Conjure a PEPPER BEAST. It is the Salt Elemental's natural opposite.
You've never heard of a PEPPER BEAST, but you do know some basic ELEMENTAL SUMMONING TECHNIQUES.
You SUMMON a SMALL PEPPER ELEMENTAL.
The two ELEMENTALS combine to form a SALT N' PEPPER ELEMENTAL.
How unfortuitous.
Summon a bunch of water to turn the salt into a powerless liquid solution.
The SALT N' PAPPER ELEMENTAL attacks, and you decide a more direct method of confrontation is necessary.
You cast ORB OF THE RIPTIDE.
The ELEMENTAL panics when the torrent of water hits. It begins separating itself into many smaller ELEMENTALS.
You press the attack.
->
While you were able to eliminate a good portion of its mass, some of the ELEMENTAL escaped down one of these mysterious holes.
Nonetheless, you are going to count your first use of an actual combat spell as a success.
After we kill the elemental, FIND WHERE IT CAME FROM.
There are established reasons for this.
->
These holes seem to lead to different ELEMENTAL PLANES.
If you had to guess, you would say this DUNGEON is sandwiched between the ELEMENTAL PLANE OF CONDIMENTS and the ELEMENTAL PLANE OF RANCH DRESSING.
You're not sure why ranch dressing gets an elemental plane all to itself when all the other condiments have to share. It is one of life's grand mysteries.
You also spot what you believe to be other sections of the DUNGEON. It likely intersects itself at several points, so some of these holes may be valuable shortcuts.
Then, cast a Spider Climbing (or, barring that, Flight) spell and follow the trail!
((And I really wish I had that spell.))
->
You cast another SEARCHING LIGHT, much stronger than before, then a levitating spell.
You don't put enough power in to make yourself
completely weightless, since you can use the holes as handholds to climb up.
->
You seem to be in a hallway. There is a BOTTOMLESS PIT here.