With her frustrations finally aired, Mika regained her composure. She turned toward me to ask about our next move.
"So, Onii-chan. What are we doing now? Are we going toward the slime?"
"Yeah. Slimes have the troublesome trait of dissolving weapons, but they’re actually quite easy to defeat if you take the right precautions. You and Saori don't have the equipment for it, but we always keep some on hand. When you were arguing with Yuji earlier, you should have just asked if we had the right gear... Were you just too rattled by his intimidation to think clearly?"
"Ah!"
Mika’s eyes went wide as she let out a small cry. It seemed she really hadn't thought that far.
Well, she’d probably had her hands full just resisting Yuji’s pressure. You could say she did well just to hold her ground... but she still had a long way to go.
"Sigh. Well, whatever. We don't intend to step in this time either, but if you ask, we can at least lend you some tools. Right, Yuji?"
"Yeah. Just because your own gear isn't suited for a situation doesn't mean your party members are ill-equipped. Knowing what your comrades are carrying is an essential part of party coordination."
"He’s right," Hiiragi-san added. "Knowing your allies' inventory expands the range of actions you can take."
As the three of us spoke, Mika and Saori-chan averted their eyes awkwardly. Come to think of it, neither of them had ever asked for details about our equipment.
Of course, we used the same basic gear as them. In the excitement of entering the dungeon, they likely hadn't noticed the minor differences in our supplies.
"So, there you have it. We have the gear to handle a slime, so there’s no reason not to move forward. Well... what do you want to do?"
When I asked, the two girls looked at each other before replying in unison.
"We’ll go! Please lend us the tools!"
They were clearly fired up.
"Alright. There are a few different ways to handle a slime... I wonder which one would be best?"
I scratched my head, debating what to give them. Salt was the most cost-effective method against slimes, but using it with the Watchers right behind us was a bit of a gamble.
I glanced at Yuji and Hiiragi-san for their input.
After a brief discussion between the three of us, we began walking down the passage toward the slime. I made sure to confirm the trio of Watchers was still tailing us from the shadows.
Just as we’d been told, a slime sat ten meters ahead in the center of the hallway.
"...There it is."
"Yeah. Definitely a slime."
In the middle of the corridor, the creature sat pulsing, repeatedly expanding and contracting. It showed no signs of aggression; it was just rhythmically throbbing.
"So that's a slime..."
"Oh, right. Is this the first time you’ve seen one in person?"
"Yeah. I've seen videos and photos online, but this is my first time seeing a real one."
"Yes," Saori-chan agreed. "It looks even more... viscous and gooey than I imagined."
Both girls looked slightly repulsed. To most Japanese people, the word "slime" conjured images of the adorable, bouncy creatures from a certain iconic RPG.
However, the slimes in dungeons were amorphous viscous bodies that shattered that cute image. It was only natural they felt a sense of disgust.
"Slimes are basically all mucus. If they touch you, they’ll cling to your skin or weapons and start dissolving them. They’re pests with no real way to kill them besides destroying the nucleus—the core."
"The drop items are mostly core crystals, too," Yuji added. "For an explorer, they aren’t very 'tasty' targets relative to the effort it takes to kill them."
"That's right," Hiiragi-san said. "The weapons used to break their cores usually end up melted, so you have to use disposable gear. It makes the hunt quite expensive."
Hearing our grim assessment, Mika and Saori-chan’s expressions darkened. Based on that alone, it sounded like a purely disadvantageous monster to fight.
That was exactly why many explorers, like the group we’d met earlier, chose to detour rather than deal with the hassle. Slimes were generally non-active; they wouldn't attack unless an explorer approached or provoked them. Anyone would want to avoid a chore that didn't pay. But for us, the rules were a bit different.
I turned back to the girls to explain the mechanics of the fight.
"Just to recap, there are a few ways for an explorer to destroy the core. You can crush it with a disposable weapon, use magic, or employ scientific methods like liquid nitrogen or flamethrowers."
"Direct attacks with disposable weapons are the most common," Yuji noted. "A few explorers use magic, but they're in the minority. Apparently, the Self-Defense Forces and the police used to use liquid nitrogen, but they gave it up because it wasn't cost-effective."
"The operating costs were too high, and skill scrolls are precious," Hiiragi-san added. "Ultimately, disposable weapons became the standard because they’re easy to handle and easy to find."
Mika and Saori-chan let out heavy, sorrowful sighs.
"Direct attacks with disposable weapons..."
"Ugh, more expenses..."
Neither of them had a steady income from exploring yet. On top of that, they were technically in debt, even if we weren't hounding them for it. Scrounging up the cash for throwaway gear must have sounded daunting.
For context, the drop items they’d found so far in this dungeon were four core crystals, valued at about 100 yen each. That wouldn't even cover their train fare to get here.
"Mika, Saori-chan, don't look so depressed. That’s just how normal explorers do it. What we’re going to show you today is a 'cheat' method. It won't cost you nearly as much as a new weapon. Right, guys?"
