The gate to the earth's belly was open, but Yanaki didn't rush in. The recent battle, though brief, had consumed a great deal of energy from them both, especially Elara. She needed to ensure her companion was strong enough to face what awaited them inside.
They retreated a short distance, finding a hidden corner behind a large rock to rest. Yanaki sat down, her eyes never leaving the dark cave entrance, while Elara floated beside her, silently absorbing energy.
While waiting, Yanaki examined her spoils. Three dark brown fish scales, slippery and slightly sticky to the touch.
"[Appraisal]."
[Poisonous Fish Scale (Material - E-Rank)]
Description: The scale of a creature mutated by magical toxins. Can be crushed and applied to a weapon to create a light poison coating.
Effect upon use: Can create [Weak Toxin] (Deals 5 damage per second for 3 seconds).
A damage-over-time poison. Compared to the paralytic poison, this type was more destructive. Yanaki didn't hesitate. She used the pommel of her dagger to carefully crush one of the scales into a powder, then meticulously applied it to the blade. A layer of dark brown powder clung to the metal, and her dagger now emitted a faint, fishy smell.
[You have created a temporary item: [Dagger of Weak Toxin (F)].]
After about half an hour, Elara signaled that she was feeling better. Unable to wait any longer, Yanaki stood up, gripped her newly upgraded dagger, and stepped through the cave entrance with Elara.
The air inside was damp and cold. It was a narrow passage, just wide enough for one person to pass through comfortably. The stone walls were slick, covered in a layer of greasy black moss and magical veins that were still twitching weakly. The only light source came from Elara's gentle aura, just enough to illuminate a few meters ahead. The sound of dripping water echoed in the silence, like a death god's countdown.
They advanced cautiously. Yanaki went first, her eyes constantly scanning the walls and ground, while Elara followed, using her spiritual senses to stay alert. After about twenty meters, Elara suddenly stopped and gently touched Yanaki's shoulder, her gaze directed at the ceiling.
Yanaki slowly looked up. Her heart skipped a beat. In the faint light, she could only see that the ceiling was as black and slimy as the walls. But as she looked closer, she realized that a part of that "wall" seemed to be moving slightly. It was shaped like a giant, glossy black slug, almost perfectly camouflaged against its environment.
[Umbral Slug]
Level: 2
Description: A carrion-eating insect transformed by foul magic. They specialize in ambushing prey from the darkness by dropping down or spitting acid.
Skills: [Acid Spit], [Adhesion].
Weakness: Light, Pure Energy.
An ambush predator. If it weren't for Elara, she might have walked right under it and paid a heavy price.
How to deal with it? Throw a rock? The dagger? The passage was too narrow to make an accurate throw.
But the [Weakness] entry gave her a hint. Pure energy.
"Elara, can you do what you did before?" she asked through their link. "Just one drop of water. A very small one."
Elara nodded. She raised a single, translucent index finger. A small mote of light gathered at her fingertip, and then a single drop of pure water, sparkling like a diamond, shot up to the ceiling with incredible accuracy.
The drop of water hit the Umbral Slug.
Sizzzle!
A pained hiss echoed through the passage. The monster lost its adhesion and fell straight to the ground right in front of Yanaki, its body convulsing.
It raised its head, about to spit a stream of acid at her. But Yanaki was ready. She dodged the fuming green liquid while simultaneously lunging forward and plunging her poisoned dagger into its soft body.
[-25 damage]
[Effect [Weak Toxin] has been applied.]
The Umbral Slug writhed in agony. The damage from the stab and the poison quickly claimed its life.
[You have slain the [Umbral Slug]. Received 30 EXP.]
[[Weak Toxin] effect dealt a total of 15 damage.]
An effective method. Yanaki breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew it couldn't all be this easy.
And she was right.
After walking a little further, the narrow passage opened into a slightly larger, small cavern. And the sight within made her hold her breath.
The ceiling of this cavern was not made of rock. It was completely covered by a layer of Umbral Slugs. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of them, lay motionless, clinging to one another, forming a grotesque, living carpet. Just one loud noise or a careless move, and the entire swarm would rain down like a deadly shower of acid.
Elara also sensed the danger. She gently tugged on Yanaki's sleeve, signaling her not to enter. Her energy was not enough to create dozens of pure water droplets.
The path forward was blocked by a thorny problem. How could one cross a room whose ceiling was ready to fall and eat you alive at any moment? Yanaki stood at the cavern entrance, staring at the carpet of monsters above, her mind racing at full speed.