Chapter 85: The Origin of the Mosquitoes
The group ran through the swamp.
Liam was in front, followed by Lydia, Chuck, Emily, and Owen. Mud splashed against their boots as they moved between the trees, pushing aside branches and roots that crossed their path.
The buzzing of the mosquitoes was beginning to fade into the distance.
Owen was breathing heavily, but unlike a few minutes ago, he could stand without any problems.
Lydia had managed to heal most of his wounds.
Liam glanced over his shoulder.
"Owen, do you know where all those mosquitoes came from?"
The man shook his head.
"I’m not sure."
"Think."
Owen continued running for a few seconds before reaching a hand into his fanny pack.
He pulled out several plants wrapped in leaves.
"I was collecting these."
Liam slowed down slightly to look at them.
They were white flowers with small green stems and thorns surrounding their petals.
The petals had a strange shape, almost like a jaw.
"What are they?"
"I don’t know exactly."
Owen put some of them back.
"But they grow on the other side of the swamp, and I thought they might sell for a good price outside. They were the only things that caught my attention inside this dungeon."
Liam took one of the flowers to examine it more closely, trying not to prick himself.
"And how did you collect them?"
"With my hands."
Liam raised an eyebrow.
"With your hands?"
"Yeah."
Owen shrugged.
"I just cut them. They didn’t do anything to me."
Liam looked at the petals again.
’It looks like a carnivorous plant.’
Before he could say anything else, Emily slowed down.
"Wait..."
She leaned against a tree.
"I need to stop."
Lydia immediately approached her.
"Are you okay?"
Emily was breathing heavily.
"Yeah. I just need to rest."
Chuck watched her with his arms crossed.
"She’s trying to act tough."
Emily looked at him.
"What did you say?"
"I said the bite is probably already starting to take effect."
Emily frowned.
"I don’t feel anything."
Liam approached.
"Then we’ll rest."
He looked at Lydia.
"Please treat her before she passes out or something happens to her."
Lydia nodded.
"Of course, honey."
Emily raised a hand.
"Really, there’s no need..."
Lydia approached and gently placed a hand against her forehead.
Emily froze.
"You’re running a fever."
"Seriously?"
Chuck sighed.
"Emily, please."
The muscular woman looked at her companion.
"It’ll only take a second."
"Then let her treat you."
Emily looked at Lydia.
Lydia’s small smile managed to calm her down.
"I’m not going to hurt you."
Emily finally sighed.
"Okay."
She smiled back.
"Then I’m in your hands."
Lydia nodded.
"Leave it to me."
She extended her hands.
[Healing Growth.]
A small plant appeared between her fingers and quickly began to grow.
The leaves opened until they formed an aloe plant.
Lydia brought it toward Emily’s neck, right where the mosquito had bitten her.
The woman closed her eyes.
"This feels strange."
"Does it hurt?"
"No."
Lydia continued working.
◇◆◇
Meanwhile, Liam stepped a few paces away with Owen.
"I want to ask you something about those plants."
Owen looked at him.
"What?"
"What do they have to do with the mosquitoes?"
Owen looked at the flowers inside his fanny pack.
"I think they have a lot to do with them."
Liam frowned.
"What happened?"
"I found one."
Owen swallowed.
"A plant like these."
He pulled out a white flower.
"But it was much bigger."
"How much bigger?"
Owen spread his arms.
"About this big."
Liam’s eyes widened slightly.
"And what did you do?"
"I tried to cut it."
Owen lowered his gaze.
"But when I touched it..."
He shuddered.
"...it opened."
Liam remained focused on him.
"And?"
"Hundreds of mosquitoes came out. Maybe more. The same ones that were chasing us."
Liam didn’t respond immediately.
"All those mosquitoes?"
Owen nodded.
"Yeah."
"Maybe you were just unlucky?"
"That’s what I thought."
Owen shrugged.
"Maybe that plant was full of them, and I just happened to be unlucky enough to find it."
