Everything after that came to a full stop.
I asked Lime where the item came from.
"Where'd you get this?"
Gurrgle.
Lime stretched her body upward as far as she could, pointing at the ceiling. She twisted her whole body trying to communicate her intentions, but to me it just looked like an inflatable advertising balloon flopping around.
"I was digging through the ceiling when I felt some weird magic, so I turned in that direction and found this thing, so I grabbed it?"
"Holy crap."
Lune understood Lime's gestures. Lime extended her fist toward Lune, making a gesture that said "exactly." At the rate she was going, she'd be doing magic tricks once she grew fingers.
"You didn't eat this and just brought it back?"
"There was a slime dragon corpse buried there, so I filled up on that. There's a ton of rotten stuff up there, but tons of food too."
"..."
Could it be that the entire cliff was actually full of slimes?
'Let's try using the Dimension Stone first.'
Luckily, using the Dimension Stone wasn't too hard. Thanks to getting this Dimension Stone, one more facility became available to build.
[Construction: Secure materials to expand facilities inside the dungeon.]
[Construction Target: Sub-Dungeon - Slime (★~★★★)]
[Required Materials: Dimension Stone-Slime]
I immediately used the Dimension Stone to open the sub-dungeon. No special materials were needed—I just had to use the Dimension Stone in the desired location to open a portal, with the dimensional gate being the core component.
'If I can install it on walls too, there's no need to put it here specifically.'
Enemies entering the dungeon might mistake the sub-dungeon for the real one and go inside.
With slimes coming out at ★★★ grade and the boss being a slime dragon, it wouldn't be too difficult, but it could still be annoying for people.
'Might as well put it in a really annoying spot.'
"Lime, let's dig some ground with the slimes first."
I reorganized the squad again, making Lime the squad leader. While Hases and the ghoul squad monitored May's cell, I watched with my own eyes as Lime directed the slimes, realizing just how smart she was.
'As expected, being born 4-star means her brain works well.'
Having the intelligence to scheme meant she was that smart. Lime understood exactly what I wanted just from my drawings and completed the work precisely where I wanted it.
"Hmm...."
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just we're getting way fewer magic stones than before."
Just like Lune said, weirdly no magic stones came out during Lime's work. I compared the big slime squad that the elves were assisting with the squad Lime was directing, and realized the difference.
'She's eating the magic stones here and there.'
It seemed like eating magic stones gave experience points, which automatically leveled up the monsters. Not by drilling holes in the dungeon, but by gaining experience from the magic stones inside the dungeon.
'Magic stones really are important.'
I'd never actually eaten magic stones. They had no taste and felt like chewing broken glass, so it wasn't my thing. Plus, Forneus never gave magic stones to us young orcs separately.
'If you gain experience through combat to level up, there must be items like EXP books or rare candies too.'
For now, magic stones seemed to play the role of EXP books. If both increasing the quantity and quality of monsters required magic stones, then magic stones were hands down the most important resource in this dungeon.
Gurrgle.
While I was lost in thought, Lime had already created a long passage in the dungeon as much as I wanted. I installed the sub-dungeon at the end of that passage.
'This basically completes the first floor.'
■■■▽■■■
■□□□■■■
■□■□■■■
■□□□□□■
■□■□■□■
■□■□□□■
■◎■☆■■■
■■■□■■■
■■■□■■■
■■■□■■■
■■■▽■■■
I installed the sub-dungeon at the ◎ location.
From the wall, a blue current flowed out centered on the Dimension Stone, transforming into the shape of a huge oval mirror.
'Inside this is the sub-dungeon.'
Location-wise, anyone who went straight from the entrance without turning right would fall into the hell of dancing slimes.
Whether invaders could actually enter the sub-dungeon was still unknown though.
'Now I need to go in myself.'
"Lune, go to the cavity and bring the staffs. Both of them."
"Yes!"
Lune ran down the passage toward the cavity, and in the meantime I reorganized a squad centered around me.
Rok's squad.
A small elite force with Squad Leader Rok at the center and only Lune and Lime as squad members.
'I just need to kill the slime dragon myself.'
"Master!"
"Let's go."
I took Lune and Lime, who brought the staffs, and entered the sub-dungeon.
***
At that moment, in a slash-and-burn village in the Barony of Virgo.
"Chief! What are you gonna do now?!"
