Why, hello there.

It's me, your favourite slime!

At least I hope I am. I wouldn't think you would know a lot of slimes.

I am your favourite slime, right?

Good, good. I'm glad we're on the same page here!

... I am, right?

Haha! Just kidding, all jokes.

Um, anyway...

Hey there! It's been a bit, hasn't it? Oh, what's taken so long? Why haven't we talked in a while? Well, just listen up as I tell you about all the work I've been doing around here.

To begin with, why don't you take a look at my status?

Name: N/A Species: Lesser Slime LV: 7 HP: 11/11 MP: 0/0 STR: 4 AGI: 3 VIT: 4 DEF: 2 INT: 2 WIS: 2 CHA: 1 Skills: [System], [Gluttony], {Body Manipulation >LV 2LV 2LV MAXLV 5LV 2LV 1<}, {Backstabber}. Affinities: N/A Spells: N/A Forms: {Demon Lizard}

Hah! That's right! I'm super strong now! I mean, my stats aren't that high... but I'm a higher level and I've got a bunch of skills! Well, to do so I had to systematically murder my fellow monsterkind, killing them without them realizing what I was even about to do... but, I had to do it, okay?

H-hey! Don't look at me like that! I had to do it! Just think about it. Sure, it might have been incredibly brutal, the touch of confusion and sadness in their eyes as life left their bodies, but... Okay, I'm just making myself sound worse here.

I did it so I could get stronger, and look at that, I'm stronger now! I had to get stronger, I had to level up! Why? Remember that zombie guy? The one that almost killed me? It's been guarding the exit like its life depends on it. Plus, it's been killing every living thing that comes close to it! Indiscriminately at that! Well, I can actually respect that, but still!

Alright, alright... I guess you wanna know what these new skills do and stuff. I get it, I'm sure you're just dying to know!

They're all pretty self-explanatory, really.

For example, 'Demon Lizard Breath' Is sorta just your average breath attack. Fire and stuff, like a dragon? Way less impressive than what you would expect from a real dragon, though! It's still pretty useful; I mean, I'm making fire!

It kinda makes my throat a bit scratchy after using it, though...

Oh, the downside to this skill is that I can only use it when I'm in this form.

Yeah, I know, pretty sad right? I guess it's a species-specific skill... well, that's pretty obvious judging from the name alone.

Plus, I'm pretty sure as a Slime, I don't even have a mouth or even a throat at that! So, maybe it's a good thing I can't use it when I'm not in this form, otherwise, I might have straight-up melted myself.

Right, anyway, next up is Acid Spit. It basically just shoots some acid at whoever I want!

I haven't actually gotten the chance to use it yet since I've been in this Demon Lizard form for most of my time here... well, not including the couple breaks in between where I couldn't transform back.

As you can guess, it doesn't work as a Demon Lizard. Kinda verifies my theory on them being some sorta species-specific skills that only they can use. Just another weakness to Gluttony...

Oh yeah, I guess there's that other skill I got.

Uh... why don't you just take a look at what it does instead of me telling you?

Skill: Backstabber Skill Abilities: Increases damage and experience gain when betraying those who see you as an ally. Notes: How could you?

Okay, yeah, I know how this looks, but I'm telling you it's not that bad!

Wait, no, I already explained why I needed to do it! I don't need to justify anything!

Sure, I feel bad and all that stuff, but this is a me or them scenario here, and I choose me.

And here I am, at the beginning of the hall that leads to my only exit, my very salvation! Or, I guess it could also be the end of the hall depending on how you look at it... it could also be the entrance... Let's just ignore all these intricacies!

To be honest with you, though, I'm a bit nervous about this whole thing.

I mean, sure, this isn't my first fight in this life, but it's different.

Before, all my fights before basically came down to this:

'Oh, hey there Steve. Nice to see you, pal.'

'Mark? Haven't seen you in a while, man! How are you?'

'I'm doing fantastic. How're the kids?'

'I'm glad you asked! Darcie and Fe-- A-- AAAA--"

And then I chomped down on Steve's neck, shaking my head until he stopped struggling.

Sorry, Steve. It had to be done.

You had to help continue my existence... and well, to do that, you kinda had to die and stuff.

Let's say a thank you to all those steves out there.

Say it with me, now!

Thank you steves.

I'll never forget any of you!

Actually, I think I've forgotten most of them.

Oops. Sorry again steves.

Can't do anything about that, though!

Guess I'm probably one of the only ones who had memory of you, and I straight up forgot you.

So, let's hope you get reincarnated like me?

... Okay... I'm just distracting myself from the inevitable. It's either I fight this thing, or I die.

