While the outside world was in an uproar, Roy and Ryuu had already entered a brand-new dungeon.
The most difficult great feat had been accomplished. What remained was simply to max out their status. Roy couldn't wait a second longer—his injuries had only just healed, yet he impatiently dragged the elf girl straight into another dungeon.
After all, it wasn't like he had to do any of the work himself.
Dungeon: Parasyte
Difficulty: LV.2–LV.4
Description:
Cold-blooded, emotionless mysterious insects have appeared. They burrow into living bodies, seize control of the brain, lurk within human society, and hunt humans.
Rewards:
For every Parasyte killed, gain 100–300 attribute points.
Accumulate twenty kills to obtain a Silver Treasure Chest!
Bonus Quest:
Hunt the strongest Parasyte, Gotou — reward: 1200 attribute points!
…
Skyscrapers towered overhead. Vehicles streamed endlessly through the streets, crowds surged back and forth, and the prosperity of a modern metropolis was on full display.
Roy and Ryuu emerged from a narrow alley off a commercial street, instantly drawing quite a bit of attention. Their adventurer-style clothing was far too eye-catching.
"What are you staring at? Never seen cosplay before?" Roy snapped irritably at the passersby.
Hearing this, realization dawned on the pedestrians' faces. Their gazes lingered briefly on the beautiful elf girl before they went back to minding their own business.
Compared to the world of giants, Ryuu could actually show her face openly in this modern society.
Generally speaking, no one dared to get handsy either—after all, in this island nation, sexual harassment was a serious crime.
"What is cosplay?" Ryuu asked.
"It's dressing up as characters you like in everyday life. Just like how the Pallum like to role-play their hero Finn. In this dungeon, elves are legendary beings, so they think you're just cosplaying an elf."
With that explanation, Ryuu understood—but she was a genuine elf, not some fake!
Precisely because she was the real deal, her beautiful figure and delicate features utterly outshone countless screen celebrities, quickly attracting several bleached-hair punks.
"Hey, little sister, you're really pretty. Where're you from?"
The blond youths surrounded Ryuu.
A chill of disgust flashed in Ryuu's eyes.
"Brother, let's talk over there," Roy said with a smile, stepping forward and slinging an arm around one of their shoulders.
Roy forcibly dragged the group of punks into the same alley they had just come out of. Immediately, a series of bloodcurdling screams echoed from within.
When Roy came back out, he was holding forty to fifty thousand yen in cash. He curled his lips in disdain—paupers who couldn't even guarantee their next meal, yet they still tried to hit on girls.
The two continued down the commercial street.
Ryuu was intensely curious about everything in modern society, like a country bumpkin visiting a grand garden. She touched this, looked at that, and occasionally asked Roy about televisions, cars, and other things. However, the frequent glances cast their way made her uncomfortable.
Suddenly, Ryuu stopped. Her sky-blue eyes fixed on a green trench coat displayed in a shop window.
"I want that coat."
"Buy it," Roy said without hesitation, pulling out the money. It had been taken by force anyway—no reason to feel bad spending it.
Before long, Ryuu came back out. The loose coat wrapped around her petite body, the hood covering her small head, making her far less conspicuous.
With her golden, wheat-like hair and pointed ears hidden, Roy actually felt a bit of regret about buying the coat.
"I'll pay you back for the clothes," the elf girl said seriously, looking at Roy.
"No need. It's nothing," Roy replied.
But Ryuu was resolute. With great seriousness, she took out a small notebook and wrote it down.
Roy couldn't be bothered to argue. He was busy thinking about how to find the Parasytes. These monsters hid within human society and could freely alter their bodies and faces.
Dragging them out wouldn't be easy.
There were two options.
Shinichi Izumi, who lived in a symbiotic relationship with a Parasyte—or humans who could sense the Parasytes' unique wavelength.
You always pick the softer target.
Roy chose the latter without hesitation. Asking passersby for directions to North High School, he and the elf girl soon arrived at a school in a nearby town.
Fortunately, schools in this country let out early. They didn't have to wait long—after about half an hour, the bell rang and students began filing out.
"A second-year named Kana Kimishima is my older sister. Do you know where I can find her?" Roy stopped students now and then, wearing a bright, friendly smile.
"…"
Ryuu felt this man was nothing but lies. She'd had the same impression back in the giant dungeon.
He lied without blushing or skipping a beat—his skill was practically perfected, worthy of a veteran actor.
Still, Roy's handsome face and sunny smile made it easy for people to let down their guard. One simple-minded first-year girl fell for it. "A second-year, Senior Kimishima? I'll go call her for you."
Seven or eight minutes later, a long black-haired girl stormed out of the school gates with a group of people, anger written all over her face. Her eyes swept the area, locked onto Roy, and she strode over.
"So it was you? You've got some nerve," she said coldly.
Kana Kimishima didn't have a younger brother at all, so she instantly saw through the lie.
Roy dropped his sunny smile. "Miss Kimishima, let's talk somewhere else."
Kana Kimishima froze slightly, sensing danger. Under normal circumstances, once a liar was exposed, they would immediately try to run…
"Kid, don't get too cocky!"
A young man behind Kana—Mitsuo, with stubble on his face and the look of a typical delinquent—snorted viciously and reached out to grab Roy.
But Roy was faster.
He seized the man's wrist, gave a light pull, and Mitsuo's body flipped in an instant. With a heavy thud, he slammed onto his back.
Mitsuo was completely stunned, eyes wide. In this area, he was considered pretty good in a fight—but he hadn't even been able to see Roy's movements. They were too fast!
"Bastard!"
Three or four youths behind Mitsuo rushed forward together.
Ryuu didn't even need to move. Even injured, Roy dealt with them effortlessly.
In less than ten seconds, the ground was filled with groans of pain.
The fight left the surrounding students pale with fear. They looked at Roy in terror—Mitsuo was a notorious delinquent at this school, yet this man had taken down several people by himself.
It was as if a terrifying power lay hidden within that body.
Even the security guard at the gate stayed far away. For a few hundred yen a day, why risk his life? Making a phone call to the police was already more than enough for his paycheck.
Roy smiled pleasantly. "Let's go."
Kana Kimishima had no right to refuse. Her hand slipped into her pocket as she sent a message she had just typed on her phone to Shinichi Izumi.
Roy noticed the small movement but said nothing. If Shinichi came as well, all the better—two birds with one stone.
Shinichi Izumi's right hand was host to a parasitic organism, while Kana Kimishima possessed an extraordinary sensory ability, allowing her to foresee the approach of parasitic beings.
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