In a certain suburb, the area had already been cordoned off by the military.
Pedestrians instinctively steered clear of the area.
Before a colossal vortex.
Perched atop a stone pillar, Aya Tone gazed ‘levelly’ down at the spatial ability users who had been hastily recruited.
He spoke with a grave earnestness, “When you enter, follow closely behind me. Then, use your spatial abilities to collect all the resources that fall to the ground. Understood?”
He genuinely feared these individuals would disregard his instructions and charge headlong without a thought.
Should his magic blast inadvertently eliminate one of them…
Ah, the trouble…
The mere thought of it brought a headache.
He certainly had no funds to cover medical bills.
He preferred to give them a preemptive warning, lest any issues arise and they come seeking trouble from him.
“Understood!”
Much to Aya Tone’s surprise, these newly recruited spatial ability users displayed not a hint of defiance. Instead, their gazes burned with fervent intensity as they looked at him.
It was evident they had all recognized Aya Tone’s identity.
This was, after all, an S-rank powerhouse leading them into a dungeon.
They absolutely had to perform exceptionally.
“Uh… alright then.”
Aya Tone then turned his gaze to Ning Fan Ying, who stood at the farthest edge of the group.
Ning Fan Ying, at this moment, had already donned a set of soft armor, with two daggers secured at her waist.
By her appearance, she seemed to be an assassin.
Utilizing spatial abilities for an assassin was indeed an excellent choice.
The only question was her offensive prowess.
Aya Tone swiftly withdrew his gaze.
Ning Fan Ying’s strength was utterly irrelevant to his current expedition.
No matter how formidable her attack power, could it possibly surpass a single one of his magic bursts?
He was a magical girl, sworn to protect love and peace…
Bah.
Let’s not dwell on such melancholy matters.
Aya Tone had intentionally imbued each person with a trace of his magic.
Should any ‘old six’ attempt a sneak attack, this magic would autonomously activate, shielding them.
He had, after all, promised Bai Xiao to safeguard these ‘pockets’.
“Let’s go!”
Aya Tone leaped down from the stone pillar.
‘Leading such a large group into a dungeon for the first time, he felt a surge of excitement at the prospect.
Forward, forward, forward!
Taking the lead, he advanced towards the swirling teleportation array.
His hoodie gradually shimmered away, replaced by the iconic magical girl ensemble.
The adorable pink magic wand materialized in his grasp.
With so many individuals behind him to meticulously gather the fallen resources.
A bit more exertion shouldn’t cause any undue trouble, right?
Aya Tone mused inwardly.
Upon witnessing Aya Tone’s sudden transformation, the eyes of the onlookers immediately gleamed with recognition.
That nationally televised ranking match had undeniably left an indelible impression upon them all.
Even through the screen, they had been able to perceive the sheer awe of magic clashing in explosive barrages.
They had attempted to imagine themselves in his place, immersing themselves fully in the spectacle.
Under such an overwhelming magical onslaught, let alone mounting a defense, even the courage to utilize spatial jumps for escape would have been utterly drained.
At last, they would experience firsthand the formidable power of a top-ten S-rank national champion.
“Aya Tone is so adorable~”
It seemed as though something peculiar had infiltrated the crowd…
Once everyone had vanished into the dungeon.
Ning Fan Ying, bringing up the rear, gazed at the teleportation array before her, a flicker of internal struggle crossing her eyes.
The spectral voices of her fallen comrades seemed to echo in her ears.
One mere step forward, and she would be enveloped by the dungeon’s embrace.
Yet, her feet remained stubbornly rooted, unable to take that crucial step forward, leaving her rigidly frozen before the portal.
“Sister Ning, what are you doing?”
It was at this precise moment.
Aya Tone burst forth from within the dungeon, seizing Ning Fan Ying’s hand without preamble.
Before she could even register a struggle, Aya Tone tugged her back into the dungeon.
Honestly!
Such a grown woman, yet still so utterly troublesome.
