My Slime Wife: Training and Pampering Her Makes Me Stronger

The meeting began shortly after noon.

Liam was sitting in one of the chairs in Captain Armstrong’s meeting room.

The other five sub-captains were gathered around him.

Amber sat with her arms crossed, as serious as always.

Wayne was leaning back in his chair, looking over the documents Armstrong had placed on the table.

Don Rouch had a thoughtful expression as he gently tapped his fingers against the wood.

Timothy was reviewing one of the reports with a frown.

And Jane was sitting beside her father, carefully reading every page.

They had all been summoned for the same reason.

Armstrong stood up.

"Thank you for coming."

The captain placed a folder on the table.

"Over the past few hours, we’ve received new reports from different guilds."

Liam looked at the folder.

"More evolved dungeons?"

"Yes."

Armstrong opened the document.

"The number of dungeons that have evolved from S-rank to SS-rank continues to increase."

Wayne raised an eyebrow.

"How many now?"

"Twenty-three confirmed."

The room fell silent.

Liam frowned.

’Last time, there were seventeen.’

The increase was happening far too quickly.

"And there’s more..."

Armstrong continued.

"Some guilds believe there are others that we haven’t detected yet."

Timothy placed the document on the table.

"Then we’re talking about a worldwide expansion."

"Exactly."

Amber picked up another report.

"Are the three dungeons that were accumulating energy still doing so?"

Armstrong nodded.

"Yes."

Don Rouch sighed.

"Then we have a problem."

Wayne smiled slightly.

"I’m surprised you only just realized that."

Don Rouch looked at him.

"I was trying to be optimistic."

"That doesn’t suit you."

"Thanks."

Liam let out a small laugh.

But his expression quickly became serious again.

"We need to decide what to do about them."

Armstrong nodded.

"That’s why you’re here."

The captain pointed at the map spread across the table.

There were dozens of marked points.

Some were red.

Others were yellow.

And three were black.

"The black points are the three dungeons that are accumulating energy at an abnormal rate."

Liam studied the map.

One was in a mountainous region.

Another was in a forest.

The last one was in a densely populated urban area.

"The third one is the most dangerous," Liam said.

Jane looked at him.

"Because it’s beneath a city?"

"Yes."

"What would happen if it evolved?"

Liam shook his head.

"We don’t know."

Young Timmy spoke up.

"It could open inside the city."

"Or it could alter the space around it," Liam added.

"It could also affect time," Amber said.

Everyone looked at her.

"My squad already experienced a temporal alteration inside a dungeon," she explained.

"We can’t assume the next evolutions will behave the same way."

Liam nodded.

"My squad did too."

Wayne let out a sigh.

"Then we have too many variables."

"Exactly," Armstrong replied.

Don Rouch raised a hand.

"I have a proposal."

Everyone looked at him.

"We shouldn’t send entire groups of high-rank hunters into every dungeon."

Timothy frowned.

"What do you propose?"

"Small reconnaissance teams."

Don Rouch pointed at the map.

"They go in, observe, and come back out. If they discover something dangerous, we send in a response team."

Jane slowly nodded.

"That would reduce the risk of losing too many hunters if a dungeon suddenly changes."

"And we could gather information before sending in larger forces," Amber added.

Timothy still looked concerned.

"What if the reconnaissance team gets trapped?"

Wayne shrugged.

"Then we’ll need a response team ready to enter immediately."

"That means having high-rank hunters waiting outside."

"Yes."

Timothy sighed.

"That could work."

Don Rouch smiled.

"Look at that. Timothy just agreed with an idea."

"Don’t push your luck," Timothy replied.

Liam studied the map.

The strategy made sense.

But there was still something that didn’t sit right with him.

"We also need researchers."

Jane looked up.

"To study the dungeons?"

"Yes. We can’t keep going in without understanding what’s happening."

Liam remembered Pix’s words.

’Dungeons can connect different dimensions.’

He still couldn’t tell the others about that.

Not until Pix was certain.

"We need to record every change," Liam continued.

"Temperature, structure, creatures, energy, temporal behavior..."

Amber nodded.

"And any anomalies that appear."

"Exactly."

Armstrong picked up another document.

"James is already working with some of the guild’s researchers."

Liam tensed slightly.

’James...’

He immediately thought of Lydia.

Her pregnancy.

The danger they were still keeping hidden.

Armstrong continued speaking.

"But we don’t have enough personnel to investigate every dungeon."

Wayne raised his hand.

"Then we’ll have to choose."

Liam looked at him.

