Below the entrance to the dungeon, above the ‘fourth floor’ so recently created, the flow of water feeding the two streams cutting the plateau in half stops providing additional liquid for the current. Without the added mass, the existing volume wicks itself rapidly down the channels this particular duo of not-quite-rivers had carved out over centuries of constant erosion, each direction having had a consistent flow of nine liters per second pouring from the wellspring below the surface. Far further downstream, the change would take hours to come into effect, and the already placid waters stopping entirely could go unnoticed for potentially days, but would eventually result in stagnating pools of water rather than a discrete moving body.

Much more immediately, both geographically and chronologically, the bed of the gorge previously cut in two by enough flowing water to discorporate a slime falling into it doubles in size. The slime population, kept in check through limitation of available space (at least to the creature’s instinctual perception, not regarding a simple bridge across the body of water as a continuation of territory), constant attrition through magical contamination, and the careful attention of in-training adventurers, suddenly have no way of disposing of hazardous material beyond throwing enough slimes at the problem to diffuse the concentrated magical power into enough creatures that the individuals are powerful enough to contain it. With a species as mutagenic as the basic lesser slime, an event normally confined to mana-dense areas occurs, in which the slime community forms into a hive, with specialized units to dispose of the concentrated magical contaminates, whether through potent acid, generating flammable liquid and igniting themselves near the source, or simply gathering up stone and crushing the tossed-aside artifact. Specialization would not be limited to simple disposal of hazards, however. Starting with dissemination of resources to the entire population of slimes, the newly formed swarm discovers a massive overabundance of food relative to the current needs of the nest. With that, an instinct to store the mass is unleashed within the horde, and the slimes begin a search for a location to create a stockpile.

Unfortunately for the slimes, their intelligence leaves much to be desired. Failing to spot anything in the immediate vicinity, the creatures start digging a cave on the side of the canyon closer to the stock of food. As it happened, this would be in the exact opposite direction from a completely out in the open dungeon, without so much as a sheet covering the entrance. Vigilance would require a certain amount of inherent wisdom the slimes lacked, and so they spend their effort cutting away at the rock before them to hide their treasure from competitors.

Soon, the base of the canyon is painted yellow and orange as fragile sacks of liquid splash on stone; smooth rock is left behind as the acid splashes are covered with a biological adhesive to prevent the newly formed cavern from collapsing on the near-helpless slimes. Another imperative awakens within the hive; the need for a leader. The deepest lesser slime within the cave heeds the call, turning red. It is now the most important and most powerful slime within at least a twenty meter radius. Exuding chitinous extrusions behind it, the new queen forms keratin wings out of the material it now guards. Long as five slimes each, and thin as broken glass, the ovaloid appendages trail behind the red slime as it moves about the new throne chamber. Red tendrils sprout from the spherical body of the queen to investigate its domain. From this point on, it will be able to map out the entirety of the slime territory and direct its subjects toward any that dare attempt to encroach upon them.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o

You are unable to completely close off a section of your dungeon You are unable to completely close off a section of your dungeon You are unable to completely close off a section of your dungeon You are unable to completely close off a section of your dungeon

“Aaaaaah everything is flooding!”