Vel stared at the basement with mounting horror. Slimes—dozens of them—oozed everywhere. Green, blue, and even a few oddly translucent ones squirmed across the stone floor, clung to wooden beams, and stretched between crates of merchandise. One particularly large specimen had engulfed what appeared to be an expensive vase, distorting its silhouette through its gelatinous body.
"Ugh." Vel's face twisted in disgust as he took in the basement full of his least favorite creatures.
The gooey masses wobbled as they moved, defying physics in ways that made his skin crawl. Some had fused multiple items together—fine silverware melded with silk cloth bundles—while others simply rolled aimlessly, leaving behind slick trails.
"Please be careful with the goods," came a nervous voice from behind them. Merchant Belwin stood at the top of the stairs, peering anxiously into his compromised storage room. "Those are imported silks from the Heartian Union and glassware that cost me a month's earnings."
Vel's jaw tightened. The contract said nothing about preserving merchandise—just eliminating slimes. He watched one blob stretch itself impossibly thin to reach a higher shelf, adding yet another expensive item to its collection.
Celia surveyed the disaster with growing skepticism. "This definitely should pay more than five silvers if you want us to take care of the slimes while keeping everything intact." She turned to face the merchant with hands on her hips. "This is work for real adventurers."
"What?" Belwin's face contorted with indignation. "Then I must have to pay extra fees for the Guild's tax... and..." He descended a few steps, taking in the scene with obvious dismay. "They weren't this many when I submitted the request."
Vel noticed the merchant was right—the slimes were multiplying before their very eyes. One larger specimen appeared to be dividing, separating into two distinct entities with a sickening squelching sound.
"They're reproducing," Vel said, disgust evident in his voice. "We need to eliminate them quickly before the situation gets worse."
Vel calculated the odds of conventional slime extermination—chopping, burning, or freezing—and grimaced at the likely collateral damage. Direct magic would risk the merchant's precious goods, and physical combat would just splatter slime residue everywhere, potentially damaging more merchandise.
"There has to be a systematic approach," he muttered, watching a slime absorb a small decorative figurine. Vel studied the basement layout—stone walls, wooden support beams, that drain in the corner...
Then it clicked.
"I'll flood the basement," Vel announced suddenly.
Celia whipped around to stare at him. "What?! You're going to add water damage to this mess?"
"Everything here would be ruined!" Belwin gasped, clutching his chest.
Vel shook his head. "Not necessarily. Are there any goods down here that would be damaged by water?" He asked the merchant directly.
Belwin hesitated, surveying his inventory with a critical eye. "No, not really. Only those spices and salt." He pointed to several burlap sacks stacked in the corner. "But they're not important compared to the silks and glassware."
"Hm. Perfect." Vel smiled, his plan crystallizing. "I'll flood the basement with water. Celia, you'll use your lightning sword art—but target the water instead of the goods or the slimes directly."
YOU ARE READING
GameDev Reincarnated into His Own Creation
FantasyWhen renowned game developer Giri meets his untimely end, he awakens as twelve-year-old Vel in the magical realm of Aeonalus-his own creation. Five hundred years have passed since he crafted the world, and Vel finds himself in the village of Oakhave...
