Today, the Slime Lord Was the Director

A silver arc flashed past, accompanied by a faint tearing sound.

"Pfft!"

The blade tip precisely sliced into the Glow Mushroom Person's blue-green cap, and its little legs only kicked wildly for a moment before going still.

Kelvin smoothly withdrew his scimitar and blew on its blade.

"See that? Sweet little Ella, old brother Bloom, that's the strength of a seasoned adventurer!"

"With a Visaji's eyesight and a ranger's precision, dealing with these 'little glowing cuties' couldn't be easier."

He proudly raised his chin, his golden curls still conspicuous even in the dim light.

Ella paid no attention to her captain's performance. She was crouching nearby, carefully using a small wooden shovel to dig up a strange plant growing beside a rotten tree root.

"It's Water Bellflower!"

She looked up, her baby-fat cheeks brimming with delight.

"The books say it only grows near Mana nodes. It's an excellent material for making Sobering Potions. It looks like the Mana here is even more active than the books described."

Bloom, on the other hand, was very obliging. He grinned broadly and gave a thumbs-up.

"Ha, as expected of the captain! That slash had real momentum!"

This simple praise instantly delighted Kelvin, greatly satisfying his vanity.

With a grand wave of his hand, he said, "Come on, let's keep moving! 'Miracle' Yano's treasure is waiting for us!"

The party continued trudging through the damp forest.

Kelvin led the way, his mood seemingly lightening with Bloom's praise and the strange new plants Ella discovered every now and then.

The moss beneath their feet was soft as carpet, and sunlight streamed through the gaps in dappled patches. Everything seemed... far too peaceful.

"Tch, this Swamp Forest isn't as scary as the rumors made it out to be."

"Sleeping Demonic Beasts, choking miasma... I say it's all made up by cowards to scare people."

As he casually swept aside hanging vines with his scimitar, he muttered to himself, even leisurely humming a Visaji tune.

At that moment, a fist-sized Digger Beetle was slowly crawling past the pile of fallen leaves by his feet, making a soft rustling sound.

"Where'd this lump of rock come from? Get lost."

Kelvin did not even bother to look closely before kicking the beetle flying.

"Whoosh—thud!"

The unlucky beetle traced an arc through the air and slammed into the trunk of a large tree with a dull impact. Then it fell six legs up into the thick layer of rotting leaves, struggling dizzily.

Kelvin snorted and kept walking without a care.

He glanced back at his companions. Ella was carefully putting the Water Bellflower she had just gathered into a small cloth bag, her gaze focused and serious, while Bloom, like a moving fortress, vigilantly scanned their rear.

Looking at these two greenhorns who trusted him so completely, an inexplicable ripple rose in Kelvin's heart—a distant sense of familiarity.

It had also been the edge of a forest like this, also three people... a captain who had loved to boast just as much, a young companion who had also been somewhat timid but whose eyes had been steadfast, and himself, equally ignorant and naive...

Then came the Bear Goblin that charged roaring out of the shadows! The captain's twisted face of terror, and his back as he turned without hesitation and fled into the dense woods...

All that remained were his despairing self and that young companion, beaten into a bloody pulp by the Bear Goblin's huge club.

The ease on Kelvin's face instantly froze, and an imperceptible gloom passed through his eyes.

Heh, adventure?

Friendship and glory, my ass!

Staying alive and getting the money—that was what mattered.

After that time, he had understood that a person had to be a little cold-blooded. Keep your eyes fixed only on what was valuable!

What was wrong with having your eyes light up at the sight of money? It was better than dying without even knowing why!

He shook his head hard, as though trying to fling away that unpleasant memory along with the softness in his heart that should not have been there.

"Look ahead!"

Ella's delighted voice broke the brief silence.

Beyond an especially dense curtain of vines, a small clearing appeared before them.

At the center of the clearing stood several broken low walls, built from dark brown bricks and stones, exuding an ancient and mysterious air.

"Ruins! They really are ruins!"

Kelvin's eyes immediately lit up, as though he could see treasure chests piled full of gold coins.

"I told you, 'Miracle' Yano wouldn't lie. Quick, let's go in and take a look!"

He impatiently rushed in first, nearly slipping when his boots stepped on the slick moss.

Ella walked up to the low wall, stretched out her fair fingers, gently brushed away the moss covering it, and carefully felt the texture of the wall.

"Huh? Captain Kelvin... these bricks and stones... why do they look a little new?"

Kelvin was excitedly rummaging through a pile of collapsed rubble. Without even turning his head, he waved a hand carelessly.

"Ah, don't fuss over those details. The important thing is treasure! Hurry up and find where the chest is!"

He was completely immersed in fantasies of becoming rich, ignoring the mage apprentice's sharp observations.

As the three members of the Rookie Squad happily immersed themselves in exploring the ruins, they did not know that, at this very moment, a pair of round eyes in the dark swamp was staring at them without blinking.

That round, plump body... belonged to the Slime Lord of this swamp.

I miscalculated. I forgot to weather the newly built walls, Chen Yu thought.

Next time, I have to remember to smear them with thick mud and vines beforehand... and add some bird droppings. Then no adventurer should dare touch them.

"Looks like they're about to meet the boss I carefully prepared."

Chen Yu looked deeper into the ruins, where faint, suppressed growls could be heard.

That was an actor he had only managed to catch after some effort a few days ago—a bad-tempered Corrupted Jackal.

Within the ruins, Bloom did not rummage through the debris like Kelvin. Instead, he habitually observed the ground and discovered several piles of rather unusual droppings beneath a heap of half-covered dead leaves.

"Captain, there's wolf dung here, and... it's fresh. It smells rotten. Something's not right."

"Wolf dung?!"

Kelvin was trying to move a large rock. At those words, his body stiffened, and cold sweat instantly broke out.

Jackals?! Corrupted ones, at that?!

These Bronze Tier bastards usually moved in packs. They were swift, cunning, and held grudges fiercely!

The members of this Rookie Squad were all merely newcomers, not even official professionals. They could barely handle a Bronze Tier Demonic Beast one-on-one.

But if a pack of Corrupted Jackals set their sights on them, they would not even be able to run away in these ruins with their complicated terrain!

Ella also gripped her staff tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

Kelvin forcibly suppressed the fear in his heart and gestured for the two of them to stay quiet.

Keeping low, he carefully crept in the direction Bloom had pointed, using the broken walls for cover. Ella and Bloom followed close behind.

At the deepest part of the ruins, behind a relatively intact arched doorway, there truly was a Corrupted Jackal lying in wait.

It was a size larger than an ordinary wolf. Its filthy fur was matted together, and many parts of its body were ulcerated and oozing pus. It was anxiously clawing at the ground.

Not far behind it, a rotten-looking wooden chest half-buried in the soil was radiating an alluring "treasure glow" in Kelvin's eyes.

The three of them held their breath and observed it for quite a while. Ella even risked poking out half her head to confirm carefully.

"Only... only one?"

"And it seems to be injured. Its movements are a little sluggish."

Ella spoke in a breath so soft it was nearly inaudible, carrying astonished delight.

"Only one?"

Kelvin's eyes were instantly lit by the gleam of greed.