He who wishes to wear the crown must bear its weight.
“From this point forward, unless danger truly threatens, I will not intervene until we reach the chasm itself.”
Aya Tone admitted that she had indeed been somewhat thoughtless before. Yet, it was not too late to rectify her oversight. A freshly cleared S-rank dungeon — perfect!
One person, one staff, one night, one miracle!
Li Jia, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, froze, a single word escaping her lips in a daze. “Ah?”
“Merely possessing sufficient internal energy does not qualify one as an S-rank. If one’s mentality or awareness falls short in any aspect, it all amounts to naught!”
“Therefore… battle forth, maiden!”
Aya Tone earnestly patted the Azure Dragon Scale Mail on Li Jia’s body. It felt cold against her palm.
She suddenly understood why her elder brother had lent this scale mail to Li Jia. He must have realized at a glance that Li Jia was not adept at combat and was utterly unqualified to consume the fruit.
‘Thank you,’ Aya Tone silently conveyed her gratitude to Ao Yu.
Ao Yu: ‘I didn’t! Don’t spread rumors!’ He had only lent the Azure Dragon Scale Mail to Li Jia because he simply didn’t want the girl to die in the dungeon.
“But… I can’t do it…” Li Jia bit her upper lip, her voice barely a whisper. She tried to use her pitiable expression to awaken Aya Tone’s last shred of mercy.
However, her efforts were met only with Aya Tone’s cold chuckle.
“You can do it!”
Aya Tone waved her staff, and a faint golden aura descended. As the light settled, her body gradually began to dissipate into nothingness.
Li Jia’s eyes widened in confusion, but she instinctively reached out, attempting to grasp her. Yet, just as her hand was about to make contact, Aya Tone’s figure vanished within the shimmering light.
‘Tone is serious!’
Li Jia’s pupils constricted sharply. The emptiness in her hand screamed the truth of the situation.
Forcing down the anxiety churning within her, she called out a few times, but received no response from Aya Tone. It was as if she had truly disappeared from this world.
“…”
Several minutes later, from beneath the dragon horn helmet, Li Jia’s face, once etched with anxiety, was now replaced by an endless coldness.
Ha…
How could a young lady, raised in the cutthroat world of business, ever be a harmless lamb?
Her dragon claws subtly gathered, emitting a sharp clattering sound.
‘I should rein it in a bit; I wouldn’t want to scare Tone.’
****
Above the chasm, several figures watched with grave expressions as the enormous maw below seemed ready to devour everything. All were awestruck by the terrifying aura emanating from it, not daring to make any rash moves. Merely gazing upon it gave them the illusion that they would be swallowed whole at any moment.
“I never imagined Deputy Director Wang would be an undercover agent sent by the R Nation, who’s been doing quite well for themselves lately. I recall you even had ‘Serve the country with utmost loyalty’ tattooed on your chest, didn’t you? How ironic.”
“Captain Gao, there’s no need for the pot to call the kettle black. We all serve our respective masters. And, I prefer you call me by my other name: Meichuan Chundai.”
“Hmph, who would have thought a mere civilian official would conceal A-rank strength?”
The latter ignored his sneer, replying with a smile, “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“Hmph!”
“…”
Most of what these individuals knew about the situation beneath the chasm was limited to the information released by that one scholar. For a time, no one dared to be the first to act.
Each person was at loggerheads, finding fault with the others. After all, their identities in Z Nation were far from insignificant. They had all, to varying degrees, crossed paths—some as allies, others as adversaries.
Had their respective nations not activated these sleeper agents, they would have continued living under their false identities until death.
After a flurry of insults, everyone fell silent. They knew this was merely a ploy by their opponents to provoke anger and disrupt their composure. Being old foxes, wise to the ways of the world, they wouldn’t be swayed by such trivial taunts.
“Gentlemen, our smooth entry into this dungeon is entirely due to Ao Yu’s deliberate inaction. His intentions, I trust, are clear to all of you.”
Deputy Director Wang, true to his political background, immediately cut to the chase. Their concerns extended beyond these immediate “colleagues.” They also needed to consider how to leave Z Nation once they had secured their objective.
Once they escaped the dungeon, their countries would dispatch personnel to extract them. The real question, however, was whether they could truly escape Ao Yu’s grasp. The answer was infinitesimally close to zero.
“If you have something to say, just say it. Don’t spout your official bluster here,” Captain Gao, who was at odds with him, offered no courtesies.
Deputy Director Wang did not mince words. “I’m merely suggesting that we haven’t even secured the item yet. Do we truly have the luxury of contemplating so much?”
“Or perhaps, the comfortable life in Z Nation has dulled your edges?” he sneered.
“…” Everyone fell silent instantly. He was right.
From the moment they were activated, regardless of success or failure, they had only one path forward: to complete their mission with all their might!
“Since you all understand that there is no retreat, why don’t we consider forming an alliance?” Deputy Director Wang spoke of cooperation, yet his gaze remained fixed on Captain Gao.
If Captain Gao, his rival, agreed, the rest would naturally follow suit.
“Why should we trust you to lead this cooperation?!”
Every person present represented a different nation, and with only one fruit to be had, they had no desire to pave the way for others.
Deputy Director Wang smiled calmly. “I possess a means to descend.”
His words were astonishing, like a depth charge, unleashing a storm within the group.
“I don’t believe you!” Captain Gao’s face darkened. He knew Deputy Director Wang was a man who wouldn’t lift a finger without personal gain; he would never undertake something without benefit. He must be plotting something!
“It doesn’t matter; I don’t need your trust. I only need your strength.”
Deputy Director Wang extended his fleshy hand, clearly offering an alliance. All eyes turned to Captain Gao.
‘That damnable dog! Still playing his petty games!’
Though Captain Gao was furious, he had no way to enter the ten-thousand-meter chasm.
“I’m in.”
Deputy Director Wang’s lips curved upward. “Welcome.”
****
Along the path leading to the center of the mountains, blood flowed down the ridges, carving a crimson trail. From high above, one would be astonished to discover that not only was the path stained red, but even the verdant canopy of trees could not escape being dyed a vivid scarlet.
“Boom—”
A colossal creature slammed into the ground, a torrent of fresh blood gushing from its mirror-smooth wound.
“Phew, that was close. Almost got hit.”
Beside the monster’s corpse, the human figure seemed incredibly small. Li Jia, feigning lingering fear, patted her already ample chest. Her clothes were slightly soiled. ‘Surely, this level of effort should suffice,’ she thought.
“Li Jia…”
Aya Tone’s figure rematerialized behind her, her small face etched with a complex expression. She had been following closely behind Li Jia, witnessing the entire process of her monster kill. It was precisely this observation that left her so conflicted.
The monster before them, sliced into several pieces by spatial distortions, was roughly on par with the giant python in strength. Yet, Li Jia had managed to dispatch it without a single scratch.
Spatial lockdown, spatial cutting, teleportation… The monster had been toyed with until its demise.
Suddenly, Aya Tone felt as if she were seeing Li Jia for the first time. It was truly peculiar.
What a con artist.