The next morning came with no sunlight.
Just a gray mist hanging between the trees, and a heavy silence that pressed against my chest.
I stretched, my body aching from the rough bed of logs and leaves. Seris was already awake, polishing her blade as if she hadn't slept at all. She stood perfectly still, her silver hair damp with dew, eyes locked on the fog ahead.
"Morning…" I muttered, rubbing my eyes. "Please tell me we're not fighting any more invisible things today."
She glanced at me, her tone calm but sharp as ever. "That depends on what awaits us deeper inside the jungle."
"Yeah, great. Love that optimism."
We packed up the little camp quickly and started moving toward the center of the floor. The ground got muddier the further we went, and I could feel each squish of my boots like I was walking through soup.
"Seris," I said after a while, "these invisible slimes yesterday—think there might be bigger ones around?"
"It is possible," she replied. "Dungeons often increase the scale of threats the deeper you advance. If small ones appeared, their origin must still exist somewhere."
"In other words," I sighed, "there's a boss version waiting for us."
Her silence was enough confirmation.
Still, I had to admit—traveling with her made things easier. She walked ahead of me, graceful and quiet, the way her sword hung at her waist giving off a faint blue glow. Every so often, she would slice through vines or branches blocking the way, and not once did she seem tired.
Meanwhile, I was panting after ten minutes.
The system's notification hovered faintly in the corner of my vision:
[Floor 2 — Progress: 38%]
We were getting closer.
But the invisible slimes weren't done with us yet.
They came again—soft wet noises surrounding us from every side.
I froze. "They're back."
Seris didn't even flinch. Her sword flashed, cutting the air, and faint splashes followed. "Same type. Weak but numerous."
"Ugh! They're like mosquitoes but worse!" I groaned, swinging a stick randomly. Every few swings, I'd hit something, earning another small ding! sound.
[+1 Dungeon Coin]
[+1 Dungeon Coin]
But no matter how many we destroyed, more came crawling out of the mud.
"Seris, they're endless!" I yelled.
Her expression hardened. "Then we end them all at once."
Electricity flared along her blade—bright and wild, lighting up the misty forest in flickers of blue.
"Wait—Seris, are you—"
She swung.
The lightning exploded outward like a storm. The entire area lit up, a blinding surge of energy spreading through the jungle floor.
Invisible slimes shrieked—dozens, maybe hundreds of them—fading one by one in bursts of light.
I stumbled back, shielding my face. The smell of burnt ozone filled the air, and steam rose from the wet ground.
When it finally stopped, the world was quiet again. Only the faint sound of dripping water remained.
Seris lowered her sword slowly, a faint trace of exhaustion on her face. "The immediate area is clear."
I stared at her, half amazed, half terrified. "That… was insane."
Her breathing was steady, but she looked slightly drained. "My mana reserves are reduced. I will need time to recover before using another large-scale technique."
"Got it. You did great, Seris."
She gave a small nod. "Thank you, Master."
I was about to sit down and rest when the ground beneath us trembled.
At first, I thought it was just my imagination. But then the mud started to bubble.
"Uh… Seris?" I said slowly. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is."
She stepped in front of me, sword raised. "Get back."
The ground erupted.
A massive wall of transparent sludge shot upward, nearly knocking me off my feet. It shimmered faintly in the light — like the smaller slimes, but infinitely bigger.
"System!" I shouted, instinctively calling the interface. "What the hell is that?!"
[Floor Master Detected: Giant Invisible Slime (Lv.25)]
[Objective: Destroy the Core within 5 minutes to clear the floor.]
My heart sank. "Five minutes?! You've got to be kidding me!"
The creature loomed above us — a massive, half-invisible blob that distorted the air around it. Its outer layer was translucent, but I could barely make out something glowing deep inside its body.
"That must be the core," Seris said, her tone sharp. "Inside its center."
Before we could plan, the monster struck.
A massive tentacle shot forward — faster than I could react.
BAM!
I braced for impact… but instead of pain, there was a flash of blue light.
A translucent barrier shimmered around me.
[Abyssal Guard Shield Activated. Duration: 5:00]
The attack slid off the barrier harmlessly, though the force nearly knocked me over.
Seris' eyes widened. "A shield?"
"My jacket!" I shouted. "It's protecting us—for five minutes!"
She nodded. "Then we must finish this before it fades."
The slime lashed out again, several tentacles slamming into the shield from all sides. Each hit sent ripples across the barrier, like raindrops hitting water.
Seris darted forward, slicing one apart — but the gelatinous limb just reformed instantly.
"Physical attacks are ineffective unless we strike the core!" she said.
"Then how the hell do we reach it?" I yelled.
She looked back at me, eyes fierce. "I'll carve a path. When the opening appears, aim for the light within its body."
I swallowed hard. "I don't even have a weapon!"
"You have willpower," she said simply. "That is enough."
Before I could respond, she lunged.
Her movements were a blur — precise, fluid, deadly. She cut through layers of slime, lightning flashing along her blade as she forced her way inward. The monster shrieked, its form twisting wildly, trying to crush her.
The barrier around me flickered — 4:02 remaining.
"Come on, come on…" I muttered, scanning for something, anything I could use. My eyes landed on a broken branch nearby — thick and sharp at one end.
"Guess that'll do."
Gripping it tight, I ran toward the massive slime, following the flashes of Seris's swordlight.
" Master! Stay back!" she shouted.
"Not this time!" I yelled. "You opened the path, right? Then I'll finish it!"
The air shimmered with static as I dove past a swinging tentacle. The slime's inner body pulsed faintly — and there, through the translucent mass, I saw it: a glowing red orb beating like a heart.
"That's it!"
I raised the branch and threw it with all my strength. It shot straight through the air, spinning — and pierced the core dead center.
A blinding light exploded.
The slime convulsed violently, its entire body trembling before collapsing inward. The impact sent waves of muddy water splashing everywhere.
I fell backward, coughing, as the light dimmed. The ground shook once more — then went still.
Silence.
Then the system chimed.
[Floor Master defeated.]
[Reward: +100 Dungeon Coins]
[Player Level Up: Lv.3 → Lv.5]
[Servant Level Up: Seris Lv.41 → Lv.42]
I exhaled shakily. "We… did it?"
Seris stood nearby, breathing heavily but still composed. She wiped her blade clean, the faint blue glow returning to normal.
"Well done, Master," she said softly. "Your throw was precise."
I laughed weakly. "I was aiming for anywhere, honestly."
She actually smiled at that — a small, rare smile. "Then luck favors you more than you realize."
I looked at the puddle of dissolved slime around us, then back at her. "Second floor down. Ninety-eight to go."
"Indeed." She sheathed her sword, eyes calm and steady. "Shall we proceed?"
I glanced at my jacket's timer — the shield had already vanished. The next cooldown was five hours.
"Yeah," I said, breathing deeply. "Let's keep moving. But next time, let's not fight inside a monster's stomach."
Seris tilted her head slightly. "Understood, Master."
And as the blue portal to the next floor shimmered ahead, I couldn't help but smile — exhausted, muddy, but somehow… excited.
For the first time, I felt like I was really surviving this game.