“They’ll attack you.”

“Yes…humans…attack…slime.” The slime muttered sadly.

“Then why would you want to live in a town?”

“Dungeon…dark…boring…Town…bright…exciting.”

Even though the slime didn’t have a face, Theo could almost see the naïve smile hidden within its joyful tone.

“How do you even know what towns are like?”

The slime paused for a moment and Theo considered re-wording his question.

“Hear…raiders…miss…town…say…town…better than…dungeon.”

“Well, living in a town is definitely better than living in a dungeon.”

“Yes!”

Suddenly, the slime’s glowing crystal began to dim. Theo frowned in annoyance. He wondered how humans were supposed to get anywhere in this dungeon without torches or magelight. Then again, he reflected, maybe that was the point. If he hadn’t thought to break off pieces of crystal and carefully retrace his steps, Theo was sure that he’d have been lost in the darkness.

While Theo silently praised himself for his resourcefulness, the slime squeezed the crystal and it began to glow brighter.

“Wait, how did you do that?”

The slime squeezed it harder and the crystal’s glow grew to fill the entire cave.

“Crystals…eat…mana. Dungeon’s mana…empty…give…self…mana.”

Theo fished a spare piece of crystal out of his pocket and squeezed it. His hand was immediately drenched in blue light. He stared at it blankly.

“It…It’s a magic tool.”

Magic tools were one of the greatest advancements brought about by dungeons. By filling them with mana, anyone could produce effects that were normally exclusive to mages. Many of the common tools found in dungeons became essential for surface living. Cooks could summon flames in an instant and control their temperature. Water from wells could be stored and distributed for in-home use. The wealthy could even cure severe injuries or crippling illnesses. Of course, there were many rare tools that held incredible offensive or defensive abilities. Quality magic tools were one of the biggest differences between amateur and veteran raiders.

“Well, if I’d poured mana into these crystals all day, then I would have collapsed.” Theo muttered ruefully. “So, it wouldn’t have mattered…much.”

With the light issue out of the way, the pair’s conversation continued. Theo asked a variety of questions, which the slime answered to the best of its limited ability. The slime didn’t know where it came from or how long it had been living in the first layer. Its mask and clothes were apparently ‘found’ rather than stolen. The slime had tried to approach other humans while using the first layer’s darkness as a cover. These attempts had not ended well, and they were the catalyst for rumors about a masked outlaw.

The slime had many questions of its own.

“Yes, there are many kinds of food on the surface.”

“How…many kinds?”

“Uh, a lot. Hundreds.”

The slime’s tentacles undulated in excitement.

“Can you even taste, though?”

“Yes.” It replied staunchly. “Grey mushrooms…bad…taste. Dark green leaves…on vines…good.”

Theo found himself smiling and nodding along with it. However, that smile fell when the slime’s focus shifted away from the surface.

“You…good…human…but, who are you?”

“I’m, uh, just a raider.” Theo scratched his head. “My name is Theo.”

“Theo…came for…treasure?”

“Yes, I came to hunt for treasure…”

Theo grinned in a friendly manner.

“…But I’m actually heading back to the surface. Do you want to come along?”

The slime shuddered for a moment. If it wasn’t a monster, Theo might have thought that it was crying. Suddenly, the slime lunged forward. Theo tried to stand, but it was already too late. The slime grabbed onto his hands and shook them excitedly.

“You…you…you…” It stammered. “You…really…thank you…Theo!”

“You’re welcome, but please let go of me!”

The slime continued to celebrate, either misunderstanding or mishearing Theo’s plea.

“Wait…what about…attack…slime?”

“You’ll be fine!” Theo yelled as he wrenched his hands away. “Just trust me. I’ll convince people that you’re harmless. Once they know, then no one will attack you.”

The slime paused to think about what Theo had said. By now, Theo was used to this reaction and so he prepared to explain any unknown words.

“…Convince…”

“Convince is like teach. They will know that you aren’t bad.”

“…Harmless…”

“Harmless means ‘not dangerous’. It’s even in built into the word. Harm-less.”

“…Trust…”

“Ah…” Theo looked away. “Trust is…thinking that someone is good. You believe what they say.”

The slime gave a very deep nod, almost like a bow.

“Theo…good. I trust you.”

Theo coughed. “That’s good.”

- - -

Find a valuable treasure and exchange it for your freedom. That was the deal that hung over Theo’s head like a guillotine. There weren’t many criminals that could become outlaws. After all, releasing random murderers and thieves into a dungeon would cause endless problems. Every outlaw was believed to have a real chance at returning with a treasure. Even if that chance was small, at least one official needed to vouch that it existed. As a result, normal raiders would never underestimate outlaws. Even the most foolish newcomers knew that outlaws were not to be trusted. Few things were scarier than capable men with no options and nothing to lose.

After all, not everyone could stumble onto a legendary treasure like Theo did.

When Theo finished his conversation, or rather, appraisal of the slime, he realized that its value was limitless. This monster could truly speak. Its intelligence was on par with or even greater than a human’s. If some fancy parrots could cause dozens of scholars to migrate, then this slime would make them stampede in the thousands.

