Dysfunctional - An Assassin's Guide to Reincarnating in Another World

Chapter 34 - Confession, Divine Intervention, and Arrival

It...worked...it really worked.

A smile of relief spread out across my face as a slight chuckle of disbelief escaped my lips...I genuinely couldn't believe it. I had made it outside.

Last time, I had been trapped for three years till I eventually died, my surroundings solely consisting of men in lab coats, a bloody laboratory, and my own bloody insides...but this time was different, I had...I had really broken free...and within less than half a day at that!

As the adrenaline faded, I sat up and looked around, I saw that the hole had collapsed into a crater, forming a wide dip in the road...before my sights were met by piles of white-clad corpses.

Wait, wasn't this...the exact same place we had been in before we were kidnapped? Yeah, it was...we were back on the road to Goldway.

So, this whole time...we had literally been just a few dozen meters below the same spot we had last been in?

I'm...not sure how that makes me feel.

Wait, who had pulled me out? One of the other three? Yeah, obviously.

I mean, who else could it-?

I stared wide-eyed at the figure standing before me.

"Persi-," I began to stand up, cutting myself off as I unexpectedly slumped back down.

Huh...?

Oh, right...I need to regrow my right leg. Wait, forget about that right now!

She got down on her knees and locked her gaze with mine, her eyes watering.

"H-hey, what's with that expression, I-," Before I could finish talking, she cut me off as she wrapped her arms around my tightly, pulling me into a firm hug.

"I...I was afraid that I'd never see you again. I'm...so glad that you're okay," She whispered with a sniffle, hugging me tighter.

I felt a wave of emotions wash over me, hitting me like a truck. There were so many feelings welling up inside me, something I had never experienced to this extent.

I had never expected to hear something like that from, well...anyone. And to hear it from her...meant the world to me.

"Y-you're being dramatic, Cat Girl...it's been less than ten hours, a-after all! I...I...," I trailed off as tears of relief trickled down my face, and I found myself hugging her back, "I'm glad I was able to escape and...see you again."

I was...crying.

Sure, I wasn't exactly bawling, but...when was the last time I had actually shed a tear?

I genuinely couldn't remember.

...

...

A few minutes later, as I regained my composure...

"Wait, hold on a second...I'm confused, why are you here?" I asked, as we awkwardly pulled out of the hug.

I was fully back to my senses now, and...I'm pretty sure my face was bright red.

I took a quick glance around, and saw that everyone else was heading this way from ahead of us. Huh, looks like they had set up camp a little ways ahead of the battleground...I honestly assumed that they'd have kept going forward.

The other three who'd been trapped down with me were either sprawled or seated on the ground, looking utterly exhausted and drained.

"Uh, well...after you all disappeared, we took out the remaining enemies and questioned them on where they took you, but none of them seemed to know. We found a spot further up to set up camp, and we've been searching the area from there. Azyl recovered his Mana...and then used it all up again by using his Water Mapping for hours, but he couldn't find anything. And then, just now...we saw a massive flash of lightning burst out from the ground. I had a feeling it was you, so I, u-um...came running back as fast as I could, I saw these three pop out of that hole, and a few seconds later, I spotted you making your way out of it too. And...here we are," She finished explaining, leaning forward with a sigh and resting her forehead on my chest, "D-do you mind if I stay like this for a bit? I'm so relieved that I feel kinda drained."