The stench of Axel's sewers was a sophisticated blend of rat carcasses, leftover vomit from drunken adventurers, and something that smelled like boiled rotten socks. I covered my nose with a cloth, while Eris beside me had already performed several "dainty" dry heaves while clutching the wall.
"Yuuji... I can't... this smell... it insults my dignity as a goddess... urk!"
"Your dignity washed away the moment you landed in that pile of horse piss, Eris. Now shut up and hold this scoop," I said, pointing at a cluster of green gunk—Waste Slime—clinging to the sewer walls.
These weren't like the cute slimes in RPG games. These were the result of household waste. Their texture was rubbery, sticky, and they had a weird hobby: they loved sticking to things that were warm and... well, curvy.
"Why do I have to hold the scoop?! You're the hero!" Eris protested, her face pale as a sheet.
"Because my luck is -99, Eris. If I do the scooping, the sewer will probably explode or I'll slip into a manure vat. But you? Your luck is MAX. So, if you scoop them, the slimes might actually be docile."
"B-but—"
"No buts! Move it or I push you!"
Eris was trembling. With shaking hands, she approached the huddle of green slimes. But being the idiot goddess she was (IQ: 1), she slipped on a patch of soapy water instead.
SPLASH!
"KYAAAAAAA!"
Eris fell flat on her back, and instead of being docile, the slimes felt "threatened" (or perhaps just excited). In an instant, dozens of green slimes leaped and latched onto Eris's body.
[Degenerate Act Detected: Using a Goddess as Bait for Slime Creatures.]
[You Earned: 200 Degeneracy Points!]
Instead of helping, I squatted down and pulled out my crystal card to record the event (a new feature I bought for 100 points earlier: Visual Recorder).
"YUUJI! HELP! IT'S SO STICKY! IT TICKLES! HUWEEEE!"
The slimes began to crawl upward. Because Eris's body was warm and "well-endowed," the gunk started sliding into the gaps of her thin white dress. The fabric became transparent as it soaked up the slime, clinging tightly to curves that were supposed to be holy but now looked... very unholy.
"Wow, Eris. Your pose is fantastic. If I sell this photo to the old guys at the Guild, we could retire early," I said, zooming the camera in on a slime trying to wiggle its way into her collar.
"DON'T TAKE PHOTOS, YOU BASTAAARD! GET THEM OFF! THEY'RE... THEY'RE SUCKING MY DIVINE ENERGY! AH! IT TICKLES! NOT THERE!" Eris let out a frustrated moan (or maybe a tickled one, hard to tell) as a large slime latched onto her thigh and started pulling her stocking down.
Ding!
[Degeneracy Points +50: Watching a Goddess get molested by monsters without helping.]
[Degeneracy Points +50: Taking embarrassing photos for a private collection.]
"Wait a second, Eris. The lighting isn't quite right. Tilt a bit to the left, make that slime on your chest look more dramatic," I remarked casually.
"I JUST WANT TO DIE! TAKE MY SOUL NOW! I DON'T WANT TO BE A GODDESS ANYMORE IF I HAVE TO BE TREATED LIKE THIS BY SCUM LIKE YOU!" Eris wailed hysterically, her tears mixing with the green slime that now covered nearly her entire body, creating a sight that would give any guy a nosebleed.
After I was satisfied with the documentation, I finally dragged Eris by her feet out of the slime puddle. I used a wooden stick, refusing to touch the slime myself.
"There, mission accomplished. The slimes are bloated from sucking your 'divine aura,' so they're sluggish. Just gotta scoop them into bottles."
Eris sat on the filthy sewer floor, her body shivering, her dress tattered and completely translucent. She hugged her knees, staring blankly ahead.
"Yuuji... I want to go home to heaven..." she murmured faintly, her soul seemingly having left her body.
"Can't do that. The contract is permanent until the Demon King is dead or you die of embarrassment," I said, stuffing the sluggish slimes into bottles. "Besides, look on the bright side. My Degeneracy Points are at 500 now. I can buy 'Heavenly Fragrant Soap' from the Karma Shop so you don't smell like a sewer anymore."
Eris's eyes sparked slightly. "Really? You'll buy me soap?"
"Yeah, but on one condition."
"What?"
"You have to use that soap while running around the city square wearing only a towel, shouting 'I am a Burden Goddess who needs Yuuji-sama's guidance!'. How about it? Deal?"
Eris fell dead silent. She looked at me as if she were staring at the purest incarnation of a demon.
"YUUJI... YOU... YOU'RE A TOTAL MONSTER!!"
Ding!
[Degeneracy Points +100: Giving false hope to a desperate Goddess.]
"Thanks for the five-star rating, Eris. Now get up, the slime on your butt is starting to harden; you won't be able to walk soon."
I walked away whistling, while Eris crawled behind me with whatever strength and dignity she had left—which was now into the negatives.