“Pelican Man, are you okay? We’re almost at the stairs, so just hang in there.”
“Yeah, thanks, Leveling Junkie Bro. I’m fine. Most of the damage has healed up by now.”
After defeating the Metasla, we decided to head back to the stairs leading to Floor 9.
On the way, I tried striking up a conversation with the members of the Animal Gorenger, who had been battered in the fight against the metal slime.
I’d been worried about whether I could even hold a normal conversation with them, but despite how utterly unhinged Pelican Man had seemed, everyone in the Animal Gorenger turned out to be pretty nice guys once you actually talked to them.
Relieved, I lent a shoulder to Pelican Man, who was still staggering from the impact of the Metasla’s blow, and we all made our way back toward the stairs.
However—
“It was the same when we were coming this way, but there really aren’t any slimes around, are there? Cheetah Mask, did your group run into any slimes other than the Metasla on Floor 10?”
Even on our way back, we hadn’t encountered a single slime. I decided to ask Cheetah Mask and his team, since they’d been active on Floor 10 longer than us.
“No, that’s the strange thing—all the slimes just suddenly vanished today. We’ve been hunting the Metasla since yesterday, and we ran into other slimes at the normal rate then.”
“Huh. So they just suddenly disappeared today? That is weird.”
“Yeah. The only possible cause I can think of is the Metasla... but well, we’ve killed it now, so hopefully things go back to normal.”
“I hope so.”
Well, Hinata and I are heading back to clearing Shinjuku Dungeon, so I doubt we’ll be coming to Sladan again. For the sake of the Sladan regulars’ leveling efficiency, I’ll pray that things return to how they were. Though I suppose very few people actually make it down to Floor 10.
Then—
“I see it. The stairs.”
Before long, we arrived at the Staircase Plaza leading back to Floor 9.
“Oh, you’re right. We finally made it back... wait, huh?”
Pelican Man, who was leaning on my shoulder, tilted his head. I noticed the reason a split second later.
“Is that a crowd?”
What was going on? It looked like the explorers who had been gathered inside the staircase had spilled out into the plaza. I could see Ajari Kong among them, so there was no mistaking it.
And right in the center—
“Ah! Hey! Leveling Junkie Bro-kun!”
Mayurin noticed us and waved, jumping up and down with an uncharacteristically cheerful expression.
I could see Ikegami and the rest of her party near her as well. It looked like Mayurin’s group had also returned from their hunt, but...
“Listen to this! We did it! We killed the Metasla!”
“What?”
Mayurin darted out from the group and shouted the news as soon as she reached me.
I stood there, dumbfounded. Mayurin’s party... killed the Metasla?
“Heh! Surprised? A bet’s a bet, though! So, Leveling Junkie Bro-kun, you have to be my slave for a day just like we promised!”
“Wait, the stakes changed?!...No, that’s not it. What do you mean you killed the Metasla—”
“Don’t you dare!”
Hinata suddenly shoved her way between me and Mayurin.
“Huh? What is it, Milk Woman?”
“We were the ones who defeated the special variant slime! To tell a lie that will be exposed so easily... don’t you feel any shame?!”
“Wh— Haaaaah?! That’s my line! You’re the one lying to get in the way of my date with Leveling Junkie Bro-kun!”
“I’m not like you—I don’t lie! We were streaming the whole time, so the viewers are our witnesses!”
Mayurin’s gaze shifted to Hinata’s drone camera. The viewers watching the exchange began flooding the chat with comments to back Hinata up.
『It’s true, Mayuri!』 『Junkie-niki and his group killed the Metasla! We saw it!』 『If you don’t believe us, check the VOD later.』 『There’s no mistake, Junkie-niki’s group took it down.』 『Wait, what bet?』
Cheetah Mask stepped forward to lend his support as well.
“Yeah, there’s no doubt about it. We’re witnesses too. We were right there... we watched them kill the Metasla with our own eyes.”
“What?!”
“H-Hold on a second!”
While Mayurin reeled from the comments and Cheetah Mask’s testimony, Ikegami stepped forward, looking completely bewildered.
