CHAPTER 7

Adventurers entering the Mystic Gate always left their marks on it.

But that didn't mean they always had to.

There were some exceptions.

Some adventurers deliberately left multiple wounds on the gate to deter others. A heavily scarred Mystic Gate naturally felt more dangerous, making others hesitant to enter.

However, even without considering that, a Mystic Gate covered in wounds was undeniably dangerous.

If there were around twelve scars, then it was truly a perilous place.

Of course, to El Pam, such a thing was laughable. He had conquered Mystic Gates with over a hundred scars before and had even survived an encounter with Horntail, making him the last surviving adventurer of that battle.

"It's dangerous."

But that wasn't a reason for El Pam to lower his guard.

Naturally, he had already considered numerous possibilities before stepping into the Mystic Gate.

"The entry limit is five people. No overwhelmingly powerful monsters appear. It's a conquerable category. However, depending on certain conditions, stronger variants might emerge."

And then, he recalled one possibility.

"It could be a Gold Slime."

Gold Slime.

A golden-colored slime that only appeared as a boss monster in Red-tier Mystic Gates—an incredibly rare and formidable foe.

There were two reasons why El Pam considered the possibility of a Gold Slime.

First, it was powerful.

"In a Red-tier Mystic Gate, it's a nightmare."

The second reason—it was even more powerful than that.

"Its acid secretion is extreme."

Slimes were naturally composed of highly corrosive acidic fluids.

The moment they were wounded, strong acid would seep out from the injuries, making them particularly difficult to hunt.

This was especially nightmarish for warriors—tanks and melee damage dealers who had to fight up close.

Conversely, it was weak to ranged attacks.

Thus, while Gold Slimes were tricky foes, they weren't impossible to defeat. Just annoying.

But in the world of adventurers, nothing was ever simple.

"Gold Slime can launch acid attacks."

The biggest headache about Gold Slimes was their skill—Acid Arrow.

Its power was stronger than one might expect.

More than anything, it had considerable range.

For novice adventurers, it was a nightmare.

Of course, El Pam didn't consider it just because of its strength alone.

"If it's too difficult, I can just retreat."

After all, most adventurers who entered this place had one main goal—to retrieve the items of fallen adventurers.

From their perspective, there was no real reason to fight a Gold Slime.

And yet, El Pam took it into account.

"But if it's a Gold Slime, it will consume the items too."

If a Gold Slime was here, it meant the items of dead adventurers were practically lost.

Yet, not many people knew this fact.

In fact, among novice adventurers, only a handful even knew Gold Slimes existed.

Thus, the adventurers here were probably wandering in search of items that no longer existed—devoured by the Gold Slime.

Moreover, El Pam knew another crucial fact.

"It grows stronger with every item it absorbs."

That was what made the Gold Slime truly dangerous.

Of course, this was merely a possibility. El Pam wasn't entirely certain that a Gold Slime would appear.

"It's here."

However, the moment he stepped through the Mystic Gate, he saw it.

Traces of acid scattered around, faint but unmistakable.

Sniff.

The subtle, stinging scent of slime acid tickled his nose.

At that moment, El Pam was sure.

"It's a Gold Slime."

This was the boss monster of this place.

"Lucky me."

And with that realization, El Pam didn't hesitate.

"I can deal with it easily."