"Yeah. It looks a bit silly, but the effect is amazing and the cost-performance is unbeatable."
"Exactly. Though it really does look... a certain way."
As we offered our reassurances, the girls slowly looked up, their eyes filled with a desperate hope.
"...Really?"
"...Is that true?"
"Y-Yeah. Truly. It’s the method we’ve been using for a long time. I guarantee it works."
I took an involuntary step back. Their stares were a little too intense.
Once they calmed down, I reached into my backpack and pulled out the item in question, holding it up for them to see. It was a small, sealed bag filled with white granules. Our secret weapon for slime hunting: salt.
"What's that?"
"What do you mean? It's salt."
"Wait, salt!?"
When I revealed the contents, Mika’s voice rang out.
With that volume, the trio behind us definitely heard it. Well, that was all according to plan.
"U-Um, Onii-san? Are you really going to defeat a slime with... that?"
"I am."
Saori-chan stared at the bag with an expression of utter disbelief. Mika reached out and snatched the bag from my hand.
After scrutinizing the contents for a moment, she handed it back, looking skeptical.
"Onii-chan? You're not trying to pull one over on us, are you?"
"Come on, why would I do that?"
"But if you suddenly tell me salt kills slimes..."
"You find it hard to believe?"
"...Yeah."
"Is Saori-chan in the same boat?"
"...Yes. I hate to doubt you, but honestly, I can't believe it."
Fair enough. It was a perfectly normal reaction.
"It sounds like a tall tale, I know, but salt really is effective against slimes."
"...Really?"
"Yeah. Just give it a try. Consider it a leap of faith."
"......"
I held the bag out again. The two girls exchanged a long look, and after a moment of hesitation, Mika took it.
"...Okay. I'll believe you."
"You don't need to look so worried. We've used this countless times in the field and always gotten results."
I’d personally verified this method over ten thousand times, after all. And with a success rate of 100% so far, there was no reason to be concerned. I couldn't help but let out a wry chuckle at their reaction.
"Oh, one more thing, Mika. The salt is most effective when the slime is stretched out. Wait for the right timing and aim for the center where the core is. Also, slimes thrash around once the salt hits them, so back away immediately."
"...Right. I'll be careful."
Mika opened the bag and poured a generous heap of salt—roughly the amount found in a small table shaker—into her right hand. Normally, you didn't need that much for a standard slime, but since this was her first time and she didn't fully trust the method, I let it slide.
Mika cautiously closed the distance.
"...Whew."
She stopped about three meters away from the pulsing creature and exhaled, timing her throw. Just as the slime expanded its body, she hurled the salt directly at its center—the core.
As soon as the salt left her hand, she followed my advice and scrambled backward.
The reaction was instantaneous and dramatic. The slime began to writhe in apparent agony, its body expanding and contracting violently. Its volume began to shrink, starting from the salted area around the core.
When its mass had decreased to less than half of its original size, the black orb at its center shattered. The slime dissolved into particles of light and vanished.
"......"
Mika and Saori-chan stood frozen, staring at the empty space with stunned expressions. I felt the same dumbfounded gazes coming from the shadows behind us. The monitoring team seemed just as shocked as the girls.
"See? I told you salt would do the trick."
"Y-Yeah... it really did."
"I... I can't believe it..."
The girls answered me in dazed voices, still staring at the spot where the monster had been. As they watched, the light particles began to coalesce, and a drop item manifested.
"Hey, Onii-chan. Is that...?"
Mika pointed with a trembling finger, her voice shaking with excitement. Beside her, Saori-chan was speechless, her hands over her mouth.
"Yeah. That’s a skill scroll."
"Yes! A rare drop!"
The moment I confirmed it, the two of them let out cheers of joy. They hugged each other, laughing and celebrating the miracle.
They hadn't found anything worth mentioning until now, so their joy was palpable. After a few moments of celebration, they scooped up the scroll and rushed back to show it off.
"Look, Onii-chan! A skill scroll! A real skill scroll!"
"Yeah, I see it."
"Onii-san! What kind of skill is it?!"
"Well, we won't know until we get back to the surface and have it identified with an appraisal skill."
They were both practically bouncing, completely swept up in the excitement of their first rare drop.
"You two, calm down a bit! I know you’re happy, but we’re still inside a dungeon. Monsters could appear at any moment. It’s dangerous to get so excited that you lose track of your surroundings."
My words hit them like a bucket of cold water. Realizing how reckless they were being, they both jumped back, their faces turning bright red.
"S-Sorry! I just got carried away..."
"I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine, don't apologize. I get it. Just save the big celebration for when we're back above ground, okay?"
"U-Uh-huh."
"Yes."
The two of them looked down, nodding shyly.
Still, it was unusual for a slime to drop a skill scroll. Was this my influence again?
I’d intentionally had Mika use the salt method while the Watchers were looking on. My goal was to mislead them—to make them think our success against the ogre was due to our "Seasoning Series" tricks. If they believed our strength came from unconventional tools rather than raw ability, it would keep our true capabilities hidden.