Liam looked at the flowers again.
Then he looked toward the swamp.
The plants.
The mosquitoes.
The absence of monsters.
The strange behavior of the dungeon.
Everything began to fall into place.
’No.’
Liam felt something click inside his head.
’It wasn’t bad luck.’
He looked back at Owen.
"I want you to take me to that plant."
Owen let out a small laugh.
"That was funny."
Liam didn’t answer.
Owen stopped laughing and looked at his face.
"Wait..."
Liam kept his eyes fixed on him.
"You’re not joking."
"No."
"You want to go back?"
"Yes."
Owen paled.
"To where those mosquitoes are?"
"Exactly."
Owen slowly shook his head.
"No."
Liam looked toward Lydia, who was still treating Emily.
"As soon as Lydia finishes treating her, we’ll go."
Owen took a step backward.
"He can’t be serious."
"I’m one hundred percent serious."
"It’s dangerous!"
Liam smiled slightly.
"This is our job."
He gestured toward the dungeon surrounding them.
"There’s nothing about this job that isn’t dangerous."
Owen went completely pale.
"I..."
His body began to sway.
"I think..."
Before he could finish, Owen lost his balance.
Lydia quickly extended part of her body.
A green tentacle emerged from her back and caught Owen’s head before it hit the ground.
"Owen!"
Chuck quickly approached.
"Is everything okay?"
Liam gave him a thumbs-up.
"Everything’s perfect."
Chuck looked at him in confusion.
"Perfect?"
Liam looked again at the flowers Owen had collected.
Then he looked toward the direction the mosquitoes had gone.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"I think we have a plan."
◇◆◇
Lydia finished treating Emily’s bite.
The fever seemed to have begun to go down.
Emily touched her neck.
"I feel better."
Lydia smiled.
"That’s good."
Emily looked at Liam.
"What are you planning?"
Liam crouched down beside Owen.
"We’re going back."
Emily’s eyes widened.
"Going back?"
"Yeah."
Chuck approached.
"Where?"
Liam held up one of the white flowers.
"Here’s the answer."
Chuck examined the plant.
"That thing?"
Owen slowly nodded.
"There’s a much bigger one."
Liam pointed at the flower.
"The mosquitoes were inside it."
Chuck became thoughtful.
"So..."
"I don’t think this dungeon is infested with mosquitoes."
Liam looked toward the swamp.
"I think something is producing them."
Emily crossed her arms.
"The plant?"
"That’s what I want to find out."
Lydia approached her husband.
"And what are you planning to do?"
Liam smiled.
"Find it and destroy it."
Chuck let out a small laugh.
"I knew something like this was going to happen."
Emily stood up.
"And what’s the plan?"
Liam looked at each of them.
"First, we’ll find the plant."
Then he pointed at Owen.
"After that, we’ll figure out what’s causing it to release so many mosquitoes."
"And then?"
Liam raised his pistol.
"We’ll destroy it."
Owen swallowed.
"What if they come out again?"
Liam looked at him.
"Then we’ll have to make sure there aren’t any left."
Lydia and Emily smiled.
Chuck put another piece of gum into his mouth.
"Well..."
He blew a small bubble.
"...I guess we have something to do."
Liam looked across the swamp. The place still seemed far too quiet.
But now he knew that something was hiding beneath that peaceful appearance.
And if his theory was correct...
’Maybe we just found this dungeon’s sub-boss.’
Liam stood up.
"Let’s go."
Owen’s eyes widened.
"Now?"
"Now."
The man sighed.
"I think I’m going to die."
Lydia wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
"Don’t worry."
Owen looked at her.
"Why?"
Lydia smiled.
"Because my husband is very good with problems."
Liam stared at her.
"Is that supposed to reassure him?"
Chuck burst out laughing.
Emily began laughing as well.
Even Owen ended up smiling.
And so, the five of them began moving through the swamp again.
This time, they weren’t running away from the mosquitoes.
They were heading straight toward them.