Frostfire Legacy

It was morning inside the dungeon, with the wind howling fiercely, carrying sand all around. Aster was, as usual, pulling the cart with the girls onboard, moving as fast as a speeding car.

Argus was roaming even faster than Aster, eliminating any monsters that entered his detection range. Thanks to his relentless hunting, the girls were continuously gaining experience and leveling up.

While on the move, Aster frequently glanced at Cassy. The events of the previous night still lingered in his mind. Cassy's expression was slightly improved compared to the day before, but a hint of depression remained.

However, more than that...

"Tina, can you return to the cart?"

Aster asked, unable to ignore the girl latched onto his back while running.

That morning, as soon as she was freed from Aster's frozen hold, she had clung to him like a stubborn stain that refused to let go. He had initially ignored her, hoping she would detach over time, but after six hours, she still clung to him, refusing to budge.

"..."

Furthermore, she wasn't speaking at all. Even though Aster wasn't accustomed to dealing with girls, he could tell she was sulking—heavily at that.

Seeing that he was still being ignored, Aster could only sigh in resignation.

"The boss is close by. Everyone, prepare to move."

From their resting spot to the boss, it took them six hours. It wasn't that they had slowed their pace, but rather because the distance between the entrance and the portal to the next floor was increasing.

Starting from the 15th floor, unless they could fly, it was impossible to proceed in a straight path to the end. They had to navigate through several large detours around treacherous terrains, such as deep valleys and tall mountains.

Unlike the first ten floors, which had an "artificial" feel, floors starting from the 15th began to appear more realistic. And with realism came increased dangers.

These factors affected their speed.

After a while, they finally arrived near the portal. As soon as they got close enough, the boss monster's spawn began. Argus, however, didn't wait for the boss to fully form and immediately struck it with a bolt of red lightning.

*BOOM!*

With a deafening explosion, the boss monster was obliterated before it could even complete its formation, leaving no trace behind—not even dust. At the same time, the girls' bodies glowed, signaling that their levels had risen once again.

At their current pace, they should reach level 30 by the time they cleared the next floor!

'With our remaining provisions, even if we minimize consumption, they will last us only a little over a week.'

A week was a considerable amount of time, but Aster worried it might not be enough for the situation outside the dungeon to resolve. Moreover, Cassy was integral to Lorelai's plans. Hence, securing the orange rabbit was their top priority.

'No, considering how fast Lory works, I wouldn't be surprised if she somehow got inside the dungeon already and is now pursuing us.'

With this thought in mind, he led the girls into the portal leading to the next floor.

---

On the 14th floor, the members of the top three clans were all geared up, ready to move and chase after Aster's group. The reason wasn't to protect them but rather to "punish" the "bastard" who dared to look down on them.

"Mages! Prepare the teleportation portal! We'll be jumping straight to the closest camp near the portal to the next floor!"

The 14th floor was one where the three clans had set up Teleportation Arrays to expedite the clearing process. Naturally, the members of the top three clans could utilize these arrays.

The standby mages on the 14th floor began preparations, loading the Teleportation Array with mana. Since it would transport around 40 members, the mana required was substantial.

It took them over three hours to fully activate the array!

"Let's go. Let's make that bastard pay for going against the top three clans!"

"YEAH!"

A powerful cheer echoed, indicating agreement with his words. At that moment, all four parties—two from Dragon's Roar, one from the Ironblood Knights, and one from Light of Glory—along with the two mages who activated the portal, totaled 40 members.

No, it wasn't a mistake in the count. Aside from the three clans, there was also one party that remained "invisible" to them but was still included. This group shared a common physical trait—wings behind their ears.

Aster's guess was accurate. Lorelai had entered the dungeon, accompanied by five others!

"Tsk! Lady Lorelai, can't we just control everyone here? It would be easier that way!" One of them, a red-haired man with a small build, asked irritably. "Whether we control them or not, we can still make them use the arrays for us!"

Lorelai, addressed by the red-haired man, had her eyes closed and arms crossed. She slightly opened them and turned toward him. Even without speaking, the man was visibly shaken and took an unconscious step back.

Lorelai closed her eyes again, not bothering to explain. The man didn't raise the issue again, knowing well the meaning of "fear."

She was the only one among the Aracellis who could use her eyes unrestrained at present. Thus, the others couldn't challenge her. If they did, the outcome was already predetermined.

Of course, there was also a reason why she hadn't taken full control of the three clans. However, that would become clear later, after they caught up with Aster's team.

'Without a doubt, they should be clearing floors right now, trying to increase the distance between us.'

Having previously traveled using the AA Express, Lorelai could estimate how far Aster and the girls had advanced.

'At most, they are on the 16th floor. If we use the Teleportation Arrays continuously, we'll catch up with them around the 25th floor.'

Her mind was busy calculating the pros and cons and considering every possible scenario. Slowly, she opened her eyes, a dangerous glint flashing within them.

"Cassandra Bright..."

Her whisper reached the others' ears, but they paid it no mind. After all, they knew that Cassandra was the healer they needed for their plans.

However, none of them realized the emotions hidden behind Lorelai's mask.