Chapter 156: Searching for the Exit, A Furry Creature in the Fog

The group slowly made their way across the meadow.

They had left behind the cave where the Raxan would begin their new lives, and now they walked without a clear destination, searching for any sign that might indicate where the exit to the SS-Rank dungeon was.

The flowers swayed gently in the wind.

At first glance, everything seemed far too peaceful.

Lena walked a few steps behind Liam and Lydia, her hands behind her head.

"I feel a little bad leaving them alone."

Chuck, who was walking beside her while chewing gum, turned his head.

"Really? If they’d left your arm looking like Emily’s, you wouldn’t be saying that, kid."

Lena frowned.

"That has nothing to do with it, old man."

Emily let out a small laugh.

"It doesn’t bother me. After talking to them, I think I understand them a little better."

Emily raised the arm that had been injured earlier and moved it to show that she had completely recovered.

"Besides, they were scared too. They didn’t know who we were."

"That doesn’t mean we have to become friends with them," Chuck replied.

"But it doesn’t mean they’re bad either," Carol added.

Jordan, who was walking while eating an energy bar, nodded.

"I guess you’re right."

Lydia remained silent for several seconds.

Then she looked up at the sky.

"It’s strange..."

Liam turned toward her.

"What is?"

"How much the dungeon changed."

Lydia looked at the white clouds floating above them.

"The Raxan said their world was destroyed. But... does that world still exist?"

No one answered immediately.

"And if this is another world..."

Lydia continued...

"...what kind of place is it?"

Liam also looked up.

The sun was still shining with the same intensity as when they had arrived.

The sky was completely clear.

Several hours had passed since they left the cave.

And yet, there was no sign that night was approaching.

’How long have we been here?’

Liam looked around.

There didn’t seem to be any changes.

The sun remained in almost the exact same position.

’Could it be that there’s no day and night here?’

That was another thing he would have to ask Pix about when they had a safe moment.

If they ever managed to find one.

"Boss..."

Lena’s voice made him turn around.

"Yes?"

"Don’t you feel cold?"

Liam stopped for a moment.

Now that she mentioned it, he did.

A cold breeze had just swept across the meadow.

Lydia hugged herself.

"Me too."

Emily began rubbing her arms.

"The temperature is dropping pretty quickly."

Jordan stopped eating for a few seconds.

"Do you think we’re going in the right direction?"

Liam looked at the terrain ahead of them.

There was no path.

Only flowers, mountains in the distance, and a vast expanse of meadow.

However, something was changing.

A few yards away from them, the air seemed different.

A kind of mist was slowly spreading across the ground.

It wasn’t particularly thick.

They could still see through it.

But the atmosphere had changed.

So had the wind.

Liam narrowed his eyes.

"Stop."

Everyone obeyed.

The group became completely still.

Ahead of them, inside the mist, there was something.

A small figure.

It seemed to be standing on top of another humanoid creature.

Carol frowned.

"What is that?"

Jordan pointed at the ground.

"There are bodies."

Liam looked around.

Only then could he make them out.

Several dismembered bodies were scattered around the figure.

They were humanoids, like the Raxan.

But their skin was red.

Liam felt a chill run down his spine.

He remembered the words of the gray humanoid leader.

The red-skinned beings, the ones who had destroyed their world.

The ones the Raxan had been at war with.

But something didn’t make sense.

They were all dead.

And apparently, a small creature had been enough to kill them all.

A message appeared in front of Liam again.

[Danger]

His expression changed.

"We need to be careful."

Everyone looked at him.

"Don’t make any noise. This dungeon is far too dangerous for us to fight anything we come across. Our priority is finding the exit."

Liam discreetly pointed in the opposite direction.

"We’ll slowly move away."

Lydia watched the small figure.

"I think it’s too late for that."

Liam turned his head.

The creature’s shadow was approaching. Slowly, getting closer and closer.

It seemed to be sniffing the air.

The group crouched down at the same time.

No one said a word as they began to back away.

One step.

Then another.

The creature continued approaching.

Until they could finally see it clearly.

It was small.

Completely covered in orange fur. It didn’t appear to have any eyes. Its face was covered in bloodstains, and small fangs protruded from its mouth. It walked on all fours, its head constantly moving from side to side.

It sniffed, listened, and searched.

Liam swallowed.

’It looks completely blind.’

The creature took a few more steps.

Then a message appeared in his system chat.

[Pix: Did you get yourselves into trouble again?]

Liam closed his eyes for a moment.

’This isn’t the time, Pix.’

The creature stopped and turned its head directly toward Jordan.

Jordan went pale.

"Why is it looking at me?"

"Because it probably heard you," Carol whispered.

The creature slowly walked toward him.

Jordan remained completely still.

The creature reached his legs.

Then it raised its head and sniffed, getting closer.

Jordan began to sweat.

Chuck, a few yards behind him, started signaling with his hands.

"Don’t move," he whispered.

The creature raised its front paws and placed them against Jordan’s chest.

Jordan became completely rigid.

The small creature began sniffing his shirt.

Liam could see its nose constantly twitching.

Then Jordan remembered something.

He had food stains on his shirt.

Chuck grinned.

"Make one wrong move and it’ll eat you."

Lena looked at him in disbelief.

"Can you stop being an idiot?"

"I’m trying to help."

"You’re not helping."

Jordan ignored their argument.

He slowly looked toward Chuck.

Then toward Liam.

No one seemed to have a better idea.

The creature continued sniffing his shirt.

Jordan swallowed.

Then he slowly reached a hand toward his back pocket.

Liam’s eyes widened.

’What is he doing?’

Jordan pulled out a small bag of chips.

He held it carefully.

The creature immediately raised its head.

Jordan slowly opened the bag.

The sound of the plastic made the creature’s ears twitch.

Liam held his breath.

Jordan looked toward a spot away from the group.

And threw the bag.

It landed several yards away.

For a second, the creature remained motionless.

Then...

It jumped!

It sprinted toward the chips at incredible speed.

"Now!"

Liam didn’t need to say it twice.

Everyone started running in the opposite direction.

Lydia grabbed Liam’s hand.

Emily ran alongside Carol.

Chuck ran past Lena, laughing.

"It worked!"

"Run and stop talking!"

Jordan ran with all his strength.

"Those were my chips!"

"We’ll buy you more!"

Emily shouted.

The group quickly moved away from the mist.

No one dared look back.

Although Liam couldn’t help doing so for a moment.

The creature was still beside the bag.

It had shoved its entire head inside it.

It tried to pull its face out, but the plastic had gotten stuck around its neck.

The creature shook its head.

It couldn’t free itself.

It sniffed again.

And despite everything that had happened, it continued eating Jordan’s chips.

As the group fled farther and farther away, the small creature remained alone in the middle of the mist, calmly enjoying its unexpected feast.