The ice seemed to slow it down a bit, so dodging it and attacking would be easier.

Echo managed to slice it in half, but...

Both halves of the monster turned into it's own mini version of the original monster, which meant there were now two angry flaming slime monsters.

"What the heck?!"

"...Yea!"

Echo started to attack at one of them, trying to dice the monster, leaving Time with the other one.

The other half was charging at Time, trying to attach to his shoulder.

It hit, causing it to fall to the ground with a kerplunk!, now trapped in a cube of ice. Although... it seemed the ice was already starting to melt. Time better do something quick.

(,,,Hahahaha,,, I mean,,, uhhh,,,)

(,,,How,,, does it work??????)

(Rip me this is a bruh moment)

(Hehe time go w h o o s h)

The monster depleted into dust, now dead.

Echo was off to the side scraping her foot against the ground, muttering about acid.

With a sigh, Echo looked further down the passageway and warned, "There are about three more up ahead, a bit bigger than this one."

(Oh oof okay)

The monster was struggling, trying to still attack Time. It looked a bit pathetic as it squirmed around, probably in pain, but it managed to leap at Time again, only now aiming for his legs.

Echo replied while still gazing off, "Stop asking."

Okay, now the monster is dead lol. Good job.

Echo didn't reply but looked over in time to see Time kill the thing, making a slight grimace as he did.

"Shall... we, uh, continue forward?" Echo asked, looking back to view ahead of them. Yep, all three of the next monsters were still there.

Echo went forward as well, thinking of how to fight the next ones. She could still feel the bottom of her foot burning painfully from the effects of the acid, which had burned through her shoe while she squished the small monsters she had diced the half into. Not to add that her axe had melted away not long after she finished the half she fought, which meant that she would possibly have to summon multiple weapons while fighting the next monsters, which meant some blood loss due to summoning magic effects, which meant the possibility of her fighting would weaken, which meant the possibility of Time or her getting hurt!

Adding in, her foot was hurting badly, a throbbing, burning pain running up to her knee each time she took a step. Echo hoped the acid didn't have any other properties than "burn". She didn't want to become a burden, not again, and especially not here! She wasn't weak at all! Of course she wasn't weak. Weak people were pathetic, weak people were pitiful, and weak people were burdens, weren't they?! She couldn't be weak. Not again. She wouldn't allow it.

Weak people never had control, did they?

Echo made sure not to make it noticeable that her leg was hurting, keeping up with Time just fine, but it was noticable that she was thinking hard and wasn't concentrated on anything up ahead. She had somewhat of a dazed look in her eyes, making it more than obvious she was lost in her spiralling thoughts, her eyebrows furrowed in almost an angry and serious manner.

Echo spoke up randomly, "That monster was, uh, interesting."

"Hmm..."

Did she say that? Eh, might as well take a neutral expression so she didn't seem stupid if she forgot.

"It was fast, and, uhm, it's duplication is, uh, is cool. Possibly, I think, maybe it was multiple tiny monsters combined into, like, a larger monster..."

Echo grimaced at her own words. She didn't really enjoy hurting the monsters, but they didn't have much a choice, did they?

"Obviously," Echo replied. "Now that I, uh, I know what I'm up against, I know how to attack and stuff. Magic is going to be tricky, though."

Echo shrugged.

"I wonder if any aero-based magic or manipulation could work. They are like little fireballs, so, like, maybe taking away their oxygen could just put them out and possibly, uhm, make them weaker...?"

"Hmm..." 

Echo wasn't that good with water-based magic, but she could try.