Had Aya Tone not imbued each person with his magic…
He truly wouldn’t have noticed one of his ‘little tails’ had suddenly gone missing from behind him.
Now that the stray ‘little tail’ had been retrieved, it was, of course, time to commence their work!
****
“Quick, quick, there’s more over there!”
Aya Tone, wielding his magic wand, ceaselessly directed the group to gather the magic crystals scattered across the ground.
These were precious earnings, after all.
He absolutely could not afford to lose these magic crystals.
…
The group formed an arc behind Aya Tone, their minds more acutely focused than ever before.
Adjusting their breathing, they manipulated their inherent abilities, drawing the magic crystals embedded in the soil along their path into neat piles before them.
These were then swiftly transferred into their storage pouches.
Yet, despite their efforts, their pace utterly failed to match Aya Tone, who was relentlessly sweeping through the monsters ahead.
While they had certainly witnessed the might of this ‘witch’ in videos, the firsthand experience was a stark contrast, truly a difference as vast as heaven and earth.
Had they not been directly behind Aya Tone—who was intentionally holding back—the lingering aftermath of his magic blasts alone would have been enough to overwhelm them.
“So strong!”
From the very rear of the group, Ning Fan Ying murmured softly.
That diminutive frame, capable of unleashing such astonishing power!
After being forcibly drawn into the dungeon by Aya Tone, the cacophony of echoing voices in her ears had abruptly subsided.
Yet, the long-awaited entry into a dungeon still left her with a vague, unsettling discomfort.
The inherent fear of monsters had long been deeply ingrained within her heart.
Whenever a monster appeared, before fear could even fully surface, its very essence would already have transmuted into irregular magic crystals, scattering across the ground.
Awaiting their collection.
Was this the true might of an S-rank?
As a former A-rank adventurer, Ning Fan Ying naturally possessed a clearer understanding of the monster strengths within A-rank dungeons than her companions.
Dungeon ratings were determined by the magnitude of energy emanating from their respective entrances.
The distribution of monster strength within was categorized into three distinct tiers: upper, middle, and lower.
To illustrate with an A-rank dungeon:
Within a standard A-rank dungeon, one would typically encounter at most one or two A-rank leader monsters, their power roughly equivalent to that of a seasoned A-rank adventurer.
A moderately skilled A-rank adventurer, exercising sufficient caution, might even manage to solo them.
However, a dungeon’s very nature dictates that opportunities for solitary combat are virtually nonexistent.
Beyond the main BOSS, the most significant threat stems from the monsters under its command.
Human stamina is finite, and a BOSS will hardly adhere to honorable combat ethics, opting instead to directly summon its subordinates to overwhelm you.
This is precisely why even formidable adventurers invariably opt to form teams for dungeon expeditions.
Alone, one is simply too susceptible to being overwhelmed and eliminated.
Regarding ‘abnormal’ A-rank dungeons…
Within them, a Lord would emerge, possessing power far surpassing A-rank, bordering on that of an S-rank adventurer.
And it was precisely such a Lord that Ning Fan Ying’s squad encountered during one of their past expeditions…
Ning Fan Ying remembered with chilling clarity.
The sheer might of that Lord was utterly beyond the comprehension of them, who had prided themselves as A-rank adventurers.
Even their captain, a formidable presence high on the A-rank leaderboard, had launched a desperate assault, yet could only manage to leave a faint white scratch upon its hide.
The attacks from the rest of the team were akin to mere tickles, entirely ineffectual.
“If I had been that strong back then, could I have saved everyone…”
Ning Fan Ying lifted her gaze to the sky above, a sky unlike that of Blue Star.
As long as one kept their head held high, tears would never fall…
Isn’t that right, Captain…
In the distance.
Aya Tone’s silhouette slowly began to superimpose itself upon the image of her former captain.
Years ago, her captain had stood before her in precisely the same manner, his back turned, gently telling her:
“Hurry and go!”