Side Story: Choice

Even if the group manages to leave this place, this incident will undoubtedly become a thorn in his side, constantly haunting his mind.

"Don't blame yourself too much. No matter how strong you are, you can't protect everyone... You've already done a great job."

The fingers that held the other person tightly unconsciously formed a few wrinkles, as if trying to sweep away all the gloom in the person's heart.

Work. Hmm.

More than feeling guilty, Clinton felt uncomfortable with Lucina's current state.

"What's wrong with you today? You seem a little different than usual..."

I can't quite put my finger on the difference, but something just feels off.

That's really strange...

He couldn't help but Lucina up and down with curiosity, until the girl's cheeks turned completely red.

"W-what are you doing? Why are you looking at me like that?"

Seeing her gentle combination of punches land on a piece of wood, Lucina was immediately filled with embarrassment and anger.

This huge piece of wood is driving me crazy!

"It's alright... I'm just glad you're alright."

The next moment, Lucina took the initiative to release her grip on Clinton, stood at a safe distance, and her expression, having undergone the adjustment, returned to its usual calm and composed state.

"Payment?"

After feeling the warmth in his arms break free, Clinton belatedly realized that the other person had been comforting him the whole time.

He glanced at Lucina, somewhat dazed, only to find that the tenderness on her face had vanished, replaced by a coldness. Only then did he realize how foolish his actions had been.

When a girl is opening up to you, he pretends to be clueless.

"Lucina, thank you."

I didn't do anything.

Seeing the girl's expression become awkward again, Clinton smiled knowingly, took a step forward, and then, to her surprise, Lucina into his arms.

"Thank you." At first, Lucina seemed uncomfortable with the sudden embrace, her delicate arms twisting as she tried to break free from Clinton's arms.

But after getting used to the feeling of physical contact and the other person's scent, she stopped resisting and closed her eyes in ecstasy, seemingly enjoying the sensation.

Pass, who had been completely stunned by the actions of the two people in front of him, was now frozen in place. This spectator was now breathless from the sweetness that the two protagonists were showering him with. Being a rough man, he had not noticed the little schemes between the two, nor did he know that Lucina had such feelings for Clinton.

So when Pass witnessed the two of them embracing so intimately, like lovers reunited after a war, he was utterly incredulous. He even suspected that they were Copy created by the Water Mirror Demon to lower his guard and take advantage of him.

But when reason prevailed once again, he had to admit that he hadn't misjudged the situation. To get rid of him, there was no need to go through such a long and complicated process. It just goes to show that the world had indeed gradually developed into something he couldn't comprehend.

"You..:

Just as this seemingly luminous light bulb was about to say something, Galan and Lia, who were walking towards them from a distance, caught his attention.

"Yo!"

Seeing the two embracing and Pass standing dumbfounded to the side, Galan also felt that he might have arrived at a bad time.

However, since the group hasn't left this awful place yet, it's best to leave any stories and conversations for a safer place outside.

Let's get down to business first.

"Um...

Seemingly feeling ashamed of being witnessed, the two who had been embracing each other immediately separated upon hearing Galan's voice, their faces still flushed.

"Hey Galan, what are your thoughts?"

Having witnessed what happened before, Clinton now has enough trust in Galan.

It wasn't just out of gratitude for being saved, but also because she was attracted by the subtle yet unique aura emanating from Galan.

That composure and decisiveness cannot be cultivated overnight. Somehow, Clinton always felt that when Galan encountered problems, he was as calm as an assassin.

"We have two choices now. One is to continue onward, find the Water Mirror Demon's true form and destroy it, then see if we can continue exploring the Dungeon. The other is to return the way we came. Although we're a bit off from the original route now, I think we can find our way back if we try a few more times."

"However, I'm only a temporary member of your team. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Consider this just two suggestions from me."

To be honest, as far as Galan was concerned, he didn't care which route they chose.

On one hand, having already found Lia and learned from his previous experience, he was determined not to let Lia out of his sight, no matter what happened next.

Even if they decide to continue down this path, he is confident that he can protect Lia.

As for their safety, since they chose this path themselves, they should bear the risks themselves. He is not a saint, he doesn't have that much compassion to spare, nor is he strong enough to protect everyone.

If they encountered danger, his only option was to immediately take Lia away from this unsettling place.

Of course, he would prefer that these people choose to stop there.

They had already lost a companion at this point alone, which shows how dangerous the Dungeon was.

Galan always had a bad feeling about this place.

He felt that the situation here was not as simple as he had thought; it seemed that somewhere in the shadows, a pair of malicious eyes were watching them.

The only reason I got involved in this matter in the first place was because of Serie's request.

However, the current situation has exceeded Galan's initial predictions. He is certain that not only his team, but other teams are also in dire straits.

Galan even believes that many teams have already been completely wiped out.

Under such circumstances, Galan would absolutely not accept continuing to take such risks just to "find some interesting antiques."

Although Serie is somewhat arrogant and quite arbitrary in many matters, Galan believes that she is definitely not an unreasonable person.

Even after realizing their situation, they still felt resentful about returning empty-handed.