Theo was loath to trade it for his freedom, but he knew that raiding was unpredictable. Rather than search for a lesser treasure, it was infinitely safer to leave with what he had. However, leaving wasn’t as easy as turning around. The first layer was a maze that worked both ways. There were plenty of points where he could call down an elevator, but finding them would be difficult.

Thanks to the slime, the pair was ready to travel with food and a light source. Aside from navigation, there was only one problem left.

“Unless we want to walk around in complete darkness, you need to change your appearance. Raiders will attack us on sight.”

“You can…convince?”

“I can convince people on the surface, but other raiders aren’t going to listen.”

“Yes…raiders…scary.”

The slime lowered its head, apparently remembering its failed attempts at communication.

“We might be able to use my cloak to hide your, uh, hair. It will be a tough sell, though.”

“Tough…hmm…let me…try.”

The slime ran a hand through its tentacles, as if to comb them. It repeated this action over and over while the tentacles grew thinner before Theo’s eyes. They also changed color from blue to black. After a few minutes, the slime’s ‘hair’ had transformed into actual hair. Or, at least a very convincing imitation of it.

Theo blinked, but he wasn’t incredibly surprised. Slimes weren’t limited to being crawling blobs. Some would change their color and texture to mimic plants or treasures. Slime colonies might even bond together and mimic other monsters. They were classified as constructs, just like golems. Both creatures formed a magical connection with foreign material through a core. The main difference was that slime cores slowly produced liquid to form their bodies, while golems gathered rocks from their environment.

Both species were also known for being brainless, but Theo decided to leave that question alone.

“That looks good. Can you change your arms and legs, too?”

The slime nodded and slowly went to work. Sometimes it would ask to see Theo’s limbs for reference. The entire process took an hour and a half.

“Your mask might be a problem…”

“No.” The slime clutched its mask while shaking its head. “No…show…face…look…bad.”

“Oh…ok.” The raider muttered.

While Theo recovered from hearing its cute flustered voice, the slime looked itself over. Its faceless white mask and ragged green cloak were just as intimidating as ever. Though, losing its tentacles made a world of difference. ‘Intimidating’ was a huge step up from ‘absolutely terrifying’, after all. The slime’s arms and legs were the right color and shape, assuming no one looked too closely. Satisfied with its handiwork, the slime picked out a simple shirt and a pair of trousers from a pile of miscellaneous items.

The slime had managed to amass a small fortune while living in the first layer. Unfortunately, that fortune would be difficult to convert into coin. Most treasures found on the first layer were virtually worthless. The slime’s trove was a monument to quantity over quality.

“Ok…good?” The slime asked expectantly.

“Very good.” Theo nodded. “No one should bother us in the first layer.”

Theo took a few steps towards the exit hole and then stopped.

“Oh wait. What about a name?”

“…Name? Like Theo?”

“Yea.”

“Why am I naming it?” Theo thought, frowning. “This thing is my ticket out of here. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Hmm…”

The slime’s hair waved unnaturally as it thought.

“Mavis.” The slime announced. “Name…Mavis.”

Theo wore a conflicted expression. He hadn’t expected the slime to name itself.

“How did you think of that? Was it the name of a raider?”

“No.” Mavis shook its head. “It just…feel…correct.”

Theo stepped back. Somehow, out of all the strange things he’d seen this slime do, this was the first thing that felt somewhat…creepy.

“Theo…no…like?”

“Huh? No, I like it. It’s nice to meet you, Mavis.”

Mavis clasped its hands behind its back. “It’s nice to meet you, Theo.”

- - -

While Mavis was busy making its body more human-like, a pair of men trudged through the dark tunnels of the first layer. The one at the front wore a flowing white coat and carried a glittering saber. He strutted forward confidently with his head raised, as if daring the denizens of the dungeon to appear before him. The man behind him kept one hand on his falchion. His other hand held a torch, which illuminated his wary scowl.

Neither of the men used a compass. They seemed content to wander through any open path. Throughout the day, the pair had run into a few different parties that were heading to the second layer. Every one of those groups were greeted cordially and then asked a question.

“Have you heard about a masked outlaw hiding in these caves?”

Responses were mixed. Some chided the men for believing in rumors, while others recounted horror stories heard from a friend of a friend.

“This masked figure seems to be something of a bogyman.” The man in front laughed as they continued their trek. “How exciting!”

“Young master, I urge you to be careful. Especially when calling out to other raiders.”

The young master stopped and turned towards his older companion.

“Hmm? Why is that, Galt?”

“This isn’t the surface. We don’t know what these raiders are thinking.”

“Do you think they’re a threat?”

The young man smiled calmly and Galt matched him with a frown.

“This is a dungeon. People lose their lives here every day. Even members of the Wallace family are not exempt from danger.”

“Well, that’s why you’re here. And why we’re carrying swords.”

“Yale-!”

“Relax, Galt. I’m joking.” Yale said, placing a hand on his guard’s shoulder. “This is what I wanted. On the surface, no one would dare lift a finger against me. Here, every monster sees me as just another intruder. I know it’s dangerous, but we are both capable men. Please indulge me for a few more days.”

“If you can’t find this masked man by then, will you give up?”

“Ha-ha-ha! Please, I am nothing if not lucky.”

Yale’s smile widened, growing into a vicious grin.

“I’ll find him. This duel was fated to be.”