He looked at Su Xiaoxiao. In those clear eyes, there was only pure worry and fear, without a hint of possessiveness or madness.
Lynn almost burst into tears.
‘Dammit, I’ve finally run into a normal person!’
“How did you end up here? This is the lower level of the Howling Wind Cave. It’s very dangerous.”
Lynn steadied his mind, forcing himself to calm down as he began to ask about the situation.
Hearing his words, Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes reddened, and her voice took on a sob.
“My team and I were originally exploring the middle level, but… but there was a cave-in, and I fell. I got separated… from everyone.”
As she spoke, she lowered her head, her shoulders twitching slightly.
The explanation was perfectly reasonable. After all, Lynn had fallen down the same way.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m the same,” Lynn’s voice softened considerably without him even realizing it.
“I also fell down by accident.”
Hearing that Lynn had shared the same experience, Su Xiaoxiao looked up, a glimmer of light appearing in her eyes.
“Really? Senior! Then… then can we think of a way to get out together?”
Her words were filled with expectation.
“Of course,” Lynn nodded.
At that moment, he felt like he was no longer fighting a lone battle.
Having a normal companion, even if she was just a 1st-year junior, was 10,000 times better than facing this godforsaken place alone.
“Oh right, Senior, are you hungry?”
As if remembering something, Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly rummaged through her small backpack.
She pulled out half a piece of black bread wrapped in oil paper and handed it to Lynn with some embarrassment.
“This is all I have left… You should eat first, Senior. You look like you need to recover your strength more than I do.”
Lynn looked at that dry piece of black bread and smelled the simple aroma of wheat.
He thought back to Alicia’s pot of Purple Thick Soup that could send a person to the afterlife, and he remembered Vivian’s piece of dried meat that felt like a provocation.
He took the bread and solemnly said to Su Xiaoxiao, “Thank you.”
This was the first bite of normal food he had eaten since arriving in this world.
The bread was very hard and even hurt his teeth a little, but Lynn found it incredibly delicious.
He felt like his stomach, and even his entire soul, was being healed.
“Senior, my name is Su Xiaoxiao. What about you?”
The girl watched him eat, a faint smile appearing on her face.
“My name is Lynn.”
After finishing the bread, Lynn felt some of his strength return.
He began to observe their surroundings, thinking about a way out.
“Xiaoxiao, do you know what this place is? Did you see any other exits?”
Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and cast a fearful glance toward the depths of the pitch-black tunnel.
“I fell right near here and didn’t dare wander off. Little Grey said there was a very scary aura ahead, so we’ve just been staying here.”
Lynn glanced at the magical creature named “Little Grey.”
It was currently crouching at Su Xiaoxiao’s feet, its massive body like a small mountain.
Those ghostly green eyes were closed submissively, and a satisfied purr rumbled in its throat.
Lynn still found it quite surreal. A high-tier magical creature that clearly looked like trouble was actually the pet of a 1st-year freshman.
However, now was not the time to dwell on that.
“We can’t stay here forever. My companions… they must be looking for me. We need to find our own way out,” Lynn said.
He deliberately glossed over information about Alicia and Vivian.
He didn’t want this pure-hearted junior to be frightened by those two crazy women. Or rather, selfishly, he hoped to spend a bit more time with this normal person.
“Okay! I’ll do whatever you say, Senior!”
Su Xiaoxiao nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with trust.
This unreserved trust made Lynn’s heart feel warm. He felt like he had finally found a teammate he could communicate with normally, a partner he could relax his guard around.
With Su Xiaoxiao and her pet—whose combat power was unknown but whose size was intimidating—the hope of escaping this place seemed much greater.
He even started to wonder if teaming up with Su Xiaoxiao to complete the main quest would be 100 times more pleasant and relaxing than being with those two yanderes.
Looking at Su Xiaoxiao’s pure and harmless face, the fire of hope in Lynn’s heart burned brighter and brighter. He had finally found a way out of this misery.
Lynn swallowed the last bite of the black bread. The coarse texture scratched his throat, but it gave him an unprecedented sense of security.
He looked at Su Xiaoxiao. The girl’s appearance was like a piece of driftwood to a drowning man.
“We need to get moving,” Lynn said as he stood up.
“Staying in one place will only be more dangerous.”
“Okay! Senior, I’ll listen to you!”
Su Xiaoxiao nodded hard, her large eyes full of dependence.
She lightly patted Little Grey, and the massive creature stood up, submissively following behind her.
Lynn walked in the front, with Su Xiaoxiao following half a step behind him.
Having a companion made Lynn’s mindset completely different.
He was no longer a prisoner who could only passively accept his fate; he was now the leader of a team, a senior who needed to protect his junior.
This sense of responsibility allowed him to regain a bit of his own agency.
“Watch your step,” Lynn warned, using his game memories to avoid a patch of ground covered in slime.
“Those are secretions from Cave Worms. They’re corrosive.”
“Wow, Senior, you’re amazing! How did you know that?”
Admiration filled Su Xiaoxiao’s voice.
“I read about it in a book before,” Lynn made up an excuse.
He enjoyed this feeling.
It wasn’t because he was being admired, but because he could finally use his knowledge to help a normal person instead of exhausting his mental energy trying to figure out the thoughts of two lunatics.
They walked for about 15 minutes before the tunnel ahead suddenly opened up into a massive underground karst cave.
Countless crystals hung from the ceiling, emitting a faint blue light that illuminated the entire space like a dreamscape.
It was beautiful, but also very dangerous. Lynn knew that places like this were usually the nests of high-tier magical creatures.
**[Danger Perception System]**
**[Warning: Multiple high-threat targets detected.]**
The system’s red warning popped up, confirming his suspicions.
“Xiaoxiao, stay close to me. Don’t go running off,” Lynn lowered his voice, his body tensing up.
“Okay!”
Su Xiaoxiao’s voice carried a hint of a tremble as she subconsciously grabbed the corner of Lynn’s clothes.
Lynn didn’t pull away. This pure dependence gave him a sense of mission — he had to protect her.
They hugged the rock wall, moving cautiously. Just then, a rustling sound came from above their heads.
Lynn looked up abruptly.
In the shadows of the cave ceiling, a massive spider-like magical creature was hanging upside down, its eight crimson compound eyes staring fixedly at them.
Green venom dripped from its mouthparts, letting out a sizzling sound of corrosion as it hit the ground.
“A Crypt Lord!” Lynn’s scalp prickled.
This thing was not something he could handle right now! In the game, this would require at least a 4-man party, and even then, they had to be well-equipped Second-tier Professionals to even stand a chance!
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