Frostfire Legacy

The 16th floor had the same structure as the previous two floors, with a Desert Biome as the main characteristic. However, unlike the last two, the terrain was even more treacherous.

In addition, monsters that take advantage of the terrain to attack adventurers were present. One could argue that the 16th floor is more dangerous than the 14th and 15th combined.

*CRACKLE!* *BOOM!*

However, one party was breezing through it as if it were no different than the other floors. A party led by a fluffy white dog with heterochromatic eyes, and a young man with black hair.

Of course, it was none other than Aster's party.

As they were moving, sitting comfortably on Aster's Modified EM Pullcart, he couldn't help but turn to them and wonder.

"Girls... you really don't want to try and hunt by yourselves?" Aster asked once more.

Ever since the 14th floor, the girls have stayed passive. They didn't even bother to raise their voices to advocate for themselves, and they didn't voice any complaints about being forced to sit for hours on end while being hauled around like objects.

Of course, it's not that they're getting lazy, but rather, because of a more sensible reason.

"Our abilities are increasing fast. It's bothersome to keep on adjusting our senses to it if it'll just get increased in a few hours."

Kali's words were sharp but on point. In summary, she says that due to Argus' strength and EXP Share (Equal) Ability, the girls were leveling up rapidly. Therefore, trying to "get used to" their current strength is pointless because it will increase soon enough.

"At our current pace, we should be able to reach a plateau after reaching the 20th floor."

On that floor, the average level would be roughly equivalent to Aster's, around level 35 to 40. By then, their rapid power-up should begin to slow down, making it possible to adjust their senses properly to their new strength.

"Right now, rather than comfort, reaching as far and deep into the dungeon as possible is our main target," Liz added. "The deeper we go, the safer we should be from Lory."

"..."

The girls were aware that Lory was chasing after Cassy, who possessed the only Revive skill in the world at the moment. That was the reason they were brought into the dungeon for protection in the first place.

But the person herself, Cassy, was still hung up on her inner turmoil.

She did speak out her thoughts last night, making it clear that she understood that there's no more going back. However, understanding and accepting it were two different things altogether.

'It would take a bit more before she could return to normal,' Aster guessed.

With their pace, the party quickly broke past the desert biome before night fell. After all, if they were to camp, anywhere would be fine compared to the desert. Especially with Liz in the team, who was extremely weak to the cold.

As they entered the forest zone, their pace dropped. There's no detour, after all, so Aster had to drag the cart through the forest filled with roots and undergrowth, making it hard to proceed.

Although they were "slowing down," their pace was still faster than walking on foot. As such, the girls had no choice but to grab the cart, careful not to get thrown off from all the shaking due to the uneven ground.

Only Tina remained stable... After all, she was still planted on Aster's back, not budging an inch.

Around 8 p.m., Aster and the rest decided to take an early rest. They didn't push themselves to continue onwards through the darkness for two reasons. One is that, the next biome ahead of them was another desert. And two, Aster was getting tired.

Right, Aster might have higher stats compared to the girls right now, but it's not like he's tireless! Running nonstop, without even water breaks or leisure walks, and adding the treacherous terrain through the forest, one was bound to get tired sooner or later!

"Aster, you should rest first," Liz offered, feeling a little guilty after seeing the fatigued look he had on. "I'll handle the food preparations tonight and tomorrow morning. It would be a problem if you overworked yourself."

He had been working for the girls like a manservant for a while, and they took it for granted. However, now that the stakes are higher, they can't rely on Aster for everything.

"Really? Then... I guess I will take up your offer then," He replied lethargically.

Rather than the physical fatigue, Aster was more tired mentally.

The pressure from being pursued, the danger from monsters and terrain, and the fact that only he and Argus were strong enough to protect everyone. As they say, if dust piles up, it becomes a mountain. He had been trying to keep it all to himself until now, dealing a heavy blow to his mind.

By his request, two tents were raised for that night. One for the girls, and one for Aster alone. Of course, they were right beside each other to make it easier to protect.

After the tent was set up, he quickly crawled into his tent, and laid down in the middle, closing his eyes to rest.

"..."

But his rest was short-lived. He turned to the side, staring at the person who still refused to leave his side, even now. "Tina..." He muttered in exasperation.

Although she already left his back, she didn't leave his side. She stayed beside him, lying with him in the tent, without uttering a single word. She didn't even meet his gaze, keeping her head tilted down.

Liz was busy cooking. Kali was looking after Cassy in her own way, while also keeping watch over the surroundings with Argus. As such, nobody was available to get Tina off of Aster's tent. As such, he decided to just let her be.

"Y... ne..."

"Huh?" But then, a quiet voice came from her, softer than a whisper, making Aster open his eyes curiously. "Did you say something?"

Right then, Tina finally raised her head, and her eyes—rolling with tears—stared blankly over him. Meeting her gaze, Aster felt scared for a moment, and wanted to move, but was a step too late.

*THUD!*

In a moment, Tina moved, mounting over him. Then, in a slightly louder voice, she repeated her previous words, still with a blank, scary gaze.

"You're mine... and mine alone..."