The Forbidden Land at the heart of the Demon Realm... It was a place feared even in this world, where the concentration of magic power was so staggering that not even monsters dared to approach. It was a site occasionally used as a battlefield by the Six Kings themselves.
The Six Kings Dungeon sat on the periphery of this land, so there was no need for me to venture into the deepest, most saturated zones. Nevertheless, the moment I stepped through the teleportation gate near the Forbidden Land’s borders, the weight of the magic power was unmistakable.
It felt as if I were standing in a dense, invisible fog. The air was heavy, and the magic power seemed to cling to my skin, making every breath feel a little more labored than usual.
The area was a true wasteland; not a single tree or blade of grass grew within the Forbidden Land’s reach.
"Alice, are we going the right way?"
"Yes. Just keep heading straight and you'll run into the dungeon. The entrance is quite large, so you can't miss it. You should be able to see it after walking for about five minutes..."
After confirming the route with Alice, I set off. It felt a bit like I was heading toward a hidden dungeon in a game, though the dungeon itself wasn't actually my goal.
From what I understood, the dungeon had never been cleared. Very few people ever even attempted it, aside from the occasional War King's Subordinate using it for training.
I would have expected combat-obsessed people like Kong-san or Agni-san to challenge it constantly, but apparently, there was a strict cooldown. Once you entered, you were barred from returning for five years. Consequently, attempts were limited to once every half-decade.
After about five minutes of walking, a structure appeared in the distance exactly where Alice had predicted. It looked like a massive, well-constructed gate.
As I drew closer to the gate—which stood several meters high—I noticed a magic circle accompanied by an inscription. It explained that those wishing to challenge the dungeon simply had to touch the magic circle to be teleported inside.
Since my objective lay elsewhere, I followed Ein-san’s instructions and went around to the back of the gate. I took the magic crystal in my hand and touched the surface. A magic circle flared to life, and the scenery around me shifted instantly.
I found myself in what looked like a stone chamber. It was a vast, empty space that felt like a basement. As I looked around, trying to get my bearings, a rhythmic bouncing sound caught my attention. I turned toward the noise and saw a slime roughly the size of a baseball hopping my way.
It was a pale pink color, reminiscent of rose wine, and looked no different from any ordinary slime in terms of size.
"..."
"Ah, um... Are you Roze-san? Nice to meet you. I'm Kaito Miyama!"
(Nice to meet you~ I'm Roze~na.)
Wait, what? I’d heard that Roze-san couldn't speak, yet a voice resonated clearly in my mind. The sensation was familiar.
It was exactly how it felt when I spoke to Flare-san in her dragon form. This had to be my ability to read magic power wavelengths in action.
(I'm so happy to meet the famous Kaito-kun. Happy, happy~na.)
"I'm happy to meet you too, Roze-san. Thank you for inviting me today."
(Ehehe, you're very welcome... Huh? Wait-na? Kaito-kun, can you actually read Roze's magic power wavelengths?)
"Yeah. It's thanks to Shiro-san's Blessing. I can recognize magic power wavelengths as spoken words."
(Whoa! That's amazing! I didn't think we'd be able to talk properly, but we can! I'm so happy~na!)
"Whoops—"
Roze-san was apparently so delighted by the fact that we could communicate that she gave a massive hop and lunged toward me.
I caught her in my hands just in time. She was cool to the touch and soft, with a jelly-like texture that was surprisingly pleasant. I wondered if all slimes felt this nice. Having never touched one before, the experience was entirely new to me.
(Roze got everything ready for Kaito-kun’s visit-na. I've prepared tea and even some sweet snacks! They're just over there, so let's go together!)
"Over there? Got it."
(And we're off~na!)
Roze-san settled herself on top of me and announced our departure with a series of happy bounces. She was incredibly cute. Following her lead, we eventually came to a stop in front of a solid stone wall.
"Um... this is a wall."
(It is! It’s a wall, but as long as Roze is here, it turns into a door~ Hah!)
"Oh wow..."
At Roze-san's command, the stone wall began to shift and flow like kneaded clay, reshaping itself into a doorway.
"Now that I think about it, you're the one in charge of managing this dungeon, right?"
(That's right~na! Everything in this dungeon moves exactly the way Roze wants it to, and I can change the shape of anything. Roze is the Dungeon Master here. Ehem!)
"I see. You're quite impressive, Roze-san."
(Ehehe. Roze is impressive? I'm a good slime?)
"You are."
(Ehehehe, I'm so happy~ I got a compliment!)
Watching Roze-san bounce with her entire body to express her joy, I realized she really did have a charm similar to Raz-san’s.
With a smile on my face, I stepped through the door and followed her deeper inside.
Doctor M: "You see, my child's cuteness has a distinct healing effect. And since that effect only grows stronger the more I learn about my precious child... I've decided to delay the defrosting process so I can listen to your stories for a good while longer!"
Serious-senpai (Defrosting): "...(S-Somebody help meeee!)"