No more thoughts, it's time to deal with this pest once and for all!

...

I know I said that, but seeing the thing face to face once again is nerve-wracking.

It has the overall body shape of a wolf, but that's all.

First of all, its skin is literally melting. Or, parts of it are, strangely enough. Pretty gross, right? It gets worse.

It has a hole in its side. A hole! All the way through! I can see all its inside stuff, including a whole lotta bone.

Then there's the fact it just has a few patches of fur in select spots... and a lot more scratches and bite marks from since the last time I saw it. There's this huge wound on its neck, pretty much another hole.

Oh my, there must have been monsters sent here to kill the thing. So, basically, we've both been busy destroying the wildlife in this dungeon?

And unlike me, it looks like it was actually eating them.

Yeah, that's right, I didn't eat anything I killed. Probably a bad idea, but raw meat has always disgusted me. Plus, I didn't feel like eating lizard or rat, and god forbid the giant bats. Then again, I never was able to kill any of the bats in here.

Okay, yeah, I know, probably a bad idea considering I'm practically starving now! hopefully, there'll be something to eat when I get out of here.

Alright, here it finally starts. The wolf finally notices me, eyeing me up and down through its dull, void eyes. You'd expect an actual wolf to growl or something, but considering, from the looks of it, it barely has an intact throat, it might be hard to make noise.

Then, suddenly, it started moving. Its movement was basically lifeless, the same as a corpse simply dragging itself along. Well, I mean, I guess it makes sense. It is a corpse after all.

Okay, time to think. How do I kill this thing?

In this world, things have a limited amount of health displayed numerically. I've learned that quite well over my short existence here! This means that it certainly can die, I just need to make its health zero.

So, attack it until it dies, then? Or, dies again? It's kinda complicated.

Besides, it's about to attack me. It's probably seconds away from biting me or scratching me with its razor-sharp claws.

Heh, luckily for me, I knew exactly what to do. Even before that, I had something in store for it...

Here's a serving of fire for you! Hah, wasn't expecting that, were you? That's right, I prepared the Demon Lizard Breath skill from earlier while it was moving closer to me. I'm not some idiot who just does nothing as something closes in to kill me! Not anymore, I mean. I wanna think I've learned a bit.

Really, it's like a game. I've always been good at games. And games like these usually just come down to prediction and countering.

The thing is, I forgot about something.

I guessed the fire would make it inch away from pain or fear, but I don't think it can experience either of those.

Wait, huh?

You have lost 2 HP.

The sudden words of the System's voice startled me, but what surprised me more was the sudden piercing pain coming from my left eye.

It was enough to make me practically screech, or make whatever noise a lizard can! it wasn't like anything I had felt before, in this life at least. The last couple times I was met with excruciating pain (You know, me dying and a boulder crushing my tail) I was running on adrenaline. I didn't feel it too much. Sure, it ached and ached, but now, it was actively yelling at me.

It took me a moment to understand what was actually going on.

I couldn't see from my left eye, so I could only go off of my limited vision.

But through that, I saw the figure of the rotting wolf. Its frontside was scorched from the heat, part of it still on fire as I thought to myself.

It ignored the fire... What kinda person does that?!

Well, it's not exactly a person.

Damn it, damn it... I was so confident my trick would work I didn't even take the time to think about how it won't think like a normal creature. It has no instincts telling it to back off, from the looks of it, all it knows is to kill.

It aimed for one of my most weak spots, one not protected by scales or any other protection. It was able to limit my vision at the same time. Come on, is it smart or stupid?!

And while I'm distracted trying to recover, it's already trying to hit me again. It's going for my other eye while I'm dazed.

In a panicked hurry, I quickly bring up my right arm to try and block myself from taking any more damage.

It reacts to this instantly, changing its movement, smacking my right claw to the ground.

I lost my balance.

The force is applied to me caused me to spin to my left. Consequently, my almost oversized tail smacked it back from me, into a nearby wall.

However, I'm also on the ground... I tripped while that all happened.

A lot just happened in a few moments. I'm not used to this, too much is happening.

Okay. I need to focus!

Up until now, I've been ignoring my tail as a possible weapon. But this made me realize it can be pretty useful in its own right! It had enough power to move it quite a long ways away from me.

Plus, it's protected by scales. It won't take too much damage from its claws!

It's hard to think. The pain from my eye is distracting me.

I bite my tongue as I attempt to get back up. From the looks of it, the wolf is doing the same, but with a much more proficient speed.

But, I know what I'm going to do next before it does!

