Lynn slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across his surroundings.
This was the lower level of the Howling Wind Cave.
It wasn’t marked on the map, but his gaming experience told him that such places were usually accompanied by more dangerous monsters and hidden plotlines.
But none of that mattered.
What mattered was that he could finally choose his own direction.
Lynn stood up and stretched his body. The pain made him frown, but the turmoil in his heart made him ignore the discomfort.
He began to look around, searching for an exit.
In this underground space, there were cracks in the ceiling, but they were too high for him to climb.
The surrounding stone walls were smooth, offering no handholds. There was only one direction that seemed to lead anywhere: a narrow passage.
He walked toward that passage with caution.
The tunnel was pitch black, with only the faint glow from his system illuminating a small area around him.
He walked along the path, the sound of his footsteps echoing through the silent cave. He could even hear his own breathing, hurried and clear.
He felt a sense of freedom he had never known before, but it was accompanied by a strange loneliness.
This loneliness caused him to re-evaluate his situation.
‘Am I really safe?’
‘Will they really not be able to find me?’
Lynn suddenly felt uncertain. Those two women, whether it was Alicia’s Holy Light Tracking or Vivian’s Aura Sensing, were far beyond the capabilities of ordinary people.
He couldn’t hide forever.
He had simply fallen from one cage into another larger, darker cage.
Furthermore, other dangers might be lurking within this new cage.
**[Danger Perception System]**
**[Warning: Abnormal life energy fluctuations in the area ahead. Potential threat level: High.]**
Lynn’s body froze. He stopped in his tracks, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.
He looked up toward the depths of the passage. It was pitch black; he couldn’t see anything.
But he knew something was there.
He had just escaped the threat of a Succubus, and now he had to face a new unknown.
Lynn clenched his fists, struggling internally.
He craved freedom, but the price of freedom always seemed to come with greater risks.
He took a deep breath. No matter what was ahead, he had to keep going.
Because he knew that once those two women found him, he would lose all possibility of resistance.
He would rather face an unknown monster than return to those days of being caught in the middle, walking on thin ice.
Lynn’s gaze became determined.
He continued forward, taking every step with care. The passage grew narrower, and the air became stagnant.
He smelled a scent of decay mixed with the peculiar stench of some kind of creature.
He held his breath, his entire body tense.
Suddenly, his foot stepped on a loose stone.
*Click!*
A soft sound rang out.
Then, from the depths of the passage, he heard a low growl.
That sound vibrated through the cave and sent tremors through Lynn’s heart.
He knew he had been discovered.
It seemed his “freedom” wasn’t going to last very long this time.
He turned around to see if there was a way to retreat, but two points of eerie green light had already lit up in the tunnel.
Those were eyes.
They were massive and filled with malice.
He was trapped.
A foul-smelling wind blew against his face.
Those two points of green light occupied Lynn’s entire field of vision, and the silhouette of a massive head loomed in the darkness.
His retreat was blocked, and an unknown monster stood before him.
Lynn’s heart leaped into his throat. His muscles were tight, prepared for the impact.
He had just escaped the tiger’s den only to end up in a wolf’s belly.
He hadn’t had a single peaceful day since he crossed over into this world.
Just as the monster was about to pounce.
A timid, slightly trembling female voice came from behind the beast.
“Um… are you okay?”
The voice was very soft and gentle, like a feather brushing against Lynn’s frayed nerves.
Lynn froze.
The massive monster also paused mid-action. Its glowing green eyes even blinked once before it slowly turned its head to look behind it.
In the darkness, a petite figure slowly walked out.
She held a small piece of glowing crystal in her hands, its faint light illuminating her face.
It was a very young face, looking even younger than Lynn—likely a junior student from the Academy.
She wore a somewhat tattered Academy uniform, her face was stained with a bit of dust, and her large eyes were full of terror and unease as she looked cautiously at Lynn.
Lynn’s brain stalled.
‘What is going on?’
‘A “buy one, get one free” deal? Does this monster come with its own emergency rations?’
His gaze moved past the girl, staring intently at the monster.
Then, the girl did something that made Lynn’s eyes nearly pop out of his head.
She reached out a hand and gently patted the giant monster’s snout, whispering a reproach, “Little Grey, don’t scare him! Come back!”
The behemoth she called “Little Grey” actually let out a low whimper, like a large dog that had done something wrong.
It retracted its sharp claws and obediently retreated behind the girl, nuzzling its massive head against her shoulder.
Lynn stood there, dazed.
Watching this scene unfold, he felt his worldview being shattered.
Holding the glowing crystal, the girl took a few more steps toward him, her face filled with apology.
“I’m sorry, Senior, did he scare you? Little Grey… he just looks a bit fierce, but he doesn’t actually bite.”
Lynn opened his mouth, but not a single word came out.
His eyes were locked onto the girl. His mind raced as the **[Danger Perception System]** interface automatically popped up before him.
[Name: Su Xiaoxiao]
[Identity: Royal Arcane Academy First-Year Freshman]
[Blackening Value: 5%]
5%…
Lynn stared blankly at that number.
It wasn’t 99%, it wasn’t 80%, and it wasn’t any other number that would make his heart race in fear.
It was 5%.
It was a value so normal it couldn’t be more normal. It was a value that represented pure kindness and basic trust.
The moment Lynn saw that number, his body suddenly relaxed.
An indescribable sense of exhaustion, mixed with the wild joy of surviving a disaster, surged from the depths of his soul.
His nerves, which had been tense for far too long, snapped completely at this moment.
His legs went weak, and he nearly failed to stay upright.
A normal person.
A living, breathing, normal-thinking person who didn’t want to break his legs and lock him up!
Lynn’s eyes actually felt a bit hot.
Since crossing over, he had been dancing on the edge of a knife every day, struggling to survive in a Shura Field.
He was either facing a Saintess who wanted to “purify” him or a Knight Commander who wanted to turn him into a specimen.
The food he ate might be poisoned, and the tents he slept in hid murderous intent.
He had almost forgotten what it felt like to communicate with a normal person.
“Senior? Senior, are you all right? You look very pale.”
Seeing him swaying, Su Xiaoxiao walked a bit closer in concern.
She reached out as if to support him but then timidly pulled her hand back.
“I… I’m fine.”
Lynn’s voice was hoarse. He steadied himself against the rock wall and took several deep breaths.