The dungeon has been parasitized

Chapter 32 Dream

On the towering city walls.

"Yanami, go to Quilton with Rolna. She will protect you... Just live a good life and be an ordinary person."

"dad?"

I tried to blink, but I couldn't make out the two familiar figures in front of me.

"We have to leave. I'm sorry, Yanami."

"Mother?"

Their figures grew increasingly blurry, receding little by little into the distance.

"Why? Why won't you tell me anything! I'm all grown up now, Mom and Dad!"

No...don't go!

His legs were straining, but his feet were sinking into the mud, and the entire city wall was melting.

Finally, I was enveloped by a feeling of weightlessness.

I'm falling, I can't catch up with them.

Thud—it was caught.

I looked up and saw familiar armor before me.

"Yanami, I'm sorry, I have to go on a mission... about appeasing the dragon. It's just a trap, don't go."

"But... there's no place for me here..."

Before I could finish speaking, she put me down. I reached out to grab her, but my nails were pricked.

My palms were stained with her blood.

Fresh blood dripped from fingertips, sprouting tender buds, then growing vines, and finally blooming into a sea of ​​flowers.

"Is it Klein?"

I bent down and gently stroked the soft petals, which enveloped me.

So warm, so warm... just like a flame.

It's so hot!

The sea of ​​flowers is ablaze!

"Klein...Klein!"

Yanami forced her eyes open and saw a campfire flickering in front of her.

Was I dreaming just now?

Yanami opened her eyes; the dream she had just experienced seemed to have faded away, and she could not recall it.

I straightened up, my head still a little groggy. The unfamiliar blanket slipped off my body, and the surroundings were just as unfamiliar.

"Where am I...?"

"You're awake."

In front of her was a red-haired girl tilting her head and looking at her.

"Who are you……!"

Startled at first, Yanami suddenly lowered her head and used her hand to pull the hood of her robe over her head.

Seeing Yanami's behavior, the red-haired girl was somewhat at a loss.

"Um... well, we've already seen your hair, so... don't worry, we won't hurt you."

Yanami glanced at her and suddenly realized her lapse in composure; she hadn't sensed their hostility.

"that……"

"Hello, I'm Georgina, and you must be... Yanami Renata, right?"

Yanami trembled when she heard her name spoken by a stranger.

She cautiously looked up and saw the red-haired girl, Jokina, smiling.

How do you know my name?

Only then did Yanami see her surroundings clearly. There were five of them in total. Apart from Jokina, the others were silently watching from a distance.

Elf, human, human, and a greatsword-wielding warrior whose race was indistinguishable.

"Miss Rolna Valentine told us."

"Aunt Lorna?! You saw Aunt Lorna? Is she still alive?!"

For a moment, Yanami thought that Rolna was still alive, but that thought was quickly extinguished by reason.

"No, Miss Lorna was someone we met on the way to Tide Lake. She asked us if we had seen you before and told us your name."

"I see... I see."

Yanami pursed her sad lips and lowered her head.

"She came looking for you, didn't you run into her?"

Yanami remained silent for a while, unsure how to respond.

"Aunt Lorna... left, to save me."

"this……"

Qiao Jinna's dark pupils widened in surprise, and she opened her mouth but could not utter a word.

"……Feel sorry."

"No, it's okay."

Qiao Jinna awkwardly clenched her fists, her eyes darting around in silence.

"Would you like something to eat?"

Seemingly sensing the tense atmosphere, the black-haired girl came over with a bowl of something, defusing the situation.

"No, no need—"

goo...

Her stomach gurgled, giving her away; Yanami hadn't eaten all day.

"Let's get something to eat."

"Okay... thank you."

Yanami stopped trying to be brave and took the wooden bowl. Inside was a bowl of meat soup, along with a gelatinous substance that Yanami didn't recognize.

I took a sip, and the taste was very unique.

"What kind of dish is this?"

Yanami brought the bowl to her nose and smelled it, but she couldn't tell what it was from the smell.

"It's slime soup, our adventure team's signature dish."

"Slime broth?!"

Yanami had just brought the bowl to her lips when she froze.

"What? You don't like slimes?"

"No... well, I'm a little traumatized by slimes now."

Not long ago, Yanami almost lost her life because of a slime...

My impression of slimes was limited to wriggling flesh and blood.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I should have told you first..."

"No, it's okay, it's delicious."

Let's just call it food... its origin doesn't matter, yes, it doesn't matter.

Not wanting to worry them, Yanami carefully took another sip.

"I'm glad you like it. Anna and I made it."

Qiao Jinna glanced at the black-haired girl not far away, and the girl glanced at Yanami before immediately looking away.

It seems she is Anna.

"...Did you save me?"

Qiao Jinna nodded.

"When we found you, you were already unconscious, with a large hole in your abdomen and severe blood loss."

Yanami only remembered that when she and Klein killed the Bloody Slime, her abdomen was pierced by the Bloody Slime's tentacles, and then her head became increasingly dizzy.

"Oh, right... the wound!"

Yanami lowered her head. There was a large hole in her blood-stained clothes, but the skin inside was intact.

"Don't worry, our monk has healed you; he's that elf over there."

Yanami looked up and met the gaze of the golden-haired elf. He waved with a smile, his long elven ears quite noticeable.

"Luckily you stopped the bleeding with the vines and were lying on a pile of conspicuous vines, otherwise we might not have found you."

It was because of me, Klein... Thanks to Klein, I was saved by Klein again.

"Thank you for saving me."

"No need to be so polite. Adventurers should help each other out."

They are adventurers...

In Yanami's mind, adventurers are pioneers who explore unknown dungeons, traveling between countless dungeons with different purposes.

Suddenly, Yanami felt a slight touch in her pocket; something was poking her inside.

Reaching in, she found a thin vine that gently wrapped around Yanami's fingers.

It's Klein! He's been by my side the whole time, but why isn't he saying anything?

By the way, the Heart-to-Heart Message feature is not enabled.

Yanami couldn't wait to activate her telepathic abilities and talk to Klein in her pocket.

"Klein..."

"Yes, I'm here."

The familiar voice reassured Yanami, and even seemed to lessen her sadness a little.