Cecilia's Route

Cecilia marched deeper into the right-hand tunnel, the silence of the cave pressing against her ears. At first, it was just a dampness she felt through the leather of her boots, a slight squelch with every step. 'This place is a swamp,' she muttered, her voice sounding small in the vast emptiness. But as the minutes ticked by, the water didn't stay at her ankles. It rose with a deceptive, silent speed, creeping up to her calves, then her knees, until she was wading waist-deep through a frigid, black basin. The same silence returned, but now it was punctuated by a rhythmic, wet slapping sound echoing from the darkness ahead. Cecilia halted, her hand tightening on the hilt of her blade. 'Who's there?' she demanded, her voice echoing. No answer came, only the sound of something heavy and gelatinous sliding through the water toward her. Suddenly, a translucent mass surged from the depths, slamming into her midsection. Cecilia let out a grunt of surprise, her holy blade flashing in a golden arc that sliced the creature in half, but the victory was short-lived. From the shadows, a dozen more slimes converged, their amorphous bodies clinging to her legs and torso. 'Get off me, you mindless filth!' she screamed, slashing wildly, but the slimes were opportunistic. While she fought the ones in front, others surged beneath the water, their sticky tendrils finding the buckles of her armor. With a series of metallic clangs, her chest plate was ripped away, leaving her gasping in her thin undergarments. She fought like a demon, cursing the Goddess for this humiliation, but the slimes were relentless, their hot, pulsing bodies beginning to slide under the fabric of her clothes, seeking the warmth of her skin.