“Setting aside Mayuri’s choice of words, it’s a fact that we killed a Metasla! We were streaming too, and our viewers saw the whole thing!”
“Yeah! You guys, prove my innocence!”
Mayurin shouted toward the drone camera hovering near her. Immediately, the synthesized voice of the drone began reading out the comments from Mayurin’s listeners.
『Roger that!』 『Hell yeah!』 『Mayurin and the gang definitely killed the Metasla! No doubt!』 『We’re the witnesses!』 『We’ve got the video to prove it too!』 『Maybe that other side just mistook a normal slime for a Metasla?』 『Seriously though, what’s this about a slave?』
The viewers on Hinata’s channel immediately fired back.
『Don’t screw with us!』 『There’s no way we’d mistake it!』 『That was 100% a Metasla!』 『Maybe you guys are the ones who got it wrong?』 『Junkie-niki is becoming Mayuri’s slave?』 『Hah?!』 『No way in hell!』 『Hey, you better watch what you say.』 『Yeah, you’re gonna make her mad. Mayuri, I mean.』 『Junkie-niki as Mayuri’s slave... poor guy...』
The viewers from both channels were now locked in a full-blown flame war.
Meanwhile, those of us actually present were exchanging looks of pure confusion. We all knew that with drone footage as evidence, no one would tell a lie that could be debunked in seconds.
If that was the case, then what was happening?
Could there have been two Metaslas?
No way, are you serious? If there were two, I wanted to kill both of them! All that experience!
As I was wallowing in regret, something shifted.
“Hmm?”
“What is it?”
“Do you hear that?”
“...Footsteps. Someone’s coming.”
Mayurin and Cheetah Mask noticed it first, turning their attention to the passage leading deeper into the floor. A moment later, Hinata, Ajari Kong, and the rest of the explorers in the plaza turned to look as well.
As everyone instinctively hushed their voices, the sound of multiple people running became clear. No... it wasn’t just footsteps.
The sound grew louder and closer at a terrifying rate.
Then—emerging from the darkness of the corridor—
“—RUN! EVERYONE, RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!”
A party of explorers came charging toward us at full tilt.
“What’s going on?!”
“Hey, isn’t that Arnold?”
“Wait, is that Oishi’s party? Why are they so panicked—”
It was indeed the party led by Arnold Oishi. They were running with sheer desperation, as if fleeing for their very lives.
And behind them...
Reflected in the faint, ethereal glow of the crystals, I saw something shimmering.
It wasn’t just one thing. A massive, undulating swarm was filling the corridor from wall to wall, carpeted across the floor, closing in with the same terrifying speed as Oishi’s group.
Once they got close enough, we finally saw what they were.
“Huh?”
“What...?”
“You’ve got to be kidding me...”
“Oh no, no, no, no...!”
Gasps of pure dread escaped the explorers gathered in the plaza.
It was only natural. Because what was screaming toward us from behind Oishi’s party was—
“I-It’s... it’s... it’s a METASLAAAAAAA!”
Someone shrieked.
“What the hell is with those numbers?!”
“We’re dead! There’s too many of them!”
“Run! Run! Run!”
“Everyone, get to the stairs, now!”
“Keep your heads! Not the stairs! These are special variants—they might follow us up!” Ajari Kong yelled.
“Then what are we supposed to do, Boss?!”
“Use the teleportation circle to get to Floor 1! Everyone, move!”
“With this many people, we’ll never make it in ti—”
The plaza descended into total pandemonium. Everyone tried to bolt for the stairs or the teleportation circle at once, creating a chaotic jam where people collided and couldn't move at all.
And in the middle of it all...
There I was.
Faced with a massive, mind-boggling, countlessly large swarm of Metaslas.
I began to tremble.
And then—
“—AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!”
I let out a primal roar.
“?!”
“What the?!”
“Who screamed?!”
“Shut the hell up!”
“—Leveling Junkie Bro?!”
For a heartbeat, the chaos fell silent as nearly every eye in the plaza turned toward me.
But I didn't have the time to care. I was already past my limit. My reason had been shredded in an instant, and I was being swallowed whole by my own greed.
“THEY’RE ALL MINE! EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!!!!!!!!!”