"Choose what?"

"Which dungeons to investigate first."

The room fell silent again.

Armstrong pointed at the three black points.

"These three."

Liam nodded.

"I agree."

"Me too," Amber said.

Jane nodded.

"They present the greatest risk."

Timothy studied the map.

"Who will go to each one?"

Armstrong looked at the six sub-captains.

"That’s the next problem."

Wayne smiled.

"I knew there was a catch."

Don Rouch burst out laughing.

"There always is."

Armstrong pointed at the first dungeon.

"Amber, I want your squad to handle the mountain."

Amber nodded.

"Understood."

"Wayne, you’ll go to the forest."

"Perfect."

"Jane, I want you to investigate the dungeon beneath the city."

Jane looked at the black point.

"Understood."

Timothy raised his hand.

"And us?"

Armstrong pointed toward the other dungeons.

"The rest of us will form the response teams."

Liam immediately understood.

"So if any dungeon changes..."

"One of us will go," Armstrong finished.

Don Rouch smiled.

"That means we’ll finally have an excuse to work together."

Wayne laughed.

"I thought you’d never say it."

Amber shook her head.

"Don’t get too excited."

Liam looked at the map again.

"And my squad?"

Armstrong looked directly at him.

"I want you to continue working with your team."

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"Without assigning us a dungeon?"

"For now."

"Why?"

Armstrong pointed at several reports.

"I need you to remain available for anything that might happen."

Liam understood.

They would be the reserve.

If something went wrong, they could be deployed.

"Understood."

Armstrong closed the folder.

"Then it’s decided."

Everyone began to stand.

But before Liam could leave, Armstrong spoke.

"Liam."

"Yes?"

"I need to talk to you."

The other sub-captains left the room.

Amber was the first to leave.

Wayne followed alongside Don Rouch.

Timothy and Jane were the last to leave.

When the door closed, Armstrong sat back down.

"How is Lydia?"

Liam froze.

"She’s fine."

Armstrong smiled.

"I’m glad to hear that."

Liam hesitated for a few seconds.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because James told me he’s studying her powers."

Liam relaxed slightly.

"Yes."

"Did you find the cause of the alterations?"

Liam remembered the pregnancy.

"Yes."

Armstrong waited.

Liam didn’t continue.

"You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to," the captain said.

"I just want to make sure everything is alright."

Liam nodded.

"It will be."

Armstrong watched him for a few seconds.

"That answer sounded awfully serious."

Liam smiled.

"I’m used to worrying."

"That’s something all good leaders have in common."

Liam lowered his gaze.

"I don’t know if I’m a good leader."

Armstrong let out a small laugh.

"You don’t need to know that yet."

Liam raised his head.

"Then?"

"You just need to keep taking care of your people."

Liam smiled.

"That I can do."

◇◆◇

Later, Liam was walking down the guild hallway.

He found Lydia waiting for him near the entrance.

"Are you done?"

"Yeah."

"What did you decide?"

Liam quickly explained the strategy to her.

Reconnaissance.

Research.

Response teams.

Three priority dungeons.

Lydia listened carefully.

"Sounds complicated."

"It is."

"And you?"

"We’ll remain available."

Lydia smiled.

"Then you’ll have more time for me."

Liam looked at her and smiled.

"Looks like it."

"Perfect."

She took his arm.

"I want to make the most of it."

"For what?"

Lydia smiled.

"We have to start thinking about the baby’s room."

Liam’s eyes widened.

"Already?"

"Yes."

"Lydia, it’s still way too early."

"It’s never too early!"

Liam started laughing.

"Alright, alright."

They walked together toward the exit.

But before they could cross the guild’s doors, Liam felt something.

A faint vibration.

Very weak.

Almost imperceptible.

He stopped.

Lydia looked at him.

"What’s wrong?"

Liam looked up at the sky.

There was nothing unusual.

But somewhere far away...

Something was changing.

’Another dungeon?’

A small window appeared in front of his eyes.

[Warning]

Liam froze.

Lydia didn’t seem to see it.

The message disappeared.

And a second later, another one appeared.

[A dimensional alteration has been detected.]

Liam felt a chill.

’Pix...’

There was no response.

Then one final message appeared.

[The connection between dimensions has strengthened.]

Liam squeezed Lydia’s hand.

"Let’s go home."

"Are you alright?"

Liam smiled.

"Yeah."

But as they walked, he couldn’t stop thinking about that message.

’The dungeons aren’t simply evolving.’

’Something is trying to connect them.’