I make a dash towards it, quickly doing a similar movement to last time. I change my direction in the midst of the run, my claws scrape against the ground as I move my tail to strike it again right in the torso, close to one of its open wounds.

Boom! A clean hit! It didn't expect that one.

Or not. The moment I hit it and as I'm once again striking it away, it bites down hard on my tail.

You have lost 3 HP.

I completely forgot about its mouth. I expected it to not be able to hurt me since its claws wouldn't be sharp enough to scratch my scales, but fangs could certainly pierce me.

Gah! That hurt a lot more than I would have expected, and it's almost like it's burning...

Oh, that's because it is. The wolf seems to share a similar property to me: Acidity. It's secreting some sort of liquid onto my open wound, or maybe its saliva itself is acidic.

Either way, It's melting my tail. My tail really has been taking a lot of physical trauma lately...

I hurriedly try and shake the thing off, slamming it into the wall a few times while I was at it. I'm sure I heard a few cracks.

It stayed on, it wouldn't let go. It's almost melted through half my tail!

It's trying to invalidate one of my best weapons against it, and it's already practically succeeded.

Fine, you can have my tail! I don't care how much pain I'm in, I don't care if it feels like I'm burning from the inside out, I'm not going to die here damn it!

I got another chance to live.

I'm taking this chance with pride.

I'm taking everything it entails.

I'll persevere through whatever it takes!

Because there's one thing I want.

I want to live a perfect life and eat all the good food I want!

It's selfish and childish

My tail's lower half is melted off, meaning it lost its grab on me.

I'm using that opportunity.

Before it can change its position, I pounce onto it.

In an almost ironic turn of events, the same way I dealt with everything up until now, I bite down onto its neck. A rotten taste filled my mouth. The taste of rot and disease.

I ignore it as I bite down harder.

It tries to escape. It doesn't matter to it how much of its body it loses in the process.

I'm not done with it, though!

I know it survived this before, but there's no way it'll survive if I send fire directly into its body!

And so, in a last-ditch effort, I activate the skill.

A gas quickly fills my mouth. Usually, this would then be released, but I'm concentrating it all on the open wound of the wolf.

I ignite the gas, while it's inside both my and its body.

A bad idea on paper, and in reality.

A scorching inferno lights itself ablaze inside both it and I, but even worse so in it.

The gas leaked both on the inside and outside of the wolf.

However, my throat is literally burning.

You have lost 2 HP.

The damage is surprisingly not that bad, though. Maybe this form is a bit more resistant to fire than I thought.

I don't even know how to describe the pain I'm in right now, to be honest.

I can barely breathe. Carbon Monoxide must have filled my lungs as well.

I'm not sure how I'm actually alive. This world is crazy.

Adrenaline must have kicked in finally for me to still be able to function.

I beat it, though. I've won. There's no coming back from that, you bastard! No matter if you're some undead monster!

However, it stands there. While lifeless, while burnt to a crisp and still on fire, it started moving.

It took a shaky step over to me.

Its dilated eyes stared deep into me.

It stumbled forward once more, I, in a worry it was still able to fight me, stepped back.

It made one final move, trying to get one final hit on me with its claws. Before it did, it finally went motionless.

Its body fell to the ground, and the burning orange fire eventually grew into a smoulder as its body turned to ash.

Even to the end, it tried to beat me.

You have killed a Rotted Beast >LV 9<

My first real enemy was finally gone.

You have levelled up! You are now level 8.

Relief washed over me.

You have levelled up! You are now level 9.

I wanted to rest.

...

Wait a damn minute. I can't do that! Um, I'm sorta dying here! Let's look over the damages. I've got an eye that's probably ruined, half my tail is gone, and my throat is scorched. Plus, I'm bleeding a lot.

That's not even to mention how if I don't get out of here pronto, I'm gonna lose control of my body or whatever.

So, there's one more thing I need to do.

I need to get out of here!

So, I slowly make my way towards the door. My body ached, but I needed to get out of here.

Luckily, the door stayed open ever since the wolf opened it to get in. All I had to was walk out.

I couldn't help but laugh... internally since my throat is burned.

I did it.

I'm out.

I'm safe.

... right?

Quest complete! You have completed quest: Escape from Dungeon: Dungeon of the Abomination. Congratulations. You have obtained skill: Soul Resistance >LV 1<.

I'm met with these two notifications... Guess there was a reward, huh?

It's not done, however.

You have entered the Plagued Swamp.

Once a haven to all peoples alike, it has now fallen to disease and sickness. Poison fills the very water, and the only creatures remaining that can survive here are those undead and themself poisonous.

Good luck.

I'm so done with this world.