The villagers' expressions were grim. Even after daybreak, Richard and the kids hadn't returned, and even May the mage hadn't come back.
'Fuck. We're screwed.'
The chief, who'd been holed up in a corner lusting after May's ass, looked at an item. The silver-rimmed mercenary badge looked like genuine goods from a pretty famous guild.
"The kids haven't come back! That witch hasn't come back either!"
'If that witch uses magic even once, everyone here dies, so shut up!'
"...There must be a reason. But we can't just sit here quietly either. Yes, let's go."
The chief got up. His shabby body in leather armor looked somewhat decent, and in fact, the chief had experience exploring dungeons in his distant youth.
"What if all the young people go?"
"Lady, think about it—what if your son disappeared? Could you eat?"
"Damn it. How did those bastards end up like this...."
"Everyone stop. Aren't the young people the future of our village? Let's hurry. Now in front of this-"
Plop.
An injured pigeon fell at the village entrance. The pigeon fluttered its wings with an exhausted look and collapsed in front of the chief.
"This is...?"
"The witch's pigeon?"
"Quiet!"
The chief stroked his pounding chest and examined the paper tied to the pigeon's leg. The hastily scribbled handwriting was definitely the witch May's.
"Let's see. If I don't return after one day, report to the barony...?"
"...L-look! Didn't the mage say one day! Don't worry everyone! It could be a dungeon that just takes a long time! Jack's dad, Kai's mom! Who knows?! Those kids might awaken as heroes after entering the dungeon!"
"So when's that one day?"
The chief's desperate attempt to stop them fell flat. Kai's father, eyes bloodshot, picked up the unconscious pigeon.
"I can't take this anymore. I'm going straight to the Baron to tell him."
"Are you crazy?! If you do that, we all have to pay taxes!"
"Fuck taxes and everything else! My son disappeared and that's what you have to say! Your son hasn't come back either!"
Kai's father threw down the pigeon with a huff.
"I'm going to the lord! Anyone tries to stop me, I'll kill them!"
"S-stop him! Stop him!"
The chief screamed desperately, but couldn't stop Kai's father, who left the village with a demonic expression. The chief sat down clutching his head, then scanned the people with bloodshot eyes.
"...Let's wait just one more day."
The chief needed time.
Time to run away.
***
Woooong.
Lune, Lime, and I entered the dungeon's sub-dungeon.
[Sub-Dungeon-Slime: A dungeon overflowing with slimes.]
[Daily Entry Limit: 0 / 3]
[Quest: Clear Sub-Dungeon-Slime.]
[Reward: Monster Summoning Ticket x1 (First time)]
'It's a grinding spot.'
The limit of 3 times a day was painful, but I was still incredibly happy that I could hunt slimes.
'Honestly, there should be a free dungeon for farming experience or magic stones.'
Being a young orc, I'd only gone out to intercept humans, so I didn't even know sub-dungeons like this existed. I'd just lived and built strength within our tribe's territory.
'The problem is my status.'
Rok Grimfang, ★★★☆☆, Lv.75.
My level was high, but I'd reached 75—the max level I could reach as a 3-star.
'There's still no way for me to evolve to 4-star.'
Eventually when the time came, when I met the conditions, a system window would suddenly appear before my eyes urging my evolution.
'So I'm giving away all the experience from this slime dungeon.'
Right to Lune and Lime.
"Here, Lune. Hold this staff."
"L-like this?"
Lune held Mary's staff.
"Yeah. And see that thing coming out over there?"
I pointed at a slime crawling slowly forward. It looked weak enough to burst in one hit, but Lune was also only Lv.5.
"Watch carefully what I do now."
I held May's staff and struck the slime very lightly.
Squish.
The slime squashed in place, trembling and unable to move. I lifted the staff and struck hard next to the slime.
Booooom!!
"Eek!"
Lune screamed, and Lime clung to Lune. They were both scared by my action of striking the ground.
"Now hit the slime like this. Got it?"
"Wh-what's the point of this...?"
"Hmm, I see. You wouldn't really understand."
I rolled the squashed slime to Lune's feet and answered.
"Ah, this is called 'power leveling.'"
The first goal was Lune reaching level 15.
When Lune became ★★☆☆☆.
'Maybe I will fuck her once she's 2-star....'
I'd have to raise her and see.