
To everyone else, he was just another rookie adventurer about to test his courage.
But as his eyes drifted toward the dark tunnel ahead, his chaotic body reacted.
He could feel it. The dungeon's dense Ether.
It felt as though the dungeon itself was breathing the ether like a monster from another world.
"Come on, Adonis. You are not a kid like them. You can do this," he cheered himself inwardly.
< Slime Dungeon detected. Low-threat environment. Optimal for early EXP farming, but low chance of Ether Cores as drops > Vexa informed him calmly.
Adonis frowned. He didn't like the probability of gaining Ether cores, but he had trust in his luck.
38 points of luck wouldn't be a waste, right?
So, he stepped forward as the line moved.
The guard glanced at his badge, barely sparing him a second look.
"Hmm, Danitas Guild. F-rank. And going solo?" the guard asked.
"Yes," Adonis replied coolly.
The guard shrugged, "Whatever. It's your funeral, boy. Enter!"
Adonis didn't need to be told twice. He crossed the gate.
The light behind him dimmed instantly as the dungeon swallowed him whole.
Adonis looked around to find himself in a long corridor of sorts.
The environment was dimly lit, cold, and damp, and both sides of the stone walls were painted with moisture.
Just then, a noise reached his ears.
Boink.
He turned in that direction and saw a gelatinous blue slime approaching, attacking with cute, rapid jumps.
Boink.
[ Water Slime – Level 1 ]
At first glance, it looked like an adorable creature.
That was what Adonis thought at first.
But the moment it came closer, it revealed sharp canine teeth that looked as though they were formed from water rather than solid matter.
Even so, they were dangerous.
Just not to Adonis.
He casually extended his hand, allowing the water slime to bite it without any resistance.
Clump!
Adonis smiled.
The sharp bite did nothing more than leave a few small dents on his skin.
The Water Slime's head formed a visible question mark, as if it were confused.
"All right, let's start with you, little fella. Forgive me."
Finishing his words, he raised his hand.
Paah!
With a resounding slap, the Water Slime exploded into a splash of gelatinous substance.
[ EXP +3 ]
"Just three EXP for slaying a level one?" Adonis sighed. "Oh well, I shouldn't complain, since I was the one who adjusted the parameters and numbers in the game."
With that thought, he continued forward into the dungeon.
Adonis moved through Floor One with slow and cautious steps.
The dim tunnels twisted like roots beneath the earth, slippery with moisture and faintly glowing moss.
Soon, Water Slimes appeared one after another, hopping out from shallow puddles or dripping down from the cavern walls.
Boink.
Boink.
They came in small numbers at first.
Adonis did not even bother summoning his sword.
A slap.
A kick.
Or a casual punch infused with a thin layer of ether.
Each strike was clean and efficient.
Paah!
Splash!
The slimes burst apart into harmless gel, splattering across the stone floor.
[ EXP +3 ]
[ EXP +3 ]
[ EXP +3 ]
But unfortunately, he got no Ether core.
He wouldn't give so easily.
As such, he moved without haste while conserving energy out of habit rather than necessity. His boundless stamina made fatigue irrelevant, but discipline was something he refused to abandon.
Occasionally, 2 or 3 slimes stretched and wobbled their bodies in an attempt to engulf his legs. But—
Crack!
The ground shattered slightly as he stomped down, dispersing them instantly.
"Too weak," he muttered as he stepped ahead.
By the time he reached the end of Floor One, the tunnels behind him were eerily silent.
No movement. No slimes.
Nothing left to clean up.
[ Floor 1 Cleared ]
Adonis paused. He looked at the faintly glowing rune etched into the stone wall ahead.
"So I have cleared the first floor already...But why haven't I met any other divers yet?"
The question remained unanswered for now.
Because the staircase to Floor Two was waiting for him.
He rolled his shoulders once more, more out of habit than need.
And then, he stepped forward.
---
The moment he entered Floor Two, the atmosphere changed.
The air grew heavier. The moisture thickened. And the ether density increased.
On the floor, a large pool of water was scattered around, and the walls emitted a dull blue glow.
From within the pools, shapes began to rise.
Not one. Not two.
But five water slimes emerged at once.
Their bodies were looking larger, and movements faster.
[ Water Slime – Level 3 ]
Their forms quivered violently as they surged toward him, no longer playful or clumsy.
Adonis's eyes squinted.
"So, is this where the real dungeon starts?"
He finally summoned the Chaotic Harem Sword.
The black blade slid into his hand without sound, humming softly.
He lowered his stance.
"Come."
The slimes didn't need to be invited.
They attacked.
Adonis stepped forward instead of back.
"Relentless Thrust."
As he activated the art, the sword blurred.
Thrust.
Thrust.
Thrust.
The blade pierced through one slime, then another, each strike accelerating the next.
Puchi, puchi, puchi.
Blue blood sprayed onto the walls and stone floor.
Yet, the sword moved faster and faster, its momentum compounded with every successful hit.
Splash!
Splash!
Splash!
The remaining slimes tried to retreat.
But they were too late.
Poof!
A final thrust tore through all of them in a single line.
Silence returned to the cavern.
[ EXP +3 ]
[ EXP +4 ]
[ EXP +3 ]
Adonis exhaled slowly, watching the sword's glow fade.
"This dungeon is easier than expected," he said quietly.
< Floor Two is still within beginner parameters, Master, > Vexa replied. < And your current power had exceeded the dungeon's scaling. >
Adonis smiled faintly.
"Yes. It means I am overpowered."
He looked deeper into the darkness ahead, where the tunnels stretched further down.
"Then let's keep going. I need those Ether cores badly."
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
Deeper into the dungeon.