Chapter 16 - Another Danger!

The next day.

The three kids cleaned the campsite, ready to begin their search for Azure Flower once more. Fortunately, the night didn't surprise them with any problems; thus, they were brimming with energy and ready to face the danger of the Dungeon.

While walking, the group encountered another pig with a massive tusk.

"Woah, the strange pig is back," Leo remarked. "Should we catch it? I think it will be delicious."

Loki shook his head. "Don't waste your time; we have enough food for a week, so we don't need to hunt anything. Just focus on our Quest and inform us if you find something interesting."

"Okay."

The trio continued their search until, finally, after grueling and careful probing, Leo found a flower with blue petals growing between two rocks. It took them an entire day and a few hours to finally see one Azure Flower!

Pandora quickly confirmed that it was indeed an Azure Flower. She didn't waste time and foraged the flower, then deposited it in a smaller bag.

"We finally found one! I can feel it; we will definitely find more if we search harder!" Leo exclaimed in joy.

Pandora nodded. "Y-you're right, Azure Flowers usually grow near each other."

Loki smiled. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's start turning this place upside down!"

The three kids scattered, scanning every nook and cranny of the place, not leaving a single rock unturned. Soon, they gathered once again with smiles and dirt on their faces.

Leo successfully found another 2 Azure Flowers, Pandora 2 as well, while Loki managed to gather 1. In total, the party had gathered 6 Azure Flowers within a few minutes. It could be said their day had a good start.

"Oh! Think about it, we earn 6 silver coins in just two days! No, if we add the Sunshine Petals, we earn 16! I can't believe this!" Leo kneeled and prayed. "Thank you, Goddess, for looking out for us!"

Loki touched his chin.

Can the Goddess hear our prayer even inside a Dungeon? Hmm, interesting.

"Oh, look who found our things."

The voice of a stranger interrupted the trio. When the three kids traced the source of the voice, they saw a group of 5 men walking towards them. The man leading had long black hair, a long face, and an extremely skinny body. Most of them wore leather armor and had a different weapon on their waist or back. The one thing common about them was their scheming smile.

Loki had a bad feeling about their meeting, as if it wasn't a coincidence but deliberate.

Are they watching us? The skinny man mentioned finding their things; are they talking about the Azure Flowers?

Loki glanced at Leo and noticed that even he, who was usually last to get things, was wary of the group. But what truly concerned Loki was Pandora. Her whole body trembled while her head was facing down. It was clear that the group terrified her.

Does she know them?

"Who are you?" Loki questioned.

"Oh, you don't know us?" The long-haired man widened his eyes and then looked at the men behind him. "Are we staying in the Dungeon for too long? It seems people have started to forget about us."

The five men began laughing hysterically.

Loki's bad feelings intensified.

I don't think we can win if a fight starts. Considering their age, they are probably at a much higher level than us. I can't let the situation get worse.

"What do you want from us?" Loki asked again.

"Oh, nothing; we just want what is normally ours."

"You mean the Azure Flowers?"

"Oh, smart kid. If you already know, you should quickly hand it over."

"What do you mean yours? We dug the flowers with our hands; how can it be yours?!" Leo exclaimed.

"Oh, we have a brave one. If I said it was ours, then it meant it was ours." The eyes of the men changed and became more serious.

"Leo, let me handle this," Loki said while looking Leo in the eyes.

Leo nodded and backed off.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know that the flowers had owners; we will just put the bag on the ground and leave. Is that okay?" Loki took the small bag from Pandora and placed it on the ground.

The skinny man's cocky demeanor returned and he said, "I like people who are easy to talk to. Fine, I will forgive your friend over there this once. You can leave now."

"Thank you," Loki signaled to Leo and Pandora to turn around and leave by waving his right hand behind him.

When they were about to leave, the long-haired man stopped them once again. "Wait, do I know you from somewhere, little girl?"

Loki glanced at Pandora and saw her hugging the wooden staff near her chest.

"Listen guys, I don't think this Crawlers will leave us alone. When the situation gets worse, I want you to escape with everything you have," Loki whispered.

"What about you? What will you do?" Leo whispered back.

"Hey! I'm asking here!" The stranger shouted.

Loki turned around and faced the group of men. "I'm sorry, she can't speak. May I ask if there's anything you need?"

"Let us see the face of the girl." The skinny man licked his lips.

"May I ask why?" Loki insisted.

The skinny man slowly shook his head. "I thought you were a smart kid. I'm going to ask you one last time. Let me see the girl's face."

When Loki was about to unsheathe his dagger, Pandora held his arm. Loki looked behind him, worrying about his shy party member.

Pandora stepped forward and looked up, showing her face to the men.

"Ah, I remember now. You are that little girl with Maria, aren't you?" The long-haired man grinned ear to ear. "How was she? Oh, yes, I almost forgot; she died because she thought she was so strong."

The 5 men laughed simultaneously, mocking the woman named Maria.

Loki concernedly eyed Pandora. He had no idea who Maria was, but if she belonged to Pandora's previous party, he could already imagine the thought that ran through her head.

"If I'm correct, you are now called the curse Crawler, right? Hahaha, people are indeed cruel," the skinny man added. "You can all go now; I already lost interest in you guys."

"Boss, aren't we going to have fun with her?" A man with a scar on his right cheek said.

The skinny man looked at the scarred man and clicked his tongue. "Didn't you hear what I said? She is cursed; do you want to spread it to us?"

The 5 men continued bickering with one another. Seeing the opportunity, Loki pulled Pandora's hand and ran in the opposite direction. After a few minutes, they stopped. Luckily, the men didn't chase them, or else they would be forced to take arms and fight.

Loki and Pandora slumped on the ground, while Leo placed his hand against the tree. They were all panting, not only because of the exhaustion but also because of the dangerous incident they had experienced.

"This sucks! Our Azure Flowers are gone!" Leo screamed in frustration.

"I think we get the best result out of that situation. I would rather lose the flower than lose a party member," Loki responded.

"I guess you are right. I know some Crawlers do bad things in a Dungeon, but I didn't expect to meet one this early. Ah, I'm so pissed!"

Loki ignored Leo and turned his attention to Pandora. She was still shaking.

"Are you okay, Pandora?" Loki inquired.

Pandora slowly nodded.

"Don't be afraid, Pandora; Loki and I are always here to protect you!" Leo sat beside Pandora and reassured her.

"T-thank you."

Loki stood. "I think we should head to another place; it isn't ideal to stay here further. Come on, let's leave."

Pandora and Leo stood up and followed Loki without saying anything.

After walking for a while, the group finally decided to rest.

"Let's eat first," Leo said, withdrawing his bag from his CC. After that, he handed bread and a water skin to Loki and Pandora.

The group lingered for a while, focusing solely on eating and not uttering a single word.

Soon, when they were done eating, Loki clapped and spoke. "I think we need to find a solution for that kind of situation."

Leo tilted his head. "Do you have an idea?"

"I do have some. We can strengthen our party, so Crawlers like that will have a second thought before crossing us. I have two solutions in mind."

"How?"

"First, we can look for another member to boost our fighting capabilities. Of course, this solution isn't easy for us considering the dynamic of our members. That's why I have a second solution. This one is riskier than the first choice, but I think it is more viable for our situation."

"What is it?"

"I think we should start leveling up."