Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended

CHAPTER 33: The Culmination of the Paths

"Aughh..."

The world swam back into focus as a faint groan escaped Daisuke's lips, his consciousness gradually returning. Blinking away the haze, he pushed aside the throbbing pain at the back of his head and took in his surroundings in a mixture of confusion and urgency.

The corridor he found himself in was tight, the walls and ceiling softly illuminated by an eerie phosphorescent light. Its feeble glow barely dispelled the shadows that clung to the edges of his vision.

"...It looks like I've fallen a long way," he murmured while gazing up at the faint light in a layer that was well above the height of the ceiling.

His heart quickened as he considered his predicament. Now the big question is: which type of dungeon did I stumble into? The ceiling looks the same from this angle, so I can't discern whether I was teleported to somewhere else or not.

Each type of Dungeon held its own dangers; its own challenges. But Daisuke was nothing if not pragmatic, and with no way to climb back up from where he had fallen, his options were limited. There was only one way to go—forward.

Steeling himself, he stepped forward into the dimly lit corridor, embracing the uncertainty that lay ahead. The narrow path eventually expanded into a large chamber. Carefully craning his head, he peeked inside and noted the various color Slimes dotting the room.

Looks like I may be able to survive this ordeal, after all. The Slimes on the surface were pretty much level one. With any luck, these ones won't be any higher than level two or three.

As he contemplated, his gaze focused on an orange Slime close by. What bothers me, though, is that I've never seen a Slime that isn't blue.

Tightly gripping his bamboo spear, Daisuke looked back into the narrow passage before locking onto the Slime once more. I'll try attacking this one and see how it responds. If I gain the aggro from the other Slimes, I'll just lure them into a bottleneck and skewer them one at a time. Slimes are only capable of physical attacks, so this should be pretty doable.

Steeling his resolve, Daisuke poised for an attack. But suddenly, a large spider—a Silkshriek—dangled down from its web just inches away from his face. It was almost a meter in length, its eyes a piercing green.

Before it could spew venom from its maw, blinding its prey, it was mistakenly hit by a fireball meant for Daisuke. The hideous creature collapsed to the ground, its web reduced to smoldering ashes, agonized shrieks filling the air as the flames consumed it.

"Wait! Does that mean?!"

Daisuke blanched.

It was bad enough that the Slime could use fire magic—now, the spider's thrashing and screeching had won the attention of all the others that could supposedly use magic as well. Now being in the narrow corridor was suicide.

Daisuke's heart pounded like the war drums of an Orc army. Flames crackled, water surged, gusts of wind howled, and chunks of earth roared as the Slimes unleashed their attacks.

Daisuke's instincts kicked in, adrenaline fueling his drive, and he leaped with the grace of a Mithrilcrest Deer, narrowly dodging a torrent of water that crashed into the ground where he had been standing.

His bamboo spear glinted as he whirled it around himself, carving a path through the onslaught of elemental assaults. With every attack he avoided, his confidence surged.

The Slimes, their forms shifting and pulsating with magic, seemed unfazed by their missed attempts. They converged on Daisuke, their mouths agape and elements swirling. He sprinted, his footsteps echoing off the cave floor. Flames licked at his heels, water droplets splashed his skin, and gusts of wind threatened to knock him off balance.