****(POV)

Today was supposed to be a normal day. Just a routine slime cleaning duty my superiors told me.

Make sure there are no casualties this time they told me. I still can't figure out why we are not using specialized warriors for this. There is a beast tamer branch that is fairly big too, can't we just get them to take care of the problem?!

The problem is that their fees are too expensive for how hard the work is.

Slimes are pretty useless besides getting rid of the trash. While they are good for our sewers there is nothing else we can do with one. The main issue is that slimes don't have a brain. How they bounce from place to place in search of food is a complete mystery. It just does.

This makes it so a slime cannot be trained. Because of how weak it is containing one in a specially made cage is relatively easy, but even then, it is troublesome. Leave a small crack in the cage and it will squeeze its way out. Feed it a bit carelessly and it will grow too much.

There are many stories of people keeping slimes as a pet …until they got eaten in their sleep.

Nowadays slimes are known for not being useful in any way at all. There are always some mad alchemists trying to do one thing or another with the byproducts of that creature, but none has succeeded in making anything remotely useful so far.

This makes it so no one wants to clear this place. We thus need to spend to hire people to do it from time to time.

It used to be the city guards that would do it, but many started to complain. Something about being a lowly job or something. If you ask me the whole thing is horribly organized. We should just pay more and get professionals to take care of it or force our own troops to participate.

No instead I am here with these guys that will be risking their lives. It seems there is even a newcomer in their midst. Well, as long as he is careful it should be fine. I believe no man has a death wish. Also, the rewards for the job are not sufficient enough for anyone to truly risk their lives either.

It seems he didn't even know that we were hunting slimes here. They should have really debriefed him before they brought him here. He'll learn by watching in any case. By rotating the vanguard we'll be able to proceed with minimal damage.

At some point, he requests to be the vanguard. I want to refuse but somehow his friends don't seem worried and he overflows from confidence.

Could he some expert that is one of their relative or something? He seems to be sure he won't have any problem assuming the role in any case.

A few moments later I am proven wrong. Oh so wrong. He is not any kind of expert. He just got jumped by one and is now screaming for help while blinded.

I just need to save him quickly and …

Oh god no! Not this way!

I watch in horror as he loses his footing and falls in the slime nest.

His end already determined. Such a waste of human life. My pay is going to be docked too.

There is one thing I don't understand. Why weren't these guys worried about him taking the frontline at all?

Turns out he is not a part of their group at all. I just misunderstood. No wonder they weren't worried about him. He is a stranger. One that was somehow in their group when I guided them in.

Now because they didn't bother to make this clear some guy is dead!

That's when I see the terrified expression of one of them and hear a voice telling us to stop fighting.

"AH, GHOST!!!"

I turn and see the newly deceased young man crawling his way over.

What is happening?! One is praying, another is begging for forgiveness.

Turns out he somehow survived. How?!

Not only is he fine but he is ready to keep taking the role of a vanguard. Besides his clothes getting melted he is perfectly okay.

This is insane!

The more we talk the more ridiculous his story gets. Apparently, he has trained himself in a disaster zone.

Yes, these places any individual with an ounce of commons sense evades like the plague. Such a place he calls a training ground!

The more we progress the more he does his job to perfection. This guy is obviously one of these monks. The ones that train their physical bodies to perfection. Until they themselves become weapons of war. I feel quite dumb for giving him a sword earlier. He never had a need for any.

For all I know there is a good chance this expert made a vow of poverty. He did ask for remuneration, but he probably is doing this to be benevolent and will give whatever profit to charity.

There is no reason for such an awesome monk to be here otherwise without an exorbitant price. He seems to be having fun punching away.

I do get the feeling something is wrong with this place. It usually isn't that intense at all.

In normal times I would turn back instantly but he is still leading the way. As long as he desires to keep going, we will follow.

Soon enough we reach the end of the tunnel. Everyone is getting ready to celebrate a job well done.

No! Something is wrong!

There shouldn't be a wall there at all. That's when I see him poking it, then it wiggles.

I scream a warning! Telling him to fall back.

Sadly I am too late. I see the wall change color and becoming transparent again. Inside appear bones suspended in the jelly. This is bad!

The mass of goo collapse toward him and engulf him whole. Then what can obviously only be a king slime turns back to a stone-like color.

This is a death sentence in the truest of sense…

No, I won't give up that easily. Time for a fight with everything on the line!

I already watched him die in front of me once! Not again!