Chapter 13: Parasitic Bloodworm, Parasitized Individual

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Parasitic Bloodworm, Parasitized Individual

The steamed bun grew moist in her mouth, its aroma flooding her taste buds.

But she still wolfed down the entire bun and gulped down a few mouthfuls of water before the suffocating hunger finally began to recede.

"Even though I’ve figured out how to use my Tailor Profession’s combat Ability, the Energy consumption is insane..." Seraphina Sullivan wiped the water from the corner of her mouth, her brow tight. "It looks like I can’t use it as I please. I have to be more cautious in this dungeon."

Seraphina Sullivan looked around, and only after confirming there were no traces of parasitic creatures nearby did she relax a little.

’The Skill is powerful, but it consumes a lot of Energy.’

From now on, she had to manage her stamina and resources more rationally. Otherwise, she might faint from hunger mid-fight, long before any danger even found her.

"I need to find some high-energy food to keep in reserve..." she muttered to herself.

With the Tailor Profession’s offensive Ability, Seraphina Sullivan finally felt a bit more confident, but she remained vigilant.

"But what exactly are the parasitic monsters in this dungeon?" she murmured, her gaze sweeping her surroundings.

It was a ten-day survival mission; she had to plan it well.

Although the food in her Scavenging Backpack was enough to last for half a month, the consumption of her Tailor Skills was far beyond her expectations.

If she used them frequently, her food supply probably wouldn’t last more than a few days.

"So I can’t just sit here and eat through my supplies." She grit her teeth; she had to find more supplies as soon as possible.

At the same time, she hadn’t forgotten the dungeon’s second mission: kill 100 parasitic monsters.

Although it wasn’t a mandatory mission.

But looking at the reward, [Body Transformation Pills], she knew just from the name that it would significantly enhance her physical strength. Seraphina Sullivan didn’t want to miss out on something this good.

So she needed to face the parasitic monsters head-on.

But she still didn’t know what the monsters were actually like.

Seraphina Sullivan needed to gather information.

Having made her decision, Seraphina Sullivan stepped out of the dilapidated building.

A light rain fell from the gloomy sky, dampening the hem of her clothes as a chill seeped into her skin.

The silhouette of the town in the distance grew clearer. The dense houses stood silently, like a dead city.

Though it was daytime, the streets were deserted, with only the mournful sound of wind whistling through broken windows.

Seraphina Sullivan took a deep breath, suppressed the unease in her heart, and strode quickly toward the nearest two-story house.

The door was wide open, as if inviting her in, yet it also felt like some kind of ominous premonition.

The moment she stepped inside.

On the floor, a shocking patch of long-dried, blackened blood.

Drag marks stretched toward the stairs, as if something had been forcibly hauled upstairs.

Seraphina Sullivan held her breath and lightened her steps, carefully searching for any potential sources of information.

Newspapers, magazines, anything that could tell her what had happened to this world.

Her fingers brushed across a dust-covered coffee table when suddenly, a crumpled newspaper caught her eye.

The instant her fingertips touched the newspaper, an inexplicable chill crawled up her spine.

The text on the newspaper was clearly composed of strange symbols she had never seen before, but bizarrely, her brain automatically understood its meaning: "Unknown Parasite Outbreak! City Center Has Fallen!"

"Is this... the dungeon’s translation function?" Seraphina Sullivan muttered to herself, her fingers trembling slightly as she unfolded the newspaper.

When the yellowed newspaper was fully spread out, a close-up photo taking up half the page slammed into her view, making Seraphina Sullivan gasp.

The photo featured three different creatures.

It starkly displayed three creatures side by side: a middle-aged man, a German Shepherd, and... a horrifying, red, insectoid creature.

The creature was about the size of a palm, with eight jointed limbs twisted and splayed out. Its entire body was a sickening scarlet, its back covered in dense black spots.

It resembled a mutated spider.

These creatures were the source of the parasitic disaster.

They were also known as "Parasitic Bloodworms."

The human and dog in the photo had clearly been parasitized.

Their bodies had undergone terrifying mutations.

The human victim’s limbs were stretched to unnatural lengths, their fingers transformed into sharp, bony claws.

The German Shepherd’s spinal bones had pierced through its skin, forming a row of serrated bone spurs.

The one thing they had in common was their eyes—they had turned completely blood-red, with no visible pupils.

An inside page of the newspaper warned in bold text:

[Traits of the Parasitized]

1. Abnormally enhanced muscle tissue

2. Extremely aggressive

3. An intense craving for flesh

Seraphina Sullivan’s fingers unconsciously tightened on the edge of the newspaper, the paper making a faint RUSTLE in her hands.

The shocking photos sent a cold dread shooting up from her feet to her spine.

"These Parasitic Bloodworms... it seems they can parasitize any living creature." Seraphina’s voice trembled, and her throat felt tight.

The close-up photos of the parasitized victims from the newspaper were seared into her mind.

The human’s twisted limbs, the animal’s savage bone spurs, and those blood-red eyes.

She subconsciously swallowed.

But this simple action made her suddenly realize something, her pupils constricting sharply. ’Not only are their bodies enhanced and their attacks powerful, but they also have an intense craving for flesh...’

Her gaze slowly moved to the patch of dried, blackened blood on the floor, and Seraphina’s breathing quickened.

The drag marks, the splattered drops of blood—they all took on a new meaning in her eyes.

This was very likely the scene where a victim had been dragged away.

"This place isn’t safe," she warned herself in a near-inaudible whisper.

Just as she was about to get up and leave, a line of small text at the very bottom of the newspaper suddenly caught her attention.

It was a [Research Brief] marked with a red border:

"Through observation, the Parasitic Bloodworm has been found to have the following traits:

1. Aversion to light: They hate sunlight and are primarily active at night. Parasitized individuals also inherit this trait.

2. Fear of water: They are afraid of water. Parasitized individuals also inherit these Weaknesses."

Seraphina Sullivan’s head snapped up, and she looked out the window.

The rain had lessened, but the sky was still overcast.

It seemed the reason it had been so quiet since she entered the dungeon was because of the rain.

The Parasitic Bloodworms, as well as their hosts, were afraid of water, so they obviously wouldn’t come out to hunt in the rain.

Of course, there was also the fact that it wasn’t nighttime yet.

Clearly, nighttime in this dungeon would likely be the most dangerous time.

However, this was no time for Seraphina to let her thoughts wander.

The sky was darkening at a visible rate—night was coming.

The raindrops outside were becoming sparse, which meant the rain was about to pass.

Seraphina Sullivan had to find a safe Shelter before dark.

Seraphina Sullivan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The damp air was mixed with the smell of mildew and a faint, foul odor.

She slowly exhaled, forcing herself to calm down.

"It’s not like I’ve gained nothing..." she muttered, her gaze sharpening. "This information will help me avoid a lot of danger and tell me what to do next."

She quickly organized her thoughts, planning her next move.

"The top priority is to find a Shelter near a water source..." she murmured.

At the same time, her hands didn’t stop moving as she began to rummage through the house for useful supplies.

She wouldn’t let her Space be just for show.