The captain’s heart stopped beating.

The...curved roof?

The Vision Hunter’s visions shook, his voice in the voice channel was breathless.

"Huuu! Huuu! C-captain! I-it is heading...towards a certain...place! Huuu! Huuu!"

Everyone could see the guy’s figure and the thumper’s huge body slowly approaching a building with a curved roof. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

A hunter near the building quickly crept away, his legs weakening.

"T-there is no one there, right?" Someone asked in the voice channel.

"N-no, no, I’m not there."

"Me two."

"Me three!"

"Oh, thank God. That thing must be walking randomly— "

"I...I am there."

The captain’s voice cut through the noise.

Silence.

An eerie silence spread in the voice channel.

One second.

Two seconds.

At the third second, a female voice broke the silence, sounding like a cry.

"C-c-captain. I-i-it is not coming..."

To you...right?

The female hunter couldn’t finish her last few words as everyone’s vision shook—

There.

The huge thumper was already right in front of the curved roof building.

And the captain was hiding right next to it.

The vision guy crept closer to the curved roof from behind and quickly reunited with the captain.

Now, the hunters’ vision changed to Lucien’s front figure.

Thump.

The sound of the thumper was infinitely close— as if right next to the ears.

Its huge figure slowly zoomed in.

The captain and the vision hunter held their breaths, bodies plastered to the wall as if they wanted to blend their flesh and bones in.

"C-calm down. I-it is just passing by— "

The wind blasted.

The next second—

Everyone saw the thumper’s huge mouth lunging at them.

"Kyaaakk!"

A female hunter screamed and fainted.

The others closed their eyes tightly, their minds screaming,

Captain!

The captain jolted, barely dodging the sharp teeth.

The vision guy, who was right next to the captain, stumbled and fell on his butt, his legs shaking like a sieve.

"Visor!"

The captain yelped, hands stretched to drag the vision guy, but...

The worm’s teeth were already above the vision hunter’s head.

Tak.

Saliva dripped down.

"C-captain...."

Visor’s eyes rolled and darkness swept over.

The last thing he saw before he fainted was the thin web around the worm’s neck being yanked.

A stern, reprimanding voice echoed.

"Bad boy!"

"Hisss!"

The thumper raised its head, whimpering.

Thud.

The captain’s legs weakened and he plopped down, frozen.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of footsteps came closer and a figure slowly appeared behind the thumper’s huge body.

A pair of amethyst eyes looked down.

An apologetic smile appeared as he spoke, his voice lowered.

"Ah, sorry."

"My dog is naughty."

Thump.

Visor fainted.

The hunters’ visions returned to their own, but their hearts pounded so much they felt like it was about to burst out.

A...dog?

That thing?

At the same time, Lucien stepped back and secretly distanced himself from the thumper, his heart pounding.

Fck. Fck. Fck.

Lucien’s inner soul screamed, rolling around and banging his head.

Ahhhh! Insane!!

What was he thinking??

T-there are so many thumpers!

And this one too—

What if it suddenly attacked?

Is his aura stable? Is it strong enough??

Wait, the thumpers previously still attacked him even when he used his landlord aura...

Lucien gritted his teeth, legs trembling.

But in the captain’s eyes, he looked annoyed, like when his pet was misbehaving, scaring passerbys.

...it can’t be, right?

...right??

The captain couldn’t think straight. He could only drag his buttock away, but Lucien’s eyes swept over him.

His previously gloomy face slowly brightened and that same polite smile appeared.

"Ah, really. I’m sorry my dog scared you. Look, it doesn’t bite."

It does bite.

Lucien suppressed his trembling fingers that were holding the "reign" and spoke as kindly as possible, like a gentleman.

"Right, are you new here? I never saw you before."

"Hic."

The captain hiccuped.

The burly guy was now curled up like a ball, shivering.

"Ah? You can’t speak? It’s okay, don’t be afraid."

Lucien patted the restless thumper next to him and felt like throwing it away.

"If this little guy scared you, I’ll let him leave, okay?"

Lucien gritted his teeth at the word "little" and slowly kicked the thumper’s body.

The thumper, getting the signal, instantly turned around, its back looked like fleeing.

If it could cry, it would have shed tears.

Finally! Dobby is free!!

Once the nuisance was gone, Lucien looked down at the captain and sighed.

"Stand up. There are a lot of stray dogs around."

"They might bite."

The captain felt like fainting.

Stray dogs?

Those thumpers?

What about the digger?

A rabbit??

But no matter how much the captain tried to faint, he couldn’t, so he could only drag Visor with him, as a meat shi— as a companion.

"Good. Let’s go."

Lucien turned around, his back chick.

But his face contorted, lips trembling.

Ahhh! Please! No more thumpers!

Behind Lucien, the two pitiful men followed like a quail.

As they passed the row of thumpers lurking, the captain’s back stiffened.

Lucien noticed the silence and snapped his fingers again.

Tak!

Eight dark blue slimes and two elephant-sized spiders shot out from the distance, like bullets.

"It’s okay. My patrol guards will make sure the strays don’t bite."

Lucien waved his hand and walked faster, as if impatient.

The captain quickly followed, half-running, his face crunched like a lemon.

Lucien’s inner soul also crunched his face, cursing.

Ahhh! So slow!! What if those thumpers suddenly attack??

Run! Run! Go back to the house!

Lucien’s figure vanished quickly and the thumpers had no choice but to sniff around, savoring the enticing smell.

Lucien’s "patrol guards" greeted the three people and immediately escorted them back to the house.

The moment Lucien returned to the house, he almost collapsed.

Fckkkk! Damn!!

He’s never gonna do this kind of stunt again!!

Lucien plopped down on the sofa and a new sofa floated out of the living room, settling down next to the stupefied captain and the unconscious scrawny guy.

"Sit."

The captain’s lips were zipped tightly, not a sound came out as he slowly sat down.

Visor was placed on his feet, face down.

Silence spread between the two.

The sound of the spiders and slimes eating thumpers in the background became the only music.

Gulp.

The captain swallowed, his head never lifted, always looking at Lucien’s feet.

Lucien also swallowed, his arms shaking as he carefully examined the captain.

This power ranger— ah no, the expedition team must be the captain.

Why? Because only his helmet was silver, the others were black.

Now that he had kidnap— ah no, invited the captain in...

It’s time for the main dish.

Lucien tapped the floor with his feet and spoke nonchalantly, as if he was just saying the weather was good.

"Right. I saw a worm dungeon not far from my house— "

"Are you guys here to clean up those strays?"

The captain jolted at the words "you guys".

He knew.

This monster knew they came as a group!

The captain stiffly nodded his head, again, with no sound.

"Ah, good. I also plan to sightsee that place."

"Mind if I join your little group?"

Lucien’s inner soul clenched his fists, heart trembling.

There. He said it.

The purpose of all these crazy stunts.

Lucien’s inner soul was kneeling, eyes teary.

Please...

Carry him to clear the dungeon!!